Back in the renaissance Leonardo da Vinci was considered to be at least a century ahead of his time. Today, such visionary is Syd Mead. Syd's influential work forged the modern idea of the future. He is a living legend amongst designers, an artist, a futurist, conceptual and industrial designer extraordinaire. True science fiction movie fans need no introduction to this man. Syd Mead's talent is behind such Sci Fi classics as Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens, Short Circuit, Time Cop, Strange Days, Mission to Mars, 2010 Odyssey and many others. He has set the standards for modern futuristic design. His fruitful creations influenced generations of concept artists and designers. He has been called a 'visual futurist' and his work is among the best of the best. Of course, you've guessed it - Syd Mead is a Mac user too! :-)

In this interview we've covered both - the small talk about simple things like software and hardware he uses to create, but also the most fundamental questions like human consciousness, artificial intelligence and where we are heading as a civilization...

Za renesansnog čovjeka Leonarda da Vincija kaže se da je bio barem stoljeće ispred svoga vremena. Takav je vizionar danas Syd Mead. Utjecaj Sydova rada skovao je modernu ideju budućnosti. Živuća je legenda među dizajnerima, svakovrsnim umjetnicima, futuristima... Izniman je konceptualni dizajner. Pravim ljubiteljima znanstvene fantastike uopće ga ne treba predstavljati. Na njegovu se maštu oslanjaju klasici kao što su Blade Runner, Tron, Aliens, Short Circuit, Time Cop, Strange Days, Misija na Mars, 2010. Odiseja u svemiru i drugi. Postavio je visoka mjerila suvremenog futurističkog dizajna. Njegovo je plodno stvaralaštvo utjecalo na naraštaje umjetnika koncepata i dizajnera. Zovu ga "vizualni futurist" zbog djela koja su vršak najboljih. A pogodili ste, računalo koje koristi Syd Mead je Mac! :-)

U ovom smo razgovoru čavrljali o jednostavnim temama poput softvera i hardvera kojim se pomaže pri stvaranju, ali i najtemeljnijim pitanjima kao što su čovjekova svijest, umjetna inteligencija i kamo to ide naša civilizacija...

Since the 60s he has created fascinating futuristic images for corporations and motion picture industry all over the world. He has designed a wide range of recognizeable ground and sea vehicles, machines, products, architecture, video games... He has designed V'ger entity for Star Trek, the interior of a Boeing 747 airplane and even a harbor in Kobe, Japan!

Od šezdesetih godina prošloga stoljeća on stvara futurističke slike za korporacije i filmsku industriju širom svijeta. Stvorio je mnoštvo suhozemnih i vodenih prometala za koje svi znaju. Dizajnirao je svemirski brod V'ger za Star Trek, unutrašnjost Boeinga 747, čak i projektirao luku u japanskom Kobeu.

One of the secrets of his design is that his ideas are always on the edge of our reality. They are futuristic but recognizable for what they are. His concepts would actually function smoothly within some future technological world. They are always designed with a wider focus on time and culture they belong to. Everything Syd designs has meaning and reason. There is no room for l'art pour l'art style in his work, everything has a purpose. Many designers have huge artistic talents, but no one can match the technical and engineering expertise, and the whole logic behind the lighting and composition that complement the artistic skills of Syd Mead.

Jedna od tajni njegovog dizajna jest ta da su mu ideje uvijek na rubu stvarnosti kakvu poznajemo. Futurističke su, ali i prepoznatljive. Njegove bi zamisli mogle glatko funkcionirati u nekim budućim tehnološkim svjetovima. Dizajnirane su uvijek sa širim pogledom na vrijeme i kulturu kojoj su namijenjeni. Sve što Syd dizajnira ima značenje i razlog. U radu ne ostavlja prostora za larpurlartizam. Sve ima svrhu. Mnogi su dizajneri veliki umjetnički talenti, ali malo tko poput Syda Meada ima s time podudarno tehničko i inženjersko znanje, što je još obogaćeno brigom o logici rasvjete i kompozicije.

Syd Mead has written numerous books in his 50 years long career. He has been fortunate to work with many industries all over the world and he has always managed to impress and leave his significant design legacy. There is even a new award-winning documentary about the work and influence of Syd Mead called 'Visual Futurist - The Art and Life of Syd Mead". There are many fantastic items that are available on www.sydmead.com including the DVD 'Visual Futurist". Unfortunately, many superb books have been sold out. Today Syd lives and works in Pasadena, Southern California, where he continues to create and inspire.

Syd Mead je u 50-godišnjoj karijeri napisao mnoštvo knjiga. Imao je sreće da surađuje s mnogim proizvođačima širom svijeta i uvijek mu je uspijevalo da radom impresionira i za sobom ostavi značajno naslijeđe u dizajnu. Novi nagrađeni dokumentarac o njemu zove se "Vizualni futurist, Umjetnost i život Syda Meada". Mnogo fantastičnih knjiga i DVD-a je dostupno na www.sydmead.com, ali nažalost većina je rasprodana. Syd Mead danas živi i radi u Pasadeni, južna Kalifornija, i ne prestaje stvarati i nadahnjivati.

JABUČNJAK: The Blade Runner is probably the most influential SF movie ever. For many it's a cult classic. It seems that many of modern fantasy movies are over-saturated with CG and unnecessary SFX and so they have that "fast food" feeling. Many older SF movies today look almost funny, but not the Blade Runner - the way it feels today is so immersive and realistic, yet all that has been achieved without computer graphics. Can you imagine how the Blade Runner would look if you could have had the today's technology in 1982?

JABUČNJAK: Blade Runner je vjerojatno najutjecajniji SF film. Za mnoge on je kultni klasik. Čini se da je mnoštvo današnjih fantastičnih filmova prezasićeno računalnom grafikom i računalnim efektima pa neizbježno donose i taj osjećaj "fast fooda". Mnogi stariji SF filmovi danas su gotovo smiješni, ali ne i Blade Runnner. I danas se doima duboko realističnim, a sve je postignuto bez računalske grafike. Možete li zamisliti kako bi Blade Runner izgledao da ste 1982. godine raspolagali današnjom tehnologijom?

SYD MEAD: If the story didn't change, my design response would not change either. The story created a dystopian world where technology was concentrated on 'Off-world' expansion leaving Earth in a state of fix-up and repair what is already made. If today's movie making technology were available in 1982 I seriously think the movie would not be as good.

SYD MEAD: Ako priča ne bi bila drukčija, ni moj dizajn ne bi bio drukčiji. Priča je stvorila distopijski svijet gdje je tehnologija bila koncentrirana na ekspanziju čovječanstva na druge izvanzemaljske svjetove, a Zemlji sve je ostalo na "zakrpaj i popravi" već stvoreno. Ozbiljno se bavim mišlju da mi je 1982. godine današnja tehnologija bila na raspolaganju film ne bi bio onako dobar.

JABUČNJAK: What's your first work done on a Mac? Or with a help of a computer in general? Were there any computers in Ford Motor Company's Advanced Studio while you worked there?

