You'll Work Harder with Biometrics

international | sci-tech | news report Friday October 28, 2005 05:07 by RobbieS robbiesin at gmail dot com

Media Lab - "changing your mind-set through the power of the environment".

I'd like to know more about Media Lab (MIT). I thought MLE had shut down on Jan 14th this year through lack of funding.

Luckily, I recorded a lecture given by Gary McDerby (Principal Rsearch Scientist at Media Lab Europe) in April 2004, and what I heard, I found to be disconcerting

– coming to an appliance near you.

MLE ran the 'club house' in the digital hub in the Liberties where young lads from the run-down locality could avail of facilities - on the face of it.

Can MLE reassure us that the 'Club House', sponsored by Intel, was not used in biometric experimentation with the local 'beneficieries' as guinea-pigs in an elaborate laboratory?

One of the primary goals was to create environments that react to a person so that s/he performs better. This was dressed up with references to convelescents in hospital, but the 'club-house' was cutting edge.

When I asked Gary McDarby, (Principal Research Scientist at Media Lab Europe) about the impolications this would have for workers (coerced or unknowing); he conceded that it might be an issue, and then swiftly moved to another question.

On Media Lab Europe's website, it said about funding;

"[MLE] supports its work through corporate, community, academic and public research partnerships".

Given that the Irish government withdrew funding late last year, this only leaves corporate source of revenue. They're not finding it easy, but are intel the only one's interested in opening this pandorra's box?

Who is paying the speakers tomorrow?