The essay, or more accurately a “rant” as described by Bret Victor, mainly focuses on user interaction both presently and in the distant future. Victor argues that the sense of touch, essential to human work for millions of years, is important to understanding his argument. He emphasizes that technology doesn’t simply happen but is rather a result of careful development. In introducing the concept of “Pictures Under Glass,” which represents “an interaction paradigm of permanent numbness,” the author highlights how this denies our hands their natural capabilities. Consequently, he argues against accepting an Interface Of The Future that is less expressive than a when making a sandwich. To avoid that, Victor highlights how we must understand that the future hinges on our choices as people determine which ideas to pursue, which research to support, and how they’ll shape their professional paths. Last but not least, he wraps up with an interesting question: in a world where we control our entire bodies, should our interactions boil down to just a finger?
I understand where the author is coming from; revolutionary technology comes out of long research, but as we can see nowadays, technology is all around us, and what the author seems to be leaning toward is making technology a part of us. Don’t get me wrong, I support technology being improved & people being innovative, but I must fear that there will come a day when the line will be crossed and it will not simply be “pictures under glass,” but rather “pictures under skin.” For better or for worse, this is one of my concerns, and I believe it is a concern shared by many, which is why we have remained in an era where interactions have “permanent numbness.” The “glass” referred to in “pictures under glass” should always be there; it is when that barrier is broken that ideas will have no limit, which is a good thing, but it is also when many other things will have no limit, and that’s what’s dangerous. That said, I believe the future shouldn’t be limited to just a single finger, but also not utilized by all of them.