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Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now

Page 30

by Douglas Rushkoff


  See also advertising

  commodity trading, 185–86

  communities, overwinding and, 183–84, 194

  Community (TV show), 27–28

  computers: apocalypto and, 255, 259, 263; digiphrenia and, 1, 67, 84, 85, 98–99, 116, 122, 128; fractalnoia and, 208, 230–31, 238, 239–40; games on, 58–66; location of, 179–80; memory in, 140n; as metaphor for humans, 82–83; new “now” and, 4–5; overwinding and, 140n, 179–80; robo-answering, 128; Rushkoff’s first exposure to, 230–31; stress on, 140n.

  See also programmers

  connectivity: advantages and disadvantages of, 206–7; apocalypto and, 252, 254, 261, 263, 266; clocks and, 112; consumers-producers and, 166–67; digiphrenia and, 96, 109, 111, 112, 113, 121, 125–26, 127; fractalnoia and, 7, 199, 203, 204–5, 214, 215, 217, 219, 220, 228, 230, 232, 236, 238, 240; games and, 61; humor and, 25; narrative collapse and, 21–22, 25, 34, 38–39; overwinding and, 195; and premature connections, 219; resilience and, 205–6; storytelling and, 21–22; too much, 228.

  See also feedback; patterns

  conspiracy theories, 8, 198–99, 201, 264

  consumers: acting now and, 159–69; behavioral finance and, 174–75; change and, 167; digiphrenia and, 94; disconnect between producers and, 166–67; fractalnoia and, 201, 211–12, 213–14; media and, 166; narrative collapse and, 64; overwinding and, 159–69, 170–71, 174–75, 185, 186, 192; ownership and, 168–69; self-image of, 211, 212; time as money and, 170–71, 174–75.

  See also Black Friday; marketing/market research

  content: apocalypto and, 259; digiphrenia and, 96, 97, 115; fractalnoia and, 199, 202; humans as, 259; narrative collapse and, 22–23, 36–37; overwinding and, 141–42, 143, 153, 187, 193–94; reality television and, 36–37

  context: apocalypto and, 260; digiphrenia and, 114; fractalnoia and, 200, 238, 240; new “now” and, 6; storytelling as creating, 13–14

  contracts, 77–78, 161–62, 169, 184, 185

  control, 82–83, 219, 223, 224–26, 262.

  conversations, fractalnoia and, 211

  cooperation/collaboration, 193–94, 203–5, 221, 222, 226–27, 263.

  See also share/sharing

  copies, 71–72, 114

  COPS (TV show), 35

  corporations. See business/corporations

  crashes: in financial markets, 181, 230; flash, 181, 182

  credit cards, 5, 161, 174, 175

  credit default swaps, 178

  crisis: chronobiological, 93; narrative collapse and mentality of, 55; real-time news and, 47, 48–49

  Cronkite, Walter, 44

  crowdsourcing, 213, 238–39

  Crystal Palace, Great Exhibition (1851) in, 164–65

  cubism, 155

  culture: and compression of multitude of eras, 30; digiphrenia and, 72, 100; future-focused, 12; mashup and, 154–55; narrative collapse and, 12, 13, 30; new “now” and, 6; oral, 77; overwinding and, 141, 153–54; storytelling and, 12, 13; temporal diversity and, 133.

