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This article is a discipline-defining agenda. It addresses the oversight of Geographies of race in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and explores geography’s potential contributions to the unfolding debates around race, decolonisation, and whiteness. Geographies of race remain unmarked and therefore unchallenged within the field of geography in CEE. Consequently, geographers typically consider CEE as peripheral to the global racial discourses and possibly post-racial. By drawing on sociological, migration, historical, and anthropological approaches, particularly in Poland, the article emphasises the importance of geography in discussions around race, decolonisation, and whiteness. It considers the appeal of geographies of race to this “peripheral location” to demonstrate a shift in racial and colonial discourses. By bridging interdisciplinary approaches and challenging prevailing discourses, the article aims to broaden the scope of the geographies of race and foster a more inclusive and global understanding of race and colonisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discourses of space travel have long been acknowledged as imbricated in the logic and language of colonial expansionism. Despite the dangerous uses to which romantic framings of these have historically been put, there is nonetheless a lingeringly aspirational quality to imaginaries of space travel whose emancipatory potential exists in strange tension with its discursive complicity in coloniality. A related tension reverberates in newer revisionings of postcolonial science or speculative fiction that point to the utopian possibilities of imagining otherwise, in the face of traditional science fiction's embeddedness in colonial discourses of science and progress. In this essay, I explore this tension by way of an engagement with some lesser-known perspectives on and interventions in the Cold War space race. This entails an analysis of the Zambian space programme as refracted in a number of texts: A. K. Chesterton's The New Unhappy Lords, Edward Nkoloso's article, "We're Going to Mars! With a Spacegirl, Two Cats and a Missionary", Frances Bodomo's short film Afronauts, and Namwali Serpell's novel The Old Drift. I propose that irony, satire, and the theatricality of space travel have provided entry points for the critiques of inequality and oppression manifested here, and argue that this has been used to undercut coloniality and white supremacy, albeit in very different, and often disjunctive and profoundly ambivalent ways. Though at times confounding, this ambivalence warrants nuanced exploration as it reveals both overlapping and incongruent strategies for resistance, and serves to contextualize appropriations, aspirations, and imaginaries of space travel today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a special issue of the journal "Life" titled "Advances in Space Biology." It discusses the importance of space biology in both robotic and human space programs, particularly in relation to the exploration of Venus, Jupiter's icy moons, the Moon, and Mars. The document highlights the challenges posed by the space environment, such as altered gravity, radiation, and isolation, and the need for comprehensive risk models and countermeasures. It also explores the effects of microgravity on the musculo-skeletal system, the parallels between space and age-related health issues, the impact of space on the skin microbiome, and the search for life beyond Earth. The articles in this special issue contribute to our understanding of space biology. [Extracted from the article]

This book review discusses "Fighting Identity: An Ethnography of Kickboxing in East London" by Amit Singh. The review highlights how the book explores the formation of solidarities between Polish and Black fighters in East London, going beyond the divisive narratives of Brexit and emphasizing their shared identity as fighters. Singh's research combines Bourdieu's habitus and Butler's performativity theory to analyze how subjectivity and identity are negotiated in a post-Brexit Britain. The review praises Singh's careful and compassionate approach to his research participants and recommends the book for undergraduate and graduate students studying race and racism. [Extracted from the article]

