This floor has been transformed into a floor on the ITP “Mars Simulator.” Recruits reside here for two years in preparation for a stay on the red planet.

Transcript

(Elevator door opens)

Hello! Welcome to the ITP mars habitat simulator. I’m Gwen, your guide. Come with me.
As you know you’ll be spending the next two years in this self-contained unit, training for your trip to mars.

You’ll be here with the other recruits, testing the limits of human cohabitation, living and learning together.

Let’s take this left here…

(pause, walking, sound of cane and footsteps)

To your left is the Earth room. We are currently testing simulations of different locations on Earth; for recruits to go when they feel homesick

First, we are prototyping a rainforest: (Sound of rain, rainforest animals) …

As well as a field in the countryside (Sound of crickets, running stream)…

And the ocean: (Ocean sounds)

We also are working on a big city: (Sound of New York City, people walking on sidewalks, cars beeping, etc.)

Next I’ll show you where we are building the dorms… Follow me.

(pause walking)

The 3D printers will be moved soon, but they’ll remain in the habitat for repairs and maintenance.

The terrarium will be fitted here by the way, the unit will be self sustained for food and oxygen recycling.

(pause, walking, sound of cane and footsteps)

(Sounds of construction start happening in background)

This is where you and the other recruits will be sleeping. We are installing the oxygen tanks and testing the the cabin pressure.

Hey mark! could you use the oxy-acetylene torch away from the cylinders? You’re going to blow the whole unit sky high!

Let’s go to the meeting room, and meet the other recruits…

I was once a recruit, too, you know. But I had an accident onboard the ship and that’s why I’m using this cane… (Sound of explosions) (People running)

Oh no!

(Sounds of commotion fade out…)

“ITP space habitat” is a sound walk where you as a recruit get a tour of the habitat by a veteran astronaut. The space theme was inspired by the Applications class, and it allows us to work with some weird sound effects.

 

Sounds for editing (freesound.org):

1. Elevator door opening:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ8JmnhvVS4

2. Earth room
– Rainforest room:
https://soundcloud.com/sounds-itp/sets/rainforest-room-sounds
– Ocean room:
https://soundcloud.com/sounds-itp/sets/ocean-room-sounds
– Countryside room:
https://soundcloud.com/sounds-itp/sets/countryside-room-sounds
– City room:
https://soundcloud.com/sounds-itp/sets/city-room-sounds

3. Dormitory
– Construction sounds:
https://soundcloud.com/sounds-itp/sets/construction-sounds

4. Explosion:
https://soundcloud.com/sounds-itp/sets/explosions

Original recordings:

1. Cane sounds:
https://soundcloud.com/sounds-itp/sets/cane-sounds

2. Voiceover:
– Kemi to record voiceover (week 2)

Rough draft of the narration:

(Elevator door opens)
Hello! Welcome to the ITP space shuttle. I’m Gwen, your guide. Come with me…

(pause, walking, sound of cane and footsteps)

This is the Earth room. We are currently test driving simulations of different locations on Earth, for recruits to go in when they are homesick for our home planet.
First, we are prototyping a rainforest: (Sound of rain, rainforest animals) …
As well as a field in the countryside (Sound of crickets, running stream)…
And the ocean: (Ocean sounds)
We also are working on a big city: (Sound of New York City, people walking on sidewalks, cars beeping, etc.)

Next, I’ll show you where we are building the dormitories… Follow me.
(pause, walking, sound of cane and footsteps)
(Sounds of construction start happening in background)
This is where you and the other recruits will be sleeping. We are currently installing the oxygen tanks and testing the pressurization of the cabin.
Now we will go to the meeting room, where you will meet the other recruits…
(pause, walking, sound of cane and footsteps)

(Sounds of chatting)
This is where we will be holding the training.
I was once a recruit, too, you know. All of us senior members here were. Now I am a veteran due to an accident I had onboard the ship… (Sound of explosions) (People running)

Quick! Duck! There’s been an explosion in the dormitory!
(Sounds of commotion fade out…)

Notes on “The Ecstacy of Influence – A plagiarism” by Jonathan Lethem.

The gist of the article as I read it is: Some of the greatest art would not be possible without plagiarism. Copyright laws are there to “promote the progress of science and the useful arts” and not to protect the creator’s self-interests. Great art is by definition a gift and it cannot exist in as a commodity. It is therefore important to allow art to go into the public domain and to promote second use. While doing this it is vital for creators to acknowledge their sources and pay homage to their roots.

This article forced me to articulate some of my own thoughts on piracy and ownership. I believe that great art is measured not by any objective quality, but by the number of lives it has touched and affected. Star Wars is made great not by the directors and the film crew, but by the teenage kid who goes to Comic-Con dressed as a Wookie. Should that kid be sued for stealing copyrighted material, or monetarily compensated for advertising the franchise? If the franchise is made successful by the public, shouldn’t the public own it? In a world of digital rights management, when your entire book collection can be wiped by someone at Amazon; what does it even mean to own something?

Notes on “Embrace the Remix” by Kirby Ferguson

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” the quote by Issac Newton may have been meant as a quip to Hooke, but that makes it no less valid. The greatest enterprise of humanity, The Scientific Revolution is built on free sharing of ideas. The ill conceived notion of equating creative property, with physical property -which can be stolen- is detrimental to progress. I firmly believe in free sharing and open-source. It is much better to allow everyone to work on the same, shared knowledge base than to stifle progress with artificial constraints.

Notes on “Her Long Black Hair” by Janet Cardiff

The woman in the red jacket will now forever be a part of my memories of Central Park. Starting out, I was a bit skeptical about the value of the sound-walk. I am an avid podcast listener and I thought that sound alone can create a landscape in the mind. So, I listened to the sound-walk on my way to Central Park from New Jersey. The things I missed on the first listen and the experience of having a moving scenery as I listened were simply staggering! The timing of cricket noises just as I pass by a bush, the subtle reverb in sound along with architectural changes and the melding of noises to a point where I couldn’t really tell if there was someone behind me added up to an unforgettable experience. Even though I didn’t relate to the story very much I shall not forget the woman in the red jacket.