Ep. 037 _ Christopher Hight _ 'Resilience in Sci-Fi

Ep. 037 _ Christopher Hight _ 'Resilience in Sci-Fi

Author: Sean Lally April 2, 2018 Duration: 34:44

This episode is a conversation with architectural designer and theorist Christopher Hight about two science fiction books;'The Drowned World' by J. G. Ballard, and 'Seveneves' by Neal Stephenson. The two books were published over 50 years apart. Both of these books are prime candidates for this show because they each do two things. The two books discuss an evolving Earth climate as well as an evolving human species. There is also quit a bit of difference within these two books. We see very different reasons for the climate change that's taking place, the plotlines occur over drastically different time scales, and the 'how' and 'what' that occurs to human evolution is different. The two books also open a conversation about how designers and architects can rethink the concept of resilience regarding the environment.


In a world where the very ground we stand on and the bodies we inhabit are becoming malleable territories for design, Night White Skies offers a necessary space for conversation. Host Sean Lally guides these discussions, which venture far beyond traditional architectural discourse to ask what kind of future we are actually building. This podcast thrives on the friction and insight generated by bringing together an unexpected mix of voices-from philosophers and scientists to policy makers and science fiction authors. You’ll hear how a cultural anthropologist’s research on ritual intersects with a material scientist’s work on smart environments, or how a novelist’s vision of tomorrow clarifies the ethical dilemmas faced by urban planners today. Each episode is a deep, meandering exploration, avoiding easy answers in favor of nuanced, often surprising connections. The aim is to piece together a broader, more complex picture of the transformations currently unfolding around and within us. By engaging with such a diverse range of thinkers, the Night White Skies podcast doesn't just report on change; it actively participates in the difficult, essential work of imagining what comes next.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 108

Night White Skies
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 058 _ Perry Kulper _ 'Architecture Black Box' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:27
Perry Kulper, an architect and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan. He has recently published Pamphlet Architecture 34, 'Fathoming the Unfathomable: Archival Ghosts and Paradoxical Shadows'…
Ep. 057 _ Catherine Bliss _ 'Sociogenomics' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:33
Dr. Catherine Bliss is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of California San Francisco. Her research explores the sociology of race, gender and sexuality in science, medicine, and society. Today we're disc…
Ep.056 _ Bradley Cantrell _ 'A.I. and Wildness' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:44
Brad is the Chair of the Landscape Architecture program at the University of Virginia. Brad is the co-author of the book 'Responsive Landscapes' with Justine Holzman. And co authored of the paper'Designing Autonomy: Oppo…
Ep. 055 _ Chris McAlorum _ 'The Enabled Landscape' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:54
Today we discuss Chris's writings about augmented reality and cartography. Chris is a public servant within Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland Directorate, Northern Ireland Civil Service as well as a guest writer for Sa…
Ep. 054 _ Chris Pak _ 'Terraforming in SF' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:15
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Ep. 053 _ Adam Frank _ 'Alien Anthopocenes' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:41
Astrophysicist Adam Frank is a leading expert on the final stages of evolution for stars like the sun, and his computational research group at the University of Rochester has developed advanced supercomputer tools for st…
Ep. 052 _ Muchaneta Kapfunde _ 'FashNerd' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:26
Muchaneta Kap-fundee is founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, which she co founded with Mano ten Napel in 2015. Fashnerd is one of the fastest growing digital magazines writing about fashion technology and wearables.…
Ep. 051 _ Ian Bogost _ 'Cows Ate My Twizzlers' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:34
Today is a conversation with Ian Bogost. Dr. Ian Bogost is an author and an award-winning game designer. He is Ivan Allen College Distinguished Chair in Media Studies and Professor of Interactive Computing at the Georgia…
Ep. 050 _ Paola Antonelli _ 'Broken Nature' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:04
This week is with Paola Antonelli - MoMA's Senior Curator of Architecture & Design + Director of R&D. We're discussing her new show 'Broken Nature' for the upcoming XXII Triennale di Milano. www.brokennature.org
Ep. 049 _ Kiel Moe _ 'Empire, State and Building' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:26
Kiel Moe is a practicing architect and Sheff Professor of Architecture at McGill University, and author of 8 books. We're discussing his most recent book Empire, State and Building. The book plots the material history an…