360 GRADI MAGAZINE // MAY-JUNE 2021

360 GRADI
Magazine
ANJA’S
SURREALISM
Art
An emerging sensation in the
art world of SL speaks about her
remarkable journey, creating her own
brand of surrealism and her latest
exhibition at the Nitroglobus Gallery.
What is it like
to be a cyborg?
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A
CYBORG?
Variations on the theme of “being able
to be”.
Psychology
MOGUL
Urban, bold and classy .
MOGUL’s creative director Dmitréi
reveals.
Fashion S tores
VE JOYY
Let’s continue our journey between
Music
particular live singers whit a unique
repertoire and style.
360 GRADI
MAY/JUNE 2021 - N. 5
1

CONTENT
Welcome to issue #5 of 360 GRADI MAGAZINE.
62 154 194
22
In
WHAT IS LIKE TO
BE A CYBORG?
this article we explore
the notion of the cyborg
and the link between the
human and the machine.
62
The
FROGMORE
first destination
we propose is
Frogmore. It
is perfect for
photographers and
bloggers and in
this article we get
to know it through
Pino’s eyes.
88
Oema
KEKELAND
introduces
KekeLand, visiting it
at length to give the
reader an idea of the
walking route and
what to expect.
110
Serena
NOWEETA
is excited
about the return
of Noweeta in its
summer version.
She tells us her
impressions in this
article.
130
Frank
ANJA’S
SURREALISM
visited the
Nitroglobus Roof Art
Gallery and explored
Anja’s surrealist
exhibition. Let’s visit
it with him.
154
Van
VE JOYY
continues his
journey to get to
know live singers
who have a particular
style and repertoire.
In this article we
get to know a lovely
Filipino singer.
FROGMORE
VE
JOYY
MOGUL
168
Ashley
A DAY IN PARIS
has a
wonderful day in
Paris which he would
like to share with all
of us. She talks about
women’s fashion and
gives us some tips.
178
Can
LOVERDAG
an unedited
photograph be
beautiful? Jarla tells
us. She interviewed
Loverdag, a wellknown
photographer
who creates lovely
images without postproduction.
194
MOGUL
Honey interviewed
the designer of
Mogul for us. Get
to know her better
in this exclusive
interview.
360 GRADI MAGAZINE is the magazine that covers Second Life at 360°. Destinations, Art, Music, Fashion, Photography, Furniture and Decoration
all in one bimonthly magazine. You can read the magazine on the web, visiting our YUMPU page.
The first destination we
propose is Frogmore. It is
perfect for photographers
and bloggers and in this
article we get to know it
through Pino’s eyes.
WELCOME
Van continues his journey
to get to know live singers
who have a particular
style and repertoire. In
this article we get to know
a lovely Filipino singer.
It is with great pleasure that in this
new issue of 360 GRADI Magazine, I
introduce new and exciting sections,
carefully edited by the respective
writers.
In the fashion section, 360 GRADI has
a wonderful duo: Ashley and Honey.
Ashley gives readers ideas for their
own style combined with locations to
explore.
Honey explores the complex and varied
world of fashion stores, allowing us to
learn more about the creators.
In this issue, we give plenty of space to
Honey interviewed the
designer of Mogul for us.
Get to know her better in
this exclusive interview.
destinations to explore, with three of
them.
As always, the psychology and
music columns satisfy our need for
introspection and musical harmony.
Finally, I would like to thank our readers
for the incredible result of the previous
issue (the English version): more than
13k views!
Many thanks from the entire editorial
staff of 360 GRADI Magazine and me.
See you at the next issue.
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TEAM
OEMA
VAN
FRANK
PINO
JARLA
VIOLET
DEGOYA
SPARTAN
ASHLEY
EDITOR
MUSIC
ART
DESTINATIONS
PHOTOGRAPHY
MARKETING
PSYCHOLOGY
MALE
FASHION
FEMALE
FASHION
360 GRADI Magazine Founder.
Writer/Vlogger.
Dj , Designer and Architect
Planning.
Art and destination blogger at
Art Korner Blog.
Art critic, journalist
and editor.
Photographer.
Social Media Marketing
Expert.
Psychiatrist.
Photographer, former blogger
and expert in the fashion
industry.
Fashion Blogger.
HONEY
SERENA
FASHION STORES
DESTINATIONS
Fashion Blogger and Model.
Occasionally Writer.
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EDITORS’ NOTES
It is with great pleasure that in this new issue of 360
GRADI Magazine, I introduce new and exciting sections,
carefully edited by the respective writers.
In this issue we give
lots of space to fashion
and destinations.
More articles,
more news, more
collaborators.
In the fashion section, 360 GRADI has a wonderful duo:
Ashley and Honey. Ashley gives readers ideas for their
own style combined with locations to explore.
Honey explores the complex and varied world of fashion
stores, allowing us to learn more about the creators.
In this issue, we give plenty of space to destinations to
explore, with three of them.
As always, the psychology and music columns satisfy our
need for introspection and musical harmony.
Finally, I would like to thank our readers for the
incredible result of the previous issue (the English
version): more than 13k views!
Many thanks from the entire editorial staff of 360 GRADI
Magazine and me.
See you at the next issue.
WELCOME
360GRADI is an interactive magazine
available on YUMPU. Pick up your
copy of the kiosk at the newsroom.
More than 13k views with the last
issue: THANK YOU!
- Oema
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ART PROMOTION ON FACEBOOK
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VIOLET BOA
My responsibilities include planning, implementing, and managing PR
strategies and organizing and managing various PR activities.
I use different channels to optimize the outreach and success of a
campaign, with a customer-oriented focus and assured delivery that I
represent unequivocally. I carry out the interests, wishes, needs, and
expectations of my clients.
Violet Boa,
MARKETING
Head Column
A natural part of my work involves arranging interviews and
coordination, researching and collecting opportunities for
partnerships, establishing and maintaining relationships with
journalists, influencers, and bloggers, and supporting the team
members of my client in communicating and running a campaign.
Through years of experience with social media management, which
always requires excellent communication, presentation, leadership
skills, and excellent organizational and time management skills, I
have become self-critical and am still interested in new impulses.
Learning, be it self-directed or through knowledge of apt sources, is
part of the daily process.
Observations and reflections (self-reflection) of the external and
internal situations give me the chance to recognize problems and
change them positively.
I am a positive but also critical thinker and analytical problem solver
who - with a lot of empathy - accepts conflicting interests, personal
(in) tolerance, and others’ opinions. I am very adaptable and willing
to compromise to get positive alternatives that make everyone happy
and lead to the desired success.
My top ten topics of interest are fine art, photography, design, digital
art, music, performing arts, literature, science, mindfulness, and a
positive attitude.
I feel very honored and proud of the trust that Oema has placed in
me and invited me in my role as PR to act for magazines from the first
publication of their classy, stylish and elegant 360 GRADI Magazine.
We have an exciting and excellent task ahead of us, and I am looking
forward to it!
Violet
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LUNDY ART GALLERY
LUNDY ART GALLERY IS A CREATION OF LEE1 OLSEN AND PERIODICALLY
FEATURES NEW ARTISTS.
THE GALLERY BOASTS A VERY LARGE EXHIBITION SPACE, ALLOWING THE
VISITOR TO APPRECIATE NUMEROUS WORKS OF ART.
EXHIBITING ARTISTS
Moya Patrick, Etamae,
Ilyra Chardin, Adwehe,
ZackHermann, Sandi
Benelli, Jessamine2108,
Steele Wilder, Adelina
Lawrence, Magda
Schmidtzau , Jos
(mojosb5c) , JudiLynn
India, Antonio Camba, Mrs.
Kamille Kamala, and
Puce Hax (titput).
TELEPORT TO LUNDY ART GALLERY
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Brussel/12/130/2003
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ASIA CONNEL Artist
“Many worlds, only one soul’. This one is the motto Asia Connell has always applied in her
philosophy of life.
Journalist, reporter, geopolitical analyst, international operator, and qualified advisor for the
application of International Humanitarian Law, Asia Connell came to the Second Life platform
in July 2006 and since then has been involved in combining the experiences of the so-called
real world with the virtual one through the use of massive metaverse in full immersion
projects, also using platforms other than Second Life where, however, for some years she has
decided to transfer all her virtual activities.
In her RL, Asia Connell has been involved in voluntary work
both in the Catholic world in Salesian organizations, and the civil
world within the Tribunal for Patients’ Rights and the Federal
Democratic Movement, and within the anti-Mafia coordination
that led to the birth of antiracket associations in Sicily after the
assassination of judges Falcone and Borsellino (1992).
Social Media:
Connell Gallery SLurl>
https://maps.secondlife.com/
secondlife/Bellflower%20
Island/208/203/1032/
Asia Connell Flickr>
https://www.flickr.com/photos/
asiaconnell/
Asia Connell Fb Profile>
https://www.facebook.com/
asiaconnell
Asia Connell Fb Page>
https://www.facebook.com/
connellworlds
A political activist, he has devoted over a decade to paint. The
world of colors had taken hold of my senses, and the act of
diluting them on canvases and cardboard was liberating,” he says
in a statement. “So, years ago, importing some of my artwork
into Second Life immediately seemed to me to be the most intuitive of actions, devoid of any
recognition other than the personal pleasure of those colors smearing the canvases.
He has documented, as a reporter, some activities of the Italian Armed Forces, such as the Mare
Nostrum mission (2014) and post-war Kosovo (2017).
Today, AC collaborates with some RL magazines and, with the help of a support team, manages
Camp Italia, an educational region in Italian on the Second Life platform.
She founded “Connell Project Foundation” in Second Life as a meeting point between the real
and the virtual for experimental projects and civil, humanitarian, and cultural commitment,
adhering to and supporting projects such as the “Nassiriya Memorial” and organizing
conferences and art exhibitions of various authors inworld even before the birth of LEA.
In love with the Fantasy Faire since its first edition in 2009, she passionately believes that
together we can win the battle against cancer.
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Teleport to Glamazon: http://maps.secondlife.com/
secondlife/Zen%20Soul/113/249/24
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Teleport to AFWR: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/
Giglio/199/63/4002
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DEGOYA GALTHIE
Since the beginning of his appearance in the world, man has tried to
represent and tell his experience with different tools such as drawing,
photography, and cinema; at the base of this incessant search is
the desire to describe one’s inner world with ever greater levels of
fidelity. In our post-modern society, the most advanced frontier of
this research is represented by virtual reality. This technology allows
us to “immerse ourselves” in a computer-generated environment, in
which it is possible to move and interact as in reality.
Degoya Galthie,
Head Column
BRAIN, MIND AND
VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality has numerous applications ranging in different fields
and represents an advanced communication interface that allows
people to interact naturally at a distance. It is now a technology
growing in popularity in the entertainment industry, where it finds
applications and the video game sector, cinematography, theme parks,
and museums. Social networks, e-commerce, education, sport are just
some of the many areas that virtual worlds promise to revolutionize.
In the medical field, virtual reality is demonstrating excellent
potential with applications in neuroscience and psychotherapy.
In light of these premises, the goal I set myself in this section of the
magazine is to tell the “virtual revolution” through a perspective
that highlights the transformative impact of this technology on
the brain and human experience. In particular, I will investigate the
effects of virtual experiences on one’s real-world and highlight the
opportunities that virtual technologies can offer, and highlight the
potential risks they imply through a survey of the most advanced
research in psychology and neuroscientific field. Finally, I will try
to explain how simulation technologies are changing how people
communicate and interact, analyzing the opportunities and challenges
implied by the emergence of virtual worlds.
Degoya
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LA COSCIENZA
WHAT IS LIKE TO BE A
COME
CYBORG?
ALLUCINAZIONE CONTROLLATA: UN
SOGNO MODULATO DAI SENSI
VARIATIONS OF THE THEME OF “BEING ABLE
TO BE”
Written by DEGOYA GALTHIE.
Images Scritto by JARLA da DEGOYA CAPALINI. GALTHIE.
Immagini di JARLA CAPALINI.
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
We explore the relationship between man
and technology, shedding light on current
technological developments and predictions on the
future scenario.
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
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WHAT IS LIKE TO BE A
CYBORG?
VARIATIONS OF THE THEM OF
What is a
cyborg?
“BEING ABLE TO BE”
We explore the relationship between man and technology,
shedding light on current technological developments and
predictions on the future scenario.
In his famous 1974 article, “What does
it feel like to be a bat?”, Thomas Nagel, in
addressing the problem of the relationship
between mind and body, writes:
“Without consciousness the mind-body
problem would be much less. Interesting;
with the conscience it appears without
hope of solution”. Almost 50 years later,
the question appears even more stimulating
and complex despite our current
habit of taking everything for granted,
even the fact that we exist within a
highly technological world, so the relationship
to be understood today is that
between mind-body-technology. How
many times during the day do we realize
we “are”? And what does it mean exactly?
At least once in our life, we have
all wondered or will ask ourselves: “who
am I?”. The fact of having a conscience,
in the sense of living conscious experiences,
does not mean being able to explain
certain mental phenomena, which
we may intuit but immediately let go.
The capacity for innovation that technology
is bringing into our world is not
something that sees none of the forces in
the field able to give answers that are real
exclamation points, but a change that
raises countless questions that we could
define, more appropriately, like a series
of question marks.
From the perspective
of those who
want to live these
questions, I try
to enter into this
theme: the term cyborg
could make us
think of a sort of topic that inhabits science
fiction novels more than our contemporaneity.
In addressing this topic, I
propose a scan that will proceed in three
moments: a beginning in
which I would like to focus
on the term cyborg
and explain why I use it.
What seems important
to me to reflect on today,
when I speak of the relationship
of man with
technology, enters within
this definition. Then
I would like to take you
to what are the frontiers
of our knowledge and of
being able to do; the question
today is that we are
able to do an enormous
number of actions and
operations, so the question
becomes: can we do
all that we are able to do?
This question does not
only concern technology,
so it must resonate within
our reflections and in the
depths of our experiences,
so that this innovative
technology can be oriented
towards a single horizon,
that of development.
A technology in which
innovation is aimed at the
well-being of man and
this will be the third of my
arguments.
At a certain point the term
man, the term person, the
term individual was no
longer perceived as necessary
and sufficient to describe
what we wanted to
achieve: the term cyborg
does not appear, therefore,
for the first time in
science fiction books, but
was born in a NASA laboratory,
in the 60s. In those
years, the United States
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was forced to face a growing escalation
of technological innovation for the
conquest of deep space, on that journey
that will then take the American astronauts
in July of 68 to land on the moon.
It came from a time when the largest
conventional army in the world, the
army of the Soviet Union, had been confronted
with new weapons, the atomic
warheads of the United States. Beyond
the history of conflict and the cold war,
what happened was that the new frontier
of confrontation between the two
blocs became deep space; a space that
saw the first living being, the first man
out of the atmosphere, not from the US
but from the Soviet Union. As a reaction,
the United States invested heavily
in this area and, within this research, a
whole series of human physiology studies
were carried out that tried to answer
the following question: how can a living
organism survive in an environment
that does not is it fit for life? The answers
until then seemed to be of only
two types: either we transform what
the environment is or, alternatively, we
modify the living being.
