Non-human Aspects Research Articles

Exploring Writer’s Block as Embodied Experience Across the Grades

Background or Context: The notion of writer’s block has been primarily conceived and explored as a breakdown in a cognitive writing process (Rose, 1984); yet, for many writers, confronting writer’s block often involves engaging the body through sensations, feelings, movement, and action. However, these considerations have not yet impacted our understanding of writer’s block in the field of literacy education. Given how attention to bodies and theories of embodiment have broadened considerations of literacies, we approach writing and writing processes (including not being able to write) as similarly embodied. Purpose, Objective, Research Question, or Focus of Study: Our purpose is to theorize writer’s block not only as a cognitive phenomenon, but also as an embodied one, and to offer that conceptualization for use in literacy theory, research, and practice. We ultimately argue that viewing writer’s block as an embodied phenomenon opens up possibilities for understanding writer’s block as not only restrictive, but also potentially generative, and can reframe understandings of “struggling” writers. Research Design: Drawing from our research across grades K–12, as well as our own experiences as writers, we present vignettes from elementary, middle school, high school, and adult contexts to illustrate how viewing writer’s block as embodied produces a more nuanced understanding of writers’ experiences. Moreover, because we engaged different research designs and methods for each study, we sought to “think with theory” (Jackson & Mazzei, 2012) across our work, rather than select a traditional qualitative analysis approach that might not have made visible the connections and nuances we sensed. These data and reflections are not intended to serve as complete, standalone case studies, but rather as illustrative examples to clarify our points. Conclusions or Recommendations: A more robust conception of writer’s block as something that is multidimensional (cognitive, social, cultural, affective, embodied, etc.) may allow for a fuller discussion of writing processes, as well as counter deficit assumptions of writers who appear to be “struggling,” including, in particular, Black, Indigenous, and students of color; disabled students; English learners; and other students who tend to be marginalized in official writing classroom contexts. Central to our framework are the following principles: (1) Bodies are an important medium through which writer’s block is recognized and expressed. (2) Writer’s block is socially co-constructed. (3) Writer’s block constitutes an intra-action with the human and nonhuman aspects of writing. (4) Despite appearing “stuck” or off-task, writers’ bodies are constantly charged with energy and possibility. With implications for practice and further research, this framework repositions writer’s block for students, teachers, and researchers from a deficit or remedial issue to an experience of writerly engagement, productivity, and possibility.

Redefining Arctic boundaries in a changing climate: interdisciplinary perspectives on governance strategies

ABSTRACT The Arctic rapidly transforms due to global warming and increased human activities, triggering complex changes at unprecedented speeds that challenge conventional institutional responses. We analyse these changes through the lenses of social, political, and environmental boundaries and investigate their impacts on both inhabitants' livelihoods and the region's political framework. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, we highlight the complexities of understanding the interplay among global, regional, and local dynamics in an era where human and non-human aspects are entwined. Our analysis concentrates on three areas: definition of the Arctic; legal disputes concerning the waters around the Svalbard Archipelago; evolving natural hazards and societal risk perceptions in Longyearbyen. Through these examples, we underscore the intricate nature of social, political, and ecological changes and how they challenge current boundary-making processes. By combining knowledge from different systems and scales, our research reveals the interplay between policy-driven science, science-influenced policy, and performative behaviors in reshaping today's Arctic borders and boundaries. We particularly emphasize how climate change is challenging borders and advocate for a departure from static definitions, towards the formulation of environmentally conscious, socially just, and politically viable policies, acknowledging the new biophysical realities of the Anthropocene.

Creating Sustainable Posthuman Accounting Learning Environments: The Case for Green Accounting in South Africa

The study aims to explore the infusion of Environmental Accounting, or Green Accounting or Sustainability Accounting, into Posthuman Accounting Learning Environments (PALE) that promote deep learning. Posthuman Accounting Learning Environments (PALE) refer to the teaching and learning of Accounting that recognises the contributions of both the human and non-human aspects in the processes of acquiring and disseminating Accounting knowledge; seemingly, such knowledge leads to the derivation of the final products such as the financial statements. The latter, in turn, constitute the final product of the Accounting processes, affecting Accounting information used by shareholders, managers, prospective investors, lending institutions, government, employees, regulatory agencies, and researchers, who attempt to make relevant decisions that impact the circular flow of resources in a country. To date, Environmental Accounting is neglected in all these. Thus, PALE’s significant impact on the social, economic, and environmental conditions is not appreciated or taught in our institutions. This paper demonstrates an urgent need to explore ecological knowledge and its contribution to the teaching and learning of Accounting, leading to the conclusion that the sustainability infused Accounting curriculum embodies the totality of all the teaching and learning experiences aimed at understanding, for example, the issues of cybersecurity, diversified Accounting skills, advanced marketing strategies and the knowledge to align Accounting with globalisation processes, which are the subject matter of the PALE, including the sustainability content, principles, pedagogic approaches, implicit and explicit norms, and values inherent in the sustainability learning and teaching process.

