Speed is good.
That simple statement has been a guiding philosophy of Western technological development at least since the time of the Industrial Revolution. Certainly it is a central tenet of the current computer revolution, and the mantra of many a user anxious to zip around the World Wide Web. Speakers included such luminaries as artificial-life guru Tom Ray and architect Rem Koolhaas , as well as a diverse collection of artists, technologists, demographers and historians. Over two days and more than 45 presentations, the participants debated the meaning of speed, the merits of speed and the possibilities of controlling it. A 1937 Chevrolet film proudly showing its workers as roboticized automatons provoked uncomfortable laughter from the audience.