Thus was born the term
cyborg, which is an abbreviation
of the binomial
cybernetic organism
(cybernetic organism),
and was used for the
first time in 1960, within
the scientific article
Cyborgs and Space, written by Nathan
S. Kline, psychiatrist at Rockland State
Hospital, and Manfred Clynes, scientist
working at the Dynamic Simulation Lab.
n the memoirs of these
two scholars we also find
some jokes on the subject,
when one says to
the other: “... you know
cyborg almost looks like
the name of a city in Sweden,
like Gothenburg ...”.
What they meant by the
term cyborg, or rather Cyborg 1, was a
modified organism that adapted to different
living conditions, in a way they
called homeostatic: “... the cyborg deliberately
incorporates exogenous components
to extend the self-regulating function of
the organism in order to adapt it to new
environments… “. Ultimately, the cyborg
would have been, in Kline and Clynes’
original vision, a hybrid organism, partly
natural and partly artificial, better
than the purely organic version of that
being.
We human beings are living organisms
composed of a series of organs, which
adapt their functioning within certain
operational parameters, to allow us to
survive; for example, if the temperature
rises as in summer, the functioning of
our organism adapts and allows us to
continue living. Today we are able to
transplant some organs that are unable
to function, as we understand this homeostatic
function of some components
in our body. In 1970, a 220-gram white
rat was combined with an osmotic pump
with a chemical, which altered the functioning
of his body in a completely automatic
way. This was the first cyborg.
The basic idea was to be able to modify
the physiology of the human body, to facilitate
it in what would have been jour-
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neys into deep space, which would soon
open up as a possibility for man.
But we soon realized that the problem
of the functioning of the human being
was not simply a physiological problem,
because we also function thanks to a
series of emotional states, which characterize
our body. Being able to control
our emotional and cognitive condition
became the second frontier of the interaction
between man and machine
and thus the definition of the second
type of cyborg, the so-called Cyborg 2,
was born. In this way, it was thought
to be able to calm any attacks of anxiety,
panic crisis, act on the sleep-wake
cycle and also regulate the psycho-affective
functions of those subjects who
would have been sent into space. History
then had a different outcome, space
was not colonized because, after the
“Star Shield” project, the competition between
the two superpowers stopped.
In the wake of these
first considerations,
in 1965 Daniel Stephen
Halacy wrote
in the introduction
to “Cyborg: Evolution
of the Superman”
about a new
frontier that did not
concern only the relationship
between
man and space, but rather the relationship
between man and himself, building
a bridge thrown to know the deepest
mysteries of the mind-matter relationship.
And it is precisely on this new path
that Clynes ventured in 1970, in the article
“Sentic space travel”, written this
time by himself, in which he described
a Sentic Cyborg capable of expressing
his emotions in accordance with the nature
that surrounded him. However, the
idea of cyborg went beyond the original
idea by implanting itself within a series
of research on humans. In a study they
reported around 2000, Kline and Clynes
acknowledge that the term cyborg has
evolved further.
Cyborg 3 is a term that appeared around
the end of the 1980s and used until the
1990s; we were told: but if with technology
we can modify ourselves, instead
of using it to colonize deep spaces, why
not use it to live only the most pleasant
experiences on earth? The idea began
to spread that we could modify our human
structure, because everyday life
and our ordinary existence did not seem
pleasant enough or sufficiently pleasant.
Then we began to theorize Cyborg
4, where these changes on humans were
changes of a permanent nature not only
external, but also internal to our body.
More recently, Cyborg 5 has come to
be hypothesized, which is the idea of a
modification that belongs to the whole
race and to the whole species, a transformation
that will be transmitted from
generation to generation as a new characteristic
of the human being.
What do we mean by the term Cyborg
today? One of the reasons that made
us shift our attention from the exploration
of deep space to the things of our
existence is related to the fact that in
the meantime, a new concept of health
has spread. After the Second World
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War, around the years 47-48, the World
Health Organization (WHO) proposed
a very rich and elaborate definition of
the concept of health; for which health
is a state that provides for physical, psychological
and spiritual well-being. This
concept of health is further redefined
when, in the contemporary panorama,
the psychological
and psychiatric
sciences spread.
According to the
analysis model of
the DSM (The Statistical
Diagnostic
Manual of Mental
Disorders) of
the Association of
American Psychiatrists,
health is
not only a concept
of full well-being
of the individual, but also a perception
of oneself and one’s functioning within
a scale of values that can be defined as
normal. Let me give you an example, one
of the characteristics of human functioning
is that condition that psychology
and psychiatry call paranoia; but what
is paranoia if not the idea of suspecting
what is happening around us? Suppose,
on my way to my office to write this article,
I was stopped by someone offering
me a high-end watch for 5 euros; in this
case, suspecting that the watch was fake
or stolen is normal operation. If I thought,
on the other hand, that being invited to
write this article was the invention of
some conspirator who wants to win my
trust to lure me into a death trap and
eliminate me, not only from Second life,
but from the face of the earth, such type
of suspicion would appear to be out of
range of normal operation. This reasoning
is generalizable for every characteristic
of psychiatric functioning. If health
understood as a state of full well-being
becomes a state of normality, well then
normality is enough for no one and
opens up the possibility and the idea of
going beyond normality.
The Cyborg becomes
in fact a
synthetic category,
a mode of
expression of a
society that does
not find an anthropologically
satisfactory characteristic
within
normality. Thus,
we begin to think of intervening with
the prodigies of the technique not only
to repair deficient conditions. We’ve all
heard of machines that are called artificial
hearts, heart pumps, or ventricular
assist devices (VADs). Usually, the cardiac
support system is used in end-stage
heart failure to overcome the waiting
period for a heart transplant. In this
way, the patient can not only survive,
but also recover and be in the best possible
physical condition for the transplant.
We can, therefore, detach his heart and
put an artificial heart in his place.
Reflection arises when some bio-technology
interventions are designed for
people who are well, simply to improve
some aesthetic aspects; we ask ourselves
what kind of connection between man
and machine are we thinking about and
what we are achieving. To understand the
frontier of this union between man and machine,
I must mention a way in which the
sciences today analyze the most complex
phenomena, the most sophisticated ones.
The dream of every
scientist on earth is a
concept called linearity,
what is linearity?
Linearity is nothing
more than an operation
whose result is
equal to the sum of the parts. Linearity is
what happens when I mix a cup of sugar
with a cup of flour, what I get is two cups of
sugar and flour; as you can see, the result
is equal to the sum of the parts. In reality,
the phenomena we want to get our hands
on are not linear phenomena, but are complex
phenomena; how do we define a complex
phenomenon?
Simplifying as much
as possible, we can explain
it as a phenomenon
whose total is
not equal to the sum
of the parts. Suppose
we have a cup of coke and a cup of vinegar,
if I mix the vinegar with the coke, the
acetic acid contained within the vinegar
produces the instantaneous release of all
the carbon dioxide dissolved inside. of the
caramel liquid, which we call coke. The release
of this carbon dioxide produces gasification;
since the surface tension of the
liquid, due to the caramel contained within
it, is greater than that of water, it produces
a chemically very complex phenomenon
called foam. The total will be n cups of this
disgusting mixture. I cannot establish the
number n of cups before mixing, but only
afterwards. Complexity is a characteristic
of biological phenomena, you and
I are a set of small machines called molecules;
however, these molecules are
not simply all that we are. If I took all
the molecules that make up our bodies
and mixed them inside a blender, I
could stay there for seconds, minutes,
days, years or centuries, but I wouldn’t
be able to get us out; we are something
more than the parts that make up our
body.
Nonlinear complex
systems have
a very interesting
feature called
emergence, what
is emergence? If I put a certain number
of ants somewhere, they would start
running around looking for food and
if they were lucky, they would find
something to survive. However, at a
certain point, I see that someone starts
digging a den, another goes in search
of food, someone else takes care of the
larvae, etc. In some types of ants, if the
anthill is disturbed, some of them build
a bridge with their body so that the
others can escape; all without having
a central controller to tell them what
to do. These fairly simple insects, in
their relationship, produce something
that is not within each of them, which
is what we might call the anthill. The
anthill, therefore, is the product that
emerges from the complex relationship
between these constituents (the ants).
The relationship between complexity
and emergence is very interesting:
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even from the set of fairly simple elements
that make up our body such as
white blood cells, a complex reaction can
emerge which is the immune response, a
reaction that occurs without there being
a central controller, and that protects us
from disease. Even neurons which, in
their apparent structural and functional
simplicity, know only a handful of salts
(chlorine, potassium, calcium and sodium)
and two states (on and off), together
produce a function that is consciousness;
from their interaction a complex property
emerges, and more.
How consciousness works I don’t know,
however, if I find sufficiently small devices
capable of interacting with these
other natural machines that are neurons,
I can obtain interesting results: they are
able to alter consciousness by intervening
on the functioning of the neuronal
mechanism. Intel has produced a prototype
chip printed on a silk base, as the
silk is organically absorbed by the body,
which self-implants itself inside the
brain, thus creating a bridge between
what is the electrical function (of modification
of the impulses of the brain) and
what may be the results that I get with
the implant.
A PCB (printed circuit
board, a programmable
logic
card) with an antenna,
an electronic
unit with which
we can communicate, has been implanted
to a live beetle. While the beetle is
still and quiet, if the remote control is
suddenly activated, the insect starts to
fly, according to a programmed path. By
deactivating the remote control, it stops
flying and goes back to life, and then
resumes flying every time the remote
control is activated. There is a mixture
between something that is machinic
and something that is between life and
the machine; we are able to merge that
threshold of separation that exists between
the artificial and the natural. The
remote control of free-flying insects was
achieved by means of a miniature neural
stimulation system, equipped with an
implantable radio. The system mounted
on the pronotum consists of neural stimulators,
muscle stimulators, a microcontroller
equipped with a radio transmitter
and a micro battery. The insect is a live
insect, but also a remote-controlled insect;
who financed this experiment was
the United States government, because
having remote-controlled bugs, which
are natural insects, is a huge tactical advantage.
Officially, the experiment was
funded to try to understand how the
beetle’s brain responds to disturbances
during flight: we make it fly, then we
create perturbations and observe how it
does not fall; in this way we study the
system and implement it on an airplane,
in order to optimize the operation of the
autopilot. The goal of the experimentation
was to obtain a type of living organisms
that are simultaneously artificial,
naturally artificial or artificially natural.
The cyborg is exactly this, a fusion where
you don’t know where the natural ends
and where the artificial begins; so much
so that a new category was needed, the
synthetic category. Natural and artificial
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is a division that has worked well so far,
today we find ourselves in a bit of difficulty.
For example,
synthetic diamonds
are
chemically indistinguishable
from real ones,
except that they have two characteristics
different from the real ones: (a) they have
no defects and imperfections and (b) by
law they must have, inside them laser engraved,
a serial number to be recognized.
They are not natural because they have
not been found in a mine, produced by the
enormous pressure of the earth for years
and centuries (it is pure carbon crystallized
at pressures between 25 thousand
and 70 thousand kilos per square centimeter,
at temperatures between 1500 and
2000 degrees and around 200 kilometers
below the earth’s surface; synthetics
are born in the laboratory in a week),
but they are not artificial either because
they are like natural ones, for which they
have been called synthetics. Today we
have made strips of synthetic DNA, also
with nitrogenous bases different from
the four biological components (adenine,
thymine, cytosine and guanine); synthetic
biology questions us about what the
concept of life is, about what it means for
an organism to be life. I would be nothing
other than the cognitive container
of this new condition of man, between
the technological and the natural; where
the borderline, the dividing line between
technological and natural is no longer so
immediately perceptible.
At this point the question no longer
concerns only technique and technology,
it also concerns philosophy
and a wide range of other disciplines,
as what we can install inside a living
beetle, we can also implant inside human
brain. Today we can treat a number
of neurodegenerative diseases
thanks to the stereotaxic implantation
of some electrodes inside the brain.
Some neurodegenerative
diseases such as
those that give severe
tremors, such as Parkinson’s,
with these
stereotaxic implants
in the brain and an
adequate frequency
have fantastic results.
There are extraordinary
videos on YouTube where
some patients with strong tremors, after
the implantation of the electrodes, once
the surgeon finds the right frequency,
stop the tremors and, among these, one
is able to play the violin during the surgery.
The first devices were not blocked,
so some patients started playing with
the frequencies: someone lost weight,
someone became morally unstable and
someone else became sleepless. Some of
them felt like different people: I am no
longer me. For the first time in the history
of humanity, we are dealing with
something that goes beyond technology
and science; we now know how to
implant electrodes in the brain, but we
don’t really know how the central nervous
system works, and we don’t have
an adequate scientific theory. Thus,
questions arise that are not only ethical,
but also scientific. How does it happen
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that a person with Deep Brain Stimulation,
this is the technical name of the intervention,
feels or lives as a different person?
Why? What is the relationship between
us and our brain? We are in a season in
which technological advancement raises
questions to which scientific knowledge
and ethical needs are forced to chase each
other trying to offer an answer.
In addition to electronic systems, we have
experience in a series of chemical-pharmacological
interventions; we know a series
of molecules which, interacting with
neuronal receptors, alter the functioning
of individuals, such as, for example, antidepressants.
All of these substances originally
had to do with pathological conditions,
but today we are able to target the
functioning of some human personality
traits and modify them, even when not in
the psychopathological field. One field of
study, for example, is the wake-sleep cycle;
we have always been looking for stimulants,
from simple coffee to drugs that we
find sold on the streets. There are people
who manage to stay awake for 72 hours,
using substances such as cocaine; after
72 hours there is an unpleasant reaction,
called a crash, which lasts from nine hours
to four days. The person implodes and becomes
narcoleptic (heavy sleepiness), this
phase is characterized by sadness, apathy,
difficulty in attention and concentration,
anorexia and insomnia. We know, however,
some neuro-stimulators whose use
allows cycles of maximum attention and
maximum vigilance for 72 hours, then allowing
the individual to resume his functioning
in a normal way. Experiments of
this type were done with amphetamines
during World War II, for example, as pilots
needed high concentration; they
took these substances for long flight
missions, needing full attention for long
periods of time.
In more recent times, using off-label substances
(in ways not provided for that
drug) substances used to treat pathologies
such as Attention Disorder Syndrome,
we have the possibility to increase
the concentration of normal subjects in
a way unthinkable until now. These
substances, in a very recent report by
the journal Neuron, are the most widespread
substances in American colleges,
the most expensive ones, where you get
to pay from 30,000 to 50,000 dollars
for a year of studies. It is clear that we
want a very high yield compared to the
amounts invested, and these substances
allow students to do this, in addition to
having a normal social life; they go out
late at night and, before the exams, take
these drugs and manage to study whole
nights without ever losing concentration.
