Nature in Crisis: ‘Blue Machine’ by Helen Czerski
· 15 min · S18 E3
Episode Nature in Crisis: ‘Blue Machine’ by Helen Czerski
In Blue Machine (2024), Helen Czerski refigures the ocean as an enormous planetary engine, converting light and heat into motion. Her book invites us to see the ocean not as an ‘absence’ but an intricate series of operations that makes life as we know it possible.
In this episode, Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith reflect on the ways Czerski’s book has altered their thinking about the ocean, and whether new perspectives can ever be enough to change public policy.
Non-subscribers will only hear an extract from this episode. To listen in full, and to all our other Close Readings series, sign up:
Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://lrb.me/applecrnature
In other podcast apps: https://lrb.me/closereadingsnature
Get the book: https://lrb.me/czerskicr
More from the LRB:
Richard Hamblyn on deep-sea exploration:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v27/n21/richard-hamblyn/hurrah-for-the-dredge
Katherine Rundell on the greenland shark:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n09/katherine-rundell/consider-the-greenland-shark
Liam Shaw on coral:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n22/liam-shaw/in-the-photic-zone
Amia Srinivasan reviews Peter’s book on octopus minds:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v39/n17/amia-srinivasan/the-sucker-the-sucker
Film: Forecasting D-Day
https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/videos/lrb-films-interviews/forecasting-d-day
Next episode: ‘The Burning Earth’ by Sunil Amrith
https://lrb.me/amrithcr
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Links in the notes 10
- https://lrb.me/applecrna%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0ture
- https://lrb.me/closereadingsna%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0ture
- https://lrb.me/czerskicr
- https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v27/n21/richard-hamblyn/hurrah-for-the-dredge
- https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n09/katherine-rundell/consider-the-greenland-shark
- https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v44/n22/liam-shaw/in-the-photic-zone
- https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v39/n17/amia-srinivasan/the-sucker-the-sucker
- https://www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and-videos/videos/lrb-films-interviews/forecasting-d-day
- https://lrb.me/amrithcr
- https://megaphone.fm/adchoices
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