“Thermoshield, an augmented reality lens, was commissioned for the launch of Snap’s Spectacles 3 sunglasses. We were inspired by thermophiles, some of the earliest microorganisms, which inhabited extreme hydrothermal environments of a prehuman Earth and nourished on metallic and chemical compounds. Their mesmerizing formations have been our point of departure in considering the wondrous and still greatly unfamiliar beauty of the planet, which we get to share but as a culture have been so lightheartedly disposing of. The digital embrace of this ‘protective’ shield is an invitation to the user to explore. It demands a change of action in the physical space, reminding us of the life that exists beyond the limits of possibility.”