Lin Zhang
@linzhang.bsky.social
Critical Innovation Studies, Pro@UNH; Author of The Labor of Reinvention (Columbia UP, 2023). Working on a book about transnational biotech
https://linzhangweb.org/
https://linzhangweb.org/
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Drugs (tobacco and sugar), were the very engine of the colonial American economy.
"As a historian of drugs, I can tell you that this argument is wrong in almost every way. There is no wholesome, traditional drug-free America that we can return to." www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/o...
Opinion | I Am a Drug Historian. Trump Is Wrong About Fentanyl in Almost Every Way.
www.nytimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Drugs (tobacco and sugar), were the very engine of the colonial American economy.
Reposted by Lin Zhang
This has gotten surprisingly little attention — it's not even on the front page of @science.org right now — but it's really hard to describe what the SAFE Research Act would do to US science and scientists without sounding insane
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
November 14, 2025 at 5:16 PM
This has gotten surprisingly little attention — it's not even on the front page of @science.org right now — but it's really hard to describe what the SAFE Research Act would do to US science and scientists without sounding insane
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Such a pleasure working with you all to bring this piece into the world. Hope our conversations continue!
Everyone so often you have a conversation with people that really makes the world make more sense, and so this conversation turned into an article that tries to recreate that. what a joy to have worked on this with @msteinbrg.bsky.social @linzhang.bsky.social @rahmuk.bsky.social and Joe Khalil!
Super excited to announce a new piece out in the world: States and platform capitalisms: A conversation. This is a collaboration with some amazing thinkers and friends- led by @sayshatim.bsky.social Joe Khalil @linzhang.bsky.social & @rahmuk.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
November 11, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Such a pleasure working with you all to bring this piece into the world. Hope our conversations continue!
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Super excited to announce a new piece out in the world: States and platform capitalisms: A conversation. This is a collaboration with some amazing thinkers and friends- led by @sayshatim.bsky.social Joe Khalil @linzhang.bsky.social & @rahmuk.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
November 11, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Super excited to announce a new piece out in the world: States and platform capitalisms: A conversation. This is a collaboration with some amazing thinkers and friends- led by @sayshatim.bsky.social Joe Khalil @linzhang.bsky.social & @rahmuk.bsky.social
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Black, magenta and an edge data center on the cover of my book about Nairobi, smartphones, platforms, standards, venture capital and digital China. Out in the boreal fall this year 🪩 with U California Press (and OA)
April 8, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Black, magenta and an edge data center on the cover of my book about Nairobi, smartphones, platforms, standards, venture capital and digital China. Out in the boreal fall this year 🪩 with U California Press (and OA)
I’m thrilled to share my recently published book forum response in Dialogues in Urban Research, in response to a set of wonderful book reviews of The Labor of Reinvention. Details and links to articles here:
www.linkedin.com/pulse/book-f...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/book-f...
Book Forum articles on The Labor of Reinvention
I’m thrilled to share my recently published book forum response in Dialogues in Urban Research to a set of wonderful book reviews of The Labor of Reinvention. Heartfelt thanks to Yifan Cai, Gulinigaer...
www.linkedin.com
November 7, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I’m thrilled to share my recently published book forum response in Dialogues in Urban Research, in response to a set of wonderful book reviews of The Labor of Reinvention. Details and links to articles here:
www.linkedin.com/pulse/book-f...
www.linkedin.com/pulse/book-f...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Together with the great @data.ft.com piece yesterday on AI capacity, this is going straight on the syllabus for September - ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
August 1, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Together with the great @data.ft.com piece yesterday on AI capacity, this is going straight on the syllabus for September - ig.ft.com/ai-data-cent...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
This is fascinating although I must admit is not a beach read. It makes me think that one of the big trends we’re seeing in government/public policy is the spread of third wave systems theory (into theories of statecraft, PSR, leadership training, etc). 1/2
October 9, 2025 at 7:16 AM
This is fascinating although I must admit is not a beach read. It makes me think that one of the big trends we’re seeing in government/public policy is the spread of third wave systems theory (into theories of statecraft, PSR, leadership training, etc). 1/2
New Special Issue Alert:
Our special issue “Whither China? Chinese Communication Research at the New Conjuncture” has finally been published in the Chinese Journal of Communication!
www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcjc20/1...
