The document discusses Flusser's concept of a "telematics society" where people share information through technology to create a "super brain." Flusser acknowledges that his previous works focused on verbs and processes, while Chamber Music represents a finished product of those actions. Flusser believes catastrophes cannot be predicted or avoided, but forecasting helps reduce damage from events like hurricanes. A telematics society could predict events to avoid catastrophes. The document also examines how chamber music and technology allow for continuous creation and sharing of information in an endless dialogue.

1. Rachel Rainville
Professor Zhang
COM495
February 17, 2016
Chamber Music Extension Paper
Flusser discusses this idea of a telematics society of which we produce a network of
dialogues through technology, of which we share information on what he refers to as a super
brain. Through synthesis, new information is created and with the use of dialogue through
different technologies, a telematics society has been created.
Flusser acknowledges how the previous chapters before Chamber Music were all verbs.
They are infinitives in the way that they are meant to continually, with no end, extend the way
we think and create. Chamber Music however, is an end or merely a finished product of those
actions. Flusser states “This tension between unbounded quality of the infinitive and the
definability of the substantive characterizes not only this essay but any kind of forecasting,” (pg.
159). Forecasting is not seeing what is to come in the future but analyzing current events and
the directions that they are going. “He anticipates the future with information to avert the
future,” (pg. 159). Flusser goes on to add that all prediction damages the future, however the
future is a result of actions made in the present. Prediction does not damage the future, it helps
create it, however it could be the catastrophes that Flusser mentions which makes the
unknown future beautiful.
Flusser states that catastrophes cannot be avoided because they cannot be seen, but in
the world today there are many catastrophic events that have been not as catastrophic because

2. of forecasting. Weather for instance can be predicted based off of heat waves and oceanic
movements, allowing weather forecasters to accurately predict hurricanes. These types of
events cannot be manipulated by man though so they cannot be avoided. But in the society we
currently live in these catastrophic events can be reduced because of the prediction. People
have time to evacuate, or prepare for the event as to reduce the overall damage of it. Flusser
talks about the scenarios in a telematics society, such as a nuclear war. In a telematics society it
would produce bestiality but not catastrophes, because in a telematics society the actions
would be predictable.
The way Flusser defines a catastrophe is a beautiful idea, “True catastrophes are new
information. They are, by definition, surprising adventures,” (pg. 160). Which begs one to think,
maybe catastrophes are necessary, they should not be avoided or predicted which is why
Flusser would say that prediction damages the future.
For Instance, the art of ‘scratching’ that a DJ does was actually an accident. It happened
purely by accident, but ended up being a surprising adventure for Theodore Livingston, a teen
Bronx DJ in the 1970s. “As legend has it, sometime in 1975 Theodore inadvertently heard
himself scratch on his home system after his mother had asked him to turn the music down
(else she turn it off). The sound wasn’t new; it wanted to be found and Theodore heard its call,”
(Fintoni, 2015). So according to the definition of catastrophe, scratching would fit. It was not
planned, nor predicted but it just happened and turned out to be a prevalent thing that DJ’s
use.

3. Phenomenon’s are usually difficult to explain, however, the thought that an infinity of
tendencies stream from every phenomenon which makes an innumerous amount of
possibilities surrounding them is a concept that is complex. In a way it is supposed to be
impossible to completely understand in simple terms because of what it is. There are natural
phenomenon that could be categorized as catastrophes because one of the possibilities that we
as a telematics society has predicted as improbable has occurred. And there has been beautiful
catastrophes, or at least a beauty that has come from a catastrophe.
“Telematic society, as I foresee it here, is not what is approaching but what we worry
about because it is emerging from us. This is not the music of the future but rather a critique of
the present,” (pg. 161). This is where people should pay attention, the present. It is important
to recognize the society we are living in and creating through the words of which we speak and
with whom and what we interact with. Flusser sets out a proposal, “people will sit in separate
cells, playing with their fingertips on keyboards, staring at tiny screens, receiving, changing, and
sending images,” (pg. 161). This quite accurately depicts our society now with the cell phone or
smart phone. Only thing is that people don’t even have to be in a cell, they could be sitting
among peers still choosing to communicate using the phone, not realizing that they are missing
out on what is substantial and real right in front of them. Artificial intelligence has become a
part of our world. The iPhone has Siri which is essentially a robot that responds to our
interactions with it. As of right now, it functions as we program it to function, but the possibility
is there that it will just naturally take over. The convenience of our ability to access any
information at essentially any time due to these smart phones could be the super brain that
Flusser discusses.

4. The chamber music examination expresses the idea of musicians meeting to create and
improvise off of available scores. “A recording of the music will become the basis for furth
improvisation by future musicians. This is to suggest chamber music as a model for dialogic
communication in general, and for telematics communication in particular,” (pg. 162). The idea
that musicians building off of one basis, improvising and recreating, and changing makes it
something completely new and unrecognizable. Chamber music has no rules, no director and is
purely for play. It is purely to create, to feel the moment and act and react accordingly. This
requires participation and attention. The musicians must both send and receive the
information, and to synthesize new information. The music is information which is pure, only
becoming tangible through a recording device. It is a lot like a DJ mixing beats, hearing and
responding to music.
It is the idea of all these actions we do every day such as ‘play’ or ‘celebrate’ that lead to
a complete picture. A final product of actions is something concrete, but even when it reaches
this point it is still not finished. The idea that something will stay substantive is bizarre, because
even when something reaches its end goal, someone else sees the opportunity to build off of it
like a Chamber of Music. In society today, the technology we have gives us this opportunity to
always play, or create. Even when a musician releases an album, their finished product is
considered complete, but even then somebody separate of them will take their finished
product and recreate it. There are remixes of many songs, made to be something different to
communicate something new, or expand an idea off of it.
Art is never truly finished because it is a fluent communication that reaches past
language barriers, cultural barriers, and different time eras. It could be used for anything, and

5. everything. And with the technology today the possibilities are endless. Something goes viral on
the internet and the next day there are a ton of spin offs of that one picture, video, song,
whatever it may be.
“But an infinity of tendencies stream from every phenomenon, surrounding it with a
cloud of futures. That is exactly what makes a phenomenon concrete, that it is a core
surrounded by innumerable possibilities.” An inspiring quote from Chamber Music which made
me realize that the human life is a phenomenon. The notes by this quote in my reading log say
to imagine your identity differently, which made me really self-reflect. I am a core surrounded
by innumerable possibilities. Our society is a core with strong relationship to technology,
anything could happen at any moment, which makes the telematics society a phenomenon.
My Poem. The title is in work, but: Untold Lies
The mirror shows you what it sees
Reflections are perceptions of what’s there,
Just showing you a part of what is true, nothing truly defined just a reflection in a mirror
Not a signature signed to a perception of what is shown, no promises of what is known or of
actually knowing you,
But it is showing you what you see when you look in a mirror and the transparency of what is
reality
Your subjectivity becomes your objectivity for what you see yourself to be, becomes what you
actually believe.
We only know what we perceive to be real
Its draining energy of what could be serenity and if we let all else go and just let things flow
We might not know or recognize our own identity
But just as its so, this could be the path to our destiny,
And letting go could just be what is best for me.