Case study:    Watercube_Beijing National Aquatics Center_ PTW Architects, CSCEC, CCDI,  Arup

Reading:   On Growth and form_ D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson

Nature and the notion of organic have always been of much interest from architects designers and urban planners. Extensive theoretical studies, as well as architectural applications, have attempted to simulate nature, by extracting forms, geometries and principles found in living organisms.

The Beijing National Aquatics Center designed by  PTW Architects, CSCEC, CCDI, and Arup is one of the most recent examples of applying natural systems in architectural design processes. In this building, vastly known as the Watercube, the strict geometry found in water bubbles was used as an inspiration for the exterior of the building, forming an iridescent cellular façade that diffuses natural light. The continuous skin, made by the ETFE material, was created as a steel structure housed in a cavity, filled by platonic solid units, that seem to be completely random, but in reality are different units that are repeated to the whole exterior of the building. The algorithmic relations that form the façade and roof of the Watercube, as well as the multiplicity of their units have been subject to great debate about the application of parametricism  in architectural and urban design context.

The former principles of natural forms were long before theoretically analyzed from  D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson in his book On Growth and form, almost a century ago. In his book, and particularly in the chapter On the Theory of Transformation, Or the Comparison of Related Forms, D’Arcy sets the basis of parametric design, at a conceptual level, through analyzing and comparing natural forms using mathematical justifications. The author explored the interrelations of growth, form and physical forces found in different relative species and the topological similarity of family variations, through grid and co-axial transformations and stretching of the natural geometries and structures of living organisms (leaves, fishes, animals, etc.). Though this study was carried out in a two dimensional level, it is implied that it can be extended into a three dimensional one, extrapolating important relations and principles between relative species, through breaking down the geometries at fractal basis. The notion of topology as a concept, that is evident in D’Arcy;s study, establishes a contemporary parametric design approach in a conceptual level.

As a future research, I would be highly interested in researching and comparing the new digital logics that are found in the recent parametric architectural examples, as well as exploring the relations that form them in a three dimensional level.

Image source: http://www.l-a-v-a.net/projects/beijing-watercube/

Case Study: Sendai Mediatheque l Toyo İto, Matsuro Sasaki

Reading Text: Emergence l Steven Johnson

Steven Johnson explains the ‘Emergence’ in a very good way in terms of understanding the relation between architecture and the city. He is defining the complex system in various scales(from micro scale to macro scale) with comparing the ants, body cells and cities and he takes our attention with the swarm logic of ants’ colony.

Swarm intelligence is the collective decentralized behavior. It is a system which is formed by simple individuals and it is transforming to complexity by interacting with each individuals and surroundings. For instance, ants manage to do their tasks for finding food and building shelter. But there is no reason, no logic about what they are doing. It is impossible to do it by itself; they are really successful when they work together. They get information from their surroundings and neighbors, in that way they do their tasks. This is the result of interaction which means it becomes ant colony and this example is also shows how ‘local information can develop global wisdom’. Also our body cells are precise example which proves the same swarm logic by creating the whole body with those simple cells.

According to the learning form ground level, there are 5 main topics to point out:

More is different: The more simple elements in numbers, can work more efficiently compared to 1 or 2 elements. For instance, only large amount of ants can create the colony.

Ignorance is useful: The simplicity is crucial for creating complexity. Learning from ants, each ant do only one task and they do not even know why they do.

Encourage random encounters: Different information and situations can create complexity in large scale. Ants behave individually and do their random unplanned tasks. They can adapt in any condition and they can change their tasks.

Look for patterns in the signs: As it is understandable, it is better to follow signs which priors leave. This is way to improve globally. To give an example from ants, they do not talk to each other. They work with their pheromones to find food and create path to build shelter.

Pay attention to your neighbors: Last but not least, this is how the complexity works; sharing information and interaction. Ants see the neighbors and change their tasks. Because they can not survive on their own.

Ultimately, this is where everything is getting clear. Cities bring minds together and the similar swarm logic of ants can be thought in human scale. Cities exist with their neighborhoods. If interaction needs a place, Steven Johnson points out the sidewalks of the city. It is a place that gives us a chance to get/share information and interaction with others (fluidity and continuity place for information). We are all individuals living randomly, but we are providing the exact amount of local interactions to achieve global wisdom. In other words, we are all a part of the whole complex system. By individually sharing information affects the whole complexity. As a result, Emergence is the ability to get and respond the information according to needs of global wisdom.

