Lecture
SG - Limits and Borders: Politics of a Finite Planet
Space travel and experiments like Biosphere 2 have inspired ideas of a future for humanity without political conflict. Looking on Earth from space, there are no borders and no nations. Can pictures of the globe perhaps put us on the road towards world peace?
Limits and Borders: Politics of a Finite Planet
This evening, philosopher Boris van Meurs argues that things are not that easy: the photographs of Earth hide more politics than meets the eye. Join this thought-provoking exploration of the boundaries of the planet we call spome, and the ways in which the Earth System sciences have – literally – broadened our horizons.
To what extent is the boundary of the Earth a political boundary? And can we truly overcome politics and conflict, or would that be a dangerous illusion?
About series ‘Biodomes and Spomes. What Do Closed Ecosystems Teach Us About Life on Earth?’
Imagine inhabiting a massive mason jar; substantially closed with respect to matter, but open to energy. What are the preconditions for life to thrive within such a closed ecosystem for an indefinite amount of time? And what role do we play in regulating these systems from both the outside and inside? Fasten your seatbelts, for in this series we travel through biodomes and spomes to unravel what closed ecosystems teach us about life within the largest known space home – planet Earth.
About Boris van Meurs
Boris van Meurs is a teacher and PhD candidate in philosophy at Radboud University Nijmegen. His research focuses on the question how we can mobilize the scientific findings of geology and the Earth System sciences in order to understand the human condition in the age of anthropogenic climate change. He takes a special interest in the concept of geological time. Boris is also one of the Faces of Science of the KNAW and has co-founded the interdisciplinary ARCHAIC research collective.
Registration Instructions
Registration for Live Attendance in Impulse (on-campus):
- Seating is limited due to the live in person maximum admittance for this venue. Priority is given to WUR students.
- To register for a single seat at this activity send an email to info.sg@wur.nl. It is not possible to register for someone else. Subject: Seat registration + Title and date of the event.
- You will receive an email at the latest in the lunch hour on the day of the event confirming your admittance to the live event and giving you further instructions and essential information. Know that your registration is not transferable. Should you develop symptoms or encounter circumstances requiring your cancellation, please send an email to info.sg@wur.nl preferably before 16.00 on the day of the event, so we can give your seat to someone on the waiting list.
Registration for the Livestream: If you wish to follow this event online via the livestream (MS Teams meeting), please register via info.sg@wur.nl. Subject title: Livestream + Title and date of the event. The livestream is directly accessible for WUR-account holders.