They are widely used among creatives
and professional poker players
favor them, as they allow them to stay
focused all night until morning. Many
truck drivers, even in Italy, take Provigil,
which is a drug against narcolepsy, to
be able to drive 12 or 13 hours without
falling asleep. Using neuro-drugs with
the aim of improvement is now a culturally
widespread practice. We are within
a culture that says that the human is
something malleable, on which we can
get our hands, and that the threshold of
the limit is simply linked to the will of
the subject.
Pharmacologically, we are able to control
what the memory process is; two drugs
are being approved by the FDA (the US
government body, which deals with the
regulation of food and pharmaceutical
products), whose initials are MEM-1213
and MEM-10111. These molecules give a
healthy subject the ability to permanently
settle memories; imagine a college student
who, after taking the pill, reads the book
and never forgets it for a lifetime. Obviously,
the risk is that this stay can also relate
to negative experiences, such as the
experience of violence; the person would
be condemned to live that traumatic event
every day with the same freshness and
with the same immediacy as when it happened.
We are sure that forgetting is not
a defect of human nature, but something
that we need to live life as we know it; understand
how necessary it becomes to ask
meaningful questions about the things we
can do.
We also know of the drugs that can be
used with those who went to be a soldier
on the front line and that allow, instead,
the cancellation of sedimented memories.
One general claimed that the United
States spends about $ 3 million to train
and equip a Marine who goes to the front.
Thanks to the training and equipment he
comes home alive from the battlefield, after
two nights he kills his wife, son, dog,
two neighbors and four passersby. This is
because his brain has been under severe
stress and he responds with a traumatic
condition, which is called PTSD. He needs a
substance for his brain that makes him immune
to this danger; for this purpose, cannabinoid-based
drugs are being developed
which, associated with psychotherapy, allow
the removal of selective memories.
What is at the base is the very concept
of malleability and improvement of the
human person.
The problem is represented by this ambiguity
of technology, which is colored
with different meanings, depending on
its use, and the challenge is posed precisely
at this level; the idea is to be able
to arrive at what is called an augmented
reality vision. This means putting layers
of information between us and reality,
in order to enrich the latter. This
system is now in the public domain and
the latest iPhone, in its operating system,
has incorporated elements of augmented
reality. NBIC (Nanotechnology,
Biotechnology, Information technology
and Cognitive science) conveys the idea
that, thanks to nanotechnologies, we
are now able to have machines that
can interface with molecules, because
they work more or less in the same dimension.
If we, at the nanometer level,
make these machines interact with a
biological system, we can have an information
exchange within a living body
controlled by us, which can produce a
cognitive response in the direction we
want. The question that arises at this
point is: can we do all we can do? All the
arguments articulated on this theme
are nothing more than a composition of
a few key arguments, which are played
with each other to obtain a yes or a no.
The main argument concerns the fear
of the uncertain and, in fact, responds
to the idea that every time we put our
hands on man, precisely because of the
complexity, we do not necessarily get
what we wanted to achieve, there is al-
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ways a risk factor and, then, the idea that
we must be clear is what we risk.
Elon Musk had anticipated
it in early February via
Clubhouse: in the laboratories
of Neuralink, his brain
chip company for the development
of neural interfaces,
there was a cyborg-monkey
able to “play video games
with his mind”, literally without lifting a
finger. We now also have tangible proof
of this. Thanks to a YouTube video shared
by the company in which we see Pager,
a 9-year-old macaque, dabbling with the
historic Pong, in a 100% telepathic way.
Pong is one of the first commercial video
games, produced by Atari as an arcade in
1972 and as a dedicated console in 1975.
As The Verge reported, the chip was implanted
in the macaque’s skull about six
weeks before filming. Then Pager learned
how to use the video game (renamed
Mind Pong for the occasion), operating a
joystick and receiving a banana smoothie
in return, through a metal straw.
While the macaque
went about its task,
the Neuralink device
monitored and recorded
information
on neurons in action
during the game. In
this way, thanks to artificial intelligence,
the 1,024 sensor electrodes were able to
“map” the neurons activated by the primate
at each individual movement, thus
creating a personalized predictive model.
In this way, the device learned to predict
which regions of the brain were
activated by the movement of the
hand: the same ones that the macaque
would use to send commands to the
PC. When the joystick was disconnected,
Pager continued playing using his
mind to move the sliders of the classic
Pong game. The second and last phase,
therefore, saw the monkey able to move
the bars without the aid of the joystick,
using only the wireless channel, activated
between the computer and its N1
Link type brain chip. The results were
remarkable: as you can see in the images,
in fact, only once was the ball not
successfully rejected.
It should be remembered that the primate
brain is very similar to that of
the human species. Scientists have sequenced
and analyzed the genome of
the macaque, which differentiated from
humans 25 million years ago, discovering
that humans share more than 97.5
percent of the genes with this distant
cousin; we have even closer relatives in
bonobos and chimpanzees, having between
98.6 and 99 percent of the DNA
in common with them. The latter are
genetically closer to humans than gorillas.
Female chimpanzees also share a
similar reproductive cycle to that of sapiens,
reaching sexual maturity during
their adolescence, and have a gestation
period of 8 months. Researchers believe
that we and the Bonobos separated on
the evolutionary path between 4 and 7
million years ago.
Elon Musk, with this project, aims at the
mass market, with the sale of his plants
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for a few tens of thousands of dollars.
Although extremely innovative, the one
that saw the nice Pager as protagonist is
nothing more than an intermediate step
towards the real objectives of the company.
Musk himself, in fact, later reported
on Twitter that “the first Neuralink
product will allow a paralyzed person
to use a smartphone with their mind
faster than someone who uses their
thumbs”. Later versions, on the other
hand, “will allow paraplegics to walk
again, for example.” It sounds like science
fiction in reality they are the new (longterm)
frontiers of technology. Also Elon
Musk founded
SpaceX (Space
Exploration
Technologies
Corporation) in
2002, a US aerospace
company based in Hawthorne,
with the aim of creating technologies
aimed at reducing the costs of access
to space, and allowing colonization of
Mars. On recent May 2, SpaceX’s Crew
Dragon Resilience capsule brought the
four astronauts from the International
Space Station back to Earth after a 167-
day mission, the longest ever organized
by the United States. The previous record
of 84 days was set by the Skylab
station crew in 1974.
Before continuing our journey into possible
technological developments, often
almost utopian and strange, and before
delving into this topic with an imaginable
vision of the future of humanity, I
would like to tell you how I approached
this topic, and why I began to study it.
I have a reductionist neuroscientific
background, but I have always been interested
in philosophy, art and mythology;
all disciplines that try to get to the
root of the sense of alienation of the human
being, in particular to the analysis
of that existential mine of anxiety that
concerns mortality, our mortality. For
example, the biblical story of the fall of
man is an incredibly rich and profound
poetic account of our estrangement from
ourselves and our inability to accept ourselves
as animals, whatever we are. The
psychological center of history is the
concept that we should not be as we are,
but that we should have been dispensed
from suffering, death and human frailty,
conditions that have accompanied us as
a consequence of divine punishment; in
practice what has always fascinated me
is the idea of the nature of human limits
as something that can be transcended.
This inability to reconcile ourselves
to the irreducible facts of our humanity
has always been a very important aspect
that defines the human condition.
The sight of a child and the fact of being
responsible for the continued existence
and well-being of this small and fragile
human being, urges us to reflect on the
theme of mortality and fragility.
A journey into the future: Transhumanism
As Dante saw in Virgil
the appropriate guide
to accompany him on
his journey through
the nine infernal circles
to the mountain of
Purgatory, after reading his interesting
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ook “Being a machine”, I considered the
Irish journalist and writer Mark O ‘ Connell
the best possible guide for a journey
into a probable future development of
technology, to discover a world made
of dreamers, visionaries and madmen,
in the obsessive search for immortality.
The author tells us about people known
as transhumanists who, in a nutshell,
believe that we can and should use technology
to go beyond the boundaries of
the human condition; they argue that
the future of humanity also includes
an improvement of minds and bodies
by using implants. Consequently, they
assert that individual consciences can
be integrated with machines by fusing
them, in particular, with artificial intelligence,
to make us beings with an almost
infinite potential for intelligence. Transhumanism
has become a techno-political-religious
movement that claims the
progressive liberation of mankind from
the constraints imposed by corporeality.
Mark O’Connell’s
book is
a disenchanted
and critical
investigation,
between the journalistic essay and the
novel, on transhumanism and its goal
of eradicating death and replacing it
with digital technological forms. O’Connell
has, in fact, followed and examined
for years the most famous personalities,
the most significant conferences
and the most conspicuous investments
of the movement. The protagonists of
transhumanism are all part of the multifaceted
universe of the digital revolution.
Among their gurus we find in fact
CEOs of some of the most symbolic digital
companies (such as David Wood,
creator of the first operating system for
Symbian smartphones, or Tesla’s Elon
Musk, previously mentioned about the
cyber-macaque), university professors
to the relationship between mind and
robotics (such as Hans Moravec of Carnegie
Mellon University or Stuart Russell
who teaches computer science at Berkeley),
film consultants such as Irving John
Good, whom Stanley Kubrick wanted
alongside him, as an artificial intelligence
consultant in “2001: Odyssey in space ”,
or artists such as the performer Stelarc,
who had an ear implanted on his left
forearm, to enhance the listening skills
of his own body. A variegated pantheon,
therefore, with a common denominator:
a blind and absolute faith in the saving
power of technology and digitization.
In addition to a blind
and absolute faith
in digital technologies,
the concept
of transhumanism
is so powerful as it
brings together various
key concepts of
our contemporaneity,
such as: technological
singularity,
artificial intelligence and robotics. Particular
attention should be paid to the term
“singularity”; the technological singularity
is a vague and multiform concept,
almost prophetic, which has been circulating
since the 1950s and which refers
to “a coming time in which the intelligence
of machines will greatly surpass that of
human creators, and biological life will
come absorbed by technology “. Both artificial
intelligence and robotics are closely
connected to this idea. Transhumanism
disputes the existence of a clear difference
between human and artificial intelligence,
as well as that between man and robot,
and argues that these are destined to fade
and integrate, to the point of being indistinguishable
in the near future. In other
words, transhumanism is an entirely positive
and enthusiastic response to digital
technological evolution. The singularity
according to Kurzweil, another famous oracle
of transhumanism, represents: “… the
combination of the fusion of our existence
more than our technological thought. All
this will generate a world that is still human
but that will transcend our biological roots. “
The transhumanism
movement aims
to offer a way out of
mortality and frailty,
a way to transcend
our limited and transitory human condition
through technology; this aspect is very
fascinating because it seems to emerge
from the same basic existential malaise
of our human being, which underlies the
Judeo-Christian story of the fall of man.
Mark O’Connell’s journey, which lasted a
few years through Europe and the USA,
will allow us to get to know rather strange
places and meet ideas that will sound disconcerting
and alien to us. The writer attended
their meetings and met various
exponents of transhumanism, eccentric
and extravagant people, even confronting
himself with their disturbing ideas and
with studies on technologies that make
them believe that these things are possible.
This movement and these ideas have
taken root especially deeply in Silicon
Valley.
Silicon Valley represents a fundamental
node of Western scientific research;
for example, the founders of Google in
2013 created a biotechnology research
laboratory called Calico (California Life
Company) Labs, where they explicitly
try to find solutions, at the genetic
level, for what are considered to be the
causes of the problems of human aging.
Peter Andreas Thiel is an
American businessman of
German origin. Co-founder
of PayPal, he is considered
one of the richest people in
the world, according to the
Forbes 400 (Forbes 400 is a
list published since 1982 by
Forbes magazine about the 400 richest
American residents, ranked by their net
worth), and one of the few billionaires
to have declared himself openly gay.
An activist for the LGBT movement, he
is one of Facebook’s first external investors.
Recently he has committed large
sums to a project that aims to achieve
immortality through technology. Many
of the people and projects described in
O’Connell’s book come from branches
of Thiel and Elon Musk, who was also
a former PayPal colleague of his. The
latter has publicly expressed his belief
that the rise of Artificial Intelligence
(AI) will allow us, in the short term, to
consider ourselves obsolete as a species;
he argues that Artificial Intelligence
will evolve above us, just as we have
evolved above lower-order primates.
The goal is to discover a way to put evolution
in our hands, develop the power
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of the human-machine interface and
merge our mind with artificial intelligence.
Musk, in a recent interview, talked
about his new company Neuralink
and the goals he wants to achieve, including
the desire to create superhuman
cognition. A demonstration of ongoing
research is the implantation of a chip in
the skull of a macaque, which allows it
to play Pong without using the joystick
(see a more detailed description in the
previous paragraphs). He described the
development of future technologies as
something that will bring about an existential
transformation of the species
as a whole. He did not talk about costs,
but surely the purchase prices of the systems
will be very high and few will be
able to afford them; we can hypothesize,
consequently, that this will only favor
a small group of people. Let us ask ourselves,
in this regard, what kind of world
it would be, a world in which only a few
super rich people will be able to transcend
humanity and let all the rest of us
sink into a state of impoverishment, as
well as economic as well as biological.
While reading O’Connell’s book, there
were moments in which it seemed to
me that, despite the talk of the future,
transhumanism was actually telling
about things that are already happening
and that are already in this world.
The author tells
of one of his first
encounters with
transhumanism,
which took
place on the occasion of a visit to the
Alcor Life Extension Foundation (Alcor)
in the outskirts of Phoenix in Arizona,
a large gray box resting on the ground,
in the middle of the desert with 40 degrees
almost all year round. Alcor is a US
non-profit organization, founded in 1972
with headquarters in Arizona, which
does research related to cryonics, or the
conservation of human beings in liquid
nitrogen at -196 degrees C, after their legal
death. Alcor is one of the largest cryonics’
facilities in the world. The goal is
to bring hibernating people back to life
and in full health, when the technology
of the future can reverse the cryogenic
process and will therefore be sufficiently
developed to do so. Cryonics is a kind
of science or pseudo-science to be more
precise, which aims to preserve recently
deceased human bodies, with the specific
intention of thawing them and, at
some time in the future, perhaps in 50
years or 500 years. years, bring them
back to life.
