The Intersection of Things

In New Celebrity we talk about the faces that rise to the top on TikTok, and how Instagram algorithms encourage the stealing of facial structures. What does it mean to not recognise ourselves in the front-facing camera? We discuss why “aesthetic flattening” has been the vibe of the pandemic. Plus, we talk about why this is the age of the collab, and we explain the history of Smiley faces, Mickey Mouse, and the uncanny "mountain".

Full references available at: www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep28-new-celebrity

@thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

"We make things because we are alive".

In this episode we’re all about how now is a time for art with messy edges. Hear about the aesthetics and language of DIY podcasting; the amateurs who make the web work; and glamorising the side hustle. We ask do qualifications matter? Why do we say "that’s on brand for me"? Plus a whole lot on joy, Oscar Wilde, boxing, and the “gentlemen amateur”.

Full references available at: www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep27-amateurism

@thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Available on Apple podcasts: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/inter…d1355495484?mt=2

Soundcloud: @thingsintersect

Stitcher www.stitcher.com/podcast/intersec…ection-of-things

Lockdown has got us curious about online activism, with many people turning to it in times of massive change. We draw on our experiences to ask are petitions effective and safe and should you start one? What does it mean when we need issues to “keep on trending” to be relevant? What’s the reason behind the designs in Instagram slideshows? Plus - mapping as a protest tool, the concept of clictivism, unusual activism tools and more.

Full references available at: www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep26-clicktivism

@thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Available on Apple podcasts: itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/inter…d1355495484?mt=2

Soundcloud: @thingsintersect

Stitcher www.stitcher.com/podcast/intersec…ection-of-things

Right now the thrill of a package arriving is one of our small joys, but who, how and why makes that happen? How indie artists are manipulating Disney’s god-like powers for good. Hear about consumerism as a form of entertainment, from satirical reviews to Wish-haul videos. Plus, Harry Styles, TikTok knits, ghost carts, hacking capitalism and more.

Full references available at: https://www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep-25-shopping

@thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/intersection-of-things/id1355495484?mt=2

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thingsintersect

Stitcher https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/intersection-of-things/the-intersection-of-things

In our Halloween special Marianela and Ruth gather round a virtual campfire and tell each other tales of the Internet. The things we fell for, and the things it revealed to us.

We talk about cute animal stories, ethics in psychology experiments, haunted emails and blessed tumblr posts. The twisted parables that have lost their meaning, ugly fruit, and the real story behind the garages they say birthed Google, Amazon, Disney, Dell, Microsoft.

Full footnotes available at: https://www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep-24-internet-myths

Find us:

Intersection of Things: @thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Ruth Coustick-Deal: @nesient

Marianela Ramos Capelo: @undazedandsuch

How is tech shaped by ritual? And rituals changed by tech? We review ‘The Power of Ritual’, a popular self-help book about the rituals of life, and take our Intersection of Things angle on it. With companies like Headspace, WeCroak and SoulCycle, how is spirituality commodified, and how do we notice it happening? What are the rituals we have gained and lost in lockdown? Plus we talk about self-help, self-care, and rest as resistance.

Full footnotes are available at: https://www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep-23-ritual

Find us:

Intersection of Things: @thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Does the Internet have a gaze? What’s your advice on cultivating a bullshit radar? What has been surprising in the last decade of tech?

It’s our 2 year anniversary episode! Marianela and Ruth interview each other with big reflective questions about the internet and how we think about it.

Plus we talk about our Internet pet hates and loves; the changing visual languages that represent the web – from Guy Fawkes to Witches; and the importance of silliness. Happy birthday to the pod!

References available at: https://www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep22-curiosity

Find us:

Intersection of Things: @thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Ruth Coustick-Deal: @nesient

Marianela Ramos Capelo: @undazedandsuch

What are choices are built into games, and why? Why do they still inspire moral panic about young people playing them? We talk about games being used for political ends, sometimes by design, but best of all when players get subversive with the mechanics.

Plus, the power of gamers showing solidarity with the workers and creators, vs the toxic online communities that led to the rise of the alt-right. 

We interview Marijam Didžgalvytė, games industry expert, worker rights organiser, and creator of the Left Left Up video series for her insights.

Full footnotes are available at: https://www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep21-gaming

Find us:

Intersection of Things: @thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Ruth Coustick-Deal: @nesient

Marianela Ramos Capelo: @undazedandsuch

How can machines decide what is beautiful, and what is a beautiful machine? How did teen girls change phone hardware forever? How has Instagram changed our physical spaces? Are 'beautifying' filters racist? Plus, we talk about the many uses of YouTube make-up tutorials: for defiance, play, celebration, and … secret security lessons. And we celebrate how the Internet shows us there are #ManyKindsofHot

Find the full footnotes at: https://www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep20-beauty

FIND US!

Intersection of Things: @thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Ruth Coustick-Deal: @nesient

Marianela Ramos Capelo: @undazedandsuch

How do we communicate when disaster strikes and our phones and internet go down? How are communities in New York, Puerto Rico & Oaxaca building their own networks which survive?

What does resilience mean, and how can definitions influence what emergency responses look like? Can you get involved and build Internet without corporates involved at all?

We interview technologist, community organiser and badass Krusheska Quirós about her Portable Network Kits workshops, and how to build resilience through both social & technological means.

Plus, throwing in a little bit of Audre Lorde - what tools can be used to demolish the master’s house?

Full footnotes are available at: https://www.theintersectionofthings.com/episodes/ep19-resilience

Find us:

Intersection of Things: @thingsintersect

www.theintersectionofthings.com

Ruth Coustick-Deal: @nesient

Marianela Ramos Capelo: @undazedandsuch