IZation Labs

…but instead I offer you this token: A test video of a fluid simulation made in the 3D Modeling program Blender.

Gigawatts, actually. Pronounced Gig-uh-wots. So, after reading that and the title, who can guess where I’m going with this? I’ll give you a hint. Guess what I saw in the parking lot the other day?

Click for more detail.

There it is; a Delorean. My favorite car in the world. Someday, I will own one.

And yes, this still ties in with steampunk. Who has seen the third Back to the Future movie? That’s Steampunk.

In my mind it's not "...if I ever own one...". It's "...when I own one..."

Image from Steampunkworkshop.com

Well, not so much lost as greatly forgotten or ignored by some people. I’m talking about all of the amazing old technology that now sits in museums, barns, and junk piles around the world.

No, I’m obviously not talking about your 1st generation iPod, or even your original Gameboy. (Yea, that brick-like ‘handheld’ that ran on what, four AA batteries?) Those who know me have an idea of what I’m getting at. For those who don’t, let me explain a little bit about myself.

I have an interesting way of thinking, or so I’m told. Perhaps I’m a little eccentric. I love technology. But unlike a lot of people, it isn’t limited to what is here, or what glorious items will be created in the near future. My mind has a few primary obsessive ‘modes’, as I will call them from here on out. Each of them can be triggered by anything from a dream to a particularly good movie.

• Mode 1: Electrical

The first time I watched the movie Iron Man, I was snapped from whatever mode I was in to Electrical mode. Images of devices and simple projects made using microcontrollers and components started flourishing day and night in my mind. I felt I had to surrender and devote my time to recording and working on these new projects and ideas that kept popping up. An example of one of the projects that evolved from this might have been my Solar Collection system I am still in the process of setting up.

• Mode 2: Digital

Though less frequently, I sometimes find myself instantly thrown into the world of 1′s and 0′s. This is the time when I am working with media creation the most. Anything from ‘Gimp’ing to amateur film creation occurs when this mode has consumed me. The most recent example of this is the rapid improvement of my Blender skills, as shown in the upcoming release of my near-final Animated Pawn short.

• The 3rd Mode (and my personal favorite): Steampunk

This one can catch hold of me in such a way that the theories and ideas in my mind pertaining to steampunk bleed into other modes. It never completely lets go!

Steampunk is a genre that can refer to books, movies, technology, or anything else. It is basically a subculture in itself. The general idea is this; What would happen if, during the Victorian era, (1800′s to 1900′s), new forms of technology evolved that were too advanced for their time, according to history as we know it? A wonderful example would be the creation of steam-driven flying machines in the 1850′s. Not blimps or zeppelins, but actual airplanes that were powered by steam engines.

That didn’t actually happen. But what if it did? Think of how much it would have changed, how different our world might be today. The internal combustion engine might never have been developed. The automobile might have been a novelty rather than a common item. If such things were to happen, we could easily still live in a world encased by steam!

If you don’t understand that I am speaking with a longing tone and a slight twinkle in my eye, then steampunk might not be for you. If you think that would be absolutely awesome, then well done. You have merit, you just might be a steam enthusiast. Either way, you now have a very basic idea of steampunk. Do you like what you are hearing so far? Then check out BrassGoggles.co.uk’s idea of Steampunk, and stick around. The next post will have some better examples, and possibly some ideas that I feel like throwing out there as well.

I love steampunk so much it now has it’s own category. Who can guess what mode I’m in?

Mr. B, It's happening! Visions of steam driven go-karts and brass engineer
goggles are trying to find their way out of my skull again! Maybe I should
dress up as a circa 1900 steam engineer for Halloween...