Much of this substack has been trying to make sense of the present moment, and what ethical action looks like in a world that appears to be changing and warping in ways we are struggling to comprehend. I am continuing to work on this, as I think we are in a transitional period, and trying to make sense of what is disappearing, what is altering, and what it all might mean is vitally important. The world is littered with hints and clues; the challenge is recognising them, looking and listening.
The next step of this endeavour is starting a conversation series, something like a podcast, which is being produced with the support of a grant from the Toshiba International Foundation. To begin with, these will focus mainly on exploring the relationship between society and technology, as I think this is fundamental to understanding our current predicament. I have become increasingly convinced we need to more examine about how technologies are reshaping our lives and our world, how we think and act.
I’m trying to make the podcast as easily available as possible. You can subscribe to the podcast feed here. It is now available on most platforms, just search for ‘Imperfect World’. I’ll also be cross-posting the episodes on substack, along with some notes about each conversation and guest. To start with, I offer a brief introduction to the podcast series here. My first conversation is also posted, it is with David Cayley, a Canadian broadcaster and writer. I’ll do a separate note about it, but the short version is that I found it a thought-provoking discussion covering ways of thinking about science, how this has connected to the pandemic, the role of technology, surprise and much more.
In this series, I’ll be sharing conversations I am having with people whose work has been helping me make sense of the current moment. The plan is for these discussions to be open, broad ranging, and not narrowly academic. My hope is also to extend the scope of these conversations, but one thing at a time. To begin with, think of this like a TV series. If it shows promise and can get an audience, hopefully it will be renewed for a second season. For now, expect around 9-10 episodes over the coming months.
This is very much a work in progress and an experiment. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated, as would be your support in my endeavours. I hope you might take the time to listen, and if you find it worthwhile, please consider sharing it. For links to subscribing to the podcast with your preferred platform, please check the podcast page.
