Jaron Lanier

Jaron Lanier (born 1960) is a virtual reality developer. He was a pioneer in, and popularized the term "Virtual Reality" (VR) in the early 1980s ^[1]. At that time, he founded VPL Research, the first company to sell VR products. ^[2] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 617 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 777 pixel, file size: 535 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 617 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (800 × 777 pixel, file size: 535 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... This article is about the simulation technology. ...

Early life and education

Lanier was born on May 3, 1960^[3] in New York City, but raised in Mesilla, New Mexico.^[4] On May 18, 2006, Lanier received a Degree of Doctor of Science, Honorary degree, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.^[5] New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Mesilla is a town located in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An honorary degree (Latin: honoris causa ad gradum, not to be confused with an honors degree) is an academic degree awarded to an individual as a decoration, rather than as the result of matriculating and studying for several years. ... New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public research university in Newark, New Jersey. ...

Career

Lanier has appeared in several documentaries, including the 1992 Danish television documentary Computerbilleder - udfordring til virkeligheden,^[6] the 1995 documentary Synthetic Pleasures,^[6] and the 2004 television documentary Rage Against the Machines.^[6] Lanier was credited as one of the miscellaneous crew for the 2002 film Minority Report.^[6] Lanier stated that his role was to help make up the gadgets and scenarios.^[7] Synthetic Pleasures (1995) is a documentary film by Iara Lee that explores the idea of pleasure and futurism. ... Minority Report is a 2002 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg, loosely based on the Philip K. Dick short story of the same name. ...

In mid-1997, Lanier was a founding member of the National Tele-Immersion Initiative,^[8] an effort devoted to utilizing computer technology to give people who are separated by great distances the illusion that they are physically together. Lanier is a member of the Global Business Network.^[9] The Global Business Network is a consultancy firm that advises businesses on possible future scenarios. ...

In 1994, Lanier released the classical music album Instruments of Change.^[10] Lanier is currently working on the book Technology and the Future of the Human Soul, ^[7] and the music album Proof of Consciousness, a collaboration with Mark Deutsch.^[11]

Lanier taught at several computer science departments of universities around the US, including Columbia, Dartmouth, and Yale. ^{[citation needed]} Computer science, or computing science, is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Dartmouth College is a private, coeducational university located in Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States. ... “Yale” redirects here. ...

Philosophical and technological ideas

In addition to his thoughts on virtual reality and teleimmersion, Lanier has criticized certain aspects of artificial intelligence on the one hand, and the nuanced ramifications of unbridled extropianism on the other.^{[citation needed]} It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Telepresence. ... Garry Kasparov playing against Deep Blue, the first machine to win a chess game against a reigning world champion. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Some of Lanier's speculation involves what he dubbed "post-symbolic communication." An example is found in the April 2006 issue of Discover, in his column on cephalopods (i.e., the various species of octopus, squid, and related molluscs).^[12] Many cephalopods are able to morph their bodies, including changing the pigmentation and texture of their skin, as well as forming complex shape imitations with their limbs. Lanier sees this behavior, especially as exchanged between two octopuses, as a direct behavioral expression of thought. Discover is a science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. ... Orders Sepiida Sepiolida Spirulida Teuthida Octopoda Vampyromorphida Nautilida The Cephalopods (head-foot) are the mollusc class Cephalopoda characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a modification of the mollusc foot into the form of arms or tentacles. ... For other uses, see Octopus (disambiguation). ... Suborders †Plesioteuthididae (incertae sedis) Myopsina Oegopsina Squid are a large, diverse group of marine cephalopods. ... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ...

In Edge magazine in May 2006, Lanier criticized the sometimes-claimed omniscience of collective wisdom (including expressions such as Wikipedia with the article about him as an example), describing it as "digital Maoism".^[13] He writes "If we start to believe that the Internet itself is an entity that has something to say, we're devaluing those people [creating the content] and making ourselves into idiots."^[13] This critique is further explored in an interview with him at the Philosopher's Zone where he is critical of the denatured effect which "removes the scent of people".^[14] The Edge Foundation was created in 1988 to seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together and have themselves ask each other the questions they are asking themselves. ... Wikipedia (IPA: , or ( ) is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

In December 2006 Lanier followed up his critique of the collective wisdom with an article in Edge Magazine with a warning about the online collective. In the article Beware the Online Collective ^[15] Lanier writes:

I wonder if some aspect of human nature evolved in the context of competing packs. We might be genetically wired to be vulnerable to the lure of the mob.

and that:

What's to stop an online mass of anonymous but connected people from suddenly turning into a mean mob, just like masses of people have time and time again in the history of every human culture? It's amazing that details in the design of online software can bring out such varied potentials in human behavior. It's time to think about that power on a moral basis.

Works

Classical music:

• Instruments of Change (1994)

Video Games:

• Moondust -- C64
• Alien Garden -- Atari 800

References

Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A press release (sometimes known as a news release or press statement) is a written or recorded communication directed at members of the news media for the purpose of announcing something claimed as having news value. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 6 days remaining in the year. ...

Further reading

• Jaron Lanier's Homepage
• Cave, Damien. "Artificial stupidity", salon.com, 2000-10-04. 
• Garreau, Joel (2005). Radical Evolution: The promise and peril of enhancing our minds, our bodies -- and what it means to be human. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-50965-0.  [Lanier and his theories are prominently featured in the section Prevail]

Biographies: Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Edge: JARON LANIER
• Cato Unbound: Jaron Lanier

Speeches:

• 'Finding Humanity in the Interface: Capacity Atrophy or Augmentation?' A debate between Jaron Lanier and Will Wright from the Accelerating Change 2004 conference.
• Video of Jaron Lanier speaking at a Film Festival
• Video of Jaron Lanier's "McLuhan Ramp" Lecture

Interviews: To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ...

• Interview with Jaron Lanier on Music
• Coding from Scratch: A Conversation with Jaron Lanier, Part 1
• The Future of Virtual Reality: A Conversation with Jaron Lanier, Part 2
• Brown, David Jay; Novick, Rebecca McClen (1995). Voices from the edge: Conversations with Jerry Garcia, Ram Dass, Annie Sprinkle, Matthew Fox, Jaron Lanier, & others. Freedom, CA: Crossing Press. ISBN 0-89594-732-3. 
• Interview by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Counterpoint program; Lanier strongly criticises both wikipedia and singularitarianism