Professor Slack addresses what has been called “the crisis of expertise” in American culture, in which the value and advice of “experts,” most notably in the sciences, are increasingly being challenged and disregarded.  She will talk about the different kinds of challenges to expertise, the sources of these challenges, and their implications, particularly with respect to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.  She also considers a strikingly odd feature of this crisis, as challenges to expertise arise in tandem with an increasing reliance on science and technology in American culture.  She asks that you not be put off by the impression that this might be a highly technical talk.  It won’t be.  It really is about the challenges we all face when deciding who to listen to and why.

Jennifer Daryl Slack is Director of the Institute for Policy, Ethics, and Culture and Distinguished Professor of Communication and Cultural Studies at Michigan Technological University.  She has been a professor at Michigan Tech for 32 years, where she has conducted research and taught primarily on technology and culture, cultural theory, creativity, and media.  Her recent work has been on the role of algorithms in culture.  She is also a pastel painter and an active member of the arts community.  She lives on a farm in the Traprock Valley with her husband and carpenter Kenny Svenson.

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9789104627

Meeting ID: 978 910 4627

Dial by your location: +1 312 626 6799

Topics: Forums