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Get ready for a blast from the past as we count down the most epic fantasy and sci-fi books of the 1990s! From classic series like Harry Potter and Red Mars to groundbreaking novels like Snow Crash and A Game of Thrones, we're diving into the decade that defined modern fantasy and science fiction. Join us as we explore the books that shaped our imagination, influenced our favorite authors, and continue to inspire new generations of readers. Whether you're a nostalgic 90s kid or just discovering the magic of these iconic novels, this episode is for you!#FantasyForTheAges #ReadingRecommendations #Classics #ClassicLiterature #HugoAwards #SciFi #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #FantasyFiction #SSF #BestBooks #Top3 #Top10 #booktube #booktuberWant to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode?Barrayar: https://t.ly/yoDxaBlue Mars: https://t.ly/ENDc1City of Bones: https://t.ly/c2lE8A Clash of Kings: https://t.ly/UYaFHThe Death of the Necromancer: https://t.ly/Ug5QRA Deepness in the Sky: https://t.ly/A62tbThe Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer: https://t.ly/t1sUqDoomsday Book: https://t.ly/MebqFEarth: https://t.ly/yjFUzThe Fall of Hyperion: https://t.ly/7EucCA Fire Upon the Deep: https://t.ly/FxnVSForever Peace: https://t.ly/2BLxbA Game of Thrones: https://t.ly/o7bq0The Golden Compass: https://t.ly/7n5sNGreen Mars: https://t.ly/g-8IrHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: https://t.ly/XxEGrHarry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: https://t.ly/3_MH7Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: https://t.ly/_SxSWMirror Dance: https://t.ly/c5sGyMoving Mars: https://t.ly/Y1AsuOutlander: https://t.ly/tmVjPJurassic Park: https://t.ly/S9O7eParable of the Sower: https://t.ly/ZmygjParable of the Talents: https://t.ly/cZPa5Red Mars: https://t.ly/Qhd1HSlow River: https://t.ly/tiu_sSnow Crash: https://t.ly/auBgEThe Sparrow: https://t.ly/vlmFjStations of the Tide: https://t.ly/FHhzqSteel Beach: https://t.ly/khsNuA Storm of Swords: https://t.ly/FEoNcThe Terminal Experiment: https://t.ly/qQfeiTo Say Nothing of the Dog: https://t.ly/sO2pOTowing Jehovah: https://t.ly/JxbvHVirtual Light: https://t.ly/TwFiJThe Vor Game: https://t.ly/C0a7AWays to connect with us:Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.socialFollow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages Follow us on Mastodon: @FantasyForTheAges@nerdculture.de Email us: FantasyForTheAges@gmail.com Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheagesJim's Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4 ————————————————————————————Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements:https://elements.envato.com/
Send us a textWilliam Gibson described Cyberpunk as a fusion of high-tech and low-life, exploring the intersection of technology, cybernetics, and computer networks on human society in a near-future, often dystopian setting.If you don't know who William Gibson is then shame on you.Like most people out there, my first exposure to Cyberpunk was Blade Runner. The 1982 movie by Ridley Scott blew me away. After that I watched movies like Freejack and Johnny Mnemonic, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell. it wasn't until the late 90's that I started diving into the literary world of Cyberpunk with Nuromancer and Snowcrash.I loved the setting, the style, the tech, and the action, but I never got into the roleplaying games. I heard about Cyberpunk, and Cyberpunk 2020. But for some strange reason I never picked them up.Then Mike asked me if I was interested in playing Cyberpunk Red.I jumped at the chance.Mike ran our group though almost a year of Cyberpunk using the Cyberpunk Red rules and we have recently started up again focusing more on the Edgerunner 2077 expansion for Cyberpunk Red.After that much game time, we got opinions.In this episode Mike, Christina and I are going to give you an honest, unbiased review of Cyberpunk Red.But before we do that, Christina, break down the legalese for us.[Kick to Christina so she can go on about how we haven't been paid or compensated in any way for our opinion and we bought the shit with money out of our own pocket.]Now Mike, Start us off on our review of Cyberpunk Red.
