Ultimate Objects — When thought experiments become tangible
How would the future look and feel like if the lines between what is real and what is virtual blurred? What kind of design methods can be applied to turn thought experiments into experienceable scenarios?
This thesis investigates how thought experiments related to our existence and technology can be made tangible. In particular, it researches how philosophical questions such as «Are we living in a simulation?» can be approached by designing immersive experiences. The explorative journey begins with observations made during a self-experiment around staged human-world interactions. The insight translates into thought experiments involving various senses. During the process of prototyping, it becomes apparent that ordinary objects could be used to make thought experiments done in virtual reality tangible. The thesis concludes with a mind game of its own, called «Ultimate Objects» – an experienceable speculative future where the virtual turns real.
