We are excited to announce that we are launching another edition of the course “Ancient Future Technology” (@ancientfuturetech ) at the @mitmedialab this fall! In addition to our usual cohort of MIT and Harvard grad students, we will be opening up the course to a cohort of global listeners. If you are interested in joining our virtual classroom, fill out the google form linked in the bio by 9/12 at 11:59p ET!
Speakers include @giulifungi from @fungifoundation , @niatero , @pierre.christophe.gam , @earth_species_project , @growyourowncloud , @studiohendrikx from @loopbiotech , and more!
Shoutouts to @microbi.xyz for the gorgeous poster!
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MAS.S62 | Ancient Future Technology
David Kong, Ph.D. (Director, Community Biotechnology Initiative, MIT Media Lab)
Scientific practice is inseparable from the ways in which we choose to represent the world. From indigenous land management that honors spirits in nature, over traditional Chinese medicine that visualizes the body as an ecosystem, to Japanese robotics design that produces artificial companions—our diverse cultural identities, norms and values intimately shape how science and technology is developed, applied and accepted.
At a time where the quest for ethical standards has become a shared concern of many scientific communities, we want to challenge prevalent science-culture distinctions and develop a more holistic, inter-cultural perspective to redefine ethics for the age of global participation. This peer-to-peer co-learning course offers a unique opportunity to join a diverse cohort of students and researchers to collectively explore the cultural and spiritual dimensions of scientific practice. We will revisit the millennia of virtues and wisdom embedded in our own traditions and reflect together on how these can inform our growth as science-activists who lead the change we wish to see.
A multidisciplinary array of distinguished professionals will serve as visiting lecturers and mentors, offering presentations and skill-building workshops. Through these activities we will explore together how ancient cultural and scientific practice might harmonize with cutting edge technologies like synthetic biology and AI.
Here is a speculative piece by Elaine Regina imagining the kind of data that could be stored in the Data Forests of the future and the conversations that could rise from it. See link in Bio to read a copy of the full text. Enjoy!
Elaine is a post-disciplinary designer, researcher, and maker; with major interests in biodesign, sustainable systems & speculative futures.
Follow Elaine on:
Instagram @elainereginaaa
Linktree: /ezlaine
#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #ancestors #widsom #nextsevengenerations #data #AI #ML #machinelearning #forests #dna #encoding #synbio #syntheticbiology
"With only 10% of the US working in agriculture, there is a massive disconnect between many of our lives and our understanding of agricultural workers lives and the exploitative system ‘big ag’ is built upon. At best, agricultural field laborers are undervalued, and at worst, they are brutally exploited".
Corinne Okada Takara is a bioartist and community STEAM educator who collaborates with community organizations, museums, and community biolabs to elevate local and cultural knowledge in STEAM explorations.
Follow Corinne on
Insta: @corinnetakara
Twitter: @CorinneTakara
Website: /
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#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab
Here is another contemplative piece by Cecilia Vilca on “What our futures gardens will look like.” See link in Bio to read a copy of the full text. Enjoy!
Follow Cecilia Vilca:
Insta @ceci_vilca ,
website: /
Cecilia Vilca is a Peruvian transartist, chola feminist techno-witch and language activist.
#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #microbiome #philosophy
A continuation of our new series on our thoughts and conversations from AFT in Fall 2021! A poetic and speculative text by Laura Maria Gonzalez on the kinds of future ancestors we might one day be. Cheers!
Follow Laura Maria Gonzalez:
Website: Microbi.xyz
Instagram: @microbi.xyz
Twitter: Microbi_xyz
#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #dianaberesfordkroeger #ancestors #wisdom #nextsevengenerations
Welcome back folks! We are here to kick off an exciting series of conversations, reflections, and insights from the participants from AFT in Fall 2021! Here to begin the conversation is a contemplative piece by Alexander (Sandy) Curth on what our future gardens will look like. Enjoy!
Follow Alexander (Sandy) Curth: Insta & Twitter @sandycurth , LinkedIn: /sandycurth
#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #microbiome #genomicdata #philosophy @mitmedialab
Our final post of the year is this short piece by Christianna Bennett: "I find the ancient, multi-generational technological systems are incredibly meaningful, but remain unfortunately misunderstood, or simply under-appreciated, undervalued, and unrecognized for their contributions to humanity, wisdom, and the planet." (See link in bio for full text.)
Happy holidays everyone! We'll see you in 2022. :)
Follow Christianna: @christianna.grace
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#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #indigenous #philosophy
A dialogue between times and cosmovisions about the spirit of objects and why indigenous AI is not only possible but fundamentally human. (Link in bio.)
Cecilia Vilca (@ceci_vilca ) is a Peruvian transartist feminist, chola techno-witch, and language activist.
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#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #caboclo #ai #artificialintelligence #nature
What kind of future ancestors should we be in an age of commemoration? (Link in bio.)
P. Yang is a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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#ancientfuturetechnology #ancestors #philosophy #mitmedialab
Where do our ideas about ownership come from? What do they mean for how we relate to land and nature? And what could ownership in the future look like? (Link in bio)
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#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #ownership #land #philosophy
Ancient Future Technology knits knowledge and perspectives across generations, cultures, and species as we imagine a sustainable future for all earthlings. It includes the tool sets of ancestral cultures alongside dominant science practices to form new tools, solutions, and frameworks as we reshape our view on our place in this world and beyond. (Link to article in bio.)
Follow Corinne Okada Takara: @corinnetakara
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#ancientfuturetechnologies #ancientfuturetechnology #radish #indigenous #biodesign #mitmedialab @mitmedialab
s p a c e d u s t
Read this poem via the link in our bio! Follow Max on Twitter (@mslkmp ).
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#ancientfuturetechnology #mitmedialab #decomposition #poetry #fermentation @mitmedialab
