The Pleasures of Contamination

Through the concept of contamination, David Greetham highlights various ways that one text may invade another, carrying with it a residue of potential meaning. While the focus of this study is on written works, the scope ranges widely over music, politics, art, science, philosophy, religion, and social studies. Greetham argues that this sort of contamination is not only ubiquitous in contemporary culture, but may also be a necessary and fruitful aspect of the human condition. Taking current issues from the CERN Hadron Supercollider and the existence of "yellowcake" uranium in Niger, to the problems of forensics in criminal and civil contexts, and the reconstitution of reality on YouTube, this study addresses some of the most pressing concerns of the 21st century, while showing that basic questions of fact and evidence have always been a part of human interaction.