In the season finale of Machines in Between, we find John and Libby getting used to life without the Rosary 1653. As they contemplate whether it is ever possible to be at home in this techno-mediated world, they receive word that Kelvin Trinsel will be stopping by the studio to offer his hearty congratulations. John and Libby spin segments on glucose monitoring, spiritual optimization, water pumps, leaf blowers, and the homes at sea and in space imagined by tech billionaires. When channels within the studio are overrun with noise, all seems to be falling apart. But when Kelvin arrives, new vistas emerge and new conversations begin.  

In the season finale, up is down and you are me and we are thee in this topsy-turvy ride through the loops we make and the loops that are made for us. Featuring an all-star cast, including the Nielsen Family Band, Suus Van Geuns, Alireza Doostdar, Moody Moussavi, Mary-Jane Rubenstein, Jenna Supp-Montgomerie, Charlie McCrary, Fritz Schroeder, Dan Ardia, Courtney Bender, and Cory McAbee.

Public humanities never sounded so good.

In this episode of the Infinity 88 Listening Hour you will hear about the ends, means, and limits of communication in this noisy, noisy world. Kelvin starts things off by explaining himself and his company to you. Libby and John then spin a few songs about sending and receiving. Folks trying to talk to each other through Google translate, others trying to respond to the call of the whales and dolphins in the sea, others getting caught up in the feedback, and still others who have cut through with the truth of what lies behind the signal. Featuring segments from Ari Kelman and Chip Callahan as well as the last single from Susannah Crockford’s “Conspiracy EP.” 

What a long strange trip it has been!

The first season of the Infinity 88 Listening Hour has bridged the gap between academic research, public discourse, and social outreach. In each episode, a newly restored Libby and John have considered the macrocosmic peaks and the uncanny valleys that are everywhere around us. By sharing research findings in an aesthetically appealing manner the Infinity 88 Listening Hour promotes a deeper understanding and appreciation for what is at stake in these perilous but incredibly hopeful times!

Featuring drops from such luminaries as Craig Calhoun, Philip Butler, Jon Rubin, Joseph Del Pesco, Susannah Crockford, and Alexis Wells-Oghoghomeh, the penultimate episode of Machines in Between asks big questions and entertains small conspiracies about our future-driven and memory-laden present.  At the beginning of Episode 7 we find co-hosts and John and Libby considering the prospects of living with and without the Rosary 1653.  After much anticipation and delay, Kelvin has finally sent along the last update.  No longer obligated to beta-test Infinity 88’s latest machine in the studio, John and Libby prepare themselves, and us, for a life without the machine in between Machines in Between.  The dramatic tension is palpable. As John frets about the sonic and emotional implications of it all, he makes one final appeal by explaining the Rosary’s revolutionary role in the Infinity 88 Listening Hour.  And when Libby tries out the last update with uneven results, it only strengthens her resolve to set aside the Rosary for good.  What will happen?  Will they turn off the Rosary 1653?  Will anything change?  Does anything ever, truly, change within this mechanical surround?  Tune in, drop by, and find out.  Public humanities never sounded so good.