A Deeper Analysis of the TED Talk with Arron Koblin

The TED talk with Arron Koblin explores the use of interface in the twenty-first century through many of the technological experiments that are talked about in it. The experiments that are shown provide many different glimpses and signs of humanity. The experiment where people drew a sheep for two cents showed how we as people work through the creative process to make something out of nothing and showed how we all interpret the same thing a little bit differently. The experiment where people could submit a picture that they had drawn to be used in a Johnny Cash music video shows our ability to show appreciation to people who have contributed greatly to society, in this case being Johnny Cash through his music. The experiment where people drew a piece of an one hundred dollar bill showed our ability to recreate what we see. That experiment also showed how diversified we are as a people through the varying amount of time that people spent on the piece that they were drawing, the varying techniques used, and the varying quality of each piece. 

In this digital age our humanity comes in many forms whether it is through the data that is collected about us or through the experiments that we participate in. The data shown of planes coming into and out of the United States over the course of a day is one portrait of our humanity that brings to attention the mobile culture of our society. The data collected about the amount of sms messages that were sent around new years in Amsterdam showed the traditionalistic culture that we live in today because the amount of sms messages were highest right at midnight which can be accredited to everyone sending "happy new years" messages out.

There are many reasons why experiments such as the ones shown in the TED talk exist. They provide a way for many people to play a small role in making something that many people will be able to enjoy such as the Johnny Cash music video experiment or the bicycle made for 2000 experiment. They also provide data, both personal and social, that can be used to tell stories about our culture and even maintain humanity.