Ideas in the Afternoon for April
* Please note this schedule is subject to change.
Monday, April 5
TANGLED ROOTS: A HISTORY OF BLACK HAIR
From pre-colonial Africa till now, Black hair has shifted in its meaning and become highly politicized, particularly in Western society. And today, Black women's hair continues to have an enormous bearing on how they are able to move through the world. We're taking a look back at the story of Black hair, and what it tells us about the Black female experience throughout history.
Monday, April 12
IMAGINING EXTINCTION
Religious and mythological visions of the end of the world may be common, but the scientific concept of human extinction has a more urgent history. IDEAS explores the link between imagining extinction and acting to avert it — from Mary Shelley's pandemic novel, The Last Man (1826), to visions of nuclear annihilation during the Cold War, to cli-fi (climate fiction) of today.
Monday, April 19
THE PHILOSOPHY OF TRAVEL
Philosophy of travel isn't a thing, but philosopher Emily Thomas says it should be. As most of the world is grounded by COVID, we take a journey of the mind through the past and present to ask the question: what is the meaning of travel? How does it change us — and how does it help us understand our own minds?
Monday, April 26
THE GREENEST METAPHOR
What language should environmentalism employ? Is it a 'war' on climate change? Or is it a 'race'? Are we trying to cure a sickness in the earth? Or rescue the world from impending doom, as though it's a damsel in distress? Metaphors are deeply embedded in science, media, politics — and human thought. Sometimes picking the right metaphor can lead to rapid progress. But using the wrong one can backfire spectacularly. This episode looks at why metaphors matter when it comes to climate change.
