Orit Halpern

She Fought a Book Ban. She May Never Teach Again.

That is my sister @irishalpern.bsky.social as legal council. Go summer Bosmeir and Brooklyn Public Libraries!

She Fought a Book Ban. She May Never Teach Again. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/29/u...

STAND WITH YOUR SCHOOL: Trump attacks 9 universities. Sign the alumni petition now. Are you an alum from one of the 9 schools the federal government just attacked? Sign this alumni petition now to support your school, defend democracy, and build a grassroots movement for campus freed...

Are you an alum from one of the 9 schools the federal government just attacked? Sign this alumni petition now to support your school, defend democracy, and build a grassroots movement for campus freedom across America. alumni.standforcampusfreedom.org/petitions/tr...

Librarian Fired in Books Dispute to Receive $700,000 Settlement

Amazing work by my sister Iris Halpern @Iris defending the first amendment!
Librarian Fired in Books Dispute to Receive $700,000 Settlement www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

Against Catastrophe The aim of this project is to interrogate the concept of catastrophe – how it is defined, analyzed, and deployed – and anti-catastrophic practices in an attempt to envision alternatives to our present...

NOW LIVE: PLANETARY URBANISMS
againstcatastrophe.net

Reclaiming Futures: Planetary Urbanisms is an exhibition put together to engage the past and futures of urbanism in an age of environmental and political crisis.

Speculative Machines and Us: Histories and Futures of AI We warmly invite colleagues to join us for an in-person one-day symposium on Thursday 17th July 2025. To join, please register using the link below. The event is organised by the Centre for Science…

✨Very excited to share details of our British Academy-funded one-day symposium at Lancaster University in July: SPECULATIVE MACHINES AND US: HISTORIES AND FUTURES OF AI. ✨💥Featuring @ohalpern.bsky.social @mbfazi.bsky.social @aleenachia.bsky.social and more💥 tinyurl.com/bde6x7ub Please share widely!

Preview | Orit Halpern on Agentic Imaginaries (NM88) 2025 This is a preview — for the full episode, subscribe: https://newmodels.io https://patreon.com/newmodels https://newmodels.substack.com Our guest is Orit Halpern: co-author of The Smartness Mandate (M

New podcast with me on AI, history, science, and the imagination
on.soundcloud.com/WlEH1X8r3hhE...

It's out, free and open access:

Thinking _with_ AI: Machine Learning the Humanities.

11 essay on AI and how to think with it – by Peli Grietzer (@peligrietzer.bsky.social), Leif Weatherby (@leifw.bsky.social), Mercedes Bunz (@mrsbunz.bsky.social), Fabian Offert, Lev Manovich…

Planetary Infrastructure Recently, infrastructure has become an important discourse in academic and policy discussions. This chapter situates this sudden emergence and popularity of “infrastructure” as an obj...

My new article on planetary infrastructures out now and freely available:

link.springer.com/referencewor...

Under Trump, AI Scientists Are Told to Remove ‘Ideological Bias’ From Powerful Models A directive from the National Institute of Standards and Technology eliminates mention of “AI safety” and “AI fairness.”

www.wired.com/story/ai-saf...

Trump demands unprecedented control at Columbia, alarming scholars and speech groups The Trump administration has delivered an extraordinary ultimatum to Columbia University, threatening to permanently end federal funding to the school unless it cedes control of an international studi...

“It’s an escalation of a kind that is unheard of,” said Joan Scott, a historian & member of the academic freedom committee of the AAUP. “Even during the McCarthy period in the United States, this was not done.”

apnews.com/article/colu...

The foundations of America’s prosperity are being dismantled Federal scientists warn that Americans could feel the effects of the new administration's devastating cuts for decades to come.

The destruction of scientific research is also destroying the future. It’s not just a matter of funding but also of modes of inquiry, and education, a nation that cannot ask questions cannot create anything or imagine anything new

www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/21/1...

Genuinely having trouble believing this is where we are now.

I am excited to be running for the SD 31 seat. I have been a dedicated civil and economic rights advocate my entire career. I have helped pass significant civil rights legislation at the Capitol. Colorado has a vital role to play as a beacon of hope, progress, and justice in the next four years.

Against Catastrophe A research collective at the intersection of critical design, social sciences, humanities, and art. With the rise of speculative design practices on a planetary scale, we make it our mission to reflec...

Planetary Design: Reclaiming Futures Exhibition is now Live!!!! A three part publication and art exhibition engaging the future of the planet.
againstcatastrophe.net

Part of the Against Catastrophe Research Group, directed by Orit Halpern and funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation

Deeply concerning letter by Ted Cruz claiming foreign I fluency on AI policy in USA and seeking censorship of engagement with European policy makers and against academics or critics of AI

www.commerce.senate.gov/services/fil...

We are looking for new colleagues @geogdurham.bsky.social & any questions just ask. Just think, next year you too could be at the Xmas party bake-off 🙌

TOD #54 In/Convenience: Inhabiting the Logistical Surround Theory on Demand #54In/Convenience: Inhabiting the Logistical SurroundEdited by Joshua Neves and Marc SternbergConvenience is the feeling and aspiration that animates

New book out! Of interest to anyone working on logistics, infrastructure, and politics in media studies. With articles by myself and a range of amazing people! Edited by Marc Steinberg and Joshua Neves!

networkcultures.org/blog/publica...

Opinion | The Secret Behind America’s Moral Panic Trans rights aren’t just trans rights. They’re reproductive rights.

For everyone who thinks the democrats just need to change their stance on transgender rights… this excellent article demonstrates precisely how this is part of a broader republican strategy and what is at stake www.nytimes.com/2024/11/22/o...

How to survive the broligarchy: 20 lessons for the post-truth world | Carole Cadwalladr In the wake of Trump’s unnerving appointees, the investigative journalist and veteran of the libel court offers pointers on coping in an age of surveillance

Some useful if sad advice:

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Please add me !thanks!

Experimental event in Vienna starting tomorrow for those in twin and interested in media, imaginaires, and new practices… so necessary in our present:

ail.angewandte.at/program/medi...

The Verge Editor-In-Chief Nilay Patel breathes fire on Elon Musk and Donald Trump's Big Tech enablers "All of these men are now hopelessly trapped in a problem their own platforms and algorithms created."

"To be as clear as I can be, the second Trump administration with Elon Musk embedded within it represents the most direct and sustained threat to the First Amendment and the freedom of the press any of us will ever experience."

Orit Halpern: "La educación es tan importante porque ahí es donde formamos y enseñamos a la gente a pensar de otra manera" "Cada vez más la inteligencia artificial desafía esa idea, de no poder distinguir entre una máquina y un ser humano", advierte Halpern.Friedrich Hayek encontró similitudes entre la actividad cerebral ...

Sharing my recent interview with Clarín magazine. It was a privelage to get to discuss neo-liberalism, AI, reactionary politics and education with informed journalists at this moment in politics both in Argentina and around the world…
www-clarin-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.clar...

The Philosophical Lens: Eco-augmentation: Shaping the future of social-ecological systems - GESDA The current state of the planet, marked by climate change and biodiversity loss, presents one of humanity’s most urgent challenges, further exacerbated by...

Published in Science Breakthrough Radar a report supported by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Accelerator on Ecoaugmentation authored by myself and colleagues.We examine the possible futures and ethics of Ecoaugmentation

radar.gesda.global/the-philosop...