The Persistence of Decay

A funeral for a lighthouse, a sermon in fungus, our vanishing digital media, and the arrow of time. Watch my videos ad-free, before anyone else, by joining Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/sarahdavisbaker Watch *this* video on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/sarahdavisbaker-the-persistence-of-decay Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/sarahdavisbaker I run a weird book club over there! Remember reading?? SPOILERS? Spoilers for the Annihilation novel – although I aimed to maintain enough mystery that it would still be satisfying to read. READING MATERIALS REFERENCED Curated Decay: Heritage Beyond Saving by Caitlin DeSilvey Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation by Trever Owens Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer VIDEO & PHOTO ATTRIBUTIONS 'Tribute to Orfordness Lighthouse' by Veronica Worrall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBw0Cf25bYg&t=1643s 'The Isle of Secrets - Orford Ness (4K)' by John Rogers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg0ZIfM8tJU 'Orfordness Lighthouse' by Basil Demeroutis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqxv3FbN1yg 'Orford Ness' by St Andrew Pics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL-pPXa2qno 'Orfordness Lighthouse, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom' by Mark Dyball: https://vimeo.com/140369549 'Orfordness Lighthouse' by redeyepicture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-WDJl0Fepk 'an animated tribute to the Southern Reach trilogy' by Nervous System: https://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/blog/?p=6701 'Waipio Valley HIke on the Hawaii Island' by Zachary Cummings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8CazadtIEs 'Take a Tour in a one of the Working Lighthouse's in the Southern Hemisphere' by Ewan Arnolda: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSMxu6V7LGo 'Jardin de la Connaissance' by Rodney Latourelle: https://www.100land.de/jardin-de-la-connaissanc 'Gamov Lighthouse - #1 Russian lighthouse' by bravik Media: https://vimeo.com/25916719 'This is what extreme laserdisc rot looks and sounds like' by Jim Leonard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKgBZZb95Do 'Pioneer Cld 1950 Pal/Ntsc Laserdisc Player Single Face LD Laser Disc' by Laserdisc World: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt4kWt97myg 'New HP Moonshot Data Center - Overview' by EPC Group.net: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5huh5r_82Do 'Zoom Into a Microchip' by NISENet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxv3JoS1uY8 'Yr 6 Sopchoppy FL camping, St Mark's Lighthouse, and Petunia the Pig!' by Roads of Faith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omx3Ykm62qE 'MARTA SALOGNI & TOM RELLEN 'Giant Desert Cats' by Julian Hand: https://vimeo.com/998336230 'Brown Rot on Peach Disease Cycle' by Phytographics: https://vimeo.com/486957973 'Strawberries time-lapse' by Mark Rigler: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strawberries_time-lapse.ogv 'DATAMOSH STREET' by Rob Wells: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DATAMOSH_STREET.webm 'Example of Jpg compression (animation) Storegade 182, Esbjerg, 1' by Kent Madsen: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Example_of_Jpg_compression_(animation)_Storegade_182,_Esbjerg,_1.gif 'Bloeiende toppen van het wilgenroosje' by Veldkijker: https://openbeelden.nl/media/1041056/Bloeiende_toppen_van_het_wilgenroosje.en 'Radioactive Young Pioneer camp nestled in Chernobyl's "Red Forest"' by Carl Willis: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Radioactive_Young_Pioneer_camp_nestled_in_Chernobyl%27s_%22Red_Forest%22.webm 'Time destroyed CD' by Hutschi: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Time_destroyed_CD.JPG 'Orford Ness pagoda exterior' by Cmglee: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness_pagoda_exterior.jpg 'Orford Ness, looking towards the derelict military buildings from near the lighthouse' by Christopher Hilton: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness,_derelict_building_near_lighthouse_-_geograph.org.uk_-_6429644.jpg 'Orford Ness - Warning' by Amanda Slater: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness_-_Warning_(14328186969).jpg 'Orford Ness 15' by Draco2008: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness_15.jpg 'Orford Ness 17' by Draco2008: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness_17.jpg 'Orford Ness 22' by Draco2008: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness_22.jpg 'Orford Ness 06' by Draco2008: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness_06.jpg 'Orfordness Lighthouse, Suffolk' by Draco2008: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orfordness_Lighthouse,_Suffolk_(2728294397).jpg 'Orford Ness Trinity Lighthouse1' by Draco2008: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orford_Ness_Trinity_Lighthouse1.jpg 'Black wavy glitch effect texture background' by rawpixel: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/black-wavy-glitch-effect-texture-background_15550670.htm#fromView=search&page=2&position=17&uuid=df4610e5-8a2d-420f-8099-bc0c300c4bc2&query=glitch+border Music from Epidemic Sound Additional footage from Artgrid