User:AlanNShapiro

Alan Neil Shapiro (born April 23, 1956 in Brooklyn, New York) is a software developer, computer scientist, and author and translator in the field of contemporary cultural phenomena.

Alan's most important early experience was the 4 years that he spent as a pupil at the Sands Point Academy on the North Shore of Nassau County, near the cliffs and beaches of Long Island Sound. The Sands Point school for gifted children, founded by Marie L. Fetsch with Benjamin Fine as headmaster, was a first taste of utopia and harmony.

As an undergraduate, he studied mathematics/science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and government, history, literature at Cornell University. He also has an M.A./A.B.D. in sociology from New York University.

Originally from New York City, Shapiro has worked in several European countries. Since 1991 he has been living in Germany. His academic career includes work as a lecturer at New York University, and lectures at the University of Erlangen, the University of Limerick, Ireland, the Humboldt University of Berlin (Institute for Media Studies), the University of Oldenburg (American Studies Dept.), the Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie in Karslruhe, and at the Arts & Genomics Centre of the University of Leiden, Holland.

Shapiro's major work to date is his book Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance (2004).

His second book is entitled Betting on Longshots. The nearly finished manuscript is currently being read by two editors at the AVINUS Press.

Betting on Longshots consists of four chapters. Each chapter consists of 7 essays and/or stories.

Chapter 1: Stories of New York, USA and Venice, Italy; Sports and Gambling; American Slang

Chapter 2: Science Fiction Film and TV

Chapter 3: Towards a New Sociology (in honour of Jean Baudrillard)

Chapter 4: Towards a New Computer Science (in honour of Jacques Derrida)

In his lengthy review-essay of Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance in Science Fiction Studies, coeditor Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr. remarks:

Shapiro’s study of Star Trek is one of the most original works of sf-theory since Scott Bukatman’s Terminal Identity (1993).

In his book The Seven Beauties of Science Fiction, Csicsery-Ronay, Jr. devotes a section called 'Star Trek Science' to Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance.

In his review in the International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, Karim Remtulla writes:

'Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance' represents a complex and quintessentially postmodern analysis of the technologies of Star Trek and their socio-cultural significance... The crux of Shapiro’s argument comes about largely through a discourse of 'disappearance' between Jean Baudrillard’s notion of 'simulacra' as it signifies the machinations of Star Trek’s culture industry and Paul Virilio’s notion of 'accident' as it problematizes Star Trek’s technologies... Shapiro’s close examination of the technologies in Star Trek is unabashedly extensive... Shapiro viscerally immerses himself in technology, anticipates and participates actively in its inception and evolution, and witnesses its nascent creativity and potential uncertainty and reversibility. When it comes to technology, his outlook is innately that of an 'insider’s', and, from 'the inside out'.

In his review at the Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies, Radim Hladik writes::

When Alan N. Shapiro embarked on writing 'Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance', he was endowed with a threefold qualification as the author. Firstly, he has the competence of a humanities scholar; secondly, he is educated in natural and computer sciences (with years of experience as a software engineer); finally, he is a professed fan of Star Trek... Shapiro's personal love for Star Trek is truly crucial for his endeavor, for it enables him not only to produce an exhaustive and meticulous analysis, but it also prepares him for full immersion into the hyper-reality of Star Trek... The stimulating tension between the 'stories themselves' and the 'culture industry' is illuminated... This object-oriented approach is the foundation of the study's formidable strength... In activating the creative potential of Star Trek, Shapiro draws on Jean Baudrillard's concepts, such as hyper-reality, simulation, or seduction. Although not every reader may be a partisan of all implications of Baudrillardian thought, one has to admit that the ingenuity with which Shapiro employs this conceptual apparatus and applies it to the object of his inquiry makes a strong case in its favor.

In his review at NoemaLab.com, the founder of Noema, Pier Lugi Capucci, writes:

The book considers in great depth an impressive collection of Star Trek episodes, both televisual and cinematic, grouping them into eleven thematic chapters. It is structured in multiple layers to which different typographies correspond. The episodes are retold and described, establishing the context to initiate a vast array of reflections, principles, anecdotes and references, ranging from philosophy to physics, from sociology to history, from technology to communication. This prolific feat of writing contributes to placing the Star Trek phenomenon in the framework of the culture of the last thirty years.

A negative and critical view of Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance was expressed by Adam Sanitt in his review in The Pantaneto Forum:

Any discussion... must start with the obscure typography that makes the book an exhausting read. The text is buried beneath a blizzard of inappropriate punctuation. Quotation marks used for emphasis - scare-quotes - disfigure every page, practically every sentence. Bold typeface is used in the same overwhelming quantities with the same perverse result. These devices obscure meaning rather than reveal it. As if this were not enough, the author feels the need to pepper the text with obscure, gnomic sentiments. These are normally a substitute for real insight which is a pity, because in fact the real insights are there... (The book) stands in a peculiar relationship to its subject matter. It is, clearly, a book about Star Trek. It is, consequently, a part of the industry it is criticising. It is, furthermore, effectively a plea for fewer books about Star Trek.