Implications of the evacuation of hospitalized patients in a nuclear emergency.

In the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station following the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, more than 50 hospital patients died during or soon after evacuation, primarily owing to the interruption of necessary medical care. To prevent the occurrence of such losses in the future, the focus of evacuation decisions should be on the health status of individual patients and not on currently evaluated non-human aspects such as the geophysical conditions and the status of the accident facility. This brief research report provides a conceptual basis considering the principle of justification for making more appropriate decisions on the evacuation of hospitalized patients by balancing radiological risks and evacuation-induced health risks. This research report is expected to foster discussions among stakeholders on how to protect vulnerable people more appropriately in nuclear emergencies.

Teaching through TikTok: a duoethnographic exploration of pedagogical approaches using TikTok in higher dance education in China and Norway during a global pandemic

ABSTRACT Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching, and learning encounters in higher education have changed. Online teaching has become routine and a variety of virtual learning platforms are being explored. Within this article we, two higher dance education teachers and researchers, reflect on using TikTok in our work. Taking a duoethnographic approach, we explore engagement with TikTok in our contexts of teaching in higher education institutions in China and Norway. From our duoethnographic dialogue we discuss how TikTok offers an example of a posthuman educational encounter. From there, the idea of how a platform such as TikTok might be able to create a space and place for teaching and learning within a higher education setting is unpacked. Then a reflection on disciplinary specific contribution is given, asking: what can dance offer to the conversation about using a social media platform such as TikTok within higher education? Through reflecting on our pedagogical experiences and cultures, this article reveals that while queries surround the use of social media platforms such as TikTok in higher education, there are benefits in experimentation with such platforms. Specifically, there is value considering the interaction between the human and non-human aspects of teaching and learning in higher education settings.

Live Online Education Efficiency Mediators From the Actor Network Theory Perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this research was to explore the conceptual network of live online education efficiency from the Actor Network Theory perspective to reveal different aspects influencing the quality of online training less accounted for in previous research.MethodologyActor Network Theory was used to analyse the qualitative feedback from 100 live online education sessions. Responses from 90 educators and 556 participants were coded into enablers and inhibitors of education quality and further clustered into different actors that might mediate learning success.FindingsThe key finding of this research is a visual representation of the complex network of actors potentially affecting live online education quality, revealing the interplay of non-human aspects (e.g., hardware, software, session design, and descriptions), as well as human elements (participants and their expectations, educators and their emotional reactions attributed to different actors of the network, organisers, and external mentors/experts).LimitationsThe piloting qualitative research was conducted within the framework of one educational event, where participants opted in voluntarily to attend and participate in the study. It is a specific educational context different from workplace training and other non-formal education.Practical ImplicationsLearning and development practitioners can find 10 recommendations designed to support the instructional design and delivery of their (online) sessions based on the collective experiences of the study participants and authors.Originality/valueIt is the first research in the field of live online education, acknowledging and mapping the role of multiple actors posited to play an influential role in the overall quality. It also calls for a transition from “content-focused and controlling” to “contextually-aware and responsive” educator in future research.

Preserving client autonomy when guiding medicine taking in telehomecare: A conversation analytic case study.

