Yes, it's probably the most ridiculously narcissistic device ever invented. Without doubt, more information coding and storage has been wasted on self-aggrandizement with this little camera than in the entire previous history of egomania.
But like many scientific sensors and instruments of the past--like the telescope, microscope, oscilloscope, geiger counter, IR and X-ray film, EEG, even the scientific method itself--the inexpensive, yet incredibly capable GoPro camera platform is providing a new sensory organ that allows people to see and interact with both the familiar world and its hidden (to us) aspects in ways no one ever has before.
Seeing outside of the expected and familiar is the first step in the creation of new knowledge whether created by art, or by science.
Here are a few of the most thought-provoking GoPro videos I've seen. Post others in the comments...
Home-grown spaceflight:
Knee replacement surgery:
Marlin deciding whether to eat:
Inside a dishwasher:
On a hubcap:
Home-grown spaceflight:
Knee replacement surgery:
Marlin deciding whether to eat:
Inside a dishwasher:
On a hubcap:
