jouleokban

Jouleokban is a fictional unit used in speculative design and science fiction to quantify the total energy cost of performing a task, including both physical energy and a cognitive or operational burden. The term combines joule, the SI unit of energy, with okban, a coined word intended to represent overall burden or cost.

Origin and usage: The concept appeared in early 2020s discussions about energy ethics and human-centered design within fictional or hypothetical contexts. It is not adopted in real-world engineering or policy and has no formal standard or widespread acceptance outside of narrative or thought-experiment settings.

Definition and calculation: A jouleokban is conceptually defined as the sum of the physical energy expended (in joules) plus a burden component converted into an equivalent joule value. The burden component accounts for factors such as task duration, error rates, mental effort, and physiological strain, using a predefined conversion scheme. In practice, JK = E_physical + k × burden_index, where burden_index aggregates measurable indicators and k is a chosen conversion factor.

Applications and purpose: The metric is used to explore energy accounting in thought experiments, sustainable product design, and urban planning, highlighting non-physical costs that influence overall energy demand and user experience.

Criticism: As a speculative construct, jouleokban lacks a standard definition, faces subjectivity in measuring cognitive load, and risks conflating energy with value judgments about effort or usability.

See also: energy efficiency, life cycle assessment, cognitive ergonomics, sustainability metrics.