In the Middle Ages, due to high illiteracy rates, paintings often served as the main medium of communication. Today, media communicates through monitor screens and their pixels. Pixels are rectangular dots created by hardware that combine to form text or images. Currently, the pixel is the smallest unit of media communication. Cryptopunks, NFTs created by Canadian software developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson in 2017, are images composed of rough-resolution pixels. Although their value has increased due to their historical significance, ‘Cryptopunk #7523’ from the series was sold for $11,754,000 at Sotheby’s auction on June 10, 2021, because it conveyed rarity and history through its rough pixelation. This NFT, which utilizes square pixels as a tool, conveys a similar concept to Lego blocks, which are meant to be constructed with blocks. In media, messages are created, distributed, and valued based on the nature of the expression tool. The tool is the message. - Joseph’s “just my th...
Wine contains "polyphenols," which are antioxidants, but it also includes ethyl alcohol, which is a Class 1 carcinogen according to the World Health Organization. Wine sellers emphasize "polyphenols" for their benefit. Nutritional supplements, such as vitamins, are marketed by highlighting their benefits. The explanation is very appealing. But let's look at it this way. We'd laugh if the function of a car were redundantly described as "saving people from heart disease," "promoting tourism," or "robbing banks" instead of simply "moving people around quickly". Beyond the idea of trying to sell something unreasonable with all sorts of health claims without knowing exactly what they are, there is the hidden deception of fooling others or being fooled by oneself, and greed. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”