  See also popular culture

  currencies. See money/currency

  “cutscenes,” 27

  cybernetics, 224–26, 227

  Dachis Group, 86–87

  The Daily What (blog), 43

  Dardik, Irving, 102, 104

  Darfur is Dying (game), 63–64

  Darwin, Charles, 118

  data. See information

  Davis, Wade, 248

  Dawkins, Richard, 259

  Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), 198

  Defense Department, U.S., 46–47

  DeLillo, Don, 34

  democracy, 13, 45, 50, 51, 53, 54

  Democratic Party, 56

  Denton, Nick, 97

  department stores, 94, 165–66

  derivatives market, 175, 178

  digiphrenia: “always-on” philosophy and, 73–74, 85, 94–95, 97–98; apocalypto and, 245; benefits of, 73; cause of, 122; change and, 73, 86–87, 88–89; choices and, 110–12, 115–16, 119–20, 124; chronobiology and, 87–93, 101, 103–7; clocks and, 80–82, 85, 89–93, 95, 102, 112; connectivity and, 96, 109, 111, 112, 113, 121, 125–26, 127; coping with, 75–76; definition/characteristics of, 1, 75; disadvantages/challenges of, 67, 73; leading and, 93–109; as manifestation of present shock, 7, 69–129; multitasking and, 122–26; narrative collapse and, 73; pacing and, 74, 93–109; programs and, 84, 87, 93, 98, 101–2, 107; self and, 69–76; as stage in long progression, 76; stages in human development and, 82–87; storytelling and, 72–73, 85; sync and, 100–101, 106, 109, 121, 122, 126, 127, 128; time as a technology and, 76–87, 88–90.

  See also specific topic

  Disney theme parks, 186–88

  DNA, 85, 258

  Doctorow, Cory, 217

  Domeier, Rick, 94

  drone pilots, 7, 120–22

  drugs, 92, 98, 99, 103, 124

  Dulles, John Foster, 89

  Dunbar, Kevin, 204

  Duncan Yo-Yo, 108

  Dungeons & Dragons (game), 60–61, 60n

  Dyson, Freeman, 133, 135, 141

  Earth, first photographs of, 223–24

  Eastern-Westerner comparison, Nisbett’s, 234–35

  economy/economics: behavioral, 5–6; cashless societies and, 184; change and, 167; digiphrenia and, 97; expansion of, 170–80; fractalnoia and, 206, 226, 227, 228–29; global, 206; new “now” and, 3, 4, 5–6; overwinding and, 136, 145–49, 161, 163–65, 167–68, 171, 184–85; stages in human development and, 80; storage-based, 184; time and, 80.

  See also consumers; money/ currency

  Edelman, Richard, 50

  efficiency, 81, 82, 95, 188

  Eisner, Michael, 186, 187, 188

  elections of 2008, 18

  Elliott, Ralph Nelson, 229

  Elliott Wave, 229–30

  email, 2, 69–70, 99, 117–18, 119–20, 143–45, 264

  emergence concept, 227, 262, 263

  empathy, 236, 237

  end/endings: apocalypto and, 7, 247, 250, 252, 253–54, 261, 262; fractalnoia and, 199; games and, 59, 61–62, 67; hardest part of living in present shock and, 247; narrative collapse and, 34, 56, 59, 61–62, 66, 67; new “now” and, 4; of time, 250, 252, 253–54, 262; traditional storytelling and, 62

  Energy Department, U.S., 54

  energy, renewable, 189–91

  entertainment, 21.

  See also type of entertainment

  environment, 8, 13, 50, 115, 134, 135, 189, 194, 246

  Epic Failure (YouTube), 43

  escapement technology, 79

  ethics, 12, 60, 70.

  See also morality; values

  etsy.com, 117–18

  eureka moments, 116

  everything is everything concept, 197, 199, 204, 205, 210, 212, 213, 228

  Facebook: apocalypto and, 257; digiphrenia and, 72, 74–75, 85, 95–96, 126; fractalnoia and, 211, 239; narrative collapse and, 47; overwinding and, 142, 149, 155, 156, 157–58, 182; real-time news and, 47

  fairness, 120–21, 226

  fakery, 234

  Family Guy (TV show), 26–27, 28

  Farmville (game), 63

  “fast learners,” 125

  favor banks, 183–84

  Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. (FAA), 89

  Federal Reserve, 5, 148

  feedback: apocalypto and, 263; definition of, 207; fractalnoia and, 205–19, 220, 221, 222, 224–25, 226–27, 236; speed of, 208, 209