During the visit, O’Connell said he was
accompanied to see a sterile surgical
environment where recently deceased
people, whom transhumanists refer
to as patients and never as corpses, are
cryopreserved for hibernation. Their
body fluids are replaced with a cocktail
of chemicals, and the cryonics procedure
also involves decapitation. This, as it is
cheaper to preserve only the head and
not the whole body; we speak of cefalo
to give an aura of linguistic respect to
this macabre ritual, even if, after all, it is
always about severed heads. Besides the
fact that cefalos take up less space, most
transhumanist trolls are not interested
in coming back to life attached to their
old, sick and shriveled bodies again. So,
what you want to do is do a mind and
brain scan to upload the data to a platform
or robotic system. Thanks to new
digital micro-technologies, in the near
future, one could upload the brain to
powerful hard drives and then reinstall
it in younger flesh bodies, or indestructible
mechanical bodies, or even assume
any desired shape (according to the doctrine
of the so-called “Morphological
freedom”). Alternatively, with $ 200,000
for the whole body or with only $ 80,000
for the head, specialized companies can
cryopreserve us (a kind of hibernation)
and then, once we have healed the diseases
that gripped us or found the last
elixir of long life, thaw us out and make
us return to new and potentially infinite
life.
In the environment
visited by O’Connell
there were voluminous
containers made
of very thick steel,
with a separation
of the conservation system: on the one
hand, the rest of the body was kept, as if
it were a prosthesis, and, in another wing
of the factory, the heads were preserved
at very low temperatures. The heads
were carefully scanned, several times,
before being loaded into these huge refrigerators.
This is what has happened in
Arizona, in particular in Phoenix since
the beginning of the 90s, so now the
oldest heads are over thirty years old.
The first hu-
man to hibernate
dates back to
January 12, 1967 and
was James Bedford,
a 73-year-old
University
of California psychology professor;
his body is still preserved in the Alcor
structures. This, according to the transhumanists,
could be our destiny, that is
the possibility of being able to reattach
our head to something very powerful;
but it doesn’t have an image yet, there
is still no physical idea of how this machine
will be, this very powerful thing
that our head will be attached to. Many
of us will console ourselves by thinking,
as the poet Philip Larkin wrote, “that
what will remain of us is love”; yet transhumanism
offers us something different,
something less abstract and poetic:
what will survive of us, according to this
vision, are the data. What will remain of
us will be a code, this gives us a vision of
the future where our mind will change
into algorithms of 0 and 1, then into a binary
code. This code will subsequently
transform into the flesh and blood of our
bodies and will be loaded onto a platform
and onto machines. The concept of mind
uploading is a central point within transhumanism,
and it is precisely the keystone
with respect to the post-human
immortal future. Transhumanists tell
us that we can and must use technology
to move beyond old age as the cause of
death for our body and brain, eventually
becoming a machine.
To clarify what
could happen to us
in the near future,
let’s paint a small
scenario: they took
you to the operating
room too late,
there are robots that can understand
the chemical structure of your brain and
that transfer your data to a very pow-
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erful computer. Through very sensitive
sensors they scan you deeper and deeper,
they are able to understand what is
inside you and create a three-dimensional
map of your thoughts. They go to
create codes and figure out what your
brain is doing. While all this happens,
at a certain point, you realize that you
are no longer physically present in your
body, you seem to see curiosity around
you, but also sadness and despair; you
even see this body of yours leaving you
with spasms. You have now become a
machine, you have been transformed
into a machine, you are no longer alive,
but you are an object that can be continually
improved.
Is the Singularity nearby?
All transhumanist
theories are based on
the concept of singularity,
that is to be
able to continue to
relive one day, when
the right technology
will arrive; the goal
is to take life back in
hand, connecting the
head to a remnant yet
to be imagined, as it does not yet have
a shape. Transhumanists believe in all
of this and are confident in a future in
which machine intelligence can truly
surpass that of human neurons. This replacement
will make all of us take a big
leap forward, on an evolutionary level.
Transhumanists hope that these technologies,
still intangible and only imaginable,
will be able to change our universe
and our future.
Let’s now analyze the concept better:
what does singularity mean? To discover
all the characteristics, perhaps even
the secrets, of what is called singularity
we refer to
Raymond
Kurzweil. He
is one of
the most im-
portant
supporters of transhumanist
ideas; he
was a direc-
tor of engineering
at
Google for
a few years,
before
pursuing a sort of individual career. He
has designed amazing things, including
speech recognition machines. With Stevie
Wonder he is co-founder of a company
that builds futuristic speech synthesizers
for musical applications. He has
worked a lot on new devices, which he
calls techno-utopia, and has theorized
several principles, including, for example,
a principle of acceleration thanks
to photons and protons. In 2005 he published
a book entitled “The Singularity is
Near”, in which he attempts to provide
the reader with a glimpse of what lies
ahead in the near future. He speaks of
2045 as the year in which artificial intelligence
will become so advanced and so
powerful that we will be able to load our
minds into supercomputers, merge them
with technology and, thus, find a final
liberation from biology. Kurzweil presents
us with a future in which technology
will continue to become more and
more powerful, to the point where it will
become the primary agent of our own
evolution as a species. So, we will no longer
take computers with us, he argues,
but we will have them inside our bodies,
inside our brains and our blood, thus
changing the nature of the human experience.
I think Kurzweil’s vision of the
future is of particular interest to people
who already see themselves, in a sense,
as machines. People who agree with the
pioneer of artificial intelligence, Marvin
Minsky, when he argues that the human
brain is simply a machine of flesh.
Why shouldn’t we want to improve our
capabilities and achieve what Elon Musk
calls the superhuman condition? If we
see machines as an apparatus built to
perform a particular task, then our task
as machines will surely be to think and
calculate at the highest possible level.
In this instrumentalist view of human
life, our purpose and reason for our existence
becomes to increase our computational
power and to make sure that,
as machines, we can last as long as possible,
as efficiently as possible. Kurzweil
writes in his book “Singularity is Near”:
“… Our biological organisms (version 1.0)
are equally fragile and subject to a myriad
of failure modes, not to mention the complicated
maintenance rituals they need.
Human intelligence is sometimes able to
rise to dizzying heights with its creativity
and expressiveness, but much of human
thought is derivative, small coaster and
circumscribed. The singularity will allow
us to overcome these limitations of our
biological bodies and brains. We will gain
power over our own destiny. Our mortality
will be in our hands. We will be able to
live as long as we want (something a little
different from saying we will live forever).
We will fully understand human thought
and greatly extend and expand its domain.
At the end of this century, the non-biological
part of our intelligence will be billions
of billions several times more powerful
than human intelligence without aids…”.
Kurzweil thought that this idea will not
erase our humanity but that, rather, it
can be the maximum affirmation of that
quality that has always defined us as a
human species, that is, the constant desire
to transcend our physical and mental
limits.
The idea of loading us into cars has been
around for a long time in science fiction,
but the people of Silicon Valley have
truly believed in it and are seriously
trying. In a conference in San Francisco
on transhumanism, at the beginning of
his reporting activity,
O’Connell tells of
having met Randal
Koene, a computational
neuroscientist,
who has always been
involved in studying
how to load the human mind into a machine
and how to make this possible; he
is the person who most believes in this
possibility and who also believes that
it is possible to load the entire human
body: therefore body, head and brain all
inside a machine. He describes him as a
great communicator, a very charismatic
man and one of the most interesting
people ever known, even though he is
engaged in a project that seems crazy. In
the conversations reported and which
took place, even informally, in the beautiful
bars and fantastic restaurants of
San Francisco he argued, with conviction,
that transhumanism represented
a liberation of the mind, thanks to the
liberation from its substratum. Opinions
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maintained despite O’Connell pointing
out that what he called a substrate is the
body, our body. Randal was able to draw
attention to complex technical topics
and explain them in a simple way, although
at times he seemed to be talking
about something totally nonsense and
crazy; if he had achieved what he was
working on, he would have achieved
the greatest transformation of humanity.
In support of his theories of his, he
displayed several integrated maps of human
neurons; maps that could become
so-called nano-geographical maps and
which, moreover, microscopes and electronic
scanners are already using. These
small chips can be placed on the scalp, or
made to penetrate a few millimeters under
the scalp, to make them communicate
directly with our brain. Randal argues
that artificial intelligence will lead
us to live for eternity. His works mostly
refer to neuro-microscopy and, in general,
to long-term projects of artificial intelligence,
and of the relationship between
artificial intelligence and the brain.
O’Connell says that, despite this could
mean the end of humanity as we know
it, Randal, for his part, was very good
at relativizing this kind of thoughts, he
didn’t seem worried about apocalyptic
issues and such aspects were little for
him. important. He wanted to find a scientific
solution to a problem he clearly
defined: the problem was the installation
in a machine of the mind contained in a
human body. Randal described himself
as an architect, explaining that he was
not involved in doing original research,
but that he simply collected and assembled
various pieces of studies in the
fields of neuroscience and technology,
all of which are pertinent to achieving
brain uploading. Simplifying drastically,
the basic principle he enunciated was
the idea that the whole infrastructure
of awareness (i.e., the discharge of individual
neurons, the map of connections
between neurons, the whole dynamic
figure of the living mind) could be represented.
as information. Basically, everything
can be reduced to data and data
can be transformed into computational
code; code as software, in theory, can be
extracted from the hardware it is running
on right now, i.e., the human brain,
and be adapted to run on another form
of hardware such as an artificial intelligence
supercomputer or a shaped robot
Human. There are strong doubts of
course, there is skepticism as to whether
such an operation could really be possible
and, although most neuroscientists
and researchers see it as a very remote
prospect, there is someone who thinks
it might be possible. realize soon. But
beyond the real possibility, this raises a
philosophical reflection that forces us to
ask ourselves: if the mind could really
be loaded onto a machine, in that case
would it really be us or some kind of
identical twin mind? Although these arguments
aroused curiosity in Randal, he
was focused much more on the question
of how the goal could be achieved, rather
than on the philosophical and ethical
implications of its eventual realization.
One of the fundamental ideas relating
to future technologies concerns obsolescence,
that is the progressive decrease of
the possibilities of efficiency and validity
in one’s environment; when transhumanists
speak of the human body, in
terms of the hardware of flesh on which
the software of our minds runs, they
tend to speak of it as an antiquated technology.
We are irremediably antiquated,
aging machines, designed simply to live
the African savannah of 200,000 years
ago, not up-to-date enough to be able to
live contemporary life; the meat in other
words has a dead format. This concept of
the human body as an outdated technology
seems at first rather strange, almost
alien, something disturbing, a disturbing
way of thinking about human life
or, at the very least, this is what we feel
when we start thinking this way. But if
we reflect on it in terms of the anguish
that arises from the awareness of our
human frailty and finiteness, this begins
to make sense.
Another sinister shadow generated by
the worries and uncertainties linked
to our times concerns the impending
wave of automation coming towards us;
it does not seem exaggerated to imagine
that artificial intelligence will trigger
profound social and economic upheavals.
A large number of jobs, entire sectors
of the economy and employment,
could become obsolete and, increasingly,
areas of human expertise and experience
could be replaced by machines. We
increasingly live in a world governed by
systems that we struggle to understand:
at higher levels, stock exchanges fluctuate
in response to the unknown whims
of algorithms, while, at lower levels,
we have Amazon’s warehouses, where
there are pans and pots next to books,
and televisions next to children’s toys. It
is a system that does not make any sense
for the shelf workers, who only have to
follow the instructions given by the portable
devices, but it is a procedure that
makes perfect sense for the algorithm
that determines the arrangement of the
objects on the shelves.
How much is it possible that, in the near
future, a man-machine fusion or that
we end up living in a world where Elon
Musk will provide us with all the tools
to achieve what he calls superhuman
cognition? It seems clear that I am quite
skeptical about transhumanism and its
presuppositions, I am not a futurist and I
do not have the presumption of being an
expert in this area; I have simply studied
and read many articles by people who
are involved in this vision of the future.
For my part, I find it hard to imagine that
singularity, this kind of great fusion between
human intelligence and artificial
intelligence imagined by the transhumanists,
could be close. I don’t think this
article can tell a future with a capital F,
what interests me in relation to the future
as an idea, as a fantasy, as a nightmare
is what it can tell us about the present.
Transhumanism presents a vision
and argues that the imminent change
in the human condition will be radical.
In the case of the singularity this view
is almost apocalyptic in an explicit way;
the ecstasy of nerds, as we learn it, refers
to a vision of the end of humanity as
we know it, followed by the beginning
of something strange or new and, for
those who believe
it, totally fabulous.
Apocalyptic visions
have always told
us more about the
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time in which they were written than
about the future; the Book of Revelation,
to take the most famous example, has
told us much more about the upheaval,
violence and religious persecution at the
time it was written than what it foretold
about the future. I think the singularity,
the idea of a fusion of human intelligence
and machine intelligence, tells us
much more about the world we live in
today than it can tell us about any possible
future. In this regard, O’Connell says
he was struck, in particular, by a question
asked by one of the transhumanist
trolls while they were drinking a beer in
the bar of a Pittsburgh grand hotel and
talking about the future; raising the iPhone
he was holding towards the writer,
he asked him: “... and if we were already
living in the singularity?”. O’Connell reports
that he has thought a lot about
this question, perhaps because singularity
is neither more nor less than a myth
about the present, that is, a complex story
that illuminates how things already
are, and how they always have been.
Talking about the fusion of humans
with technology is like talking about humans
themselves in general, as one cannot
even begin to define what a human
being is without talking
about technology. [We became
human beings when
we began to use tools and,
perhaps, the singularity
began when the first
hominid, in the Lower Paleolithic, beat
a stone against another, thus lighting a
fire. Perhaps our existence as cyborg is
asserted every time the phone vibrates
in our pocket with a notification, and every
time we move through the streets of
our city with the GPS, which signals our
position to a satellite orbiting the land.
Maybe the singularity is simply an allegory
and a metaphor of something that
has already happened, that has always
happened: perhaps, in other words, the
singularity is already here.
In transhumanism, reference is often
made to a new vision of biology, in the
sense that our body is obviously biological,
all nature is biological, but all
this biology can be the subject of an upload,
that is, of the uploading of the data
of that gigantic software, which is the
human connectome. We will be able
to transcend the limits of our physical
body by integrating it with technological
systems and devices; mortality will
be written not in DNA as it is now, but
inside our brains. It will change the way
we think and we will certainly be able to
expand our knowledge even more, and
also the strength of our brains. Transhumanists
say that, in a few decades,
our brains will be much more powerful
than what we have today, and we could
thus escape the negative conditions associated
with human existence. This is
a mechanistic point of view, if we refer
to Minsky, according to whom the
mind is, from the beginning, a machine.
Someone argues that the brain is a kind
of meat machine, a kind of meat grinder
or in any case a machine made of meat;
others have defined it as a box that is able
to perform very high computations, and
have very high performances. Since we
have not yet reached the highest level,
the effort of the transhumanists is to understand
how this internal machine of
ours, therefore our brain, could become
more powerful.
Towards a Cyber-Ethics
In the “Letter on Humanism” Heidegger
says that, shortly after the publication of
Being and Time, a young student asked
him: “When will you write an ethics?”.
