Creative Interventions: “Asymptote” with Nora Khan

Nora Khan explores our personal relationships with computational systems through moments spanning from childhood gaming experiences to contemporary AI. The central metaphor of the “asymptote”—a curve endlessly approaching but never reaching a line—describes both humanity’s pursuit of technological mastery, and the incomputable aspects of experience that resist capture by algorithms and surveillance. Through encounters with drones, machine learning systems, and glitched game worlds, this talk argues for maintaining space for the mystical, ineffable, and offscreen in an era of relentless quantification and prediction. The talk ultimately calls for preserving doubt, acknowledging what cannot be computed, and remembering the personal “why” that precedes professional identity in navigating our algorithmic present.

This event is presented as part of the Creative Interventions (CI) Series and is co-sponsored by the Arts Division’s Creative Technologies program and Porter College at UC Santa Cruz.
—
ADMISSION
– Free and open to UCSC affiliates.
– This is an online event.
– Registration is required here.
—
FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
– Event dates to be announced throughout the 2025-26 academic year.
– Learn more about the Creative Intervention Series here.
—
ABOUT THE SERIES
Creative Interventions addresses the interconnected work of artists, designers, activists, and knowledge workers—and the intrinsic and transformative capacity of that work to cultivate a just society. More information about the Creative Technologies program.
—
This program is open to all UC Santa Cruz affiliates consistent with state and federal law.