Neil Denny of Little Atoms has just informed me that an edited recording of ‘Which Way to Techno-Utopia?’, a recent panel discussion at the Free Word Centre in which I participated, is available as a podcast. In an extremely lively and wide-ranging exchange, moderated with exuberant delicacy by probing barefoot technologist Becky Hogge, I joined fellow writers Angela Saini, Gia Milinovitch in examining the past, present and future of ‘techno-utopia’ both as concept and potential reality.
Topics covered included Astro Boy and European Romanticism, corrupt government administration and the writings of the Marquis de Sade, Norbert Weiner and the technological future of India, LSD and gated communities. Becky did a fabulous job keeping the things moving in a light but purposeful manner; and I could - and probably should - have listened to Angela and Gia for hours. My favourite moment of the entire evening came when a member of the audience asked us a question about the oppositional relationship between nature and technology in Western thought and then left the room while we answered it. It turned out he was just answering his phone. No wonder Adam and Eve got themselves kicked out of the country club.
You can find ‘Which Way to Techno-Utopia’ either by visiting this link, or you can download the whole thing by simply clicking here. In any case, you are strongly urged to visit the Little Atoms site if you have not done so already, as they have some amazing material featured both in their podcasts and their weekly show on Resonance 104.4 FM.
Pictured above from right to left: KH, Angela Saini, Becky Hogge and Gia Milinovitch, almost live and direct at the Free Word Centre – photograph by Neil Denny (thanks, Neil).
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment