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research_report_theun_karelse [2008-02-21 12:40] – theunkarelseresearch_report_theun_karelse [2008-02-21 14:39] – theunkarelse
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- +{{man.jpg|man.jpg}}\\ 
 +Picture from: Le Portefeuille Industriel, a collection of technical drawings from Musée des Arts et Métiers.
  
  
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 The Tsunamipants project shows the traps that are hidden in responding to problems by coming up with solutions that are built within the limits of the problem. This invariably creates new versions of the same problem, it doesn't solve them. The Tsunamipants project shows the traps that are hidden in responding to problems by coming up with solutions that are built within the limits of the problem. This invariably creates new versions of the same problem, it doesn't solve them.
  
-That is the tragedy in which the inventor Martin Brolin is caught in the Tsunamipants project. Martin engages the extreme weather conditions that are associated with future climate changes and tries to engineer his way out-off  danger. In his work Mr. Brolin suffers from lack of expertise, lack of talent, lack of budged, oversized ambition and being over-all mediocre. These are common human traits that run beneath the surface of positive social change. To be able to construct anything realistically and therefor longlasting, I suggest we start by acknowledging that there is nothing inherently wrong with being mediocre. I realise that this goes against giant forces in popular culture, but Martin is deliberately portrayed as a mediocre inventor, although I only later became fully conscious of why I was doing this.+That is the tragedy in which the inventor [[Martin Brolin]] is caught in the Tsunamipants project. Martin engages the extreme weather conditions that are associated with future climate changes and tries to engineer his way out-off  danger. In his work Mr. Brolin suffers from lack of expertise, lack of talent, lack of budged, oversized ambition and being over-all mediocre. These are common human traits that run beneath the surface of positive social change. To be able to construct anything realistically and therefor longlasting, I suggest we start by acknowledging that there is nothing inherently wrong with being mediocre. I realise that this goes against giant forces in popular culture, but Martin is deliberately portrayed as a mediocre inventor, although I only later became fully conscious of why I was doing this. 
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 == Positive change. == == Positive change. ==
-Recently some advocates of change based on positive arguments have become more visible such as the 'Slow-Food'-movement, the 'Cradle-toCradle' and 'Permaculture' design principles. These forces originate from the possibility of improving the quality of life, this includes of course other life-forms besides humans.((VPRO-Tegenlicht documentary series))+Recently some advocates of change based on positive arguments have become more visible such as the 'Slow-Food'-movement, the 'Cradle-to-Cradle' and 'Permaculture' design principles. These forces originate from the possibility of improving the quality of life, this includes of course other life-forms besides humans.((VPRO-Tegenlicht documentary series))
  
 == Tsunamipants applied in a society of risks. == == Tsunamipants applied in a society of risks. ==
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 Douglas and Wildavsky's Cultural Theory of Risk discerns four types of people: Douglas and Wildavsky's Cultural Theory of Risk discerns four types of people:
-Hierarchists, who fear those risks that threaten the ordering of society. +  * Hierarchists, who fear those risks that threaten the ordering of society. 
-Egalitarians, who use risk for social cohesion. +  * Egalitarians, who use risk for social cohesion. 
-Individualists, who fear the collapse of the market. +  * Individualists, who fear the collapse of the market. 
-Fatalists, who feel it is all inevitable.+  * Fatalists, who feel it is all inevitable.
  
