5
MySo-CalledSecondLife
Youravatarcanlookanywayyouwantitto,uptothelimitationsofyourequipment....
Youcanlooklikeagorilla,oradragon,oragianttalkingpenisintheMetaverse.
—NEALSTEPHENSON,SnowCrash
F
iveminutesbeforethescheduledevent,afewlast-minutearrivalstrickledintotheamphitheater.It
wasadiversecrowd:meninjeansandcasualdressshirtsandwomeninsundressesorworkoutgear
sharedspaceonthebencheswithheavy-metalrockers,punkswithMohawks,fanboys(andgirls)infull
steampunkregalia,andtheoccasionalpixie,troll,orelf.
TheywerealleagertohearauthorSethMnookinchataboutvaccines,autism,anddenialism,the
subjectofhisbookThePanicViruswithMITsciencewritingprofessorTomLevenson.Asthetwomen
tookthestage,Mnookin’sclothessuddenlyvanishedandhestoodstarknakedatthefrontofthe
amphitheater.Therewasabriefmomentofshockedsurpriseamongtheonlookersbeforewryamusement
setin.Meanwhile,theorganizersscrambledbehindthescenestogetMnookin’sclothesbackon.
No,thiswasnotMnookin’sworstnightmare,arehashofthatcommonanxietydreamofshowingup
nakedinclassthatmostofushavehadatsomepointinourlives.TheeventwastakingplaceinSecond
Life,avirtualworldinwhichpeoplecreatepersonalizedavatarsandusethemtonavigateandinteract
online.Therearevirtualshops,danceclubs,museums,researchgroups,churches,andparty-friendly
beachcabanas,aswellas“live”events.ThiswasMnookin’sfirstexperienceinSecondLife,andhewas
unfamiliarwiththeuserinterface.Hesimplyhitthewrongcommand,andinsteadofmakinghisavatar
takeaseat,hemadehisclothingdisappear.Afterafewmoreclicks,theclothesreappeared,andthe
momentaryawkwardnesssubsided.Therestoftheeventproceededwithoutahitch.
LaunchedinJune2003byLindenLabs,SecondLifenowboasts15millionusers.*Thenumbersare
evenmoreeye-poppingwhenyouincludeothervirtualspheres.TheBritishresearchfirmKZero
estimatesthatastaggering1.8billionpeopleworldwidehaveavatarsinvirtualworlds,andjustover1
billionofthosearebetweentheagesoffiveandfifteen.“Childrenaregrowingupimmersedinthisnew
paradigm,”saidJacquelynMorie,whostudiestheeffectsofimmersivetechnologiesandvirtualworldsat
theUniversityofSouthernCalifornia’sInstituteforCreativeTechnologies.“Theywillneverknowalife
wheretheycouldnotputonnewavatarsjustaseasilyasweputonoutfits.”
Justwhatissoappealingtosomanypeopleabouthavingasecondlife?Isuspectithastodowiththe
highdegreeofcontrolavailableto“residents”toshapetheirimageinthevirtualworldpreciselytotheir
liking—farmorethananyofuscanexertintheso-calledrealworld.Morie,forone,balksatthe
distinctionbetweenrealandvirtualworlds,arguingpersuasivelythatSecondLifeiseverybitasrealas
yourofflinelife.Inyourfirstlife,youmightbeapudgyschlubwithaboringjobandcrampedapartment
whodrivesabatteredToyota,butlogintoSecondLifeandyouinstantlybecomegood-looking,fit,well
dressed,andwealthyenoughtotoolaroundinasleekFerrari—whenyou’renotflying,thatis,orinstantly
teleportingfromplacetoplace.
Yes,youcandefythelawsofphysics.Youcanevenusethebuilt-in“camera”tozoominandoutand
rotateyourperspectiveonthevirtualspace.Perhapsabetterquestionmightbewhymorepeopledon’t
losethemselvesinSecondLife.“SomepeopleactuallyfindthemselvesinSecondLife,”saidSherry
Reson,producerofaSecondLifewebcastseriescalledVirtuallySpeakingScience.*
EverythinginSecondLifeisuser-generatedwiththethree-dimensionalmodelingtoolsandscripting
languagebuiltintothesoftware.Thereisabonafideeconomy,inwhichresidentscanexchange“Linden
dollars”(theofficialSecondLifecurrency)forgoodsandservices:clothing,hairstyles,houses,furniture,
property,artwork,pets,andspecificgesturesandanimations.Dancingisoneofthemostpopular
activities,followedbyhavingvirtualsex.Inadditiontogenitalia,youcanpurchaseawiderangeof
positions,kisses,embraces,thrustingmotions,and“adultaccessories.”Presumablythoseresidentswho
engageintheseactsderivesatisfactionfromtheexperience,eveniftheuserinterfaceisabitclumsyand
awkward.Indeed,forthosewithphysicaldisabilities,virtualsexmaybetheonlyavailableoption,as
Resondiscoveredindiscussionswithresidentsfromthosecommunities.“Ittaughtmethatthe
opportunitiesaffordedforarousalandrelease[inSecondLife]arelifechangingandlifesustaining,”she
said.
MyownactivityinSecondLifeisrelativelymundane.Ijoinedwhenmyspouse—whosedashing
avatarisnamedSeamusTomorrow—startedgivingoccasionalphysicslecturesaspartoftheMeta
InstituteforComputationalAstrophysics(MICA),anonprofitsciencegroupthatheldpubliceventsin
SecondLifeuntiltheprogramendedin2012.Wehaveamodernist-style,sparselyfurnishedhouse,anda
virtualfelinenamedMissKittywhoscampersaroundwithhertoyballandpurrswhenwepether.Once,
outofcuriosity,weusedthevirtualcameratozoomintotheinteriorofanearbyhouse,onlytofinda
nakedavatarcouplecopulatingenthusiastically:“Ack!Zoomout!Zoomout!”Wegenuinelyfeltasthough
we’dinvadedtheirprivacy.Thatiswhythebuilt-incamerahasbeenaptlydubbedthe“PervCam.”
ThereactiontoMnookin’snakedavatar,ortostumblinguponourvirtualneighborshavingabitof
sexytime,is“notjustacoldcognitivething,”saidMatthewBotvinick,aneuroscientistatPrinceton
University.“Thereareallsortsofmotivationalandsocialdimensionstoself-representation.Ifsomething
badhappenstoyouravatarinasocialcontext,thenthatwillengagethesameneuralcircuitrythatis
engagedwhensomethinghappenstotheactualyouinasocialcontext.”Severalyearsago,Botvinick
participatedinanexperimentinwhichresearchersinflictedmildpainonpeopleinanfMRIscanner.The
subjects’responsesmadeforasoundstudy,becausethepartofthebrainactivatedbypainiswell
established.Theresearchersthenaskedthesameparticipantstoviewvideosofothersexperiencingpain
andfoundthatthisactivatedthesamebrainregions.Theextenttowhichthisoccurreddependedonhow
closelytheyidentifiedwiththeotherperson.
