The Chromatic Conundrum

 

A Virtual Reality Postulate on the Perception of Pigmentation

Once upon a time, in a world not so different from our own, beauty was a concept as fluid as the ink on ancient papyrus. The gods and goddesses of yore were often depicted with dark, luscious skin, reminiscent of stormy skies and midnight feasts. Take, for instance, the Greek god Zeus, who was often described as "dark-skinned" in ancient texts, or the Egyptian goddess Isis, whose beauty was likened to the rich, fertile soil of the Nile's banks. Well lets forget all the poems and glories written about the dark skinned god Krishna and focus on the meaning. Etymologically speaking, the Sanskrit word 'Krishna' means black or dark.

Fast forward a few millennia, and the advent of visual media like painting and photography brought with it a rather peculiar bias. It seems that the artists and photographers of the day had a penchant for lighter palettes, perhaps because they were easier to capture with the crude technology of the time. This, unfortunately, led to a skewed representation of beauty, where lighter skin tones were favored over their darker counterparts, inadvertently reinforcing societal prejudices and contributing to the rise of racism⁵.

But fear not, for the winds of change are blowing, and they're powered by the mighty engines of virtual reality (VR). In this brave new world, the flat, two-dimensional canvas of old has been replaced by a three-dimensional playground where every skin tone can bask in its natural glory. Gone are the days when shadows and highlights conspired to favor the fair-skinned; in VR, every hue is rendered with the precision and care it deserves. Lets hope that we would discard those bulky headsets using traditional multi-displays for each eye and think more "NeuraLink" or that cool thingy from The Matrix which we insert into our brain.

In this digital utopia, we're no longer shackled by the limitations of pigment and light sensitivity. Instead, we can frolic in virtual meadows where the sun shines equally on all, and the beauty of dark skin is celebrated with the same fervor as any other. It's a place where the phrase "tall, dark, and handsome" regains its ancient prestige, and the aesthetics of skin color are liberated from the biases of yesteryear.

And as for racism in 'The Matrix'?  Can you spot an example. Agent Smith had bigger fish to fry than pondering the melanin levels of his adversaries. In the end, it's not about the color of our skin, but the content of our character... and our ability to dodge bullets in slow motion.

So, will living in 'The Matrix' rid us of racism? It's a tantalizing thought, isn't it? A world where our preconceived notions about beauty and skin color are left at the login screen, and we're free to appreciate each other for who we truly are, pixels and all. While VR alone may not be the panacea for all societal ills, it certainly sets the stage for a more inclusive and equitable perception of beauty—one where every shade is seen, not through the lens of bias, but through the eyes of wonder and appreciation.