WHAT IF… full gallery
Click through our gallery to see various images of the major project displayed in our windows from February 2010 to March 2011, 'WHAT IF…'.
What if we could evaluate the genetic potential of lovers? What if our emotions were read by machines? These were just two of the questions addressed in this year-long, frequently updated window display.
Watch our behind-the-scenes video feature
You can also watch videos about two of the projects featured in the display.
215 Euston Road: Dunne and Raby, 2010/Wellcome Images
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Each display featured six different projects created by students, graduates and staff from the Design Interactions department at the Royal College of Art, each offering an alternative view of how science could influence our future. The display was been updated every few months. The purpose was not to offer predictions but to inspire debate about the human consequences of different technological futures, both positive and negative, by asking ‘what if’?
215 Euston Road: Dunne and Raby, 2010/Wellcome Images
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Three of the projects featured in one of the displays.
The Other Volcano: Nelly Ben Hayoun
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What if… science is adapted to fulfil poetic and creative needs?
“In order to make myself recognised by the Other, I must risk my own life,” said Sartre. ‘The Other Volcano’ imagines a love-hate relationship, a ‘sleeping giant’ in the corner of your domestic environment, with the power to provoke excitement with its rumblings, and also perhaps fear - if not for one’s life in this case, then at least for the soft furnishings of one’s clean and neat ‘living’ room. It is a project that domesticates the most violent of natural processes, addressing and reinterpreting different natures; a project that questions the domestication of nature for entertainment purposes.
“In order to make myself recognised by the Other, I must risk my own life,” said Sartre. ‘The Other Volcano’ imagines a love-hate relationship, a ‘sleeping giant’ in the corner of your domestic environment, with the power to provoke excitement with its rumblings, and also perhaps fear - if not for one’s life in this case, then at least for the soft furnishings of one’s clean and neat ‘living’ room. It is a project that domesticates the most violent of natural processes, addressing and reinterpreting different natures; a project that questions the domestication of nature for entertainment purposes.
Cat Fancy Club: Karen Guthrie and Nina Pope
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What if… cat breeders were seen as scientists?
“Everything you need to know about genetics you can learn from your cat” - Leslie Lyons PhD, Associate Professor at the Genetics Laboratory, University of California, Davis.
Cats are now the UK’s most popular pet. In addition to the millions of moggies we own there are also increasingly diverse pedigree breeds. Demonstrating a fascinating mix of scientific knowledge and creative experimentation, breeders have an acute alertness to the aesthetic requirements of their chosen breed, underpinned by the genetic knowledge to breed safely towards the refinement of particular characteristics. Some breeders already use genetic testing and collaborate with scientists, bridging the traditional gap between amateur and professional science and providing a flow of information between these two worlds.
“Everything you need to know about genetics you can learn from your cat” - Leslie Lyons PhD, Associate Professor at the Genetics Laboratory, University of California, Davis.
Cats are now the UK’s most popular pet. In addition to the millions of moggies we own there are also increasingly diverse pedigree breeds. Demonstrating a fascinating mix of scientific knowledge and creative experimentation, breeders have an acute alertness to the aesthetic requirements of their chosen breed, underpinned by the genetic knowledge to breed safely towards the refinement of particular characteristics. Some breeders already use genetic testing and collaborate with scientists, bridging the traditional gap between amateur and professional science and providing a flow of information between these two worlds.
Genetic Heirloom: Revital Cohen
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What if… citizen science contributed to genetic advances?
Gold and silver, much like a number of genetic cancers, are passed down the generations as inheritance. The emerging use of precious metals in medicine and especially in cancer treatment draws parallels between material heirloom and genetic ancestry.
Gold has been used medically throughout history. It can be both a cure and a poison. Nano-gold particles are being used in cancer treatments as a tumour-targeting therapy.
In a near future scenario, parents are fully aware of their genetic make-up and the calculated risks of passing on undesirable genes or mutations to their children. How does the comprehension of genetic vulnerability change our behaviour? Can new materials have an effect on our morals and social structures?
Gold and silver, much like a number of genetic cancers, are passed down the generations as inheritance. The emerging use of precious metals in medicine and especially in cancer treatment draws parallels between material heirloom and genetic ancestry.
Gold has been used medically throughout history. It can be both a cure and a poison. Nano-gold particles are being used in cancer treatments as a tumour-targeting therapy.
In a near future scenario, parents are fully aware of their genetic make-up and the calculated risks of passing on undesirable genes or mutations to their children. How does the comprehension of genetic vulnerability change our behaviour? Can new materials have an effect on our morals and social structures?