En 5 minutes chrono, Découvrez ce qu'est (vraiment) le métavers, cette idée d'univers virtuel immersif, persistant et interconnecté : qui construit ces mondes, qu'y fait-on déjà, et quels usages concrets (jeux, formation, commerce, travail, événements) se cachent derrière ce mot-clé. Un épisode pour faire le point, sans se perdre dans les casques VR, avec une dose d'humour et d'autodérision !Sources citées dans l'épisode :1. Stephenson, N. (1992). Snow Crash. Bantam Books.2. Roblox Company : “Roblox Next Phase Report 2024” – https://corp.roblox.com/news/3. Fortnite/Fan Insights : “Travis Scott Astronomical Event Stats” 2020 – https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/astronomical4. Meta (Horizon Worlds) : https://about.facebook.com/meta5. Decentraland : https://decentraland.org/6. The Sandbox : https://sandbox.game/en/7. Microsoft Mesh : https://www.microsoft.com/mesh8. Spatial : https://spatial.io/9. Virbela : https://www.virbela.com/10. Stanford University : “Energy Use of VR/AR” – https://web.stanford.edu/~alecm/Publications/energy-VR-AR.pdf11. “Why the Metaverse Matters” – Harvard Business Review, 2022 – https://hbr.org/2022/03/why-the-metaverse-matters----------------------------------DSI et des Hommes est un podcast animé par Nicolas BARD, qui explore comment le numérique peut être mis au service des humains, et pas l'inverse. Avec pour mission de rendre le numérique accessible à tous, chaque épisode plonge dans les expériences de leaders, d'entrepreneurs, et d'experts pour comprendre comment la transformation digitale impacte nos façons de diriger, collaborer, et évoluer. Abonnez-vous pour découvrir des discussions inspirantes et des conseils pratiques pour naviguer dans un monde toujours plus digital.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.
This is a Seth’s Picks episode, the very highly regarded, though not much honored at the time Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson. It’s like Ready Player One, but without all the references or terrible writing. (It’s not really like RPO at all, and that’s a very good thing.) This is one of my shorter episodes, … Continue reading "Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson, with guest Leah Borden"
There's a worst case scenario looming here, isn't there? Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, Curtis Yarvin, Freedom Cities, "Anarcho-Capitalism", and the Neofeudal Order Still to Come Special thanks to my Patrons Support this project at https://patreon.com/ericrosenfield for exclusive author's notes, deleted material, and other goodies Blog version: https://literatemachine.com/2025/04/13/our-coming-cyberpunk-dictatorship-snow-crash Bibliography: https://literatemachine.com/2025/04/13/our-coming-cyberpunk-dictatorship-snow-crash#bibliography Music: "What Shall We Do Now?" written by Roger Waters, performed by me Lossless audio version now up on Patreon
Welcome to Mona Lisa Overpod, the show that asks the question "What is cyberpunk?" On each episode, hosts Ka1iban and author Lyda Morehouse dive into the genre that helped define sci-fi fiction in '80s and they break down its themes which remain relevant to our lives in the 21st century. Pull on your mirrorshades, jack into the matrix, and start your run with us today!Was Snow Crash the annunciation of a new era of the cyberpunk genre or its epitaph? Upon its release in 1992, Neal Stephenson's third novel entered a literary world that had grown tired of the pessimistic speculations of tech noir fiction. The public was ready for tales of a future that promised hope and adventure, a little "high life" to go with the "high tech". Snow Crash has been lauded by contemporary critics (and tech CEOs) as a visionary, biting satire of consumerism and cyberpunk tropes in equal measure. But is Stephenson's tale of pizza-delivering hackers a postcyberpunk, postmodernist masterpiece, or is it just a bunch of babble? In this episode, we discuss the environment into which Snow Crash was born, its comic origins, the contiguity of cyberpunk and satire, Stephenson's evolving career, postcyberpunk, the book's eerie prescience, civilization as a virus, the book's influence on our current world, and a "culture medium for a medium culture." We also talk about the Seattle of the Midwest, missing the "meme", baby luaus, doing your own research, repeating bad information, A Irony, Ed Meece bucks, commentainment, status symbol