Bioelectrically Yours
Project: Emergence and Navigating Space

Galvanic skin response sensors measure levels of emotional arousal through changes in skin conductivity, and the added layer of intimacy produced by this data was something I was interested in pursuing. After a number of experiments with the sensors, it became clear that some of the most interesting results were produced through a simple conversation between two people.

Whether used in lie-detector tests, as the basis for scientology, or the plot thickener in game shows, GSR technology has a (non-scientific) reputation as a truth telling technology. Whether GSR readings can effectively be mapped onto truth telling is definitely questionable, but undoubtedly by its very nature, this possibility provokes a direct line of questioning, which makes it an excellent technology for speed dating!

So, after collecting my findings, I decided that they would be best demonstrated as a blind date performed before an audience, where the drama of the circumstance would be communicated not through acting, lighting, or narrative alone, but through physiological activity in the sympathetic nervous system put on display for all to see.

My blind date and I would navigate each other's biodataspace through questions and answers, and hopefully get a glimpse into each others 'true' feelings.

The results:


click to play

Wed, Mar 19, 2008  Permanent link

Sent to project: Emergence and Navigating Space