DECODING LIGHT – From Plato to Matrix

A STEAM project for primary education who referred to light and how it is decoded in different frameworks

The light can convey messages. How something is illuminated, but also how it is decoded -that is  how we  perceive, process and explain what is lit or shaded- creates different dimensions and realities, both true and virtual. A timeless example of the construction of realities and their interpretation, is the myth of Plato’s Cave. The specific myth aims at mobilizing spatial awareness through the interpretation of the dimensions in space, as well as at challenging our brains and bringing up philosophical queries. In a similar way, E. A. Abbott in his book “Flatland” tries to convey the concerns arising from constructing reality, by referring to the perception of dimensions in space.  “The Matrix”, as a dream world, is also a virtual reality, from which the only ones who manage to escape are “the prisoners who will fight it”. These comparable examples clearly show the importance of seeking the truth, through certain bi-poles: reality – illusion, two-dimensional – three-dimensional space, freedom – manipulation. The solution to all these concerns is the “revelation”, the doubt of the very nature of reality, about which Plato talks initially, and Descartes later. Actually, education can transform our way of thinking from darkness to light, by seeking the truth and selecting knowledge instead of ignorance.