books, boomer hackers and zoomer slackers, hipster sword fights, loving a crapsack world, subverting the "punk", notes of libertarianism, "Sushi K, Tran, and the Rat Things: The Spinoff", AskJeeves+, Wikipedia OMEGA, "skipping the memo", and only reading the second part of Snow Crash?!I love Y.T.! uh...like a little sister...The new edition of Lyda's book, Ressurection Code, is out now!https://wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/books-by-lyda-morehouse/resurrection-code/Join Kaliban on Twitch weekdays at 12pm for the Cyber Lunch Hour!http://twitch.tv/justenoughtropePut Just Enough Trope merch on your body!http://justenoughtrope.threadless.comMLOP is a part of the Just Enough Trope podcast network. Check out our other shows about your favorite pop culture topics and join our Discord!http://www.twitter.com/monalisaoverpodhttp://www.justenoughtrope.comhttp://www.instagram.com/monalisaoverpodhttps://discord.gg/7E6wUayqBuy us a coffee on Ko-Fi!https://ko-fi.com/justenoughtrope
Evan Phoenix (@evanphx), CEO of Miren, joins Robby to explore the subtle but powerful difference between writing code that works and writing code that explains itself. They discuss the role of clarity in maintainable systems, why splitting a monolith can backfire, and what developers can learn from artists and tradespeople alike.Episode Highlights[00:01:30] What Makes Software Maintainable?Evan defines maintainability as how easily a newcomer can make a change with minimal context.[00:02:30] Why Business Logic Should Be ObviousA discussion on domain knowledge leakage and abstracting rules like “can we sell today?”[00:05:00] Programming 'Mouthfeel' and the Trap of PrefactoringEvan explains why prematurely optimizing for reuse can lead to unnecessary complexity.[00:07:00] When to Extract Logic: The Copy/Paste SignalA practical approach to identifying reusable components by spotting repeated code.[00:08:00] Technical Debt as a Reflection of Cognitive LoadWhy forgetting your own code doesn't automatically mean it's “bad” code.[00:10:30] Testing as Emotional InsuranceHow writing even basic checks can build team confidence—especially when test coverage is weak.[00:13:00] Daily Integration Tests: A Low-Pressure Safety NetUsing nightly integration runs to catch invisible bugs in complex systems.[00:14:00] Confidence > 100% Test CoverageWhy fast feedback loops matter more than aiming for exhaustive tests.[00:20:00] Splitting the Monolith: A Cautionary TaleEvan shares how decoupling apps without decoupling the database created chaos.[00:22:00] Shared Models, Split Repos, and Hidden PitfallsThe unexpected bugs that emerge when two apps maintain duplicate models and validations.[00:23:00] Better Alternatives to Splitting CodebasesHow separate deployments and tooling can mimic team separation without architectural debt.[00:28:00] The Hidden Cost of Diverging Business DomainsWhen apps evolve independently, business logic begins to drift—undermining consistency.[00:29:00] Building Miren and Staying MotivatedHow Evan approaches early-stage product development with curiosity and detachment.[00:36:00] How to Know When Your Open Source Project Is “Done”Reframing “dead” projects as complete—and why stability is often a feature.[01:01:00] Signals for Trusting Open Source DependenciesEvan's mental checklist for evaluating if a library is worth adopting.[01:07:00] The Importance of Hiring Junior DevelopersWhy investing in beginners is crucial for the future of our industry.[01:08:00] Book RecommendationsEvan recommends The Inner Game of Tennis and Snow Crash.Links and ResourcesEvan Phoenix's WebsiteEvan on GitHubEvan on MastodonBook RecommendationsThe Inner Game of Tennis (book)Snow Crash by Neal StephensonThanks to Our Sponsor!Turn hours of debugging into just minutes! AppSignal is a performance monitoring and error-tracking tool designed for Ruby, Elixir, Python, Node.js, Javascript, and other frameworks.It offers six powerful features with one simple interface, providing developers with real-time insights into the performance and health of web applications.Keep your coding cool and error-free, one line at a time! Use the code maintainable to get a 10% discount for your first year. Check them out! Subscribe to Maintainable on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyOr search "Maintainable" wherever you stream your podcasts.Keep up to date with the Maintainable Podcast by joining the newsletter.
