Twisting the Reality

Recently an artist , Simon Weckert , tricked Google maps to show huge traffic jams where there were none. He accomplished this feat by loading 99 internet enabled mobile phones on a handcart and pulling the cart on the road.

The way Google maps track the traffic is this. In traffic the drivers are referring to google maps for directions. Based on the connections the maps have in a fifty meters of road space the Google maps plot the traffic density in that area. More the cars, more the drivers, more the traffic was the basic assumption till date.

Simon turned this assumption on its head. He put all his phones on the hand cart and pulled the cart slowly on the road. Thus 99 signals went to Google maps and Google maps thought that the road is congested and advised drivers in that area not to take up that route.

This is an excellent example of twisting the reality based on its main assumption.

Questioning the basic assumptions of any system helps the system to better itself. It also allows us to find alternatives in terms of man , machine and materials and processes.

You can watch the video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5eL_al_m7Q