Dissertation Idea:
We have evolved through different environments; initially we were water based organisms then adapted to living on land, all the way up to the most recent socially interacting human we have now become.
But we have not evolved for one ‘set’ environment, the environment has been changing and we have ‘adapted’ to survive within it. As we have adapted to these environments we have developed ways of surviving, whether this is the opposable thumb or a basic nervous system. But the evolution process doesn’t ‘restart’ for each change in the environment, it builds on what has already evolved. This means that we have been left a legacy of old and possibly redundant adaptations, but what is worse is that because our environment is changing so fast at present (due to us) there is a increasing gap between our environment and our ability to naturally adapt to it.
For example problems we already know about include our innate desire for high energy, salty foods, but because these are plentiful now this desire is causing obesity and heart problems.
What problems are likely to arise due to the information age? What innate needs do we have that are now completely saturated? And how would ‘we’ have evolved to best suit this current environment?
As a designer working with technology today, what concerns me is how to bridge this gap between the environment and our society. The question of what can be done by designers to make future generations fit for the current environment rather than just fulfilling innate desires is one I intend to examine.