Charlie, Ted, and Rony welcome Sean Mann, CEO of RP1, whose Metaverse browser can support hundreds of thousands of unique users in a spatial environment. It's earning week in the tech world and the outlook for 2025, after two years of hypergrowth, is downright conservative. Love for Meta's money printing machine continued, despite continued losses on its Metaverse ambitions. Apple's discontinuing AR glasses. Or are they? And Alexa is back. Using RP1's browser, users can share spatial environments, including 1:1 maps of the physical world, on any browser, including VR. Charlie says the MR demo of RP1 that he showed him on Thursday was the most like the mixed reality described in "Snow Crash" he has ever seen. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
DDHD = Dreams Don't Have Deadlines. Disambung cerita tentang buku Snow Crash (karangan Neal Stephenson) dan beberapa ide dari buku itu; antara lain adalah istilah "metaverse"
Jeph Wilkinson, host of Big Campaign Podcast, loves table top role playing games (AKA TTRPGs) and joined Leah to talk about how he found Dungeons & Dragon, the joy of running TTRPGs campaigns with friends, and storytelling. Jeph is an independent podcaster! Follow Jeph online The World of Big Campaign Stories: https://www.bigcampaign.com/ Big Campaign Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/big_campaign_stories Big Campaign Podcast on X: https://x.com/BigCampaignPod Big Campaign Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/big_campaign_podcast Show Notes Upper Middlebrow: https://uppermiddlebrow.com/ Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson: https://bookshop.org/p/books/snow-crash-neal-stephenson/7327954?ean=9780553380958 Dungeons & Dragons: https://dndstore.wizards.com/ Dune by Frank Herbert: https://bookshop.org/p/books/dune-frank-herbert/7502701?ean=9780441172719 Vampire: the Masquerade: https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/world-of-darkness/discover-world-of-darkness/vampire-the-masquerade The Golden Bachelorette: https://abc.com/show/4175a1c6-1594-4c90-9895-02008e6f0550 Żubrówka Bison Grass Vodka: https://zubrowka-vodka.com/ Epic Level Handbook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Level_Handbook Finding Favorites "Chris Bagg loves Table Top Roleplaying Games": https://findingfavorites.podbean.com/e/chris-bagg-dnd-ttrpg/ Newcomers: https://headgum.com/newcomers Pathfinder: https://paizo.com/pathfinder Wizards of the Coast: https://company.wizards.com/ High and Mighty: https://headgum.com/high-and-mighty Magic: The Gathering: https://magic.wizards.com/ Clash of Krits: https://linktr.ee/clashofkrits Rainbow Dice Club: https://linktr.ee/rainbowdiceclub How Did This Get Made?: https://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/ Doughboys: https://headgum.com/doughboys Armchair Expert: https://armchairexpertpod.com/ Finding Favorites is edited and mixed by Rob Abrazado. Follow Finding Favorites on Instagram at @FindingFavsPod and leave a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts, GoodPods or Spotify. Got a question or want to suggest a guest? email Leah at FindingFavoritesPodcast@gmail.com Support Finding Favorites by shopping for books by guests or recommended by guests on Bookshop.
The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, CDR Paul Grostad discusses the emerging threat of cognitive warfare, emphasizing the importance of information in modern societies and the potential for it to be weaponized. Until recently, Paul led Cognitive Warfare concept development for the NATO strategic warfare development command, HQ SACT, in Norfolk Virginia. NATO defines cognitive warfare as: the deliberate, synchronized military and non-military activities throughout the continuum of competition designed to shape the information environments and affect audience, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors to gain, maintain, and protect cognitive superiority. Recording Date: 29 Nov 2024 Research Question: Paul Groestad suggests an interested student or researcher examine: How can we ethically gain situational awareness and monitor the Information Environment without negatively impacting values like freedom of speech and freedom of the press? How can we effectively deter against non-attributable hostile acts in the Grey Zone, or below the threshold of armed conflict? AI powered influence is on the rise, what are different ways to utilize AI to defend, counter or respond? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #33 August Cole on FICINT and the Cognitive Warfighting Domain #180 Tanna Krewson on Cognitive Warfare Cognitive Warfare Products on the NATO Innovation Hub Cognitive warfare: a conceptual analysis of the NATO ACT cognitive warfare exploratory concept by Christoph Deppe and Gary S Schaal. (FYI: This report is an analysis of an earlier draft version of The Cognitive Warfare EXPLORATORY Concept, which was shared with nations for comments in April 2023. Significant review, analysis and experimentation has gone into the document since then.) Allied Command Transformation develops the Cognitive Warfare Concept to Combat Disinformation and Defend Against “Cognitive Warfare” “Data is the new oil” Clive Humby On Geopolitics: New Cold Wars by David Sanger (2024) On the changing character of warfare: The Dragons and the Snakes by David Kilcullen (2020) New Rules of War by Sean McFate The Weaponisation of Everything by Mark Galeotti (2022) On Russian Strategic Culture and Information Warfare: The Russian Understanding of War by Oscar Jonsson (2019) Unmasking Maskirovka by Daniel Bagge (2019) The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes (2022) On Technology: Our Next Reality by Alvin Graylin and Louis Rosenberg (2024) The Battle for your Brain by Nita Farahany (2023) Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992) Daemon by Daniel Suarez (2009) Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: CDR Paul Groestad is a Norwegian