Daniel Week 9

I thought that Chris Milk's Ted Talk was incredibly insightful for a couple of reasons. I think when most people envision VR, it is as a part of the video game scene. This is probably the most popular application of virtual reality, but Milk makes sure people know it is far from the only one. Chris Milk lets it be known that VR can be a brilliant tool for immersion in any medium and to evoke a number of emotions. I think his argument for VR as a tool for empathy was impeccable. Clouds Over Sidra was a really eye-opening experience and a great demonstration of how VR can be applicable in areas other than video games. Seeing the journey through the girl's eyes as she takes it causes viewers to have a firsthand perspective. It lets the audience see things through her lens so that you can better understand what she saw and how she felt during each part. 

For my bring it to the table, I took a look at Becoming Homeless. Like Clouds over Sidra, Becoming Homeless creates a great argument for Vr as the "ultimate empathy machine". While many people have likely heard about people losing their homes, it is an entirely different experience to see it happen through a first person lens. Now you are the one becoming homeless, and everything on the screen is happening as if you are seeing it with you own eyes. Seeing the eviction notices come across your table is a harrowing experience and is one that paints the events in a new light. While it may not be real, it sure does seem it. The immersive capabilities of virtual reality are truly incredible, and these pieces are just a couple examples among thousands that show how it can be used to better empathize with different aspects of the human experience.