Saturation: An Elemental Politics

Saturation is a heuristic that analyzes phenomena where elements are difficult or impossible to separate, expanding beyond water to sound, infrastructure, media, Big Data, capitalism, and visual culture. It explores the relationship between media, the environment, technology, capital, and settler colonialism, illuminating how elements, the natural world, and anthropogenic infrastructures, politics, and processes exist in and through each other.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 344 pages
\n Publication date: 11 November 2021
\n Publisher: Duke University Press
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Saturation is a concept that unites media studies and environmental humanities, offering a heuristic for analyzing phenomena where the elements involved are intertwined and inseparable. In everyday language, saturation refers to being thoroughly soaked, while in chemistry, it signifies the point at which a substance can be maximally dissolved or absorbed in a solution.

In this collection, contributors broaden the scope of saturation beyond water to encompass sound, infrastructure, media, Big Data, capitalism, and visual culture. Essays explore the boundaries of HIV detection in bloodwork, the saturation of oceans caused by militarism, and the harmful effects of cellphone and Wi-Fi signals on the human body. By leveraging saturation, the book illuminates the interconnectedness of elements, the natural world, anthropogenic infrastructures, politics, and processes.

The contributors to Saturation are a diverse group of scholars and researchers from various fields. Marija Cetinić, Jeff Diamanti, Bishnupriya Ghosh, Lisa Yin Han, Stefan Helmreich, Mél Hogan, Melody Jue, Rahul Mukherjee, Max Ritts, Rafico Ruiz, Bhaskar Sarkar, John Shiga, Avery Slater, Janet Walker, and Joanna Zylinska are among the esteemed scholars who have contributed their expertise to this volume.

Through their essays, the contributors delve into the complexities of saturation in various contexts. They examine the thresholds of HIV detectability in bloodwork, explore the saturation of oceans due to militarism's impact on marine life, and analyze the deleterious effects of cellphone and Wi-Fi signals on human health. They also examine the saturation of sound, infrastructure, media, Big Data, capitalism, and visual culture, highlighting the ways in which these elements intermesh and influence each other.

Saturation offers a valuable perspective on the relationship between media, the environment, technology, capital, and the legacies of settler colonialism. By channeling saturation as a heuristic, the book encourages readers to think critically about the interdependence of these elements and their impact on our world. It serves as a reminder that our actions and choices have consequences not only for ourselves but also for the natural world and the broader social and political landscape.

In conclusion, Saturation is a groundbreaking collection that brings together media studies and environmental humanities to explore the concept of saturation in a wide range of contexts. Through its insightful essays and interdisciplinary approach, the book offers a valuable contribution to our understanding of the complex relationships between media, the environment, technology, capital, and settler colonialism. It is a must-read for scholars, researchers, and anyone interested in exploring the intersections of these critical issues in today's world.

\n Weight: 496g\n
Dimension: 154 x 228 x 25 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781478011460\n \n