Avatarsareavirtualextensionoftheself.Growingevidencesuggestsnotonlythatwebond
psychologicallywithouravatars,butthatthosebondsarestrongerthemoresimilaritieswesharewith
ouronlineselves.Astechnologycontinuestoadvance,onedaythatbondmaybecomeaphysicallinkas
well.Technically,anavatarisjustanobject,andonlyapixilatedoneatthat.Buttheobjectswithwhich
wesurroundourselvescannonethelesstelegraphagreatdealaboutwhoweare.
TokensandTotems
“Surelyyoudon’tbelieveinthatnonsense.”
Itwasintendedasarhetoricalquestion,utteredwithanimpliedwinkandasmirk,conveyingthe
unspokenassumptionthat,asreasonablehumanbeings,wewouldbothagreeonthis.Thespeaker,an
ardentskepticwhopridedhimselfonhisrationalapproachtolife,meantnooffense.Hewasmerely
surprisedtofindthatI,aloverofscience,toteabatteredkeychainembossedwithmyastrologicalsign:
Taurus.I’vecarrieditwithmefortwentyyears,likeapersonaltotem.
Itwasperfectlyreasonableformyskepticalinquirertoassumemykeychainsayssomethingaboutme.
Hewasemployingcueutilization.Weallmakesnapjudgmentswhenwemeetnewpeople,relyingon
certaincuestomakeassessments,andthosejudgmentsoftencanbeaccurate,atleastinbroadstrokes.
Physicalattractiveness,race,gender,facialsymmetry,skintexture,orfacialexpressionsandbody
languageareallfactorsthatcontributetohowweformourimpressionsofpeople.Thosecuesmayalso
includeour“stuff”:ourchoicesinfashion,jewelry,tattoos,andkeychainsallprovidecluesaboutwho
weare,whetherweintendthemtodosoornot.
SocialpsychologistSamGoslingisveryinterestedincheckingoutourstuff,butnotinacreepy,
voyeuristicway.Hehasstudiedhowwefillourspaceswithmaterialthings,particularlyofficesand
bedrooms,tobetterunderstandwhatthosechoicessayaboutourpersonalities.Forinstance,certainitems
functionas“consciousidentityclaims,”thingswechoosebasedonhowwewishtobeperceivedby
others—theposters,artwork,books,ormusicwedisplay,forexample,orthetattoosweinkontoour
bodies.Wealsofillourpersonalspaceswith“feelingregulators”:photographsoflovedones,family
heirlooms,favoritebooks,orsouvenirsfromtraveltoexoticlocales—anythingthatservestomeetsome
emotionalneed.“Ifyouaremissingsomeone,youcarryaphotoinyourwallet,orproppedupnexttoyour
computer,oryouvalueanecklacethatsomebodygavetoyou,”Goslingexplained.“Youdothesethingsto
connecttosomeoneasasortofproxy,untilyouseethatpersonagain.”Finally,thereiswhatheterms
“unconsciousbehavioralresidue,”cuesweleavebehindinourspacesasaresultofourhabitsand
behaviors.Ahighlyconscientiouspersonmayalphabetizetheirbooks,whilethebooksofsomeonewho
islessconscientiouswouldbemorehaphazardanddisorganized.*
Allthesecues,takentogether,paintafairlyaccurateroughsketchofthepersonalitybehindthem,even
thosethatarenotchosenconsciously.Gosling’sresearchshowedthatitispossibletoscantheobjectsin
someone’spersonalspacetomakeindirectinferencesaboutcertainpersonalitytraits.Thosepeoplewho
scorehighonopennesstoexperienceontheBigFivepersonalityinventorytendtofillroomswitha
greatervarietyofbooksandmagazines,whilethosewhoscorehighonconscientiousnesstendtohave
clean,well-lit,meticulouslyorganizedbedrooms.
However,Goslingcautionsthatthisisanimprecisemethod;wecanmisreadthosecues.Wemay
realizeagivenitemissignificantinsomewaytotheowner,butwemaynotinfercorrectlythestatement
thatitismaking.Contextiskey.Positioncanhelpdistinguishwhetheranobjectisservingasanidentity
claimorafeelingregulator.Ifyouwalkintosomeone’sofficeandthereisaweddingphotoonthedesk
facingoutward,soitcanbeclearlyseenbyvisitors,thatislikelyanidentityclaim.However,ifthesame
photoisturnedinsteadtofacetheowner,thenitlikelyfunctionsasafeelingregulator,toremindhimor
herofalovedone.
Thatiswhathappenedinmyencounterwiththeskepticwhoscoffedatmychoiceofkeychain.Itdoes
saysomethingaboutme,butheinterpreteditasanidentityclaim,wheninfactitisafeelingregulator.
Thereisastorybehindthatkeychain,orrather,asingularpersonbythenameofNick.Webecame
friendsaseageryoungtwentysomethingsinNewYorkCity,whenwebothendedupworkingbrieflyfor
thesamelegalpublisher.Nickwassmart,sarcastic,andflamboyantlyfunny,anaturalraconteurwho
couldholdaroomfulofdinnerguestsinraptattention,usuallydoubledoverinlaughterwhilehe
recountedhisdecidedlyRabelaisianadventuresasayounggaymaninManhattan.Helovedgoodfood,
goodclothes,goodmusic,goodsex,andnevershiedfromofferingtobuythenextroundofdrinks.
ButthiswasattheheightoftheAIDSepidemic,whenanHIV-positivediagnosiswasakintoadeath
sentence.Overthecourseofthreeyears,Iwatchedmyfriendwitherawaytoashadowofhisformerself
asthevirusravagedhisimmunesystem,althoughhiswickedsenseofhumorandbigheartremained
intact.Nickevenhelpedmewithalast-minutemoveonahotsummerdayafterIwasevictedfromwhat
turnedouttobeanillegalsublet,stoppingeverynowandthentodramaticallywipethesweatfromhis
browandannounce,“Ishouldn’tevenbedoingthis,youknow.Ihaveaterminalillness!”Thenhewould
grinatmyguiltyexpressionandgivemeahugtoletmeknowhewasjustteasing.
Nick’sownhousingsituationwasevenmoreprecarious:unabletoworkashisillnessprogressed,and
unabletosignaleasewithareputablelandlord,hereliedonlocalcitycharitiesandthetight-knitgay
communitytosnagacluttered,roach-infestedgrungybasementapartmentinChelseawhoseprior
occupanthaddied.Itwasrent-controlled,andthusdirtcheap,butthestenchofdeathstillhungoverthe
place—likelyduetothedecayingrodentcorpsestrappedbehindthesaggingwalls.Nickhateditand
founditunbearablydepressing.Soonhewasbackinthehospital,andwhenIwenttovisit,hebrokedown
intearsoveragameofcribbageandbeggedmetohelphimfindanotheroption:“Please—Ijustdon’t
wanttodiethere.”
Quitefrankly,Ididn’twanttodoit.Iwasbarelyscrapingbymyself,andwehadonlyjustgottenhim
settledinthatdankbasement.Itwasexasperatingtohavetostartthehousingsearchalloveragain.But
howcouldIrefusemyfriendjustbecauseitwouldbeinconvenient?Ittookagoodbitofbureaucratic
wrangling,butIfoundhimasmallsun-filledstudioontheEastSide.Whilepurchasingafewlast-minute
bathroomaccessories,Ispottedabrightmetallicredkeychainforsaleattheregister,embossedwith
Nick’sastrologicalsign:afellowTaurus.Itseemedliketheperfecttrinkettoholdthekeytohisnew
apartment,arayofhopeafterweeksofdarkness.
