'COVID Conspiracies, Science, and Colonial Imaginaries' Seminar Are We Really in a Post-Truth Era? COVID Conspiracies, Science, and Colonial Imaginaries The term post-truth has become ubiquitous ever since the Oxford Dictionary christened it the word of the year in 2016. An article in the journal Nature even provides “a guide for the perplexed,” arguing that the term post-truth “must sound alien to scientists,” because “Science’s quest for knowledge about reality presupposes the importance of truth.” Not surprisingly, when COVID-19 initiated a pandemic of misinformation and conspiracies that critically impacted vaccination, masking, and other aspects of healthcare, there were calls to fight the “anti-science movement.” But are we really living in a post-truth era wherein there is a “political subordination of reality”? In this presentation, Amit explores the topic of COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracies in the United States. Contrary to common assumptions, he reveals that misinformation and conspiracies often exploit the credibility of science, scientists, and scientific journals to gain traction. Taking a broader perspective, he argues that when it comes to misinformation and conspiracies, it is not simply a matter of aligning representations with reality. Rather, it is crucial to examine how reality is constructed through the displacement and condensation of multiple "realities." These encompass a significant aspect that is often overlooked—the underlying legacies of colonialism that continue to shape our present-day circumstances. Speaker Bio Amit Prasad is an Associate Professor in the School of History and Sociology at Georgia Tech (USA). His research focuses on transnational, global, and postcolonial aspects of science, technology, and medicine. He is editor of the journal Science, Technology & Society (Sage) and the author of Imperial Technoscience (MIT Press) and Science Studies Meets Colonialism (Polity). Register here The seminar room is characterising as offering 'level 1' hybridity, meaning that it is possible to dial in to listen to the seminar but there is no camera in the room. Please email Martyn Pickersgill for a Teams link. This event is supported by the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society and co-sponsored by the Mason Isntitute, the SKAPE Centre, and the STIS Subject Group. It is being convened as part of the AHRC project, 'Targeting Therapies: Exploring the Cultural and Normative Dimensions of 'Targeted' Approaches to Biomedicine and Public Health'. Jun 23 2023 10.30 - 12.00 'COVID Conspiracies, Science, and Colonial Imaginaries' Seminar Special seminar with Amit Prasad (Georgia Tech) on 'Are We Really in a Post-Truth Era? COVID Conspiracies, Science and Colonial Imaginaries' Chrystal Macmillan Building The University of Edinburgh 15a George Square - G.01 (Seminar Room 1) Edinburgh EH8 9LD United Kingdom
'COVID Conspiracies, Science, and Colonial Imaginaries' Seminar Are We Really in a Post-Truth Era? COVID Conspiracies, Science, and Colonial Imaginaries The term post-truth has become ubiquitous ever since the Oxford Dictionary christened it the word of the year in 2016. An article in the journal Nature even provides “a guide for the perplexed,” arguing that the term post-truth “must sound alien to scientists,” because “Science’s quest for knowledge about reality presupposes the importance of truth.” Not surprisingly, when COVID-19 initiated a pandemic of misinformation and conspiracies that critically impacted vaccination, masking, and other aspects of healthcare, there were calls to fight the “anti-science movement.” But are we really living in a post-truth era wherein there is a “political subordination of reality”? In this presentation, Amit explores the topic of COVID-19 misinformation and conspiracies in the United States. Contrary to common assumptions, he reveals that misinformation and conspiracies often exploit the credibility of science, scientists, and scientific journals to gain traction. Taking a broader perspective, he argues that when it comes to misinformation and conspiracies, it is not simply a matter of aligning representations with reality. Rather, it is crucial to examine how reality is constructed through the displacement and condensation of multiple "realities." These encompass a significant aspect that is often overlooked—the underlying legacies of colonialism that continue to shape our present-day circumstances. Speaker Bio Amit Prasad is an Associate Professor in the School of History and Sociology at Georgia Tech (USA). His research focuses on transnational, global, and postcolonial aspects of science, technology, and medicine. He is editor of the journal Science, Technology & Society (Sage) and the author of Imperial Technoscience (MIT Press) and Science Studies Meets Colonialism (Polity). Register here The seminar room is characterising as offering 'level 1' hybridity, meaning that it is possible to dial in to listen to the seminar but there is no camera in the room. Please email Martyn Pickersgill for a Teams link. This event is supported by the Centre for Biomedicine, Self and Society and co-sponsored by the Mason Isntitute, the SKAPE Centre, and the STIS Subject Group. It is being convened as part of the AHRC project, 'Targeting Therapies: Exploring the Cultural and Normative Dimensions of 'Targeted' Approaches to Biomedicine and Public Health'. Jun 23 2023 10.30 - 12.00 'COVID Conspiracies, Science, and Colonial Imaginaries' Seminar Special seminar with Amit Prasad (Georgia Tech) on 'Are We Really in a Post-Truth Era? COVID Conspiracies, Science and Colonial Imaginaries' Chrystal Macmillan Building The University of Edinburgh 15a George Square - G.01 (Seminar Room 1) Edinburgh EH8 9LD United Kingdom
Jun 23 2023 10.30 - 12.00 'COVID Conspiracies, Science, and Colonial Imaginaries' Seminar Special seminar with Amit Prasad (Georgia Tech) on 'Are We Really in a Post-Truth Era? COVID Conspiracies, Science and Colonial Imaginaries'