JABUČNJAK: Što ste najprije stvorili na Macu? Ili uz pomoć računala uopće? Je li u Fordovu centru za dizajn, dok ste ondje radili, uopće bilo računala?

SYD MEAD: I had just completed an ink on velum drawing of my design for the 'New Yamato', the anime icon from Japan. I used a parallel drafting machine and ink pens. That meant that my desk was completely occupied until the drawing was finished. I bought the computer and found that I could do drafting on the screen, increase the magnification and with my new 6 pen plotter make a new drawing anytime I wanted. It was a real revelation in saving time and technique.

SYD MEAD: Baš sam bio dovršio dizajn, crtež na foliji za "New Yamato", japansku anime ikonu. Usporedno sam crtao na crtaćoj daski i ručno, rotringom. To znači da mi je stol bio dokraja zakrčen sve dok crtež ne bih dovršio. Kupio sam računalo i shvatio da crtati mogu na ekranu, povećati si sliku, a sliku iscrtati mojim novim ploterom sa šest pera kad god zaželim. Za mene je računalo bilo otkrivenje nove tehnike i načina kako štedjeti vrijeme.

JABUČNJAK: Your first Mac was IIfx - that's year 1990 I believe? A very expensive high-end machine at that time. Was that your first computer ever or just the first Macintosh? You also had Quadra 950 and one of the early PowerPC Macs - the 8100 model? On average, what is the lifespan of Macs that you use? When they become obsolete to you?

JABUČNJAK: Vaš je prvi Mac bio IIfx, tamo negdje 1990. U to je vrijeme to bio vrlo skup vrhunski stroj. Je li to vaše uopće prvo računalo ili samo prvi Mac? Imali ste i Quadru 950 i jedan od prvih PowerMacova, model 8100? U prosjeku, koliki je životni vijek vaših Macintosha?

SYD MEAD: Yes, the IIfx was the first, then the Quadra and the 8100/100. As I remember the average life of use for my various computers was probably in the range of about six or seven years... I didn't need the high speed then because I was not generating large graphic files. I hired a Mac guy named Nick and he used the Quadra to make 72 frame rotations of some of my designs, as well as animated clips. I bought my G3 about six years ago, still have it and now know how slow it is. I made presentations in Adobe Premiere 6.5. The G3 would take about 4 ½ hours to compile a 2 gig presentation. The G4 does the same task in about 40 minutes!!! That means if I don't like how my movie turned out, I can trash it, go into the program and change things and make another movie, several times a day if I have to.

SYD MEAD: Da, IIfx je bio prvi, potom Quadra i 8100/100. Ako se dobro sjećam životni je vijek mojih Macintosha bio šest ili sedam godina... Tada nisam trebao brze strojeve jer i nisam stvarao grafičke datoteke visoke razlučivosti. Zaposlio sam na Macovima momka koji se zvao Nick i on je na Quadri generirao rotacije mojih objekata u 72 sličice, kao i animirane kadrove. Prije šest godina kupio sam si G3 i sad mi je jasno koliko je danas spor. Stvarao sam prezentacije u Adobe Premieru 6.5, a G3 bi potrošio 4 ½ sata da prekompajlira prezentaciju od 2 gigabajta. G4 isti posao obavio bi u 40 minuta! To znači da, ako mi se ne sviđa kako je film ispao, mogu ga baciti u smeće i napraviti novi pa i, ako zatreba, nekoliko puta na dan.

JABUČNJAK: Your MacBook Pro 17", the new Intel generation, it was a present from Apple - what's the story? It's portable; do you use it outside of your studio - and if so, what for?

JABUČNJAK: Vaš 17-inčni MacBook Pro je iz nove generacije s Intelovim procesorom. Darovao ga vam je Apple. Kako je do toga došlo? Budući da je prenosiv koristite li ga i izvan studija, a ako da, za što?

SYD MEAD: I use the new laptop for my presentations when I travel, and to download camera shots and just do image generation... graphics, and to write my autobiography. I have a duplicate file of my bio that I take with me and then update the G4 tower when I get back.

JABUČNJAK: I have found that you worked for Apple on the project 'Jaguar' in 1990? What was that?

SYD MEAD: Apple hired me to visualize a new generation of computers. I came up with ideas for a collapsible keyboard, an extendable docking bar that would recognize program discs or cassetes and suck them into the computer without having to 'enter' or drag icons.

SYD MEAD: Novi laptop koristim za prezentacije na putu i da na njega skinem fotografije te da se na njemu generiraju slike... grafike. A pišem na njemu i autobiografiju. Na putovanje s G4 "tornja" skinem duplikat teksta i po povratku na njega spremim novu verziju.

JABUČNJAK: Pročitao sam da ste za Apple radili 1990. na projektu Jaguar. Što je to bilo?

SYD MEAD: Apple me angažirao da vizualiziram novu generaciju računala. Ja sam došao s idejama o sklopivim tipkovnicama, proširivom sidrenom letvom koja bi prepoznavala programske diskove ili kasete i usisala ih u računalo bez stiskanja tipke enter ili odvlačenja ikona.

JABUČNJAK: Can you elaborate it any further or is there an Apple NDA contract you have to obey? Do you know why that project never saw the light of day?

SYD MEAD: I really don't know why the project was cancelled. I suspect that some sort of technological update made the project 'obsolete' as far as further development went. And the NDA? Yes, I had to sign one. That was then. Now, we don't sign NDA's unless we have a signed contract with the client. Sometimes they want you to sign an NDA before they tell you what they want you to do. That is like buying a wife over the Internet. Wow! What a scary concept!

JABUČNJAK: Možete li nam pojasniti ugovor NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement/Sporazum o čuvanju tajni) koji ste morali potpisati? Je li vam jasno zašto taj projekt nikada nije izašao u javnost?

SYD MEAD: Doista nemam pojma zašto je projekt otkazan. Čini mi se da je neki tehnički napredak cijeli projekt učinio to zastarjelijim koliko se više razvijao. A NDA? Da, morao sam to potpisati. Tako je bilo tada. Sada NDA ne potpisujemo sve dok s klijentom najprije ne potpišemo glavni ugovor. Katkada oni znaju ponuditi NDA prije nego uopće progovore o tome što žele. To je kao da nabavljaš ženu preko interneta, jeziv koncept!

JABUČNJAK: Your first all in-house book was Syd Mead's Sentury. You have created it on a G3 Mac. What software did you use and was it hard to learn page layout software - that's usually a job for some DTP studio? Do you always prefer to do as much as you can by yourself? Why?

JABUČNJAK: Vaša je prva cjelovito, u kući, na G3 stroju izrađena knjiga bila Syd Mead's Sentury (Neprevediva igra riječi od stapanja riječi "Century", stoljeće i "sentry", stražarnica – op. pr.). Koji ste softver koristili i je li vam bilo teško naučiti raditi programom za stolno izdavaštvo? Takvi se poslovi obično prepuštaju DTP studijima. Zar uvijek radije sami radite sve što se može uraditi? Zašto?