After analyzing Johnson’s examples and also Toyo Ito’s mediatheque, they changed my way of thinking about the complexity. Now I can say that also complexity can become from a simple element. I am very intrigued with the fact that there are so many patterns in our environment which has similar patterns in our lives. I would like to research about these patterns. It would great to learn how we can learn more from the micro systems in nature and implement them to our macro system. In that case learning more from nature, helps me more about understanding the advanced architecture.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning “ Albert Einstein

Text_Toward a Theory of Architecture Machines_Nicholas Negroponte

 In text Toward a Theory of Architecture Machines, Nicholas Negroponte discuss about advantages of self developing machines, relation between human and artificial, identifying the interaction of humans and evolutionary techniques. Evolutionary system is result of both, the man and the machine. Discussion is about machines that as he said, “can learn about architecture” and man with his knowledge is that those who can make machine to be smart. The development of information systems and computer graphics are services that enable the designer to expand their ideas and allow him more time to do what you really love. Its some kind of artificial love.

The author mentions five mechanisms that are important for achieving artificial intelligence. First is heuristic method based on rules of thumb or strategy which drastically limits the resolution of the problem. This method does not guarantee a solution. Machine will attempt to apply the relevant procedures with a similar problem. Heuristic gained from analogous situations would be the machine’s first source of contribution to the solution of a new problem.
After repeating meeting rote apparatus such control. It is important to learn to mind an event and its store. If the situation occurred repeatedly mechanism retains the circumstances to use it for similar situations. Response time and repetition become habits, good or bad.
Conditioning mechanism to process all non exceptional information. In addition to learning by heart responds to all events, generates the problem. Each robot is developing its conditioned reflex. Reward sector initiates activities. Implies testing each environment without the knowledge of the designer. This mechanism is crucial for good or bad architecture.
The last method is the inability or ability (forgetting convenience) of computers to forget all that we have entered into it. An example of as we take the antiquated structures, techniques, materials that do not correspond to the time or the environment in which we find ourselves.

Beside this mechanism mentioned Negroponte said those sea-discriminating mechanism or the interface. In fact, he’s talking about a machine that communicates with ambience and takes on the role of designers. These machines have features designers are necessary three characteristics: an event, a manifestation and representation. These three properties form the interface.
The author expresses his views and vision of the future machines – seeing machine. The machine is almost identified with the designer or architect. Architecture is a machine. The machine works on the principle of observation, environment, talks between architect and client. The device registers an event, plans, conversation enters the data in preparation for the final answer. Architecture Machine acquire information which client given era and therefore would have the potential to challenge and to question.
It all recognize it has seen and than extrapolates characteristics: commonalities, intents, patterns etc. After trying to answer on the complexion model solution, machine will give eleventh problem statement and asked to generate its own solution.

Today, computers are used in all spheres of life. They have become an integral part of most human daily activities. Clearly we can see a difference from the first computers and machines and their development until today. Negroponte in his text accurately guessed the significance of technology for architecture that is immeasurable. Their development allows freedom of design, work on more complex structures, experimentation, innovation. Man develops technology and machines, depending on their needs and objectives. We are able to develop machines to meet our needs, we can work to improve with more established errors and problems. The machine can be smart as we are able to is such a way. Their active participation in relation to technology and society work every day to improve. The point with which I don’t agree in the text is the author’s vision of future machine (seeing machine), where fully identifies human intelligence with artificial intelligence. I think that this part of the more ironic approach to the importance of technology. Man is the creator of the machine, so the machine will be smart how clever its creator.

As part of my personal research I would like to investigate how else can we improve the development of machinery, adapt it according to our needs. And im interesting about question : How much we can develop the technology? Could it really take control of us and fully identifying with the human mind?

Case Study Rolex Learning Center, Lausanne | SANAA

Text Deleuze and the Genesis of Form | Manuel de Landa

Form is an intrinsic feature of architecture. Architects and theorists of different ages have been developing various principles in order to define the form-finding procedure. Gilles Deleuze, a French philosopher, has developed his own philosophy which we are trying to conceive through the work of Manuel de Landa, Deleuze and the Genesis of Form.

According to the essay, matter has its own capability to generate forms in a way that is immanent to the matter itself. This procedure is mainly directed by the rules of mathematics, thermodynamics and is completely natural. Unlike the modernistic perception of generalization and perfection of solids, what is important for Deleuze is not the final form/ shape but the processes of morphogenesis that take place until that form is obtained. The final form is achieved as a state of inner equilibrium of the matter/material and it does not need to impose itself onto the matter from the outside. This diagrammatic operation described by Deleuze is applied onto the fields of society, geology and evolution.

