Computing Technologies Analysis

Bash LiiF 14.3

The BASH LiiF phone in the movie looks somewhat futuristic but bears similarities to the cell phones we have today in terms of function. For example, the BASH LiiF phone is seen to be very distracting, as it constantly receives notifications and alerts the user. Similarly, it was found that in 2018, smartphone users received approximately 50 notifications a day [1]. It seems the producers of the movie accurately portrayed smartphones in this regard. 

There is also a scene where a BASH LiiF phone buys a song and repeatedly does so without the user’s request, which was genuinely frustrating to the user. AI has been known to do this in real life. In 2017, a news station reported that a child ordered a dollhouse by telling Alexa to. Owners of Alexa devices who were watching this broadcast reported that this broadcast caused their Alexa devices to buy dollhouses without their permission [2].

The BASH LiiF phone is capable of determining the user’s emotions based on heartbeat and blood pressure, and then treats you accordingly. While no smartphone can do this yet, some companies (i.e. Spotify, Facebook, Netflix, Sony) are pushing for this feature to be accomplished and it is a controversial topic due to the ethics behind it [3].

Lastly, the BASH LiiF can also predict when and how people will die. It predicted that Mindy would die in a boring way and that he would die alone. The phone was wrong as Mindy was surrounded by his loving family when he lost his life. Individuals in the health industry have used AI to predict if patients would die in the next 5 years. The algorithm has a reported accuracy of 70% [4]. As artificial intelligence gets smarter, we can expect to see the accuracy of this algorithm increase.

Dell Computers

Dell computers are not seen too often during the movie, but they played a huge role in the movie.These computers were responsible for the calculations and monitoring of the rockets that were launched to obliterate the comet, the drones that were launched to destroy the comet, and the discovery & monitoring of the comet in the first place. Every time they have been shown on screen, they were portrayed accurately.

Apple Devices (iPhone 13, iPad, MacBook)

This movie had quite a few Apple devices included. Specifically the iPhone 13, iPad, and MacBook. These devices played a relatively small role in the movie and were portrayed accurately. The iPhone 13 was mainly used to record events, the iPad was used to watch events, and the MacBook was used to look up information and view entertainment, all of which are reasons why people use these devices in the real world.

Social Media

Although social media is not a concrete technological device, I decided to include it anyway. Some of the platforms seen are MeTube (a spinoff of Youtube), Vroom Vroom (which seems to have the same layout as Instagram), and Twitter (which looks to be the same in the movie as it does in real life). These platforms were mainly used to share information, opinions, and reactions about the comet itself and the scientists who spoke about the comet. Social media had a strong, noticeable presence in the film. Twitter helped push “Don’t Look Up”, those who denied the seriousness of the comet and “Just Look Up”, those who accepted the comet and its inevitable impact. CVN (a play on “CNN”) and Patriot News helped get information out about the comet. There was also a talk show called “The Daily Rip” where the hosts habitually conversed with scientists who studied the comet.

BEADS (BASH Explore & Acquire Drones)

The BEADS were created to reach the comet and mine the comet for its expensive materials. Unfortunately, these drones experienced various issues during their launch and were ultimately unsuccessful at mining the comet. While we do not have these types of drones today, I genuinely believe we could accomplish creations like this within the next few decades. Scientists are currently working on the design and implementation of flying drones in space [5].

Cryopods

The cryopods allowed the government members to survive the comet and worked to keep their bodies in the state they were in before it hit. Cryopods are fictional, yet seem realistic. Scientists have often pondered how to create them and have a decent understanding of how to [6].

References

1. Artyom Dogtiev, “Push Notification Statistics (2023)”, (Business of Apps, January 16 2023), https://www.businessofapps.com/marketplace/push-notifications/research/push-notifications-statistics/ (April 27 2023)

2. Chris Neiger, “6 Scary Stories of AI Gone Wrong”, (The Motley Fool, October 31 2017), https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/10/31/6-scary-stories-of-ai-gone-wrong.aspx (April 27 2023)

3. Adam Tanner, “Can Technology Read Your Emotions?”, (Consumer Reports, August 2 2021), https://www.consumerreports.org/artificial-intelligence/can-technology-read-your-emotions-a1096874808/ (April 27 2023)

4. Oakden-Rayner, L., Carneiro, G., Bessen, T. et al., “Precision Radiology: Predicting longevity using feature engineering and deep learning methods in a radiomics framework”, (Scientific Reports, May 10 2017), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01931-w#citeas (April 27 2023)

5. Brian Pitre, “The Future Of Drones: Outer Space, Urban Landscapes And Business Tasks”, (Forbes, June 30 2021), https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/06/30/the-future-of-drones-outer-space-urban-landscapes-and-business-tasks/?sh=3ebfe315e5d5 (April 27 2023)

6. Future Now, “What Is Cryogenic Sleep? Wake up in the future, Frozen humans brought back to life, (March 23 2021), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM7dtG4xuWQ (April 29 2023)