Eightmonthslater,Nickwasdead.I’vecarriedthatkeychaineversince,theonlythingIhaveleft
fromhislong-dismantledlife.Mytotemsaysnothingaboutmybeliefinastrology,althoughyoumightbe
forgivenformakingthatassumption.Tome,it’satokenofthebelovedfriendIlost—theverydefinitionof
afeelingregulator—andaconstantremindernottotakemyfriendsforgranted,nomatterhowbusyI
become,becausetheymightbegonesoonerthanIthink.ItisalsoasymbolofthemostvaluablethingI
evergavetoNick:adecentplacetodie.
Everypersonalitemhasastorybehindit,atleastifitholdsanyrealmeaningfortheowner.Cultural
historianMihalyCsikszentmihalyihasarguedthatweareattachedtooldphotographs,familyheirlooms,
orseeminglyinsignificanttrinketspreciselybecausetheykeepusgroundedinthepresent,andhelpus
rememberthepast.Inthatsense,theobjectswithwhichwefillourhomesplayavitalroleinhowwe
constructoursenseofself.LikeGosling,helumpssuchtotemsintothreedistinctcategories.Thereare
objectsthatserveassymbolsofstatus,orofgoodtaste.Thereareobjectsrelatingtowhatheterms
“continuityofself”thathelpconstructmemoryandpersonality.Finally,thereareobjectsofrelationships,
likemyTauruskeychain,thatlinkustoourlovedonesandbroadersocialnetworks.“Withoutexternal
props,evenourpersonalidentityfadesandgoesoutoffocus,”hewrites.“Theselfisafragile
constructionofthemind.”
ImightquibblewithCsikszentmihalyi’sinsistencethattheselfisafragileconstruct—onthecontrary,
theselfstrikesmeassurprisinglyrobustdespite,orperhapsbecauseof,itsremarkablefluidity—buthis
insightsintohowweinfusematerialobjectswithmeaningfallrightinlinewithGosling’sresearch.
Goslingfoundthatthisphenomenoncarriesoverintoouronlineidentitiesaswell:onecaninferquitea
bitaboutsomebody’spersonalitybyperusinghisorherWebsite,blog,orevenane-mailaddress.(Many
InternethipstersstillsneeratthosewhouseAOLorHotmailaddresses,forexample.)Weformvery
differentfirstimpressionsofsomeonewhosee-mailaddressisjusttheirfirstandlastname,versus
someonewhousesthehandle“sexyspacekitty69.”*Nowheredoesthisbecomemoreapparentthanonthe
socialnetworkingsiteFacebook,wherewecreatedetailedpersonalprofilesofourlikesanddislikes,
sharelinks,playgames,takequizzes,andpostpersonalphotographs.Asof2011,thereweremorethan
600millionactiveusersintheUnitedStatesalone.Increasingly,formanyofus,ourFacebookpageis
wherewekeepourstuff.YourFacebookprofileisonegiganticidentityclaim,whetheryourealizeitor
not.
Goslingdrewhisconclusionsfromtworelatedstudies.Inthefirst,participantstooktheBigFive
personalitytest,andthoseresultswerecomparedtotheso-calledvirtualresidue(similartoGosling’s
behavioralresidueintheobjectstudy)strewnthroughouttheirrespectiveFacebookprofiles.Analysis
revealedsignificantcorrelationsbetweentheself-reportedBigFivetestresultsandcertainpersonality
traitssuggestedbythesubjects’Facebookprofilepages.Extrovertshadthemostfriendsandinteracted
farmorefrequentlythanintroverts,whilethosefocused,achievement-orientedconscientioustypesused
thesitetheleast.ThosewithlowscoresonconscientiousnesswerefarmorelikelytouseFacebookto
procrastinate.
Youmightarguethatboththeanswerstothepersonalitytestsandtheprofilepagesweregeneratedby
theparticipantsthemselvesandhencelackedobjectivity.Sointhesecondstudy,nineundergraduate
researchassistantslookedatonlythearchivedFacebookprofilesofthestudyparticipantsandratedtheir
personalitiesbasedsolelyoncarefullyselectedcues:numberofphotosandphotoalbums,numberofwall
posts,groupmemberships,totalnumberoffriends,andevenhowmanywordseachparticipantusedinthe
“AboutMe”section.Onceagain,therewerestrongcorrelationsbetweentheprofilesandtheselfreportedassessments:extraversioncorrelatedwiththenumberoffriendsandhigherlevelsofonline
engagement,andopennesscorrelatedwiththenumberoffriends.Itprovedmuchmoredifficulttodraw
correlationsbetweenthecuesfoundonFacebookprofilesandthetraitsofconscientiousness,
agreeableness,andneuroticism;theresultswereinconclusive.
ButthetwostudiesaptlydemonstratethatyouronlineandofflineidentitiesoverlaponFacebook,and
yourprofiledoesreflectyourmosteasilyobservablepersonalitytraits.Thesameshouldholdtruefor
SecondLife,anotheronlinerepositoryfor“stuff”—orasGoslingmightsay,identityindicators.Many
residentsamassvastpersonalinventoriesofvirtualitems,whichmayalsoserveastotems.Reson,for
instance,cherishesavirtualrainbowfeather—agiftfromafriendandmentor,andherveryownpixilated
feelingregulator.
Attheendoftheday,Facebookisjustonemoretoolweuseforself-verification:wewanttobe
knownandunderstoodbyothersinkeepingwithhowwefeelaboutourselves.Therearetwodistinct
psychologicalmodelsthatwemightapplytothesocialnetworkingsite.ThereisObjectiveSelfAwareness(OSA),firstproposedin1972,whichholdsthatweareboththesubjectofourownlife
storiesthroughouractionsandanobjectwhenweevaluateourselves,makingreferencetosocietalnorms
andstandards.Wecanaccomplishthissimplybylookinginamirrorandwonderingifthosejeansmake
uslookfat.Facebook,too,canserveasasocialmirror,wherebywecompareourownprofileswiththose
ofothersinournetwork.Alas,thereisadownsidetosuchbehavior.Thiskindofself-evaluationoften
resultsindecreasedinself-esteem.Weinevitablycomeacrosspeoplewhoaresmarter,better-looking,or
moresuccessful,andweneverquitemeasureuptothoseimpossiblestandards.Thesameistrueforour
onlineinteractions.
TheHyperpersonalModelmightbeabetterfit.Developedbyacommunicationsprofessornamed
JosephWaltherin1996,thismodelholdsthatwehavemorecontroloverhowwepresentourselvesin
so-calledcomputermediatedcommunicationthanwedointraditionalface-to-faceinteractions.Callit
selectiveself-presentation.Whenwedesignourprofilepages,weinstinctivelyhighlightthosefeatures
thatshowusinthemostflatteringlight,therebycreatingmorepositivefirstimpressions.Morerecent
studiesfoundthatviewingyourownFacebookprofileactuallyboostsyourself-esteem—evenmoresoif
youviewonlyyourprofile,ratherthancomparingittotheprofilesofyourfriends.
