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Analyze of Becoming Human

http://www.becominghuman.org/

I will analyze the project Becoming Human, which is a project that offers many information

about human evolution. The purpose of this project is written on the main page, and it is:

BECOMING HUMAN BRINGS TOGETHER INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA,

RESEARCH AND SCHOLARSHIP TO PROMOTE GREATER UNDERSTANDING

OF THE COURSE OF HUMAN EVOLUTION.

In analyzing this project, I will apply the five Principles of New Media, introduced by Lev

Manovich in The Language of New Media. These principles show the main differences

between old media and new media.

The first principle is called Numerical Representation, which means that every new media objectis composed of digital code. Manovich explains here that new media objects can be described

formally, using a mathematical function, and also, they become programmable by using

algorithms. When new media objects are created on computer, they originate in numerical form.

Becoming Human is a good example for explaining the first principle, because there are pictures

and videos that can be manipulated using algorithms and mathematical functions. This project is

not one converted from a previous analogue one, but it is one created from the scratch on

computer.

The second principle that Manovich introduces is Modularity, also called fractal structure of

new media. It refers to media objects as represented as collections of discrete samples. These

objects are assembled in larger-scale objects, and in the same time they continue to maintain

their independence. Because of that, each of these elements can be modified separately, without

affecting the others.

Becoming Human shows exactly what modularity means, because it is formed by many

independent media objects. For example, the main page contains buttons that send us to other

objects, such as: ABOUT US, FEATURES, NEWS, and so on. Each of these pages can be

modified separately and independently from the others. Also, there is one video that also

represents a new object which keeps its independence.

The third principle is Automation. It strongly depends on the first two principles, because they

allow the computer to operate with algorithms and templates.

Referring to Becoming Human, we can say that the automation is represented by the

characteristic of this web page, that automatically generates web pages on the fly when the user

reaches the site.

http://www.becominghuman.org/http://www.becominghuman.org/

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Variability represents the fourth principle of New Media, and it is also a consequence of

numerical coding of media and modular structure of media object. Variability means that a new

media object can have many copies with different versions of the original, and instead of being

created completely by a human author, these versions are in part automatically assembled by a

computer. Modularity also affects variability in the sense that, stored digitally, media elements

maintain their separate identity and can be assembled into numerous sequences under program

control.

The project analyzed before can exist in many other different versions, because it is not

something fixed once and for all.

The last principle that Manovich talks about is called Transcoding, and in his point of view it is

the most substantial consequence of medias computerization. Computerization turns media into

computer data. Since new media is created on computers, distributed via computers, stored and

achieved on computers, the logic of a computer can be expected to influence the traditional

cultural logic of media. The ways in which computer models the world, represents data andallows us to operate on it. In new media language, to transcode something is to translate it into

another format.

Being created on computer, the project Becoming Human has the characteristics explained in the

last principle of new media.

Becoming Human is a project that belongs to new media and for this reason it has all the

characteristics specific to this media.