 == International organisations. == == International organisations. ==
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 == Related projects. == == Related projects. ==
  
-[[Tsunami Pants]] is embedded in the European tradition of the drawn narrative. There is a long tradition of mad-scientist and eccentric inventors in fiction. There are other art and design projects, that tackle the same problem.+[[Tsunami Pants]] is embedded in the European tradition of the drawn narrative. There is a long tradition of mad-scientist and eccentric inventors in fiction. There are other art and design projects, that tackle the same problem, but none offer a historic collection and make designs and embed it specifically into the debate about climate change.\\
 Some are closely related, use humor like: Some are closely related, use humor like:
   * The Yesmen, made the survivaball.   * The Yesmen, made the survivaball.
   * Troy Hurtubise, made the Grizzly and Troyan suits.   * Troy Hurtubise, made the Grizzly and Troyan suits.
 +  * Inflatable swimming trunks and other inventions in the same spirit by real people are documented on [[http://blog.modernmechanix.com|Modern Mechanics]] 
 Others are more loosely related, and serious like: Others are more loosely related, and serious like:
   * Adam Whinton and Yolita Nugent's project 'no-contact' selfdefence jacket for women.   * Adam Whinton and Yolita Nugent's project 'no-contact' selfdefence jacket for women.
-  * Intercative clothes by, XS-lab, Despina and Papadopoulos or Hussein Chalayan. +  * Interactive clothes by, XS-lab, Despina and Papadopoulos or Hussein Chalayan.
- +
  
  
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-  * concise summary of the problem domain/s that the research explores, or the specific aims of the research undertaken.+== The problem domain.==
  
 Since last year (2006) FoAM is adapting to a working method and living method that reduces our negative impact on living conditions for life on Earth. We are aware of the great need for this to happen, not just for members of our organization but for society as a whole. We would like to activate others to reduce their damage to the biosphere and society too. So at some point, and it has already arrived, our organization is going to communicate about issues concerning these environmental and social crises. Since last year (2006) FoAM is adapting to a working method and living method that reduces our negative impact on living conditions for life on Earth. We are aware of the great need for this to happen, not just for members of our organization but for society as a whole. We would like to activate others to reduce their damage to the biosphere and society too. So at some point, and it has already arrived, our organization is going to communicate about issues concerning these environmental and social crises.
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 My aim is to show the ridiculous way in which we sometimes go about constructing solutions for climate-change problems. Martin Brolin is created to explore a way of engaging with this crisis in an uplifting way, by showing just such flawed design-strategies. My aim is to show the ridiculous way in which we sometimes go about constructing solutions for climate-change problems. Martin Brolin is created to explore a way of engaging with this crisis in an uplifting way, by showing just such flawed design-strategies.
  
-Saint Francis of Assisi. +
-Giving environmental problems a direct physical presence for people is one of the great obstacles within the debate. Things happen too slow to see and feel, but extreme weather that is associated with climate change is very tangible. Although it is too big to bring to peoples physical reality, like Saint Francis of Assisi often did, extreme weather suits the 'stunt-element' Francis used. And although he did these 'stunts' as a live-show, which may very well be crucial to their success, I will just tell the story of Martin Brolin on paper to start with. And just how far Martin Brolin's activities are going to extend into other media and reality, will become apparent as the project unfolds.+
  
  
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   * if the actual outcomes are different than the expected outcome, the reasons for this should be explained in the "discussion" section   * if the actual outcomes are different than the expected outcome, the reasons for this should be explained in the "discussion" section
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-  * concise description of the way the research will be (has been) developed from establishing the problem definition to the final results+== Designing Tsunamipants, how it works. ==
 The first step to design portable safety technology for natural disasters is to make a full list of these horrors. From this the first opportunities for design become apparent. This can be complemented by a list of controversial technologies, events, objects or places connected to the Climate change discussion, such as biofuels, air-travel, SUV-s and holiday-resorts. By pairing disasters to items from the other lists inspiring combinations can be found. The first step to design portable safety technology for natural disasters is to make a full list of these horrors. From this the first opportunities for design become apparent. This can be complemented by a list of controversial technologies, events, objects or places connected to the Climate change discussion, such as biofuels, air-travel, SUV-s and holiday-resorts. By pairing disasters to items from the other lists inspiring combinations can be found.
-Making a collection of historic and current solutions in wearable safety systems, gives a greater scope of possibilities in this field. +Making a collection of historic and current solutions in wearable safety systems, gives a greater scope of possibilities in this field. I also looked at protective systems used by animals, for instance the fat-layer used by sealions for insulation and food reserve. And I based Martin's design of the jelly suit on this. Another place to look for good ideas is comicbooks; the superstrenghts often mimic animal strategies.
  