Inbothcases,whatwereallydesireispositivefeedbackthatbolstersourself-esteemandmakesus
lookgood,evenasweclaimtodesireobjectivefeedback,inthesamewaythatthesubjectofamagazine
profileclaimstodesireobjectivereporting.PerhapsthatiswhyFacebookissoaddictive.Theveryactof
updatingyourprofilemakesyoufeelgoodaboutyourself,becauseyouareconsciouslyfocusingonthe
positiveeventsandattributesyouwishtosharewithyourcircleoffriends.It’smuchlikestaringintoa
mirrorandrepeatingthemantraofSaturdayNightLive’sStuartSmalley:“I’mgoodenough,I’msmart
enough,anddoggoneit,peoplelikeme!”
Thereisnothingintrinsicallywrongwiththat.Affirmationcanbehealthy,unlessitbecomesan
obsession,asinthecautionarytaleofSnowWhite’swickedstepmother.TheEvilQueen’smostprized
possessionwashermagicmirror.Everyday,shelookedintothemirrorandaskedthesamequestion:
“Mirror,mirror,onthewall,whoisthefairestofthemall?”Andeveryday,themirrorwouldreaffirmher
unparalleledbeauty—untilthatupstartSnowWhitecameofage,atwhichpointthequeenturnedintoa
homicidalmaniac.Shedesperatelyneededthathyperpersonalself-verificationandrespondedbadlyto
objectiveself-awareness.Today,theEvilQueenmightobsessivelylogontoherFacebookpagetogetthe
dailyaffirmationshecraved.IfshewereinSecondLife,shewouldobsessivelygazeuponheravatar.
I’llBeYourMirror
InHarryPotterandtheSorcerer’sStone,everybody’sfavoriteboywizardstumblesontoamagical
mirroratHogwartsinwhichhecanseehisdeadparentsstandingnexttohim.Butwhenheexcitedlytries
toshowhisbestfriendRonWeasleytheimage,allRoncanseearereflectionsofhimself—orrather,an
idealizedversionofhimself,inwhichheisastarathlete,nolongerintheshadowofhisnumerousolder
siblings.Harryaskshisheadmaster,AlbusDumbledore,whytheysawdifferentthings,andDumbledore
explainsthatthisparticularmirroronlyreflectsthatwhichwemostdesire.Harrylongsforhislostfamily
tobewholeagain,whileRoncravestheattentionandglorythatalwaysseemtoeludehim.Unlikethe
EvilQueen’smagicmirror,whichreflectsphysicalappearance,theMirrorofEriseddelvesbeneaththe
surfacetoreflectone’sinnerselfandmostpassionatedesires.Iftheongoingresearchonvirtualworlds
andself-representationprovescorrect,ouravatarsmayrevealjustasmuchaboutus,servingasvirtual
mirrors.
Theword“avatar”comesfromaSanskritword,avatara,describingvariousincarnationsofthe
HindugodVishnuonEarth.JustasVishnuinhabitsandanimateshishumanhostontheterrestrialplane,a
personcanbuildadigitalrepresentativethroughwhichheorshecaninteractinthevirtualsphere.
Practicallysincetheinventionofgamesmorethanfourthousandyearsago,humanbeingshaveemployed
tokenstorepresenttheplayers.IntheclassicboardgameMonopoly,onemaychoosefromanumberof
smallmetalpiecestomarkone’splaceontheboard.Whenpeoplebeganinteractingonline,manychose
smallstaticthumbnailimagestorepresentthemselves,andthispracticenaturallyextendedtocomputer
games.Thetermwasfirstusedtodescribefullvirtualbodiesinthe1986onlinerole-playinggame
Habitat,althoughNealStephenson’sgroundbreaking1992cyberpunknovel,SnowCrash,iswidely
creditedwithbringing“avatar”intomainstreamculture.
Ouravatarsaretheprimarymeansbywhichwemakeidentityclaimsinvirtualworlds.Almost
everythingaboutthatdesignprocessinvolvessomekindofconsciouschoice:haircolor,hairstyle,eye
color,bodytype,tattoos,gender,age,ethnicity,clothingstyle,evenourchoiceofgenitalia(shouldwego
thatroute)—allreflecttheuser’spersonaltasteandsenseofself.SherryResonviewsheravataras“both
apsychologicalprojectionand[formof]creativeexpression[thatis]constantlyevolving,”shesaid.“The
glassesIwearmakemefeelmorelikeme.AndtherearetimesI’vedressedasahermitbecauseit
accuratelyrepresentedmyfeelingstate.”
MyavatarisnamedJen-LucPiquant.TherootsofhernamedatebacktotheearlydaysoftheInternet.
Havingaclevere-mailhandlewasalltherage,andIsettledon“lucrezia,”inhonoroftherenowned
sixteenth-centuryfemmefataleLucreziaBorgia,whoIalwaysfeltgotabadrapasasmartwomanina
powerfulfamilywhowasdeniedmuchofthatpowerforherself.Shealsoownedfabulouspoisonrings,
whichsuitedmymorbidGothicsensibilities.Ievenboughtafewcheapknockoffringsfromthevendors
onSt.Mark’sPlaceinManhattan’sEastVillage.Ifilledthemwithsalt(insteadofarsenic)andwould
sometimesoffertosprinklesomeonadate’sfood.Ifhelaughed,hewasworthaseconddate.
Fast-forwardmanyyearslater.IhadmovedtoWashington,D.C.,andmyupstairsneighborstookto
callingme“Jen-Luc”—amashupofmyfirstnameande-mailhandle.WhenIstartedmyblogin2006,it
justmadesensetonamethemoodylittleavataratthestartofeachpost“Jen-Luc.”Iaddedthelastname
“Piquant”asanodtoCaptainJean-LucPicardofStarTrekfame,ofcourse,butalsotocapturesomething
oftheflavoroftheblog.
Maybeit’sbecauseInamedher,butJen-LucPiquanttookonalifeofherown,becomingafull-blown
character.She’ssmart,snarky,andabitpretentious,sprinklingbonsmotsthroughoutheronline
commentary.Croppedpurplehair,aberet,andablackturtleneckarehertrademarks—veryfaux-French—
althoughshehasoccasionallyappearedasavampire,aninja,apirate,aprincess,andonceasthecartoon
characterTheTick.Shehasapenchantforgourmetcuisine,highfashion,celebritygossip,andexistential
angst,andshedabblesinbothamateurscientificresearchandLacanianliterarycriticism.Overtheyears
she’sacquiredamiddlename—Marie-Evangeliste—andarumoredex-husband(CrackleofRice
Krispies’Snap!Crackle!Pop!fame)followingawildweekendinLasVegas,althoughsheclaimsthose
arelies,viciouslies.Itseemedonlynatural,whenIjoinedSecondLife,toletJen-Lucintothatvirtual
worldaswell.
