Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: The political questions of science and technology
“I think we need to think of the night sky as part of our ecosystem and part of our ancestral inheritance that is currently being squandered on completely undemocratic terms that people are making these decisions for us with very little regulation or government interference.”
Joining us in this episode is theoretical physicist Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, whose research on small-scale particles points us to a large, cosmic picture. From particle physics and astrophysics to astronomy and Black feminist science studies, Chanda’s work spans a wide range of disciplines, practices, and texts.
Named as one of 10 people who helped shape science in 2020 as part of Nature’s 10, Chanda also leads in expanding awareness of and unpacking racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression that continue to govern scientific scholarship, particularly the field of physics. Through her deep love of math and physics as a form of storytelling, Chanda is committed, in her own words to “understanding the biggest story there is: the origin and history of the universe”—histories stemming from pluri-cultural lenses.
Tune in to this episode as Prescod-Weinstein talks through some of the themes explored in her latest award-winning book, The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred, pointing to the entanglement of Western scientific institutions tethered to specific cultural and historical hegemonies. Shining a light on the political nature of technology, she problematizes supremacist ways of knowledge-seeking and questions universalized visions of advancement—including the idea that expanding the accessibility of broadband internet connection to every community on Earth is a shared and necessary goal of inclusivity.
View the episode transcript and show notes here, and dive into our extended and bonus episodes via our Patreon here.
“I think the bigger question is not necessarily about physics, but generally speaking, about how we culturally engage with science, the role of science in our communities, how it shapes our mindset, and what our mindset about science is.” – Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Chanda comes full circle with…
a recommendation: “Right now, I'm excited about Specter, a Marxist journal. They have fantastic social analysis and they're kind of aimed at academics. But I think that there are broadly accessible.”
a grounding reminder: “I was very, very influenced growing up and into adulthood by Thich Nhat Hanh, the Vietnamese Zen monk who passed away last year. And actually, I often think of a very simple thing that he would often remind people: breathing in, I am home.”
a personal inspiration: “I'm so excited by the kids that are organizing their schools and communities and telling these raggedy-ass authoritarians that they will die on their feet, that they refuse to live on their knees. I particularly just want to shout out the coalition of students at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas carrying on the tradition I have of fighting for justice in their schools. And I think that any young people who are listening, you will save the world.”
and some words of guidance…
“The other impactful mantra that I will just share — I'll share two more. ‘Optimism is better than despair,’ that’s from Jack Layton. And ‘Hope is a practice,’ from Mariame Kaba. So practice hope. Keep going.”
What inspirations or curiosities are still lingering with you from this episode?
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