about
about
What if Steam Engine was Never Invented?
data visualization project
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exhibited in MIT ACT Cube
The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch following the Holocene, defined by the significant and lasting impact of human activity on Earth's systems. It is characterized by phenomena such as climate change, mass biodiversity loss, and the widespread presence of synthetic materials like plastics and nuclear fallout.
Using speculative design, this project imagines an alternative climate history. Two animations visualize atmospheric COâ‚‚. The faster the particles move, the higher the concentration.
One animation traces COâ‚‚ from prehistory to today.
The other compares two futures from 1700 to 2500. One follows current emissions. The other imagines a world where the Industrial Revolution never occurred.
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By contrasting historical data with a counterfactual scenario, the work highlights the scale of human influence and invites viewers to consider how different our planet could be, and how it might change next.