  Feldmar, Andrew, 156

  Ferriss, Timothy, 95

  field hospitals, 191

  Filippi, Mark, 103–6

  “filter failure,” 116–17

  financial markets: algorithmic-driven, 178–79, 180; apocalypto and, 8, 257, 264; black box trading and, 179, 180; commodity trading and, 185–86; crashes in, 181, 230; dark pools for, 182; digiphrenia and, 1, 99–100; fractalnoia and, 201–2, 203, 226–27, 229–30; free, 226, 227; high-frequency trading in, 181–82; “invisible hand” of, 226–27; “meet me” room for, 180; narrative
collapse and, 11–12; new “now” and, 5; overwinding and, 7, 8, 136, 173, 175–80, 181–83, 184, 185–86; physicial location of network and, 179–80; time as money and, 173, 175–80

  flash pictures, 71

  flashbacks, 28, 29

  flow: apocalypto and, 265; of information, 141–42, 145–49; overwinding and, 189, 192, 194; of time, 141–42, 145–49

  Forrest Gump (movie), 29–30

  fox and hedgehog prototypes, 232–33, 235

  Fox News, 49, 55–56

  fractalnoia: “always-on” philosophy and, 211; apocalypto and, 245–46, 264; change and, 224, 235–37; chaos and, 202, 209, 219–30; choices and, 202, 215, 227; conversations and, 211; cybernetics and, 224–26, 227; definition/characteristics of, 201, 240–41; everything is everything concept and, 197, 199, 204, 205, 210, 212, 213, 228; feedback and, 205–19, 220, 221, 222, 224–25, 226–27, 236; game theory/gaming and, 220–21, 222–23, 224; impact of, 209–10; as manifestation of present shock, 7, 197–241; narrative collapse and, 212; patterns and, 197–205, 209, 216, 217–19, 229, 230–41; sharing and, 203–4; systems theory, 226–28.

  See also specific topic

  fractals: apocalypto and, 251–52; definition/characteristics of, 200–201, 241; function of, 200, 208–9; infinity of, 252; Prechter work on, 229–30; predictive power of, 229; similarity among, 228; as truth serum, 219

  free will, 61, 62, 85, 227

  Frum, David, 54

  Full Spectrum Warrior (game), 65

  Fureai Kippu network, 148

  future: agenda for, 16–17; apocalypto and, 252; birth of notion of, 77; fear of, 246; millenium and, 17; narrative collapse and, 9–12, 16–17; present in, 17; present shock and, 252.

  See also specific topic

  “future shock,” 4, 9, 14–15

  “The Game of Death” (TV show), 38n

  Game of Thrones (TV show), 34

  game theory, 220, 221, 222–23

  games, 58–66, 67, 72, 84, 217–18. See also specific game

  Games for Change, 63–64

  gaming a system, 220–21, 224

  Gartner Company, 86

  Gawker, 97, 98

  General Motors, 213–14

  General Semantics, 137

  generational issues, 17–18, 137–40.

  See also youth/young people

  Giambi, Jason, 41

  Gilles, Mel, 246

  Gillis, Gregg, 154

  Girl Talk (Gillis project), 154

  Gizmodo, 97

  Glee (TV show), 20

  Gleick, James, 259

  glitch dancing, 96

  God, focus on single, 262

  “God” games, 62

  Goodman, David, 102, 104

  Google: Calendar of, 70–71; digiphrenia and, 69, 70–71, 96, 110, 114; fractalnoia and, 218, 237, 239; Moritz as investor in, 236, 237; new “now” and, 2; overwinding and, 153, 155, 157–58

  government: fractalnoia and, 219, 220; professional communication campaigns of, 51.

