The stuff of bits: exploring the materialities of information in interaction

Abstract

Much of the language of computation is based on the idea that virtual experiences are, by definition, immaterial. On the other hand, in the context of mobile and ubiquitous computing, we have been reminded of the importance of the physical world, and many in HCI over the last decade have been intrigued by the possibilities of new interactive materials. In this talk, I will explore the range of ways that we might want to grapple with the materiality of information --- not just of information infrastructures, or of information-rich objects, but of digital information itself and particularly information representations. I will draw on research from anthropology, philosophy, and science studies to demonstrate how we might incorporate a sense of the material more deeply into the ways that we think about interaction with digital information.