The philosopher’s disarming response
was: “The desire for ethics becomes all the
more urgent the more the manifest disorientation
of man, no less than the hidden
one, increases dramatically”. The dynamic
whereby we tend to push away our
limits and expand our humanity more
and more to the point of the paradoxical
result of changing it, transforming it and
making it become something else, questions
us today about what the human
is. To tell the truth, human thought is
always a bit artificial; there is no purely
natural intelligence because it is a
relationship, it enters into things, modifies
them and is ductively modified and
shaped by them. It is a relationship and,
therefore, in some way, it is artificial, artificial
not in the robotic sense but in the
sense of interaction. Thomas Aquinas,
who was not a transhumanist, said that
whatever is received by our soul, by our
mind, is received according to the modality
and form of the one who receives
it; therefore, in receiving the world we
are always a little constructivist, in the
sense that we put our own, we are incessantly
creative. The power of what our
thought has generated is so great that its
product makes the thinker superfluous,
or rather the thinker is reduced simply
to a procedure, to a capacity to compute,
to compute without a personal identity.
It seems to me that neither enthusiasm
nor fear are adequate approaches to the
problem we are talking about, because
basically they do not allow us to grasp the
question. We are all enthusiastic about
the possibility that technology offers us,
also because in some way we are already
the users and at the same time also the
victims, although we often do not realize
it. Given the extraordinary
possibility
of developing our
knowledge and the
computational power
of our mind, then
perhaps we will have to establish rules
and limits. When technology had not
yet reached its current levels, Heidegger
prophetically spoke to us of “calculating
thinking”, a definition that identifies in
Western thought the tendency to calculation
and the reduction of all thought to
calculability; for the great philosopher it
seems that we only know how to count,
visualizing the world from the point of
view of profit. A fortiori, we will have to
meditate on what can be a good ethics
for machines, as machines must necessarily
be subject to limits.
Faced with these themes we can, a little
frightened, raise walls and think that it
is science fiction, things to escape from,
imagine that they are something about
the future, or welcome the possibilities
within these questions and leave
ourselves questioning, trying to understand.
If this is the attitude, then the big
issues that I have only touched on in this
article, I hope can be developed by each
of you in other moments of reflection.
These issues are a help to better under-
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stand who we are, how technology is
changing us, what is the irreducible factor
that remains net of this race, of this
expansion of a knowledge that cannot
explain everything about us. A computational
capacity, a computational power
and feasibility that cannot fully explain
who we are. The issues I am addressing
can be a help to discover more, to better
deal with this irreducible factor which is
our ego, our personality, our humanity.
Various questions of an ethical-moral
nature relating to transhumanism and
the digital “forced” future remain open,
questions just mentioned in this article
without wanting to give definitive answers,
with the intention of raising only
questions. Tim Cannon, leader of Grindhouse
Wetware’s biohacker community,
wrote: “Ask transgenders, they’ll all tell
you they’re trapped in the wrong body. I,
on the other hand, am trapped in a wrong
body because I am trapped in a body. All
bodies are wrong”. The paradoxical core
of transhumanism seems to emerge in
this sentence: idiosyncrasy for human
corporeality and physicality, seen as a
biological decrease and constriction of
the infinite possibilities of thought. But
then we should ask ourselves: “If a human
being is not his own body, is he still a
human being? In other words, where is the
essence of humanity? “. For transhumanists
it is not in the body, but in the ability
to produce, calculate, transfer and process
information; and, after all, what else
in an era in which communication is the
central metaphor of human existence?
O’Connell wonders in his book: “Even
if we could somehow map and emulate
the incalculable complexity of my neural
pathways and processes, and then load
everything onto a platform other than
a kilo and a half of gelatinous tissue enclosed
in my skull, in what sense would
that reproduction or simulation coincide
with me?”. The most disturbing philosophical
question is also the most elementary
and reasonable: “... in that form,
would I continue to be myself?” Further
reflections emerge from this question:
while attributing a consciousness to the
material transferred onto an artificial
support and, also, admitting that it was
indistinguishable from the way my consciousness
manifests itself, could I really
say that that thing is me and I am that
thing? Would it be enough for the conscience
loaded on a support to believe
that it is me? But also, is it enough for me
to believe that I am myself now? And,
indeed, does it really make sense to ask
yourself?
Since the human being is an integrated
brain-body system, a question spontaneously
arises that I would gladly ask
transhumanists: but what will really happen
to our body? O’Connell reports in his
book that he has asked a similar question
a thousand times, in various ways,
to many transhumanists and all have
always answered him differently. There
will not be a single thing, there will not
be a single material, a single medium
and a single substrate; this is configured
in the concept of morphological freedom,
an idea that is in the pocket, so to
speak, of all transhumanists. Some argue
that we can do and become anything we
want; we will be able to do what it will
be possible to do in that moment, in that
century, in that time. But we can also
move, move, become an antelope, a lion,
we can turn you into a tree, even in a
coat of paint, the one that usually covers
our walls. Surely these statements may
seem very strange and very bizarre and
you, at this moment, are making faces
of perplexity and nods of dissent, but,
in part, this material has already been,
how to say, predigested by our universe
and has been identified. Some of these
projects, transhumanist scientists say,
are almost already feasible and are raising
money to finance them.
We are no longer just the product of
a blind evolution, but we are a choice
that creates new functions in our body,
choices that can increase our intellectual
abilities; this is what has always happened
in our history as human beings.
The physical, the emotional and the intellectual
are no longer enough for us,
but we are looking for something else,
many different forms and new biological
characteristics. The more sophisticated
the technology becomes, the more
demands and expectations increase not
only of the transhumanists, but also of
all of us. Perhaps a future similar to that
desired by the transhumanists becomes
ever closer, due to the great acceleration
of technological progress. We will have
to try, as Kurzweil has argued, to obliterate
our human singularity; we are “a
constant project thrown into the world”,
Heidegger defined us, constantly changing
and constantly trying to understand
how we, as a species, distinguish ourselves
from everything else. We are a
unity that is transcendental, even if we
have physical and mental limits, constraints
that we have always tried to
transcend. Transhumanists say that if
we really want to live differently, with
more control over us, with total domination
over our destiny, we must stop
thinking that we are only biological beings,
carried forward along biological
tracks, which we are obliged to respect.
Instead, it is possible to derail, and if we
want to be much more than animals, we
must embrace and embrace all the technological
potential, to transform ourselves
into cyborgs.
What do you imagine
when you think
of a cyborg? How
would you imagine
yourself to be if
I asked you to think
of yourself as already cyborgs? Would
you think you are no longer a human
entity? Would you think you are part
of that new mechanism which, within
you, processes information in a different
way? Do you wear glasses, or have you
already put on a pacemaker, for those
with heart problems? Have you been to
the dentist? Have you had any repair or
cosmetic surgery, and put any devices or
prostheses inside you? Do you have an
unpleasant feeling of discomfort when,
for example, your mobile phone does
not work because it is empty? Or when
you have forgotten your tablet at home?
Do you feel a deep sense of disappointment
if your internet connection drops
continuously, or is it slow? An unstoppable
sense of frustration invades you,
which can quickly turn into anger and
despair if you get banned from Second
Life, or can’t connect at regular times?
Do you feel annoying, unpleasant emo-
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tions, in some cases irritation and anguish
due to lack of technology? Well,
if you have experienced at least one of
these sensations, it means that you are
already a being of this type, a cyborg
also made of technology, also made of integrated
systems that now pulsate within
you, as your heart beats. We make a
great effort to extend ourselves and become
even more technological, as various
sociologists say who keep telling us
that we are becoming cyborgs, even if
no one has already become, completely,
100 by 100. The pendulum of our daily
existence swings continuously between
our online life and our offline life, often
with large areas of ambiguity and little
awareness of where we really are.
In fact, what we live today is a life that
we can define as a fusion, it is a real cohesive
marriage with technology; we must
try to better understand what the human
being is like when we argue about
technology, and when we talk about
technology. Perhaps we have become
human beings recently, when technology
made us such, before we were not;
perhaps the singularity came with the
caves in which we find the paintings
and stylized images, made by our ancestors
of the Upper Paleolithic. Or maybe
we became human when a cell phone
rang in our pocket for the first time a few
years ago. We are, perhaps, all of us cyborgs
because we still have GPS in hand;
even at this moment we depend on satellites,
a satellite is watching us: I here
in my city, you in yours. Maybe they
have already scanned all of our brains,
maybe someone is already ready to use
the data from this scan. What I just told
you is something that has been going
on for a long time, and in other words,
the singularity is now all around us. The
notion of a human being as a whole one
hundred percent made up of technology
might sound strange if not distant from
us; it is something not completely alienated,
but distant in time. We feel an undertone
of anxiety and worry when we
think of these very close relationships
between technology and our brain. The
uncertainty and insecurity typical of
today’s times is certainly also due to the
cyclopean wave of automation. It is still
difficult to understand how great these
technological upheavals are on our lives,
on our jobs, on our experiential sectors,
on the so-called knowledge economy, on
our personality. Some areas of expertise
and, therefore, our control over the environment
is changing; look at the experience
of these very recent months with
the pandemic, with Covid 19.
Heidegger also writes in “The abandonment”
(1959): “What is truly disturbing is
not that the world is transformed into a
complete domain of technology. Far more
disturbing is that man is not at all prepared
for this radical change in the world. Far
more disturbing is that we are not yet able
to reach, through a meditating thought, an
adequate comparison with what is really
emerging in our age”. If in ancient times
techne, as an instrument in the hands of
man, was constituted as a means to an
end, with modernity and the enormous
development of technology things have
changed and it has become, in Heidegger’s
words “our destiny”. There has been
a reversal in the relationship between
man and technique, from the moment in
which man is reduced to a simple object
to be modified. In this way we are witnessing
a reversal between means and
ends: the technique, which was a docile
tool in the hands of man, until it was still
underdeveloped, in the course of history
has become autonomous, developing
its own ends which, eventually, they
become overbearing and exclusive. An
important aspect that cannot be overlooked,
when we propose to investigate
the question of technique, is the bewilderment
that accompanies contemporary
man in a world that appears increasingly
enigmatic, in the face of the power
of the unknown forces that dominate,
even if partly triggered by him. Faced
with the excessive power of technology,
humanity may appear overwhelmed
by a load of responsibility for which it
was not prepared. In a world where man
has lost the dominant role, which ethics
must apply? A “human” ethics or, perhaps,
an ethics that must take into account
the power of machines?
Faced with the upheavals triggered by
modern technology, virtue and morals
seem like antiquities now lost. However,
it is precisely as man’s disorientation
increases that ethics becomes urgent; as
Heidegger also maintained, it seems necessary
to found a new ethics, born from
the demands that our age imposes. The
real problem of humanity, dominated
by technology, is not in fact the answer
to the question “what to do?” but rather
“what not to do”; what is necessary is, first
of all, a commitment to understand what
are the limits at which to stop. Therefore,
in a world driven and ordered by
machines, in which everything that can
be done technically must be done, who
establishes what is allowed or otherwise
prohibited is the technique itself, which
has imposed itself as the subject of the
story, to the point to order, even, human
action in view of one’s own interest, determining
the moral imperatives on the
basis of which we act today. We live in a
world where we have to adapt our feelings
to the understanding of the world
of the machines that surround us, as the
use of traditional methods of interpretation
and great ethical and religious systems
proves useless. Our task is not to
interpret the great traditional texts, but
to understand the technical apparatuses
with which we find ourselves living,
and to strive, in particular, to be able to
grasp the possible developments and the
possible consequences of their use. As I
have argued in other parts of this article
and some writers of utopian novels
have said, it is not a question of inferring
tomorrow from today, but of “seeing
tomorrow in today” and to do this we
must be able to read in the devices and
in the machines that surround us. There
is a need for a new thought, a different
way of relating to the world and things,
and, above all, a deeper understanding
of technique which, in its essence, is still
unthinkable.
We have a technology that pierces the
skin, in the sense that it reaches the
deepest components, which we thought
were untouchable, of our life; this technology,
for the first time, manages to
make us think that our social context and
our common way of life, in fact, can be
disjointed and no longer able to be controlled.
All this requires of us a collective
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management, a management according
to models which can no longer be those
of delegation, but which are those of
governance; it asks us to return to that
typical constitution of our West, we are
the polis, we are the square. It asks us to
create squares, within which the different
competences are understood on the
meaning of what one is experiencing,
trying to orient the experience towards
the horizon of development.
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PINO VITI
Pino Viti,
DESTINATIONS
Writer
Pino Viti, a.k.a. Pinovit Pinion, at the now distant
beginning of his experience in SL, put his passion for
writing to good use, trying his hand at being an art
and literary critic. He actively contributes to blogs and
inworld magazines (such as Virtual Worlds Magazine,
SL Art, Pop Art Display, Tanalois, SL senzalimiti,
etc.), reviewing exhibitions and galleries. ) reviewing
exhibitions and art galleries, and then extends his
sphere of action in a more general cultural sphere,
participating in meetings and conferences on various
topics in both humanities and science, driven by his
intellectual curiosity. He then became a journalist,
becoming co-owner of a press agency (SL Crazypress),
and deputy director of a virtual publishing house.
At the same time, he took part in numerous literary
contests, both as a participant and as a judge, and coauthored
several poetry anthologies until he published
his own book of verse, “Il viaggio,” which was a great
success in SL, just like the homonymous edition
published in real.
After a very active beginning, he took a long break,
dedicated to social relations and exploring the various
aspects of SL, especially the landscape, returning
sporadically to literary production by writing short
stories in collections by various authors.
He recently enthusiastically accepted an invitation to
collaborate with the prestigious magazine “360 GRADI”
in the “Destinations” section, taking the opportunity to
return to his old passion for writing.
Pino
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SOUL FROGMORE OF DREAMS
IN SECOND LIFE
La magia di una land da sogno.
Frogmore is a popular location for photographers
and bloggers that inspired the storytelling of Pino
Viti.
Scritto da PINO VITI.
Immagini di JARLA CAPALINI e
Written by DAVI PINO SPERBER. VITI.
Images by JARLA CAPALINI.
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
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FROGMORE
There is also a Flickr
group where you can
A dream journey through space-time. Frogmore is a popular
location for photographers and bloggers that inspired the
storytelling of Pino Viti.
share photos taken
in the land.
Terry Fotherington,
a.k.a. Dandy Warhol,
is an accomplished
designer and decorator
of places and landscapes
in Second Life
(landscaper and scenographer
as he calls
himself) and has developed
splendid sims
with imagination and
professionalism.
The Frogmore’s group allows people to be informed
about all the activities related to the location.
Terry Fotherington, a.k.a. Dandy
Warhol, is an accomplished designer
and decorator of places and landscapes
in Second Life (landscaper and
scenographer as he calls himself) and
has developed splendid sims with
imagination and professionalism.
In Frogmore, he has surpassed himself,
creating an environment full of poetry
and suggestions in the land owned
by Tolla Crisp. It is a large sim (about
30k prims) but not wholly furnished
to avoid the typical lags
of too “full” territories.
In her profile, the
owner informs us that
by subscribing to the
group (for free, at least
for now), it is possible to
report about the place
and receive news about
the events she organizes,
such as photo contests
(reserved to members),
concerts and more.
