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The Labyrinth Project

The Labyrinth Project

Written by: The Labyrinth Project at UCLA
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 Exploring the Maze of Nature in Los Angeles.The Labyrinth Project explores the diverse and surprising ways in which Los Angeles is full of different natures--- a veritable trophic cascade of the absurd and surprising. Wetlands, lawns, rats, cats, coyotes, mountain lions interact with human affect, state power, indigenous politics, aesthetic pleasure, local governmental power and much more. It is a collaborative research project at UCLA, based in the Institute for Society and Genetics, and in collaboration with the Laboratory for Environmental Narrative Strategies, and using a mix of participant-observation, structured interviewing, collaborative urban anthropology, historical and archival digging, ecological observation, and analysis of social media content. Does this maze have a monster? Did you bring thread?
Read more at https://labyrinth.garden/© 2025 The Labyrinth Project Nature & Ecology Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Lion and the Rat

    The Lion and the Rat
    Jan 27 2022

    In this episode, produced by Christopher Kelty, we ask, “what can you live with” in Los Angeles? It’s a simple question without any good answers. It’s a deeply cultural question, about why we love some animals and hate others, and how that never works out well. Part of the UCLA Labyrinth Research Project, more at https://labyrinth.garden/

    The Labyrinth Project is a research project at UCLA, housed in the Institute for Society and Genetics, and partially funded by the National Science Foundation. https://labyrinth.garden/ for more details
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    28 mins
  • Unsustainable

    Unsustainable
    Feb 21 2022

    Are you doing your part to save the planet today? Surely you’ve thought about it. All around you there are signs urging you to recycle, to save water, to use less energy. In this episode, Emma Horton asks why we feel so bad for not doing our part, and whether it’s healthy to keep trying. Part of the UCLA Labyrinth Research Project, more at https://labyrinth.garden/

    The Labyrinth Project is a research project at UCLA, housed in the Institute for Society and Genetics, and partially funded by the National Science Foundation. https://labyrinth.garden/ for more details
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    21 mins
  • Coyotes in the Cloud

    Coyotes in the Cloud
    Feb 28 2022

    You just saw a coyote on the street in front of your apartment. What should you think? In this episode, Coyotes in the Cloud, Spencer Robins asks whether you actually saw that coyote or whether maybe you’ve followed a ghost into another political storm in Los Angeles. Part of the UCLA Labyrinth Research Project, more at https://labyrinth.garden/

    The Labyrinth Project is a research project at UCLA, housed in the Institute for Society and Genetics, and partially funded by the National Science Foundation. https://labyrinth.garden/ for more details
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    38 mins
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