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Gisa Weszkalnys

Gisa Weszkalnys

Associate Professor of Anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science
I am an economic anthropologist with an interest in how the future figures in human practice. My research pioneers an ethnographic analysis of future making as a political, material, and affective endeavour central to contemporary capitalism. I have carried out a number of significant research projects working both independently and in interdisciplinary teams, and have also worked as consultant researcher for a number of third sector and corporate organisations. My research has been published widely, including the book 'Berlin, Alexanderplatz: Transforming Place in a Unified Germany' (Berghahn, 2010), and a vole co-edited with Simone Abram, entitled 'Elusive Promises: Planning in the Contemporary World' (Berghahn, 2013). I am now writing a second monograph with the working title 'A Doubtful Hope: Oil, Wealth, and Time in Atlantic Africa'. The book tracks the speculative logics at play in offshore hydrocarbon exploration in São Tomé and Príncipe, a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, and examines a new and deeply racialised politics of resource management, which revolves not simply around the democratic and technical aspects of oil’s exploitation but increasingly the affective dissonances associated with it. I build on my interest in the multiple and occasionally inconsistent temporalities of hydrocarbon extraction in a new UKRI-funded project entitled Fraying ties? Networks, territory and transformation in the UK oil sector (with Gavin Bridge, Durham University; Nana de Graaff, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; and James Marriott, Platform).

Oil in Global Economy Series

Offering oil and gas licences every year distracts from the challenge of winding down UK North Sea

Nov 10, 2023 14:43 pm UTC| Business

New areas for oil and gas development on the UKs North Sea continental shelf are to be made available through annual licensing rounds subject to net zero tests. These proposals by the UK government, outlined in the 2023...

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Economy

What should you do if you can’t pay your rent or mortgage?

The cost of living crisis is making it difficult for many people to pay their bills, including housing costs. Private sector rents have increased by an average 9% over the year to February 2024, and rising interest rates...

Some experts say the US economy is on the up, but here’s why voters don’t think so

Many Americans are gloomy about the economy, despite some data saying it is improving. The Economist even took this discussion to TikTok. When its US editor John Prideaux examined inflation, wage and employment numbers,...

Electric air taxis are on the way – quiet eVTOLs may be flying passengers as early as 2025

Imagine a future with nearly silent air taxis flying above traffic jams and navigating between skyscrapers and suburban droneports. Transportation arrives at the touch of your smartphone and with minimal environmental...

Electricity from farm waste: how biogas could help Malawians with no power

In sub-Saharan Africa, over 600 million people (more than 50% of the population) are without access to electricity. Malawi has one of the worlds lowest electricity access rates just 14.1% of the total population have...

High interest rates aren’t going away anytime soon – a business economist explains why

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at its May 1, 2024, policy meeting, dashing the hopes of potential homebuyers and others who were hoping for a cut. Not only will rates remain at their current level a...

Politics

Taiwan is experiencing millions of cyberattacks every day

Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety of grey zone tactics to pressure...

What the Supreme Court is doing right in considering Trump’s immunity case

Following the nearly three-hour oral argument about presidential immunity in the Supreme Court on April 25, 2024, many commentators were aghast. The general theme, among legal and political experts alike, was a...

US student Gaza protests: five things that have been missed

Coverage of the recent student encampments at more than 50 universities across the United States has focused on confrontations between opposing groups of protesters or between protesters and police. The spectacle of...

Will Solomon Islands’ new leader stay close to China?

Former foreign minister Jeremiah Manele has been elected the next prime minister of Solomon Islands, defeating the opposition leader, Matthew Wale, in a vote in parliament. The result is a mixed bag for former prime...

Science

IceCube researchers detect a rare type of energetic neutrino sent from powerful astronomical objects

About a trillion tiny particles called neutrinos pass through you every second. Created during the Big Bang, these relic neutrinos exist throughout the entire universe, but they cant harm you. In fact, only one of them is...

The Mars Sample Return mission has a shaky future, and NASA is calling on private companies for backup

A critical NASA mission in the search for life beyond Earth, Mars Sample Return, is in trouble. Its budget has ballooned from US$5 billion to over $11 billion, and the sample return date may slip from the end of this...

Dark matter: our new experiment aims to turn the ghostly substance into actual light

A ghost is haunting our universe. This has been known in astronomy and cosmology for decades. Observations suggest that about 85% of all the matter in the universe is mysterious and invisible. These two qualities are...

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Technology

Shiba Inu (SHIB) May Skyrocket 20% If This Happens, Analysts Warn of Risks

Shiba Inu (SHIB) may skyrocket 20% if it breaches a critical resistance level, analysts suggest. The cryptocurrency is currently hanging from the edge, facing pivotal support levels that will determine its next...

Hong Kong Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Experience Highest Net Outflows Since Launch

Hong Kongs Bitcoin and Ether ETFs have experienced record net outflows since launch, marking a significant downturn in investor sentiment and fund performance. Hong Kongs Bitcoin and Ether ETFs Face Unprecedented $52.5M...

Subaru and Toyota Collaborate on 3 New Electric SUVs, Citing ‘Huge Risk’ of Solo EVs

Subaru and Toyota are expanding their partnership to produce three new electric SUVs, with Subarus CEO citing the huge risk of developing EVs independently. Subaru Partners with Toyota to Reduce Risks in EV Development,...

First Look: Tesla Cybertruck's New Tactical Grey Interior Spotted in Forum Images

Tesla enthusiasts got a first look at the new Tactical Grey interior for the Cybertruck, revealed through leaked images on the Cybertruck Owners Club Forum. Cybertruck Owners Forum Unveils Tactical Grey Interior Last...
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