OurepochhasbeendubbedtheAnthropoceneEratomarkthesignificanceofhumanactivitiesasthegreatestforceofenvironmentalchange.Thedistinctionsbetweenbiology/technology,organic/synthetic,andnatural/artificialareincreasinglyimpossibletomaintain.Clonedsheep,climatemodels,digitally-printedtissueandlab-grownmeat-thisisnotthenatureofourpredecessors.ThisissueofLA+addressesthethemeofSIMULATIONintermsofhowrecenttechnologieshavechangedhowweunderstandthenatureofnature.FromPlato’sCavetoBaudrillard’s“Simulacrum,“simulationswerehistoricallyunderstoodascounterfeitsorfacsimilesandwerebasedonthedistinctionbetweenamodelanditscopy.Simulationsremaincentraltomediationsbetweenrealityanditsrepresentation;however,thelatestformsofsimulation--whethergeneticmanipulationorcomputermodeling--arenotseenasimpedimentstotruthandknowledgebutastoolstouncoverthecomplexitiesofnature.Adiverselistofcontributorscriticallyinvestigatesthethemethroughamyriadoflensesincludingbiology,computersciences,engineering,environmentalscience,industrialdesign,philosophy,planning,amongotherfields.InabriefsnapshotoftheLA+SIMULATIONissue:-Throughanhistoricalanalysisoflanduseclassificationsystems,architectandplannerRobertPietruskoexaminesthefallacyof“rawdata“byexamininghowrepresentationaltechniquesbecomereality;-historianofsciencePaulEdwardselucidatesthemakingof’controlearths’inclimatemodels;-philosopherEtienneBensontracksthemakingofthe’minimalanimal’inecologicalmodeling;-architectandcivilengineerEduardoRicoandarchitectEnriquetaLlabresVallsrevealthepowerofmodelsassurrogatesinshapingthematerialworld;-historianGideonFinkShapirofindsthefunctionoffictioninthelandscapeimagination;-byinterrogatingsyntheticbiology,theoristPabloSchyfterdemonstratestheinterdependencyofrepresentationalsystemsandtheknowledgetheyproduce;-artistMarkNystromsumptuouslycapturesthehiddenpatternsofourever-changingenvironment;and-interviewswithphilosophersKoertvanMensvoortandEricWinsbergilluminatetheroleofsimulationinhowweunderstandthenatureofreality.LA+SIMULATIONisguesteditedbyKarenM’CloskeyandKeithVanDerSys.
PLANNING engineering TECHNOLOGY ORGANIC LA SYNTHETIC
