Oversaturation of information and interdisciplinary solutions with Jasmijn Visser
Text: Augustina Lavickaite | ACEDThe urge to understand, organize, and structurize the world around us has been part of human existence for as long as we are aware. Complex algorithms, such as programs for self-driving cars, or groups of elementary ones, such as primitive rituals of sacrifice, are examples of actions intended to understand and control the future. As our experience and knowledge of the surroundings grow, these actions become more complex. We have handed over most of the repetitive and time-consuming calculations as well as a rising amount of cognitive tasks to technology, increasing the flow of new knowledge, but creating a fracture of expertise and a decrease in understanding. The most prominent and successful approach to dealing with the oversaturation of information has been the collaboration
Oversaturation of information and interdisciplinary solutions with Irene Stracuzzi
Text: Augustina Lavickaite | ACED The urge to understand, organize, and structurize the world around us has been part of human existence for as long as we are aware. Complex algorithms, such as programs for self-driving cars, or groups of elementary ones, such as primitive rituals of sacrifice, are examples of actions intended to understand and control the future. As our experience and knowledge of the surroundings grow, these actions become more complex. We have handed over most of the repetitive and time-consuming calculations as well as a rising amount of cognitive tasks to technology, increasing the flow of new knowledge, but creating a fracture of expertise and a decrease in understanding. The most prominent and successful approach to dealing with the oversaturation of information has been the
Smart Cities and Collective-Sensemaking
In this podcast episode we are going into conversation with Anouk Geenen and Julieta Matos-Castaño about the intricate nature of human-technology relations in the city. What do we need to not only reflect on and analyze past or current practices, but to foster our imagination and collective sensemaking to take action towards inclusive and responsible practices? What role can design and futuring play in this?
Future Based x Inverse Surveillance with Steve Mann
The presence and increasing use of surveillance in our daily lives means our awareness and engagement need to be active as much as it is theoretical. During the course of this podcast series, host Abdelrahman Hassan and the The Asimov Institute Director Stefan Leijnen, will go into conversation with experts about the various areas of surveillance. Each episode examines the relationship between algorithms and power structures, how they shape each other and how they shape the governed subject. The most important part of the podcast, is how we can debunk existing power frames in order to create new ones: What rules or concepts can be employed to shift existing power structures? This podcast series aims to find a more unidirectional blueprint for future governance systems, and will be the point of departure of the hackathon in the Summer of 2021, organized by the Inverse Surveillance AI project.
Events:
Often going beyond the standard discourse, climate fiction depicts alternative scenario’s to climate change. For example, in Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer, a team of scientists explore the expanding ‘Area X’ to document its mutated flora and fauna, causing us to wonder how species will adapt to climate change. Not only confronting us with how climate
New projects:
A project on the extraordinary nature of the ordinary things around us.
Future Based Scientific Imagination is a new project of the Future Based platform, hosted and curated by Sabine Winters. The philosophical quest of this project is based on the wish to understand more about the role of imagination in our understanding of the world. Furthermore, the different perspectives on the function of imagination, represents a wider perspective on questions on human knowledge: how we obtain knowledge and which beliefs we hold about the methodologies in acquiring knowledge. Special contributors are among other professor Vincent Icke, Astropreneur Nancy Vermeulen and Cybrog anthropologist Marques D Anderson. Read more.
Witchcraft made Science – how witchcraft created modern science.
Guided and curated by Lieke Wouters, we’ll be discussing how the common stereotype of the witch, the old crone wearing a black pointy hat while riding on a broomstick with a black cat in tow, stands in the way of important herstories about women healers, midwives and other non-conforming women and the impact of witch-hunts from the 16th century onwards on the development of science. What can we learn from these anti-patriarchal re-tellings and how do they influence our view on gender diversity in science? Read more.
Creating Life – A three part essay on human beings – being human
In a series of three video essays created in collaboration with Marjolein Pijnappels, we explore how life is created and sustained on our planet. Taking a closer look at human birth, mycorrhiza connectivity, chimerism and the pan-microbiome from a philosophical and personal perspective, Marjolein wants to shed light on the different perspectives on the ability to bear life, on being alive, and on what defines being a human being in this particular aspect of life. The research will run from June through December 2021, begins with a personal examination and reflection on the three topics around the theme “Creating Life”: Life Cycle, Multitudes, Networked Beings. The final result, in collaboration with a filmmaker, will be cast in three short video essays that will be presented on our website, and during a meetup. Read more.
