the onda

Via Kevin Kelly, I came across this fantastic short on the power of virtual reality by Bruce Branit. Kevin points out that the interface the protagonist uses is both compelling and extremely believable given the state of today's tools (i.e., Google Sketchup). As with those rare novels that brilliantly depict the future (Snowcrash, Neuromancer, Daemon), this short is worth watching to see where all of those CPU cycles are likely to come in handy:

World Builder from Bruce Branit on Vimeo.

Watching it also reminded me of both Richard Morgan's depiction of "virtuality" and even more of Greg Egan's fantastic (though tragically out of print) Permutation City where a set of embedded simulations drives the story forward.

There is no doubt we are heading towards this world, and whether it is 10 years or 25, it is going to ripple through everything: business, education, politics, how we socialize, etc. I for one hope that when we get there the interface is as good as what Branit portrays.