In part one of an extended conversation, the pioneering media artist discusses designing the Connection Machine, working with Richard Feynman, and how her Japanese-American heritage shapes her revolutionary approach to making technology beautiful.

------------------

To mark our special milestone of 250 episodes, we are kicking off a two-part conversation with media artist Tamiko Thiel.

Tamiko has lived at the crossroads of art and technology for over 40 years. She designed the Connection Machine, the first commercial AI supercomputer, which now resides in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. She has worked with everyone from Steven Spielberg to Richard Feynman and pioneered virtual reality art before most people had even heard of VR. Her Connection Machine even inspired Steve Jobs when he built his post-Apple computer, the NeXTcube.

In part one, Tamiko shares her journey from being a Stanford engineer to an acclaimed artist and how her Japanese-American roots shape her work, which explores identity, place, and space. Part two drops next week.

------------------

[00:01:43] Growing up with computers and music
[00:02:09] From techno-optimist to dealing with disappointment
[00:02:32] Discussing technological dystopia
[00:03:36] Early career at Hewlett Packard
[00:04:09] The demographic of tech disappointment
[00:05:06] German and Japanese cultural heritage
[00:06:12] Father's journey from naval architect to architecture
[00:07:01] Connection to György Kepes and the Bauhaus
[00:10:51] MIT Media Lab beginnings
[00:13:41] Early career path considerations
[00:16:30] Human-machine interface interests
[00:19:17] Biomechanics lab work and perception studies
[00:21:21] The long history of AI promises
[00:22:00] The Macintosh paradigm shift
[00:23:15] Xerox PARC and computing revolution
[00:26:33] Women in computer science decline theory
[00:27:35] The Connection Machine story begins
[00:30:48] Working with Richard Feynman
[00:33:41] Building the first AI supercomputer
[00:36:19] Understanding the 12-dimensional Boolean hypercube
[00:39:22] The machine's purpose and artificial intelligence
[00:41:27] Designing the visual aesthetic of computation
[00:46:34] Japanese and Bauhaus design influences
[00:52:13] Creating the glowing electronic brain
[00:53:08] The Connection Machine as cult object
[00:54:40] Addressing AI fears through design

------------------

Visit Tamiko Thiel at https://tamikothiel.com

Follow Tamiko Thiel on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/tamikothiel.bsky.social
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/tamikothiel
and LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamiko-thiel-5b869b44

For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com

Be sure to check out The Tonearm, our new magazine site featuring fascinating perspectives and conversations with creative people → https://www.thetonearm.com

The Tonearm on Mastodon → https://social.lol/@thetonearm
The Tonearm on Bluesky → https://bsky.app/profile/thetonearm.com
The Tonearm on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tonearm

------------------

• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.
• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter.

#TamikoThiel #podcast #ComputerHistory #Design #Art #Technology #Media #ConnectionMachine #RichardFeynman #MITMediaLab #VirtualReality #Innovation #AI #DigitalArt #SpotlightOn