Welcome to "Into the Kn/own/"—the podcast that will challenge the way you think about knowledge and its ownership. Host Emily Tsui takes her listeners on a journey behind the scenes of the volume Ownership of Knowledge. In each bite-sized episode, she introduces one chapter from the book and delves into the captivating stories and real-life cases that fueled the research behind it.
Join her as Emily explores how the "kn/own/able" concept comes to life in various fields, uncover the big questions that continue to intrigue researchers and gain fresh perspectives on our understanding of knowledge ownership—from genetics to ethnography, from education to copyright law, and from ancient Chinese history to museum heritage.
This podcast series includes the following episodes:
1. Can Someone Own Your Genes?
The ownership of our bodies seems simple and obvious at first glance. But beneath lies a nuanced landscape. From immortal cell lines to patenting human genes, in this inaugural episode of "Into the Kn/own/" we explore some of the legal and ethical dimensions around knowing and owning bodily material.
This episode is based on the book chapter "Ownability, Ownership, Knowledge, and Genetic Information in the United States" by Myles Jackson in the volume Ownership of Knowledge. Beyond Intellectual Property.
This volume is published under Open Access Licensing. Read online for free by clicking on the links above.
2. An Ethereal Thread: Rethinking Knowledge Ownership with the Reite People
“Knowledge” is an abstract word. Yet, in our western society, we seem to have a mutual understanding of what it means. What is this common denominator – and what if it is radically challenged?
This episode is based on the book chapter "An Aesthetic of Knowledge: Relations and the Documentation of Traditional Knowledge in Papua New Guinea" by James Leach in the volume Ownership of Knowledge. Beyond Intellectual Property.
This volume is published under Open Access Licensing. Read online for free by clicking on the links above.
3. Once upon a Time in Intellectual Property Law
What potentials do narratives have for our understanding of the world, both past and present? Can they emerge in areas as factual as university textbooks and patent law? This is a story about how the way we say it can shape the way we know it.
This episode is based on the book chapter “Teaching Intellectual Property: Constructing the Historical Narrative of Intellectual Property in University Textbooks” by Marius Buning in the volume Ownership of Knowledge. Beyond Intellectual Property.
This volume is published under Open Access Licensing. Read online for free by clicking on the links above.
This episode explores a small crackle - and some big questions around what it means to be an “original” work and what it means to be a “fake”. Together with art historian Marjolijn Bol we travel from her garden to the vibrant markets of Indonesia and Africa. What can dazzling gems, intricate Batik patterns, and other material tell us about the power of imitation? Are “fake” and “original” always on opposite ends? Can a simple “crackle" in a material have value? This story delves into how our understanding of materials shape our connection to them.
This episode is based on the book chapter “Imitating Crackles: Material Mimesis in Stones and Textiles” by Marjolijn Bol in the volume Ownership of Knowledge. Beyond Intellectual Property.
This volume is published under Open Access Licensing. Read online for free by clicking on the links above.
5. Do Look Up: Glass Ceilings in Science Classrooms
What if a banana could expose the cracks in our science education system? This episode peels back the layers of some traditional teaching methods, revealing how they might be perpetuating inequalities.
This episode is based on the book chapter "Educational Inequities and the Distribution of Technical Knowledge: Three Instruments" by Amy Slaton in the volume Ownership of Knowledge. Beyond Intellectual Property.
This volume is published under Open Access Licensing. Read online for free by clicking on the links above.
6. Beyond the Notes: How Carnatic Music Belongs to Its Practitioners
If you consider the music you hear on a radio, you might think about lyrics jotted down on a piece of paper or musical notes captured in ink, all under the protection of copyright law. That seems straightforward—until you explore an art form like Carnatic music. This Indian music style transcends the written note: based around communal experiences and ever-evolving improvisations, it challenges Western notions of how we understand music, and how we own it.
This episode is based on the book chapter "Raga and the Problem of Ownership: Knowledge and Culture in Carnatic Music" by Annapurna Mamidipudi and Viren Murthy in the volume Ownership of Knowledge. Beyond Intellectual Property.
This volume is published under Open Access Licensing. Read online for free by clicking on the links above.
Copyrights
This podcast series is produced by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science.
Host: Emily Tsui
Editorial and Production Management: Verena Braun
Episode writers: Verena Braun, Nana Citron, Niclas Look, Soraya Memet, Lucy Ruth Salmon, Emily Tsui
Storyediting: Verena Braun, Stephanie Hood
Production: Verena Braun, Emily Tsui
Editing and Sound Mastering: Verena Braun, Niclas Look, Lucy Ruth Salmon
Music: Little Strut Surprise by Podington Bear, edited, CC BY-NC 3.0