Background: Enhancing client autonomy requires close coordination of interactional practices between nurse and client, which can cause challenges when interaction takes place in video-mediated settings. While video-mediated services have become more common, it remains unclear how they shape client autonomy in telehomecare. Research aim: To analyse how video mediation shapes client autonomy when nurses guide medicine taking remotely through video-mediated home care. Research design: This is a conversation analytic case study using video recordings of telehomecare encounters. The theoretical approach draws on ethnomethodology and empirical ethics. Participants and research context: Four home-dwelling older adults and three nurses participated in the data collection; data extracts include one client and two nurses. The study was conducted in Finland. Ethical considerations: Special attention was given to protect the rights of home care clients. An ethical statement for the study was given by the Ethics Committee of the Tampere Region Findings: Video mediation complicates interacting remotely with care-relevant artefacts because of nurses’ limited visual access to the medicine and client’s need to simultaneously engage in vocal interaction and medicine taking. This can be overcome by dividing the guidance into manageable steps which invite the client to explicate their readiness to take the medicine and situating the video-mediation equipment and medicine close together. Different interactional practices and ways of situating video-mediation equipment and medicine have consequences for client autonomy. Discussion: Understanding client autonomy in digitalised settings demands empirical examination that recognises the importance of different human and non-human aspects of care that shape client autonomy. Conclusions: To harness the benefits of video-mediated home care, communication technologies’ reliance on home space and interactional practices should be recognised. Empirical ethics research is needed in order to make normative suggestions that fit a wide variety of care situation.

Experiencing the Sea: Marine Planners’ Tentative Engagement with Their Planning Milieu

ABSTRACT It is more difficult for marine planners to gain understanding of their plan areas than terrestrial planners, because of the relative remoteness of the sea. However, direct experience of the marine planning milieu, including the sea’s bio-physical dimensions, may lead to better planning outcomes. A series of interviews with UK marine planning professionals reveals that experience of their planning milieu can be characterised as tentative, though also suggests ways forward in this respect. An ‘experiential’ approach to marine planning is proposed, by which planners seek, through multiple methods of learning, to be cognitively immersed in their planning milieu, including its non-human aspects.

Glacier, Plaza, and Garden: Ecological Collaboration and Didacticism in Three Canadian Landscapes

The emphasis in landscape studies on human agency and needs can obscure the complex relationships between non-human living things and their animate and inanimate contexts. Diverse authors have pointed out that this anthropocentric outlook is problematic, destructive, and neo-colonial. How might it be possible to approach a landscape, i.e., land itself, and all that lives on it, in a way that foregrounds the realities and risks of that site, without falling back on familiar humanistic and anthropocentric tropes? In this essay, I explore three recent artworks that each engage with a different landscape: Requiem for a Glacier by artist and composer Paul Walde (2013); the Urban Prairie designed by landscape architects Claude Cormier + Associés (2012); and The Boreal Poetry Garden by visual artist Marlene Creates (born 2005-). By analyzing these artists’ and designers’ creative strategies in relation to these landscapes, I delve into the question of ecological collaboration in each project, and explore the ways in which the non-human aspects of the landscape do, or do not, take centre stage. In so doing, this essay has a second aim: to explore the extent to which, in performing a didactic relationship with their sites, these three projects contribute to an activist and pedagogical ethos around climate change, habitat, and ecology.

NON-HUMAN HUMANITARIANISM: WHEN AI FOR GOOD TURNS OUT TO BE BAD

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications such as predictive analytics, forecasting and chatbots are increasingly proposed as solutions to the complex challenges of humanitarian emergencies. This is part of the broad trend of ‘AI for social good’ as well as the wider developments in ‘digital humanitarianism’. The paper develops an interdisciplinary framework that brings together colonial and decolonial theory, the critical inquiry of humanitarianism and development, critical algorithm studies as well as a sociotechnical understanding of AI. Drawing on a review of current humanitarian AI applications as well as interviews with stakeholders, our analysis suggests that several initiatives fail their own objectives. However, this should not mean that these innovations do not have powerful consequences. Automation reproduces human biases whilst removing human judgement from situations, potentially further marginalizing disadvantaged populations. We observe a transformation of humanitarian work as technology separates officers from the consequences of their actions. At the same time, AI initiatives are cloaked in a discourse of inherent progress and an aura of ‘magic’. Rather than democratizing the relationships between humanitarian providers and suffering subjects, digital technology reaffirms the power asymmetries associated with traditional humanitarianism. The non-human aspects of AI humanitarianism reveal, rework and amplify existing deficiencies of humanitarianism. The hype generated by humanitarian innovation appears to have more direct benefits for commercial stakeholders, rather than affected populations. Ultimately, by turning complex political problems like displacement and hunger into problems with technical solutions, AI depoliticizes humanitarian emergencies.

