From: shebs@Apple.COM (Stan Shebs)
Subject: Re: Danger of Immersive VR (Was Re: Any report on Bay area SIGGRAPH
Date: 4 Jun 91 18:33:34 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA




In article <1991Jun4.030757.993@milton.u.washington.edu> rcd@ico.isc.com 
(Dick Dunn) writes:

>In fact, it seems to me that the total immersion created by VR makes it
>incredibly corruptible...all it takes is a little experience in how to
>control the participants and lead them to what you want them to "want to
>experience".  The illusion of control in VR could be dangerous because
>it's an illusion--if you're led to a particular viewpoint or experience,
>doesn't the illusion of having gotten there under your own control (rather
>than passively, as with TV) make it all that much more persuasive?  Yeah,
>I know, that's a pretty dark view...but what am I missing that argues
>against it?

Both the user and the author can unwittingly collaborate to produce horrid
things:  imagine a VR documentary about the Third Reich, where a user with
secret dreams of power takes on the role of Hitler, gradually adjusting the
VR so that he takes over the world, establishes the thousand-year Reich,
and dies peacefully of old age - simultaneously dying of dehydration in
real life, having stayed in the VR too long.  VR could be like wireheading
with more variety...

The evidence so far seems to be that our brains aren't particular about
where the stimuli come from, and that synthetic is just fine.  Seems to me 
it's only been our bodies that have saved the race from our brains'
survival-threatening obsessions with religion (think of medieval hermits),
drugs, war, ideology, etc.  Perhaps this is how we'll survive the dangers
of VR as well.

						Stan Shebs
						Apple ATG System Software