There is also a Flickr
group: https://www.flickr.
com/groups/14677915@
N21/ where you can
share photos taken in the
land.
So far, the cold (but
not too cold) technical
details, but of course,
there is more, much
more to say, to see, to
experience. “Frogmore
is a natural, photogenic,
and immersive experience,
inspired by places like
historic Cornwall and the
old Notting Hill district
of London. “This is how
Tolla herself defines her
Frogmore in her profile
and the greeter at the
entrance, but these
are just reminiscences,
historical ones in fact
because the places
mentioned are revisited
and relived looking
back to times gone
by, transfigured by
the nostalgic memory
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I recommend accepting the region’s light settings
for the best experience.
of the past inherent in our
anthropological and cultural
DNA. Thus, the taste for vintage
becomes a state of mind, and
nostalgia a category of the
spirit, supporting our collective
imagination rooted in the
peasant civilization from which
all of us, children of the old
continent, descend.
I met Tolla Crisp here and
couldn’t resist the temptation to
ask her a few questions.
P. - How did Frogmore come
about?
T. - In 2019 I had the idea of
having my own sim in the image
of my home country, Sweden.
At the end of the same year, the
second version, Frogmore 2.0,
went from the original 5000
prims to 20,000 prims while
maintaining the original footprint.
Pino interviewed Tolla Crisp, the
Frogmore’s owner, to know more about
how the idea was born.
P. - Were there any subsequent
changes? At present, I don’t
think the land is mainly
characterized by Scandinavian
atmospheres.
T. - Certainly. In fact, the third
version was born in the following
year, completely restructured and
inspired mainly through places in
Great Britain, where I currently
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live, and in particular Cornwall, a place
I frequent and love very much. The
current one is Frogmore 4.0, created in
the wake of the previous one and enlarged
to 30,000 prims, although not fully
occupied.
P. - Why did you think of Terry to
furnish Frogmore?
T. - I remember a friend told me about
him. I looked at his work, liked it, and gave
him my ideas. Terry shared his ideas and
enthusiastically put them into practice to
make Frogmore. Since then we have been
working very successfully together.
In reality, in Frogmore, the
environmental references are also
related to other geographical and
chronological contexts, including
periods almost contemporary to our
own and settings foreign to the Anglo-
Saxon world, such as certain rural
landscapes with a typically Italian
appearance. The flashes of modernity
and the geographical contaminations,
however, do not disturb the unitary
enjoyment of the place but contribute
to its singular charm: realized with
skill and balance, they ensure that
the stratification of citations and
suggestions enriches our experience
as travelers, gradually making the
emotions experienced sediment inside
us until they become indelible.
It is incredible how the inventiveness
and “hand” of the set designers can
succeed in giving depth to the virtual
world, which is by definition twodimensional,
bringing its perception to
a 3D vision; not only that but when the
craftsman turns into an artist, as in this
case, even the fourth dimension - time
- comes to life. It is precisely space-time
that envelops the visitor, transporting
him or her on a fantastic introspective
and retrospective, imaginative and
visionary psychological tour.
As I mentioned earlier, the owner
defines Frogmore not as a place to
visit but as an experience to live, and I
fully agreed with her statement when
I entered for the first time. Although
everything appeared to be correctly
placed, nothing was trivial or obvious
and deserved attention, if not mental
and emotional participation. Nothing
could and should be gratuitous, not
even a shabby old piano with broken
keys and rusty strings abandoned
among the plants. I’ve always liked
to think that every self-respecting
land designer places something at the
entrance to his creations that veiled
the key to its interpretation for those
who know how to interpret it. That
piano seemed to have been placed by
the landing point to tell me something.
But what? To find the answer, I tried to
make it talk by sitting down and trying
to play it, but in vain: the instrument
was too severely damaged to produce
pleasing sounds. I just had
to continue my search by entering
Frogmore to live the experience Tolla
spoke of with a virgin soul and childlike
curiosity.
I found myself immersed in a
luxuriant nature that insinuated itself
overbearingly into human artifacts,
which in turn seemed to be struggling
silently not to be overwhelmed by
it and by the inexorable workings
of time. In a scenery that was now
mountainous, now marine, now a lake,
adventurous paths, among sands, rocks,
and ruins, led to unsuspected oases of
melancholic serenity.
The signs and whispers of that fantastic
world showed me the way, and I
followed it through changing paths of
perspectives and suggestions. I looked at
unspeakable things with the eyes of the
soul, revealing their secrets. I admired
shady rural courtyards, full of flowers
and decorations, which reminded me
of times gone by when life flowed
peacefully, leaving space and time for
small things of pure beauty and great
futility. I wandered through isolated
fishing villages, where boats pulled out
of the water and filled with rainwater
that had given birth to green water
lilies. I visited mysterious dwellings
which, like fallen noblewomen, still
displayed a faded elegance. I also saw
abandoned farmhouses, whether
recently or forever unknown, farms
and flower greenhouses eroded by
time, friend and foe, groceries and oldfashioned
shops, tool sheds, and even
a delightfully self-referential antique
shop. Needless to say, everything was
done with refined taste and meticulous
attention to detail.
I finally rested on a cozy couch in
the ruins of a tower, almost wholly
enclosed all around but with a
providential circular opening at the top,
through which I could admire the stars,
imagining I was sharing that moment
with a lost love of mine.
It was time to return. My journey was
over, but there was one more surprise
waiting for me. When I reached
my starting point, I remembered
the question I had asked myself on
arrival before leaving. Almost without
thinking, I sat down again at the
piano and put my hands on the keys
damaged and blackened by time. It
was enough for me to touch them,
and as if by magic, they regained
their former appearance, white and
perfectly aligned, while a piece of sweet
and melancholy music came out of
that old instrument. Music that I had
never heard or played before, which
now filled those places and my mind,
painted everything with the soft colors
of nostalgia and the dreamy shades
of memories. What did it all mean?
Was it a dream? Or reality in a dream,
or vice versa? Does it make sense to
distinguish fantasy from reality in
Second Life? Does anything change
in real life, or is it we who dream
ourselves into living as protagonists
in all possible lives? Perhaps that oldfashioned
piano wanted to tell me that
in none of them is it right to stop in
the face of difficulties or to surrender
to appearances, but that we must seek
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eauty, in all its meanings, around
us and within us, until we can make
the melody of life resonate with the
correct harmonies. This is the message
I thought I was reading, and it is not the
only one, but I won’t tell you anymore.
I don’t want to make “spoil”: come to
Frogmore, which is a natural artistic
creation, and everyone will find the
correct answers, because art does not
only mean admiring passively but
also, and above all, questioning oneself
along a personal path of research and
transforming the question marks
into satisfying exclamations with the
aesthetic and ecstatic amazement that
only beauty can give.
References
Frogmore
Teleport:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/
Frogmore/198/74/36
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MEDITERRANEO-OC
TELEPORT:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mediterraneo%20OC/114/190/21
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LOST KEKELAND LAGOON
Lost Lagoon ci permette un salto indietro nel
tempo, facendoci gustare un tempo e uno stile
di vita che rischiamo di dimenticare.
IN IN SECOND LIFE LIFE
There is enchantment in the pathless woods.
There is ecstasy on the lonely beach.
There is an asylum where no intruder
penetrates
by the waters of the deep sea,
And there is harmony in the crashing of the
waves.
Scritto da SERENA DOMENICI.
Immagini Written by di JARLA OEMA RESIDENT.
CAPALINI.
Images by JARLA CAPALINI.
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
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KekeLand - Bardeco was born from the creative
imagination of Dandy Warhlol.
KEKELAND
IN SECOND LIFE
Summer
DEDICATED TO NATURE LOVERS
Rez is not possible. However, the location is ideal for photography.
Nature is the predominant aspect that
characterizes the landscape.
KekeLand - Bardeco
was born from the
creative imagination of
Dandy Warhlol (Terry.
fotherington) and
is located in Broken
Vessels, a 20k prims
region.
Nature is the
predominant aspect
that characterizes the
landscape. By nature, I
mean both the plants,
flowers, vegetation
in general, and the
harmonious sounds
of nature that blend
coherently with the
type of landscape
and the fauna wisely
chosen to be in tune
with the naturalistic
context.
KekeLand - Bardeco
is owned by Belle
des Champs (bridget.
genna). Unsurprisingly,
Bridget is a keen
photographer of
natural landscapes, as
you can see from her
Flickr gallery.
KekeLand - Bardeco
is indeed a perfect
location for
photographers and
bloggers, although,
sadly, there doesn’t
seem to be a group
you can join to get rez
rights.
If I had to define
KekeLand in a few
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words, I would say
“color and nature.” The
objects Terry has used
to decorate the location
are colorful and refined
simultaneously, as
well as being set in an
environment rich in
vegetation. The author
often uses objects from
DRD (deathrowdesigns),
which he assembles
carefully and
harmoniously.
The chairs, the camping
tables, the inflatable
swimming pool...
everything is used to give
a sense of naturalness,
convey an experience
and a sense of peaceful
everyday life spent
directly in contact with
nature.
I sit down on one of
these simple, colorful
chairs, and next to me is a
friendly dachshund who
seems to have made that
chair his primary home.
I recover my energy after
a long walk, and my mind
flies to the poetry of Lord
Byron:
There is enchantment in
the pathless woods.
There is ecstasy on the
lonely beach.
There is an asylum where
no intruder penetrates
by the waters of the
deep sea,
And there is harmony
in the crashing of the
waves.
I do not love men less,
but nature more.
and in these
conversations of mine
with her, I free myself
from all that I am and all
that I was before,
to merge with the
universe
and feel what I do not
know how to express
and yet I do not know
how to hide completely.
I continue on my way
along the little-trodden
paths that lead to
little-explored places.
Now and then, I see a
few houses, some of
the simple, certainly
inhabited by people
dedicated to cultivation
and breeding, others
more carefully
furnished. All the
houses convey a sense
of peace and harmony
with the surrounding
nature. I close my eyes
and, while listening to
the sounds of nature, I
wonder what it would
be like to live here. It would
be beautiful; it would
simply be lovely.
As I continue my
exploration, I discover that
KekeLand-Bardeco also
houses a venue where live
music events are held in
addition to the houses and
camping sites. The venue
is called Kami Lounge and,
from the posters on display,
I think it is pretty active.
I recommend a lovely
walk along the paths of
KekeLand to all those
who like peace and nature
(like me). As I said, rez is
not possible. However,
the location is ideal for
photography.
References
KekeLand - Bardeco:
http://maps.secondlife.
com/secondlife/Broken%20
Vessels/128/128/26
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SOUL NOWEETA OF DREAMS
IN SECOND LIFE
La magia di una land da sogno.
Noweeta is back with its spring version. Exploring
it with Serena.
Scritto da PINO VITI.
Immagini di JARLA CAPALINI e
Written by SERENA DAVI DOMENICI.
SPERBER.
Images by JARLA CAPALINI.
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
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NOWEETA
IN SECOND LIFE
Noweeta is a beautiful creation made by Kaja Ashland, the owner.
We esplored it in the winter version, and now we are glad to visit
the spring/summer one.
Everything is
represented with
meticulous attention
to detail.
Noweeta is back with
its fields no longer
covered with snow,
but with flowers,
with wheat, in the
full awakening of
nature. Majestic with
its avenue where
everything can begin
or end.
I listen to music while I write, as
I always have done. I choose the
soundtrack I feel most in tune with; I
listen to Lotta Love by Nicolette Larson.
I am listening to Lotta Love, in tune
with my thoughts, which range over
this immense field bordered by a
large avenue where I am at this very
moment. I already visited this winter,
but it was all covered in snow. I had
never seen a place so bare and yet so
invasive of impulses, feelings, memory,
a punch in the stomach, but the kind
that doesn’t hurt.
But after a few days,
that enchantment
disappeared, the whole
scene was dismantled...
I was very sorry, but
after all, it can happen in
Second Life.
Today I found out that
Noweeta is back!
It is back with its fields
no longer covered with
snow, but with flowers,
with wheat, in the full
awakening of nature.
Majestic with its avenue
where everything can
begin or end.
Explore Noweeta in Second Life.
This place resembles a
blank sheet of paper;
you can write anything
because it fits each of us
like a second skin.
In another article, I said
the world is not having
a good time because of
Covid; Covid has dug
trenches of loneliness. We
have all found ourselves
differently, lonely and
afraid.
With their strong and
intense colors, these
immense fields make you
want to run, love, rejoice,
find your freedom, share
it, and, above all, leave
behind all the pain of a
long winter. The small
windmill is worth the
effort of arguing with
your camera. The runway
with the small airplane
is the perfect setting for
these large spaces, as are
the various refreshments
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I recommend accepting the region’s light settings
for the best experience.
Nature is the protagonist in this awesome
Second Life location.
scattered around the field, such
as the small carriage/caravan in
the field of lavender and flowers.
A short break to relax alone or
with someone.
And finally, I lay down in the
similar wheat field, no more
prolonged smoking, but instead
munching on a chocolate bar and
reconciling with life by listening
and humming:
“Don’t know what it is That
makes me love you so I only
know I never
Wanna let you go Cause you
started something
Oh, can’t you see
And ever since we met
You’ve had a hold on me
I happens to be true
I only want to be with you
It doesn’t matter where
You go or what you do I wanna
spend each morning
Night and day with you
Oh, look what has happened
With just one kiss
I never knew that I could
Be in love like this
It’s crazy but it’s true
I only want to be with you”
There is a small house at the end
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of the driveway and a tool shed; they
seem to be suspended in time, they are
there waiting for occasional guests,
each guest appears to leave no trace
because Noweeta has the power to be
unique when you go away you take it
inside, each of us has his Noweeta and
his story to tell. It’s a place I recommend
you visit because it’s like being inside
a painting and who wouldn’t want to
stop time, especially the most beautiful
moments?
Thanks to the Owner and the builders
of a truly enchanting place, where
space has been filled by colors and a
long avenue that seems to sketch the
destiny of those who walk along with
it, intimately, jealously.
References
Teleport:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/
Noweeta/33/150/25
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FRANK ATISSO
Frank Atisso
ART
Writer
I have been an avid reader of books throughout my
life, and that, in a way, inspires me to write. My dad
has a huge collection of books of all sorts, and I
used to devour a book every week when I was in my
teens. Eventually, as I kept reading more, I felt like I
should test my hand at writing.
I wrote my first set of short stories at the age of 16,
and ever since then, I have continued the habit of
writing almost daily.
I was first introduced to the world of Second Life in
2010, and it was a world that immediately piqued
my interest. Exploring various regions and having
new experiences has always been my favorite thing
to do in SL.
I am honored and proud to be a Contributor at 360
Gradi Magazine.
Frank
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CIOTTOLINA XUE
ANJA’S SURREALISM
Artista Exploring conosciuta Anja’s surrealism e apprezzata through che trasforma the eyes and i suoi
sentimenti sensitivity ed of Frank emozioni Atisso. in arte 3D.