SYD MEAD: Yes, the Syd Mead's Sentury was done on the G3. I used Quark Xpress and FlightCheck. I learned how to use the software as I was creating the book. I wanted to do it myself because I wanted to control graphics, typography, layout and book arrangement. I will do the same thing with my new Quark Xpress when I start on my autobiography. The most difficult thing about learning how to use Quark Xpress was the stupid manual written by some silly woman... and I had a professional editor girl stop by once a week to see how I was doing. I did very well, learning transparency, drop-outs, kerning, all the bells and whistles to make the book attractive.

SYD MEAD: Da, Syd Mead's Sentury nastala je na G3. Koristio sam QuarkXpress i FlightCheck. Kako sam stvarao knjigu tako sam učio koristiti softver. Htio sam sve uraditi sam jer sam želio kontrolirati grafiku, tipografiju, layout i strukturu knjige. Sve ću to ponoviti na novom QuarkXpressu kad počnem raditi na autobiografiji. Na Quarku je najveća teškoća u učenju glupi priručnik koji je pisala neka luda žena... K meni jednom tjedno navrati profesionalna urednica da pogleda kako napredujem. Išlo mi je dobro, naučio sam sve o prozirnosti, inicijalima, kerningu, svim forama koje knjigu čine privlačnom.

JABUČNJAK: Today you still use a PowerPC generation Macs - G4 PowerBook and G4 tower with a Cinema display. Many Mac users love that generation as it was virtually trouble-free. I guess you use some older generation graphic software on them so they are still reasonably fast for your needs? One of the main reasons to upgrade computers today is that new software is more and more power hungry - and not always with proportional benefits. Some even call that 'bloatware'. What's your experience?

JABUČNJAK: Danas još koristite Macove iz generacije PowerPC-a. Imate G4 PowerBook i G4 tower uz CinemaDisplay. Mnogi vole upravo tu generaciju računala jer s njima gotovo nema problema. Pretpostavljam da na njima koristite nešto grafičkog softvera starije generacije pa pitam, jesu li za vaše potrebe oni još dovoljno brzi? Jedan od glavnih raloga zbog kojih se kupuju nova računala jest u tome što je novi softver gladan sirove snage. Ne uvijek uz tomu razmjerni dobitak, pa ga zovu bloatware. Kakvo je vaše iskustvo?

SYD MEAD: Definitely 'bloatware.' Over half the stuff on my hard drive I have no idea what it does. My new MacBook Pro laptop that Apple gave me is very fast and actually far more powerful than the G4 tower model. My single greatest resentment is the lack of retro-compatibility for software. I know it's marketing. I have many files that I composed in the old Apple CAD software, Claris CAD. I have to find a facility that still has old computers hooked up so I can DFX those files to some current software. I mean, I have years of files in Claris CAD that i can no longer open.

SYD MEAD: To je to. Za više od pola toga na disku pojma nemam što radi. Novi laptop koji sam dobio od Applea je vrlo brz i stvarno je znatno snažniji od G4 tornja. Najviše žalim što softver nije unatrag kompatibilan. Znam, to su tržišne strategije. Imam mnogo datoteka nacrtanih u starom Appleovom softveru za CAD, Claris CAD, i više ih nemam na čemu otvoriti.

JABUČNJAK: You use Adobe Creative Suite 4 - Photoshop and Illustrator, but also Quark and Word. Are you completely adapted to those digital tools? What part of your creations is still done by hand and what you create with a help of software tools? What's your favorite creative application?

JABUČNJAK: Koristite Adobeovu Creative Suite 4, Photoshop i Illustrator, ali uz njih Quark i Word. Jeste li se potpuno prilagodili tim alatima? Koji se dio vašeg posla još radi rukom i što sve stvarate uz pomoć softvera? Koji vam je najdraži kreativni program?

SYD MEAD: I do all my drawing and layout by hand... simple pen and paper. Then I scan the image/images in as underlay for final refinement. Photoshop is my main software, Illustrator for type and text blocks and Quark (running on the new MacBook Pro 17").

SYD MEAD: Sve crtam rukom, crteže i layoute, jednostavno, perom na papiru. Potom se skeniraju slike za podlogu za završno glačanje. Photoshop mi je najvažniji softver, Illustrator za tipografiju, a za blokove teksta Quark. Sve to na MacBook Prou 17".

JABUČNJAK: Now you use Final Cut Pro for your animated presentations. Although you don't declare yourself as a 'power user', the list of software tools you use is amazing - even for a much younger generation designers. Have you found them easy to learn and use, or are you really committed to master the new techniques of creation?

JABUČNJAK: Za animirane prezentacije sada koristite Final Cut Pro. Ne govorite o sebi kao power useru, a ipak softver kojim se koristite zadivljuje, čak i kad bismo govorili o znatno mlađem dizajneru. Je li vam bilo teško naučiti i koristiti ga, ili ste po prirodi skloni učenju novih kreativnih tehnika?

SYD MEAD: I am still learning to put the 'in' and 'out' points in Final Cut Pro. I am using it for my animated presentations and that is really fantastic. It is remarkably like the old Adobe Premiere... the new Premiere has such an awful interface that Final Cut was the choice. It is more precise in terms of matching audio to image. For my presentations, I am the audio but I want to create stand alone presentations that can be rented by distant venues. I haven't got that far yet but that is my goal.

SYD MEAD: Ja u Final Cut Prou još učim o tome što se događa "ako uradiš ovo, ispadne ono". Njime stvaram animirane prezentacije, a to je doista fantastično. Neodoljivo me podsjeća na stari Adobe Premiere... Novi Premiere ima baš nezgodno korisničko sučelje pa je Final Cut bio jasan izbor. I mnogo je točniji kada se trebaju podudariti zvuk i slika. Za moje prezentacije zvuk dajem ja sam, ali želim stvarati i takve prezentacije koje će govoriti same za sebe na udaljenim mjestima. Nije mi to još zatrebalo, ali taj mi je zahtjev važan.

JABUČNJAK: Have you ever tried to use some modern 3D modeling software?

SYD MEAD: Way back in the nineties I tried to use some early 3D software but realized that that is not what I'm hired to do. There are so many young guys who are very good at 3D modeling... I correspond with a young guy in Indianapolis, Indiana who just turned 20 and is good at Maya and Form-Z. My 3D is in my head.

JABUČNJAK: Jeste li iskušali kakav moderan softver za 3D modeliranje?

SYD MEAD: Davno u devedesetima pokušao sam s nekim ranim verzijama, ali sam shvatio da nisam za to. Ima toliko mladih momaka kojima ide 3D oblikovanje. Dobro se razumijem s momkom iz Indianapolisa koji je upravo navršio 20 godina i dobar je u Mayi i Form-Z-u. Moj je 3D u mojoj glavi.

