Laboratory Lifestyles: The Construction of Scientific Fictions (Leonardo)

Laboratory Lifestyles: The Construction of Scientific Fictions (Leonardo)

by Brian Lonsway (Author), Brian Lonsway (Author), Chris L. Smith (Author), Kathleen Brandt (Author), Russell Hughes (Author), Sandra Kaji–o`grady (Author)

Synopsis

A generously illustrated examination of the boom in luxurious, resort-style scientific laboratories and how this affects scientists' work. The past decade has seen an extraordinary laboratory-building boom. This new crop of laboratories features spectacular architecture and resort-like amenities. The buildings sprawl luxuriously on verdant campuses or sit sleekly in expensive urban neighborhoods. Designed to attract venture capital, generous philanthropy, and star scientists, these laboratories are meant to create the ideal conditions for scientific discovery. Yet there is little empirical evidence that shows if they do. Laboratory Lifestyles examines this new species of scientific laboratory from architectural, economic, social, and scientific perspectives. Generously illustrated with photographs of laboratories and scientists at work in them, the book investigates how lifestyle science affects actual science. Are scientists working when they stretch in a yoga class, play volleyball in the company tournament, chat in an on-site cafe, or show off their facilities to visiting pharmaceutical executives? The book describes, among other things, the role of beanbag chairs in the construction of science at Xerox PARC; the Southern California vibe of the RAND Corporation (Malibu), General Atomic (La Jolla), and Hughes Research Laboratories (Malibu); and Biosphere 2's bionauts as both scientists and scientific subjects; and interstellar laboratories. Laboratory Lifestyles (the title is an allusion to Bruno Latour and Steve Woolgar's influential Laboratory Life) documents a shift in what constitutes scientific practice; these laboratories and their lifestyles are as experimental as the science they cultivate. Contributors Kathleen Brandt, Russell Hughes, Tim Ivison, Sandra Kaji-O'Grady, Stuart W. Leslie, Brian Lonsway, Sean O'Halloran, Simon Sadler, Chris L. Smith, Nicole Sully, Ksenia Tatarchenko, William Taylor, Julia Tcharfas, Albena Yaneva, Stelios Zavos

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More Information

Format: Illustrated
Pages: 304
Edition: Illustrated
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 26 Feb 2019

ISBN 10: 0262038927
ISBN 13: 9780262038928

Author Bio
Sandra Kaji-O'Grady is Professor and Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Queensland. Chris L. Smith is Associate Professor of Architectural Design and Techne at the University of Sydney. Russell Hughes is an Honorary Fellow in the School of Architecture at the University of Queensland. Russell Hughes is an Honorary Fellow in the School of Architecture at the University of Queensland. Sandra Kaji-O'Grady is Professor and Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Queensland. Chris L. Smith is Associate Professor of Architectural Design and Techne at the University of Sydney. Simon Sadler is Associate Professor of Architectural and Urban History at the University of California, Davis. William A. Taylor is an international consultant on the practical applications of artificial intelligence and has spent several years giving seminars on AI to senior engineers and engineering management. Sean Cubitt is Professor of Film and Television at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is the author of The Cinema Effect and the coeditor of Relive: Media Art Histories, both published by the MIT Press.