Osei Alleyne and Barry Vacker discuss "media and space" on TV show

Osei Alleyne and Barry Vacker joined Derrick Pitts and Sherri Hope Culver in a discussion of "Media and Representation of Space" on Culver's brainy TV talk show, "Media Inside and Out." The topics included: why should humans go into space, how is space represented in media and film, and what does it mean for humanity? 

Click on the above image to view the show.• Culver is the director of the Center for Media and Information Literacy.

• Pitts is the Chief Astronomer at the Franklin Institute (the prestigious Philadelphia-based science museum).

• Alleyne is a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania and an associate of the Center for Media and Destiny.

• Vacker is an associate professor at Temple University and founder of the Center for Media and Destiny.

The show also featured a clip from Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, and scenes from various space-related films. The show was produced by students at the Temple Univesity television station: TUTV. Thanks to the Director of TUTV, Paul Gluck. The show first aired on March 4, 2015.

BARRY VACKER INTERVIEWED ABOUT JOHNNY DEPP'S NEW SCI-FI FILM: TRANSCENDENCE

Barry Vacker was quoted in a Yahoo story about Transcendence, the new Johnny Depp science-fiction film. Also included in the interview was Michio Kaku. To read story, click on Johnny and the giant eye.

Too bad the story contained none of Barry's best insights or those related to cosmic media theory. After all, Barry discussed the many implications of the film and sci-fi trends with the writer for over 30 minutes.

MEDIA ENVIRONMENTS GETS STRONG REVIEW IN PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC JOURNAL

The Center is excited to learn that Barry Vacker's text anthology, Media Environments (2010), received a very positive review (with a few quibbles and constructive comments) in the international academic journal, Explorations in Media Ecology (EME). The review was authored by John Blewitt, senior lecturer and co-director of the Master of Science in social responsibility and sustainability at Aston University (Birmingham, England). Since there is no available link, here are a few quotes:

"[T]he collection of studies here certainly constitute more than the sum of their individual parts. Many of these individual pieces are in fact absolutely key to any effective understanding of what our media environments are now and are likely to be in the near future."

"Vacker offers the student, reader and prospective course organizer an exciting excursion through a whole constellation of media environments, topics, issues, challenges, ideas, theories, experiences and problems."

"Media Environments, therefore, offers a great deal. There is much to dive into, much to select and deselect, much to argue with and much to add to."

"Designed as a course reader, Vacker’s book is a very useful primer on an area of media and cultural studies."

Royalties from Media Environments provided the seed capital for the founding of the Center for Media and Destiny.

BARRY VACKER'S BOOK AND COURSE FEATURED IN TEMPLE MAGAZINE STORY

Barry Vacker's new book and course were featured in the Summer 2013 edition of Temple magazine, in a story entitled "The Final Countdown." The story is very well written and much thanks goes to the author Renee Cree (though the accompanying photo might seem like the album cover for yet another wannabe "alternative" band).

Left to right: Barry Vacker (Associate Professor, Temple U), Murali Balaji (Assistant Professor, Temple U), and Brendan Curry (Temple student).Here is the link for "The Final Countdown."

BARRY VACKER TAKES ON "THE END OF THE WORLD" VIA PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL

Barry Vacker and his new book, The End of the World — Again, were featured in an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio's "To the Best of Our Knowledge." The interview aired April 6-7 (2013) on Public Radio International in 180 markets in this USA. Click here to listen (11 minutes).

Thanks to Steve Paulson for being such a fabulous interviewer and to stellar producer Doug Gordon for the clever use of dialogue from the movie, Them(1954). Nice touch!

Note there is also an extended interview at the Wisconsin Public Radio site, which includes some of the best stuff.

Barry Vacker "waxes philosophical" about Fight Club on Public Radio International

Barry and his book, Slugging Nothing: Fighting the Future in Fight Club (2009), were featured in an interview on Wisconsin Public Radio's "To the Best of Our Knowledge" — as part of their Film and Philosophy series. The 13-minute interview aired this weekend (February 23-24) on Public Radio International in 180 markets in the USA. 

http://ttbook.org/book/barry-vacker-fight-club

Thanks to Steve Paulson for being such a great interviewer and to stellar producer Doug Gordon for the clever voice transitions from Barry to Brad Pitt. Nice touch!

Genevieve Gillespie and Barry Vacker featured on WHYY-Philadelphia, December 20, 2012

Genevieve Gillespie, curator of CMAD's"Apocalyptic Art" exhibit, and Barry Vacker, author of The End of the World — Again, were featured on WHYY, the national public radio affillate in Philadelphia. Barry is the Founder of the Center for Media and Destiny and Genevieve is the Associate Director of Events.

The radio, video, and print stories explored ideas in Genevieve's exhibit and Barry's book, both of which were central to the three-night event hosted the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Art: It's the End of the World (Again!). 

The Center for Media and Destiny's art exhibit and "end of the world" panels featured in Philly Weekly, December 19, 2012

The Center for Media and Destiny's (CMAD) art exhbit and panels were featured in the Philly Weekly as one of the top "arts and culture" events in Philadelphia for December 19-21. The events are co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art.

Below is the featured selection from the exhibit: "Vulnerable," by Amy Guidry.

Barry Vacker Quoted in Fox News story on the 2012 apocalypse hysteria, December 13, 2012

Barry Vacker was quoted in a Fox News story about staying "calm" amidst the 2012 apocalyptic hysteria in America and elsewhere in the world. 

“Our media and movie cultures are filled with apocalyptic scenarios,” Barry Vacker, an associate professor of media studies and production at Temple University in Philadelphia, told FoxNews.com. “Amid the parade of catastrophes, humans still hope for some possibility of doing it all over again and correcting their mistakes.”

“We yearn for a new beginning, and a better tomorrow, even if the immediate future seems depressing to so many people.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2012/12/11/with-mere-days-to-doomsday-scientists-call-for-calm/#ixzz2EvnSNEAT

Barry Vacker explores the "the apocalypse" on WYPR-Baltimore, December 6, 2012

Barry Vacker was one of the guests on "Midday With Dan Rodricks," the popular talk-radio show broadcast on WYPR in Baltimore. WYPR in an affiliate of National Public Radio. Barry discussed the popular fascination with the apoclaypse in media and movies with Dan and Sheri Parks, from the University of Maryland. 

To listen, click here. (Barry is introduced in the second segment of the show, at the 13:40 mark).