Cyberspace

A summary of:
Wertheim, M. (1999). The Pearly Gates of Cyberspace: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 History of Space from Dante to the Internet. Virago Press: London.
Chapter six - Cyberspace

Wertheim suggests that the really fact that cyberspace is constructed of bits in addition to bytes, every bit opposed to particles in addition to forces, is what allows it to be exterior the realm of the physicalized space... i.e. exterior the infinite which has squeezed out the soul. In other words, this is the swell spiritual potential of cyberspace. "Because cyberspace is non ontologically rooted inwards these physical phenomena, it is not dependent champaign to the laws of physics, in addition to thus it is non fountain past times the limitations of those laws" (226).

But let's non teach also ecstatic. Is it non however a production of mathematics??? I suppose that the flat at which nosotros interact alongside the Internet that mathematics has been obscured from our view... but so the concluding few chapters receive got shown merely how much of the physics - i.e. the mathematics! - of our footing is obscured from view. I would debate that it's all good in addition to expert to say that the nub of the objects of Internet are non those that nosotros receive got painstakingly physicalized, but to advise that the Internet is solely free, that it has unbounded potential or "infinite scope" (225), is misleading. It is constructed from mathematics. And it is bounded past times the technology which mediates it.

Then again, it's of import to recognize the spiritual potential of the Internet every bit beingness a specifically non-material infinite akin to the "spiritual realm", given that this spiritual realm seems non to endure able to be elsewhere at the moment. This is the reemergence of dualism (227)! "Yet spell physical infinite in addition to cyberspace are non solely separate, neither is the latter contained inside the former" (228). Now our minds receive got their ain infinite in i lawsuit again!

In this sense, nosotros may run into cyberspace every bit a sort of electronic res cogitans, a novel infinite for the playing out of merely about of those immaterial aspects of humanityman that receive got been denied a habitation inwards the purely physicalist footing picture. In short, at that spot is a feel inwards which cyberspace has move a novel realm for the mind. In detail it has move a novel realm for the imagination; in addition to even, every bit many cyber-enthusiasts straightaway claim, a novel realm for the 'self'" (230).

Admittedly, this dualism is the source of much trace of piece of employment regarding cyberspace. Wertheim goes on to explicate at swell length how people tin laissez passer on the axe utilization the Internet to engage inwards psychological play nosotros are denied inwards the existent world, but that for merely about this tin laissez passer on the axe move addictive in addition to encourages them to
disengage alongside the existent world, never genuinely solving their existent problems: "the notion tha nosotros tin laissez passer on the axe totally remake our 'selves' online obscures the really important difficulties of achieving existent psychological change" (247). Certainly it is unsafe to fragment ourselves in addition to think of our cyberspace creations every bit equal to physical ones, every bit Turkle does here: "Experiences on the Internet extend the metaphor of windows - straightaway existent life itself [as i of her MUD subjects notes] tin laissez passer on the axe endure 'just i to a greater extent than window'" (246). I retrieve every bit a child bursting into tears when my grapheme on Kings Quest died, screaming, "I'm also immature to die!" This is cute for a six twelvemonth old who has non yet grasped the divergence betwixt VR in addition to RL, but it's disturbing when it happens to adults today.

Wertheim argues that the Internet allows for a massive "consensual hallucination" of which nosotros are to a greater extent than than happy to accept role (and which is non altogether diffrent from the consensual hallucination nosotros accept role inwards when watching television) (233). But is that all that unlike from Aldous Huxley's Brave New World in addition to the soma tablets? (At the same time, every bit Wertheim correctly points out, "a multileveled reality is something humans receive got been living alongside since the dawn of our species" (242).)

What Wertheim never articulated is the fact that inwards many ways, cyberspace began every bit a void. It is an infinitely large void, which nosotros are welcome to endeavor to create total alongside 'stuff', but which volition never endure full. Now that nosotros receive got an impossibly giant choice space, it is every bit if a giant dam has broken in addition to what followed was a massive flood. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 trash dump, if you lot will. This is non to say that all of what fills cyberspace is junk, but I exercise advise that the filling of this infinite has been unstrategic. When infinite is infinite, existent estate values shrink to zero; which way that nosotros haven't paid whatever attending to the structure of the stuff of cyberspace.

It's in all probability necessary to disentangle cyberspace from the Internet. Cyberspace inwards no way necessitates the Internet inwards the degree that it has taken (see Lanier's book). And I think that the Internet is an amazing affair for so many reasons. But I think that inwards the feel that it fails to serve a to a greater extent than spiritual role it is because it bears the responsibleness of beingness our "data space", every bit Wertheim calls it (229). Data is non e'er meaningful, specially if it does non connect to other bits of information to tell what is effectively a story. The Internet straightaway is similar a massive warehouse or storeroom. But perhaps nosotros demand to blueprint an choice Internet (another infinite inside cyberspace) that is to a greater extent than of a studio infinite or workdesk.

I should soften this a little. The Internet has e'er also been used inwards really creative ways. One lawsuit is the MUDs that Wertheim discusses that require people to arts and crafts elaborate grapheme stories. This is fabulous creative activity. And the Internet is beingness used inwards all sorts of other creative ways. But the navigation through all the muck prevents us all from using the Internet creatively.

But cyberspace, again, represents a massive spiritual opportunity. Up until now, I had been thinking that it was easier to fix an object that embodies spiritual values, because objects receive got a long history of beingness associated alongside spirituality. I realize straightaway that the Internet genuinely represents a infinite that closely parallels the spiritual realm. Critically, "Here is a infinite that offers, fifty-fifty if only temporarily in addition to inwards really truncated form, a peril to at to the lowest degree teach a glipse at other ways of being" (239). Cyberspace seems to affirm the notion of the soul! "Obviously, my 'self' only exists because at that spot is a physical torso inwards which it is grounded. At the same time, 'I' am non restricted purely to the infinite of that body. As Descartes recognized, at that spot is a feel inwards which I am get-go in addition to initiative of all an immaterial being" (250).

I merely think nosotros demand to non waste materials this opportunity, in addition to get to arts and crafts this infinite a flake to a greater extent than strategically; specially given Lanier's warnings nigh impending "lock in."