Astronomical Bodies: Michael Burton, 2010
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What if…meteorites seeded life on Earth?
Did life on Earth emerge from key chemical elements received from outer space? It has been suggested that phosphorus, embedded within meteorites, played a key role in seeding life on Earth. If this is true, the universe could be seen as bio-friendly, with life as a normal constituent of the universe and humans as astrobiological products of galactic composition.
The question then becomes: should we actively colonise space with life? Phosphorus naturally accumulates in our bodies, forming kidney stones. The proposition is to extract phosphorus from urine to form artificial meteorites. These will be launched into space towards Europa, the ice moon of Jupiter, believed to have the right conditions to sustain life. If successful, they will continue the propagation of life within the universe.
Did life on Earth emerge from key chemical elements received from outer space? It has been suggested that phosphorus, embedded within meteorites, played a key role in seeding life on Earth. If this is true, the universe could be seen as bio-friendly, with life as a normal constituent of the universe and humans as astrobiological products of galactic composition.
The question then becomes: should we actively colonise space with life? Phosphorus naturally accumulates in our bodies, forming kidney stones. The proposition is to extract phosphorus from urine to form artificial meteorites. These will be launched into space towards Europa, the ice moon of Jupiter, believed to have the right conditions to sustain life. If successful, they will continue the propagation of life within the universe.
Acoustic Botany: David Benqué, 2010
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What if…we could design plants to make sound?
The debate surrounding genetic engineering is currently centred on vital issues such as food, healthcare and the environment. However, we have been shaping nature for thousands of years, not only to suit our needs, but also to serve our most irrational desires. Beautiful flowers, mind-altering weeds and crabs shaped like human faces all thrive on this irrationality, giving them an evolutionary advantage.
We encourage nature to produce the things we find aesthetically pleasing, whether they are in its ‘best interests’ or not. Our emotions and beliefs therefore have consequences for the ecosystems around us, and for the moral value we put on ‘natural’ things.
By presenting a fantastical acoustic garden, a controlled ecosystem of entertainment, David Benqué aims to explore our cultural and aesthetic relationship with nature, and question its future in the age of synthetic biology.
The debate surrounding genetic engineering is currently centred on vital issues such as food, healthcare and the environment. However, we have been shaping nature for thousands of years, not only to suit our needs, but also to serve our most irrational desires. Beautiful flowers, mind-altering weeds and crabs shaped like human faces all thrive on this irrationality, giving them an evolutionary advantage.
We encourage nature to produce the things we find aesthetically pleasing, whether they are in its ‘best interests’ or not. Our emotions and beliefs therefore have consequences for the ecosystems around us, and for the moral value we put on ‘natural’ things.
By presenting a fantastical acoustic garden, a controlled ecosystem of entertainment, David Benqué aims to explore our cultural and aesthetic relationship with nature, and question its future in the age of synthetic biology.
Nuclear Dialogues: Zoe Papadopoulou, 2010
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What if...local communities informed public policy?
This project aims to deal with the contentious area of nuclear fission by choosing an open, non-judgemental environment, designed for dialogue rather than dispute.
The inviting setting of a tea party allows for engaging discussion about the technology and its by-products, predominantly excess heat and hot water. Rather than imposing solutions, the discussion encourages suggestions as to how by-products can benefit communities living in close proximity to the reactors.
Participation is encouraged through a tasting of ‘yellowcake’ - a colloquialism for uranium oxide U3O8, an essential ingredient in the preparation of uranium fuel for nuclear reactors. The designer, along with scientists from Nuclear FiRST, devised a recipe for an edible yellowcake, using ingredients that contain radioactive isotopes, to challenge entrenched viewpoints and misunderstandings of risk.
This project aims to deal with the contentious area of nuclear fission by choosing an open, non-judgemental environment, designed for dialogue rather than dispute.
The inviting setting of a tea party allows for engaging discussion about the technology and its by-products, predominantly excess heat and hot water. Rather than imposing solutions, the discussion encourages suggestions as to how by-products can benefit communities living in close proximity to the reactors.
Participation is encouraged through a tasting of ‘yellowcake’ - a colloquialism for uranium oxide U3O8, an essential ingredient in the preparation of uranium fuel for nuclear reactors. The designer, along with scientists from Nuclear FiRST, devised a recipe for an edible yellowcake, using ingredients that contain radioactive isotopes, to challenge entrenched viewpoints and misunderstandings of risk.
Fantastics: Andrew Friend, 2010
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What if…we could design the fantastic?