Our special issue “Whither China? Chinese Communication Research at the New Conjuncture” has finally been published in the Chinese Journal of Communication!
www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcjc20/1...
Chinese Journal of Communication
Whither China?: Chinese Communication Research at the New Conjuncture. Volume 18, Issue 3 of Chinese Journal of Communication
www.tandfonline.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:22 AM
New Special Issue Alert:
Our special issue “Whither China? Chinese Communication Research at the New Conjuncture” has finally been published in the Chinese Journal of Communication!
www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcjc20/1...
Our special issue “Whither China? Chinese Communication Research at the New Conjuncture” has finally been published in the Chinese Journal of Communication!
www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcjc20/1...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
I like this analogy: the computer interface as the 'theatre of the screen', with an understanding of theatre (like all art) as 'a lie that tells the truth'. www.clunyjournal.com/p/history-of...
The History of the Personal Computer by Sheila Heti
Sheila Heti on the birth, rise, and decline of the personal computer.
www.clunyjournal.com
September 30, 2025 at 2:01 PM
I like this analogy: the computer interface as the 'theatre of the screen', with an understanding of theatre (like all art) as 'a lie that tells the truth'. www.clunyjournal.com/p/history-of...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Reposted by Lin Zhang
In the midst of the AI boom, countries are scrambling to meet rising energy demands from data centers. In Mexico, Microsoft has had to rely on gas generators in at least one of its data centers
Countries are struggling to meet the rising energy demands of data centers
Mexico's lagging energy grid is forcing companies, including Microsoft, to use generators.
restofworld.org
September 15, 2025 at 2:10 PM
In the midst of the AI boom, countries are scrambling to meet rising energy demands from data centers. In Mexico, Microsoft has had to rely on gas generators in at least one of its data centers
Reposted by Lin Zhang
The Harvard S&T in Asia online seminar series is back!
This fall features talks from affect and control in Chinese AI to American forestry in Cold War Taiwan.
We meet on Zoom on the Tuesdays listed, 10:30–11:45 am ET.
Registration: seow.scholars.harvard.edu/STinAsia
#histstm #envhist #sts 🧪
This fall features talks from affect and control in Chinese AI to American forestry in Cold War Taiwan.
We meet on Zoom on the Tuesdays listed, 10:30–11:45 am ET.
Registration: seow.scholars.harvard.edu/STinAsia
#histstm #envhist #sts 🧪
September 4, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The Harvard S&T in Asia online seminar series is back!
This fall features talks from affect and control in Chinese AI to American forestry in Cold War Taiwan.
We meet on Zoom on the Tuesdays listed, 10:30–11:45 am ET.
Registration: seow.scholars.harvard.edu/STinAsia
#histstm #envhist #sts 🧪
This fall features talks from affect and control in Chinese AI to American forestry in Cold War Taiwan.
We meet on Zoom on the Tuesdays listed, 10:30–11:45 am ET.
Registration: seow.scholars.harvard.edu/STinAsia
#histstm #envhist #sts 🧪
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Exciting news from my colleagues @sciencehistory.org! This archive documents the early history of #MolecularBiology & efforts to determine the structure of #DNA.
@matthewcobb.bsky.social provides an overview of its contents & significance in the thread below.
#histSTM #histsci #histbio #Molbio 🗃️📜🧬
@matthewcobb.bsky.social provides an overview of its contents & significance in the thread below.
