Networked Communications
Within the Matrix, there are two distinct kinds of phones. Telephones (wired phones) are the main way that Morpheus’ group members leave and enter the Matrix. These phones serve as a network of hard line connection points between the real world and the simulation. When a user who has taken the red pill picks up a phone booth phone, they are essentially establishing a position for themselves within the simulation from which they can be pulled out of the simulation. Cell phones are also prevalent within the Matrix simulation, belonging to both people who are aware and unaware of their simulated reality. People who have taken the red pill use these phones to contact people outside of the Matrix simulation for information about agents or other obstacles. However, cell phone connections can be intercepted by the agents, causing secret data to be compromised to the agents of the machine government.
In addition to the phone hard line technology, the red pill itself is also a communication device. The red pill is a tracer program that constantly sends location data about the subject back to the monitors in the Nebuchadnezzar ship. Morpheus’ group members take the red pill so that the operative in the real world (Tank) is able to direct them as they navigate the Matrix simulation. Tank feeds his fellow members information about their changing surroundings, including information about Matrix updates, glitches, and agent coordinates. The red pill serves as the foundation for all communication between the real world and the Matrix simulation.
The network of hard line and cell phone connections in the Matrix simulation mirror similar technologies in reality. In the real world, the network of 30 satellites circling the Earth make up the mobile Global Positioning System (GPS) which can be used to locate individuals remotely [3]. In fact, GPS technology has ramified social media application uses. For instance, the Snapmap opt-in functionality takes advantage of a phone’s Internet connection and internal GPS system to display the individual’s location to their Snapchat contacts [1]. As of 2021, 250 million people use the Snapmap functionality on the app, with 30 million businesses opting in to this technology as well [2]. This GPS-integrated system creates a 250 million person network of real time locations in the real world, mirroring the functionality of the hard line phones within The Matrix.
In addition to the GPS parallels from the Matrix, there has also been development towards the creation of a real world digestible tracking pill. The first medical tracking pill, Ablify MyCite, was approved for use by the FDA in 2017. This pill contains a sensor which relays information to a patch on the body of the patient when it comes into contact with digestive fluids. This pill was created to confirm when patients suffering from schizophrenia took their medication and is the latest instance of a tracking pill [4]. While humanity has yet to realize permanent tracking pill technology, safe and temporary tracking is possible with edible sensors.
References:
[1] Deahl, Dani, “Snapchat’s Newest Feature Is Also its Biggest Privacy Threat”, (The Verge, 2017), https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/23/15864552/snapchat-snap-map-privacy-threat (10/12/2021)
[2] Fischer, Sara, “Snap Says it Now Has 500 Million Monthly Active Users”, (Axios, 2021), https://www.axios.com/snapchat-500-users-developer-tools-92932ae6-a26c-445f-87b6-92775a454f71.html (10/12/2021)
[3] NASA, “How Does GPS Work?”, https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/gps/en/ (10/12/2021)
[4] Scutti, Susan, “FDA Approves Pill with Digital Tracking Device You Swallow”, (CNN, 2017), https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/health/fda-digital-pill-abilify/index.html (10/12/2021)
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