In this episode, I sit with Gerardo Aldana to discuss his new book, Calculating Brilliance: An Intellectual History of Mayan Astronomy at Chich'en Itza. We discuss the ways in which this work humanizes the study of history, proposes new theories for how ancient people would have interacted with astronomical events, and challenges past ways of thinking about ancient Maya brilliance.

Gerardo Aldana is a professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara. His research interests include Maya hieroglyphic history, Mesoamerican art, experimental archaeology, science studies, culture theory, and indigeneity.

You can purchase Calculating Brilliance at this link: https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/calculating-brilliance