phase 1 update and thoughts:

So so far ive been going down the route of "how we can use science to deeply connect with the earth better [and] with more inspiration." Animate earth
Through the ideas of patrick geddes outlook tower which aimed to help people understand the realtionships and connections from the micro to the macro from Edinburgh to the whole world. Through this understanding he hoped that people would respect the earth and live more sustainable lives.
My project was going to be enabling people to learn and understand how a biosphere works and then relating it to the whole world.

I believed that we could build respect for the earth through gaining understanding and insights from nature. Seeing it as a valuable source of inspiration and understanding the finiteness of our planet.

My first prototype (biosphere as a representation of a small and simple world) which I realised from taking groups on walks int he forest that to gain knowledge they need some sort of facilitator to support their discoveries. So i created a insight sheet to act as a facilator for my biopshere to encourage insights to be gathered by individuals.

Which I tested with my skill share group people suggested the ownership and responsiblity of creating and owning a world was a big responsibility. On my biopshere I stuck:
"was it right to start this world? will you intervene, or abaondon your creations to a sealed fate?"

This lead to one individual letting her system go after 3 days as she felt it was too much responsilbity. Rather than trying to understand and to maintain her biosphere. Was this due to her not having enough time to look after it? is that the same way people feel about the earth, that they don't have enough time in their life to care for the earth, even though they have more free time than ever to care for the earth.

I found out after the test that they form was a bit restrictive as some insights came without questions and one individual wanted to write across the boxes.

My next test was to see how insights could be gathered without the biosphere and tested this out at another skill share event in aberdeen with students and one of the energy co-ordinators.
Through this we looked at how nature solved the problems of survival by looking at natural objects like cones and feathers. I posed a scenario to capture their intrest of getting lost in the wild. First creating individual sheets but found out people prefered to share their ideas and questions on a big bit of paper in the centre. I faciliated the scenario through asking questions qhen they asked me questions and prompting but only providing answers when they really wanted answers. Unfortunately I didnt get a chance to get them to draw their new ideas as that would have been valuable, maybe I can do that with another group!! dont spend so much time on the ideas, spend more time drawing or half and half. 5 minutes coming up with ideas then 5 drawing ideas. Get photos off alice.

I found out that the harddest part of it is designing it so it holds peoples attentions as metioned also in Animate earth. We live in such a fast paced life that people rarely take time to slow down and really look at things.

Children find it particularly hard to hold their attention on one thing and think that gaining really deep insights from a biopshere might be too difficult for them. Their enjoyment of games was look at with my nature nutters group. The difficulty to come to insights is quite hard for students so may be too difficult for kids.

My parents suggested that a game might be a good way of teaching people how the world works.
People love to play games and it would keep their attention.
My dad suggested a card game which could show people the need for diversty through packs of cards. You start off with two packs animals and plants. You get a horse and an oak tree and put it in your little world. But the horses die but there are no organisms so break the meat down so it piles up and so does the tree as their is no nutrients for the trees. Also combine the idea that if want to make products have to reduce human population and visa versa.
Suggesting the need for balance and the understanding of finite resources.
This could also be a computer game like catan although this misses out the idea of getting new inspiration from nature.
Think more complex the system the more insight which Is why we also need diversity.

I could have that the biosphere is part of the card game. Through the card game you understand how to look after the small world.


My video for the deepest part of my research could be:
-The relationship between my biosphere and Patrick Geddes outlook tower
-The prototypes with building the biospheres


Over the christmas break I need to work out which direction to go!!!