Designing the Future: A 2020 Vision
New book from the cofounder of WIRED magazine offers 25 visions for designing our collective future
By Stephanie Salomon and Steve Kroeter January 14, 2020
Our New Year’s wish for all of you is for a happy, healthy, and truly visionary 2020 — a year filled with fresh thinking about the future.
To ring it all in, we’re excited to share publication news about a brand new book, Neo.Life: 25 Visions for the Future of Our Species.
Co-edited by Jane Metcalfe, the co-founder of Wired magazine, which wrote the first draft of the history of the digital revolution, and Brian Bergstein, and beautifully designed by AIGA medalist Jennifer Morla, Neo.Life imagines our biological future — our health, our food, our sex lives, and more — as impacted by technological innovation.
Featuring 25 contributions from some of the biggest thinkers and most creative minds working today at the intersection of biology and technology, Neo.Life includes essays, interviews, fiction, and visual art that explore what the authors call the “neobiological frontier.” Think of it as a guide to your future self, viewed with 2020 vision.
In these pages, you will:
- Explore filmmaker and artist Lynn Hershman Leeson’s ideas about identity in her antibody-as-art project that will change how you think about life science technologies.
- Encounter the mesmerizing science fiction of Hannu Rajaniemi.
- Get to know neuroscientist Steve Ramirez, whose work suggests that humans might someday be able to reactivate lost memories, dampen negative ones, or even plant new ones—which could pave the way for targeted treatments for anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or even Alzheimer’s disease.
- Hear from Oshiorenoya (Osh) Agabi, the Swiss Nigerian roboticist/neuroscientist who’s built a brain on a chip, literally blending silicon and neurons. He envisions using his technology to allow us to connect our consciousnesses together in a sort of giant empathy web.
- Ponder the inevitable ethical implications of this new frontier with CRISPR scientist and film producer Samira Kiani, who outlines the safety checks she’s developing to control gene edits. Biosecurity policy expert Megan Palmer shares how her experiences led to social responsibility programs for synthetic biologists.
... and much more.
The full list of contributors includes: George Church, Ramez Naam, Nicola Patron, Seth Bannon, Steve Ramirez, Samira Kiani, Bowen Zhao, Changle Zhou, Kristen Fortney, Juan Enriquez, Oshiorenoya Agabi, David Eagleman, Zack Denfeld, Cathrine Kramer, Emma Conley, Robert Plomin, Siranush Babakhanova, Megan Palmer, Zoe Cormier, Lux Alptraum, Joel Garreau, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Danny Hillis, Christina Agapakis, Sissel Tolaas, Daisy Ginsberg, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, Becky Lyon, and Hannu Rajaniemi.
Join the authors on their just-launched Kickstarter and reserve your copy of the book!
On January 14, 2020, until 3:00 PM EST, you can take advantage of an Early Bird Discount. The Kickstarter campaign ends on February 14, 2020.
Update, February 18, 2020: Following a successful Kickstarter, Neo.Life: 25 Visions for the Future of Our Species is now avaialable on neo.life/visions.
Announcements
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy by John Lobell
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy
By John Lobell
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: June 2020
Noted Louis I.Kahn expert John Lobell explores how Kahn’s focus on structure, respect for materials, clarity of program, and reverence for details come together to manifest an overall philosophy.
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn by Harriet Pattison
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn
By Harriet Pattison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Forthcoming: October 2020
An intimate glimpse into the professional and romantic relationship between Harriet Pattison and the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Harriet Pattison, FASLA, is a distinguished landscape architect. She was Louis Kahn’s romantic partner from 1959 to 1974, and his collaborator on the landscapes of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the F.D.R. Memorial/Four Freedoms Park, New York. She is the mother of their son, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn.
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
By Per Olaf Fjeld and Emily Randall Fjeld
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: October 4, 2019
A new and personal reading of the architecture, teachings, and legacy of Louis I. Kahn from Per Olaf Fjeld’s perspective as a former student. The book explores Kahn’s life and work, offering a unique take on one of the twentieth century’s most important architects. Kahn’s Nordic and European ties are emphasized in this study that also covers his early childhood in Estonia, his travels, and his relationships with other architects, including the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo.
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Ballpark: Baseball in the American City by Paul Goldberger
Ballpark: Baseball in the American City
By Paul Goldberger
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Published: May 2019
An illustrated, entirely new look at the history of baseball: told through the stories of the vibrant and ever-changing ballparks where the game was and is staged, by the Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic.
Charleston Fancy by Witold Rybczynski
Charleston Fancy: Little Houses and Big Dreams in the Holy City
By Witold Rybczynski
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: May 2019
Charleston, South Carolina, which boasts America’s first historic district, is known for its palmetto-lined streets and picturesque houses. The Holy City, named for its profusion of churches, exudes an irresistible charm. Award-winning author and cultural critic Witold Rybczynski unfolds a series of stories about a group of youthful architects, builders, and developers based in Charleston: a self-taught home builder, an Air Force pilot, a fledgling architect, and a bluegrass mandolin player.
Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller
Teaching Graphic Design History
By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019
An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.
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