The scientists around us are working ever harder to turn human beings into vectors with predictable paths — and a lot of this research is going into helping businesses market their products more effectively. Think Google ads, or Amazon recommendations as two prime examples.
British scientist Stephen Wolfram revealed to Germany’s Der Spiegel this week that he was able to process data from about 1 million Facebook users to draw all sorts of conclusions about friendships, lifestyle patterns and other human behavioural traits.
The most surprising result of his research? I’ll let him answer:
We had a joke at our company a while ago: Our web analytics team was full of former experimental particle physicists. They were used to doing experiments on neutrinos or something, where they get data at some rate and make these plots on the behavior of particles and so on. The data rate in our web analytics system is about the same as the one they got in their particle physics experiments, the number of clicks is about the same as the number of particles going through a detector. The surprising thing is: The curves in web analytics are actually smoother than those they were used to in particle physics. People are, in a sense, more predictable than the quantum mechanics of particles.
If this is true — and who am I to question 1 million real people — how is it that one genre novel becomes a bestseller while another ends up at the pop-up discount store? Why does an established playwright create a hit, then a flop? Why does one opera production succeed while another draws choruses of boos?
We have already known for centuries that there is nothing basically new under the sun of human storytelling. Some people say there are seven basic plots. Some say it’s 20. I want to be generous and support 18th century Venetian playwright Carlo Gozzi, who decided there were 36 basic plots.
(I think it would be brilliant to write 36 operas with these titles, the arts lover’s equivalent of No Name food.)
Supplication
Deliverance
Crime pursued by vengeance
Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred
Pursuit
Disaster
Falling prey to cruelty of misfortune
Revolt
Daring enterprise
Abduction
The Enigma
Obtaining
Enmity of kinsmen
Rivalry of kinsmen
Murderous adultery
Madness
Fatal imprudence
Involuntary crimes of love
Slaying of a kinsman unrecognized
Self-sacrificing for an ideal
Self-sacrifice for kindred
All sacrificed for passion
Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
Rivalry of superior and inferior
Adultery
Crimes of love
Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one
Obstacles to love
An enemy loved
Ambition
Conflict with a god
Mistaken jealousy
Erroneous judgement
Remorse
Loss of a loved ones
Recovery of a lost one
To mix food metaphors, very fibre and cell in me recoils at the thought of having my behaviour become the equivalent of sausage filling for marketers, but at the same time, I accept that advertisers will become ever more adept at following my virtual cookie trail straight into my home and straight to my neurological receptors.
But —
Why not make this the ultimate challenge for the artist?
So much of what we consider to be the masterworks of Western art in their day shattered patterns, defied stereotypes and generally afflicted the comfortable.
Let the true artist be less “predictable than the quantum mechanics of particles.” Otherwise, I think we may as well hang up our keyboards and tools and lock the doors to our theatres.
You can read the full interview with Wolfram, in English, here.
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I want to draw on an obscure musical example for inspiration: William Lawes. He was an English composer who lived during the first half of the 17th century, becoming a court musician for Charles I. His music is at once entirely of its time, yet also full of unpredictable little twists and turns. In all sorts of small ways, he proved himself unpredictable.
For that, his works were cast aside for three centuries. But now we can listen and appreciate the man’s genius.
Here is the British ensemble Fretwork performing Three Dances for Lyra Viol:
John Terauds