The Horror of Deep Time
The Horror of Deep Time Vanishing species, hostile climates, plagues that engulf planets – the looming dread of our current world can be paralyzing. In this course, we will cultivate curiosity as a technique for confronting such phenomena by looking to those who regularly face the limits of human knowledge: scientists and the protagonists of cosmic horror. Paleontology provides the ideal toolkit for grappling with overwhelming timescales, worlds without humans, and bizarre lifeforms. We will combine works by Lovecraft, Thacker, VanderMeer, and others with visits to spaces of science (e.g., fossil outcrops, molecular laboratories) to engage with the simultaneous beauty and terror inherent to discovery. Projects that blend scientific, environmental, and creative writing will allow students to explore darkness as an empowering opportunity to shine light.
The Horror of Deep Time Vanishing species, hostile climates, plagues that engulf planets – the looming dread of our current world can be paralyzing. In this course, we will cultivate curiosity as a technique for confronting such phenomena by looking to those who regularly face the limits of human knowledge: scientists and the protagonists of cosmic horror. Paleontology provides the ideal toolkit for grappling with overwhelming timescales, worlds without humans, and bizarre lifeforms. We will combine works by Lovecraft, Thacker, VanderMeer, and others with visits to spaces of science (e.g., fos …Read more
This course was not on a topic I would have ever chosen, but it was interesting nonetheless. We read and thought about worlds before and after humans and how to grapple with these realities. I ran things to say but I need the character count :)