Auto ownership behavior is driven by complex relationships that can vary dramatically across different traveler groups and communities. Differences in auto ownership among racial groups have been of particular interest, given ongoing efforts to advance equity in transportation outcomes. There are a number of studies documenting racial disparities in auto ownership associated with racial and ethnic residential clustering, termed "automobile mismatch." Yet, these differences in auto ownership behavior by race and residential location are virtually never considered in models of travel behavior, despite calls for the consideration for race in transportation planning and decision making. This study aims to bridge the gap between understandings of the connections between race and space and transportation outcomes, using Los Angeles County as a case study. A series of auto ownership model specifications are used to investigate statistical connections between the racial and ethnic categories of residents, and neighborhoods, revealing systematic variations across racial and spatial dimensions. The composite model, which includes racial and spatial indicators, outperforms the base model, suggesting that the inclusion of race and space explains significantly more information on variations in auto ownership and provides a superior fit to the data. Our findings also suggest that the exclusion of racial and spatial indicators may lead to overestimation of certain effects, and may completely misrepresent the importance of certain household, individual-level, and built environment effects in explaining auto ownership preferences. Given the increasing attention to equity and representation in transportation outcomes, models that exclude considerations for race and space may be poorly positioned to support meaningful transportation equity analyses. • Current travel models of auto ownership lack consideration for race and space in shaping auto ownership outcomes. • We systematically compare auto ownership model specifications, that include racial and spatial indicatiors. • The results show that models with such indicators offer better statistical fit and explain more about auto ownership. • Excluding these indicators may bias certain effects and misrepresent important household, individual, and built environment effects. • Interactions between race and space also matter and can siginificantly shape auto ownership outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The popular rhetoric of "reverse racism" suggests that white students are victimized by racism, but it is unclear what contemporary white college students specifically find negative about their experiences in race classrooms. Analyzing interviews and open‐ended survey data from 54 white undergraduates at a predominantly white university in the Northeast, this research note shows that "reverse racism" is not the primary framework through which respondents interpret their negative classroom experiences. Instead, respondents rely on racist tropes about people of color to position themselves as silenced in these settings. We show how respondents (1) describe hypothetical scenarios involving explosive professors and students of color, and (2) view the race classroom as a space for learning "different perspectives," in order to (3) claim that their whiteness renders them ineligible to participate in class discussions. Amidst political and academic condemnation of "cancel culture" and the perpetuation of myths that left‐wing activists of color unjustly target free speech, white students may incorporate these concerns into their meaning‐making. Although respondents do not explicitly invoke "reverse racism," we argue that these narratives still reinforce the existing racial structure. These preliminary findings suggest the need for further exploration of white students' complex reactions to race classes in the current sociopolitical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are witnessing a new space race. In the past few years, the number of successful launches to low Earth orbit has been higher than at any time since Sputnik. Commercial space companies, led by SpaceX and Blue Origin, have developed reusable rockets that are fundamentally changing the economics of spaceflight and opening new markets for recreation and tourism. Large numbers of small satellites are being deployed to monitor Earth resources and deliver high speed Internet to developing countries. Meanwhile, a growing number of countries have built space programs, and a superpower rivalry between China and America has replaced the traditional competition between Russia and America. All this activity raises legal and ethical issues. Space debris is accumulating at a rapid rate, creating a hazard for humans and hardware in low Earth orbit. Currently, there is no real incentive for companies or governments to mitigate this threat. The ownership of space resources is not covered by international law and in most countries, spaceflight is subject to very little regulation. Another concern is the potential militarization of space by the major powers. As we explore space, exploitation may be taking precedence over conservation. Hopefully, the economic benefits of space will be realized while the activity grows ethically and sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palestine continues to be a contentious issue in and for Western higher education particularly in Germany and, by extension, in German-speaking academia. In this article we take figurations of Palestine as an analytical lens through which to trouble German-centric epistemologies, understandings of history and their applications inside academic structures. We specifically tackle the silence on