naval officer with 30+ years experience in Signals, C4ISR, Cyber Operations and Information Warfare at all levels of the Norwegian Armed Forces and the NATO Command Structure. His current position is with the Norwegian Ministry of Defense at the Department for Security Policy and Operations where he is desk officer for Hybrid threats and Malign Influence. In his previous position at NATOs Warfare Development Command, HQ SACT in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, he was the Deputy Branch Head for Concept Development and led the project for NATOs Cognitive Warfare Concept. He is a graduate of the Norwegian Naval Academy and Joint Command and Staff College, holds a Masters degree in Military Art and Science from the Norwegian Defence University College and a Bachelor's degree in Information Science from the University of Bergen. His 2017 Master's thesis was on the topic of Russian Influence Operations. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Amber DaSilva, auto journalist with Jalopnik, is ready to set sail with some very body-horror, Halloween-appropriate prompts: Gooey quorum nautical horror With this strong load out, Jenna and Amber make "Vessel," a game about expanding your network of boats and flesh and flesh boats by conquering other ships at sea. Is this the world's first horror MMO? Is this the world's last Snowcrash fan game? If you're in NYC, check out out T-Climbing! Also read Amber's work at Jalopnik, even though she didn't plug it. Visit the DFTBA Big Game Hunger merch shop at bit.ly/jennamerch. Support this show, and submit your OWN random prompts, by subscribing at Patreon.com/TheJenna. Email the show at BigGameHungerPod@gmail.com. Big Game Hunger is part of the Multitude Collective of podcasts. Created and hosted by Jenna Stoeber. Big Game Hunger is a weekly video game podcast where Jenna Stoeber and a guest get three random prompts and have to make the big next game based on them.
Neal Stephenson is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels including Termination Shock, Seveneves, Cryptonomicon, and Snow Crash. His works blend science fiction, historical fiction, and cyberpunk, exploring mathematics, cryptography, philosophy, and scientific history. Born in Fort Meade to a family of scientists, he holds a degree in geography and physics from Boston University. As noted by The Atlantic, his prescient works anticipated the metaverse, cryptocurrency, and AI revolution. His latest novel is Polostan, the first installment in his Bomb Light cycle. Shermer and Stephenson discuss: professional and speculative fiction writing, the interplay of genetics and fate, historical contingency (particularly regarding Hitler and nuclear weapons), atomic bomb development and ethics, game theory in nuclear deterrence, cryptocurrency, AI advancement and mind uploading, human evolution, Mars colonization politics, and philosophical concepts like Peirce's Fallibilism and Platonic realism.
On this week's episode: Marsh will appear magically for some headlines ... Neal Stephenson fans love that Snow Crash allusion ... And Anna Bosnick will join us to remind us that the Christians have the worst version of everything. --- To make a per episode donation at Patreon.com, click here: http://www.patreon.com/ScathingAtheist To buy our book, click here: https://www.amazon.com/Outbreak-Crisis-Religion-Ruined-Pandemic/dp/B08L2HSVS8/ If you see a news story you think we might be interested in, you can send it here: scathingnews@gmail.com To check out our sister show, The Skepticrat, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/the-skepticrat To check out our sister show's hot friend, God Awful Movies, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/god-awful-movies To check out our half-sister show, Citation Needed, click here: http://citationpod.com/ To check out our sister show's sister show, D and D minus, click here: https://danddminus.libsyn.com/ To hear more from our intrepid audio engineer Morgan Clarke, click here: https://www.morganclarkemusic.com/ Help support the show by checking out our sponsor: https://factormeals.com/scathing50 (code: scathing50) --- Headlines: Glenn Beck appears on Tucker Carlson's Twitter show to say he quit Fox News for Jesus: https://www.christianpost.com/news/glenn-beck-torches-fox-news-as-source-of-spiritual-evil.html?utm_source=ICYMI&utm_campaign=ICYMI&utm_medium=newsletter Public Comment Notice Regarding Reaccreditation of the Naturopathic Doctoral (ND) Program offered by Bastyr University: https://cnme.org/ Pastor claims he miraculously cured a man hospitalized due to voting for Democrats: https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/pastor-claims-he-miraculously-cured NBA player explains why he abruptly retired at 21: 'I gave up basketball to follow Jesus': https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nba-player-aj-griffin-explains-why-he-abruptly-retired-21-i-gave-up-basketball-follow-jesus https://people.com/former-first-round-pick-says-hes-leaving-nba-to-become-minister-8720385
Cyberpunk is a cool genre we have never covered exclusively on a Quackcast before. But what IS cyberpunk? It's a subset of SciFi, it's usually near future, involves body modifications, grittiness, street level computer use, techno body modification, and hacking. At least that's the way it started. Formative influences on the cyberpunk genre were the first Tron movie, Bladerunner, and Escape from New York. Tron showed us what cyberspace was, while Bladerunner and Escape from New York gave us gritty near future dystopias with cool tech, modified humans, and most importantly the punk aesthetic which was the gritty street youth fashion of the late 70s and early 80s. Punks plus computers signalled a more universal use of the new technology of computers in the near future world especially as imagined by Willian Gibson with his novel Neuromancer. There were other influential cyberpunk writers like Neal Stephenson with