In architecture, this principle could possibly be applied by studying the inner properties of the materials used and by allowing them to influence the final form of the structures.

At the Rolex Learning Center by SANAA architects, this inner equilibrium is supposed to be found by the users of the building.  It is comprised of one single fluid space of 20.000sq.m. The roof and the floor slabs undulate gently in parallel creating an artificial topography of hills and valleys with no conventional visual or sonic barriers. In this single-storey space the uses and the occupation of each space is free and defined by the inclination of the floor.

According to the architects, the movement of people is not linear but curved in an organic way, unless it is defined by strict paths. The Learning Center allows complete freedom to its users to walk, sit and occupy the space the way they want. It is almost like a park, it encourages people to choose where to go, to communicate and to develop a whole new way of learning. Although the success of this project in this aspect is doubtful, as the area to be covered is much extended and the photos available do not reveal full occupation of the space, it is a very interesting approach to design.

If we try to apply this case study in the philosophy of Deleuze, the matter that tries to reach its balance is the users of the building. The architectural form of the building is being created by human movement and occupation and only the curved background has been designed by the architects. Again, what is important here, as a principle of the function of the Learning Center, is the procedure by which people are occupying the space in order to achieve the best formation for their purpose each time – sitting, reading, discussing -, in other words the form-finding process to the equilibrium of Gilles Deleuze.

As a further research line, and as a continuation of my interest on dynamic architectural boundaries proposed by relational logics topic, I would be interested in exploring the relation between different boundaries and the architectural form generated in existing case studies as well as the successfulness of this kind of projects in terms of functionality.

Image Source http://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/rolex-learning-center-by-sanaa/8621669.article

Parametricism + Urbanism

Architecture and its styles have been ever changing through time, the basics of parametricism was first discovered in the 1990’s but however it had only come into effect with in the past several years with the advances in architecture and its parametric design systems. Parametricism has today become the new style architects use mostly in urbanism. This shift from modernism to parametricism was seen as a change from simple or orderly placing to complexity. It had evoked not only into the urban scale but also to smaller interior design concepts, from the understanding of the natural systems in nature to the application of these concepts into architecture.

Architecture and urbanism have been adapting to the needs of societal demands of the post-fordism era, through a continuous cycle of innovative adaptation.  However, architecture is called upon to organize and articulate the increased complexity of post-fordist society. This parametricism is possible through a series of highly defined parametric design techniques, which are animation, simulation and form finding, parametric modeling and scripting. However these techniques have brought in more complexity and kinetics to the designs and concepts. The style and form keeps changing with the manipulation of a single element in the system.

Parametricism may seem like the perfect solution for urban design and city planning, but it can only exist with endless advancements in computational geometry.  The techniques used for parametrics are nevertheless widely used and are in the stages of further development.

Regular variations of morphologies create a huge effect and help produce dominant urban effects and enables field alignment. Parametric Urbanism might include parametric rhythm, parametric figuration, and parametric sensitivity to realize its objective of rationality. Urbanism follows the concept of occupying and connecting. With parametricism it is able to simulate the settlement patterns and further understand the path networks.

Through parametrics one can understand how the change in a single element could affect the whole system and how these changes could be manipulated to further study their properties. Complex orders of chaotic patterns could be generated through this advanced technique of simulation.

The author uses the example of magnetic needle and polystyrene to explain the idea of urban landscape. The small pieces come together making up a complex urban settlement. In my opinion parametrics can best be applied into urban landscapes rather than interiors. As I believe when applied to urban scale it has a value and function to it, rather than when being applied to interior or small scale projects it is mostly for aesthetic purposes.

I am interested in understanding the pros and cons parametrics can bring about in the planning of a city, or how parametrics could affect the future of architecture. Could it lead or give way to a more self-sustainable or functional city rather than a city build for aesthetics purposes. In my opinion parametrics also helps to create a better navigation flow and build a socio economic infrastructure. However, I believe the advances in technology have made it possible to create infinite possibilities for architecture and urban planning through the digital simulation techniques.