Anavatarcanbeanaccuraterepresentationofone’sactualself,orafantasyself(anelf,adragon,an
Amazonianangel),orevenanidealself—thepersonyoumightliketobe,inaworldfreeoftheusual
constraints.“Weallhaveselvesthatweenvisioninthefuture,andtheyserveasverypowerful
motivationalgoals,”WUSTL’sMichaelStrubeexplained.“Wemaypresentaselfthatmaynotcurrently
betrue,butperhapswewouldlikeittobetrue.Wearehopingthatothersmightacceptitandvalidateitin
waysthatallowittobecometrue.”
JacquelynMorieadmittedshehadalwayswantedredhair,greeneyes,andfullerlips;inSecondLife,
shehasallthree.IdesignedJen-LucPiquantsimilarly:sheisyoungerandthinner,withfullerlipsand
betterhair—anidealizedselfthatIcouldneverachieveinthemeatworld,whereherproportionswould
makeherafreakofnature.(Apparentlyshestandssix-foot-four;avatarsareverytallinSecondLife.)
Thatidealizationcanalsoapplytopersonalitytraits,wherebywecreateavatarsthataremoreextroverted
orlessneuroticthanwemightbeinourofflinelives.
PeopleoccasionallyexpressconfusionoverwhetherJen-LucPiquantis“really”me,particularly
sinceIuseherformyTwitterhandleaswell.Sheismorelikeanalteregooreviltwin.Sheisfarmore
narcissistic,atleastaccordingtothestandardNarcissismPersonalityInventory(NPI).TheNPIconsists
offortyforced-choicequestionsaskingyoutoselectoneoftwostatements.Forinstance,“IfIruledthe
worlditwouldbeabetterplace”versus“Thethoughtofrulingtheworldfrightensthehelloutofme.”
Dr.DrewPinsky,co-hostofthepopularcall-inTVshowLoveline,isalsoanassistantclinical
professorofpsychiatryatUSC,andhestartedgivingtheNPItocelebrityguestswhoappearedonthe
show—muchtotheannoyanceofhisbrashco-host,AdamCarolla.Pinskyfoundthatcelebritiesscore
slightlyhigher(17.84)thanaverage.Womancelebritieswereslightlymorenarcissisticthantheirmale
counterparts.Musiciansweretheleastnarcissistic.RealityTVstarsscoredthehighest,at19.45,with
femalerealityTVstarsscoringnearthetopofthecharts.*
AsonewhosometimesjokestofriendsthatmyNativeAmericannamewouldbeCrippledBySelfDoubt,itisnotsurprisingthatIscoredatroubling10onthenarcissismscale.ApparentlyIbarelyhave
sufficientself-esteemtofunctioninsociety.Eitherthat,orIamdisinclinedtoadmittomyownselfabsorption,evenonananonymousquiz.Acertaindegreeofnarcissismishealthy,afterall;it’swhatgets
usthroughtheinevitableobstaclesanddishearteningstumblesinlife.ButwhataboutJen-LucPiquant?
Herscorealmostmaxedoutthescale,whichrangesfrom0to40.TheaverageAmericanscoresaround
15.3;Jen-Lucscoredawhopping39.Shehadabriefmomentofuncharacteristichumility,which
destroyedhershotataperfect40.EvenrealityTVstarsaren’tasnarcissisticasmyfaux-Frenchavatar.
Forallthefreedominconstructingonlineidentities,mostpeople—nearly90percent,accordingtoa
2010study—tendtochooseavatarsthatsharesimilaritieswiththeir“realworld”selves:thesame
gender,asimilarname,andeitherresemblingtheirreal-lifephysicalself,orpersonifyinganidealized
version.A2007studyofonlinegamersfoundthatonly4percentofwomenchoseamalecharacterand
only14percentofmenchoseafemalecharacter,althoughadolescentswerefarmorelikelytoengagein
genderswappingasaformofidentityplay,perhapsbecauseatthatageouridentityandsenseofselfare
stillinflux.Forthemostpart,weuseouravatarsthesamewayweuseourFacebookprofilepage:asa
meansofself-presentationandself-verificationviaonlineinteractionswithothers.Webondmore
stronglywithavatarsthatresembleus,andthemorewebondwithouravatars,themoreenjoyablewe
willfindthevirtualexperience.Weneedtobeabletolookatouravatarandfeel,“Thisisme.”
Thatisnottosayyoucan’thavemorethanoneavatartoexploredifferentaspectsofyourpersonality.
JacquelynMorieusesthreeprimaryavatarsinSecondLife,includingtwinswhohavedistinct
personalitiesanddifferentbackstories.Sheevenborrowedherhusband’savataronce.ToMorie,such
role-playingisperfectlynatural,evenhealthy.“Ouridentityshiftsallthetimeandeveryday,morphing
andevolvingbasedonwhatwearedoingnow,”shesaid.“I’mnotthesamepersonIwasatsixteenand
I’mnotthesamepersonIwaslastweek.”Asformyfaux-Frenchavatar,Morieopined,“She’spartof
you,butshe’snotthetotalityofyou,andshemaynotevenbewhoyouareatthemoment.”
PerhapsMoriehadapoint.ItooktheBigFivetestagain,thistimeadoptingJen-LucPiquant’s
persona.Asexpected,therewerepronounceddifferences.Sheisfarmoreextroverted,andmuchless
agreeable;infact,shebottomedoutonthatscale,reflectingherbreezylackofconcernforothers’needs
andfeelings.Jen-LucPiquantisnotouttomakefriends;shedoesnotcringeorapologizeoringratiate,
andshespeakshermind.Wealsodifferwidelyonconscientiousness.Iamhighlyconscientiousandgoaloriented,butJen-Lucis,again,nearthebottomofthescale.Shelovesspontaneityandbeinginthe
moment,andtendstobecarelessanddisorganizedinherintellectualpursuits.
ButtherewerealsostrikingsimilaritiesbetweenJen-Lucandme.Webothscoredlowonneuroticism
(withintenpointsofeachother),andwebothrankedhighontheopennessscale.Webotharecurious,
imaginative,andcreative,andliketospiceupourdailyroutinewithaheftydoseofvarietyandnew
experiences.Shemaybeaconsciouscreation,buttheremightbemoreofmeinJen-LucPiquantthanI
consciouslyintended.Thatsaid,inmyavatar,thesequalitiesareexaggeratedtoridiculousextremesfor
comiceffect;wereshereal,Jen-Lucwouldhaveallthemakingsofapsychopath.
Youmightthinkthatinavirtualworldwhereeveryonecanpresentanidealizedself,appearance
wouldceasetomatter,butthisisnotthecase.Firstimpressionsmatteragreatdeal,eveninSecondLife.
Muchlikematerialobjectsinroomsandoffices,orsomeone’sFacebookpage,wecanuseobservations
drawnfromavatarcues(attractiveness,gender,hairstyle)toformpersonalityimpressions.