#histSTM #histsci #histbio #Molbio 🗃️📜🧬
News in the history of molecular biology. The Science History Institute in Philadelphia has acquired a huge archive of correspondence and other scientific material from the pioneers of molecular biology (Franklin, Klug, Perutz, Delbrück etc, with items from Crick and Watson, too). 1/n
History of Molecular Biology Collection
This unparalleled collection includes Rosalind Franklin's historic 'Photo 51,' which revealed the double-helix structure of DNA.
www.sciencehistory.org
September 8, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Exciting news from my colleagues @sciencehistory.org! This archive documents the early history of #MolecularBiology & efforts to determine the structure of #DNA.
@matthewcobb.bsky.social provides an overview of its contents & significance in the thread below.
#histSTM #histsci #histbio #Molbio 🗃️📜🧬
@matthewcobb.bsky.social provides an overview of its contents & significance in the thread below.
#histSTM #histsci #histbio #Molbio 🗃️📜🧬
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Other Tech Worlds Are Possible. Comic book is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese! Partnership with the Tech Sector of the Homeless Workers’ Movement in Brazil (MTST), @germana-fazgibi.bsky.social
English: digilabour.com.br/comic-book-o...
Portuguese: www.nucleodetecnologia.com.br/hq
English: digilabour.com.br/comic-book-o...
Portuguese: www.nucleodetecnologia.com.br/hq
September 14, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Other Tech Worlds Are Possible. Comic book is available in English, Spanish and Portuguese! Partnership with the Tech Sector of the Homeless Workers’ Movement in Brazil (MTST), @germana-fazgibi.bsky.social
English: digilabour.com.br/comic-book-o...
Portuguese: www.nucleodetecnologia.com.br/hq
English: digilabour.com.br/comic-book-o...
Portuguese: www.nucleodetecnologia.com.br/hq
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Signatures needed!
Uber and Lyft drivers are on the precipice of a wage theft settlement and need to push CA AG Bonta to represent what Uber/Lyft really stole, not just a token amount.
Please sign and share this petition.
www.drivers-united.org/wage-theft-s...
Uber and Lyft drivers are on the precipice of a wage theft settlement and need to push CA AG Bonta to represent what Uber/Lyft really stole, not just a token amount.
Please sign and share this petition.
www.drivers-united.org/wage-theft-s...
Wage Theft Settlement Petition - Rideshare Drivers United
www.drivers-united.org
September 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Signatures needed!
Uber and Lyft drivers are on the precipice of a wage theft settlement and need to push CA AG Bonta to represent what Uber/Lyft really stole, not just a token amount.
Please sign and share this petition.
www.drivers-united.org/wage-theft-s...
Uber and Lyft drivers are on the precipice of a wage theft settlement and need to push CA AG Bonta to represent what Uber/Lyft really stole, not just a token amount.
Please sign and share this petition.
www.drivers-united.org/wage-theft-s...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Xi Jinping launched the Global Governance Initiative, adding to China’s suite of global proposals. Centered on sovereignty, multilateralism, and UN reform, the GGI positions Beijing as a champion of the Global South in global affairs.
Xi Launches Global Governance Initiative
In addition to China’s President Xi Jinping’s diplomatic blitz at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit and this week’s upcoming military parade, he also launched the Global Governance in...
chinaglobalsouth.com
September 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Xi Jinping launched the Global Governance Initiative, adding to China’s suite of global proposals. Centered on sovereignty, multilateralism, and UN reform, the GGI positions Beijing as a champion of the Global South in global affairs.
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Just Code, just published!!! Open Access of full book is now freely available, see link below, made possible by @sloanfoundation.bsky.social grant to CBI! Am so honored to partner w Con & work alongside 19 stellar, fellow interdisciplinary authors on this book! #histtech
cse.umn.edu/cbi/just-cod...
cse.umn.edu/cbi/just-cod...