Recensions (décembre 2019)

Filippo Muratori & Valeria Bizzari, Alle origini dell’autismo : Il ruolo dimenticato di George Frankl, Roma, Fioriti Editore, 2019, 95 pages. ISBN : 978-8898991907. Prix : 14 €. What is a mental disorder? That should probably be the starting point of each paper or review that deals with psychopathology. Since time immemorial, human being has tried to unveil and clarify the core nature of these severe diseases. For instance, Ajax Telamonio, one of the heroes of the Homer’s Iliad, did not obtain Achilles’ weapons, in favor of Odysseus. Blinded by grief, Ajax decided to kill those responsible for the decision, but he suffered an incantation by the goddess Athena and, after falling asleep, he massacred a flock of sheep. When he woke up, he realized what he had done and, for the shame, he killed himself. Interestingly, such “pantoclastic crisis” — we would say nowadays — was caused by a supernatural entity. A similar example may be the myth of Bellerophon, whose melancholic state was determined by his hybris towards Olympic gods. In other terms, the first, mythological depictions of mental disorders intertwined human nature with godly entities. No mental health without supernatural support. Of course, the history of mental illness is not the aim of this review. Nevertheless, the abovementioned examples may illustrate a tendency which is today again in vogue. The tendency to attribute non-human aspects to mental diseases. Indeed, the ultra-reductionist theory is the most widesp

Service Quality Gap Analysis: Evidence from External Customers of University of Cape Coast

The purpose of the study was to assess the outcome criteria of total quality management implementation in a University. It also aimed at timely identification of gaps in service quality to inform management of innovative ways of closing the gaps with the given scarce resources. The paper opted for explanatory research to addresses the outcome expected from the TQM implementation in the University institution. In all, 361 questionnaires out of the 434 administered were completed and usable. The 5 service quality dimensions with total of 26 items were measured on a Likert-scale of 1 to 5, while descriptive statistics were employed in the data analysis procedures. The results showed the existence of service quality gaps in all the quality dimensions. In general, students ’ expectations were more on human and non-human aspects of service delivery prior to admission, while the employer’s expectations were more on service products and social responsibility. Generally, the magnitudes of effect on the service quality dimensions were found to be above medium. The research was limited to three selected external customers in one University Institution; therefore, the results may need further research for generalization. Institutional management should pay attention to existing service gaps, listen to the voices of institutional customers and factor their feedback into the decision-making processes. This paper identifies the strengths and weaknesses pertaining to the institution’s service delivery and suggests how institutional resources could be better allocated to address the gaps.

Human and Non-Human Aspects in the Effectiveness of the Implementation of the Shopping Standard Analysis (ASB) on the Village Fund Project in Coastal Areas of North Minahasa Regency

Research on the effectiveness of the application of ASB, especially in relation to village funds, is still rarely done. Many factors influence the effectiveness of the ASB preparation, but can be classified into two factors, namely the human and non-human aspects. Both of these aspects contribute to the effectiveness of the application of ASB. This study used exploratory factor analysis. The results of the analysis show that: (1) The dimensions or factors that shape human aspects in the effectiveness of the application of ASB are commitment factors, competency, adaptation, collaboration, technical capability, sub-district supervision function, organizational skills, village head development and planning ability. (2) Dimensions or factors that shape nonhuman aspects in the effectiveness of the application of ASB are Regulatory factors, Village Support, Administration, Wages / salaries and Village Institutions. (3) The dimensions or factors that shape the effectiveness of the application of ASB are factors: Standard cost of inputs, control tools, Abc (activity-based costing), according to village priorities, general validity, approval or determination and easy to update the data

Chapter 4 - Anatomy of the olfactory mucosa

The classic notion that humans are microsmatic animals was born from comparative anatomy studies showing the reduction in the size of both the olfactory bulbs and the limbic brain relative to the whole brain. However, the human olfactory system contains a number of neurons comparable to that of most other mammals, and humans have exquisite olfactory abilities. Major advances in molecular and genetic research have resulted in the identification of extremely large gene families that express receptors for sensing odors. Such advances have led to a renaissance of studies focused on both human and nonhuman aspects of olfactory physiology and function. Evidence that olfactory dysfunction is among the earliest signs of a number of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders has led to considerable interest in the use of olfactory epithelial biopsies for potentially identifying such disorders. Moreover, the unique features of the olfactory ensheathing cells have made the olfactory mucosa a promising and unexpected source of cells for treating spinal cord injuries and other neural injuries in which cell guidance is critical. The olfactory system of humans and other primates differs in many ways from that of other species. In this chapter we provide an overview of the anatomy of not only the human olfactory mucosa but of mucosae from a range of mammals from which more detailed information is available. Basic information regarding the general organization of the olfactory mucosa, including its receptor cells and the large number of other cell types critical for their maintenance and function, is provided. Cross-species comparisons are made when appropriate. The polemic issue of the human vomeronasal organ in both the adult and fetus is discussed, along with recent findings regarding olfactory subsystems within the nose of a number of mammals (e.g., the septal organ and Grüneberg ganglion).

