Interactive Narrative Reading Assignment: "The Aesthestics of Emergence: Co-Constructed Interactions" by Melanie Baljko and Nell Tenhaaf

The article proved to be a rather difficult read; there was a lot of technical jargon I was unfamiliar with. However, I understood it to be about "A-life" known as Artificial life which encompasses human-computer interaction and the experience that is specifically designed and created in relationship to these interactions. It includes many theories and algorithms and sciences such as the chaos theory and theoretical biology. A-life can be anything from what we would normally call a robot (something that has a motor and/or sensors, etc.) to things that seem to be projections and installations, to things that are robotic but look nothing like what we would normally call a robot.

Specific to this article was the introduction of a new way to view such designed human-computer interactive experiences that is rid of the commonly used computer or television screens by using fiber-optic cables. The article then goes on to say that there is an aesthetic to human-computer interactive experiences because it is designed which that in mind and thus the elimination of commonly used boxy screens and their replacement with fiber optic cables and other materials allows for a different experience.. The meaning of aesthetics is discussed to encompass visual appearance and can be a design feature or element. The authors of this article describe their aesthetics as "the aesthetic of emergence" or, rather, "the embodied, situated participatory actions of both human and virtual agents".