media – Looks Like New

What can ancient cosmologies teach the future?

MEDLab — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Recently on Looks Like New, host Kadallah Burrowes is joined by Ytasha Womack, an author, filmmaker, and independent scholar whose work has been foundational to how we understand Afrofuturism as both a cultural movement and a philosophical practice. Best known for Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, Womack has spent decades exploring the intersections of Black culture, technology, imagination, and liberation across writing, film, music, and embodied practices like dance.

In reference to her book, The Afrofuturist Evolution, this conversation explores Afrofuturism as an active world-building practice rather than a distant or purely speculative future. Womack reflects on living inside futures once imagined by thinkers like Octavia Butler, the role of imagination in shaping present realities, and how ancient cosmologies, rhythm, and storytelling can inform more humane technological systems.

How has colonialism evolved under big tech?

MEDLab — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:19:09 +0000

In this month’s episode, MEDLab’s Stephanie Abdalla interviews Dr. Nick Couldry about the intricate relationship between media, power, and societal structures. Their conversation touches on data colonialism, the importance of building solidarities within and beyond academia, and the need to analyze emerging technologies through a critical lens. Dr. Couldry is Professor Emeritus of Media, Communications and Social Theory and a Professorial Research Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

A leading sociologist of media and culture, his work has been central to understanding how media and communications concentrate symbolic power and what that means for human solidarity. His recent research focuses on the ethics, politics, and social implications of Big Data and everyday data practices. He is the author or editor of 17 books, including Data Grab: The New Colonialism of Big Tech and How to Fight Back (with Dr. Ulises Mejias) and The Space of the World: Can Human Solidarity Survive Social Media and What if It Can’t?

How can technology effectively relay academic knowledge to mass audiences?

MEDLab — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 18:00:00 +0000

Dr. Christopher Bell is a culture consultant at Skydance, Disney, and Pixar as well as a Associate Professor of Media Studies at C.U. Boulder, “Harry Potter” scholar, and all around nerd. His TED Talk, “Bring on the female superheroes,” asked where were all the strong women in modern media? And where were all the toys, games, and costumes to accompany such characters?

In this episode of “Looks Like New” Dr. Bell discusses how modern technology allows scholars and academics to turn to audiences beyond the classroom, both directly through content of his own making and as the informed voice of accountability in his role as culture consultant.