Mike's List 251
Tech to raise the dead. Plus: Printing on hair, easy NFT, professional Minecraft landscaping and more!
How technology will raise the dead
The two-letter technologies — AR and AI — will falsify proof that the dead walk among us and drive a new age of Spiritualism.
A hundred years ago, the idle rich of Europe and America indulged a fascination with the great beyond. A quasi-religious movement called Spiritualism began in the 1830s and peaked as a fad among fashionable people in the 1920s.
The movement's adherents believe in the possibility of communicating with the dead through mediums (people who can allow the dead to speak through them), via seances, "automatic writing" (Ouija-board-like letter picking) and the conjuring of ghosts. Spiritualists also believe that the dead were more evolved than the living, and sought information and advice from the dearly departed.
The pandemic of 1918, the so-called Spanish flu, drove the Spiritualism craze to new heights. Millions died in that pandemic, and World War I which preceded it. People were grieving and wanted answers. So they turned to fraudsters who claimed they could talk to the dead.
Interest in Spiritualism incentivized hoaxes, which in turn drove interest in Spiritualism, as the gullible saw false but believable "evidence" with their own eyes and ears. Mediums communicated with ghosts through knocking and other signs, such as the lifting or tilting of tables. Sometimes ghosts made personal appearances — often dolls or photographs suspended by wire.
Technology facilitated acceptance of hoaxes — photography, movie projection, sound recording and other technologies had special power because they were new and poorly understood by lay audiences at the time.
Even some scientists were duped, as well as prominent authors, including Arthur Conan Doyle.
The rich and famous went nuts for conjuring the dead 100 years ago. And now, they're at it again.
Mike’s List of Brilliantly Bad Ideas
1. Hair printing
Spanish stylist Alexis Ferrer invented a way to print designs on hair using “photographic inks” and a modified digital printer.
2. Easy NTF exploitation
Some developers made it easy to get into the NFT game. Just sketch something dumb on this dumb site, then with a couple more clicks you can sell it. They put together wallets for anyone who wants to “buy” your “art.” God this is dumb.
3. Professional Minecraft landscaping
A UK company called WhatShed, which offers a buyer’s guide for garden buildings, is hiring consultants at $70 per hour who are expert in both landscaping and Minecraft to "provide professional advice to players looking to improve their in-game outdoor space.” They also want to hire someone to do the landscaping for their Minecraft gardens.
Mike’s List of Shameless Self Promotion
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