Blind at Widget College
‘I Sing the Body Electric’: Bob Dylan, the Nobel Prize and Academic Silos
BY AARON BARLOW What is a writer? What is a Digital Humanist? These sound like disparate questions, but they both are based on the academy of division that has grown up over the past century and more, particularly in American universities. Specializations are created and claims are staked. You’re either on the bus, as Ken…
Meaning the Software: A Review of David Golumbia’s The Politics of Bitcoin
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson Advocates Destruction of Colleges
BY JOHN K. WILSON Inside Higher Ed reports on a recent interview by Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson in which Johnson declares, “we need destructive technology for our higher education system.” This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted to do with his “Trump University.” As I note in my new book, Trump Unveiled: Exposing the Bigoted…
Oh, the Humanities!
BY AARON BARLOW When I first heard the term “Digital Humanities” a decade ago, it seemed like something brewed up for use by those who want to poison the humanities—still does. It appeared to be nothing more than something developed by those with a little knowledge of C. P. Snow’s The Two Cultures and the…
Tech Leaders’ Open Letter on Trump Candidacy
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH We are inventors, entrepreneurs, engineers, investors, researchers, and business leaders working in the technology sector. We are proud that American innovation is the envy of the world, a source of widely-shared prosperity, and a hallmark of our global leadership. We believe in an inclusive country that fosters opportunity, creativity and a…
The Earth as Art
Waste, Job Creation, and Higher Ed
The following paragraphs are from an article written by Sharon Dell for University World News Global Edition, “South Africa: Universities of Technology Eye Rich Prospects in Waste”: “South African universities of technology are positioning themselves as critical partners in what is considered a fairly new but highly relevant area of research, innovation and job…
Against monoculture.
BY JONATHAN REES Last week, the learning management system (LMS) at the University of California – Davis went down right before finals week. It didn’t take too long for the vendor to restore it, but this kind of message from the administration there, quoted by Phil Hill at the blog e-Literate, probably didn’t inspire very…









