twelfth sense

4. Describe a sense that is not currently defined as part of humanity's repertoire of sense perceptions, or part of the repertoire of "psychic" senses like ESP. It must be a plausible possibility. We know that human have smell, touch, hearing, sight, and taste; that in addition we have proprioception, an ability to feel our internal organs, balance, and the ability to feel pain, heat, and cold.  What is missing from this list?

Short piece of music

3. Here is the idea is to write the shortest possible piece of music.  So you give up all the advantages that length gives you (repetition, development, contrasting sections, etc..).  You can conceive it either as a time-limit exercise (five seconds) or as a way of getting as short as possible, to the limits of human hearing.

A sequence of two or three chords, but each very complex and multilayered, would be one approach. You be basically substituting the vertical dimension for the horizontal one. Another would be to take a piece and mechanically speed it up so that it fits the time frame. A lot can happen in 5 seconds at 600 bpm.

Design

I'm starting this new project of impossible design. The idea is to design things that are "impossible." It is conceptual poetry for the brain.  I've only thought of two so far but I invite collaboration, retaining only a veto power.

My idea comes a bit from a David Antin piece in which he talked about an art machine.  His examples was a jukebox. You put in a coin, pushed some buttons, and an art work emerged (well at least the playback of the song.)

[Knowing me I will veto everyone's ideas.  Sorry in advance.]

Design Project

2. Design a computer that can design a human that can beat it at chess.

Coffee pot

1. Design a surrealist coffee pot. The first rule is that it must make coffee. The second rule is that it cannot have decorative or representational elements. No fantastical birds or plants. Its surrealism must be in the actual design.