August 27, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Just Code, just published!!! Open Access of full book is now freely available, see link below, made possible by @sloanfoundation.bsky.social grant to CBI! Am so honored to partner w Con & work alongside 19 stellar, fellow interdisciplinary authors on this book! #histtech
cse.umn.edu/cbi/just-cod...
cse.umn.edu/cbi/just-cod...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Some are embracing the fantasy that the cuts to #NIH funding will only have an impact here in the USA. As Nature reports, the NIH is the largest global funder by far and dwarfs the rest of the world’s funders of biomedical research.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
How the NIH dominates the world’s health research — in charts
Abrupt cuts by the Trump administration to the US National Institutes of Health threaten progress in medical research globally.
www.nature.com
August 25, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Some are embracing the fantasy that the cuts to #NIH funding will only have an impact here in the USA. As Nature reports, the NIH is the largest global funder by far and dwarfs the rest of the world’s funders of biomedical research.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Lin Zhang
What is Sinopessimism? From lying flat to runology, Dino Ge Zhang explores a grassroots lexicon of disillusionment in China. Not just youth disengagement but a low theory of coping, refusing, and imagining alternatives amid economic and social pressures.
On Sinopessimism, or Junkies of Futility | Made in China Journal
This essay is written precisely so that it could be dismissed. —Paul Mann (1991: 141) Gary Gexi Zhang (2021) first coined the term ‘Sinopessimism’ as a speculative counterpart to Afropessimism, imag...
madeinchinajournal.com
August 5, 2025 at 9:26 AM
What is Sinopessimism? From lying flat to runology, Dino Ge Zhang explores a grassroots lexicon of disillusionment in China. Not just youth disengagement but a low theory of coping, refusing, and imagining alternatives amid economic and social pressures.
Reposted by Lin Zhang
A short essay on the state of global digital capitalism(s) and futures in/from India and China, based on @linzhang.bsky.social 'The Labor of Reinvention' (2023)
July 21, 2025 at 2:58 PM
A short essay on the state of global digital capitalism(s) and futures in/from India and China, based on @linzhang.bsky.social 'The Labor of Reinvention' (2023)
Reposted by Lin Zhang
"As the trade union Solidarity established itself as the nerve center of Polish resistance, Minden’s longstanding book-running efforts morphed into an operation code-named QRHELPFUL... [It] sneaked in radios + printing equipment... Illicit text might be concealed in Tampax boxes or diapers..." 😈
Winning the Cold War With le Carré and Cosmopolitan Magazine
www.nytimes.com
July 12, 2025 at 8:20 PM
"As the trade union Solidarity established itself as the nerve center of Polish resistance, Minden’s longstanding book-running efforts morphed into an operation code-named QRHELPFUL... [It] sneaked in radios + printing equipment... Illicit text might be concealed in Tampax boxes or diapers..." 😈
Reposted by Lin Zhang
Building on the great papers from our Global Mediations workshop this past April, we're launching a CFP for additional contributions to an anthology on the global contestation of computational imaging. Details below; proposals due 9/13
Cultural Politics of the Computational Image: CFP – Global Mediations Lab
globalmediations.mit.edu
July 10, 2025 at 2:41 AM
Building on the great papers from our Global Mediations workshop this past April, we're launching a CFP for additional contributions to an anthology on the global contestation of computational imaging. Details below; proposals due 9/13
Reposted by Lin Zhang
I read this, and then I despaired even more deeply. They're universities, not collections of 'under-managed cluster risks'! And yet this is where we're going, because MBA Brain. (1/2) www.universityworldnews.com/post-mobile....
Higher education: How (not) to cope with a deficit
Many universities are struggling financially. Budget deficits are spiralling, triggering staff redundancy programmes, department shutdowns and the mot...
www.universityworldnews.com
July 3, 2025 at 3:32 PM
I read this, and then I despaired even more deeply. They're universities, not collections of 'under-managed cluster risks'! And yet this is where we're going, because MBA Brain. (1/2) www.universityworldnews.com/post-mobile....