The philosopher Stefano Gualeni isn’t your grandmother’s intellectual. Sure, he produces papers, gives lectures and mentors students. But he also builds things. His creations, which he believes can fulfill the ultimate goal of the humanities, are a far cry from the traditional output of philosophers. Gualeni’s ultimate tool to trigger people to become better thinkers is a video game about soup. The game, called Something Something Soup Something, asks players to imagine that it is the year 2078, and their job is to oversee the output of alien workers on a planet colonized by Earth. Being aliens, though, they don’t always understand the task at hand. The player’s job is to categorize individual items the aliens produce—from “a foamy liquid with batteries and croutons served in a hat with a fork” to “a thick liquid with mushrooms served in a This story is from Kinfolk Issue Thirty-Eight Buy Now Related Stories Arts & Culture Issue 51 Emily Gernild The Danish painter breathing new life into an old medium. Arts & Culture Food Issue 51 Imogen Kwok The artist takes food styling quite literally, creating accessories out of fruits and vegetables. Arts & Culture Design Issue 51 How to Make a Chair And do it on a tiny budget. Arts & Culture Issue 51 Odd Jobs The comedian with strong opinions about your home décor. Arts & Culture Issue 51 Tall Order The hidden depths of height. Arts & Culture Films Issue 51 Vicky Krieps An interview with the actor.
Arts & Culture Food Issue 51 Imogen Kwok The artist takes food styling quite literally, creating accessories out of fruits and vegetables.