If you are in the right place at the right time, you (may) experience something fantastic. This project is about the fantastic experience: be it the conscious quest to achieve a personal fantasy, or the more subconscious seeding of a fantastic situation or construct through the actions of others.
The fantastic has the power to engage the imagination, initiate dreams, trigger desires, excite, manipulate and confuse. The project’s aim is to explore how one can, through the production of objects and services located in specific contexts, enable these fantasies.
If you are in the right place at the right time, you (may) experience something fantastic. This project is about the fantastic experience: be it the conscious quest to achieve a personal fantasy, or the more subconscious seeding of a fantastic situation or construct through the actions of others.
The fantastic has the power to engage the imagination, initiate dreams, trigger desires, excite, manipulate and confuse. The project’s aim is to explore how one can, through the production of objects and services located in specific contexts, enable these fantasies.
The Attenborough Design Group: James Chambers, 2010
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What if...animal behaviour influenced the design of products?
The Attenborough Design Group (ADG) is a fictional research group within Texas Instruments that employed Sir David Attenborough’s naturalist approach to investigate the use of behaviours found in nature to defend emerging technologies.
James proposes an alternative history in which the ADG developed a number of products exploring the needs of various new technologies as they emerged during the late 20th century. These products also extend their longevity by engendering emotional attachment with their owners through their anthropomorphic behaviours, supposedly giving them an evolutionary advantage over other, more traditional products.
The Attenborough Design Group (ADG) is a fictional research group within Texas Instruments that employed Sir David Attenborough’s naturalist approach to investigate the use of behaviours found in nature to defend emerging technologies.
James proposes an alternative history in which the ADG developed a number of products exploring the needs of various new technologies as they emerged during the late 20th century. These products also extend their longevity by engendering emotional attachment with their owners through their anthropomorphic behaviours, supposedly giving them an evolutionary advantage over other, more traditional products.
Policing Genes: Thomas Thwaites, 2010
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What if...our garden plants were policed by bees?
Pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with pharming - genetically engineering plants to produce useful and valuable drugs. Currently undergoing field trials are tomato plants that produce a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease and potatoes that immunise against hepatitis B. Many more plant-made-pharmaceuticals are being developed in laboratories around the world.
However, the techniques employed to insert genes into plants are within reach of the amateur...and the criminal. Policing Genes speculates that, like other technologies, genetic engineering will also find a use outside the law, with innocent-looking garden plants being modified to produce narcotics and unlicensed pharmaceuticals.
The genetics of the plants in your garden or allotment could become a police matter...
Pharmaceutical companies are experimenting with pharming - genetically engineering plants to produce useful and valuable drugs. Currently undergoing field trials are tomato plants that produce a vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease and potatoes that immunise against hepatitis B. Many more plant-made-pharmaceuticals are being developed in laboratories around the world.
However, the techniques employed to insert genes into plants are within reach of the amateur...and the criminal. Policing Genes speculates that, like other technologies, genetic engineering will also find a use outside the law, with innocent-looking garden plants being modified to produce narcotics and unlicensed pharmaceuticals.
The genetics of the plants in your garden or allotment could become a police matter...
The Cloud Project: Zoe Papadopoulou and Cathrine Kramer, 2009
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What if...clouds were geo-engineered to snow ice cream?
Developments in nanotechnology and planetary-scale engineering point to new possibilities for us to manipulate the global environment according to our needs. These advances, combined with a dream to make clouds snow ice cream, inspired a series of experiments that look at ways to alter the composition of clouds to make new and delicious sensory experiences. Using ice cream as a catalyst for dialogue, the project’s focus is to welcome people into a ‘nano’ ice cream van and allow new audiences to experience and imagine emerging scientific developments and their consequences.
Developments in nanotechnology and planetary-scale engineering point to new possibilities for us to manipulate the global environment according to our needs. These advances, combined with a dream to make clouds snow ice cream, inspired a series of experiments that look at ways to alter the composition of clouds to make new and delicious sensory experiences. Using ice cream as a catalyst for dialogue, the project’s focus is to welcome people into a ‘nano’ ice cream van and allow new audiences to experience and imagine emerging scientific developments and their consequences.
Evidence Dolls: Dunne and Raby, 2005
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What if...we could evaluate the genetic potential of lovers?
‘Evidence Dolls’ consists of one hundred plastic dolls used to provoke discussion among a group of young single women about the impact of genetic technology on their lifestyle. How will dating change when DNA analysis can reveal the presence of undesirable genes? The evidence dolls come in three versions based on penis size (small, medium and large). A black indelible marker is provided to note down any characteristics on the doll’s body. Hair, toenail clippings, saliva and sperm can be stored in the penis drawer.