In an essay in The Yearbook of English Studies, published by the Modern Humanities Research Association, Mark Bould makes extensive reference to the philosophy of language and cybernetics developed in Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance.

In The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction, Technologies of Disappearance is cited and discussed in the chapter on Language and Linguistics, and in the chapter on Empire.

A 6-page interview with Shapiro on Star Trek and the philosophy of technology appeared in the philosophy journal Anthropos in 2005. The interview was conducted by Miroslav Marcelli, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bratislava.'

Shapiro was interviewed for one hour about Star Trek technologies on the Gerry Ryan radio show (Ireland's most popular FM radio programme). He has been interviewed 5 times on Irish radio, talking about Star Trek, Lost, or cybernetic epistemology.

As a consultant, Shapiro has been employed directly by Volkswagen (brainstorming the "car of the future"), Internationale Projekt Consult (IPC), Hannover EXPO, KomTech Institut für Kommunikations- und Technologieforschung, Rhea Systems, Daghdha Dance Company, Iconstorm, and Lohmeyer-Zink.

As a freelancer, Shapiro has worked for CARMEQ, Volkswagen, Deutsche Bahn, ID-Media, HALM Elektronik, ABB-Dacom, Swisscom, Ascom, Hachette, and Bertelsmann.

On May 7, 2009, Shapiro gave a lecture in Berlin, sponsored by A MAZE and the Computerspiele Museum, on "The Future of Software".

On June 5, 2009, Shapiro gave a lecture in Berlin, at the Media Studies Institute of the Humboldt University, on "Jean Baudrillard and Science".

On December 8, 2009, Shapiro (together with Alexis Clancy) gave a lecture in Berlin, sponsored by General Public and the Institute for Algorhythmics, on "The New Computer Science" (recorded here - in German and English: http://www.algorhythmics.net/en/?p=314).

On December 13, 2009, Shapiro was interviewed on Deutschlandradio, Germany's only nationwide radio station, talking about the founding of the pragmatic-utopian-Star-Trek-inspired company Shapiro Technologies (recorded here - in German: http://ondemand-mp3.dradio.de/file/dradio/2009/12/10/drk_20091210_0909_6841a068.mp3).

On December 19, 2009, Shapiro (together with Alexis Clancy) gave a lecture-performance in Frankfurt am Main, sponsored by the organization RICE, choreographed by Steve Valk, and with the participation of Independent Dance Frankfurt (http://web.mac.com/ninavallon/iWeb/www.idfrankfurt.com/ID_HOME.html), on "The New Computer Science, Star Trek, and Physical/Virtual Reality".

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, It Will Be Led By Radical Software," Laura Mitchell interviews Alan N. Shapiro.

"I Consider Star Trek to be a great text of Western Civilization," Joachim Scholl interviews Alan N. Shapiro.

"Richard Rorty on Radicalism, Liberalism, and Poetic Language"

"Twelve Monkeys"

"Groundhog Day"

On January 5, 2010, Shapiro was interviewed in the Berlin daily newspaper "Neues Deutschland," talking about the New Computer Science, Star Trek, Shapiro Technologies, Karl Marx, and the Car of the Future. http://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/162302.star-trek-marx-und-zeitreisen.html. English translation here: http://www.redroom.com/blog/alannshapiro/star-trek-marx-and-time-travel

On February 3, 2010, Shapiro gave a lecture at the FUTURITY NOW! Transmediale Festival in Berlin, talking about the Car of the Future, and presenting visualizations of the ideas first elaborated in the essay "The Car of the Future," made by the designer Nick Pugh. The presentation was part of the PHUTURAMA conference organized by Gregor Sedlag. http://www.transmediale.de/de/alan-n-shapiro-us-session-phuturama-part-1-2 http://www.transmediale.de/de/alan-n-shapiro-us-session-phuturama-part-2-2

On February 5, 2010, Shapiro was interviewed for a second time on Deutschlandradio Kultur, talking about the New Computer Science and the Car of the Future (recorded here - in German: http://www.dradio.de/dkultur/sendungen/thema/1119800/).