ARTISTA
Written by FRANK ATISSO.
Scritto da LADMILLA MEDIER
Images by JARLA CAPALINI.
Immagini di LADMILLA MEDIER
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A DEEP DIVE INTO
ANJA’S SURREALISM
NITROGLOBUS GALLERY
An emerging sensation in the
art world of SL speaks about
her remarkable journey,
creating her own brand of
surrealism and her latest
exhibition at the Nitroglobus
Gallery.
Every art movement
has an interesting bit of
history attached to it.
Surrealism was a cultural
movement that developed
rapidly in Europe in
the aftermath of World
War I. The war scattered
many of the writers and
artists who called Paris
their home. Many of
them became involved
with the Dada movement
which was influential at
the time. They believed
that it was excessive
rational thought that had
brought war upon us
and protested against it
through performances,
writing and art works.
And it was through their
varied experiments that
surrealism first
emerged as a prominent
style of art.
Much like every other
style of art, each artist
has their own unique
approach to surrealism.
The development of this
extraordinary movement
was complemented by
Sigmund Freud’s work
on free association,
dream analysis and the
subconscious mind. It
provided the means for
surrealists looking to
liberate their imagination.
Using these techniques,
artists are able to combine
within a single frame,
elements and objects
which are usually not
found together to create
illogical and somewhat
startling effects.
The Nitroglobus Gallery,
owned and curated by
Dido Haas, has always
supported emerging
artists in SL who have
already started producing
beautiful art works. Many
well-established artists
today have had one of
their first exhibitions at
this reputed gallery or
ANJA’S SURREALISM
have been inspired by
other exhibitions here.
The June exhibition at
Nitroglobus is by one
such artist who has only
exhibited once before
in Second Life. Anja
(Neobookie) has developed
her own peculiar style
of surrealism using
her own creativity and
imagination. A new,
refreshing approach is
just what we need and
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want in the art world of
SL and Anja provides just
that in her exhibition
“Anja’s Surrealism” at the
Nitroglobus Gallery in
June.
I had the opportunity
to chat with Anja at the
gallery about her life,
her journey and what
surrealism means to her.
Frank : Hello Anja! It is an
absolute pleasure to finally
get this opportunity to
chat with you. I always
like to start from the very
beginning. How did you
end up in SL?
Anja : I am very interested
in fashion, modelling,
styling and such things -
both in SL and RL. While
browsing the web, I came
across an article which
talked about Second Life.
From it, I actually got the
impression that this was
a place where you could
try on different types
of hair, clothes, jewelry
and other accessories.
Being a fashion geek,
that appealed to me very
much. So I signed up
immediately and came
inworld. However, it was
not until much later that
I discovered art and
photography in SL.
Frank : That’s right. In
fact, your first exhibition
happened in the month of
February this very year.
How long have you been
taking pictures inworld
before that?
Anja : I would say about
a year. I think it was
in January of last year
that I was first inspired
to get creative and start
taking pictures. I met
Traci Ultsch at the time
and we started talking
about creative people in
Second Life. She was an
incredible photographer
and I told her that I am
always amazed by the
beautiful profile pictures
some people have. We
really clicked and finally
she offered to teach me
the basics of photography
inworld.
Frank : That is fantastic!
Traci is indeed a most
intriguing artist whose
work I personally
love too. How was the
learning process for you
after that?
Anja : The learning
process is never an easy
one. It takes lots of effort
but it has given me
immense joy. I don’t have
any sort of education in
art or photography in RL.
The only photography
I have really done is
the occasional vacation
shots. So I had to learn
everything from scratch.
Traci helped me a lot to do
this. She taught me how
one is actually supposed
to look at an art work.
Even just watching the
way she works taught me
a lot.
Frank : There is
something that you have
which is more important
in art than education; and
that is imagination and
creativity. Did you have
any experience with postprocessing
in Photoshop?
Anja : Well, yes and
no. I had used it before;
but for all intents and
purposes, I had to relearn
everything and work my
way up from the bottom.
But I think my biggest
helpers were the people I
met along the way. I like
to talk to a lot of people
and ask questions. Just
listening to them and
seeing the way they do
stuff teaches me a lot.
Frank : So when you initially
got into photography, it was
because you were inspired
by profile pictures. But now,
I see that you have branched
off more towards surrealism.
How did that change
happen?
Anja : That would be due
to Evertjan Thielen. One
day, in RL, I was watching
a documentary about
him. Evertjan is a Dutch
painter who is known
for placing his subjects in
an environment that is
contemporary and slightly
surreal. It felt magical. His
work completely drew me
in and I discovered this new
style of art that fascinated
me. I started studying more
about it and pondered over
Dali’s works. Then I also
looked at the works of other
famous Dutch artists like
Van Gogh, Rembrandt and
Mondriaan. Using what
I had learned from these
greats, I proceeded to form
my own style.
Frank : How did you end up
getting your first exhibition?
Anja : I was dancing at one
of the clubs and received
a message from Aneli
Abeyante, the curator of
La Maison d’Aneli. She
was there too and came
across my Flickr page,
which she really liked.
We got talking and she
asked me if I would like
to exhibit in February
at her gallery. When I
heard that, I nearly fell
off my chair! She gave
me my own personal
box to create my own
exhibition at her place
and I did. After that,
Traci introduced me to
Dido, who really liked
my work. She invited me
to exhibit in the month
of June - another fallingoff-my-chair
moment
for me!
Frank : I am sure you
are going to have these
moments quite regularly,
Anja. One of the things
I notice about your
work is that it is really
colorful and unlike
most surrealist pieces
which are shrouded in
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darkness and grey tones
these days.
Anja : I love colors and I
am fascinated by them.
They liven up the world.
My mind is a very busy
place. Being dyslexic in
RL, I often find it easy to
think in pictures rather
than words. Words are
confusing; but pictures
make everything so clear.
This is one of the reasons
I find art so liberating.
It allows me to express
my thoughts through
pictures rather than
words.. Each of my works
tells a story that I have
developed in my head.
When someone else looks
at the work, they may
draw a different story out
of it. But that is really the
beauty of art.
Frank : That is really
amazing! What is your
source of inspiration for
these beautiful images
that you have created
for this exhibition at
Nitroglobus Gallery?
Anja : I think the source is
different for each image.
Sometimes I see or feel
something in RL that I
am inspired by. Then,
the challenge is to find
the things I need in SL
to recreate that thought
or emotion in the way
I want to. At other
times, while wandering
around the grid, I come
across a prop, an object
or a person that really
inspires me and then
immediately a story
starts developing in my
mind around it.
Frank : The story that
you develop in your own
mind around each of the
pictures - does it change
sometimes as you begin
to compose the scene for
the image?
Anja : More often than
you might think! As I
said before, my mind
can be a terribly busy
place at times. The
story takes many twists
and turns along the
way as I compose the
image. It is sometimes a
really nerve-wracking
experience. But finally,
the joy and satisfaction
you get on completing
a piece of art is beyond
words.
Frank : When you
started taking pictures,
did you ever dream of
exhibiting at a reputed
gallery like Nitroglobus?
Anja : Never! When I
started to take pictures, my
only goal was to get good
at them, because I enjoyed
it as it gave me a medium
to express myself. I never
dreamed about any of this.
Sometimes, even now, it
all feels like a fantasy. But
it has given me immense
joy. More than the money
or fame, I am glad that
people are enjoying my
work. Their kind words of
appreciation matter to me
much more than anything
else. My only wish is that
I am always able to evoke
emotions in people through
my art.
Frank : Those are beautiful
thoughts. I think the
honesty with which you
create your pictures reflects
in them. And as long as that
happens, you will continue
to connect with people
through your art. But are
there other styles of art that
you would like to try your
hand at in the future?
Anja : I have already
started experimenting with
landscapes and am trying
to create my own style
there. You can see some of
the latest landscapes that I
have done at my personal
gallery. I have also created
a few nudes. People think
nude art is easy to do but it
takes a lot of effort to depict
nudity and the beauty
of the female form in a
manner that is tasteful and
not vulgar. Eventually I
also wish to return to what
I actually got inspired by
to get creative - portraits.
There are so many different
things I want to try. I’m
even experimenting
in Blender to create
sculptures.
Frank : Wow! That is
really great! How have the
experiences from your RL
reflected in the work you
are exhibiting here?
Anja : The things
happening around you in
real life have a huge impact
on your thoughts and
imagination. So eventually
it does tend to affect the
art that you create. For
example, in the past few
months, we had a lot of
negative political issues
where I live. So that is the
time when I created the
image of a chess board with
stairs and chess pieces as
a reactionary statement to
it. Eventually all the pieces
leave the board and come
back to have the game start
over again. All we are left
with is our thoughts and
the lives that need to go
on.
Frank : It requires a really
active imagination to
look at it the way you
do. But sometimes, just
like writers, artists suffer
from a creativity block
where you are unable to
find inspiration. Have you
had such an experience
so far?
Anja : I have not
experienced a block
exactly. But it has
happened a few times
when I started with
one of the pictures and
then got stuck midway
through the process. I
often find that at such
times, it is best to just
leave it for a while, do
some other things in SL
or RL and then return
to it with a fresh mind.
Sometimes all you need is
a break to sort things out.
Frank : You already told
me Traci inspired you
greatly at the beginning
of your journey. Are there
some other artists in SL
whose works you admire?
Anja : So many of them!
I like how Adwehe uses
lights and projectors to
evoke different emotions
in her exhibits. Janus Fall
and Monique Beebe are
really great at portraits.
I also like the work of
Gustaf. It’s always a joy to
view his work.
Frank : Is there a
quote that has greatly
influenced you and the
decisions you make in
life?
Anja : There is a line
that my mom always
says which I truly
believe - “How far you
go has nothing to do with
the distance.” I am not
sure if it is a quote by
someone else, but it is
very true. If you have a
positive attitude and are
determined enough, even
the longest distance may
not seem much. It is all
about how you approach
what you do.
Anja’s journey and
thought process is truly
an inspirational one. It
is the story of a girl who
started with photography
in SL a year and a half
ago and has already been
invited to exhibit her
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works at some of the most
prestigious art galleries.
Her active imagination
and endless dedication
are what made her
dreams come true. We
hope to see her achieve
much more in the years to
follow.
Please do visit “Anja’s
Surrealism” at Nitroglobus
Gallery and be inspired
by this beautiful
exhibition in which she
depicts the beauty of
surrealism in her own
unique way.
References
Nitroglobus Roof Art
Gallery:
http://maps.secondlife.
com/secondlife/
Sunshine%20
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VAN LOOPEN
Van Loopen,
MUSIC
Head Column
If I were not an architect in life, I would probably be a
musician.
I think in music.
I live my daydreams in music.
I see my life in terms of music.
Since 2009 in Second Life, I try to share this emotion
with others.
As editor and music consultant for 360 GRADI, I would
like to shed light on an often underestimated world, but
which is instead one of the main activities in the “second
life.”
The message in music arrives more efficiently at its
destination, touching the most intimate and personal
chords, without the need for other intermediaries in
communication.
In the variegated musical world of Second Life, I will
deal with emerging artists and those who are now well
established and often do not know each other well
enough.
I take advantage of this space to give some point of
reference in the music scene of Second Life because
“people consume music as if it were a handkerchief for
the nose.”
(Zucchero)
Van
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VE JOYY
LIVE SINGER
Ve Joyy’s voice is
booming, and her final
solos seem never to want
to end.
Written by VAN LOOPEN.
Images by JARLA CAPALINI
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
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VE JOYY
SINGER IN SECOND LIFE
Of Filipino origins, Verna Joy
(Ve Joy to her friends) dedicates
herself exclusively to the modern
and contemporary pop music
genre. She does it with energy
and strength that alone are worth
the time devoted to listening and
dancing.
Dear 360GRADI magazine’s
friends, the last issue I started
a musical journey towards
singers whose peculiarity is to
be characterized exclusively in
a particular musical genre, and I
explained why.
I want to premise and
communicate to you, to the great
satisfaction of all the magazine
editors, that the last issue
reached 13k views. It is a trendy
magazine and a reference in its
specific field.
In the search for these artists, I
wanted to talk about a famous
singer who seemed to me to be
able to fulfill my purpose in this
issue. Contacted and listened
to the singer. However, I was
surprised to give up because
I realized that his work is not
centered on a precise “musical
genre” but instead on his
personal “musical style,” both in
interpreting known songs and
presenting songs of his own
production.
Her repertoire is
always up to date
with the latest
worldwide hits, and
many of them are
also very difficult to
perform.
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As you all already know,
the purpose of these
articles of mine is not to
publicize someone who
needs visibility, but to
make them known to a
broader audience than
SL, and even if they
are already known in
the SL music scene, to
describe their work as
a musical interpreter,
both technically and
humanly because from
the interviews they give
we also know details of
their personal lives.
My research work in
SL has lingered, very
willingly, on a young
artist who convinced me,
the evening I listened to
her and also the others
that followed, because
her repertoire was
characterized by the
interpretation of songs
of the same musical
genre, albeit with some
exceptions, being an
evening of songs on
demand.
Of Filipino origins,
Verna Joy (Ve Joy to her
friends) dedicates herself
exclusively to the modern
and contemporary pop
music genre. She does it
with energy and strength
that alone are worth the
time devoted to listening
and dancing.
The impetus employed
in the interpretation
is engaging while
maintaining the technical
performance, precise
and harmonious singing,
giving the beautiful
emotion of a typical
atmosphere of the live
event in SL.
Her voice is, as
mentioned, booming, and
her final solos seem never to
want to end. Her repertoire
is always up to date with the
latest worldwide hits, and
many of them are also very
difficult to perform.
I am delighted to present this
artist because she represents
what you expect from a
live performance in SL,
cheerfulness, participation,
fun, and reflection, and
sweetness moments during
the performance.
She is a celebrity in the
Philippines: she has
performed on TV shows and
co-hosted the most popular
TV show in 2017.
In the interview, we also
learned other peculiarities
that describe this young
singer as a fine example of a
good SL artist.
These are her references:
Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ve.joyy
Facebook: https://tinyurl.
com/VesMusicalMelodies
Youtube: https://www.
youtube.com/vernavlog
Soundcloud: https://
soundcloud.com/vejoyy
Van: Ve Joyy, before
entering the musical
discourse, and as usual,
can you give us a
description of yourself?
Personal background,
where do you live,
hobbies, work, etc.? What
do you think of yourself?
Ve Joyy: Ve joyy is short
for Verna Joy, hiya!
I’m a singer, vlogger,
and comedienne in the
Philippines. I am living
with my youngest
brother and being his
guardian too. We do a
lot of FB lives, I sing, and
he dances to my singing.
I think that I am just a
simple person who has a
BIG DREAM

performances in SL?
