Yet another high-profile slate of objects to report. The BBC and the British Museum are collaborating on a set of radio programs detailing a history of the world in 100 objects. The objects are drawn from the collection of the British Museum, and the radio program begins tomorrow (18 January).

The BBC has also produced a multimedia explorer that allows website visitors to browse the hundred objects from the series. Furthermore, website visitors are encouraged to add their own object to the site, telling its history and production in the process.

If we're being strict about things then we probably have to underscore a correlationist conceit at work in this history, since it contextualizes objects only through their use by and usefulness to humans. Nevertheless, I welcome this focus on the objects first, which does do a great deal to suggest their separateness from us, and from each other.

(thanks to Jenny Rhee for the tip)