How slime mold and ant colonies change our view of the world

Claire L. Evans is a writer and musician based in Los Angeles. She is the founding editor of Terraform, VICE's science-fiction vertical, and author of Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet.

In this episode, Claire and Severin explore how emerging technologies — from biocomputing to xenobots — are reshaping our understanding of the natural world. Severin and Claire dive into the interconnected world of life sciences and computation, exploring what we can learn from systems like ant colonies, slime molds, and evolutionary algorithms.

GUEST

Claire L. Evans is a writer and musician exploring biology, technology, and culture. Her 2018 history of women in computing, Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet, published by Penguin Random House, has been translated into six languages and was named one of the Top 10 Best Nonfiction Tech Books of All Time in 2023.

HOST

Severin Matusek is a cultural theorist and founder of co—matter, a research & strategy studio exploring the cultural and societal impact of new technologies.

IDEAS & PEOPLE IN CONTEXT

Broad Volume: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet by Claire L. Evans, 2018 https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/545427/broad-band-by-claire-l-evans/
Wild Information Substack by Claire L. Evans https://clairelevans.substack.com/
Ways of Being by James Bridle, 2022 https://jamesbridle.com/books/ways-of-being
The Future of Another Timeline, Annalee Newitz, 2019 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43263237-the-future-of-another-timeline
Deborah Gordon: The emerging genius of ant colonies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukS4UjCauUs

CREDITS

The Vienna Business Agency supports new companies, projects and products that develop Vienna's creative industries further. Find out more at viennabusinessagency.at

Editorial & Production Team (in alphabetical order): Carina Dala, Mike Evans, Nick Houde, Kesia Inkersole, Severin Matusek, Elisabeth Noever-Ginthör, Alice Smith, Heinz Wolf

Theme Music by Hell Mutang.

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