Cross Reality

The acronym XR used to refer to “Extended Reality”. But more recently I see that it is referring to “Cross Reality”. The general idea, as I understand it, is that Cross Reality is an overarching term that describes all of the possible ways to “cross” things that are virtual (like computer graphics) together with things that are real (like physical objects and other people).

So the term Cross Reality, or XR, is meant to encompass Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). I can see how it is useful to have a single term to talk about the entire larger topic.

On the other hand, the word “cross” itself has multiple meanings, which can lead to some confusion. Part of me sees the term “Cross Reality” and just thinks “The Gods are angry.”

Patterns

When you travel around the world, you can’t help but notice that many cultures have a unique language of abstract visual patterns. These patterns show up on pottery, fabrics, walls and many other surfaces.

Korea, China, Indonesia, Japan, various parts of India, different indigenous nations in the Americas — each has a distinct visual language, with its own mathematical underpinning. There are sometimes connections and influences between the patterns of one culture and another, but each culture’s family of patterns is unique and instantly identifiable.

I wonder whether there is a universal visual language of such patterns. Perhaps some unifying mathematical framework could tie them together, describing each unique cultural variation within the context of a single unifying theory.

Songs that don’t rhyme

I realized only this week that one of my favorite songs of all time, Paul Simon’s America, contains no rhymes at all. If you don’t believe me, you can listen for yourself.

I’ve been listening to this song for most of my life, and yet I have never noticed that before. It seems like an odd thing to never have noticed.

I wonder what other great songs contain absolutely no rhymes (even internal rhymes). Given my experience with America, I don’t think that I’m the best person to come up with a good list.

Undetected earworm

Today I suddenly realized that I had been playing the same song over in my head for about an hour. And that is a startling thing to realize.

I guess on some level I had been aware that it was happening, but other things were going on, and so somehow I hadn’t really noticed. But then when I did notice, I became conscious of just how long that same tune had been playing non-stop in my head.

I wonder how common this is, the sudden realization that you’ve been harboring an undetected earworm. Maybe there is something in our brains that tries its best to protect us from this knowledge, lest we go mad.

If that is the case, then maybe we experience a lot more earworms than we ever realize.

Crowded

Today I was in a crowded department store. I had trouble keeping track, through the crowd, of the location of the person I had come in with.

One problem was that the aisles with all the stuff were taller than my companion, and I don’t have X-ray vision. Wouldn’t it be great, I thought to myself, if I had a pair of glasses that simply showed me the location of my friend, right through those aisles.

Unlucky four

I learned today that in South Korea the number thirteen is not considered unlucky. Elevator buttons do not jump mysteriously from twelve to fourteen, because thirteen is just another number.

On the other hand, hospitals in South Korea do not have a fourth floor. Apparently, the number is four is associated with death. Not really where you want to be in a hospital.

So I assume that hospital evevator buttons jump from three to five. Which presumably solves the problem.

Except I wonder whether the people on the “fifth” floor of the hospital are just a little nervous.

Future privacy

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that “privacy” in a world where XR glasses replace SmartPhones will be contextual. There won’t be a single concept of privacy, but rather multiple concepts, depending on where you are.

In particular, it might become illegal to walk around in public without your XR glasses — or even to remove them momentarily.

We already have this in many ways. For example, when you are home, you are free to walk around without any clothing. But don’t try that nearly anywhere else.

In a similar spirit, I think there will be situations where it will be considered inappropriate — or even illegal — to remove your XR glasses in public. In some contexts, people will start to assert their right to not be seen as they really are. You will only be allowed to see them through the filter of XR glasses. This is something I have been thinking about for a while.

I know this doesn’t sound natural. On the other hand, there is nothing natural about social constructs around privacy.

It is, after all, perfectly “natural” to walk around without clothing in public. It is also illegal, and liable to get you locked up.

Social norms form around whatever allows a society to function. And a society that relies on the power of “XR glasses for everyone” will inevitably develop different social norms.

The future concept of privacy might end up being startling different from our concept of privacy today.

Phrases in songs

Certain phrases recur in multiple songs. This suggests some interesting games to play.

For example, given a particular phrase, can you find all of the songs where it appears? Or, in a variation on this, given two songs, can you find the phrase they have in common?

For example, what phrase is found in both the song “Famous Blue Raincoat” by Leonard Cohen, and the song “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon?

I think you get the idea.