Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 3/28/08 Section: News

Detroit freshman Kendra Murry explores the age function on the Human Race Machine at the Bovee University Center. The Human Race Machine allows participants the chance to see not only what they would look like as a different race, but what they would look like 20 years down the road. [Click to enlarge]

Some people suggest walking a mile in somebody else's shoes.

But with the Human Race Machine, students have the ability to try on somebody else's skin.

The machine, a graphic design project that lets participants view themselves with a different skin color, has been on campus throughout the week and will be available during dining hours today through Sunday in Real Food on Campus.

"It's kind of, like, a gasp when you see yourself," said Cheboygan sophomore Crystal Korn, one of numerous participants. "You don't know what to make of it."

She said the similarities between races were shocking.

The machine's transformations emphasize that there is no gene for race, and that racial differences are small, she said.

"It looked like it wasn't even computer-generated," she said. "It was weird. I don't know how else to describe it."

The machine first captures its participant's image. It then provides a menu of options from which participants may select an alteration. Racial options include Indian, Asian, African and white.

However, races are not the only options. The machine also provides aging options, allowing participants to see a digital prediction of their appearance at age 40.

It also provides a list of disabilities, permitting participants to see themselves with a range of disorders, as well as a feature that lets two participants see an estimation of what their offspring would look like.

Since its creation in 2000, more than 150,000 people have used the machine, according to its Web site, humanracemachine.com.

The machine has been featured on Oprah as well as on other college campuses.

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