‘Evidence Dolls’ consists of one hundred plastic dolls used to provoke discussion among a group of young single women about the impact of genetic technology on their lifestyle. How will dating change when DNA analysis can reveal the presence of undesirable genes? The evidence dolls come in three versions based on penis size (small, medium and large). A black indelible marker is provided to note down any characteristics on the doll’s body. Hair, toenail clippings, saliva and sperm can be stored in the penis drawer.
The Race: Michael Burton, 2007
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What if...we accept co-evolution with bacteria, microbes and parasites as a healthy option?
For every human cell in the body there are ten nonhuman cells - bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes - living inside and on you. They are vital to many of your daily functions. ‘The Race’ responds to this and to human meta-genomic research to reconsider our approach to healthcare as a co-evolved organism and conglomeration of vital bacteria, microbes and parasites. The project scrutinises our inadvertent assistance of super-bugs like mRSA through the overuse of antibiotics. Instead it offers alternative enhancements, new behaviours and objects for a more symbiotic future.
For every human cell in the body there are ten nonhuman cells - bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes - living inside and on you. They are vital to many of your daily functions. ‘The Race’ responds to this and to human meta-genomic research to reconsider our approach to healthcare as a co-evolved organism and conglomeration of vital bacteria, microbes and parasites. The project scrutinises our inadvertent assistance of super-bugs like mRSA through the overuse of antibiotics. Instead it offers alternative enhancements, new behaviours and objects for a more symbiotic future.
E. chromi: James King and Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, 2009
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What if...bacteria recoloured our world?
For the 2009 International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM), seven Cambridge University undergraduates modified E. coli to secrete coloured pigments. These bacteria, which were named ‘E. chromi’, have many potential uses, including biosensors to test for pollutants in drinking water. How might the use of bacteria to produce pigments develop? What are the broader implications? The timeline considers products we might buy that use ‘E. chromi’, people whose livelihood might depend on it, and laws that might be needed to regulate it.
For the 2009 International Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM), seven Cambridge University undergraduates modified E. coli to secrete coloured pigments. These bacteria, which were named ‘E. chromi’, have many potential uses, including biosensors to test for pollutants in drinking water. How might the use of bacteria to produce pigments develop? What are the broader implications? The timeline considers products we might buy that use ‘E. chromi’, people whose livelihood might depend on it, and laws that might be needed to regulate it.
WHAT IF...our emotions were read by machines?
Belief Systems, 2009; Bernhard Hopfengärtner
Belief Systems, 2009; Bernhard Hopfengärtner
Belief Systems, 2009; Bernhard Hopfengärtner" alt=" WHAT IF...our emotions were read by machines?Belief Systems, 2009; Bernhard Hopfengärtner" style="width:516px;" />
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Facial micro-expressions last less than a second and are almost impossible to control. They are hard wired to the emotional activity in the brain and can be easily captured using specially developed technological devices. Free will is now in question as science exposes decision making as an emotional process rather than a rational one. This ability to read emotions technologically could result in a society obsessed with emotional reactions. Emotions, convictions and beliefs, which usually remain hidden, now become a public matter. ‘Belief Systems’ is a video scenario about a society that responds to the challenges of modern neuroscience by embracing these technological possibilities to read, evaluate and alter people’s behaviours and emotions.
WHAT IF...everyday products contained synthetically produced living components?
The Synthetic Kingdom: A Natural History of the Synthetic Future, 2009; Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
The Synthetic Kingdom: A Natural History of the Synthetic Future, 2009; Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg
The Synthetic Kingdom: A Natural History of the Synthetic Future, 2009; Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg" alt=" WHAT IF...everyday products contained synthetically produced living components?The Synthetic Kingdom: A Natural History of the Synthetic Future, 2009; Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg" style="width:516px;" />
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How will we classify what is natural or unnatural when life is built from scratch? Synthetic biology is turning to the living kingdoms for its materials library. No more petrochemicals: instead, pick a feature from an existing organism, locate its DNA and insert into a biological chassis. Engineered life will compute, produce energy, clean up pollution, kill pathogens and even do the housework. Meanwhile, we add an extra branch to the Tree of Life. ‘The Synthetic Kingdom’ is part of our new nature. Biotech promises us control over nature, but living machines need controlling. Are promises of sustainability and healthiness seductive enough to accept such compromise?
Curated and designed by Dunne & Raby