📡 reporting from RADAR .013

our semi-regular discord digest

Welcome to 📡 reporting from RADAR. In this series, community curators surface the best of the best — from the cultural constellations we’re watching emerge to behind-the-scenes build updates as we embark on our journey to discover, incubate, and deliver better futures.

Wavelength is a space for updates, member articles, ponderings & wanderings, fun experiments and — of course — more signals. Subscribe below to keep up with our signature brain massaging magic, straight to your inbox. 🔮💜 

but first – you’re invited to journey Into The Future with us.

Tickets for Into: A More Play-Full Future are on sale now. In 4 sessions across 4 weeks, April 12 - May 3, this unique futures experience will bring participants together to envision the future of play.

Spanning talks, workshops, and takeaway tools and guided by RADAR’s ‘Future Mapping’ methodology, participants will learn strategic foresight methodologies through engaging and exciting sessions as they envision, imagine, map, and plot a path into the future.

You can get your tickets here.

Signals Spotlight

1_New Intimacy

spotted in #relationships, #politics, #science, #money, #media-pop-culture

The fabric of relationships is undergoing a shift, with a new paradigm emerging that we’ve had our eye on for a while: respectful is the new sexy, and therapy is the new gym. With an eye towards building a strong emotional foundation to tackle the challenges that inevitably arise, the grand gestures of yesteryear have given way to a more grounded and authentic intimacy, and that has meant that the more carnal desires have taken second seat to emotional connection. First in films and music, but now in our lives as well. 

And as consent and respect shift how we think not only about our individual relationships, but also the products and media we consume. We’re seeing a rise in ethical porn, a long-awaited shift that’s evidenced by things like more mindful sex work practices and a strong call for explicit consent for explicit content. And as our consumption of intimate media changes, we’re also expanding definitions and methods of connection, mediated by the platforms, content, and social technologies available to us; In a world that’s increasingly digital, fractured, and devoid of authenticity, Gen-Z and Millennial singles are redefining what it means to connect with someone in a meaningful way. Infla-dating is in, and it’s a big reflection of how we’re leaving candlelit dinners aside in exchange for walks down a moonlit parking lot.

🔮As we shed our notions of what romance should be, we’re left to wonder how much of this shift is sparked by our current society and how much comes from our inner desire to connect. What kind of gestures will arise to symbolize this empathic and open era? And does this mean we should leave the roses behind to redefine how chivalry looks like?

2_Dissociative Self-Storytelling

spotted in #labour, #media-pop-culture, #ideology, #identity, #gaming

Welcome to a world where “madness” reigns supreme. From identity experimentation to radical dis-identification with the parts of ourselves we don’t want to be “us”. People are taking themselves out of their own stories to embrace the spirit of LARPing. From RADAR favorites goblin mode and anti-ambition to exciting new additions like Lorecore and full-time otherselves, all signs point to breaking established narratives – and what’s next might be an embrace of dissociated or multi-faceted selves. 

A new generation of communities is emerging, where lorecraft takes center stage and becoming the whole is the preferred path  to find true meaning. And as the introspective concept of an observing self proliferates into every aspect of our lives, we're seeing people looking besides their own lives and perceptions, and infusing their work, their relationships, and even established narratives with influences other than their own lens on life, all in an effort to bring excitement, zest, and uniqueness to their existence. The lines between reality and fantasy are becoming increasingly blurred as these fiction-inspired identities become part of our realities and experimentation reigns.

🔮As media and lore infuse our day to days, how can we delineate between experimentation that drives self-actualization and fulfillment, and dissociative escapism? Is one really better than the other? 

3_It’s Dangerous to go Alone, Take This!

spotted in #commerce, #aesthetics, #art, #community-culture, #food-drink, #fashion-beauty

As the pace of consumer culture only accelerates, there’s one field that’s gaining purchase: Video games. Ever a cultural force,  the aesthetics and storytelling of our favorite interactive and immersive media are increasing their influence on the way our world presents itself in daily life. From intentionally exaggerated and intricate designs on the rise to a touch of mystical allure proliferating throughout consumer goods, it's a trend that harkens back to the old-sage-in-a-cave trope we know and love. This fixation on the “Looks rare” aesthetic that drives us to perceive everyday items as shiny, purple-texted artifacts.

Still, there's more to this otherworldly perception of the mundane than just aesthetics; artisanal goods are taking center stage, and we're seeing a move towards intentional wear and ultra-crafted items that celebrate the human touch. It's a new era of caricaturization, where imperfection is celebrated and the art of creation takes center stage. In this world, the objects we surround ourselves with are imbued with humanity and history, and the beauty of handmade goods is celebrated, as it should be.

🔮Should everything become a relic? Or are we taking a little bit of magic out of our world when everything evokes the sacred energy of generations past? Could this be a reaction to new technologies blurring the line of “what’s special?”

Best of the rest

We wanted to take a more human-centric approach this week, with huge advances in AI, collapses in the banking industry, and otherworldly stuff happening minute by minute all across the map. Some of us are resorting to staying out of the whole debacle altogether until it sorts itself out. Need a break? Intentionally getting lost on a maze vacation is sounding more enticing by the day.

Pulse Check

Inside RADAR:

• ICYMI – Tickets for Into The Future Are on sale now: We know we told you about it earlier… but we’re extremely excited to announce our workshop series Into The Future, with 4 weekly sessions running April 12-May 3. This first edition, Into: A More Play-Full Future will explore the future of Play. Tickets are only available for a limited time… what are you waiting for? 

• Play Preview: We were treated to a *delightful* preview of the Play research at the RADAR townhall earlier this week by RADAR’s research instigator Keels, and we have to say – we could not be more stoked for the report to come out in April. If you missed it, have a peruse through the Miro board here. 

• RADAR Madness: Cores v. Punks: It’s bracket season, and we couldn’t resist joining in. Our very own tournament, Cores v. Punks is an aesthetic battle for the ages – featuring contenders like cyberpunk, normcore and corecore. Matchups are polled live on Twitter over the next couple weeks, so get your brackets set and votes ready. 

• Reading Reminder: In case you haven’t had the chance to sit down with it, might we recommend RADAR’s whitepaper for your weekend reading pleasure? In Multiplayer Futures: Toward an Emergence Economy, we detail our vision for a community-owned future. It’s worth the read, we promise. 

Upcoming events: 

• Today: RADAR NYC meetup - IRL! Check Discord for details. 

• Wednesday: New member onboarding with Fancy! Just joined RADAR, but don’t know where to start? Overwhelmed and ecstatic all at the same time? Come hang with founding instigator Fancy for a warm welcome and to get up to speed on all things RADAR. 

This week’s 📡 reporting from RADAR was curated by @kairon7878 — with so much gratitude to everyone who inspired the content with their community contributions: @Victoriafutures#3436, @EHB ✨#1824, @ampersandrea#4926, @keels223#9073, @Samaritual#4862, @aron#0512, @SheShallConquer#6177, @ and anyone else we may have forgotten.

Not a part of RADAR just yet, but feeling the FOMO? Join ushere.rep