Case Study: Yokohama Terminal FOA Architects / F. Moussavi, A. Zaera-Polo

Text: Parametricism – A New Global Style for Architecture and Urban Design - Patrik Schumacher, London 2008

Picture Source: http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2009/05/25/complexcity/

Steven Johnson: Emergence

Steven Johnson’s Emergence refers to the possibilities of simple components to form a highly developed structure. The systems ability to organize is maintained by a bottom up structure instead of an all above control. He analyzes those topics with various examples, especially by the colonies of ants.

Although a single ant has a very rudimental brain the species is dominant on the planet in sheer numbers and occurrence. And even though a single ant is not able to survive, as a swarm they are very successful. Each ant colony has a queen, but nevertheless it is not literally ‘ruled’ by it. The colony is controlled by sheer swarm intelligence, which is directed from the bottom – not the top. Every single ants behavior refers to the behavior of the rest of the ants. If there is too many cleaner ants, some change their duty. If there is a place with food, ants leave pheromones on their track, attracting other ants to the food source. Learning from the ants, there are five main points that form swarm intelligence:

• More is different: there needs to be a ‘critical mass’ of ants to make intelligent assessments. One or two ants cannot represent any data. But a few thousands can and eventual mistakes or statistical odds are evened out.
• Ignorance is useful: The simplicity of the ant is important to the success. ‘It is easier to build a densely interconnected system with simple elements,  and let the more sophisticated behavior tickle up.’ (p78)
• Encourage random encounters: As the system is completely decentralized it relies on random interactions between exploring ants. This is important to find new recourses and adapt to changing conditions.
• Look for patterns in signs: The sum and combination of all information is important.
• Pay attention to your neighbors: There is no order from above. By local information and action, global effects are caused.

Another example of similar patterns is human body cells. The sums of all those simple cells create a whole body. And despite it is the sum of many things one feels like an individual. But in contrast to the ants, body cells do have a kind of master plan. The DNA does state some order, but still there is a lot of swarm intelligence as well. It is more a combination of both systems. Human cities work very close to that pattern. There is (usually) some master plan, developed by urban planners. Still neighborhoods can derive spontaneously, sometimes planned, sometimes random. Like a cell surrounded by muscle cells becomes another muscle cell, similar population groups attract each other. Artists move to the art quarter, bankers to the financial district etc. The sidewalk is the stage for points of contact. It is the public space where interactions happen. Without this constant flow of information there would be no city life. According to Johnson ‘sidewalks work because they permit local interactions to create global order.’ Single decisions are made because of the behavior of the people around. And just like the ant colony the human behavior works at two scales: the day-to-day survival of the individual and the millennial scale of cities and other economic ecosystems.

Having read this text as well as analyzing Toyo Ito’s Sendai Mediatheque, I think there is still a huge research field in learning from nature.  May it be very literal like Ito’s seaweed columns or more abstract in swarm systems. Nature has many systems worked out so perfectly that human science is unable to do better. Architecture has shifted away from nature during the past hundreds of years, but even though digital design seems to push it further away it can be the missing link ‘back to the roots’. Parametric design relates quite well to swarm intelligence discussed above, it may work in similar patterns. Considering such knowledge, which has been in front of our eyes combined with new abilities to use, it can change our architectural thinking and behavior.

Case Study :  SENDAI MEDIATHEQUE  BY  ARCHITECT TOYO ITO + STRUCTURAL ENG. MATSURO SASAKI 

Reading Text : EMERGENCE THE CONNECTED LIVES OF ANTS, BRAINS, CITIES AND SOFTWARE  BY STEVEN JHON

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Referent Image: www.artspace.org.nz/exhibitions/2001/blurringarchitecture.asp

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In the above Mediatheque Sendai and The Connected lives of Ants both naturally developed because express components: Fluidity, Order Unstable and Transparent both designs and try to prolong the inside outwards emphasizing the continuity of the space.

Sendai Mediatheque is built and consists of  3 main elements: plate, pipe, and skin; The dwellings or places of life of ants naturally developed into huge amounts of solid ground. Both filters and communications develop from the inside to the outside creating the connection. Sendai trying to translate the conditions of society in the architecture using digital media and inhabit ants more naturally, where there is no reason, no logic, only the will of intuition. The most important thing is that both are able to develop their buildings in a collective way as a colonial system that plays an essential role (some can not do), but it (the participation of all in coordination can accomplish anything), large jobs or buildings.

This is a new concept in architecture that expresses much fluidity, lightness, like seaweed moving freely; image or sketches was poetic, far from any known reality, using dimensions, codes, numbers, position, displacement, and utilization of software. This is a project that is parametric and made parametrically.