On February 5, 2010, Shapiro spoke at the FUTURITY NOW! Transmediale Festival in Berlin, as part of the LONG CONVERSATION event, engaging in dialogues onstage in the auditorium of the HOUSE OF WORLD CULTURES with the artists Jem Finer and Ken Rinaldo. http://www.transmediale.de/en/mediaarchive?page=1

Alan N. Shapiro interviewed by Ulrike Reinhard and Joy Tang: "Re-Thinking Science" http://www.catboant.com/2010/02/07/re-thinking-science/

In November 2009, Shapiro and Clancy wrote a 57-page document called "Software Architecture and Design Document for the New Computer Science." The document describes in detail the design of 22 concrete software development modules which would constitute the New Computer Science. The next step would be the writing of code. The document will be published in the next few months at the website of Shapiro Technologies: http://www.shapiro-technologies.com/

"Baseball in the Information Age"

"Desperate Living: John Waters' Science Fiction Dystopia"

On March 25, 2010, Shapiro spoke at the Arts & Genomics Centre of the University of Leiden, Holland. http://www.artsgenomics.org/

On March 26, 2010, Shapiro spoke at the Critical Point of View, Wikipedia Research Initiative conference in Amsterdam, Holland. http://networkcultures.org/wpmu/cpov/videos/

Alan N. Shapiro (together with Patrick Lichty and Father Roderick) interviewed by Erik Boekesteijn on Wikipedia and libraries, on vimeo show "This Week in Libraries." http://vimeo.com/10483877

Alan N. Shapiro interviewed by Father Roderick about Star Trek, on Catholic WIFI radio. http://audioboo.fm/boos/109802-interview-with-alan-shapiro-about-star-trek

The Summer 2010 issue of the automotive magazine "Intersection" features Shapiro's ideas about futuristic cars, referring to his sociology/design essay "The Car of the Future" in the article "Formwandler."

Major Publications

• "Compukids," Semiotext(e), June 1987.
• "Iraq vs. U.S.: 'Total War' meets 'Pure War'," And Then, 1992.
• "Captain Kirk Was Never the Original," in Arthur and Marilouise Kroker, eds., Digital Delirium (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997). Also in CTHEORY, June 1997.
• "The Star Trekking of Physics," CTHEORY, October 1997.
• "Klingon: In Search of a Cybernetic Ur-Language," proceedings of the conference PostModerneDiskurse zwischen Sprache und Macht, University of Erlangen, 1998.
• "Society of the Instance," NoemaLab.org, 2001 (proposes Artificial Intelligence extensions to object-oriented programming based on semiotics).
• Star Trek: Technologies of Disappearance. Avinus Verlag, Berlin, 2004. ISBN 978-3-930064-16-8
• "Baudrillard and Trek-nology," in Peter Gente, Barbara Könches, and Peter Weibel, eds., Philosophie und Kunst, Jean Baudrillard: Eine Hommage zu seinem 75. Geburtstag (Berlin: Merve Verlag, 2005). Also in Baudrillard Studies
• "TV’s ‘Lost’: The Crash Out of Globalization and Into the World," AVINUS-Magazin, Europäisches Online-Magazin für Media, Kultur und Politik, March 2007.
• "Star Trek, Lost, Blade Runner, 2001," in Steve Valk, Michael Klien, and Jeff Gormly, eds., Framemakers: Choreography as an Aesthetics of Change (Limerick: Daghdha Publications, 2008).
• "Dear Grace: Patterns are Everywhere Remix," choreograph.net, July 2008.
• "Rediscovering the Baudreality of America," International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, January 2009.
• "Gianna Maria Gatti's The Technological Herbarium," NoemaLab.org, February 2009.
• "A Proposal for Developing Quantum Computing in Software (with Alexis Clancy)," choreograph.net, July 2009.
• "The Car of the Future (with Alan Cholodenko)," NoemaLab.org, July 2009.
• "Play Don't Work in a Pragmatic-Utopian High-Tech Enterprise," choreograph.net, December 2009.
• "Cultural Citizenship in Contemporary America," International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, January 2010.
• "Rethinking Science," We-Magazine Special: Future Challenges, Bertelsmann Foundation, April 2010.

Selected Translations

• Gianna Maria Gatti The Technological Herbarium. Avinus Verlag, Berlin, 2009 (edited, translated from the Italian, and with a preface by Alan N. Shapiro).
• "In Search of the Child's Innocence," International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, January 2009 (author: Caroline Heinrich, translated from the German by Alan N. Shapiro).
• "Only Impossible Exchange Is Possible," International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, January 2009 (author: Aurel Schmidt, translated from the German by Alan N. Shapiro).
• "Telegarden by Ken Goldberg," NoemaLab.org, March 2009 (author: Gianna Maria Gatti, translated from the Italian by Alan N. Shapiro).
• "Osmose by Char Davies," NoemaLab.org, March 2009 (author: Gianna Maria Gatti, translated from the Italian by Alan N. Shapiro).
• "Interactive Plant Growing and Trans Plant by Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau," NoemaLab.org, May 2009 (author: Gianna Maria Gatti, translated from the Italian by Alan N. Shapiro).