(re)programming: Strategies for Self-Renewal

by Janez Fakin Janša (editor), Marko Bauer (editor), Marta Peirano

As a growing population is sharing an ever-shrinking planet, we have found ourselves at an existential crossroads: do we bring the mistakes of the Enlightenment and industrialization to their logical conclusion or should we develop a capacity to reprogram ourselves as a species in order to survive? Some of the solutions might be technical, but most of the obstacles are not. Through surveillance, manipulation and escapism, multinationals and foreign governments are using the powerful tools that could help us manage the climate emergency to manage us instead. The apocalyptic narratives of destruction, natural selection and space colonization distract us from the urgent need to manage our resources and mitigate a disaster.

What will it take for humanity to change its course and build a responsible future for the generations to come?

With contributions from world-class thinkers as well as specialists from the local and online commu- nities, this reader seeks answers to these questions by focusing on solutions, finding tools, words and visions across disciplines, from energy and infra- structure to community building and AI.

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Andrew Copolov · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides transcripts of conversations with a number of interesting thinkers about how to address what are understood as some of the greatest problems being faced today. The thinkers are broad ranging and come from different, though generally arts-related backgrounds. They each share activist affinities, and many have helped to define the contours of contemporary creative thinking on the left.
I’ll be intrigued to read it again in a decade and see how the issues and approaches discussed here are understood then.
The actual recordings transcribed here can be found online.