The renowned computer scientist, composer, visual artist, and author Jaron Lanier was born on May 3rd 1960, in New York City, New York. His many debatable theories and projects have earned him a reputation that has progressively built over the years, which has been proven to be significant to a large extent as in 2010 Lanier was nominated in the TIME 100 list of influential people, along with his selection as Global Business Network's 100 “remarkable people”. (Discovery Communications, 2013.) This demonstrates his potent importance and popularity in the technological community, along with the several others he belongs to due to his vary interests in not only sciences but also in the arts.
There is an evident lifelong task Lanier has set himself up for when it comes to his work, which is exhibited in the endless efforts put in over the years and throughout his career to entertain and teach. The reputable scholar and thinker he has published several books which revolve around his work and has given a great deal of speeches on numerous topic. Jaron Lanier has also known for the time he spends working on projects, and for this he has become famed as a “computer science pioneer who has grown gradually disenchanted with the online world since his early days popularizing the idea of virtual reality,” (Timberg, S. 2013). Lanier was regarded as the person who coined the term 'virtual reality', and he was credited as the founder and a collaborator for VPL Research which was in the 1980's. This was one of the first companies among others to produce and develop VR Products, however they eventually went bankrupt in 1990 and in 1999. (VPL Research, 2009).
Despite being being one of the first people to assist in the development of the technology we use in modern day, when taking the more philosophical view, Lanier openly admits the faults that we now must revise and consider if we are looking for something better than a dystopia future. He envisions a negative trend that as a world, we're set to embark upon, however, he also believes all is not lost and there is a way out. “Lanier has always clung, instead, to the belief that technology must enhance human life and opportunities for human contact, not supplant them.” (Burkeman, O. 2001) This is one of the influential thoughts that is brought up in his book: Who Owns the Future? Of which several arguments are raised about how we will respond and react to the new technologies in the world and whether they will affect it in a positive or negative way.
There is an evident lifelong task Lanier has set himself up for when it comes to his work, which is exhibited in the endless efforts put in over the years and throughout his career to entertain and teach. The reputable scholar and thinker he has published several books which revolve around his work and has given a great deal of speeches on numerous topic. Jaron Lanier has also known for the time he spends working on projects, and for this he has become famed as a “computer science pioneer who has grown gradually disenchanted with the online world since his early days popularizing the idea of virtual reality,” (Timberg, S. 2013). Lanier was regarded as the person who coined the term 'virtual reality', and he was credited as the founder and a collaborator for VPL Research which was in the 1980's. This was one of the first companies among others to produce and develop VR Products, however they eventually went bankrupt in 1990 and in 1999. (VPL Research, 2009).
Despite being being one of the first people to assist in the development of the technology we use in modern day, when taking the more philosophical view, Lanier openly admits the faults that we now must revise and consider if we are looking for something better than a dystopia future. He envisions a negative trend that as a world, we're set to embark upon, however, he also believes all is not lost and there is a way out. “Lanier has always clung, instead, to the belief that technology must enhance human life and opportunities for human contact, not supplant them.” (Burkeman, O. 2001) This is one of the influential thoughts that is brought up in his book: Who Owns the Future? Of which several arguments are raised about how we will respond and react to the new technologies in the world and whether they will affect it in a positive or negative way.
Although Lanier is primarily known for his digital research and projects, he does however, hold a entirely different discipline under his belt as a composer of “new” classical music and is also known for his passion for specialist and rare instruments. Over many years, Lanier has commissioned in several performances, including the Continental Harmony, which went on to win a CINE Golden Eagle Award. (Discovery Communications, 2013.) Among these works was the soundtrack to the documentary film, The Third Wave (2009) which he co-composed. Depending on the subject, Lanier has managed to attain very different and very large audiences which has accumulated over the years, while they may be for different reasons, it is clear that he holds the respect from many people due to the expression of his works.
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[Lanier plays 7000 year old instruments, showing his creative talents.]
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