51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

What do you think the world will look like circa 2050? Futurists predict computers that host digital uploads of our brains, water crises, recycling breakthroughs, flying cars, shapeshifting skyscrapers, regenerating body parts, mass extinctions and experimental de-extinctions. To navigate the vastness of possible futures--from utopian to dystopian--the class begins with a leap of imagination that lands us in what is now downtown Manhattan, around noon on 31 December 2049. We will not arrive empty-handed, however, because the main work of the class will be to plan gala New Year's Eve celebrations, including invitations, transportation, communication, publicity, menus, clothes, performances, exhibitions, security and so on. There are no prerequisites, because this multidisciplinary collaboration requires a very diverse mix of minds, talents, interests and temperaments. We will combine interdisciplinary readings, purposeful writing, discussions, workshops, and conversations with future-oriented authors and artists.