The Depths of Illusion - (Digital Society) by Anne Dippel & Martin Warnke (Paperback)

About the Book

A long overdue investigation into the relationship between simulation and reality.

Book Synopsis

Are computer simulations theory, experiment, or something in between? Anne Dippel and Martin Warnke explore the epistemological status of computer simulations. By examining the erosion of concept-based truth in the digital age in combination with pathways of knowledge in physics, they offer a media ethnography of the famous quantum physics double-slit experiment and its simulation. Recognizing simulations as central to shaping reality and multiplying illusions, the authors propose "operational realism" as epistemic composure in the digital era. The work raises ethical questions about algorithmic world design, offering humor, revelations, and insights into new ontologies of knowledge.

About the Author

Anne Dippel is an anthropologist and writer with a passion for ethnographic inquiries. She holds a substituting professorship for digital cultures at Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig. After studying history, cultural theory and cultural anthropology she earned her PhD from HumboldtUniversität zu Berlin. In 2022 she habilitated at FriedrichSchillerUniversität Jena in cultural anthropology with a focus on ludic cultures and media anthropology of physics. Martin Warnke is a professor at the Institute for Culture and Aesthetics of Digital Media at Leuphana Universität Lüneburg. He studied physics and mathematics, graduated in theoretical physics and habilitated in digital media/computer science. He is the director of the Institute for Advanced Study for the Media Cultures of Computer Simulation (MECS).