TELEPRESENCE IN POPULAR CULTURE

A study of portrayals of presence

2001: A Space Odyssey

If you have information about this portrayal that is missing below or if you disagree information below, please Add a new portrayal with the exact same title as above and enter only the new or changed information.

ABOUT THE WORK

MEDIUM:

Film 

YEAR:

1968 

WRITER(S):

Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) & Arthur C. Clarke (screenplay)  

OWN COPY?

No 
 

ABOUT THE STORY

SUMMARY:

from imdb.com When the world is ruled by apes, one particular group discovers a mysterious rectangular monolith near their home, which imparts upon them the knowledge of tool use, and enables them to evolve into men. In the year 2001, a similar monolith is discovered on the moon, and is determined to have come from an area near Jupiter. Astronaut David Bowman, along with four companions, sets off for Jupiter on a spaceship controlled by HAL 9000, a revolutionary computer system that is every bit mankind's equal, and perhaps his superior. When HAL endangers the crew's lives for the sake of the mission, Bowman will have to first overcome the computer, then travel to the birthplace of the monolith, where whatever alien intelligence controls them decides that humanity is ready to take the next evolutionary step... Written by rmlohner 

ERA/YEAR:

Distant future 

CHARACTERISTICS
OF WORLD:

It is the year 2001, as envisioned in 1968. Space travel is normal. video phones are common. 
 
ABOUT THE PRESENCE-EVOKING TECHNOLOGY
NAME:
HAL 9000 
DESCRIPTION:
Hal is a computer that essentially runs a space ship. He monitors the air supply, entrancse, and communications systems, as well as others. He can hear, speak, and see the human astronauts. He essentially is the ship, built into the walls of the ship. The astronauts interact with HAl as if he were a person. They talk to him as if he was a man. They can speak into the air, and he can hear. He initally acts friendly, but then turns malevolent. 
NATURE OF TASK OR ACTIVITY:
Everything the astronauts would do on the ship - eat, sleep, hiberante, exercise, fix things within it. 
PERFORMANCE OF THE TECHNOLOGY:
At first Hal works great. However, then he kills most of the astronauts. It is unclear exactly why Hal kills them - but clearly he malfunctions. However, if he was programmed to kill them, he succeeds for the most part. 
 
ABOUT THE CREATORS OF THE TECHNOLOGY
DESCRIPTION:
unknown, although probably American military-industrial complex.  
MAJOR GOAL(S):
to advance science, to explore other planets. 
 
ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE PRESENCE
DESCRIPTION:
The astronauts are all white and male, generically attractive, in their 20s and 30s. 
 
ABOUT THE PRESENCE EXPERIENCE
TYPE(S) OF PRESENCE:
Social presence 
DESCRIPTION:
the experience is fine, until HAl decides to kill the humans. While the majority of the astronauts are hibernating during the long trip, he alters their air supply, asphyixating them. He then kills another astronaut in space. He then tries to killl the last astronaut, Dave. However, Dave sucessfully shuts down Hal. So, the presence experience ends by being quite unpleasent. 
USER AWARENESS:
yes. 
VALENCE:
pleasant at first, unpleasant later. 
SPECIFIC RESPONSES:
The astornauts depend upon Hal, relying on him for the very air they breathe. They develop a parasocial relationship with Hal. 
 
ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF PRESENCE
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES:
Well, Dave shuts down Hal. He survives the trip to Jupiter, alone, then ends up traveling through space and time through many dimensions, eventually witnessing his own death, and being reborn as a starchild. So....its a bittersweet ending. He will never return to Earth as himself, but gained much knowledge. 
 
AND FINALLY...
OTHER INFORMATION:
Hal is a quintessential peice of technology that turns evil. He is a prototype that many technologies later emulated. Or rather, the writers emulated. 
CODER NAME:
Amanda Scheiner 
CODER E-MAIL:
amandags@temple.edu 
CODER AFFILIATION:
Temple Unversity 
DATE CODED:
2/26/2007 

 

Top of Page