Fragments

The chemist and his problem child

Albert Hofmann, circa 1983


In the process of collecting some material for an audio collage, I stumbled into this interview with Albert Hofmann, circa 1983. I love the bemused look on his face as he tells the story, yet again. "The famous bicycle ride," as he says. Thoroughly charming.

Tu nube seca mi río


In arid and climate-stressed Spain, one of the groups calling for a moratorium on new datacenters calls itself Tu Nube Seca Mi Río – Spanish for “your cloud is drying my river”. The name is fitting, and not just for Spain.
An unspeakably dismal choice is being made before our eyes and without our consent: machines over humans, inanimate over animate, profits over all else. With stunning speed, the big tech megalomaniacs have quietly rolled back their net-zero pledges and lined up by Trump’s side, hellbent on sacrificing this world’s real and precious resources and creativity at the altar of a vampiric, virtual realm. This is the last great heist, and they are getting ready to ride out the storms they themselves are summoning – and they will try to defame and destroy anyone who gets in their way.