Do you remember that ‘OPEN’ sign written in fire red capitals which flickered and zapped before finally turning on? Do you remember how it remained glowing for the rest of the night, playfully calling you in? When all else is asleep, the countless neon lights stand out cheekily against the dark, defying the night.

Neon is a big deal in our culture. By catching our eye at unearthly hours, it symbolises the desires we wouldn’t dare to show in the pious daylight. That is why there is no such thing as a ‘dayclub’. Neon lights are our ambitions all dressed up to party.

Morris W Travers, one of the discoverers of the element Neon was so taken by the enchanting red glow, that he remarked, “the blaze of crimson light from the tube told its own story and was a sight to dwell upon and never forget.” And we haven’t since.

Today, the ‘neon culture’ remains a strong element of our psyches. It evokes the deepest and most intense emotions. Isn’t it curious to know how how intricate technological fabrications of chemical elements, electricity and heat are used to bring these powerful signs to life? It just shows how technology and science are never separated from emotions.

Technology is not a dispassionate entity that exists different from us. Instead, it is the tool that allows us to turn our inner world into physical, tangible objects that shake the outer world.

Which is why, A Neon Dystopia is the perfect theme for this year’s technical festival. What better way to bring out those terrifying ideas and stealthy plans than setting up technical innovation against the backdrop of the metaphorical neon lights? After all, anything goes when it’s dark.

Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk started out as a science fiction genre with a cult following, describing an era of “High technology, low life”. The theme for this Atmos focuses on the dark side of technology which is embodied by the members of this cult. That our society is moving towards this dystopia, makes the theme all the more relevant.

Although Cyberpunk began as a literary movement it soon seeped into all forms of art, movies and fashion generating an all-encompassing and ever-growing subculture. It is a complex and multi-layered philosophy, whose dynamics are ever changing as our perception of the future changes.

This philosophy is best described by cyberpunk protagonists, those of a subversive nature, the outsiders, anti-heroes, outcasts, criminals, visionaries, dissenters, misfits, people for whom ethics and social stigmas don’t come in the way of aspirations, who don’t care much for the system or the people who control it, those who are used to fighting for what they feel is right and especially against those who dominate or try to hamper their creative abilities. People chasing avenues such as, time travel, human cloning, designer babies, artificial intelligence. Hacking systems, breaking into restricted passages, and fighting for independence is what defines a cyberpunk revolution.

Cyberpunk is now. Many of the things that were predicted in cyberpunk are happening today. Designer babies seem to be just a little way ahead now, with stem cell treatments research getting approved, chimeric genetically engineered treatments possible, the lookout for a potential in-vitro womb in progress, Crispr (a molecular tool which has the potential to help manipulate DNA sequence). Improvements in prosthetics and brain computer interface have resulted in brain-controlled prosthetics, a mainstay of cyberpunk. Corporations increasingly dominate global politics, and influence culture creating a situation ripe for subversion.

Something to look-out for is how we adapt to this whole tech storm which is approaching us. The question that is most important here is, where exactly do we draw the line. The debate is on.