JABUČNJAK: What's the most restrictive part of today's computers for a creative work like yours? And what's the biggest benefit apart from CMD+Z? Any tools you have found especially handy?

SYD MEAD: My favorite editing tool in Photoshop is the 'paste into' command in Photoshop 'edit' menu. I have used this function to paste textures into defined areas, to correct scanned images and to create interesting montages. My creative work is still manual, really. The computer comes in after the idea has been created, to add graphics, to create a finished presentation of the sketch or artwork for client approval.

JABUČNJAK: U čemu su, za vaš kreativni rad danas, računala ponajviše ograničena? I koja im je najveća prednost, osim CMD-Z?

SYD MEAD: U mom najdražem programu Photoshopu u paleti Edit najdraži mi je izbor "Paste Into". Time se koristim da u odabrana područja ulijepim teksture, dotjeram skenirane slike i stvorim zanimljive montaže. Ja kreativno radim još ručno. Računalo stupa na scenu nakon što postoji ideja, da joj dodam grafiku, da stvorim završnu prezentaciju skice ili djela u fazi kad je klijent treba odobriti.

JABUČNJAK: It's almost a rule that designers and artists prefer Mac over Windows. Is it a design factor of the hardware itself or the ergonomics of the operating system?

JABUČNJAK: Umjetnici gotovo u pravilu izabiru Macintosh umjesto Windowsa. Što presuđuje: dizajn samoga hardvera ili ergonomija operativnoga sistema?

SYD MEAD: Koliko ja shvaćam, Apple je od prvoga trenutka namijenjen grafici jer oduvijek ima kvadratni piksel... prikazuje savršenu kružnicu, bolje prikazuje tipografiju, svu geometriju neophodnu grafici. Windowsi su oduvijek samo sloj povrh izvornoga koda. Ne znam liče li novi Windowsi na Linux ili ne. Momci koji se razumiju u računala rekli su mi da je kôd Windowsa noćna mora.

JABUČNJAK: Which Macintosh model has the best design in your opinion? Is it maybe the famous G4 Cube or the "Sunflower" iMac with a display on an arm? Or something new like almost non-material super-thin MacBook Air? Any other?

JABUČNJAK: Što mislite, koji je Macintosh najbolje dizajniran? Je li to možda slavni G4 Cube, ili suncokretni iMac s ekranom na "ruci"? Ili koji novi, poput nestvarno tankog MacBook Aira? Neki drugi?

SYD MEAD: The new Air is amazing. The first thin laptop was so thin you could actually stop the optical disk by squeezing the case. Eventually the computer will be just a flexible sheet... RGB surface that switches from keyboard/menu array to picture as needed, probably incorporating haptic (touch screen) technology as well. The whole idea of 'cloud' computing where all your stuff plus the software is on a server somewhere scares me. I want my 'stuff' on a hard drive that I can turn off and on. I don't need some distant system to go down and I'm stuck. I know that computer nerds think the whole idea of just having a download/upload thing in your hand is cool, but I am suspicious. As a really scary, paranoid idea, think about eventually being a crime to have your own, isolated hard drive! The government, left to it's own inertia and motivation can become your most well-funded, most persistent, most dangerous enemy. I think history is overwhelmingly on my side of that argument!

SYD MEAD: Novi Air očarava. Prvi tanki laptop bio je toliko uzak da ste, pritiskajući ga, doista mogli zaustaviti optički disk. Jednom će računalo biti samo savitljivi list. RGB površina na kojoj se po potrebi smjenjuju modovi tipkovnice/polja s menijima sa slikom. Vjerojatno će biti ugrađena i haptička tehnologija (dodirivanja ekrana). Straši me zamisao "računalstva u oblaku" gdje je sve tvoje, softver i dokumenti, na nekakvom udaljenom poslužitelju. Ono što je moje želim na svom tvrdom disku kojega po volji mogu uključiti i isključiti. Ne treba mi neki udaljeni sustav koji bi mogao pasti, a ja pritom ostati bespomoćan u klopki. Znam da neke računalne štrebere oduševljava zamisao o tome da potpuno vladaju download/uploadom, ali sam ja sumnjičav. Krajnja je paranoidna pomisao da bi jednoga dana moglo biti kažnjivo imati svoj vlastiti izolirani tvrdi disk! Vladari, ostavljeni svojoj vlastitoj inerciji, mogli bi nam postati odlično plaćeni, apsolutno imuni najopasniji neprijatelji! Povijest premoćno daje pravo mojim takvim argumentima!

JABUČNJAK: What would be your dream computer? How would you design some future Mac to be perfect for your needs? Will it be something like Star Trek's holodeck or just a huge intelligent tablet-screen you can draw and paint on with hand and stylus?

JABUČNJAK: Kakvo bi bilo vaše računalo snova? Kako biste dizajnirali neki budući Mac koji bi savršeno odgovarao vašim potrebama? Bi li bio sličan holodeku iz Star Treka ili veliki inteligentni plošni ekran po kojemu možete crtati rukom i perom?

SYD MEAD: My dream computer would be a thin sketch pad...roll up RGB sheet that could be spread out, made stiff if needed and totally haptic driven; infinite memory embedded into the sheet... the current storage density target is a terrabyte on a thumbnail and that density will keep going up as we get into quantum physics, or bio-electronic systems. The holodeck? That should have been the bridge! The bridge set should have been the officers' lounge!

SYD MEAD: Moje računalo iz snova bio bi tanak list za skiciranje, RGB površina koja se može smotati i razmotati, žilava koliko treba, a da se njome upravlja potpuno haptički, a u nju ugrađeno beskrajno mnogo memorije. Trenutačni je cilj postići gustoću od terabajta na površinu nokta, a i ti će zahtjevi vremenom postajati sve stroži kako ćemo biti sve dublje u kvantnoj fizici ili bioelektričnim sustavima. Holodek bi trebao biti most! A most bi trebao biti okoliš dužnosnika.

JABUČNJAK: The Aliens is my second favorite movie ever. I love how real it looks. It feels more realistic than any of new generation SF movies. One key of its success is the technology you have designed for the movie. It's so well thought out - everything seems in line, so coherent, it's like we are really there in that time. Fascinating! Would the new digital tools, with ability to easily replicate parts of design, help to create even more coherent content - or would they just cut the production time and cost?

JABUČNJAK: Aliens je moj drugi najdraži film. Sviđa mi se njegov realizam. Osjećaj je mnogo stvarniji nego u mnogim SF filmovima novijih generacija. Jedan od recepata te uspješnosti jest tehnologija koju ste za njega dizajnirali. Sve je tako dobro promišljeno, usklađeno, koherentno, kao da ste doista ondje. Čudesno! Hoće li nove digitalne alatke, sposobne da stvore replike dijelova dizajna, biti od pomoći da se stvara još koherentniji sadržaj, ili će samo skraćivati produkcijsko vrijeme i troškove?

