Computerized Memories

Our memories are the accumulation of a lifetime of experience and in this sense, our memories are who we are. These memories consist of the places, people, and things we interact with in our day to day lives. “Computerized Memories” is a fictional immersive environment exploring the connection between human cognitive memory functions and computer memory structures. Human cognitive memory is multifaceted and complex consisting of processes such as the storing and retrieval of information. There are four main aspects explaining how memory functioning occurs in the mind – connection, compartmentalization, cognition and consolidation of memories. This project draws parallels between memory functioning in humans and computers through a speculative lens.

It begins with a scene focused on a desk, surrounded by elements that evoke a person’s memories in this case my memories. There are pictures on the wall that capture the person’s memories from the places they’ve visited to the moments they’ve had with their friends and family. The desk itself holds personal items like a computer, notes, headphones, and other essentials that reflect the person’s daily habits. Each object and image is a meaningful connection to the person’s lived experiences. The scene is modelled in reference to my own room and memories. The scene introduces you to the protagonist of this world. The protagonist of the story isn’t the person but it is in fact the computer! Sitting on my desk, looking at the photos on my wall one day I began thinking how would a computer form its own memories? What would the memories of a computer look like? How do human memories get translated into digital memories? This project explores these questions in many different ways. Delve into the computerized memory world to take a look at the inner experiences and memories of a computer. Begin by clicking on the computer screen to enter the computer’s brain.

As you enter, you start traversing a field of cubes which is reflective of the idea of memory storage in a computer. The memory is depicted as unnamed cubical modules distributed randomly throughout the environment. Using python code and random variables the scene is created to visualize the theme of compartmentalization. This theme notes how memory can be localized to a particular area of the brain. Each memory has its own localized cube.

Now, the second computerized memory scene explores the theme of connection. In the human brain, memories are formed through changes in the strength or reliability of communication between brain cells, which occurs at their synaptic connections. Within a computer this is represented by circuit connections within the RAM of a computer. Each section of the RAM is formed using fractals. These fractals visualize the circuitry of a RAM.

The final scene of this interactive experience delves into the concepts of cognition and memory consolidation. A computer forms memories through its interactions with the user across various applications. For example, it uses audio functionality when the user opens Spotify to play a song, searches the internet when the user asks a question on Chrome, and performs mathematical operations through the calculator app. But could the computer do any of this without a memory of its own?

This brings us to the psychological aspect of memory analysis, particularly the theme of consolidation—how memories become permanent. The experience concludes rather abruptly by focusing on the computer’s control center: the settings. It leaves behind a trace of the user’s actions imprinted in the computer’s memory.

To fully understand the gravity of this concept, we also must look back at where it all began. Initially, there were human computers—individuals who carried out the tedious yet essential calculations that drove the advancement of technology. During the 1960s and 1970s, most human computers were replaced by machine computers, bringing in the era of automated computing. Fast forward to today, and we see computers embedded in nearly every aspect of life. This prompts an important question: how do we navigate the ever-blurring boundary between what is human and what is computerized? As technology becomes indispensable in areas such as navigation, healthcare, weather prediction, education, and countless other domains, we are left to wonder—are we losing parts of ourselves to the computer? Where do our memories end, and where do the computer's memories begin? And perhaps most critically, can digital memories ever truly replace the cognitive memories that define our humanity?

This reflection on the intersection of technology and memory serves as a poignant reminder of the profound ways in which computers are reshaping our understanding of what it means to remember, to think, and ultimately, to be human. The interactions and 3D environments were created using Blender and Unity with the materials rendered through node based programming.