and ideological erasure of Palestine in German-speaking academic environments and read this erasure as colonially constituted and stemming from a German Lebensraum ideology, ruling over space and race 'through science'. We propose to understand contemporary erasures of Palestine through this transnational and transhistorical space-race-and-education-nexus. First, we delineate Lebensraum ideology and its policing barriers and apply it to today's structures of higher education and the territorial exclusion of Palestinians from those structures by way of education. Within this epistemic nationalist framework—which evicts politicized Palestinians qua Palestinians as (too) political —we discuss how Palestine has become a central tool for the maintenance of white academia, and as such is a decolonial feminist issue relevant for the investigation of power structures in higher education and German political discourses. We finally discuss our theoretical approach vis-à-vis commentaries from and by Palestinians in German-speaking higher education. The authors situate their personal and professional experience on the inside, outside, and on the margins of German academia. In a political landscape that disavows BDS on campuses, brands solidarity with Palestinians as anti-Semitic, and a state doctrine that calls for an uncritical and 'unconditional support of Israel', this article is of crucial importance to understand modern knowledge production in Germany and Europe. Our methodology is based on literature reviews, new feminist theorization around issues of silence and solidarity, and preliminary (auto-) ethnographic explorations of Palestinians in and out of German-speaking academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: New Space activities offer benefits for human progress and life beyond the Earth. However, there is a risk that the New Space Economy may develop according to an anthropocentric mindset favouring human progress and survival at the expense of all other species and the environment. This mindset raises concerns over the social and environmental impacts of space activities and the accountability of space actors. This research article explores the accountability of space actors by presenting a pluralistic accountability framework to understand, inspire and change accountability in the New Space Economy. This study also identifies future research opportunities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is a reflective and normative essay. The arguments are developed using contemporary multidisciplinary academic literature, publicly available evidence and examples. Further, the authors use Dillard and Vinnari's accountability framework to examine a pluralistic accountability system for space businesses. Findings: The New Space Economy requires public and private entities to embrace hybrid and pluralistic accountability for their social and environmental impacts. A new way of seeing the relationship between human life, the Earth and celestial space is needed. Accounting language is used to mirror and mobilise broader forms of responsibility in those involved in space. Originality/value: This paper responds to the AAAJ's special issue call for examining how accountability can be ensured in the New Space Age. The space activities businesses conduct, and the anthropocentric view inspiring their race toward space is concerning. Hence, the authors advocate the need for rethinking accountability between humans and nature. The paper contributes to fostering the debate on social and environmental accounting and the accountability of space actors in the New Space Economy. To this end, the authors use a pluralistic accountability framework to help understand how the New Space Economy can face the risks emanating from its anthropocentric mindset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Apple+ television series For All Mankind imagines an alternative history in which the Soviets beat the United States to the moon and the Cold War space race never ends. Gender politics and associated dynamics are central to the action. This article explores plotlines involving two fictional cosmonauts: the first woman on the moon and a male crew member stationed at the Soviet's lunar base. It finds that FAM reinforces Cold War tropes, anxieties, and "us vs them" formulations. FAM's writers miss the opportunity to probe the complexities of gender and personhood in the late Soviet era. Instead of encouraging more nuanced thinking about "the Russians," FAM's universe perpetuates Cold War sensibilities that promote competition and conflict on Earth and in space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In "Transforming American Science: Universities, the Government, and the Cold War" by Jonathan Engel, the author explores how federal funds during the Cold War era impacted American universities and their relationships with government agencies. Engel delves into the wartime origins of agencies like the Office of Scientific Research and Development, the Manhattan Engineer District, and MIT's Radiation Laboratory, which set the stage for the expansion of research universities. The book also examines the effects of federal funding on research universities through case studies of agencies like the Office of Naval Research, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, the National Science Foundation, and NASA, highlighting the unequal distribution of resources among institutions. While Engel's analysis provides valuable insights into the transformation of American higher education, it lacks in-depth exploration of the experiences of minorities, particularly African Americans and women, within the context of Cold War research funding. [Extracted from the article]

