Uncivil Savant
Uncivil Savant Podcast
Episode 93 - Ultra Processed Things
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Episode 93 - Ultra Processed Things

Are leaving us hapticly-malnourished

Every six months or so, inspired by thoughtful writing by Ruth Gaskovski , I end up writing a tactile / haptic response or addendum to something rich from School of the Unconformed. In this case Architecture for the Free Mind was the prompt and my desire is to add a little detail to a possible materiality for a free life. I contributed some snaps of my studio areas, full of unmade objects and hand-worked natural materials. For me, these are a source of something almost akin to a vitamin; I receive something lifegiving and nourishing when I work with or use these things.

Much is being written4 about Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs) being a feature of the modern urban diet almost worldwide, causing illness and disease. While I am not here to argue that spending up to 18 hours a day swiping almost frictionless screens or pressing plastic buttons is going to give you heart disease or directly cause obesity, I am suggesting that it is unhealthy, and related to the narrowing of simple, natural dietary and behavioural choices available around here lately.5

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This podcast was first published here on Substack on June 2nd 2025, with full transcript, footnotes, links and images.

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