SnowCrash and many more. My fave was Manga creator Masamune Shirow with his books like Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed and more which tackle subjects like trans-humanisim as humans evolve with technology and then INTO technology itself. In the late 80s and early 90s cyberpunk was very influential in anime with the likes of the Ghost in the Shell movie, Bubblegum crisis, AD police, and the amazing milestone that is Akira! A very formative game in the world of cyberpunk was the RPG Shadowrun, which was near future urban fantasy plus cyberpunk in all its pure glory. These days we have the computer game Cyberpunk 2020, but it's an extremely derivative and pale shadow of what had gone before it, it functions as a sort of a retro “greatest hits” of the genre, but it's a good intro into it and that goes for the Netflix anime of the same name. There were various unrelated genres inspired by cyberpunk- Steampunk, Dieselpunk, and the later dubious genres raypunk and atompunk which are just rebranded early standard SciFi. What is your fave example of cyberpunk? Do you know what cyberpunk is? When did you first come to cyberpunk? This week Gunwallace gave us a theme inspired by The Return of Jake Sunrise - A desolate red dirt desert, a wind whistles through and carries with it a torrent of sound and energy, flooding in like a sudden rainstorm, bringing with it life, colour, and revitalisation! The desert blooms. Topics and shownotes Links Featured comic: The Books of Avo - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/news/2024/oct/01/featured-comic-the-books-of-avo/ Featured music: The Return of Jake Sunrise - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/The_Return_of_Jake_Sunrise/ - by Picture_Books, rated E. Special thanks to: Gunwallace - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Gunwallace/ Tantz Aerine - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Tantz_Aerine/ Ozoneocean - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/ozoneocean Kawaiidaigakusei - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/kawaiidaigakusei Banes - https://www.theduckwebcomics.com/user/Banes/ VIDEO exclusive! Become a subscriber on the $5 level and up to see our weekly Patreon video and get our advertising perks! - https://www.patreon.com/DrunkDuck Even at $1 you get your name with a link on the front page and a mention in the weekend newsposts! Join us on Discord - https://discordapp.com/invite/7NpJ8GS
Guests: A debate between Tim and Anton, no guests Debate positions: You must buy the majority of cloud security tools from a cloud provider, here is why. You must buy the majority of cloud security tools from a 3rd party security vendor, here is why. Resources: EP74 Who Will Solve Cloud Security: A View from Google Investment Side EP22 Securing Multi-Cloud from a CISO Perspective, Part 3 EP176 Google on Google Cloud: How Google Secures Its Own Cloud Use “The cloud trust paradox: To trust cloud computing more, you need the ability to trust it less” blog “Snowcrash” book VMTD
“We need positive visions of how all this technology gets deployed, because what we visualize is what we build.” –Jane Metcalfe In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Jane talk about the pioneering work she did with Wired during the dawn of the “digital revolution” (3:00); how and why Jane’s professional focus shifted away from digital issues and into food and health issues in the ’00s (15:00); how science is trying to bring in diverse new data points and communication models to improve holistic health worldwide (28:30); how the health of the world’s humans is not separate from the health of the world’s animals, plants, and microorganisms, and how a bio-economy seeks to harness rather than extract the resources of nature (41:00); how regional and cultural differences affect how we perceive health, nutrition, and technology, and the importance of ethics in making scientific decisions (51:00). Jane Metcalfe (@janemetcalfe) is the co-founder of Wired Magazine, and the chair of the Human Immunome Project, a global non-profit working to decode the immune system in order to transform how we prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Notable Links: Notes from a peripatetic salon across northern Thailand (Deviate episode) Hotwired (first commercial online magazine) HotBot (early web search engine) Louis Rossetto (writer, editor, and entrepreneur) Neuromancer, by William Gibson (science fiction novel) Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson (science fiction novel) Cyberpunk (subgenre of science fiction) Electric Word (technology magazine) Digital Revolution (shift from mechanical to electronic technologies) Ethernet (computer networking technology) proto.life (newsletter covering the neobiological revolution) Neo.Life: 25 Visions for the Future of Our Species, by Jane Metcalfe (book) The Non-GMO Project (non-profit organization) David Eagleman (neuroscientist) Human genome (complete set of nucleic acid sequences for humans) Immunome (code set for proteins that constitute the immune system) Single-cell sequencing (context-driven technique for studying cells) Microbiome (community of microorganisms in a habitat) One Health (interdisciplinary approach to ecological health) Zoonotic disease (disease than can jump from non-humans to humans) Bioeconomy (use of biotechnology in the production of goods) CRISPR gene editing (technique to modify genomes of living organisms) Bioengineering (application of biology to create products) Interbeing (philosophical concept in Zen Buddhism) iGEM (worldwide synthetic biology competition) Gene drive (technology of genetic engineering) CRISPRcon (gene editing technology conference) Kevin Kelly (author and futurist) The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel's 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don't host a “comments” section, but we're happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.
