Podcast episodes from Spring 2025
#1 Das Anthropozän, und was Frankenstein damit zu tun hat
Ein Gespräch über das Zeitalter, in dem wir leben, und über Literatur
Das Anthropozän begann, sagt der Literaturwissenschaftler Alexander Honold, als der Mensch die ersten Furchen durch die Erde zog, es setzte sich fort in der Schrift, die erst eine städtische Verwaltung ermöglichte. Das Anthropozän ist, ergänzt die Religionswissenschaflterin Almut-Barbara Renger, ein offenes Konzept, das sowohl buddhistische, indigene, aber auch andere Vorstellung eines neuen Zusammengehens von Mensch und Natur umfasst. Ein Gespräch über die Dimensionen des Denkens im Anthropozän, und was sowohl Max Frisch wie auch Frankenstein damit zu tun haben.
#2 Living deserts and the art of conservation
Why new cities in the desert are a threat, and old sites must be conserved
New cities in Egypt, built from scratch in the middle of the desert, might suggest that the deserts are merely empty spaces ready for expansion and construction. But that is not the case, says Vanessa Lehmann, who works on the implications of these mega construction projects in Egypt. Conservation of ancient sites against the threats of climate change, on the other hand, reflects the responsibility we have towards buildings and structures that are hundreds and thousands years old, says Ilaria Trivelloni, the archaeologist. Both agree, that a respectful approach both to landscapes and ancient buildings are crucial in the Anthropocene.
#3 The sound of cracking ice, and why language matters
A dive into melting glaciers and lies about climate change
When ice cracks, it produces sounds that are often imperceptible to the human ear. Using specialized equipment, artist and anthropologist Saadia Mirza translates these sounds into immersive installations that invite audiences to engage with the effects of climate heating. Climate change is also the subject of Doriana Cimmino's work, but in different sense: she explores the way newspapers and social media influencers talk about this subject in order to distort public perception. In the age of the Anthropocene, both skills are essential: to listen to nature, and to distinguish lies from truth.
#4 Supply chains from the dawn of humanity until today
The relations between business practices, EU regulations, and the first human settlements
Industrial production today relies on complex, often global supply chains which are a major source of carbon dioxide and other polluters. Elizabeth Bennett examines, how the European Union approaches the regulation of supply chains, showing which aspects are addressed, which are ignored, and the surprising consequences of these decisions. Meanwhile, Óscar Ricardo Solis-Torres goes back in time, literally diving into prehistorical underwater caves in the Gulf of Mexico, in search of very early remains of human activity, which also means: finding evidence of preliminary developments of supply chains. To understand them is understanding the Anthropocene.
#5 Reinventing rural landscapes, and holding their destroyers accountable
Why new regulations matter for the protection of nature and for new approaches
When urban inhabitants settle in rural areas in Spain, they bring along their own ideas of how to produce food and how to engage with nature. While they bring innovation, they sometimes also cause disruption, says nature anthropologist Elena Concepción, and all this requires (new) regulations. Regulations are also an essential part of efforts to protect nature and the environment in many South American states, and the question Martina Lasalle explorse in her work is why so many states have been reluctant to regulate crimes against nature. Both approaches explore how we relate to, exploit, or protect landscapes, nature and the environment in the Anthropocene.