Brian Michael Murphy, Dean of the College at Bennington College, will present "Bombproof Archives: Iron Mountain and the American Data Complex." The United States has over 2,700 data centers—more than Germany, the United Kingdom, China, and Canada combined. In addition to these digital repositories, government agencies and corporations still maintain massive archives of paper documents, microfilm backups, and magnetic tape reels, as well as a vast network of securitized, climate-controlled locations to protect all these records. How and why did Americans become the most prolific generators and preservers of data on the planet? This talk explores the archives, vaults, and digitization labs of the Iron Mountain National Data Center in Boyers, Pennsylvania, a 150-acre facility located 220 feet underground, in a former limestone mine. With its armed guards, “bombproof” architecture, and intense surveillance systems, Iron Mountain embodies the key features of America’s “data complex”: the network of bunkers that safeguards "permanent" traces of American culture, records that certify state and corporate power, and a set of plans for national resurrection even after the end of the world. With those motives, it aims to establish an immortal America. Co-hosted by the Department of Comparative Studies. This event is free and open to the public. For credit: Take a picture of yourself at the event and send a short reflection to apo.leadership.ai@gmail.com talking about the event and what you learned/took away from it.