Thefindingsfromthehandfulofstudiespublishedtodateofferusefultipsoneffectivecues.Pupil
size,viewingangle,andthefrequencywithwhichyouravatarblinksitseyesarecriticaltofirst
impressions.Avatarswithlargerpupilsarejudgedtobemoreattractive,happier,good-humored,and
sympathetic,eventhoughwearenotconsciouslyawareofthattrait.Frequenteyeblinking(sixtyblinks
perminute)isassociatedwithdishonesty,fearfulness,shyness,andanxiety.Reducetheblinkrateto
twenty-fourblinksperminute,andyouravatarwillappearmoresociableandattractive.Avatarsviewed
frombelowaredeemedmoresociable,self-confident,andattractive,comparedtothoseviewedfrom
above,whoaredeemedweakerandinneedofprotection.Afullfrontalviewmeansthatavatarwill
likelybedeemedmoretrustworthy,open,andsympathetic.
Certaincharacteristicscanalsobeassociatedwithparticularpersonalitytraits.Attractiveavatars
withlong,stylishhairareusuallyseenasextroverted.Maleavatarswithblackhair,orwearingjeans,
grayshirts,orlong-sleevedshirtsareseenasintroverted,whilefemaleavatarswithblondhairwearing
pinkshirts,necklaces,bathingsuits,orhighheelsaredeemedmoreextroverted.Largebreastsonfemale
avatarsserveasacueforextroversion,too,aswellasopenness,althoughiftheyalsofavorGothic-style
clothing,theyareseenasmoreneurotic.Blondhairanddressyclothesonfemalescorrelatewithhigher
agreeableness.Maleavatarsshouldavoidarmypants,blackshirts,andsunglasses,lesttheybedeemed
lessagreeable.
That’swhatthestudiessay,anyway,whichdoesn’tbodewellforJen-LucPiquant’ssocialprospects
inSecondLife.True,shehastherequisiteflowinglonghair,butitispurple,notblond.Ratherthan
enhanceherfemininepulchritudetoexaggeratedextremes—asisthecustomforfemaleavatarsinvirtual
worlds—Ireducedherbreastandhipsizeasmuchaspossibletogiveheralankygaminebuild.Shehas
onlytwooutfits:asnazzysteampunkensemble,completewithmilitary-styletrenchcoatandchicaviator
goggles,andaclassicedgy“rockerchick”ensemble.Jen-Lucdoesn’tdoultra-highheels,Frenchmaid
outfits,sexybathingsuits,oranyshadeofpink.AsacommittedLacanian,sheeschewsthemostobvious
formsofself-objectification,evenassheacknowledgesherowndualexistencestraddlingtheboundary
betweenSubjectandObject.
Thatdoesn’tstopherfrommuggingshamelesslyforSecondLife’sbuilt-incameraeverychanceshe
gets.Theabilitytoshiftperspectivemeanswecanviewouravatarfromthefront,andseeourvirtualself
thewayotherresidentsseeusincyberspace.Wecanalsotakesnapshotsofouravatar,andwhenthe
cameraclicks,saidavatarwillmomentarilythrowupitshandstoframeitsfaceandbeamwithdelight.
Morienotedthatwhilemanyofusreactpoorlytophotographsofouractualselves,“Wearemorelikely
tobeenamoredofthelookofouravatar.”SecondLifeisatruedigitalmirrorinthatregard.As
DumbledoretellsHarryPotter,“Thehappiestmanintheworldlooksinthemirrorandonlyseeshimself
exactlyasheis.”
YourInnerLobster
NealStephensonintroducedscience-fictionfanstotheMetaverseinSnowCrash:afullyimmersive
virtualworldthatoffersaglimpseofwhatonlinespaceslikeSecondLifemightonedaybecome.Inthis
dystopianfuture,peopleescapetheirgrimexistenceinananarcho-capitalistLosAngelesbylogginginto
theMetaverse,wheretheycanleadparallelvirtuallivesthroughtheiravatars.Thisworldisthreatened
byanewvirtualdrugcalledsnowcrash,acomputervirusthatnotonlyaffectsone’savatarinthe
Metaverse,butalsotheactualbrainsofhackersinreality,dissolvingtheboundarybetween“real”and
“virtual,”“self”and“avatar.”
StanfordUniversity’sJeremyBailensonhasdemonstratedsimilarboundaryeffectsinhisVirtual
InteractionLab.Oneofthefirstsimulationshecreatedwasavirtualgapingpitinthemiddleofa
simulated“room”withaboardlaidacrossit.Testsubjects,outfittedinfullVRgear,wereinstructedto
walkacrossthepit.Eventhoughtheyknewconsciouslythatthepitwasn’treal—they’dseentherealworldversionofthatroomandtherewasnopit—theystillfoundthemselvesreactingasifthepitwere
reallythere.Someteetereduncertainly,somefelldown,someranaway,somescreamedinfear.The
psychologicalresponseswereveryreal,atestamenttothepowerofdigitalillusions.
Inhabitingavirtualworldcanaffectourbehavioroffline,too.Bailensondevisedanexperimentto
investigatewhathappenswhenweviewourowndigitaldoppelgängers.Hefoundthatwatchingyour
digitalavatarrunningonatreadmill,forexample,makesyoumorelikelytoexerciseofflineaswell.The
effectisevenstrongerwhenyouwatchyouravatarbecomethinnerorheavierinresponsetobehavioral
choices,suchaseatingcarrotsversuscandy,orexercisingversusstandingstill.Themoreweidentify
withouravatars,themorestronglywewillrespond.Spendenoughtimewithanavatarthatlookslikeus,
andthelinesbetweenourrealandvirtualidentitiesbegintoblur.Ittakesonlytwentyminutesofexposure
toproducechangesinbehavior.
Ifyouravatarhaswings,andyoubecomeaccustomedtomanipulatingtheirmovementincyberspace,
yourbrainmightbecomeunabletodistinguishbetweenthevirtualwingsandyour“real”body.VirtualrealityguruJaronLanierfirstspeculatedaboutthisinthe1980s,withhisnotionof“homuncular
flexibility.”Thehomunculusisthebrain’smapofthebodythatresidesinthecortex,withthosebody
partsrequiringthemostsynapticconnectionsenlargedwithrespecttolessconnectedparts.AsLanier
recalled,backthen,heandhiscohortsdonnedfull-bodysuitscoveredinsensorstocreate“bodies”in
virtualspace.Therewastheoccasionalbug,oneofwhich“causedmyhandtobecomeenormous,likea
webofflyingskyscrapers.”Theglitchmadehimrealizehowquicklyhelearnedtoadapttothenewbody
part.Andthatledhimtowonderjusthowmuchhecoulddistorthisbodybeforehisbraincouldnolonger
adapt.
Hisfavoriteexperimentinvolvedavirtuallobster,whichhadthreemidriffarmsoneithersideofits
body—somethingthehumanbodylacks,soLanierwonderedhowonemightlearntocontrolthosearmsin
virtualspace.Hefoundthathecouldmixandmatchsmalltwistsandflexionsofhisexistinghumanlimbs
tocontroltheextralimbsonthevirtuallobster.Theoretically,thebrainshouldbeabletoincorporate
certainphysicalattributesofouravatarintoitsmapoftheself—evenifouravatarhaswingsandour
physicalselfdoesnot.LanierisnowcollaboratingwithBailensonondemonstratingthisinthelab.
