I saw an effort at trying to systematize solarpunk elsewhere that felt a bit confused, but it reminded me of this. I’m not typically inclined to try to taxonamize everything, but I’ll admit that the appeal definitely isn’t lost on me. This felt useful.

  • insomniac_lemon
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    11 year ago

    fixing broken pottery/objects using gold

    Yes, I know of it. Coincidentally, one of the images I generated (trying to get something that looked like a robot with human eyes*) that I like is a gold mask that looked shattered. (with organic-looking eyes, though just in-frame with no real detail outside of the head and has an upset stare/blank expression)

    *=the idea being (mostly) full-conversion cyborg but keeping natural eyes (or a synthetic equivalent that uses the same nerves) rather than using cameras.

    I feel like a “Solar Punk” solution to your broken would incorporate this ideal

    Explain how. At least if you mean now, as I work with what I can (but can only do so much with given circumstances). Can’t afford the gold and I don’t know if something like the glue exists.

    • @David_Eight
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      11 year ago

      Well traditionally, transplanting a brain into any sort of machine has always been portrayed as negatively losing ones humanity. Since Solarpunk is meant to be optimistic there’s inherently friction between those ideas.

      But my point is that they use gold because it’s seen as beautiful, that’s why jewelry is gold right. In other forms of fiction the brain is always transplanted into an ugly utilitarian machine (I.E. Robocop, Robotman from Doom Patrol ect.) There’s no reason a machine can’t be beautiful, like a piece of jewelry, cars, apple products. The example you had isn’t “beautiful” at least I don’t think it is.

      And if you wanted to practice Kintsugi yourself, you can find kits sold online. I never tried it personally.

      • insomniac_lemon
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        11 year ago

        And if you wanted to practice Kintsugi yourself

        I meant that I am not aware of glue that fixes problems in one’s life/society.

        There’s no reason a machine can’t be beautiful, like a piece of jewelry, cars, apple products. The example you had isn’t “beautiful” at least I don’t think it is

        It was just the best I could get an AI spit out, it didn’t really get it (I didn’t even tell it welding). I would like to have easily swappable equipment/bodies much like clothes/PPE. Though if I were welding, beautiful probably wouldn’t be high on the list. I probably would go for something aesthetically nice if I had a choice, though I probably would go with “good enough”. It’s not like I designed my look now. Having faceplates in different color-schemes/materials would probably be the biggest thing (like the pseudo-tux type thing).

        Though I could see going with brushed metal or matte ceramic.

        For the rest of that, I would say:

        1. It’s my headcanon that every likable/non-rigid robot character in fiction could have a brain. Both the audience and other characters often show care for them, even when there is no hint that they are “alive” in some way. Not everyone is emotional, and lack of visible emotion does not mean evil either.

        2. I don’t think humanity loss would be a thing, particularly with nerve connections allowing sensations and pain. Also it’d be useful to have different modes of sensitivity (and maybe even external audio-visual feedback) based on context, much like how PPE functions now.

        3. There are actual current-day “humanity-loss” issues, lots of different things related to perception (and policy). And in some cases it’s even a battle lost 50+ years ago. For example, a small cyborg would probably be more “human” than a not-fully-focused driver in a 4,000-pound truck (see also: road rage).