The Carrier Wave Principle

Authors

  • Aram Sinnreich American University
  • Jesse Gilbert Dark Matter Media

Keywords:

media studies, science and technology studies, information science, surveillance, privacy, authorship, affordances, computational analysis, forensics, epistemology

Abstract

In this article, we propose a new theoretical premise called the “carrier wave principle.” It holds that there is no fixed limit to the amount and variety of knowledge that may be produced from a given cultural artifact. This can be understood in relation to the exponential growth in the power and ubiquity of computational processing, which has reduced the procedural distance between cultural production, transmission, archiving, reception, and analysis. The resulting cascade of new interpretive epistemes has challenged the capacity of individuals, communities, and institutions to adapt, posing real-world challenges for privacy, identity, and subjectivity. We conclude that this principle will be integral to developing media, policies, and technologies that empower individuals and communities as computational processing continues to expand in adoption and scope.

Author Biographies

Aram Sinnreich, American University

Associate Professor and Chair, Communication Studies

Jesse Gilbert, Dark Matter Media

Jesse Gilbert is an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersection of visual art, sound and software design, creating flexible frameworks that are activated in live performance, via network interaction, or in installation settings.  Since 2010 he has primarily developed and performed with his software SpectralGL, an interactive listening instrument that generates real-time visual landscapes in response to sound.  Building on his work as a composer, sound designer and lifelong technologist, Gilbert’s creative output probes the phenomenological nature of listening itself through a practice centering on improvisation and collaborative dialogue.  Gilbert co-founded Dark Matter Media LLC in 2007, through which he consults on a variety of projects in the art and entertainment industries. From 2011-2017 he was the founding Chair of the Media Technology department at Woodbury University, and has taught interactive software design at both CalArts and UC San Diego.

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Published

2019-11-14

Issue

Vol. 13 (2019)

Section

Articles

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