Timeisacriticalfactorinbondingwithanavatar,accordingtoCaltechneuroscientistChristofKoch.
Theremustbeasenseofcontinuity,whichtranslatesintolessthana250-milliseconddelaybetweenthe
brainsendingacommandformotionandthefeedbackitreceivesoncetheactionisperformed.“Ifthe
delayistoolongbetweenwhenIinitiatethereactionandwhenthefeedbackcomes,mybraincan’treally
dealwithit,andyoudon’tgetthiseasymergingofnerveandmuscle,”saidKoch.“Butthereisnoreason
whythebrainshouldn’tadapt[toanavatar]aslongasthedelayisrelativelyshort.”
Ourbrainalreadydoesthiswithextensionsofourphysicalbody.Inthe1930s,Germanphilosopher
MartinHeideggerproposedtheconceptof“ready-to-hand.”Hereasonedthatsincewedon’tconsciously
thinkaboutourfingerswhiletyingourshoelaces,oraboutourhandswhilehammeringinanail,insome
sensewe“fuse”withourmostfamiliar,functionaltools.Theybecomepartofus,muchlikeLanier’s
virtualextralobsterlimbs.Thisisequallytrueforablindmanwhousesacanetosenseandnavigatehis
environment;thecanebecomesanextensionofhisphysicalbody,atleastasfarashisbrainisconcerned.
Itisalsotruewhenweuseacomputermouse,accordingtoAnthonyChemero,acognitivescientistatthe
UniversityofCincinnati,whoperformedthefirstdirecttestofHeidegger’sconcept.
Chemerosetupasimpleexperimentinwhichparticipantsusedamousetocontrolacursoronthe
monitor.Themousewasriggedtomalfunctionhalfwaythroughthetest,suchthatthecursoronthemonitor
laggedsignificantlybehindthemovementofthemouse.Youcanimaginehowfrustratingtheparticipants
foundthismalfunction;profanitywasacommonreaction.Chemerotrackedtheirhandmovements
throughouttheexperiment,andwhenheanalyzedthedata,hefoundmarkedlydifferentmathematical
patternsproducedwhenthemousewasfunctioningversuswhenitwasmalfunctioning.
Thehandmovementswhenthemousewasfunctioningfitapatternknownas“pinknoise,”which
appearswheneversomethingisnaturallyattunedtoourcognitiveprocesses.Pinknoiseissimilartowhite
noise(thesnowystaticonaTVscreen)inthatitcontainseveryfrequencywithintherangeofhuman
hearing(between150Hzto8,000kHz),butunlikewhitenoise,itisnotcompletelyrandom.Rather,pink
noiseisindicativeofasystemthat,whilemomentarilystable,isliterallyteeteringontheedgeofchaos—
asweetspotnestledbetweenrigidorderanddisarray.Pink-noisepatternscanbefoundinpulsing
quasars,heartbeats,thestructureofDNA,theflowoftraffic,mostmusicalmelodiesandelectronic
devices,tides,andthefluctuationsofthestockmarket.
Thisisafragilestate.Chemerofoundthatallittakesisonesmallmalfunctioninthemousetobreak
theconnectionandpushthepatternoverthebrinkintoanewchaoticstate.Whenthemousewas
functioningproperly,thepink-noisepatternemergedandthemousewas“readytohand.”Butthepattern
vanishedwhenthemousemalfunctioned.Theuserswerenolonger“fused”withthemouse;itwasno
longerpartoftheircognition.
Chemeroalsoadaptedtheexperimenttomeasurephysicalindicatorsofstress,suchasheartrate,
respirationrate,andgalvanicskinresponse(changesintheelectricalactivityoftheskintriggeredby
emotionalorphysiologicalresponses).Hefoundanincreaseinallthreeatpreciselythesamemoment
whenthemathematicalpatterntransitionedfrompinknoisetochaos.SoHeideggerwascorrect.“You’re
sotightlycoupledtothetoolsyouusethatthey’reliterallypartofyouasathinking,behavingthing,”
ChemerotoldWiredin2010.Thebrain’sunusualabilitytoincorporatenearbybitsoftheenvironment
intoitsconceptofself“hastobefoundationalinanyfeelingofonenesswithyouravatarinSecondLife,”
Chemeroexplained.
Itisevenpossibletofoolthebrainwitharubberhand.Whilestillagraduatestudent,Botvinick
designedanexperimentinwhichaparticipant’shandwashiddenandreplacedbyarubberhandinthe
positionwheretherealhandwouldhavebeen.Boththerealandfakehandswerestrokedsimultaneously,
andeventhoughparticipantswereinonthe“trick,”andknewtherubberhandwasafake,theystill
respondedasifitwerepartoftheirbody.Threatentherubberhandbyattemptingtostabitwithadagger,
forinstance,andtheparticipantswouldexhibitaninvoluntarystartleorfearresponse.It’sthe
combinationofvisualandtactilefeedbackthatdoesit,andittakesonlyafewsecondsfortheillusionto
kickin.Notonlythat,butsubsequentexperimentsprovedthiswasn’tapurelypsychologicaleffect.The
real,hiddenhand’stemperatureactuallydroppedhalfadegree—asmallbutmeasurablephysiological
response.
HenrikEhrssonoftheKarolinskaInstituteinSwedenhastakentherubber-handillusiononestep
furtherandusedsimilarmethodstoinduceout-of-bodyexperiencesinsubjects,armedwithlittlemore
thanavideocamera,goggles,andtwosticks.Inoneexperiment,hemanipulatedstudyparticipantsinsuch
awaythattheyfeltasthoughtheirbodieswereofdifferentsizes,eitherthesizeofadolloragiant.
Subjectswouldliedownonabedwearingahead-mounteddisplayconnectedtotwovideocameras.Both
camerasfacedafakebodylyingonthebednexttothesubject,sowhenthesubjectlookeddownattheir
bodies,they“saw”thefakebodyinstead.Togetthesubjectsto“bond”withthosefakebodies,Ehrsson
combinedthevisualfeedbackwithtactilefeedback,pokingthearmorstomachofthemannequinwhile
simultaneouslydoingthesametothesubject.Afewsecondswasallittooktochangemostsubjects’
perceptionoftheirphysicalworld.
“Ourexperienceofselfissurprisinglymalleable,”saidMatthewBotvinick.Hethinksitshouldbe
possibletoextendthissamekindoflinkagetoone’savatarinavirtualworld—atleastinprinciple.“Ata
figurativelevelweareconstantlyputtingavatarsoutthere,representingourselvestopeople,”hesaid.
“Theboundary,inmymind,betweenwhatwehaveestablishedcoarselyandwhatwereallydon’t
understandcorrespondstotheboundarybetweenthebodilyselfversusotherformsofselfrepresentation.”Wewouldneedtotaketheselfthatwepresenttoothers,findawayto“detach”itviaa
separatedigitalavatar,andthencreatesufficientlevelsofsensoryfeedbacktoattainthatall-important
couplingbetweenuserandavatar.
