A Hell of a Year – Reflections on 2020
“I do not believe that things will turn out well, but the idea that they might is of decisive importance.” – Max Horkheimer 2020 was a hell of a year. … Continue reading
It is later than you think – the COVID-19 catastrophe is already here
“Don’t be a coward. Have the courage to be afraid. Force yourself to produce the amount of fear that corresponds to the magnitude of the apocalyptic danger.” – Günther Anders. … Continue reading
A Failure of the Imagination – COVID-19 and Catastrophe
“I have published these words in order to prevent them from becoming true. If we do not stubbornly keep in mind the strong probability of the disaster, and if we … Continue reading
COVID-19, COBOL, and Y2K
One of the grim ironies of a disaster is the way in which it reveals just how little has been learned from past disasters. In some cases, these unheeded lessons … Continue reading
What studying disasters has taught me about COVID-19
“Civilization, the orderly world in which we live, is frail. We are skating on thin ice.” – Zygmunt Bauman. For the last several years, when people have asked me … Continue reading
“And here we are” – on HBO’s Chernobyl
Audiences are used to watching cities being destroyed. From earthquakes to tornadoes, from devastating industrial accidents to wars, from giant rampaging monsters to legions of valiant heroes who wind up … Continue reading
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