I really enjoyed Alex McDowell's talk, and I found it more relevant to our course than I initially expected. His approach to world-building and storytelling resonated with me deeply, especially in the context of our module. One of the most compelling insights he shared was how he and the writer of Minority Report began their journey on the same day, tasked with building a future reality rather than simply creating fiction. They didn’t just rely on imagination—they went out into the real world to gather knowledge and ideas, spending time at places like the MIT Media Lab. This idea of stepping outside and experiencing the world is something I’ve thought about before, and McDowell’s perspective reinforced my belief that immersing ourselves in real-world experiences is key to generating fresh ideas. It’s about asking "how might we" questions, which lead to innovative solutions that can impact the real world, like the development of Tesla. I loved his point that the questions we ask are more important than the answers we find. It’s the curiosity and exploration that shape what we ultimately discover.

One part of his talk that particularly stood out to me was his work on Superman, especially his approach to Krypton. He mentioned that they designed the world without any straight lines, which gave it a distinct, alien feel. They even created a language for it, which must have taken a tremendous amount of effort and dedication. It made me realise just how much attention to detail goes into building a believable and immersive world. It’s not just about the visuals but about creating a full, lived-in environment.

McDowell’s insights into Fight Club were also intriguing. He explained how they used the machinery of storytelling to keep the characters separated, reflecting the fact that they were the same person. I was a bit confused since I’ve never seen Fight Club, but the idea that storytelling can manipulate our perception of characters and reality was fascinating. He also mentioned how they shot a particular scene in the kitchen, which I’ll have to look into after the talk.

His comments on flooding and creating worlds that could help people understand potential future scenarios also caught my attention. It’s a powerful way to reimagine the future and prepare for possible challenges. This idea ties in with his work in education, where he discussed reimagining education for tribal communities. He created a website that allowed people to share stories about their tribes, helping to build connections between different groups that had never interacted before. This idea of connecting and learning from one another is something I think we need more of in today’s world.

I also found McDowell’s work with the World-Building Media Lab to be inspiring. The concept of showing inner space, like the human body, in the same way we explore outer space, is a brilliant way to help people experience complex scientific concepts. It also highlights the importance of collaboration between scientists and artists. I particularly liked the idea of using origami to represent molecular biology—such a creative way to explain complex problems to people of all ages.

When McDowell spoke about his teaching at USC, I was struck by his approach. He challenges his students to “destroy the world”—whether through nuclear disaster, climate change, or war—and then rebuild it. I think this is a powerful exercise because it forces students to think about what a new world could look like, free from the constraints of the current one. His method of bringing together physicists, scientists, and artists to create new worlds really appeals to me because it encourages cross-disciplinary thinking and allows for more holistic approaches to problem-solving.

The idea of "psychogeography," where students map out areas that are most important to them, also caught my attention. I’ve never encountered this concept before, but I think it’s a fascinating way to understand how people interact with their environment. McDowell’s work encourages a deep exploration of both the physical world and the inner world of personal connections and experiences.

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Overall, I found this talk to be incredibly insightful and beneficial to my own work. It made me think more deeply about the future, about world-building, and about how the stories we tell can have a real-world impact. The focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, the importance of asking the right questions, and the value of experiencing the world firsthand are all ideas that I’m excited to explore further in my own creative process. I’m glad I attended this talk because it provided me with a fresh perspective that I can apply to my own projects.

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