Day 2 (5th Jan)

The Full Dome was a wonderful experience. Unlike the rectangular screens of the computers, televisions and various visual projections we are frequently exposed to, the hemispherical shape of the dome stretches the visuals to the edges of our peripheral vision, and together with the surround sound, make the audience feel as if the images are projected directly in our minds. The implications are massive, from audio-visual arts creation to simulation of virtual reality and capturing the imagination of people. It is a pity that the dome cannot be marketed as consumer products in the short run. A massive limitation to its mass production is the placement of projectors. The dome we saw had 6 projectors locked in position along the circumference of the dome. One engineer explained that the projectors are clamped in their respective positions and tilted at fixed angles after careful calibration. Any misaligned projectors will cause the visuals projected to be distorted. That makes installation, shifting and maintenance of domes tedious chores.

At night, we had another intensive discussion on our research with our mentoring professors. The insights from professors Andrea and Michael were mentally taxing to digest. Heritage and culture arise with people’s way of life. People’s way of life will change with modernization, and certain traditions will be abandoned. As a result, the erosion of heritage is inevitable. Hence, we have to choose what we want to preserve. Yet, it seems like there is no optimal way to selectively preserve heritage artefacts, not even based on how much value people ascribe to them now. We have to recognize that perceptions and values change over time, and the future generations may see more value in certain artefacts we deemed as unimportant and have neglected to preserve. The problems will become even more complicated when we factor in economic and political factors, reducing heritage to a mere socio-economic tool. These insights offered bleak outlooks to heritage preservation efforts in general, but it also feels wrong to dismiss heritage preservation at the same time. I am still unsure of what position to take hitherto.