-Designing Martin Brolin.+== Designing Martin Brolin. ==
 The narrative structure of this research hinted at the value of having a central character. While driving to the supermarket, I came across an individual who combined most of the characteristic that I was looking for; mediocrity, recklessness, lack of social inhibitions and self-confidence from unknown origins. In essence a rationalist or even Deist, who feels God may have created the world, but has abandoned it and left no deeper truth for man to find. The narrative structure of this research hinted at the value of having a central character. While driving to the supermarket, I came across an individual who combined most of the characteristic that I was looking for; mediocrity, recklessness, lack of social inhibitions and self-confidence from unknown origins. In essence a rationalist or even Deist, who feels God may have created the world, but has abandoned it and left no deeper truth for man to find.
  
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-  * justification of the methodology+ 
 + 
 +== Justification of the methodology, the strength of physical experiments. == 
 +One person in particular inspired me to design these strange contraptions; Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis lived during the first big corporate revolution, that was a result of the invention of the accounting balance and banking. Saint Francis managed to reach people in the midst of this financial frenzy and successfully showed the unsustainable side-effects of the new economy. ((the Teaching Company, William R. Cook, Ronald B. Herzman)) 
 + 
 +Giving environmental problems a direct physical presence for people is one of the great obstacles within the debate. Things happen too slow to see and feel, but extreme weather that is associated with climate change is very tangible. Although it is too big to bring to peoples physical reality, like Saint Francis of Assisi often did, tsunamipants resemble the 'stunt-element' Francis used. And although he did these 'stunts' as a live-show, which may very well be crucial to their success, I will just tell the story of Martin Brolin on paper to start with. And just how far Martin Brolin's activities are going to extend into other media and reality, will become apparent as the project unfolds. 
 + 
 + 
 +== DIY culture. == 
 +There are great results to be gained from direct action. This was shown by Srinivasan Soundara Rajan and Marko Peljhan at the Luminous Green symposium and by Suprabha Seshan at the Hands-on Change symposium. ((luminousgreen.org)) The Tsunamipants research project tapps into this tradition and hopefully with the same infectious enthusiasm. 
 + 
 + 
 +== Case study. == 
 +I made one case study by following the events around a particularly violent storm on January 18, 2007 in the Netherlands.\\ 
 +[[Storm]] 
  
  
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 ==== Solution/Results ==== ==== Solution/Results ====
  
-== Working process ==+== Working process and results.== 
 + 
 +This research gave me a much richer picture of meteorology, global systems and safety engineering. 
 + 
 +The list of weather catastrophes: 
 +  * hurricanes / tornadoes 
 +  * storms 
 +  * thunderstorms and lightning 
 +  * snowstorms 
 +  * sandstorms 
 +  * extreme hydroliths, like giant hailstones 
 +  * avalanches 
 +  * landslides 
 +  * mud-streams 
 +  * lavastreams 
 +  * earth-quakes and tremors 
 +  * flooding 
 +  * tsunamis 
 +  * drought 
 +  * smoke and ash 
 +  * mist 
 + 
 +How they hurt: 
 +  * overheating / sunstroke 
 +  * hypothermia / frostbite 
 +  * UV-damage 
 +  * dehydration 
 +  * drowning 
 +  * falling through ice 
 +  * hunger 
 +  * and the various diseases that move trough refugee camps. 
 + 
 +Urban dangers: 
 +  * gas-leaks 
 +  * fire 
 +  * power-failure 
 +  * falling power-cables 
 +  * collapsing structures and large things falling over 
 +  * panicking masses 
 + 
 +Positive side-effects: 
 + 
 +  * these horrors may result in Leapfrogging effects for the regions or nations affected. 
 +  * many superheroes got their power in accidents so this might create opportunities for those supernaturally inclined. 
 What became apparent during the Tsunamipants project is the constant need for new angles. The first design was for a piece of clothing that can help to survive a disaster; the Tsunamipants. You can go on creating more designs for clothing, but the novelty wears off soon. So I moved to SUV-s with the Inflatable-hummer, tackling the debate around climate change from a new perspective. This became a working strategy. Switching to tourism (forest-fire cuisine), eco-art (edibleTRG), food-politics (beggar bumper) and alternative fuels (cowpod). What became apparent during the Tsunamipants project is the constant need for new angles. The first design was for a piece of clothing that can help to survive a disaster; the Tsunamipants. You can go on creating more designs for clothing, but the novelty wears off soon. So I moved to SUV-s with the Inflatable-hummer, tackling the debate around climate change from a new perspective. This became a working strategy. Switching to tourism (forest-fire cuisine), eco-art (edibleTRG), food-politics (beggar bumper) and alternative fuels (cowpod).
  
