“Indistinguishable From… Magic as Interface, Technology, and Tradition”

MAS.S66 - MIT Media Lab

Instructors: Greg Borenstein and Dan Novy (Faculty Advisors: Joi Ito and Kevin Slavin)

SPRING TERM — (Monday, Feb. 9, through Friday, May. 11)

MEETING TIME: Mondays 3-5PM in E14-493

Course Description:

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — Clarke’s Third Law

“Any sufficiently debased magic is indistinguishable from technology.” — Rowling’s Corollary

“Everything you can think of is true.” — Tom Waits

When Aleister Crowley defined magic as “the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will,” he might as easily have been describing technology. In fact, “magic” is still the word we use to encompass the wonders of a new technology before it becomes ubiquitous.

From Neolithic ceremonies to Las Vegas stage shows, “magic” describes a long tradition of using technology, ritual, and performance to create wonder. As 21st century technologists there’s still a lot we can learn from this tradition. Engineering illusions requires close attention to the limits of human perception, disciplined practice of the art of showmanship, and subtle use of the crafts of deception — skills that are just as relevant to contemporary technology demos as they were to 19th century stage illusions. Further, magic is one of the central metaphors people use to understand the technology we build. From install wizards to voice commands and background daemons, the cultural tropes of magic permeate user interface design. Understanding the traditions and vocabularies behind these tropes can help us produce interfaces that use magic to empower users rather than merely obscuring their function.

With a focus on the creation of functional prototypes and practicing real magical crafts, this class combines theatrical illusion, game design, sleight of hand, machine learning, camouflage, and neuroscience to explore how ideas from ancient magic and modern stage illusion can inform cutting edge technology.

Topics will include:

Stage Illusion as Information Display

The Neuroscience of Misdirection

Magical Warfare: Camouflage and Deception

Magic Items and the Internet of Things

Computational Demonology

Ritual Magick as User Experience Design

Guest lecturers and representatives of Member companies will contribute to select project critiques. Requires regular reading, discussion, practicing magic tricks, design exercises, a midterm project and final project.

Short Course Description:

With a focus on the creation of functional prototypes and practicing real magical crafts, this class combines theatrical illusion, game design, sleight of hand, machine learning, camouflage, and neuroscience to explore how ideas from ancient magic and modern stage illusion can inform cutting edge technology. Students will learn techniques to improve the presentation, display, and interface of their projects as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the cultural traditions that shape user expectations of technology. Topics will include: Stage Illusion as Information Display, The Neuroscience of Misdirection, Magical Warfare: Camouflage and Deception, Magic Items and the Internet of Things, Computational Demonology, Ritual Magick as User Experience Design. Guest lecturers and representatives of Member companies will contribute to select project critiques. Requires regular reading, discussion, practicing magic tricks, design exercises, a midterm project and final project.