New Books in Science, Technology, and Society McKenzie Wark, “Molecular Red: Theory for the Anthropocene” (Verso, 2015)
Oct 10, 2016
McKenzie Wark, a scholar in media studies and culture, dives into her acclaimed work, 'Molecular Red: Theory for the Anthropocene.' She interlaces Soviet and American contexts to explore labor's centrality in knowledge production. Wark discusses Alexander Bogdanov’s influence on understanding ecological crises and critiques of society through literature, notably by Andrey Platonov. She also connects these ideas to Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy, showcasing how science fiction can envision better futures amidst current societal challenges.
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End of Prehistory Concept
- The Anthropocene can be seen as the end of prehistory due to planetary limits on expansion.
- This reframes temporality away from apocalypse towards a new epoch of constraints on growth.
Carbon Liberation Front Insight
- Modernity's central achievement was liberating carbon from the lithosphere into the atmosphere.
- This 'Carbon Liberation Front' ironically threatens the biosphere, challenging traditional liberation narratives.
Molecular Flows and Metabolic Rifts
- Molecular flows of elements like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus define Earth's metabolic rifts.
- Labor extracts but these flows don't return, creating unsustainable ecological imbalances.
