Brenda Laurel, Composing Cyberspace

Brenda Laurel,
"Virtual Reality: A New Opposable Thumb"

Brenda Laurel (b. 1950) is vice president for design of Purple Moon, a company that creates interactive entertainment for girls ages 8 to 12. She is also a member of the research staff at Interval Research Corporation‚ a writer focusing on human-computer interaction and the social and cultural aspects of technology. In designing and writing about video games and virtual reality (VR) environments, she applies her academic training in theater, a long-standing interest in interactive art, and a concern for the social and gender effects of new technologies. She is the editor of The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design (Addison-Wesley, 1990) and author of Computers as Theater (Addison-Wesley, 1991), from which this selection is taken.

Brenda Laurel's home page

"Virtual Reality: A New Opposable Thumb" (Composing Cyberspace p. 328) is not available online.

1. What does Laurel seem to mean when she says that virtual reality is "like reality only different" -- different how, for example? What are the major obstacles that she suggests must "be overcome before virtual reality can deliver the robust kinds of experiences that we fantasize about" ?

2. In what ways do "new media open new possibilities for experience", according to Laurel? How persuaded are you by this idea? What examples of new media opening up new possibilities can you relate from your own experience?

3. It's in making art Laurel argues, that the greatest potential for virtual reality (VR) lies. What are her views on the purposes of art, and how does she think VR relates to other artistic media? What do you think such an artistic use of VR might look like? How does this vision compare with actual or imagined uses of VR that you've heard about, such as arcade games or the "holodeck" of "Star Trek" fame?

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