Last year I produced a series of conversations on thinking through technology and society, including with L.M. Sacasas, David Cayley, and Elke Schwarz. Some of the most productive were with my friend and colleague, Pete Chambers, a scholar based at RMIT University in Melbourne, whose work engages with traditions of critical and social theory. Our exchanges ended up being rather wide ranging, through which we reflected on the conditions that shape how we live and act, including what limits and possibilities are present within these structures. Fortunately, we have received support to produce some a new series of episodes together in the second half of 2023. The aim of these conversations is to blend the format of the podcast with that of intellectual exchange: to engage in the process of thinking together in an open manner, grounded in good faith and curiosity.
Building on our last conversation from late 2022, in this new episode PC and myself partake in a broad dialogue, circling around some big themes related to the forgotten materiality of our world, the difficulties of late capitalism, the fragility and resilience of our supply chains, the energy inputs that fuel all of these activities, and much more. This discussion also reflects our positions in Australia and Japan, and the perspective that comes from being based in these parts of Asia. Hopefully this provides something of a counterweight to the North American frame that so often dominates.
We are looking forward to continuing these conversations with some very interesting guests. Our thanks to the School of Global Urban and Social Studies at RMIT for providing funding, and to Peter Van Hoesen for his ongoing help with producing these episodes. As well as listening here and subscribing to the feed through Substack, you can also subscribe to the Imperfect World podcast through most major platforms (Apple, Amazon, Google, Podbean, Spotify).
We hope you enjoy this conversation, more to come.
