ENG 102 2025: Resources Archive #6

"Perhaps we think and dream so intimately next to the lake because it reflects us best as the most 'bodylike' of the bodies of water. Different from an ocean or great river, the scale of a lake can be encompassed by the human imagination, and lakes, like us, live and die. A lake begins dying as soon as it is formed, taking in sediment from contributing rivers or streams, filling with accumulating debris and ever so slowly, as the stretches of geological time progress, turning to marsh, bog and finally land. At the same time the lake is continually taking in water and letting it go, flowing in an apparent stillness and constancy, demonstrating the give and take necessary to support life. Sustaining mother who provides water, food and favorable climate to those who inhabit her shores, the lake requires in turn a subtle balance of power between human nature and spirit to insure the natural life of her precious waters (44)." - The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images (Taschen, 2010)  

    "That joy: maybe this is how everyone should feel about ideas and the ways that they open up or close off possibilities, the way that - well to quote the sentence from which the tile of this book comes, 'The ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently.'  If you truly believe that, if you perceive a world that is constructed according to certain assumptions and values, then you see that it can be changed, not least by changing those assumptions and values.
    You recognize that ideas matter and that we have some role in choosing which ones generate the realities of our lives, and you recognize that what scholars and thinkers do is tremendously important. While too many anti-intellectuals are dismissive of ideas altogether, even too many of those whose job is to deal in ideas are dismissive of their power to change the world. Because if they can, we who work with ideas are saddled with responsibility for changing that world or equipping others to do so and helping them dismantle ideas that imprison and degrade. We have to recognize that ideas are tools that we wield, and with them, some power (ix). - Solnit, Rebecca. "Forward: With Ferocious Joy." 

"There are many mysteries of the academy which would be appropriate objects of ethnographic analysis. One question that never ceases to intrigue me is tenure. How could a system ostensibly designed to give scholars the security to be able to say dangerous things have been transformed into a system so harrowing and psychologically destructive that, by the the time scholars find themselves in a secure position, 99 percent of them have forgotten what it would even mean to have a dangerous idea? (10)" - David Graeber (2017)

"If I spoke about it – if I did – what would I tell you? I wonder. Would I tell you about the time … Or would I tell you about the place … Would I tell you about her? The princess without voice. Or perhaps I would just warn you, about the truth of these facts. And the tale of love and loss. And the monster, who tried to destroy it all." - Giles, The Shape of Water (2017)

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Anderson, Ellie and David Peña-Guzmán. "Comfort." Overthink #118 (December 3, 2024) ["... Ellie and David discuss all things comfortable…and uncomfortable. They talk through the conflation of comfort and luxury, modern architecture’s prioritization of comfort, and whether our need for comfort is the reason for our burning planet. With everything from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to “the comfort-industrial complex,” this episode will have you questioning what it takes for us to lead a full and happy life. Plus, in the bonus they get into the meaning of the phrase ‘too close for comfort’, alcohol as a destructive form of comfort, and the importance of attachment theory."]

Barker, Dan. "The Current State of Atheism and Separation of Church and State." The Michael Shermer Show (November 30, 2024) ["In this thought-provoking conversation, Dan Barker, a former evangelical preacher turned prominent atheist and co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, explains the current state of separation of Church and State, the influence of Catholicism on the Supreme Court, and the ongoing debates surrounding public education and religious symbols. Barker also discusses the legal challenges tackled by his organization, and introduces “Contraduction,” a new philosophical concept that reexamines how beliefs and arguments can reverse in order and meaning. Plus, the moral implications of belief systems and the fine-tuning argument for the existence of God, the nature of nothingness, and free will. Dan Barker is co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, co-host of Freethought Radio, and co-founder of The Clergy Project. He worked 19 years as an evangelical minister and is a member of the Lenape (Delaware) tribe of American Indians. His new book is Contraduction."]

Chaw, Walter. "Terrifier 3 (2024)." Film Freak Central (October 14, 2024) ["Damien Leone’s Terrifier films are empathy tests for a culture, for a creature, that has amused itself to death. No longer able to discern the line between reality and the media we consume, we are presented with these Voight-Kampff tests designed to replicate the social conditions of our steady dehumanization. You see, I’m sick. I’m afraid it’s mortal but I don’t know–I mean, every second is a second I will never see again, so isn’t everything mortal? I have, for over a year now, watched Israel gleefully, defiantly wage genocide on the Palestinian people and consumed images of the human body in various states of dismemberment, violation, and humiliation that before this I had only glimpsed with horror in grainy photographs smuggled out of Nanking during WWII–that I had only imagined while reading war stories written by men destroyed largely by just the act of bearing witness. This is the shape of my astonishing privilege. If I didn’t want to see it, I didn’t have to. Something changed."]

Cooper, Paul. "The Mongols: The Terror of the Steppes, Part 1." Fall of Civilizations (Decemeber 4, 2024) ["In the far east of the Eurasian steppe, the sound of hoofbeats is growing... In this episode we travel along the vast grassland corridor of the steppe, to hear one of the most remarkable and unlikely stories from medieval history – the story of the Mongol Empire. Find out how this group of nomadic horse riders united the peoples of the Mongolian steppe, and forged them into a truly unique kind of state. Discover how they conquered much of the lands of Eurasia, and brought the distant cultures of China, Persia, the Middle East and Europe into contact. And hear the story of how the world’s largest land empire finally came apart, and left the world as we know it in its wake."]