This document provides a list of books available for review. The books cover a wide range of topics, including Marxism, social movements, public health, capitalism, global poverty, and climate change. The list includes titles such as "The Dialectics of Ecology: Socialism and Nature" by J. Bellamy Foster, "Raising the Red Flag: Marxism, Labourism, and the Roots of British Communism, 1884–1921" by T. Collins, and "The Specter of Materialism: Queer Theory and Marxism in the Age of the Beijing Consensus" by P. Liu. These books offer valuable insights into various subjects and may be of interest to library patrons conducting research on these topics. [Extracted from the article]

"Colonial Geography: Race and Space in German East Africa, 1884–1905" by Matthew Unangst is a comprehensive analysis of German imperialism in East Africa. The book explores how German colonization was driven by an ideological orientation known as kultur, which shaped their perception of the region and its indigenous inhabitants. Unangst examines the geographies of East Africa, German efforts to pursue colonization, and the ways in which German conceptions of space were used to remake the landscape and its people. The author argues that while kultur played a significant role in German colonial ambitions, violence was also a consequential aspect of German rule in East Africa. [Extracted from the article]

When we think about European integration practices, we rarely consider how they may extend to outer space. Yet, a new global space race is in full swing, in which commercial and government actors worldwide are putting forward bold visions of human futures in outer space. Europe is at the cusp of deciding which role to play in this new Space Age, with the European rocket program Ariane being at the centre of many debates about the future of Europe in space. Controversies about the future of the jointly built and heavily subsidised rocket entangle questions of innovation, in/security, and geopolitical power constellations. This paper traces which kind of space futures are projected onto and realised through Ariane, how the current geopolitical dynamics in the accelerating New Space Age are co-constitutive of how European strategic autonomy is envisioned, and how these futures relate to ideals and tensions of European integration. Mobilising work in science and technology studies (STS) on sociotechnical imaginaries and insights from the emerging social studies of outer space (SSOS), the paper offers unique and timely insights into how future visions of space shape forms of European collaboration in the present and how, conversely, geopolitical relations on Earth shape how and by whom these futures are imagined. The empirical part builds on two years of fieldwork in the European space sector, including interviews and participant observation. It presents three vignettes that highlight different aspects of strategic autonomy. The vignettes concern (1) the broader geopolitical dimension of the European rocket programme, (2) the issue of dual-use and the blurring of boundaries between civilian and military innovation, and (3) European technopolitical integration and the question of power in changing actor configurations. It is argued that the current emphasis on strategic autonomy in the European context represents a significant transformation of the role of space for European (security) integration and direct response to both the commercialisation and the securitisation of space. Moreover, it is shown how the securitisation of (access to) outer space has become a vital force to spur innovation – channelling resources, marshalling funds, and creating political legitimacy, entangling political economies of innovation with geopolitical transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interstitial space at the intersection of race and disability is primed for a decolonial analysis. By examining the colonial history of Indigenous people and Black chattel slaves in North America, this paper will show how the contemporary definitions of race and disability are inherited social constructs created for the colonizer's utility to control the bodies and minds of those occupying and working the land the colonizer seeks to control for the private accumulation of imperial wealth. I will give examples of how socio‐cultural institutions like the church have inherited the logic of colonialism, creating ideologies of domination that must be challenged by a robust decolonial theology. Racism and ableism are the direct end product of a colonial view of the world that sees land and people as exploitable and expendable. A theology of liberation must grapple with the demands of decolonization to produce a just and equitable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes Latinx stratification economics (LSE) as a scholarly approach to studying the economic status of Latinas/os/es/xs primarily in the United States. We coin the term LSE to refer to work that draws on and is in conversation with both the emergent, interdisciplinary subfield of stratification economics (SE) and the interdisciplinary field of Latinx studies (LS). SE and LS have distinct intellectual traditions and drawing on both leads to strong theoretical and empirical scholarship on Latinxs, on the operation of race across space and historical time, and on the intersection of race with other systems of domination. We discuss how, based on these perspectives, it is misguided to expect racial/ethnic categories like Hispanic to be consistent over time and space and to correspond reliably with phenotypical characteristics or culture. We argue that a good faith reading of the LS literature would result in the recommendation to subordinate models of migration to models of colonialism and imperialism. We discuss the significance of normative goals and social justice to complement "gap analysis" comparisons to non-Hispanic whites. Lastly, we discuss deficiencies of the dominant models of discrimination and, as an alternative, we highlight rational models of racism that involve strategic identifications with whiteness, blackness, and mestizaje, including by members who identify as Latinx or those with Hispanic ancestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Lebbeus Woods' lesser-known self-published works, referred to as "samizdats," which were clandestinely circulated and showcased his early explorations and philosophical musings on architecture. Topics include Woods' subversive approach to expressing his architectural ideas; the challenges of self-publishing in the pre-digital era, the content and enigmatic nature of Woods' samizdats, and his critiques of the architectural profession, particularly its commercial dogmas.

