Flying University: The Dark Side of Science | Sciencewashing: How Science and the Pursuit of Knowledge Gentrify Cities

• Science & Health

Featuring Steph Yin, Alexis Takahashi, Andrea Coleman, and Marie Cruz Soto

Flying University is a re-education in hidden histories. This month, join Steph Yin and Alexis Takahashi as they tackle Sciencewashing: How Science and the Pursuit of Knowledge Gentrify Cities.

Flying University is named after the underground university in Russian-occupied Poland that taught subjects banned by the state-run schools. This rebel organization also educated women, who were barred from attending the official university, including Marie Curie. In that spirit, each Flying University talk highlights a piece of history that has been “conveniently forgotten.” Let’s set the record straight. Tonight’s performance features Steph Yin and Alexis Takahashi on Sciencewashing: How Science and the Pursuit of Knowledge Gentrify Cities, with opening talks from Andrea Coleman (The Treatment of Black Women in Science) and Marie Cruz Soto (Birthing Practices, Medicalization and Colonialism in Puerto Rico).

There’s greenwashing, pinkwashing and artwashing … is sciencewashing a thing too? Ideals like “progress” and the “quest for knowledge” are often used to justify science-driven development. But in reality not everybody benefits equally — and some are disproportionately harmed — in the pursuit of these abstract goals. Drawing from examples in New York, Los Angeles and Berlin, this talk will examine who wins and who loses when cities decide to embrace development and economic growth driven by science, research and tech.

Steph Yin is a multimedia science journalist and regular contributor to The New York Times. She most often writes about genetics, evolution and ecology, but loves any science tale that is juicy, human or strange. As a storyteller, she is interested in bringing forth the perspectives of people who are not traditionally heard, interrogating the role science should play in society and expanding our definitions of “science” and “scientist.” Originally from New Jersey, she now lives in Philadelphia after stints in Providence and New York.

Alexis Takahashi is a multiracial community organizer, garden educator, and writer. In 2015 she co-founded Free Radicals, a collective that creates resources for political education on the intersections of science and social justice. Her writings have focused on the ways that science has shaped our conceptions of race, gender, and disability. She currently collaborates with local grassroots organizations in Los Angeles, creating community education events that explore the hidden histories and ideologies of Western science.

Andrea Coleman is a Brooklyn based writer and comedian who has written and executive produced 5 short films. Born and raised in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Andrea has been a stand up comic since 2005 and has performed all over New York City, including Caroline’s, Gotham and Comedy Cellar. When not performing, Andrea is a Senior Trial Attorney in Brooklyn and reminds you that you have the right to remain silent.

Marie Cruz Soto is a scholar and activist interested in the workings of militarized colonialism and in struggles to decolonize, demilitarize and overall imagine a less violent world. Her work particularly focuses on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. She teaches at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University.