Video Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

I just watched Randy Pausch’s last presentation/lecture at Carnegie Melon University (CMU) and was both extremely saddened and inspired. A leader in the development of virtual worlds as part of the merger of art and technology, Randy has emphasized the unyielding importance of childhood dreams. He encouraged his students to find ways to fulfill these dreams through the mix of art and technology. He oversaw the creation of the CMU’s ETC program which very much resembles all that ITP embodies (albeit from a virtual world perspective). Diagnosed with terminal cancer, Randy most likely won’t see the evolution of his work, but can most certainly draw satisfaction from the fact that he leaves behind a rich legacy in the world of digital art.

The message I hope to take with me from the presentation is the importance of remaining true to one’s ‘childhood’ dreams and aspirations. These dreams most likely come together during our earlier developmental stages and formative years. Randy’s simple message tends to imply that a certain truth is blurred or lost as we humans progress through Piaget’s stages of development. If so, it is essential to establish a line of communication between our current and former understanding. As children add on layers of understanding and cognition how can one encourage a more recursive method for processing information (i.e. sensorimotor skills must not be abandoned in favor of post-operational rational)? Can software encourage such a relationship?