"The Future of Geography: How Power and Politics in Space Will Change Our World" by Tim Marshall is a comprehensive and accessible guide to understanding the geopolitical dynamics of space. The book explores the historical and cultural influences of space on civilizations, particularly during the Cold War era. It also delves into current developments in space exploration, including the roles of major powers like the United States, China, and Russia, as well as other significant actors such as the EU, Japan, India, and the African Union. The book raises important questions about the potential for geopolitical competition and arms races in space, while also highlighting the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. [Extracted from the article]

This research delves into the changing patterns of identity and anarchy culture experienced by the United States in the chronology of the space race with China from 2011 to 2021. Utilizing Alexander Wendt’s constructivist theory, this study explores the transformation in US space policy as a response to China’s growing presence in space exploration. The qualitative methodology employed involves thematic analysis of secondary data sources, including congressional minutes, official statements, media coverage, and public speeches. The findings reveal a dynamic shift in the US’s identity, influenced by its interactions on the international stage. During the Cold War, the US’s identity, shaped by a Hobbesian culture of anarchy, was marked by rivalry with the Soviet Union. Post-Cold War, the focus shifted to demonstrating leadership through international cooperation, reflecting a Kantian logic. However, with the emergence of China as a formidable competitor, the US identity has once again transformed, now characterized by a Lockean culture of competition rather than direct conflict. This shift has led to significant policy reformulations, including strategic partnerships and renewed emphasis on self-reliance in space missions, such as the Artemis program and collaboration with private sector companies like SpaceX. These results highlight the intricate relationship between national identity, perceived threats, and policy responses, underscoring the fluid nature of US space policy in the context of global space contestation.

The article focuses on the implications of China's 2007 anti-satellite (ASAT) test for global security and strategic intelligence. Topics include the impact of spacefaring as a domain of power, the significance of the ASAT test in shaping space policy and security, and the need for improved international governance and norms to address space-related threats.

The formation of the political and legislative regime concerning use of outer space becomes every day more relevant. The research is intended to further expand current studies devoted to this issue by providing thorough information on the formation of the world’s first international legal framework for outer space territories use. The author examines in chronological order the regulatory and institutionalization process of the world’s first informal system that determined interaction among the participants of the space race. At the same time, this study provides a detailed analysis of the problems related to the formation of a comprehensive international regime, allowing author to make a conclusion about the ineffectiveness of the current system based on targeted international treaties and the necessity of modifying the formalisation approaches. In addition, article proposes potential scenarios for the formation of a political and legal outer space regime. The author assesses the possibility of establishing military hegemony alongside militarisation of outer space, analyses prospects for a codified peaceful co-development regime in the absence of workable space diplomacy initiatives, as well as considers the possibility of privatisation of space under free competition and the probability of preserving the current regime.

The two poems that are submitted collectively as "Black Lifeworlds" are interventions in nature-society discussions. They are specifically concerned with the radical challenge that Black Geographies and Black Ecologies make vis-a-vis scholarship and discourse that are silent on the role of race in the production of space and nature. The first poem challenges racial discourses that relegate antiblackness to the colonial and antebellum period compared to a post-racist present. Through allusion to the Great Migration, the poem traces the agitations of Black mobilities. The second poem responds to the racist ecology and natural history of a European Union official, who lamenting migrants as threats to a sublime Europe, described the non-European world as a jungle. The second poem offers a counter-environmental history that rebukes European amnesia about colonial ecological violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research delves into the changing patterns of identity and anarchy culture experienced by the United States in the chronology of the space race with China from 2011 to 2021. Utilizing Alexander Wendt's constructivist theory, this study explores the transformation in US space policy as a response to China's growing presence in space exploration. The qualitative methodology employed involves thematic analysis of secondary data sources, including congressional minutes, official statements, media coverage, and public speeches. The findings reveal a dynamic shift in the US's identity, influenced by its interactions on the international stage. During the Cold War, the US's identity, shaped by a Hobbesian culture of anarchy, was marked by rivalry with the Soviet Union. Post-Cold War, the focus shifted to demonstrating leadership through international cooperation, reflecting a Kantian logic. However, with the emergence of China as a formidable competitor, the US identity has once again transformed, now characterized by a Lockean culture of competition rather than direct conflict. This shift has led to significant policy reformulations, including strategic partnerships and renewed emphasis on self-reliance in space missions, such as the Artemis program and collaboration with private sector companies like SpaceX. These results highlight the intricate relationship between national identity, perceived threats, and policy responses, underscoring the fluid nature of US space policy in the context of global space contestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]