Ware, Jessica. "Odonatology (DRAGONFLIES)." Ologies (November 6, 2024) ["They’re acrobatic fliers with long bodies and veined wings and their babies breathe through their butts: dragonflies. Let’s get into the difference between a damselfly and dragonfly, how fast they dart around, how big they were in the age of the dinosaurs, sci-fi aviation inspiration, mating choreography, attracting them to your yard (maybe to eat them) and lots more with scholar, American Museum of Natural History curator, and dragonfly expert: Dr. Jessica Ware."]

 West, Stephen. "Nietzsche Returns with a Hammer." Philosophize This! #211 (September 22, 2024) ["Today we talk about Nietzsche's views on the decay of western society. We talk about his problems with Socrates. The genealogy of Egalitarianism that has led to our modern societies, and how to contextualize his concept of the Ubermensch within modern culture."]

Wheeler, Tom. Techlash: Who Makes the Rules in the Digital Gilded Age? Rowman & Littlefield, 2023. ["Hailed by Ken Burns as one of the foremost “explainers” of technology and its effect throughout history, Tom Wheeler now turns his gaze to the public impact of entrepreneurial innovation. In Techlash, he connects the experiences of the late 19th century’s industrial Gilded Age with its echoes in the 21st century digital Gilded Age. In both cases, technology innovation and the great wealth that it created ran up against the public interest and the rights of others. As with the industrial revolution and the Gilded Age that it created, new digital technology has changed commerce and culture, creating great wealth in the process, all while being essentially unsupervised. Warning that today is not the “Fourth Industrial Revolution” some envision, Wheeler calls for a new era of public interest oversight that leaves behind industrial era regulatory ideas to embrace a new process of agile, supervised and enforced code setting that protects consumers and competition while encouraging continued innovation. Wheeler combines insights from his experience at the highest echelons of business and government to create a compelling portrait of the need to balance entrepreneurial innovation with the public good."]

Williams, Adrienne, Milagros Miceli, and Timnit Gebru. "The Exploited Labor Behind Artificial Intelligence." NOEMA (October 13, 2024) ["Tech companies that have branded themselves “AI first” depend on heavily surveilled gig workers like data labelers, delivery drivers and content moderators. Startups are even hiring people to impersonate AI systems like chatbots, due to the pressure by venture capitalists to incorporate so-called AI into their products. In fact, London-based venture capital firm MMC Ventures surveyed 2,830 AI startups in the EU and found that 40% of them didn’t use AI in a meaningful way. Far from the sophisticated, sentient machines portrayed in media and pop culture, so-called AI systems are fueled by millions of underpaid workers around the world, performing repetitive tasks under precarious labor conditions. And unlike the “AI researchers” paid six-figure salaries in Silicon Valley corporations, these exploited workers are often recruited out of impoverished populations and paid as little as $1.46/hour after tax. Yet despite this, labor exploitation is not central to the discourse surrounding the ethical development and deployment of AI systems. In this article, we give examples of the labor exploitation driving so-called AI systems and argue that supporting transnational worker organizing efforts should be a priority in discussions pertaining to AI ethics."]

Wolf, Kathleen. "The Impact of urban trees on human health and wellbeing." Tree Lady Talks 5.23 (November 29, 20240 [" Dr. Kathleen Wolf, a research social scientist, discusses the profound impact of urban trees on human health and well-being. She shares her journey from biologist to researcher, emphasizing the importance of nature in urban settings. The conversation explores various themes, including the health benefits of living near trees, the significance of tree canopy for neonatal care, and the role of nature in child development. Dr. Wolf highlights the correlation between tree cover and improved mental health, social connections, and even lower crime rates, while expressing frustration over the lack of action taken by authorities despite the compelling research. In this conversation, Kathy shares her extensive experience in research translation and the importance of integrating nature into urban environments. She discusses the optimism surrounding the uptake of research in policy and community practices, emphasizing the role of forest bathing and experiential learning in reconnecting individuals with nature. The conversation also highlights the significant benefits of green spaces in educational settings and the economic advantages of urban tree canopies, ultimately calling for a more profound integration of nature in our daily lives and policies. This conversation explores the multifaceted benefits of urban forests and nature in various settings, particularly focusing on their impact on community health, urban planning, and the integration of nature into healthcare. The discussion highlights personal anecdotes, research findings, and the importance of young scientists in advancing this field. It also touches on innovative approaches like virtual reality to enhance nature experiences for those unable to access the outdoors."]

Yin, Leon. "The Digital Divide." On the Media (October 27, 2022) ["An investigation by nonprofit newsroom The Markup found that four internet providers disproportionately offered lower-income and least-White neighborhoods slow internet service for the same price as speedy connections they offered in other areas. According to Leon Yin, Investigative Data Journalist at The Markup, homes in historically redlined areas were offered internet speeds so slow, the FCC doesn’t consider it to be broadband. This week, guest host Micah Loewinger asks Yin how he trawled through more than 800,000 internet service offers with his team to arrive at his findings, and what's at stake."]