JC: How is the "train that moves in real-time a testament that our small movements can and do have real world consequences"? What are the "consequences" that you see facing us today?

JBC: Through using mice and keyboard, we have grown accustomed to the fact that the physical processes and interfaces we use with computers are manifested in physical space, but affect virtual space. Whether that's a pointer moving across the screen or a 3D model rotating in space, our physical actions to manipulate these "virtual" entities are defined by the devices we use. Newton's third law of physics states that "every action has an equal and opposite reaction". This law does not exist in the relationship between standard inputs and "virtual" space. There is no force felt on a mouse when we move it forwards and backwards. My attempt with the MouseMiles train was to have this opposite reaction or output exist in a shared context, where a physical object is propelled by not only the force of one person, but by a collective of connected users.

JC: If this project’s rationale is to address the topics of the collective and distances, are you interested in the issue of geography? Do physical locations and/or distances interest or affect this project? I noticed in "Mouse Miles" you clock the vertical, horizontal and total mileage of the mouse movements, I was just curious as to whether these coordinates have any relation / representation of geographical coordinates (as in longitude and latitude)?

JBC: The measurements of the mouse in MouseMiles are only relative to the local space of the mouse. The vertical, horizontal miles are meant as a reference point for each connected person to see how their vertical miles total matches up to their horizontal total. In the project's current state, this display has no significance other than to give the user more of a perspective on their own use. In future versions, this information might take on more meaning for the concentrated output.

JC: I was wondering if your intentions were to integrate art and science in MouseMiles? If so, in what ways have you achieved this? Do you think it is successful?

JBC: My focus is working on projects that deconstruct our relationships to technology and how we experience and interact with information across interfaces. I think MouseMiles is successful because it looks at a new paradigm of connected interfaces where our seemingly individual and isolated actions are manifested on a collective scale.

JC: Did you ever think of expanding the MouseMiles installation at Media Lab Europe (as in expanding the train’s traveling distance)?

JBC: Initially, MouseMiles was meant to exist as a prototype for a larger physical display for collected information. As we move through physical locations, such as office buildings or transportation hubs, there is little indication from the outside of these spaces of the activity transpiring inside. By adding a new type of physical information display on the exterior of a space or in a lobby, we can begin to get an abstracted idea of the amount of activity of people working within and information moving through the space. The MouseMiles train represents a starting point of new types of physical displays that will output background desktop activities or networked interaction over time.

JC: I was wondering if you thought Net art is based too much on the temporary, rather than the long term or future (because Net art is often seen as having high distribution for a certain period of time, but then disappears). I am also curious as to whether the installation and "Mouse Miles" as a whole will be a long-term objective or temporary.

JBC: Most Net art is only as relevant as the time it was created, but like other forms of art, this relevance changes and is highlighted overtime as new events occur. For instance, Net art created in response to the recent war in Iraq may lose the spotlight until the next military conflict where their precedence will retain notoriety. This happens with all media and creative output (fashion is a great example), where the importance of the object is a reflection of current events and societal trends at large. The installation is meant for long-term implementation and the input client is built in such a way as to allow for periodic upgrades over time.