How Just a Few Taps on a Bunch of Buttons Can Curate Meaning
The article explores the author's experience with a panel of eighty-two buttons that require precise sequences to achieve meaningful outcomes. Despite the seemingly mundane task of pressing buttons, the author finds beauty and satisfaction in discovering effective patterns. The process involves trial and error, with most button presses being rescinded, yet the potential to influence others physiologically remains significant.
- ▪The author has pushed buttons fifteen to twenty million times over five years, with most commands being rescinded.
- ▪Each button is designed for high-quality performance, with varying levels of usage.
- ▪The correct sequence of button presses can induce physiological changes in others, despite no single button being significant on its own.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
My new job consists of pressing buttons in the right order. Before me sits a panel with eighty-two buttons, whose arrangement I know so well I don’t even look down anymore—like a pilot, perhaps, who sends her hands rapidly around the cockpit to pull knobs and adjust dials and nudge the throttle forward, all while keeping her eyes firmly focused out the windscreen, squinting through the rain toward the quavering runway in the distance. My hands and fingers, like hers, have learned the territory and just get on with the job.Article continues after advertisement Because I engage with them for many hours at a stretch, I’ve invested in high quality, professional-grade buttons designed in France.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Literary Hub.
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