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-== Protective Suits: ==+ 
 + 
 +== Protective Suits. ==
  
  
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   * [[ExoSkeletons]] > for getting out-off rubble-heaps etc.   * [[ExoSkeletons]] > for getting out-off rubble-heaps etc.
   
-== Accessories: ==+== Accessories. ==
  
   * [[Footware]] > these boots are made for.. all kinds of things.   * [[Footware]] > these boots are made for.. all kinds of things.
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   * [[Head Protection]] > how to keep your head from falling off or rotting away.   * [[Head Protection]] > how to keep your head from falling off or rotting away.
  
-== Tools: ==+== Tools. ==
  
   * [[Emergency Storage]] > pretty amazing tools for any emergency.   * [[Emergency Storage]] > pretty amazing tools for any emergency.
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   * [[Medical Aids]] > hackable medical devices.   * [[Medical Aids]] > hackable medical devices.
  
-== Special transport: ==+== Special transport. ==
  
   * [[Adapted Transport]] > vehicles to get you out of trouble.   * [[Adapted Transport]] > vehicles to get you out of trouble.
   * [[Remotely Operated Vehicles]] > going to the places you don't want to go.   * [[Remotely Operated Vehicles]] > going to the places you don't want to go.
  
-In safety design inflatable techniques are used abundantly. As a result of this my research started to connect to research done by Cocky Eek who has investigated inflatable technology and design.+In safety design inflatable techniques are used abundantly. As a result of this my research started to connect to research done by Cocky Eek who has investigated inflatable technology and design. [[pneumatology]]
  
 My basic conclusion for the hierarchy of risks for humans is based on the volumes of products on the market, not by absolute figures or by value but just by seeing what is most abundant in use or on offer physically and digitally. And the hierarchy is as follows: My basic conclusion for the hierarchy of risks for humans is based on the volumes of products on the market, not by absolute figures or by value but just by seeing what is most abundant in use or on offer physically and digitally. And the hierarchy is as follows:
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   * Drowning: and other water related risks are very big business for offshore and recreational purposes.   * Drowning: and other water related risks are very big business for offshore and recreational purposes.
  
-During the research I got more into cultural history and current philosophy. 
  
  
  
  
-//concise description of the actual outcomes of the research//+
  
  
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-  * comparison of the expected and the actual results+== Comparison of the expected and the actual results. == 
 +My research broadened from designing clothes for meteorological catastrophes to a wild and hilarious journey through portable safety technology. I did not go into material research for this because that seemed like a world too vast to cover. And it would not have been effective for reaching my goal, which relies more on imagination than on expertise. But it would have fitted nicely with research done by Lina Kusaite, who is looking into developing a material library. 
 +The domain of portable safety technology turned out to be much more varied than I anticipated. The history of portable personal safety technology is rich. An overview of this field formed and it shows the diversity of technologies and suggests risk hierarchies. For a successful Tsunamipants design some ingredients are crucial. I look at the combinations of already existing products and fusing them into an unlikely hybrid. As noted above, the need to shift focus became apparent during the design stages. This resulted in designs for many different situations, more connected to climate change issues in a broad sense and not just weather induced disasters.
  
