0
0
In these times of crisis, I would like to provide some recommendations for media that can keep you entertained, give you some inspiration, or let you laugh about the absurdities around us. So, depending on your mood, in that very order:
A story of adventure: ‘The Time Machine’ H.G. Wells (1895, Short story)
Typical – guy goes on an adventure and faces unforeseeable challenges – story. But not only that, actually, this is also one of the first ‘science fic
tion’ stories. When I want to feel entertained amidst crises, this is a good crisis to escape to!
When I read this, I thought about 19th century perspectives on science, technology, and the future of humanity. I imagined a future through their eyes: eyes, which lived in a time before anything remotely resembling today’s technological chaos existed. Pick up this public domain book and have a fun afternoon not thinking about today!
A story of trying: ‘Why Amsterdam doesn’t build skyscrapers’ Hoog (2025, YouTube)
Amsterdam, like Zurich and many other metropolitan cities, faces a housing crisis. YouTuber Hoog (Dutch for high) goes through a story of a young architect on a mission to build more housing. Facing rejections for his plans and ideas time and time again, his approaches to the problem become more refined and creative. There aren’t plans to build skyscrapers in Amsterdam anytime soon, but Hoog is on a mission.
A story of bizarre circumstances: ‘Dr Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb’ Stanley Kubrick (1964, Film)
Sometimes when I stop doing everything for a moment and think about the things happening around me in society, politics, the economy, the state of education, and immigration, and international relations between superpowers, and the war and violence… it all seems a bit much. A bit surreal. This film, however, lets me entertain the thought of how much worse it could be. The world feels a bit more normal after this, surprisingly. A dark and ridiculous comedy from 50 years ago: I don’t know if I laugh sincerely or out of fear, but at least I laugh.
Manthan Gadhia
