Edges of Liberation with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
“One of the things that I really love about Star Trek is that they make you believe the science, and I actually think that that's your task; your task is to make the viewer believe the science.”
It was such a delight to explore the potentials of liberatory futures with the amazing Chanda Prescod-Weinstein! In episode #5, Chanda’s brilliancy and passion takes us on a joyous trek into the cosmos, where we talk about science, storytelling, and the power of true representation in Star Trek and beyond (and when it’s not done so well!). Chanda also weaves in other inspiring movies and shows alongside Trek to talk about physics, Black Feminisms, resistance, and the fertile solidarity found at the Trek conventions and the wider community — aspiring to keep us connected.
Show Notes
Recent Book: The Edge of Space-Time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Socials:
Cite Black Women+ in Physics and Astronomy Bibliography
Chanda on The Fire These Times
Also mentioned in show:
Charlie Jane Anders (new book + upcoming Trek Comic that features Chanda!)
Nyota Uhura singing "Кeep us connected"
Other shows/movies mentioned: Matrix, Silo, Battlestar Galactica (reboot), & Work in Progress
Lilly Wachowski and friends launched: Anarchists United Foundation and Anarchists United Studio
Support us to make more Resistance is Fertile:
- Join us over on our Patreon
- Follow RIF on BlueSky: @thestartrekpod.bsky.social
- Share the show!
Tech by Chris Bergman
RIF is co-produced by carla and Elia
Thanks for listening!
Bio: Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein is an associate professor of physics and astronomy and core faculty in women’s and gender studies at the University of New Hampshire. Her research in theoretical physics focuses on cosmology, dark matter, and neutron stars. She is also a researcher of Black feminist science, technology, and society studies. She is also the creator of the Cite Black Women+ in Physics and Astronomy Bibliography. Her first book The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred (Bold Type Books) won the 2021 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in the science and technology category, the 2022 Phi Beta Kappa Science Award, and a 2022 PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award. Dr. Prescod-Weinstein’s second book for general audiences, The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie (Pantheon Books) debuted April 7, 2026 (US/Canada) and May 7, 2026 (UK/Europe). She is now working on an academic book, The Cosmos is a Black Aesthetic (Duke University Press). Originally from East L.A., she divides her time between the New Hampshire Seacoast and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