  See also politics

  GPS (global-positioning system), 84

  Gray, Dave, 86–87

  Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations (1851), 164–65

  great ideas, 118

  Greece, 183–84, 194

  Green, Judson, 187, 188

  Griffith, D. W., 154–55

  Grigoriadis, Vanessa, 97–98

  growth, 9–10, 258. See also change

  “Grup” (aging yuppie hipster), 151–52

  Guild Wars (game), 62

  guilt, 121

  Gygax, Gary, 60n

  Habermas, Jürgen, 51

  Hamlet, “gist” of, 233

  hard drives, 140, 140n

  Hayek, Friedrich, 226–27, 228

  HBO, 34, 107, 210

  healthcare, 64, 102–3, 173–74, 191

  Heroes (TV show), 32, 34

  High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP), 198, 201

  Hillis, Danny, 134

  Hilton, Paris, 39

  hiring, 156, 217

  history: calendars associated with, 81; personal, 85; present shock and, 252; as progression, 77

  History Channel, 243, 245

  Hitchcock, Alfred, 26

  holidays, 78

  Home Shopping Network, 94

  Homebrew Computer Club, 203

  HTML. 5, 128

  Huffington Post, 50–51

  human society, as cybernetic system, 225–26

  humans: clock as metaphor for, 81, 82; computers as metaphor for, 82–83; as content, 259; evolution of, 254–60; limits of, 254–60; as machines, 95; needs of, 81; specialness of, 258; stages in development of, 76–87; and transcending humanity, 251–54; unpredictability of, 219–30

  humor, 25.

  See also situation comedies

  Hung, William, 37

  hunter-gatherer society, 76–77

  Hurricane Katrina, 51

  Hurst, Mark, 144

  Hussein, Saddam, 46

  I Ching, 252

  I Dream of Jeannie (TV show), 14

  identity, digiphrenia and, 122

  iHeart, 107

  Inception (movie), 201

  Industrial Revolution, 87, 161–63, 164–65

  information: apocalypto and, 2, 259, 263; bombardment of, 72; collection of, 158–59; control of, 223; digiphrenia and, 72, 75, 86, 116; filter failure and, 116–17; flow of, 141–42, 145–49; fractalnoia and, 199, 223; marketing and, 6, 85, 128, 158, 240; new “now” and, 3, 5, 6; overload of, 2, 116; privacy, 158; stored, 5, 142–49; time as, 86

  innovation, 187, 188, 205, 217–19, 231–32

  instant gratification, 94

  instinct. See intuition/instinct

  Institute for Creative Technologies, USC, 65–66

  intelligence, 125

  interactivity. See connectivity

  Internet: as always-on, 73–74; culture of, 96–97, 99; decontextualized, 27; development of, 224; digiphrenia and, 67, 93, 124, 125; discontinuity of age of, 29; ethics and, 70; fractalnoia and, 199, 224; games and, 64; location of computers and, 179–80; narrative collapse and, 16, 27, 29, 47, 48, 50–51, 56, 64; as never sleeping, 69; Occupy Movement and, 56; overwinding and, 179–80; public confidence about news on, 51; real-time news and, 47, 48; reporting and opining and the, 50–51

