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The Age of Earthquakes, Maths in Films

With writers Douglas Coupland and Shumon Basar and art historian Hans Ulrich Obrist on what is the 'extreme present'. Plus a discussion about maths and mathematicians in film.

Douglas Coupland, Shumon Basar and Hans Ulrich Obrist explain the Extreme Present to Matthew Sweet. Their co-authored book The Age of Earthquakes builds on Marshall McLuhan's analysis of how technology influenced culture in the 1960s and is described as "a new history of how we are feeling in the world today when the future seems to be happening much faster than we ever thought. When your life stops feeling like a story, you stop feeling like an individual and technology remembers everything you don't have to".

Also, maths and mathematicians in film. Ahead of the release of Morgan Matthews' comedy drama X+Y which focuses on a socially awkward teenage maths prodigy, mathematician Hannah Fry and film critic Kevin Jackson explore the ways in which number-crunching geniuses have been depicted on the big screen.

Image: Shumon Basar, Douglas Coupland, Hans Ulrich Obrist
Photo Credit: Marc Falk.

Available now

45 minutes

Chapters

  • The Age of Earthquakes

    Douglas Coupland, Shumon Basar & Hans Ulrich Obrist explain the Extreme Present

    Duration: 27:26

  • X+Y, Maths in Films

    Hannah Fry & Kevin Jackson explore the depictions of maths geniuses on the big screen

    Duration: 16:36

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Matthew Sweet
Interviewed Guest Douglas Coupland
Interviewed Guest Shumon Basar
Interviewed Guest Hans Ulrich Obrist
Interviewed Guest Hannah Fry
Interviewed Guest Kevin Jackson
Producer Torquil MacLeod

Broadcast

  • Tue 10 Mar 2015 22:00

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

The Arts & Ideas Podcast

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