Theme ATMOS 2017
Written on May 25th, 2018 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}Do you remember that ‘OPEN’ sign written in fire red capitals which
flickered and zapped before finally turning on? Do you remember how it
remained glowing for the rest of the night, playfully calling you in?
When all else is asleep, the countless neon lights stand out cheekily
against the dark, defying the night.
Neon is a big deal in our culture. By catching our eye at unearthly
hours, it symbolises the desires we wouldn’t dare to show in the pious
daylight. That is why there is no such thing as a ‘dayclub’. Neon lights
are our ambitions all dressed up to party.
Morris W Travers, one of the discoverers of the element Neon was so
taken by the enchanting red glow, that he remarked, “the blaze of
crimson light from the tube told its own story and was a sight to dwell
upon and never forget." And we haven’t since.
Today, the ‘neon culture’ remains a strong element of our psyches. It
evokes the deepest and most intense emotions. Isn’t it curious to know
how how intricate technological fabrications of chemical elements,
electricity and heat are used to bring these powerful signs to life? It
just shows how technology and science are never separated from emotions.
Technology is not a dispassionate entity that exists different from
us. Instead, it is the tool that allows us to turn our inner world into
physical, tangible objects that shake the outer world.
Which is why, A Neon Dystopia is the perfect theme for this year’s
technical festival. What better way to bring out those terrifying ideas
and stealthy plans than setting up technical innovation against the
backdrop of the metaphorical neon lights? After all, anything goes when
it’s dark.
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk started out as a science fiction genre with a cult
following, describing an era of “High technology, low life”. The theme
for this Atmos focuses on the dark side of technology which is embodied
by the members of this cult. That our society is moving towards this
dystopia, makes the theme all the more relevant.
Although Cyberpunk began as a literary movement it soon seeped into
all forms of art, movies and fashion generating an all-encompassing and
ever-growing subculture. It is a complex and multi-layered philosophy,
whose dynamics are ever changing as our perception of the future
changes.
This philosophy is best described by cyberpunk protagonists, those of
a subversive nature, the outsiders, anti-heroes, outcasts, criminals,
visionaries, dissenters, misfits, people for whom ethics and social
stigmas don’t come in the way of aspirations, who don’t care much for
the system or the people who control it, those who are used to fighting
for what they feel is right and especially against those who dominate or
try to hamper their creative abilities. People chasing avenues such as,
time travel, human cloning, designer babies, artificial intelligence.
Hacking systems, breaking into restricted passages, and fighting for
independence is what defines a cyberpunk revolution.
Cyberpunk is now. Many of the things that were predicted in cyberpunk
are happening today. Designer babies seem to be just a little way ahead
now, with stem cell treatments research getting approved, chimeric
genetically engineered treatments possible, the lookout for a potential
in-vitro womb in progress, Crispr (a molecular tool which has the
potential to help manipulate DNA sequence). Improvements in prosthetics
and brain computer interface have resulted in brain-controlled
prosthetics, a mainstay of cyberpunk. Corporations increasingly dominate
global politics, and influence culture creating a situation ripe for
subversion.
Something to look-out for is how we adapt to this whole tech storm
which is approaching us. The question that is most important here is,
where exactly do we draw the line. The debate is on.