Wedon’tyethavealltherequisitetechnologytoachievethis,butseveralrudimentarypiecesare
alreadyinplace.Thebiggestchallengeisthecouplingbetweenuserandavatar.Mostexistinguser
interfacesforvirtualworldsareasclumsyandnonintuitiveastheoneinSecondLife,limitingtheextent
towhichouravatarscanbeassimilatedintoourcognition,therebybecomingtruly“readytohand.”
BionavigationsystemslikeWiiorMicrosoft’sKinectaremoreintuitive,makingitpossibletotrack
physicalmovementssoone’savatarcanmimicthem,withnoneedforsophisticatedtechnologieslike
motion-capturesuits.
JacquelynMorie,forone,findsthisapproachequallyunsatisfying,especiallyinSecondLife,where
theabilitytoflyorteleportisabigpartoftheappeal.Howdoyoumimicthosephysicallyimpossible
movementswithaKinect?Usersmightdiscoversomewaytoadaptusingmicromovements,muchlike
Lanierdidwithhisvirtuallobster,butMorieenvisionssomethingevenmoreradical.Ideally,shewould
liketodesignaninterfacethatcoulddetectemotionalstatesinthebrainandtriggertheappropriate
responsesinanavatarwithinSecondLife—almostaformofvirtualmind-reading.
Thatkindofnonverbalcommunicationandcontrolwouldrequireabrain-computerinterface(BCI)of
somekindtotranslatetheelectricalimpulsesinthescalpgeneratedbycognitiveactivityintocommands
tocontrolacomputercursor.Thetechnologyisstillinitsinfancy,althoughresearchersatDukeUniversity
successfullytrainedtwomonkeyswithBCIimplantstousetheirbrainstomovethehandofanavatarand
successfullyidentifythetextureofvirtualobjects—somethingtheyachievedwithoutmovinganypartof
theirrealbodies,justmanipulatingtheirvirtual“hands”overthesurfaceofthevirtualobject.Andin
2011,AdamWilson,amemberoftheUniversityofWisconsin’sNeuralInterfacesLab,usedaBCItopost
simplemessagestoTwitter(“USINGEEGTOSENDTWEET”and“SPELLINGWITHMYBRAIN”),
althoughthatmindcontrolclearlydidnotextendtodisablingtheCapsLockkey.
Thecurrenttechniquesusedtoconnectabrainwithacomputerrequireattachingplasticelectrodesto
thebody,alongwithmessyconductivegels,aswellashardwirelinkstocircuitboardsandbulkypower
supplies,allofwhichmakeitdifficulttouseBCIsoutsideacontrolledlaboratorysetting.However,Todd
Coleman,abioengineerattheUniversityofCalifornia–SanDiego,hasdevisedanintriguingalternative.
Coleman’sversionmountselectroniccomponentsontoathinsheetofplasticcoveredwithawatersolublelayerthatstickstoskin.Thentheplasticdissolves,sotheelectronicsareimprintedintotheskin,
muchlikeatemporarytattoo,andcandetectelectricalsignalsfromthebrainandtransmitthemwirelessly
tocomputer.Evenbetter,thedevicemimicsthestretchy,flexiblepropertiesofskin,allowingfornatural
movement.Withsuchasystem,onecouldbetruly“jackedin”toavirtualworld,withaphysiologicallink
toone’savatar.
JeremyBailensoncautionsthatforalltheirpotential,BCIsareunlikelytobeaviablecommercial
technologyintheshortterm.Creatingarealisticdigitalself,however,mightbeattainablewithinjusta
fewyears.Ifyouarewillingtoforkover$400,companieslikeSecondSkinLabswilldigitallyscan
photographsofyourfacetoensureyourSecondLifeavatarmorecloselyresemblesyou.ConAgra,owner
oftheOrvilleRedenbacherbrandofpopcorn,dugthroughyearsofarchivalsoundclips,video,and
photographicfootagetobuildadigitalversionofRedenbacher,whodiedin1995.ThefauxRedenbacher
madehisadvertisingdebutin2006,marvelingatthestoragecapacityofanMP3player.
ThenthereisContour,acamerasystemthatcreatesrealisticsyntheticactorsbycapturingthe
intricaciesoffacialmovementatresolutionsashighas200,000pixels.Itwasusedtocreateadigital
likenessofactorBradPittforTheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButton,inwhichthetitlecharacteragesin
reverse.Theprogramre-createdolderandyoungerversionsofPittinsuchexquisitedetail,“hebasically
neverhastoactagain,”saidBailenson,addingthatitisn’tpossibletore-createthatsamelevelofdetail
usingjustone’scurrentdigitalfootprint.Butwiththefullcooperationofthesubject,combinedwithfull
bodyscans,voicematrices,andpsychologicalquestionnaires,itshouldbepossibletoachievethe
equivalentof“totalpersonalitydownloads”withimmersivedigitaltechnology—oratleasttheillusion
thereof.Itwon’tbe“you”inthesenseofaconsciousbeing,butitwillbeascloseasmodernsciencecan
gettoaperfectrepresentationofallthatyouare,withtheaddedelementofenablingotherstointeract
withthisdigitalself.ThinkoftheportraitsofdeceasedheadmastersinDumbledore’squartersat
Hogwarts.Theycapturethepersonalitiesoftheindividuals,andthoselikenessesevenreacttotheevents
theywitness,buttheyarestillapalereflectionofthepeopleonwhomtheyarebased.
JacquelynMoriethinkssuchdigitalselveswillbecomethesnapshotsofthefuture.“Mygreatgrandchildrencancomeandtalktome,”shesaid.“Imaylooklikeaneight-bitvideogametothem,butit
willbecharming,likelookingatablack-and-whitephoto,exceptitwillbeinteractive.They’llhave
somesenseofwhoIwas,notjustwhatIlookedlike.”Thefirststepistoforgethatcriticalconnection
betweenbrainandavatar.Ideally,anavatarofthefuturewouldalsolearnfrombeingconnected,soit
couldactasasurrogatewhentheuserwasoffline.Itwouldrequirenotjustrecordingauser’sreal-life
memories,buttheabilitytocreateitsownmemoriesofitsexperiencesandencountersinthevirtual
worldaswell.
Thisisnottheequivalentofthe“singularity,”atermcoinedbyfuturistRayKurzweiltodescribea
futureinwhicheveryonewouldbeabletouploadtheirconsciousnessintocyberspace,therebyachieving
aformofimmortality.Manyneuroscientistsremainhighlyskepticalaboutthelikelihoodofeverachieving
suchafeat;wehaveyettomapafullconnectome,andeventhatwouldbeinsufficienttore-createhuman
consciousness.Morieinsistedthat,evenifitcouldbedone,shewouldfindtheexperienceunfulfilling
withoutaphysicalbody.“Ourbrainisentangledwiththisbody,”shesaid.Avatarsofferahandy
repositoryforourdigitalselves,however,intowhichwecandownloadourmemories,thoughts,and
experiences.Sheenvisionsafuturenotofsingularity,butofmultiplicity—manydifferentrepresentations
ofourselvesthatliveoninvirtualspace:“Thisiswhenourmultipleavatarrepresentationshavebecome
sothoroughlyus,andwethem,thatouressenceremainsintheircruciblesafterourdeaths.”
It’sascloseasmostofusarelikelytogettoimmortality.