The ants inhabit is a concept that is made of wild type with lots of places made in huge amounts of solid ground, for its swarm logic is a dominant force, behavior emerge from colonies with constant communication and interaction is the key to understanding the overall behavior evident achievements of its great buildings of its proportions; exploring their spaces without predefined orders. This is a clear sign that these buildings are habitat can see it’s a 100% parametric project, but with the difference that has not been done parametrically.

In conclusion I reached a confirmation of the above projects there today that are parametric and conducted parametrically and others like constructions that have been developed since ancient times, it can be observed that are parametric but are not made or constructed parametrically (no logic, no reason, are free as the wind and flow like a natural organism but is there the ability to achieve and suggest how they can do.

Reference Image: http://technoccult.net/

Case Study : Blur Building Swiss Expo 2002 by DILLER SCOFIDIO + RENFRO

Reading Text : A Thousand Plateaus by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari

“Architecture as special effect” is the phrase that I felt in Blur Building. It is an Experience Architecture. There is no roof, no wall, only lightweight tensegrity structure. We actually cannot measure the real size of architecture because all 35,000 nozzles which are controlled due to the parameter of climate and weather generate the “mist and fog”. Each individual nozzle are controlled by senor of wind climate which effect water pressure to nozzle. Water works as primary material and particles that envelope architecture acts as movable and kinetic façade so called “Responsive Architecture”. In term of Topological Thinking, we can see the transformation from water into the mist and mist into the air, there are number of  changes in the process of material properties.

Rhizome has big impact on parametric and digital architecture. It’s non-linear system which there is no beginning or ending. The input and output can enter from anywhere anytime. It is “the notion of network”. There will be no center called “Decentralization” which is a web of interconnected network.

The rhizome, of course, is their well-known image of a decentered system of points that can connect in any order and without hierarchy, a term drawn from botany that names a network of stems, like the strawberry plant, that grows horizontally and discontinuously by sending out runners. The logic of the rhizome is opposed to that of the tree, which is a hierarchical structure centered around a fixed root, a structure that grows continuously and vertically

My present interests is in the field of algorithmic architecture and generative design that has focused on agent-based models and the methodologies that focus on investigations spatial, structural and material organization in architecture and urbanism. I strongly believed that good architecture can embrace an intimate engagement between social and material interaction that concern in material performance and material life cycle.

In future research, I will use generative design process that can approach to environmental design by using multi-agent systems which capable of self-organizing into an emergent intelligence because it has the potential of the systems to negotiate between a complex set of desires and parameters in the generation of architecture.

Finally, my research line will explore more in algorithmic design methodologies and  non-linear algorithmic design methodologies in developing complex systems and how these non-linear systems interact and operate within geometry in response to a set of architectural criteria.

Image of Radiolaria from Christan Toche, Radiolaria Project, eCAADe 07 Conference Proceedings, Frankfurt, Germany

Text _ Parametricism – A New Global Style for Architecture and Urban Design, Patrik Schumacher

How brave one can be to proclaim a new dominant and single style in architecture nowadays? Even though Patrik Schumacher defines the style as design research program, going far away from what we usually consider under this term, it can be argued that this declaration is too strong.

The author is writing the text from the position of certainty, which does not leave much room for  questions. But still, his writing has launched plenty of doubts in reader’s mind. One of the first doubts is whether it is convincing enough to verify this proclamation with a need to organize complex post-fordist society. If the main characteristics of this society are diversity of life-styles and desire for customization, does this immediately call upon various research programs rather than believing one can respond to everything. The author claims that Parametricism does not only consist of a new set of techniques, but is complimented by widely shared design problems and similar ways of approaching them. Without these new techniques and tools Parametricism wouldn’t be able to fulfill all 5 agendas specified in the text hence they have enormous significance for the development of the aforementioned design approach. On the other hand,  style defined through these agendas and in correlation with Frei Otto’s work on natural structures assists in deciphering the logic behind the appearance and computational skills. At the same time, their purpose could be understood as emphasizing advantages of new techniques, and not as an argument for the annunciation of the style. Additionally, could these explanations be (mis)understood as an attempt to justify parametric design.

I am not convinced that architecture that belongs to some other “style” couldn’t be able to answer all demands of customization. I believe that Parametricism has its own aesthetic recognizability, despite all ideas and logics that stand behind this recognizability. Upon this, I wonder does parametric design appears as customization at all.

