Futures Theory

Jason B. Mohaghegh is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Babson College, USA. He is the director of the Future Studies Program; he is also the Director of Transdisciplinary Studies for the New Centre for Research & Practice, co-editor of the Suspensions book beries (Bloomsbury), and founder of the 5th Disappearance Lab.

What are the most radical transformations on the horizon of our world?Shining a light on the many possibilities of the future from multiple astonishing perspectives, this book explores how new ages are imagined in our century. Bringing together over 20 prominent thinkers from a variety of disciplines, it examines the potential dimensions of the future and how they will affect everything from our culture to our politics, from our bodies to our minds. As future eras remain cloaked in relative obscurity, they compel the invention of new techniques for navigating those realms of visionary speculation.With deeply immersive entries on captivating phenomena occurring across all regions of our global reality, this book brings novel theoretical interpretations of transpiring events and the great ciphers they reveal. This includes hidden questions surrounding artificial intelligence, virtual reality, mass migration, speed, climate, geo-engineering, automation, and many more.Moreover, this book skilfully tethers inexhaustible abstract concepts like the infinite and the illusory to the emergence of new knowledge systems that allow analysis of the unknown, ultimately offering insight on the rarest features of futurity. Filled with original impressions from experts in the domains of literature, philosophy, visual art, architecture, design, media studies, ecology, anthropology, and more, Futures Theory contemplates the new variables that will expand and distort such fields in irreversibly compelling ways, opening up discussion of the steps toward a new atmosphere for thought itself in the epochs to come.

Part I. Seven Prophecies of the Future1. Chimera, Nora Khan (Rhode Island School of Design,USA)/Jason Mohaghegh (Babson College, USA)2. Cipher, Amy Ireland (The University of New South Wales, Australia)/Edward Keller (The New School University, USA)3. Temple, Carla Leitao (Rensselaer Polytechnic University, USA)/Dan Mellamphy (Western University Canada, Canada)4. Reign, Nandita Biswas Mellamphy (Western University Canada, Canada)/Arshin Adib-Moghaddam (SOAS University of London, UK)5. Oracle, Anna Longo (California Institute of the Arts, USA)/Dejan Lukic (The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, USA)6. Surface, Laura Tripaldi (The University of Milan, Italy)/Michael Marder (University of the Basque Country, Spain)7. Idol, Reza Negarestani/Jason Mohaghegh (SOAS University of London, UK)Part II: Future Labs8. Future Time, Edward Keller (The New School University, USA)9. Future Space, Jason Mohaghegh (Babson College, USA)9. Future Movement, Una Chung (Sarah Lawrence College, USA), Will Scarlett10. Future Body, Laura Tripaldi (The University of Milan, Italy)11. Future Image, Dejan Lukic (The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, USA)12. Future Illusion, Nora Khan (Rhode Island School of Design,USA)13. Future Cosmos, Damon Bonari, Zahra Bonari14. Future Thought, Dan Mellamphy (Western University Canada, Canada)15. Future Power, Arshin Adib-Moghaddam (SOAS University of London, UK)16. Future Machine, Nandita Biswas-Mellamphy17. Future Virtual, Ali Eslami18. Future Cruelty, Reza Negarestani (The New Centre for Research & Practice, USA)19. Future Appearance, Ghazal Zamani20. Future Mysticism, Andrea Cetrulo21. Future Prophecy, Anna Longo (California Institute of the Arts, USA)22. Non-Future, Danna Al-Banyan, Asad Khan, Sahej Rahal23. Future X, Federico Nieto, Sahej Rahal, Anna Engelhardt, Sasha ShestakovaPart III: Future Disciplines24. Future World, Jason Mohaghegh (Babson College, USA)25. Future Culture, Dejan Lukic (The Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts, USA)26. Future Society, Nandita Biswas-Mellamphy (Western University Canada, Canada)27. Future Politics, Arshin Adib-Moghaddam (SOAS University of London, UK)28. Future Philosophy, Dan Mellamphy (Western University Canada, Canada)29. Future Feminism, Amy Ireland (The University of New South Wales, Australia)30. Future Ecology, Michael Marder (University of the Basque Country, Spain)31. Future Media, Una Chung (Sarah Lawrence College, USA)32. Future Literature, Jason Mohaghegh (Babson College, USA)33. Future Art, Nora Khan (Rhode Island School of Design,USA)34. Future Architecture, Edward Keller (The New School University, USA)35. Future Design, Carla Leitao (Rensselaer Polytechnic University, USA)36. Future Intelligence, Reza Negarestani (The New Centre for Research & Practice, USA)37. Future Science, Anna Longo (California Institute of the Arts, USA)Part IV: Future Library38. The Cosmological Archive, Jason Mohaghegh (Babson College, USA), Edward Keller (The New School University, USA), Carla Leitao (Rensselaer Polytechnic University, USA), Nora Khan (Rhode Island School of Design,USA), Sahej Rahal, Will Scarlett39. The House of Second Wisdom, Jason Mohaghegh (Babson College, USA), Asad Khan