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...
Vaccines have allowed people to travel worldwide. Migration and population density are benefits of vaccines. When vaccines failed to curb the epidemic, the “space” ultimately addressed the epidemic. This history is why maintaining “social distance” is essential. Hunting requires one million square meters to secure a person’s livelihood, but urbanization restricts many individuals from accessing such vast spaces. On the other hand, if agriculture can address livelihood needs with just 500 square meters, and its efficiency can increase by 2,000 times, then the perspective on the epidemic reveals insights about civilization. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”