Videos

“I was reading David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook, and there’s a passage in there where he points out that there’s this convention amongst top-flight chefs,” he continues. “They are all expected to offer their own personal take on two basic standards: bread service, and an egg dish. These foods are so neutral in flavour and so dependent on technique that you can use them to analyze the difference between chefs as artists.”

“And I reflected on what that would mean for game designers. I decided that we should all make our own versions of Pong (which is eggs), and chess (which is definitely bread),” Foddy suggests. “I would strongly recommend it as an exercise to anyone in a creative field—figure out what the bread is, and what the eggs are, and then give them your best shot. It’s a great way of figuring out your own identity as a creator.”

(via Gamasutra – The very good reasons for Bennett Foddy’s mad Speed Chess)

I’ve been tracking the emergence of a “play ethic” in the internet of things / connected products field for a while because most of the projects are so damn utilitarian. This new series of works by Brendan about email is kind of interesting in that regard. Lana in particular is nice because it appears to “contain” email and spits it back at you in a sort of random manner.

(via Brendan Dawes – Six Monkeys)

“Playing a song changes your understanding of it. Playing music changes how you listen to it. Doing changes knowing.”

Great piece on how the internet is facilitating a new literacy of media production. Doing definitely changes knowing. However, I disagree old structures of power and access are no longer in place on the internet. And I also disagree learning to play a song on a guitar is the same as “learning” to post a tweet. There’s a different relationship between the tool, the media and the person going on there.

(via Doing is knowing: “Sweet Jane” and the Web — Wordyard)

“Fish on Wheels is an aquarium on wheels that fish can drive wherever they want to go. Finally some freedom for our aquatic pets that have so far been limited to their fish tanks!”

Another one for the growing collection of playful animal/tech projects.

(via Home)

Hustlers, Hoaxsters, Pranksters, Jokesters and Ricky Jay (by 770pratik)

A great documentary on sleight-of-hand artist (and scholar) Ricky Jay. An intriguing character for sure, and a joy to watch when doing tricks.

Easy Riders Talk UFOs (by Bryce Zabel)

Finally got around to watching Easy Rider the other day. Nicholson’s monologue were an unexpected treat. I couldn’t help but observe the parallels between the advanced civilisation he describes here, and the ambitions of current-day adherents of the Californian ideology.

Demo: Making a Decision with the Loomio prototype (by Loomio)

Apparently, some of the interactions in this group decision making platform were inspired by the conventions that emerged from Occupy. Which I find interesting. I’d like to think this can work well, provided all people involved are invested in a good outcome for the group.

Videogames and the Spirit of Capitalism (by paolo pedercini)

Paolo Pedercini on videogames and capitalism is rather good and thought-provoking. I am grateful he’s willing to discuss gamification (most “serious” thinkers in games have started to ignore it, but that doesn’t mean it has gone away). His suggestions for steering computer-assisted gaming and playing away from a super-rational and utilitarian mode reminded me of soft gamification and are worth exploring further.