SYD MEAD: The idea is key... all the imaging technology can only make a good idea better. I don't see any particular advance in story telling that would be helped by increased imaging technology. In the real world, the object becomes proof that the software is okay. We will see a revolution in instant fabrication of object.

SYD MEAD: Recept je zamisao. Sve tehnologije generiranja slike dobru zamisao mogu samo učiniti boljom. Ne vidim nikakva napretka kojim bi poboljšane tehnologije za stvaranje slike unaprijedile pričanje priče. U stvarnom svijetu objekt postaje dokaz da je softver ispravan. Uslijedit će revolucija trenutačno proizvedenih objekata.

JABUČNJAK: Back to the Blade Runner just for one detail. Everybody talks with you about the legendary blue Spinner vehicle, it's a SF icon now, but I am intrigued by another one, the red one! The Alfa Romeo Spinner that appears in the movie very briefly. What's the story behind that?

SYD MEAD: The other vehicles in all the scenes except the ones I designed were designed or obtainded by the production staff under the direction of Lawrence Paull, the production designer for Blade Runner. I'd have to run the movie again to catch the 'Alfa' derivative car.

JABUČNJAK: Vratimo se Blade Runneru zbog jedne pojedinosti. Svi s vama razgovaraju o legendarnom vozilu Blue Spinner. Ono je postalo ikona SF-a. Mene, međutim, muči ono crveno! Spinner Alfa Romea koje se u filmu vidi vrlo kratko. Kako je do toga došlo?

SYD MEAD: Sva je druga vozila u ostalim prizorima, osim one koja sam ja dizajnirao, dizajniralo i priskrbilo produkcijsko osoblje Blade Runnera pod ravnanjem Lawrencea Paulla, produkcijskog dizajnera filma. Morao bih još jednom prevrtiti film da vidim taj Alfa derivat.

JABUČNJAK: What's the best new technology you have come across lately? Were you just fascinated or did you start using it?

SYD MEAD: Chicken feathers!!! Yes, don't laugh! Chicken feathers are pure keratin... protein. The poultry industry has to get rid of thousands of tons of chicken feathers every year. You heat the up to 200ºC which ossifys them and partially 'crystalizes' them. Then, you heat them up to 400ºC and you have a compound with zillions of area/surface for attaching hydrogen atoms in an efficiency that beats nanotubes by many, many factors. This recently discovered technique could speed up the use of hydrogen as a practical energy source sooner than expected.

JABUČNJAK: Koja je najbolja nova tehnologija što ste je uočili u posljednje vrijeme? Je li vas ona samo očarala, ili ste se njome počeli korisiti?

SYD MEAD: Kokošje perje!!! ... Da, ne smijte se! Kokošje je perje čisti keratin... protein. Peradarska se industrija svake godine mora osloboditi stotina tisuća tona kokošjeg perja. Zagrijete ga na otprilike 200º C čime se ono okošta i djelomično kristalizira. Zagrijete li ga potom do 400º C dobijete takav sastav da površina postaje spremna vezati milijarde atoma preciznošću više redova veličine boljom od nanocijevi. Eto, ta bi nedavno otkrivena tehnologija mogla ubrzati korištenje vodika kao energetskoga spremnika mnogo brže nego što se očekuje.

JABUČNJAK: There are still some technologies that even Star Trek didn't predict back then - for example their 'tricorders' look so retro compared to today's iPhone. What do you think about iPhone, do you use one? Have you seen art created on such a small device - and only with finger?

SYD MEAD: The iPhone is a marvelous device. I have an iPod touch. I don't need a cell phone except when I travel. I don't need to download games, get the news, be entertained by a tiny little screen, take pictures, send them to whomever... when I travel in my collector (older) cars I get some more minutes on my cheap phone by just getting a minutes card at the drugstore. Our new car, a Cadillac has a built-in phone.

JABUČNJAK: Danas već ima naprava koje ni Star Trek svojedobno nije mogao predvidjeti, npr. tricorderi prema iPhoneu izgledaju beskrajno starinski. Što mislite o iPhoneu, koristite li ga? Jeste li vidjeli da se i na njemu, jednim prstom, već stvaraju umjetnička djela?

SYD MEAD: iPhone je čudesna naprava. Ja imam iPod Touch. Ne treba mi mobitel, osim kad sam na putu. Ne moram skidati igre, čitati vijesti, zabavljati se na malom ekranu, fotografirati i slati ih već nekome... Kad putujem u nekom od starijih automobila iz moje zbirke dovoljno mi je što se mogu javljati s javnih telefona, a naš novi cadillac već ima ugrađen telefon.

JABUČNJAK: You have collaborated on many computer games. Is it a big challenge to design for a game - there are always limitations in number of polygons, textures, resolution? How did you do it? Do you play games? Any favorites?

JABUČNJAK: Surađivali ste pri stvaranju mnogo računalnih igara. Je li izazovno dizajnirati za igru, jer se uvijek ispriječe ograničenja u broju poligona, tekstura, razlučivanje? Kako vam to uspijeva? Igrate li se? Imate li omiljene igre?

SYD MEAD: I've worked on games from the 8-bit, VGA color limit days. I like to find out what the limits are... frame buffer, how the image on screen is made and what the limits are for color. Now, the game resolution is so high that you can port game footage over to theatrical release. Now, it's back to story, to sequence, to visual invention... the limitations of creating a moving picture on a screen is not the problem.. the challenge is idea, just like it always was.

SYD MEAD: Stvarao sam igre još od vremena kad je ograničenje bila 8-bitna VGA grafika. Volim dokučiti granice mogućnosti... frame buffer, kako se generira slika na ekranu i koja su ograničenja boje. Sada su rezolucije igara tolike da biste kadrove iz igre komotno mogli izdati kao kinofilm. Zato se sada vraćamo priči, sekvenci, vizualnoj invenciji... Ograničenja u stvaranju pokretne slike na ekranu nije problem... Izazov je zamisao, što je oduvijek i bila.

JABUČNJAK: The Gundam robot! Now there is an amazing real-size 18m statue in Odaiba, Tokyo!

JABUČNJAK: A sad robot Gundam: u tokijskoj Odaibi postavljena je očaravajuća 18-metarska statua stvarne visine!

SYD MEAD: I have received pictures of the 1:1 GUNDAM MOBILE SUIT statue in Tokyo from a fan/friend of mine there. It must be truly impressive. It is all lit up at night, from some of the pictures he sent.

SYD MEAD: Poštovalac/prijatelj poslao mi je sliku te 1:1 skulpture gundamskog egzoskeletona. Mora da je dojmljiva. Noću je rasvijetljena, rekao bih po nekim fotografijama.

JABUČNJAK: What do you think about the so called "net.art" concept - mixing of classical art virtues and modern technology with a feedback loop over the Internet. One definition of "net.art" is that it's an art that uses the Internet as its medium and that cannot be experienced in any other way. The other definition is that ideas are born on the net, but then we make them live in our real world where they mutate, and then return to the net where we can recycle them in some new iteration - and with a new quality. Thus, completing the circle of creation in a 21st century way.

