R. John Williams, PhD, is Professor of English, and Film and Media Studies at Yale University. He is the author of The Buddha in the Machine: Art, Technology, and the Meeting of East and West, and has published as well on a number of topics including religion, futurology, systems theory, psychoanalysis, and film and television. His forthcoming manuscript, Out of Mind: A Media-Theoretical Critique of Meditation (University of Chicago Press) examines the role of communication technologies in the evolution of contemplative practices during the twentieth century.
R. John Williams
Associate Professor, English, Film and Media, at Yale University
Participant In:
November 19th, 2022 at 2:30pm EST
Living in Difficult Times
Daily headlines have been startling and scary: “U.S. Life Expectancy Plunged in 2020, Especially for Black and Hispanic Americans,” reported The New York Times. “The Pandemic has Made Homelessness More Visible in Many American Cities,” noted The Economist, while The Guardian announced “The Latest UN Report is Clear: Climate Change is Here, It’s a Crisis, and It’s Caused by... read more! »
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November 19th, 2022 at 2:30pm EST
Living in Difficult Times
Daily headlines have been startling and scary: “U.S. Life Expectancy Plunged in 2020, Especially for Black and Hispanic Americans,” reported The New York Times. “The Pandemic has Made Homelessness More Visible in Many American Cities,” noted The Economist, while The Guardian announced “The Latest UN Report is Clear: Climate Change is Here, It’s a Crisis, and It’s Caused by... read more! »March 18th, 2023 at 2:30pm EST
The Technē of Memory
What is memory? How does it determine our experience and identity? To what extent does memory influence our understanding of the future? Or of time itself? How do individual memories differ from collective ones? What happens to our sense of belonging and selfhood when our memories are externalized in digital devices? Throughout the history of... read more! »
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March 18th, 2023 at 2:30pm EST
The Technē of Memory
What is memory? How does it determine our experience and identity? To what extent does memory influence our understanding of the future? Or of time itself? How do individual memories differ from collective ones? What happens to our sense of belonging and selfhood when our memories are externalized in digital devices? Throughout the history of... read more! »February 24, 2024 at 2:30PM
The Effects of Media
This roundtable discusses the impact of media, particularly social media and AI, on society and how it shapes our understanding of reality, based on the ideas of Marshall McLuhan.
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February 24, 2024 at 2:30PM
The Effects of Media
This roundtable discusses the impact of media, particularly social media and AI, on society and how it shapes our understanding of reality, based on the ideas of Marshall McLuhan.April 19th, 2025 at 2:30PM
Mindfulness Meditation: Benefits and Dilemmas
This roundtable critically examines the widespread practice of mindfulness meditation, exploring both its potential benefits and emerging concerns regarding commodification, efficacy, and possible adverse effects on mental wellbeing.
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April 19th, 2025 at 2:30PM