Analog vs. Digital- Going Full Circle

It seems as though today we have become more digital than ever. Technology continues to advance and create "easier" options and ways to do virtually everything. Machines seem like they are doing the work for us now, and we as humans don't even have to think about it. At the same time, all these technological advancements have several consequences that draw back to our roots as human, We are analog creatures that have created a digital world for ourselves. Matthew, in a previous post, makes several points that address the digital/ analog discussion. Matthew states that technology is intended to work for us, but the more we advance technology, the more we have to learn to keep up with it. So if we are such analog creatures by nature, why make a digital world? We seem to be bridging the gap.

A relentless dream of researchers, the army, and gamers alike is to create a virtual reality. This is where, I feel, in its full potential, analog and digital truly collide. As stated in Don Norman's Being Analog article, "an analog device is one in which the representation of information corresponds to its physical structure." The example he gives is the way in which a phonograph records the magnetic wave on a tape to create a certain range of sounds. Analog is more "natural" or literal. Digital is taking the literal, and translating it into a series of numbers to describe the original. Binary is seemingly the root of all digital. Digital is the "behind the scenes" work. So if analog is the literal interpretation of an action, and digital is a command that means the same thing, the between ground must be a "virtual reality".

Norman continues to define the difference between analog and digital, saying that analog is generally seen as "bad" and digital "good". Digital is newer and more modern per say, but this does not discredit the inherent human nature of an analog experience. Norman says "analog might be better for future machines" because of the "noise" factor, and that analog future is slowly but surely becoming a reality. Matthew mentions the Wii as an analog/ digital device, one where the user directly interacts with the digital screen to make whatever they are doing a reality. This is the beginning to our human endeavor to create virtual reality. We as humans will never cease to keep creating, for it is a part of us. We strive to create virtual reality to benefit us not only to simulate war and realtime, as well as sharpen reflexes in the case of the army, but as a form of entertainment. From 1980s movies like Tron, to current films such as The Matrix and Gamer, we have always wanted to create the most convenient, realistic simulation we can, to get as close to something without killing ourselves. Soon, this will no longer be a dream of the movies, but a reality to experience in your own living room.