Hello, and welcome to our last episode of season four! We're reviewing an icon, our idol, and early cast book in William Gibson's Neuromancer. It's got sexy robots, international heists and apartments the size of NYC closets, what more could you need in your cyberpunk? Seriously, this novel is genre defining and explanation avoiding — which is half the fun of listening to this episode. How do Adam, Shaun and Mike try to explain what is inexplicable (and for Adam, unfinished)? If you want more nerdy goodness while we're off for the summer, why not check out our back catalogue? We've read books like Snow Crash by William Gibson and Walkaway by Cory Doctorow that are in the same dystopian-cyber-maker-fi vein. If you'd rather a more known property, we read the Star Wars villain book Thrawn. There's lots to love for every nerd. We'll see you again in the fall, with Cloud Atlas!
Welcome to Mona Lisa Overpod, the show that asks the question "What is cyberpunk?" On each episode, hosts Ka1iban and author Lyda Morehouse dive into the genre that helped define sci-fi fiction in '80s and they break down its themes which remain relevant to our lives in the 21st century. Pull on your mirrorshades, jack into the matrix, and start your run with us today!It's one of the most recognizable properties in cyberpunk media, a franchise that blew down the doors between Japan and America and helped popularize manga and anime in the West. It presents a world of cyborg agents using future technology to fight against villains both foreign and domestic, but it also explores the existential issues raised by the interchangeability of data and the mind. And in 1995, director Mamoru Oshii directed the franchise's first ground-breaking feature film, Ghost in the Shell.In this episode, we discuss the phenomenon of Ghost in the shell as a franchise, the instant-classic status of Oshii's film, the role of the mind in identity, the personhood of cyborgs and AI, the cyborg spectre of Cartesian doubt, the film's religious symbolism, its Bergmanesque trappings, its innate appeal to American audiences, and what it will take for GITS to evolve as a franchise. We also talk about Snow Crash parody apologism, explosions plus philosophy times boobs, telepathy powers, the film's preponderance of high beams, getting express consent before merging, trans-humanism, going weird, and Surf Draculas!What are the two helicopters?Join Kaliban on Twitch weekdays at 12pm for the Cyber Lunch Hour!http://twitch.tv/justenoughtropePut Just Enough Trope merch on your body!http://justenoughtrope.threadless.comMLOP is a part of the Just Enough Trope podcast network. Check out our other shows about your favorite pop culture topics and join our Discord!http://www.twitter.com/monalisaoverpodhttp://www.justenoughtrope.comhttp://www.instagram.com/monalisaoverpodhttps://discord.gg/49bzqdpBpxBuy us a coffee on Ko-Fi!https://ko-fi.com/justenoughtrope
If you like what we're doing and want to support the show, please consider making a donation on Ko-Fi. Funds we receive will be used to upgrade equipment, pay hosting fees, and help make the show better.https://ko-fi.com/mappingthezoneIf you enjoyed our discussion, please check out the following media that relates to these chapters:Films/TV: Primer (2004; dir. Shane Carruth); Motherless Brooklyn (dir. Edward Norton, Jr.)Music: Tiny Desk Unit - Live At the 9:30 Club 1980; Bad Brains - Bad BrainsBooks: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr, Neuromancer by William Gibson, Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson; Motherless Brooklyn by Johnathan Lethem; The Power Broker by Robert Caro; Amerikastudien: “Bright Days for the Black Market”: Color-Coded Crises in Contemporary U.S. Fiction and the Works of Thomas PynchonAs always, thanks so much for listening!Email: mappingthezonepod@gmail.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/pynchonpodInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/mappingthezonepodcast/