  interruptions, 74, 123

  intuition/instinct, 5, 219–20, 222, 233, 234–35

  investments. See financial markets

  Iraq War, 232

  Ito, Joichi, 191–92

  James, LeBron, 41

  Japan, 148, 191, 198, 225

  Jarvis, Jeff, 52

  Jay-Z, 154

  jet lag, 89–90

  Jezebel, 97

  jobs/employees, 156, 170, 187–88, 217–18

  Jobs, Steve, 108, 203

  Johnson, Lyndon B., 45

  Johnson, Steve, 118, 203

  Jordan, Michael, 41

  journalism, 50–52, 56, 66. See also media

  JPMorgan Chase, 174

  Kairos time, 112–20, 236, 259

  Kaprow, Allan, 60

  Keen, Andrew, 52

  Kelly, Kevin, 256–57

  Kennedy, John F., 29

  Kirn, Walter, 234

  kleptomania, 166

  Korzybski, Alfred, 103, 137–38, 139

  Kurzweil, Ray, 254–56

  Kutcher, Ashton, 119

  Langley, John, 35

  Law of Accelerating Returns, Kurzweil’s, 255–56

  Law of Diminishing Returns, 255

  Law and Order (TV show), 20, 32

  Le Guin, Ursula K., 13

  leading, digiphrenia and, 93–109

  Lennon, John, 29

  Leno, Jay, 55

  Lethem, Jonathan, 34

  leverage: digiphrenia and, 71–72; fractalnoia and, 206, 229; overwinding and, 135, 136, 137, 139, 163, 165, 175, 176, 177, 178, 184, 185, 186, 188, 189, 190; storytelling and, 20

  Licklider, J.C.R., 4

  LifeWaves, 107

&n
bsp; Lilla, Mark, 53

  Lincoln, Abraham, 82

  Linnaeus, Carolus, 90

  Lippman, Walter, 45

  local economic transfer systems (LETS), 149

  long now, overwinding and, 140–49, 193, 194

  Lost (TV show), 32, 34, 39, 199

  Luntz, Frank, 47

  machines: digiphrenia and, 93, 95, 98–99; event-based, 98–99; fractalnoia and, 224, 225, 230, 231; humans as, 95; needs of, 81; new “now” and, 4–5; off-loading of time intensive tasks to, 93.

  See also computers

  MacLeish, Archibald, 223–24

  Macy’s, 160

  MAD (mutually assured destruction), 221

  Mafia Wars (game), 63

  Major League Baseball, 41, 89

  makeup, overwinding and, 149–59

  management: role of, 187; scientific, 81

  Mandlebrot, Benoit, 201, 229

  manhood, 39

  March, James G., 125

  marketing/market research, 6, 85, 128, 158, 240

  mashup, 149–59

  mass production, 161–62, 165

  Mayer-Schonberger, Viktor, 157

  McCain, John, 41

  McDonald, Mark, 86

  McKenna, Dennis, 251–52

  McKenna, Terence, 251–53

  McLuhan, Marshall, 115, 202, 214–15, 219

  Mead, Margaret, 225

  media: apocalypto and, 248; change and, 265; consumers and, 166, 167; digiphrenia and, 7; fractalnoia and, 202, 203–4, 205, 210–11, 214–15, 223; global, 214–15; overwinding and, 166, 167; zombie movement and, 248.

  See also journalism

  Media Virus (Rushkoff), 203

  medicine. See drugs; healthcare

  “meet me” room (New York City), 180

  Memento (movie), 31–32

  memory: apocalypto and, 250, 255, 259–60; in computers, 140n; digiphrenia and, 82, 105, 122–23, 127; and digital memory as never forgetting, 155–57; fractalnoia and, 222, 238–39, 240; Michalski’s work on, 238–39; new “now” and, 4–5; overwinding and, 136, 140, 142, 155–57, 181–89; time binding and, 140.

  See also MyLifeBits; RAM; TheBrain

  Méro, László, 221–22

  Michalski, Jerry, 237–39, 240

  microchips, 88, 93, 122–23, 263

  microphone screech analogy, 208, 210

  Microsoft Corporation, 156, 239; MyLifeBits project at, 239–41

  Milgram, Stanley, 37

  millenium, 3, 10–11, 17

  “Mind” (Bateson cybernetic system), 225–26

  MMORPGs (multiplayer online role-playing games), 62–63

  Mob Wives (TV show), 39, 149

  money/currency: apocalypto and, 258; behavioral finance and, 174–75; cashless societies and, 183–84; centrally-issued, 171, 173; debt and, 5, 173–80; interest-bearing, 3, 171–73, 174, 175–76, 177; kinds of, 145–49; new “now” and, 3, 5; overwinding and, 145–49, 170–80, 183, 184–85, 194; time as, 135, 170–80

 

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