If you are allowed to walk through the corridors of the PEG building these days you find shut doors, no lights, no people around. The kitchen on the 3rd floor is empty. What a comfortable study environment this would be; but without students? The pandemic makes us realize many things, good ones but also fatal ones. Some proclaim the next big economic crisis, some fear a rising authoritarianism, others focus on the more hopeful stories on decreasing environmental pollution or the “long due” digitalisation of work. In the academic world, “flash calls” became a quick response, as well as the many openings of access to scientific papers and even books. What else happens during such a state of exception?
Our own response to it is not new, but still new enough for the kitchen STS. We will hold this terms’ sessions online! As most of our seminars are virtual already, we thought that this would be the most appropriate way of dealing with the current situation. Also, we think that our discussion group could benefit from trying out the possibility for remote participation – maybe even from our own kitchens at home. Taking a look at this years’ 4S/EASST conference in Prague, we believe that a virtual kitchen STS can help to practice and organise virtual panels, as well.
For the start, we will organise a Zoom-meeting on 29. April 2020 at 18:00h (6pm, CEST). If you want to join, please register on our list or write us an e-mail.