Episode archive
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What if social media were under our control?
Political discourse around social media has become increasingly significant, particularly during the recent presidential transition. Debates about TikTok’s viability, new censorship policies on Meta platforms, and the ongoing turbulence on X underscore the growing importance of decentralized media development. On this month’s episode of Looks Like New, we’re bringing you a conversation between guest mentors…
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How has racism held back economic democracy?
How connected is the struggle for racial justice and the fight for a democratic economy? How has racism hindered the fight, and how can activists work together for a better future on both fronts? This month on, Looks Like New, MEDlab director Nathan Schneider hosted a group conversation of 100+ guests to understand these questions.…
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Where did our economic system go wrong?
Every one of us has felt the impact of the shortcomings within our current economic system. Where did this system go wrong? More importantly, what can we do to make it right? To answer these questions we spoke to Marjorie Kelly, a Distinguished Senior Fellow with the Democracy Collaborative, author of The Making of a…
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What does fan culture look like in the digital age?
On this episode we have the privilege of hosting a distinguished returning guest, who’s groundbreaking research has reshaped the landscape of media studies. As the director of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program and the author of influential works such as Textual Poachers, he has tirelessly championed the understanding of how audiences actively engage in…
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What exactly are tokens, anyway?
Rachel O’Dwyer is a writer and researcher whose work looks at digital economies and culture. Her writing touches on online transactions, art markets, programmable money, and alternative currencies. Rachel’s work probes the social and political landscapes that these technologies bring into being. She serves as a lecturer in digital cultures at the National College of…
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Can blockchain offer artists and galleries a way to work together?
With the rise of NFTs, blockchain and cryptocurrency took the art world by storm. But often, this meant doubling down on art’s status as a financial asset. However, this technology could have a place in the art world beyond the speculative churn of NFT markets. How can blockchain help build an ecosystem where artists and…
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Can blockchain technology support mutual aid?
Cryptocurrency has been in the news this past month after a cascade of bankruptcies unraveled a web of fraud. This comes after a year of already declining markets recast the 2021 crypto boom in a dark light. However, the headlines usually stick to flashy financial projects with big bottom lines.James Brennan speaks with Marisa Rando…
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What should we decolonize?
News headlines have been full of debates about Critical Race Theory (CRT), books and topics being banned in schools, and calls to remove statues of colonizers around the world. More recently, universities and governments have done work in land acknowledgements or renaming places locally under the banner of “decolonizing.” But what does decolonizing really mean,…
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What happened to hacktivism?
The cultures of computer hacking have made their way from marginal subcultures to becoming driving forces in the world as we know it. Facebook’s headquarters is on a street called Hacker Way. A hack of the Democratic National Committee’s emails helped elect the current US president. Free Software produced by volunteer hackers around the world…