Vibrancy, repetition and movement: posthuman theories for reconceptualising young children in museums

ABSTRACTThis paper argues for an expanded field of inquiry to conceptualise young children in museums. Drawing on Murris’ [2016. The Post-Human Child: Educational Transformation Through Philosophy with Picturebooks. London: Routledge] analysis of childhood constructions, we discuss how cognitive and socio-constructivist models of the child dominate childhood and museum studies. We argue for the potential of Murris’ figure of the posthuman child to reconceptualise children in museums. This perspective offers a greater focus on the potency of objects themselves, and the animacy of the non-human aspects of the museum. It is also underpinned by a theoretical shift from representation to non-representation [Anderson, B., and P. Harrison. (2010) “The Promise of Non-representational Theories.” In Taking-place: Non-representational Theories and Geography. Farnham: Ashgate], presenting us with new ways to address questions such as ‘what does that mean?’ when we observe children’s learning in museums. Working with data that has proved resistant to interpretation across a range of research projects, what we call ‘sticky data’, we elaborate on three themes emerging from this reconceptualisation: vibrancy, repetition and movement.

Playing the game and speaking the right language: Language policy and materiality in a bilingual preschool activity

AbstractWhat are the material-semiotic relationships between a language policy and a table game activity in a bilingual preschool? Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the aim of this article is to explore this question, working with both human and nonhuman aspects of the activity, symmetrically, at the same level. The game playing activity takes place at a bilingual, Spanish-Swedish preschool in Sweden, which adopts a 50-50 approach in daily interaction. In interplay with video recordings, field notes and Actor-Network Theory, four different actor-network scenes of the activity are produced. Children, teacher, game pieces, die, cards, linguistic and other elements are described in the same language, as well as symmetrically drawn together in material-semiotic relations. The results indicate that the activity revolves mainly around two different, multilayered, and sometimes conflicting interests: to play the game and to speak the right language. The article describes the interrelatedness between these interests and how bilingualism emerges, transforms and becomes temporarily different in the relations of the actor-network. The approach opens up new avenues for understanding different constructions of bilingualism not in terms of a flexible-separate dichotomy but as entangled with one another in material-semiotic relations, which may illuminate creative potentials in the relations of policy and practice rather than implementation.

Beastly Spirits: A Pack of Folks

Nikolay Oleynikov and Oxana Timofeeva are members of the Saint Petersburg–based collective Chto Delat, a group of nondogmatic Marxist artists, philosophers, and activists. Members of the group are in continuous interdisciplinary dialog. This artwork is an example of the circulation of ideas, images, and practices that flow from the members of the collective, influencing the singular studies of each artist, and back from the singular exercises of each artist, enriching the practices of the collective. Combining the images of Oleynikov and a text by Timofeeva, the artwork analyzes a collective dimension of spirituality that through artistic political practices uncovers a series of transformations of animal bodies, addressing the nonhuman aspects of the phenomenon of comradeship. In this uncovering, questions of solidarity, pain, and utopian community are raised and actualized in the encounter between text and image.

Growing-making mathematics: a dynamic perspective on people, materials, and movement in classrooms

Recent theoretical advances on learning (mathematics) emphasize the fact that what results from engagement with curriculum materials is not entirely in the control of the students in the way classical theories of knowing and learning suggest. These new theories distinguish themselves by either invoking distributed agency, some of which is attributed to non-human aspects of the environment, or by emphasizing the essential (radical) passivity that characterizes coming to know. In this study, an alternative is offered: making as a modality of growing. This move allows us to capture theoretically that both growers-makers and their materials grow (old) together. The proposed approach troubles existing ones because it shifts our perspective from a transitive relation between students and the curricular objects to an intransitive one, where the becoming of each is described in terms of Deleuzian lines of flight. A case study involving two girls and tangram pieces is described in terms of growing together and becoming-hexagon. Implications are discussed for how researchers can capture the non-agential, non-causal dimensions of coming to know.

