Blending organic and virtual worlds

Abstract

In complex and distributed human-made-systems, the intimate co-dependency between humans and non-humans can feel distant and vague. A novel approach for fostering a sense mutual care between people and living organisms can be found within biodesign, where living artefacts provide human users with functional benefits, like lighting, air purifying and unique material qualities in exchange for care.

Emerging bio-technologies bring new opportunities for mutualistic care. Recent research has, for instance, demonstrated the ability to engineer bioluminescent plants with inbuilt switches, and electrosynbiotics have demonstrated that trees can generate electricity. Other projects are experimenting with the feasibility of storing data in living plants.

Using speculative design as a tool, this thesis starts unpacking how storing data in microalgae might facilitate mutualistic care, and how this might implicate care. The final speculative research artefact, “Algae Cloud,” imagines a personal cloud-storing system as a series of algae cultures; a relation of mutualistic care where data storage is traded for sunlight, nutrients, and regular attention.

Algae Cloud is a contribution of this project as a speculative design provocation that intends to inspire designers to think of novel ways to design for mutualistic care. It was presented and discussed in a focus group format with researchers from bio-design, more-than-human design, and data-centric design. The results from the discussions suggests that storing data in algae might bring new opportunities for mutualistic care that blend what it means to care for algae and data. The discussions also highlighted implications of care, like who should care, and what do people actually care for when they care for algae with data inside.

Bridging results from the discussions with previous work in HCI, the thesis presents opportunities for designers to further explore what could emerge in the intersection of virtual and biological worlds.