A Phenomenology of Human-Electricity Relations
James Pierce, Eric Paulos
CMU, HCII
In what ways can we experience energy?
In what ways can we experience
the presence of electrical energy?
How can we design
future ways of using & experiencing energy?
Philosophy of technology
Philosophy of technology >> Don Ihde
Don Ihde >> Human-technology relations




Ihde, D. (1990). Technology and the lifeworld: From garden to earth. Indiana University Press.
4 Human-technology relations:

embodiment - hermeneutic - alterity - background
embodiment    hermeneutic     alterity
ready-to-hand                                            present-at-hand



                             [ background ]
Embodiment relations
A “partial symbiosis” of human and technology
A relation through a technology
Hermeneutic relations
“semi-opaque” connection between the technology and referent
120   50

      40
100
      30
80
      20
60
      10
40
      0
20
      10

 0    20

20    30

40    40


 F    C
A relation with technology




         120   50

               40
         100
               30
         80
               20
         60
               10
         40
               0
         20
               10

          0    20

         20    30

         40    40


          F    C
Alterity relations
A relation to a “technology other”
A relation to technology
Background relations
A “present absence” of technology
Electricity as a background technology
Human-electricity relations
“the ratio of the objectness of the technology
        and its transparency in use”.
Embodiment relations through electricity
Embodiment relations through electricity to that electricity
Hermeneutic relations with electricity
Hermeneutic relations with electricity to that electricity




                                          7%
Hermeneutic relations with electricity to other electricity




                                       Watts




                                MODE
Alterity relations to electricity
Alterity relations to electricity




Pierce, J. & Paulos, E. (2010). Materializing energy. DIS ‘10.
Pierce, J. & Paulos, E. (2010). Designing for emotional attachment to energy. Design & Emotion ‘10.
Relations through, with and to electricity




                                          Watts




                                   MODE
Thanks!
James Pierce | jjpierce@cs.cmu.edu
Hermeneutic relations without electricity to other electricity

A phenomenology of human-electricity relations