Discussion #5

Episode 1

1.What is Krukowski’s main point about how we experience time in the “real” world versus are experiences with “digital” time? Why are these differences significant?

Krukowski’s main point about how we experience time in the “real” world versus our experiences with digital time is that the real-world time is the time we live and the actual experience we get out of the lived time. It is the one that we experience in the analog world where every moment is felt. Digital time is something that is pre – programed and we are directed towards it. We are told how our experience will be. These differences are significant because the genuine experience of a moment is being lost in the transition between real and digital time.

2.What does Krukowski mean when he says that listening has a lot to do with how we navigate space?

When Krukowski says that listening has a lot to do with how we navigate space, he means that sounds have the ability to tell us where we are. He tells us that we use our hearing to locate sounds around us to figure out our location. So, if we are not aware of the sounds of our surrounding, we are not in that place. You are at the place what your mind is listening to. If we are walking on the street of New York but if you are listening to something, your attention is on that audio and you are not aware of your surroundings or the space you are in. The piece of audio transports us to the world where it is coming from.

Episode 2

3.In the interview at the beginning of the episode, Jeremiah Moss argues that developers in Astor Place are “privatizing public space in a very stealth way.” What does he mean by this? What does Moss say about the distinction between public and private space, and why is it important?

Jeremiah argues that the developers in Astor Place are “privatizing public space in a very stealth way.” Here he means that the private companies are being cautious in trying to own public spaces. They develop these public spaces with better amenities such as tables with umbrellas and chairs, but with certain restrictions posed and added private security guards walking around. So, it is still public place, everyone is allowed to use it, yet you have to follow the rules set by these private developers. Moss tries to distinguish between public and private space. He says that public space is where people can do whatever they like to do, such as hold protest or somewhere people can express their opinions without having to follow rules set by private companies. He argues that it is important because people don’t realize the encroachment of their public spaces. They are not even aware of the public space they are around because they are always on their screen. They notice that there is a glass tower on their path, and they lift their gaze off their screen to see their reflection and then resumes back on their screen. So, they are creating their own private bubble within a public space. He is worried that people are not paying attention to their changing surrounding.

4. What is the significance of Emily Thompson’s idea that the development of concert halls arose from desires to “control interior spaces”? How is this desire, according to Krukowski, related to earbuds and headphones?

Emily Thompson’s idea of the development of concert halls arose from desires to “control sound in interior spaces” because there were technological changes which gave rise to many machines that produced loud sound such as motor vehicle with loud engines, elevated trains everywhere and subways were simultaneously being built. So, that period was difficult for people to deal with. The desire to be in quieter environment inspired people to control noise in an interior space which eventually lead to the development of concert halls. According to Krukowski, this desire is related to earbuds and headphones because this device helps people create their own environment where they can avoid outside noise. He says, “They create an auditorium without the walls”. It is in a way creating the same refuge as concert hall can create. The stereo is catered to their own liking and own space.

5. In your own opinion, what are the key ideas from this episode about the relationship between sound and space? What strikes you as interesting about the ways that sound influences our experience of space.

In my own opinion, the main relationship between sound and space is that sounds make us aware of our surroundings and it lets us travel time. Certain sounds can be so striking that it makes us nostalgic and lets us reminisce the moment related to it. It is interesting how we can recognize our near and dear one’s voice and that sound takes us to the space where we can find that person. If we hear a voice that is close to a person we know, our mind takes us to the immediate memory we have of that person. So, if it is our school friend, it takes us back to our school. It is interesting that sounds can trigger our memory.