JABUČNJAK: Što mislite o konceptu tzv. Net-arta, mješavini klasičnih umjetničkih vještina i moderne tehnologije, a publika reagira putem interneta? Jedna definicija kaže da net-art internet koristi kao medij za koji nema drugoga načina da ga se doživi. Druga govori o tome da se na mreži stvaraju ideje koje prenosimo u stvaran život, a tu one mutiraju i vraćaju se na mrežu gdje ih se reciklira u novoj inačici. S novom kvalitetom. To bi mogao postati krug stvaranja XXI. stoljeća.

SYD MEAD: I applaud all the new ways to create... whether circulating on the net or switching from user to user. The technique of sharing the creative task is a very old one... it's called 'team design' where lots of people share in the creative process.

SYD MEAD: Pozdravljam svaki novi način stvaranja... makar on kružio mrežom ili od jednog do drugog korisnika. Tehnika razmjene kreativnoga zadatka vrlo je stara... Zove se timski dizajn, a u njemu mnogo ljudi sudjeluje u kreativnom procesu.

JABUČNJAK: What's your viewpoint, your definition of the term 'design'?

SYD MEAD: Simply put, DESIGN is the deliberate arrangement of elements. DESIGN, as a generic word can apply to musical notation, mathematical notation, architecture, bio/electronic development... and of course the DESIGN of artifact and article from toothbrushes to jetliners to cruise ships.

JABUČNJAK: Što je vaše stajalište, vaša definicija pojma "dizajn"?

SYD MEAD: Najjednostavnije, dizajn je namjerno razmještanje elemenata. Dizajn je generički pojam primjenjiv na bilježenje glazbe, matematike, arhitekture, biološkog ili elektroničkog stvaranja. Dakako, i novih predmeta, od četkice za zube do putničkih zrakoplova ili kruzera.

I have worked across almost the entire range of consumer products, transport ideas and even graphical design for corporate logos and theme park master plans. DESIGN is the result of carefully choosing arrangement relationships. The fun is when the result is arrived at... and really good design can be a surprise to the designer as well as the first viewing by others.

Radio sam na vrlo širokom spektru potrošačkih proizvoda, ideja o prijevozu, čak i grafičkom dizajnu korporativnih logotipa i prostornih planova zabavnih parkova. Dizajn je rezultat brižljivo složenih veza. Zabavno je kad rezultat... iznenadi i samoga dizajnera kao i one koji ga prvi put vide.

In fact, I can tell when I first start a DESIGN project whether or not I am 'on track.' There is a sensation of 'FLOW' that triggers excitement and propels toward inspiration. The projects that have given me the most satisfaction were those that allowed a certain degree of casual execution; almost to the point of being willing to start over, or to alter first stage with the abandonment of child-like naiveté. Now at seventy-six, I am starting on several new illustrations which could be used to promote a new venture, at this point still in development.

JABUČNJAK: Did you know that there is a musical album in Croatia called 'Androida' and that is in part inspired by the Blade Runner?

Zapravo, već od prvoga trenutka nekog projekta u dizajnu ja znam jesam li na pravom putu. Stvara se nekakav osjećaj "protoka" koji pokreće uzbuđenje i uzdiže te do nadahnuća. Projekti kojima sam bio najviše zadovoljan dopuštali su mi stanovite neformalne ovlasti da donosim odluke; tolike da sam, učini li mi se tako, imao volje da sve počnem iznova, ili promijenim prvu fazu tako da iz nje uklonim elemente dječje naivnosti. Danas sa 77 godina počinjem raditi niz ilustracija koje bi trebale promovirati novu tvrtku.

JABUČNJAK: Jeste li čuli da je u Hrvatskoj izdan album 'Androida' dijelom nadahnut Blade Runnerom?

SYD MEAD: The 'Androida' sounds fascinating. I am a great admirer of musical invention. I mean, my musical taste runs from Vivaldi and Bach to contempo groups but NOT RAP, okay? Some sort of mindless beat over recorded with a string of rhyming rhetoric.

SYD MEAD: 'Androida' zvuči očaravajuće. Jako cijenim glazbenu inventivnost. Pri tome mislim, moj se glazbeni ukus prostire od Vivaldija i Bacha do moderne glazbe. Isključujem jedino rap, OK? U njemu doživljavam obesmišljeni prije snimljeni ritam preko kojega ide kanal rimovane retorike...

JABUČNJAK: What do you know about Croatia?

SYD MEAD: The Croatian mystique is truly a shrouded area to me. I will Google and learn more. Davor! I love your name... it, to me in my culture, sounds like some magical name in some far off galaxy!!! In English letters it has a very nice graphical look. My first name, 'Sydney,' is a corruption of the French 'St. Dennis'. The family name, 'Mead' comes from an old English recipe for an ale brewed with honey. It's still being made!

JABUČNJAK: Što znate o Hrvatskoj?

SYD MEAD: Za mene je Hrvatska zagonetka. Skoknut ću na Google i istražiti. Davor! Sviđa mi se tvoje ime... Meni, u mojoj kulturi, ono zazvuči kao kakvo čarobno ime s neke udaljene galaksije! Latiničnim slovima izgleda vrlo dobro. Moje ime Sydney je iskvarenica francuskog izraza St. Dennis, a prezime Mead potječe od staroengleskoga imena za pivo s provrelim medom. Medovinu još proizvode!

Americans commonly do not learn other languages, at least my generation because they/we don't travel really that much as a population. And the country is so big that most Americans spend their lives just going around our country. And so, when I travel or correspond with people around the world I am always so grateful and have so much respect for other nationalities facility with English. In Europe, where you can drive for two hours and be in another country I understand why most Europeans speak three, maybe four languages.

Za Amerikance je uobičajeno da ne uče strane jezike, barem moj naraštaj nije. Mi kao populacija nismo mnogo putovali, a naša je zemlja toliko velika da mnogo Amerikanaca koji putuju do kraja života iz nje ne izađu cijeloga života. Pa tako i ja kad putujem ili se dopisujem s ljudima širom svijeta divim se i poštujem druge narode koji uče engleski. U Europi, gdje se nakon dva sata vožnje nađete u drugoj zemlji, imam razumijevanja zašto ljudi govore i po tri, četiri jezika.

JABUČNJAK: When we look at some of your work that is two decades old and we see it now as our everyday reality, when we see cities that look exactly as in your visions - the inevitable question is: are you really so good at predicting the future - or your creations influenced the whole process of getting here?

JABUČNJAK: Podsjetimo li se vaših radova od prije dva desetljeća i vidimo ih danas kao stvarnost, gradove koji izgledaju jednako kao u vašim vizijama, nameće se pitanje: predviđate li vi tako dobro budućnost ili su vaši radovi utjecali da stvarnost ispadne upravo ovakva?