-  * suggestions and comments on the research process and its results+== Suggestions and comments on the research process and its results. ==
  
  
  
-  * suggestions for the future work based on the conclusions of the research +== Suggestions for the future work based on the conclusions of the research. == 
- +  * The [[survival engineering]] collection could be extended with strategies used by animals and plants. 
- +  * Martin Brolin could be used to study the possibilities of merchandising. 
-  * comments on the response of the public+  * Move into 3-d prototyping. 
 +  * Extend into material research. 
 +  * Tunamipants could pop-up in FoAM or FoAM partner events. 
 +  * Move from the history of safety into the direction of the history of sustainability. I've started tracing my own cultural roots; into the Zeeuwse farms and their (forgotten) technologies. 
 +  * Tsunamifood. 
 +  * 
  
 +==Public response. ==
 The design of Martin with a bad haircut, slightly overweight and big was intended to place him as a very ordinary guy. But some members of the public have commented that they found it difficult to feel sympathy for him. During the process Martin sometimes devolved somewhat into a bum. He sometimes became more of a caricature, this was largely due to the style of drawing that was applied and the scale of working. The design of Martin with a bad haircut, slightly overweight and big was intended to place him as a very ordinary guy. But some members of the public have commented that they found it difficult to feel sympathy for him. During the process Martin sometimes devolved somewhat into a bum. He sometimes became more of a caricature, this was largely due to the style of drawing that was applied and the scale of working.
  
 The public responded well to presentations. Finding unlikely combinations, unlikely threats or solutions seemed powerful tools for connecting with people. Also a good description of the invention works. The imagery may work better in full-color. The public responded well to presentations. Finding unlikely combinations, unlikely threats or solutions seemed powerful tools for connecting with people. Also a good description of the invention works. The imagery may work better in full-color.
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 ==== References ==== ==== References ====
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-  * media used in the research+== Media used in the research. ==
 On the Net: On the Net:
 +  * many dozens of cites had wonderful designs and pictures, they are documented in the [[survival engineering]] collection.
 +  * http://blog.modernmechanix.com
 +  * http://www.groenerekenkamer.nl
 +  * http://eco-cool.blogspot.com
 +  * http://www.worldchanging.com
 +  * http://www.buienradar.nl
  
 Wikipedia: Wikipedia:
   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrich_Beck   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulrich_Beck
   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_society   * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_society
- 
-  * http://blog.modernmechanix.com 
-  * http://www.groenerekenkamer.nl 
-  * http://eco-cool.blogspot.com 
-  * http://www.worldchanging.com/ 
  
 Books and magazines: Books and magazines:
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   * How should we then live?, Francis A. Schaeffer   * How should we then live?, Francis A. Schaeffer
   * Nexus #44 #46 #47 http://www.nexus-instituut.nl   * Nexus #44 #46 #47 http://www.nexus-instituut.nl
 +  * Le Portefeuille Industriel, a collection of technical drawings from Musée des Arts et Métiers.
  
-  *  +Lectures: 
- +  * The Teaching Company, Saint Francis of Assisi, William R. Cook, Ronald B. Herzman. http://www.teach12.com 
- +  * Paradiso, on Climate Change by Pier Vellinga, one of the founders of the IPCC. http://www.ipcc.ch 
-  * visual/sonic/tactile material generated in the research to be archived at FoAM+  * BBC 2, Civilization, Lord Kenneth Clark. http://www.tvfactual.co.uk/civilisation.htm 
 +  * VPRO, Tegenlicht, episode: Cradle-to-Cradle and episode: de Toekomst van ons Voedsel. http://www.vpro.nl/programma/tegenlicht/afleveringen/ 
 +== Material generated in the research to be archived at FoAM. ==
  
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