School days, school days,
Dear old Golden Rule days
‘Reading and ‘riting and ‘rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hick’ry stick…*
I recently spent a couple of hours with KING TUT and all that tantalizing gold that he took to his Sleeping World. He also took a lot of hieroglyphic reading material, not forgetting some of his chariots, jewels, clothing, weapons, games, furniture, food, wine and cosmetics. That’s what you call a death-defying and brave moving journey! Thank you National Geographic for putting us together.
P.S. The exhibition was swell but as I was leaving, Tut whispered to me that although he was fuming about the forced entries into his private sleeping world along with the nerve of scooping up his personal possessions, statuary, gorgeous masks and schlepping them around the universe, he has forgiven Lord Carnarvon because his afterlife has brought him acclaim and attention. He’s so happy!
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
I apologized for the schlepping and gave a hot minute’s thought to studying hieroglyphs so we could write to each other, but in my ever involving octogenarian world, I discovered I might do better to step it up and study a current, new universe. Its vocabulary seems a bit grandiose and elaborate to me, but, why not? So back to school for me!
Call it what you will—redrawing reality, science fictional or out-of-the-box, the Phygital World is a happening! It sounds weird and challenging, so now what? Stick with the old or attempt the new or both? In reality, a few new terms have never stopped any of my Senior friends. They are always ahead of the curve. Hold onto your hats—here we go.
A Bunch Of Details:
The phygital world is a marketing term that wants us to keep connecting/spending our money if we are not physically in a store. It’s a method of revamping online shopping by blending physical and digital. And the phygital people are counting on transforming the way we shop and do business. A hybrid shopping environment, Whew!
From Google, wisdom in the language teaching world suggests introducing 5-10 new words per day with a chance you might still remember them all by the time you go to sleep.
P.S. Please let me know if you remember phygital when you go to bed if this is first time you are hearing it.
For us to enter this phygital world, we have to identify, ta da——AR, VR, AI. There are a lot more ta da’s, but for now, please meet:
AR – defines Augmented Reality.
Augmented Reality (AR) opens a live view often by using the camera on a smartphone. The way I shop for shoes is to go to a shoe store where I can try on as many shoes as I need to find the right fit and style before I purchase—known as “try before you buy”. I am physically in the store, wearing, feeling and looking at the shoes on my feet. Wait, but now:
“You can now virtually try on digital versions of shoes before you buy them on Amazon.” The Amazon online retailer has announced the launch of its “Virtual Try-On for Shoes” feature, an augmented reality shopping tool.
As the name suggests, shoppers can tap the “virtual try-on” button on a footwear product and then aim their smartphone camera at their feet. A pair of virtual shoes then appears on their screen. AR users are now in contact with the real world and “Amazon is using augmented reality to let you try on shoes virtually before buying. While you cannot feel how the shoe fits, you have a view of how the shoes look on your feet and customers can change the shoes’ color options to see what it would look like.” Will they see my painted toenails?
Augmented Reality
VR – defines Virtual Reality.
VR users move in a completely fictional world, while AR users are in contact with the real world. OK! I want to get this right:
“The computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way…”. Meaning that this is “a computer-generated environment that, to the person experiencing it, closely resembles reality”. A hugely popular aspect is playing computer games, often with special equipment. Maybe the next time I’m asked to take the driver’s test, I may never step into a car at all? After which, a voice from between my ears proclaims, “You Passed!” Who said that? Oh well, yea me! ***
. Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality has the capacity to inspire us to communicate and work using technology of the future. It has both entertainment and serious uses. Virtual reality and its cousin augmented reality could substantively change the way we interface with our digital technologies. Do I want that? I don’t know! I’m continually struggling with THIS reality!
AI – defines Artificial Intelligence.
We’ve all been exposed to it originally through film, believe it or not beginning with Frankenstein and the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz. (a functioning entity without a physical heart).
Artificial Intelligence – “The Wizard of Oz”, Vanity Fair In the 1950’s Alan Turing spearheaded a way to have future machines demonstrate intelligence. “AI” Computers quickly advanced to the famous 1997 Chess Match with the IBM Deep Blue Computer beating world chess champion, Garry Kasparov. Today, there seems to be no stopping this profound and fascinating AI future.
For now, my future in AR, VR, and AI is still at that early stages of understanding the concepts – let alone how it might help me find my way to my doctor’s office, order a prescription through a virtual kiosk, or have a spiritual moment with my newly acquired – virtually augmented senior body!
The last thing Tut said to me: “Forget hieroglyphics, you have the opportunity to move forward—— Keep learning Old Lady, break new ground in that head of yours and embrace change!”
OK? [weakly]
SY’s Salient Points
P.S. I did not remember phygital when going to bed the first time I heard it! I also did not remember it after reading it a lot more. Hmmm.
I am definitely part of the digital world, but willing to become a freshman. Life is about making space, opening doors. My door is in the slightly open stage. I hope you will help push it.
Citations:
*Wikipedia School Days Will D. Cobb and Gus Edwards song. A 1907 popular song.
**By Euronews Updated: 10/06/2022
***Oxford Languages
****Harvard University “The History of Artificial Intelligence” Science in the New.
Happy Birthday and St. Urho’s Day Everett!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day My Darling Blaire!