SYD MEAD: Gosh, I don't know. I thought up stuff decades ago based on the simple idea that if it's a good idea (anti-gravity, tiny communication devices, stylistic extensions...) it will probably happen someday. Yes, I'm very complemented that some of the things I illustrated decades ago are now everyday objects and style and I feel highly honored that I get messages from around the world.

SYD MEAD: Uh, nemam pojma. Te sam stvari prošlih desetljeća smislio temeljem jednostavne zamisli da, ako su dobra ideja (antigravitacija, male naprave za komunikaciju, stilski dodaci), jednoga će se dana dogoditi. Meni je kompliment što su neke stvari koje sam desetljećima ranije nacrtao danas dio stila svakidašnjice. Osobita su mi počast poruke koje dobijam iz svijeta.

When we travel I meet people who have seen and been influenced by things I have done, sometimes from the time they were children! That kind of complimentary knowledge is really my legacy. But predicting the future gets more difficult all the time because the rate of change is itself speeding up. Now, the 'future' is almost next week!!!

Ponekad na putu sretnem ljude na koje je utjecalo ono što sam radio u vrijeme dok su bili djeca. Što znam da posvuda ima takvih ljudi moja je prava baština. Međutim, sve je teže predvidjeti budućnost jer se ubrzava ritam promjena. Danas je "budućnost" možda već sljedećeg tjedna!

JABUČNJAK: Do you think human life span is long enough? Do we live and work faster because we are aware the life is very short? Would you rather live 400-500 years, as in The Culture novels? Would we work slower if we had more time? In other words, would life be boring if we lived forever?

JABUČNJAK: Mislite li da je ljudski život dovoljno dug? Živimo li i radimo brže jer smo svjesni da je život vrlo kratak? Biste li radije živjeli 400-500 godina kao u romanima The Culture? Bismo li u tom slučaju radili sporije jer bismo raspolagali s više vremena? Drugim riječima, bi li život bio dosadan ako bismo živjeli vječno?

SYD MEAD: Already, at least here in the United States, the 100 plus years old segment of the population is growing! The insurance companies will have to upgrade their actuarial life-span charts. As science unravels the mysteries of why and how we age the life span will definitely lengthen. This has very wide-spread consequences for society; job retirement, population growth as women give birth to children past the current 'fertile' age; certainly the health insurance/medical care expense of an aging population; all these factors would be considerably exaggerated if life extended into the multiple hundreds. In theory, the organism that is man should live for a long, long time if various chemical and pathogen profiles could be change. I do anticipate that in the near future you will have 'extra' body parts growing in cells somewhere waiting until you need a replacement, like hearts, livers, lungs, pancreas, kidneys... all of the vital organs that tend to break down with age and constant use. That fact alone could extend life into the 170's.

Would long life span induce boredom? Depends on the intellectual vitality of the person. I mean, if you live at the subsistence level, what's the point? The whole worthwhileness of living at all is curiosity, an intellectual energy that supports mental activity. Getting bored in the first place is the result of not having the mental capacity to be curious, to have a skill set that is challenged, a sense of self-worth that drives continued effort to be 'you' day by day.

SYD MEAD: Ovdje u SAD-u sve je više stogodišnjaka. Osiguravajuće tvrtke morat će ažurirati svoje tablice životnoga vijeka. Kako znanost razotkriva zagonetke zašto i kako ljudi stare životni se vijek definitivno produžuje. Posljedice se odražavaju posvuda; na doba odlaska u mirovinu, žene rađaju znatno poslije isteka razdoblja biološke plodnosti, na troškove osiguranja i zdravstvene skrbi populacije koja stari. Sve bi to moglo postati prenaglašeno ako bi se život produžio na više stotina godina. Teorijski, čovjek bi mogao živjeti vrlo dugo ako bi se mogli izmijeniti neki kemijski i patogeni aspekti. Predviđam da će se u bliskoj budućnosti uzgajati "rezervni dijelovi" tijela koji će čekati na potrebu da zamijene bolesne, poput srca, jetara, pluća, gušterače, bubrega... svi ti vitalni organi skloni da se pohabaju s godinama i stalnim radom. Samo bi to moglo život produžiti na 170 godina.

Bi li duži život generirao dosadu? To ovisi o mentalnoj vitalnosti osobe. Znači, koji bi smisao bio živjeti na aparatima za održavanje života? Sve zbog čega je vrijedno živjeti jest radoznalost, intelektualna energija koja podupire mentalnu aktivnost. Dosađivati se ponajprije znači ne imati mentalnih kapaciteta za radoznalošću, odsutnost vještine upuštanja u izazove, osjećaja vlastite vrijednosti koji pokreće na stalan napor da iz dana u dan ti budeš - upravo ti.

JABUČNJAK: As you are not just a designer and an artist, but also a 'futurist', let's speculate about future - do you think that human-like artificial intelligence, or even consciousness, would happen all by itself when huge computer networks level up to the critical mass for that to happen? With the new 'knowledge engines' like Wolfram-Alpha we are not so far away from HAL 9000 experience. What's your vision of the future from today's point? Will computers ever be able to design all by itself?

JABUČNJAK: Kako niste samo dizajner i umjetnik, nego i futurist, nagađajmo malo o budućnosti. Mislite li da će se čovjeku slična umjetna inteligencija, ili čak samosvijest, pojaviti sama od sebe kada goleme računalne mreže dosegnu kritičnu masu za takvo što? Nismo li se s motorima znanja poput Wolframove Alphe približili iskustvu kakvo je HAL 9000? Kako danas vidite budućnost? Hoće li računala ikada moći sama sebe dizajnirati?

SYD MEAD: This is critical question. It needs a comprehensive approach. Artificial intelligence ('AI') is a fascinating subject because it challenges our most basic reality; our ability to be aware of our own consciousness. The computing ability of 'silicon' intelligence advances in an ever speeding up curve; the speed-up itself is speeding up BECAUSE the computers we now have are helping us to cross the threshold of equivalent human intelligence. Our 'computing' abilities are neurological; we can deliberately alter our conscious thinking procedure if we want to, perhaps to purposely change our approach to a problem.

SYD MEAD: To je kritično pitanje za opsežan pristup. Umjetna inteligencija (AI) je fascinantna tema jer izaziva našu najtemeljniju stvarnost, našu sposobnost da budemo svjesni samih sebe. Računalska sposobnost "silicijske" inteligencije napreduje krivuljom stalnog ubrzanja i to upravo zato jer nam današnja računala omogućuju da prekoračimo granice ljudske inteligencije. Naše su vlastite "kompjuterske" sposobnosti neurološke. Možemo, poželimo li, namjerno izmijeniti način razmišljanja ako problemu poželimo drukčije pristupiti.

Designers do this all the time. When I approach a new design challenge I acquire as much information about the 'problem' as possible and then deliberately pretend to forget it. Of course the problem parameters are always there, but you must pretend that you don't know the limitations right away... you must think about the problem in very broad, conceptual terms. The second stage is to review what you've come up with as a DISINTERESTED observer of your own thoughts. That takes a technique that requires, for the duration of this phase, ZERO egocentric emotion. The flaw in a lot of 'creative' thinking is that the designer/thinker falls in love with the solution to soon in the procession toward solution. THEN, the third phase is to collate your thoughts and fit them to the problem as solution. I have followed this methodology for over fifty years and it works every time.

