Based in Sydney, Australia, Foundry is a blog by Rebecca Thao. Her posts explore modern architecture through photos and quotes by influential architects, engineers, and artists.

The Terrifying Darkness of Technology

The Terrifying Darkness of Technology

To The Swarthmorean,

I have always felt an antipathy to technology, and was clearly born in the wrong century. Seldom a day goes by when I do not feel the violence of the technical world, an almost visceral terrifying darkness. The latest affront occurred while trying to register online with CVS for a rapid covid test required for an upcoming trip to Toronto. The amount of information required seemed excessive, and I stalled out when I was asked to upload a photo of my health insurance card. I suppose this seems like nothing to most, but at age 76 with a flip phone, it was a maneuver beyond my comprehension. 

Canadian philosopher George Grant wrote about the destructive imperatives of technology, and how if we are attentive it gives us “intimations of our deprivals.” Even though I am a devout atheist I find a line by poet Franz Wright strangely comforting: “the great gold wheel of God’s eternal day.”

Allan Irving
Swarthmore

‘But only God can make a tree.*’

‘But only God can make a tree.*’

Concerns Regarding PECO High Voltage Lines

Concerns Regarding PECO High Voltage Lines