Future Based Podcast

Everything around us is part of an ecosystem: the earth, the forest​s, but also plants are part of the system that sustains life on earth. Plants make oxygen and are food for humans and animals​. They are also one of the few living organisms that can make their own food from air and light. Leafy green granules are a crucial part of this and also cause the green color of leaves. With the help of microscopy and do-it-yourself coloring methods, we can expose the cell structures of plants.

When ‘mind- body debate’ comes to mind, we often mention Descartes in the same breath. But since Descartes, there have been a lot of philosophers who thought about the mind body relation and a few major paradigm shifts around this topic. Wittgenstein for example, gave us an introduction on the philosophy of the body and the meaning of body language. Merleau-Ponty, referred to our body as the primary source of knowledge, and Michael Serres praised the body and it’s possibilities for metamorphose in which the mind is born. In this podcast we will explore in which ways art played a role in uncovering and representing the body, why sport and music are sources of information about our bodies, and in which ways technology has an influence on our bodily experience.

Aldo Houterman studied Philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. Aldo is a teacher and researcher on the subject of Philosophy of the Body and Brain. He has researched bodily experience within psychiatry and physiotherapy. He is currently writing a book on the philosophy of sports and exercise, and is a doctoral candidate at the Erasmus University. He also teaches Ethics and Philosophy at the department of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Amsterdam, as well as in the Physiotherapy department at the University of Applied Sciences in Utrecht.

If the objects that are around us, reflect the social structures of our period what does that tell us about our social structures? This podcast is about the, so it seems, interchangeable relationships we have with each other, and the objects – from nature to fashion- around us. Do we need to reconsider our relationship with our environment?

We need to sort out which of our values are from corrupted systems. It is not just individuals which would benefit from this sorting out: since values ground all choices, they also ground the economics, political systems, and attention choices in (social) media. The question then arises; Can we redefine our value system, and find a focus beyond ourselves?

Future Based is diving into the world of biohacking and mind hacking, kicking off with the expert and DIY Futurist; biohacker Peter Joosten.

This fourth episode will offer an introduction and further exploration into the topic of biohacking. What are the implications of these new technologies? Are we making humans better, or possibly making better humans? Are we making humans better, or are we making better humans?

But first, a short introduction on our motivations for addressing biohacking. I’m very much interested in how technology influences our social norms and everyday lives. We are constantly upgrading the world around us—and subsequently, ourselves—through technology. These developments seem unstoppable, or indeed even inevitable.

The question at hand is whether this forebodes a slippery slope towards disaster, or a new world full of fantastic possibilities? How does biohacking technology influence us? In my opinion, technological developments such as biohacking or mind hacking shouldn’t be viewed as something that stands in direct opposition to what it means to be human.

Rather, I view these as developments in which technology functions as a mediator. For more information on this topic, I’d like to refer to the technological philosophy experts Don Idhe and Peter Paul Verbeek.

In extension of this introduction, Future Based wants to explore the questions surrounding biotechnology in conversation with artists, philosophers, and scientists. Already we are organizing new meetups on this topic with artists and philosophers—we can’t do any name dropping yet, but it looks very promising!

If you have questions or comments regarding this topic, please let us know at [email protected], or get in touch via Instagram @artbasedfuture, or on Twitter @futurebasedorg

Would you like to read more? Books referred to are:

Kevin Kelly, The Inevitable

Yuval Harrari, Homo Deus and Homo Sapiens

Gerard Leonhart, Technology versus humanity

Peter Paul Verbeek and Don Idhe on what technology does to us

Interested in the work of Peter? Visit: Superhumantalks.com/peterjoosten.net

Future Based Podcast addresses issues ranging from the natural sciences

and philosophy to art, technology and economics; a different subject

will be highlighted in every podcast. We will engage in discussions with

academics, field specialists and experiential experts.

In this episode, we resume the talk with Theo Ploeg, founder of studio Hyperspace. Instead of taking refuge in proven concept, Studio Hyperspace seeks for new ideas and practices that are in tune with the chaos and acceleration in our time. Listen to this second episode - in a series of 2- on 'in the box design thinking', dark ecology and finding meaning in a world which is heading towards a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Future Based Podcast addresses issues ranging from the natural sciences and philosophy to art, technology and economics; a different subject will be highlighted in every podcast. We will engage in discussions with academics, field specialists and experiential experts. In this episode, we talk with Theo Ploeg, founder of studio Hyperspace. Instead of taking refuge in proven concept, Studio Hyperspace seeks for new ideas and practices that are in tune with the chaos and acceleration in our time. We live in wonderfully disturbing times. Old systems and ways of thinking aren’t suitable to make sense of the countless changes that currently take place. Listen to this part I of II podcast and discover why the 90's were a great time to be alive and learn what climate change, science fiction, shifting hierarchies and accelerationism have in common.

Future Based Podcast addresses issues ranging from the natural sciences and philosophy to art, technology and economics; a different subject will be highlighted in every podcast. We will engage in discussions with academics, field specialists and experiential experts. In this first episode: Tom Kortbeek founder of ArtLab ( Kunstlab).