This idea of emerging need for customized design relates to the topic I am personally interested in. Further research could go back to the moment in history where everything was handmade, and as such, customized, and make a comparison with the moment of thrill when mass production was achieved. In reference to this idea, the recognition arises that now we are in a very different historical moment. We presently desire to combine both, and to have customized production, which would lead to greater understanding of the process of making and simultaneously help us, as individuals, achieve greater control of it.

Image _ http://urban.arch.virginia.edu/arch544/startpage.html

In his research paper Toward a Theory of Architecture Machines Nicholas Negroponte discusses the advantages of self-developing machines particularly in the field of architecture, identifying the interaction of humans and technology as evolutionary. Negroponte suggests a hypothesis claiming that the authorship of a design work created by a machine belongs unquestionably to the designer as long as the product is based on precise information added by the designer. Certainly the question of authorship becomes cryptic whether machines are able to act independently from any human input.

Doubtlessly, computer-aided design is being relevant for architectural design processes. However, in Negropontes point of view technology can only play a significant role in human lives if machines are not only able to produce, but have superior abilities.
According to Negroponte’s work, machines can give responses to environmental changes because any random sequence will somehow contain all solutions. If future technology is able to adapt and learn how to learn it will improve human’s as well architect’s lives.
The author states that it is crucial for self-improving machines to have five main features in order to be considered evolutionary. The heuristic method will only provide the optimal solution by limiting the searching process. By rote learning technology is able to compare similar situations and associate an event with a response. The conditioning device will enable technology to deal with all non-exceptional data and give responses to standardized events by employing conditional reflexes. The reward sector will function within reviewing or observing results by the designer to evaluate the machine’s operations. The exponential forgetting appliance will allow machines to learn and forget in order to sort out irrelevant or obsolete data.
Connected with human data input and a parent machine these features will be elements of a superior machine body, the architecture machine. The parent machine will provide power, stored data and a communication network.
Furthermore, Negroponte specifies three required properties of the interface which are essentially relevant in order to authorize machines to produce individually. The event is crucial for the perception of senses while the manifestation will enable technology to analyse and evaluate the data of an event. The representation will eventually allow the mapping of information and transferring it to other machines.
According to Negroponte artificial intelligence will have the potential to challenge, question and improve human’s life.

The research paper published by Nicholas Negroponte provides an advanced vision of the future integration of technology into human’s life. The interaction between mankind and machines has been intensified over the last centuries and I can definitely imagine the world changing in a similar way as Negroponte is illustrating. Technology merges with human life already in several fields as for example communication, information, science and certainly architecture as well.
Nevertheless, even if machinery is adaptable and self-improving it will mainly provide average solutions as an optimal result of comparing a variety of individual cases. In my regard, allowing technology to make decisions on our behalf could also limit individuality. As Jona Friedman states, “The average man does not exist, there are only individuals.” In my point of view, technology can only improve human life if it is able to provide new solutions instead of optimal solutions. For example most people visiting a foreign city would follow a route suggested by Google Maps. Obviously the technical device has chosen the optimal route, but is it actually the most beautiful and most exciting as well?

The more technology is involved in our world, the less humans will be personally involved in decision processes. As an example I would like to point out war drones used for violent operations. On the one hand the use of such technologies in war will certainly improve the lives of many soldiers who could evade the danger of being physically involved in a battle. One the other hand, if drones would be self-controlled, can we be confident with an emotionally and morally incapable machine deciding about human life on a battlefield?
Nonetheless, considering that tragedies as the nuclear catastrophe in Tschernobyl are fundamentally based on human failure and obsolete technologies, could disasters like this have been avoided by using advanced technologies?
I find it very difficult to define the evolution of machines as merely good or bad. Technology will be increasingly integrated in mankind’s life eventually. However, in my opinion advanced technology should be a tool providing new potentials of exploring the world. Machinery should not be a replacement for human brains, it is supposed to be an extension.

research proposal:

In his book War in the Age of Intelligent Machines Manuel De Landa deals with the symbiotic relation between humans and machines. In his work, he focuses on diverse fields such as for example architecture and artificial intelligence. According to De Landa technology invention has to be inserted into social practises in order to achieve absolute efficiency.
As part of my personal research I would like to investigate in De Landa’s theories questioning which domains in human life can actually be improved by technology. Furthermore, I would like to discover the conditions which are crucially relevant for a symbiotic relationship between mankind and machinery.

picture: https://flic.kr/p/fBTnsK – Robots replace humans in China 2.0 by Cory M. Grenier CC BY-SA 2.0