Abstracts ALA 2016—San Francisco Nonhuman Melville

Abstracts ALA 2016—San Francisco Nonhuman Melville Paul Hurh, Chair Much of Melville’s writing is deeply concerned with the nonhuman and both its relation and lack of relation to the human. Considering the breadth of recent critical theories loosely grouped together through their concern for the “nonhuman”—animal studies, ecocriticism, new materialism, speculative realism, theories of impersonality, object-oriented-ontology, zoosemiotics—the current moment offers an opportunity to reassess the nonhuman elements in Melville in ways that, in Geoffrey Sanborn’s phrase, “move beyond the standard bottom lines of violence and meaninglessness” (“Melville and the Nonhuman World,” The New Cambridge Companion to Herman Melville [Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2013]: 13). Through such attention to the meaning and texture of Melville’s nonhuman, the papers on this panel raise new questions within long-standing Melvillean critical concerns about race, nature, and law. What if we took that racially-ramified and meaning-inscribed surface—skin—and considered how Melville attends to its capacities as a feeling, sensing organ (Davoudi)? What can Melville’s argument against the possibility of whale extinction tell us about the embedded assumptions undergirding later preservationist movements (McNeely)? And how might Melville’s portrayal of the nonhuman aspects of legal thinking illustrate how jurisprudence itself could become an aspect of nonhuman nature (Crow)? In the different contexts of race, ecology, and the law, these papers each begin to unpack the rich relation between human and nonhuman in Melville, and, in so doing, demonstrate how Melville’s interest in those entangled relations contributes both new avenues for traditional Melville studies and new perspectives for thinking about the nonhuman in the current critical moment. [End Page 172] Skin as Sensorium in Melville’s Typee Dalia Davoudi Indiana University This talk, influenced by calls from figures such as Karen Barad to move beyond the linguistic turn, works to unravel the fraught tautologies of skin and sign in Melville’s Typee. In addition to its narrator’s suspicion that he may be cannibalized by Polynesian natives, Typee depicts a white man’s anxiety about being forcibly tattooed: a fear that Samuel Otter identifies as a fear of violence, but also of penetration and “engraving.” The familiar racial semiotics inherent in Otter’s reading understand skin as bodily surface and medium, a point of entry for the body to be inscribed. Rather than “reading” skin in Melville as a site of meaning and signification, attending to sensory experiences with skin opens up a new critique of the human and the imagined cohesion of its bodily parts. Paying particular attention to cortextual scenes of smelling, touching, pain, and visual-aesthetic pleasure, this reading locates a particular Melvillian politics that sees the skin as a site of mutual, dynamic immersion (rather than a surface for unilateral penetration), asking for a more complex treatment of race and ideology. Re-thinking the binding of body and sign can contribute to conversations about race and the nonhuman and also to the long critical effort to think through an ambiguity of signification omnipresent in Melville’s oeuvre. On the Ethics of Nonhuman Extinction: Moby-Dick in the Anthropocene Michelle C. Neely Connecticut College One of the tragic hallmarks of our current environmental predicament is the spectacle of mass extinction; the World Wildlife Fund has estimated that Earth lost 50% of its wildlife in the past 40 years, and scientists the world over argue that this is just the beginning of a major extinction event of our own making. The ethical status of nonhuman animals amidst “the Sixth Great Extinction” is more pressing than ever. Moby-Dick considers the possibility of whale extinction in the context of mid-nineteenth-century economic and national expansion, but handily rejects the possibility. Melville can help us theorize our current crisis in two key respects. First, Melville’s work points to an ethically complex tension between individual nonhuman animals and species of nonhuman animals amidst extinction events, complexities that Melville’s consideration of whale agency brings to the fore. More generally, [End Page 173] Melville’s work is a parable of the anthropocene, a site to explore the grounds on which Moby-Dick—and nineteenth-century intellectuals more generally— rejected the possibility of animal extinction...

Without Latency: Cathode Immersions and the Neglected Practice of Xenocasting for Television and Radio

This paper discusses a three-year radio project Cathode Immersions , which was aired on 2SER in Sydney Australia. The audio that accompanied free-to-air television was remixed and rebroadcast in real time without latency. It explores the human and non-human aspects of the convergence of these two media, introducing ideas of xenocasting and media adjacency. The weekly xenocast of Cathode Immersions afforded unique translations of cultural narratives, from commentary on the Gulf War to machinic perspectives on the desires that surround commercial broadcasting.