Dizajneri to rade svo vrijeme. Kad je predamnom novi dizajnerski izazov, najprije o "problemu" prikupim što više informacija i tada se namjerno pretvaram da sam ih zaboravio. Dakako, parametri problema postoje svo vrijeme, ali morate si umisliti da trenutačno ne znate gdje su njegove granice. O problemu morate razmišljati konceptualno, vrlo široko. Na drugom stupnju razmatrate do čega je u vašim mislima dovelo to "nezainteresirano" promatranje. Za tu vam je fazu neophodno da je egocentrička emocija "na nuli". Mnogo kreativnoga razmišljanja propadne kada se dizajner u procesu razmišljanja prerano zaljubi u neko rješenje. A tada nastupa treća faza u kojoj misli priberete i uklopite ih u rješenje problema. Tom se metodologijom služim više od pedeset godina i uvijek upali.

Those instances when I jumped to solution too soon were less successful. Of course, the critical FRONT END requirement is accurate information to start with. I have had clients who did not know what the problem actually was. This is a recipe for wasted time, even if you get paid.

Kada sam prebrzo preskočio na rješenja, ona su ispala neuspješnija. Naravno, prije svega morate početi s točnom informacijom. Neki moji klijenti uopće nisu znali u čemu je zapravo problem, a to je siguran put za gubljenje vremena, čak i kada ti plate.

Computer flop cycles will duplicate and exceed that of the human brain within seven to ten years. At that point the question is, will the artificial intelligence entity possess 'spirit?; the proverbial 'soul?; the essence of personality? I believe so, and in that process we will discover that the ancient suspicions, the superstitions and the appreciation of the MAGICAL aspects of being 'human' will be eliminated and we will finally realize that we, as human animals, possess a fantastic, evolutionary product of endless evolution and adaptation to environment, to procreative existence and physical survival.

Za sedam do deset godina procesna će se snaga računala udvostručiti i preteći snagu ljudskog mozga. U tom ćemo se trenutku pitati ima li umjetna inteligencija "duh" ili "dušu", jezgru osobnosti? U tom ćemo procesu, vjerujem, morati ukloniti drevne sumnje, praznovjerice, i obožavanja magičnih aspekata postojanja "ljudskoga". Napokon ćemo shvatiti da mi, ljudske životinje, posjedujemo fantastičan proizvod beskrajne evolucije (tj. domogli smo se npr. da i AI radi za nas - op. prev.) i prilagođavanja okolišu u korist vlastitog razmnožavanja i fizičkog opstanka.

We will unravel the electro-chemical cascade of reactions that actually produce our intelligence as an organic process. In that realization we will then be able to alter our own reality because we will create parallel processes with the 'silicon' intelligence to analyze and correct our organic flaws. (This also threatens to produce the whole repugnant control of populations for political agenda. This has always been the case with technological advancement. Remember, a knife can be used to elegantly bone a duck or stab someone to death. The tool demands intelligent use. Tools are utility neutral.)

Razmrsit ćemo elektrokemijsku kaskadu reakcija koje našu inteligenciju čine kao organski proces. Svjesni toga moći ćemo preinačiti našu stvarnost jer ćemo stvoriti usporedne procese na "silicijskoj" inteligenciji kojom ćemo analizirati i ispravljati vlastite organičke nedostatke. (To je ujedno i prijetnja da se, kao politički program, proizvede ovome proturječan nadzor stanovništva. Tako je uvijek bilo pri tehnološkom napredovanju. Znate, nožem se uvijek može elegantno patki odrezati batak, ali i nekoga izbosti nasmrt. Alatka traži inteligentnu uporabu, a sama je priroda alatki neutralna.)

Finally, do I as a creative designer feel threatened by the prospect of artificial intelligence competition? No, I don't. What I look forward to is that artificial intelligence entities, devoid of 'emotional' pollution of a purely computational process, can create ideas and propose formats that we as humans may never think of because we always have to suppress our human nature, our aspirations and our emotional attachments while we are being creative.

Napokon, osjećam li se kao kreativni dizajner ugrožen konkurencijom napretka umjetne inteligencije? Ne. Ono čemu se nadam kod bića s umjetnom inteligencijom jest da će im proces kalkuliranja biti lišen "emotivnoga zagađenja" te da će moći stvoriti zamisli i predlagati formate koje mi, kao ljudi, nikada ne bismo izmislili samo zato jer mi uvijek moramo potiskivati svoju ljudsku narav, naša stremljenja i našu emocinalnu privrženost dok smo kreativni.

I propose an 'AI' entity being 'hired' to create ideas and proposals that are presented to human selection, expanding the source material for some really 'wild' solutions to various problems. At end, we will be literally masters of creation, using our 'AI' accomplices to solve problems that can only be solved by their vast ability to acquire, analyze and collate almost infinite data streams. Will there be the religious nut cases that will try to stop this transition to SUPER HUMAN intelligent entities? Yes. Why? Because once we transcend the 'realization' threshold of human neurological process, the whole pretense of 'GOD' will become an intellectual curiosity as quaint as the belief in evil spirits, that a solar eclipse signals the end of the world, that sickness is caused by sin.

It is going to be a swell ride, folks!

Syd Mead, Pasadena California, July 17, 2009

All text and images used for this interview are copyrighted by either Syd Mead or Jabučnjak and may not be used without permission.

Croatian translation by Miroslav Ambruš-Kiš

Predlažem da "AI entitet" unajmimo da stvara zamisli i predlaže ih, a da ih ljudi potom biraju, proširuju im izvornu građu prema nekim doista ludim rješenjima raznih problema. Na kraju mi ćemo biti gospodari stvaranja koristeći pomoć AI za rješavanje onih problema gdje do izražaja dolazi njihova sposobnost da prihvate, analiziraju i uspoređuju gotovo neizmjerne nizove podataka. Hoće li se pojaviti kakav vjerski fanatik koji će pokušati zaustaviti prelazak prema entitetima čovjeku nadmoćne inteligencije? Da. Zašto? Zato, jer kad jednom prijeđemo prag razumijevanja čovjekovih neuroloških procesa, svaka izlika o "bogu" bit će intelektualni kuriozitet, zastarjeo kao vjerovanje u zle duhove, da je pomrčina Sunca znamen smaka svijeta i da je grijeh uzrok bolesti.

Narode, bit će to opaka vožnja!

Syd Mead, Pasadena, Kalifornija, 17. srpnja 2009.

Vlasnici teksta intervjua, i slika uz njega, su ili Syd Mead ili Jabučnjak. Bez izričite dozvole oni se ne smiju koristiti u cjelini ili dijelovima.

Hrvatski prijevod: Miroslav Ambruš-Kiš