Digital semiotics: making sense of the world | Oscar Bastiaens | TEDxDordrecht

Summary

The speaker argues against the overemphasis on big data, advocating for a deeper understanding of semiotics to interpret data meaningfully. They discuss creating immersive virtual experiences, like the 'Kinetic' film, to explore the human response to virtual touch. The talk delves into the importance of recognizing the meta-narrative in digital media and the need for a digital semiotic system to fully comprehend the complex data landscape, suggesting we should focus on understanding how data communicates with us rather than just learning to code.

Takeaways

• 📊 Big data is seen as a quick win rather than a meaningful resource by many digital media producers.
• 🔍 The speaker is on a mission to enlighten people about using data in more meaningful ways, emphasizing the importance of semiotics in understanding data.
• 🌐 The participatory online world and our physical reality are becoming increasingly intertwined, raising questions about the nature of reality and our perception of it.
• 🎓 The speaker works with students and researchers to create virtual worlds that can transport consciousness and provide realistic experiences.
• 🎬 The Ulus Rift film 'This Kinetic' allows users to determine their perspective, offering a 360-degree range of choices, showcasing the potential of virtual reality.
• 🤔 The speaker explores the dilemma of decision-making in a virtual coma experience, where users feel they are in a coma and react to virtual stimuli.
• 🧠 Semiotics, the study of signs and meaning-making, is crucial for understanding the super system of science that is expanding with digital and virtual data.
• 🌐 The concept of a parallel virtual world has been explored since the 1950s, leading to questions about the nature of reality and our ability to discern it.
• 🤝 The speaker advocates for the creation of a digital semiotic system to understand the meta narrative of data and improve digital services.
• 📚 Teaching digital semiotics is proposed as a way to help people understand how the digital system communicates with us and make sense of the data around us.

Q & A

What is the speaker's main contention about big data?

The speaker contends that big data is currently seen as everything, but they argue it is actually nothing because it is often used for quick wins rather than creating meaningful digital experiences.

What is the speaker's crusade in the digital industry?

The speaker's crusade is to enlighten people about using data in a more meaningful way and to understand the value of online data as part of a 'super system of signs'.

Why does the speaker believe we should study semiotics?

The speaker believes we should study semiotics to understand how the digital and virtual environment communicates with us in a meaningful way, similar to how Google finishes our search queries.

What is the significance of the 'Ulus Rift film' mentioned in the script?

The 'Ulus Rift film' is significant because it demonstrates the speaker's work in creating immersive virtual experiences where users determine their perspective and view within a 360-degree range of choices.

What was the narrative purpose of the coma experience in the film 'this kinetic'?

The narrative purpose of the coma experience in the film 'this kinetic' was to immerse the audience into the perspective of a coma patient, allowing them to hear and see their surroundings as part of the story.

What is semiotics and why is it important according to the speaker?

Semiotics is the study of meaning-making, stemming from linguistics and expanding into symbols, gestures, and expressions of man and animal behavior. It is important because it helps us understand the meta narrative of data and the digital and virtual environment.

What are the three possibilities Nick Bostrom presents in his simulation argument?

Nick Bostrom presents three possibilities: 1) We will never reach the stage where technology can simulate a world that looks and feels as real as ours, 2) We will reach that advanced technology but never use it due to potential dangers, or 3) If the first two options are proven false, then we are most likely already living in a virtual world.

What is the concept of 'simulakra' as described by Jean Baudrillard?

According to Jean Baudrillard, 'simulakra' are copies of something that never existed, where the truth is concealed by the fact that there is none. It suggests that we have begun to replace meaning with signs and symbols, leading to a simulation of reality.

Why are many online services failing to cater to our needs of interpretation with the digital system?

Many online services are failing to cater to our needs of interpretation because they have ceased to understand the meta narrative of data and the connections that can be made within the digital system.

What is the speaker's proposed solution to improve digital systems' understanding of user needs?

The speaker proposes that we need a digital semiotic system that can understand the full meta narrative of data, including the ability to read text, visuals, and user preferences to create a valuable discourse with users.