Implausipod

Whoops! Somehow the details of an Excession - an Unknown Unknown - got cut from Episode 36. Fans of Irony will be enjoying this, I'm sure. Kick back for another Icebreaker in this bonus episode, an addendum to Nescience and Excession, with an actual explanation of the thing that was in the title.Support the show

Further detail looking at The Nostalgia Curve from Episode 35, and comparing it with the Fredric Jameson's "Nostalgia for the Present" (1989) to see what the established literature says about the topic. We go into Jameson's writing on science fiction and Philip K Dick's "Time Out of Joint" (1959), and take a deep look at the Rumsfeld Matrix in order to introduce the idea of Nescience: the intentional act of not engaging with a known-unknown.Support the show

The box office for the summer of 2024 has been driven by titles relying heavily on the audiences nostalgia, with titles like Deadpool and Wolverine and Alien: Romulus leading the charge. But nostalgia as a driver for the movies isn't new, and we're seeing nostalgia across all areas of our society as well. So what's going on? What are the factors that places something along The Nostalgia Curve?Support the show

What is behind the recent trend seeking a wistful return to a more idyllic age of the internet, real or imagined? We'll call this the Dial-up Pastorale. The trend became apparent in a number of papers and blog-posts that have popped over the last few months (or at least came to my attention). Let's find out what is going on.(Parts of this episode appeared in the May issue of our newsletter. You can sign up for that here.Bibliography:Chayka, K. (2024, May 1). The Revenge of the Home Page...

What happens if your community disappears? How do online groups deal with the challenges of maintaining their social ties across fickle and fleeting platforms? And are there lessons to be learned by the TikTok creators from the online MMO communities that were shut down in the early 2000s?Bibliography:Bartle, R. (2003). Designing Virtual Worlds. New Riders Press.Granovetter, M. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360–1380.Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence C...

How much of your experience online is dictated by the environment you're in, and how it was constructed? What is you rebuild Twitter, and it still ends up being toxic? Did you fail, or succeed without knowing it?These are the kinds of questions that arise when we look at technology from a deterministic point of view: that technology is the driver of cultural and social change and growth. And while this ideology has its adherents, many of the assumptions about technology, and...

Are the new GPTs - Generative Pre-trained Transformers - powering the current wave of AI tools actually the emergence of a new GPT - General Purpose Technology - that we will soon find embedded into every aspect of our lives? Earlier examples of GPTs include tech like steam power, electricity, radio, and computing, all tech that is foundational to our modern way of life. Will our AI tools soon join this pantheon as another long wave of technological progress begins?BibliographyBresnahan, T. F...

With the release of Dune part 2 in cinemas, we return to Appendix W with a look at Frank Herbert's original novel from 1965. Dune has had a massive influence on the Warhammer 40000 universe in many ways, especially when looking at the original release of the Rogue Trader game in 1987, in everything from the weapons and wargear, to space travel and technology, to the organization of the Imperium itself. Join us as we look at some of those connections.Dr Implausible can be reached a...

Why does it always come down to a Butlerian Jihad, a War on Robots, when we imagine a future for humanity. Why does nearly every science fiction series, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Warhammer 40K, Doctor Who, The Matrix, Terminator and Dune have a conflict with a machinic form of life?With Dune 2 in theatres this weekend, we take a look at the underlying reasons for this conflict in our collective imagination in this weeks episode of the Implausipod.Dr Implausible can be reached at D...

How does your technology work? Do you have a deep understanding of the tech, or is it effectively a "black box"? And does this even matter? We do a deep dive into the history of the black box, how it's understood when it comes to science and technology, and what that means for AI-assisted science.Dr Implausible can be reached at drimplausible at implausipod dot comBibliography: Bijker, W., Hughes, T., & Pinch, T. (Eds.). (1987). The Social Construction of Technological Systems. The ...

The parable of the Old Man and the River tells us it isn't now deep the water is, but how swift the water flows when it comes to looking at pop culture. There's magic in how crystal clear those swift waters flow. Join us for a review of the theories underpining the value of studying pop culture for academic analysis, what that means for the future of the Implausipod, and hints at who the old man might be.Contact us at drimplausible at implausipod dot comBibliography:Benjami...

Silicon Dreams are those glittering visions of mythic intensity that inspire the continued development of revolutionary technologies. Listen to this episode of the Implausipod to learn more about where they come from, and how the mythic imagination has been behind the development of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and other tech innovations.Contact the show at drimplausible @ implausipod dot comBibliography:Bainbridge, W. S. (1983). The Space Flight Revolution: A Sociological ...

Echanger - a French verb meaning to trade, to replace, or to swap, is a metaprocess of translation, that covers three main factors contributing to technological unemployment - automation, virtualization, and agentrification, the replacement of workers with generative AI tools. Join us for our introduction and overview of the concept of echanger, in the third of our two part series inspired by the Sphere in Las Vegas.Dr Implausible can be reached at drimplausible@implausipod.comBibliogra...

In our final episode on the 2023 Dr Who specials, we take a look at the 2023 Christmas Special and the introduction of the 15th Doctor as played by Ncuti Gatwa. We'll take a quick take at some of the larger themes of the show, and how it connects with the past and the (possible) future(s) of Dr Who.Dr Implausible can be reached at drimplausible@implausipod.comOur guest Dr. Aiden Buckland can be reached at doctoraidenwho@gmail.comRecommended Reading:Cornell, P. (1995). The discontinuity ...

Not quite a full Festivus message, just a few quick tidings of joy and a message of gratitude here as 2023 draws to a close. All the best to you and your loved ones, and we'll chat again soon.Support the show