Ve Joyy: I like when
I make people happy
through my singing, I love
how they appreciate me
not only as a performer
but also as a friend. I
love how they help me,
sincerely. One thing I
dislike is the low internet
or glitch-LOL- I mean,
who doesn’t? lol
Van: Is customizing a
song a natural process for
you, or do you first need a
thorough understanding
of the character who
wrote that song?
Ve Joyy: Mhm... so far,
this is only my opinion; I
think that venues should
have at least an affordable
entrance fee, so that
venue owners don’t lose
in some shows. and also,
I must say that I so love
how organize the SL
music industry is, and of
course, the people who
come and support Live
Entertainment in SL!

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ASHLEY
Ashley,
FEMALE FASHION
Fashion has always fascinated me ever since I was
a child. I like the fabrics, the details, the simplicity
combined with good taste, the clean lines, the creativity,
the elegance of a product created specifically to make
you feel unique and beautiful.
For these reasons, when I entered Second Life, I was
immediately attracted by Essellian fashion, and for
a long time, I devoted myself to a small clothes and
accessories shop.
I then got into photography, thanks to a photographer
friend of mine, and at that point, the next step was
to create my fashion blog. I also have a tattoo shop
in partnership with an outstanding graphic designer,
and I have started my adventure with the 360 GRADI
Magazine.
I want to thank Oema for the great opportunity; I am
thrilled and honored to be part of this editorial family.
In the magazine, I would like to bring my experience as
a blogger, some ideas that I hope will be useful to you,
and my vision in Second Life fashion.
Ashley
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A DAY IN PARIS
FASHION
Written by ASHLEY.
Images by ASHLEY.
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
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A DAY
IN PARIS
Fashion in Second Life follows
the same patterns and trends as
in real life, and what we like and
are attracted to in SL is what we
would like to wear in real life.
Imagine a day in Paris, the
Eiffel Tower in the background,
bustling bistros, and a glimpse of
the Seine with a perfect Parisian
look.
Fashion in Second Life follows
the same patterns and trends as
in real life, and what we like and
are attracted to in SL is what we
would like to wear in real life.
There is much more choice for
women than for men, but you
can create different looks to give
free rein to your imagination
and the flair of the moment.
There is a wide choice of styles
and models, from sporty to
formal to themed outfits,
skilfully created by Second Life
stylists, who use 3D graphics
programs to make their creations
very similar to reality. Clothes
and accessories help you
complete your look, or one for
a theme night, for your favorite
role-playing game, or even for a
special evening, an anniversary,
Let Ashley inspire you to
create your look and take
you on a tour of Paris.
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a birthday celebration,
a wedding, or even a
theatre show or ballet.
And there is also the case
that you need the dress
or accessory to take a
photo in a lovely land and
enhance both the look
and the landscape.
All in all, you can play
with fashion in Second
Life; you can transform
it by choosing from a
multitude of creators and
events that always offer
us new ideas. After all,
as a great Italian fashion
designer says, what you
wear is your way of
presenting yourself to
the world, and this is also
valid in Second Life.
Visit the location:
http://maps.secondlife.
com/secondlife/
Marion/80/140/29
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JARLA CAPALINI
Jarla Capalini,
PHOTOGRAPHY
Head Column
Writing with light, from the Greek φῶς, φωτός, “light” and
γραϕία, “writing”, this is “photography”.
Now I know that talking about photography in Second
Life will surely make purists curl their noses or smile at
the most benevolent professionals and enthusiasts. Still,
once there were film and exposure meter, then came
digital cameras and files today. We also use phones to take
pictures, and thanks (maybe) to them, photography is now
within everyone’s reach.
Here then is that a “viewer,” with all its peculiarities
techniques can become a perfect means to “write” with the
virtual “light” the encounter between the subject and the
eye of the photographer, from which a new possible vision
is born.
The imagination of reality, albeit virtual.
This one we will do in our journey among the
photographers of Second Life: we will talk about
technique, composition, inspiration and
passion, hoping to convince skeptics that our images,
although depicting a world of pixels,
can rightly be considered “photography.”
Jarla
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LOVERDAG
PHOTOGRAPHER
Loverdag started by photographing panoramas and
became an icon of unedited photographs. Today she
is (also) a successful blogger.
Writen by JARLA CAPALINI.
Images by LOVERDAG.
LEGGI IN ITALIANO
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PHOTOGRAPHER
LOVERDAG
Loverdag’s peculiarity is to create
the finished photo, ready for
publication, all within the virtual
world, with the exclusive use of
the viewer and photography huds
available in Second Life.
Let’s get to know her better and try
to discover her stylistic reasons.
In this issue, we meet Loverdag, a
talented photographer who was
an icon for lovers of landscape
photography for a long time,
a reference point for those
who wanted to discover new
destinations in Second Life. Over
time, curiosity and technique
have enriched her artistic career
with unique motivations. For
two years, she has dedicated
herself to fashion, always giving
us images full of color, harmony,
emotion.
Her peculiarity is to create
the finished photo, ready for
publication, all within the virtual
world, with the exclusive use
of the viewer and photography
huds available in Second Life.
Let’s get to know her better
and try to discover her stylistic
reasons.
Jarla: How your passion for
photography in Second Life was
born?
Loverdag: One day, I realized
RL trips and climbing
mountains with my heavy
camera backpack, various
lenses, glass filters and such,
became too challenging for
Unedited portrait by Loverdag.
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me. Virtual traveling
and photography were
a nice comfortable
replacements. My back
pain approved.
Jarla: What fascinates
you about SL
photography?
Loverdag: How great
unedited pictures we can
create within an 18 years
old platform.
Jarla: How does the
whole process develop
from the choice of the
subject to the final photo?
Loverdag: I don’t have
any proper process, plan
what to do, or rules to
follow; I’m very random.
I often don’t know if the
picture will be taken with
summer sunny afternoon
light, grey foggy autumn
weather, or night. I just
try few things and see
what I like. In particular,
creating my own sky and
graphics settings for each
picture gives big freedom
in this regard; I’m not
limited by anything premade.
Like that, I literally
don’t know where it will
take me and what the
result will be like; it is a
random adventure.
Jarla: How long does it
take to get a satisfying
result?
Loverdag: There are
“ I’m thankful for
every follower with
a genuine interest
in my work.”
Loverdag
some satisfying results?
(Laughs). Not for me ...
I’m never happy with
my work. Each picture
is a compromise. How
long it takes depends on
many things, it may be 15
minutes or two hours.
Jarla: You do not edit
the photos with external
programs. Can you
explain to us this choice?
Loverdag: Editing needs
skills as well; at least good
editing does. I was just too
lazy to learn that.
Jarla: Your style is
peculiar and very
identifiable, but over the
years, you have been
imitated; how does this
make you feel?
Loverdag: I think it’s
actually a compliment;
nobody would bother to
copy what they don’t like.
Jarla: For a long time,
you have photographed
landscapes, but recently
your style, even if
always recognizable, has
changed. Why?
Loverdag: As you said, I
took landscapes for a long
time, and I was tired of
it. Blog-sponsored items
are a creative adventure
and challenge; you never
know what you will get
to blog. Some items are
even “out of the box,”
not my usual style. To
deal with such creative
challenges was precisely
the fresh air I needed.
And let me add it was not
that recently; my fashion
blogging started about
two years ago. It still feels
like a good choice, it’s fun.
I didn’t abandon
destination blogging
entirely, though. I still try
to blog 4-5 destinations
per month, as I always
did, just in single pictures,
not in entire sets of
photos anymore.
Jarla: You have over
10000 followers. How
does it make you feel so
followed, and how much
does this affect when you
photograph?
Loverdag: I’m thankful
for every follower with
a genuine interest in my
work. But numbers are
silly ... and make people
do silly things. Like to
spam in hundreds of
Flickr groups, no matter
what their rules or
themes are. Or to play
“follow me, I will follow
you back” games. People
follow each other for
various reasons; these
numbers don’t always
reflect how good our
work is. We should not
give them bigger value
than they deserve.
Jarla: Would you like to
share with us a “secret”
about photography on SL?
You can also say no if you
prefer.
Loverdag: I don’t think I
have a “secret”; it is more
the fact many people
don’t want to hear: if you
started with photography
yesterday, there is no
magical guide or video
tutorial that would make
you master photographer
tomorrow. Skills need
time and effort to happen.
Jarla: Your “best” flaw?
Loverdag: High
expectations from others
and lack of patience. It
really is an unfortunate
combo; I can tell you ...
(Laughs). Thank you for
your interest and this
interview!
References
Flickr: https://www.flickr.
com/photos/89022498@
N04/
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CAMP MOGUL ITALIA
BOUTIQUE IN SECOND LIFE
Camp Italia è un punto di riferimento importante
nel settore culturale della comunità italiana in
Second Exploring Life. MOGUL store through the eyes and
camera of Honey Bender.
Scritto da OEMA.
Immagini di OEMA.
Written by HONEY BENDER.
Images by HONEY BENDER.
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MOGUL BOUTIQUE
IN SECOND LIFE
The swanky fashion boutique MOGUL opened in SL in
2014, and from the very beginning the brand had a distinct
style that set them apart on the grid.
Honey Bender
introduces
MOGUL
“Back in the
beginning our style
was fit for a 2014-
2016 city girl look:
business casual, yet
playful with designs
and prints.”
Dmitréi
MOGUL started on IMVU, another virtual world,
with a successful brand.
MOGUL’s creative director Dmitréi
reveals her inspiration is her mother
– and the beautiful city of Florence.
The swanky fashion boutique MOGUL
opened in SL in 2014, and from the
very beginning the brand had a distinct
style that set them apart on the grid.
As a lover of everything cutting-edge
I bought my first item in 2019 when I
was styling for a runway show. They
had just launched “The Neelah” – a pair
of couture pumps in a myriad of bold
colors, and with feathery trimmings
around the toe and heel. I
was blown away!
Some of their designs
have become my alltime
favorite wardrobe
pieces, like for instance
the “Jia” skirt and “Ecru
Fleur” top aa well as the
“Maeva” cut-out leotard
that comes with matching
pants. Creative director
Dmitréi Oyibo explains
that they always go for a
look that is immaculate,
colorful, and playful.
“Back in the beginning
our style was fit for a
2014-2016 city girl look:
business casual, yet
playful with designs and
prints”, says Dmitréi,
and reveals that before
Second Life, she ran
Mogul on a different
game:
“Actually, baby, I started
my brand on IMVU,
another virtual game”
says Dmitréi who have
become one of the
most successful fashion
creatives in Second Life.
Like some of the most
popular RL fashion
houses she believes in the
power of collaboration
and have done exciting
collabs with brand Vive
Nine under the label Vive
Nine Ryvolter & NU by
MOGUL. In October 2019
they launched their fall/
winter 2020 release at the
LEVEL shopping event:
a meticulously designed
Swarovski crystal-netted
catsuit made casual by
combining it with a pair
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“Florence is the perfect fit for MOGUL: fresh &
Eye-Catching” says Dmitréi.
Camp Italia has organized several basic and
advanced courses to learn how to use the
platform.
of ripped, cutoff denims, slouchy
thigh high boots and a punky
T-shirt. Dmitréi admits they love
pushing the boundaries. And
when it comes to inspiration and
role models she reveals that their
biggest inspiration is someone
close to home:
“The one that has had the biggest
influence on me getting into
fashion is my mother, who is
knows as Pierce on IMVU and
Regellan Monday in Second Life.
In her prime back on IMVU she
kept everybody on their toes
like no other. I try to go for that
effect” says Dmitréi.
The brands DNA is bold and
edgy. Campaigns feature a
diverse lineup of models which
reveal they are on trend also
here. According to Facebook
they stem from Florence,
Italy - one of the world’s most
influential fashion capitals.
“Florence is the perfect fit for
MOGUL: fresh & Eye-Catching”
says Dmitréi.
The pants, suits, skirts and
dresses are tailored and with a
strong sculptural look that give
of a distinct architectural vibe as
well as a nod to athleisure wear.
That Alexander Wang is among
her favorite designers comes as
no surprise.
“I live for a well-structured,
fitted sexy look, fashionable and
trendy. My inspiration comes
from some of my favorite RL
brands such as: Laquan Smith,
Alexander Wang, Dion Lee” says
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Dmitréi.
Honey: Who do you see as the
typical MOGUL-woman?
Dmitréi : “Oh, I love this
question!” she muses.
“It would have to be Bella Hadid.
She is a girl that has it all; exactly
one of the ideas I like to present
with this brand.
Honey: How important are
RL fashion trends to you as a
creator? Are SL styles pretty
much on trend with RL fashion?
Dmitréi : “For the most part, I
try not to chase trends, it sucks
because I know fast fashion is
rapidly evolving so I try to find a
thin line in between trendy, but
not your typical & expected” she
says.
There is a lot of talk about the
link between virtual worlds
and the real world today, and
Dmitréi can see a future where
she could transfer her creations
to RL.
“This has been a thought in my
head, but not quite sure yet how
I would incorporate MOGUL in
real life. Ask me in a year!” she
smiles.
Honey: Can you name a RL
celebrity you would have loved
to dress?
Dmitréi : “American rapper and
songwriter Flo Milli. Her style is
diverse, yet striking!
References
MOGUL store:
http://maps.secondlife.com/
secondlife/Vogue/62/206/3962
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A special thanks to
Special thanks to our loyal readers who
put the magazine kiosk on their land:
Lee Olsen
LUNDY ART GALLERY
Tia Rungray
STRUKTURO
-Ñïéü- (nieuwenhove)
NOIR’WEN CITY
Dixmix source
DixMix Art Gallery
Anelie Abeyante
La Maison d’Aneli
Ilyra Chardin (ilyra.chardin)
Emergent Gallery
LIV (ragingbellls)
Raging Graphix Gallery
Michiel Bechir
Michiel Bechir Gallery at Embrace
Michiel Art Cafe
Hermes Kondor
Viktor Savior de Grataine (viktorsavior)
SHINY (narayanraja)
Bohemio Love
Jaz (Jessamine2108)
Art Promotion
Camp Italia
Mediterraneo-Oc
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SEEN ON FLICKR
SL PHOTOGRAPHERS
ROXAANE MISS
FRANCE
Chosen by
the publisher.
Beautiful
photographs
seen on the
Flickr group
of 360 GRADI
Magazine.
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Mya
Audebarn
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Julia Millar
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Elaine
Lectar

Mya
Audebarn
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Twain Orfan
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Andrew
Drake
Anto
Haiku
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Elaine Lectar
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Stupenda
Flux
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Mya
Audebarn
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Alba
Silverfall
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Julia Millar
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Simply
Jana

MIna
Arcana
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Coqueta
Georgia El ático
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M I R U
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Thank you for
reading.
We hope you enjoyed
this issue.
For advertising in 360
GRADI Magazine write
to:
360gradi.sl@gmail.com.
360 GRADI Magazine
Copyright.
We are not affiliated
with Linden Lab.
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