For me it started with Blade Runner. I remember being blown away by the majestic sweeping images while Vangelis played in the background. It was that mixture of noir and sci-fi, dark tech and it just oozed attitude.Snow Crash was next, the 1992 novel that really opened my eyes to the full cyberpunk experience. Ghost in the Shell, Altered Carbon, Akira, Battle Angel Alita, the Matrix and more recently Kacey Ezell's Second Chance Angel rounded out my hard drive.As for roleplaying I played in a short lived GURPS Cyberpunk campaign, and while I enjoyed it, I felt like it was missing something. Something that didn't quite connect what was in my head to the game we were playing. So, a couple of years ago when Mike asked if I was interested in playing Cyberpunk Red I jumped at the chance. It was fun and I had a good time, but to be honest, it was missing something. That same something that was missing the first time I gave it a go. The cyberpunk in my head just wasn't jiving with the cyberpunk in the game.Then, at the urging of Mike and Christina I downloaded Cyberpunk 2077. And that was it. What I had been missing in those games is what I found in 2077. The world of cyberpunk. The world your characters lived in. In the table top attempts, the story took front row to the world, but for cyberpunk to really flourish the world has to take priority over the story. What is it to be human? What is it to truly live?After a few hours of 2077 I hit Mike back up.“So, I would love to play more cyberpunk, especially in the 2077 world.”His response was “Well, I'm working on it”And here we are. We thought this would be a perfect opportunity to talk more Cyberpunk while getting a behind the scenes look at how Mike goes about building a campaign.Mike, I described what I was always chasing in cyberpunk. What about you? What draws you to cyberpunk?
Uno sguardo alla fantascienza, che forse ci racconta molte più cose del nostro presente di quanto sembra. Per approfondire: William Gibson, Neuromante, Mondadori Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash, Mondadori Neal Stephenson, Seveneves Christina Dalcher, Vox James S.A. Corey, The Expanse, Fanucci Cixin Liu, Il problema dei tre corpi, Mondadori Ursula Le Guin, Telling is listening Questo e gli altri podcast gratuiti del Post sono possibili grazie a chi si abbona al Post e ne sostiene il lavoro. Se vuoi fare la tua parte, abbonati al Post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sahil Patel, CEO of Spiralyze, shares his journey to becoming CEO and introduces Spiralyze, a conversion rate optimization company. Spiralyze offers a unique tech-enabled service that combines an agency component with a SaaS product. They scrape data from 34,000 websites that run A/B tests to identify proven winners, which are tests that have been validated by multiple companies. Spiralyze uses this data to design, build, and run tests for their clients, offering performance-based pricing where clients only pay if they achieve a significant lift in conversions. Sahil also addresses concerns about statistical significance and the challenges of running tests with limited traffic in the B2B SaaS space. In this conversation, Sahil Patel discusses the differences in B2B marketing and the challenges of achieving statistical significance in experiments. He emphasizes the importance of taking big swing tests and killing losing and neutral tests early. Sahil also shares insights on the perishability of learnings and the pragmatic approach to testing in the B2B SaaS world. Additionally, he provides advice on managing mental health as a CEO and finding fulfillment in work. The conversation concludes with a book recommendation: Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson.Key TakeawaysSpiralyze is a conversion rate optimization company that combines an agency component with a SaaS product.They scrape data from 34,000 websites to identify proven winners, tests that have been validated by multiple companies.Spiralyze offers performance-based pricing, where clients only pay if they achieve a significant lift in conversions.Addressing statistical significance and limited traffic in the B2B SaaS space can be challenging but can be overcome with data-driven approaches. B2B marketing has meaningful differences compared to other types of marketing, such as lower traffic and different desired actions.Taking big swing tests, rather than meek tests, can lead to quicker statistical significance and more impactful results.In the B2B SaaS world, it is important to kill losing and neutral tests early to optimize resources and time.Learnings from experiments are highly perishable and specific to the test conducted, making them less valuable in the long term.Managing mental health as a CEO requires having a peer group, confidants, and seeking therapy when needed.Personalization and customization are often overrated, and companies should focus on showing relevance and solving customer problems.Finding fulfillment in work involves aligning your strengths with the rewards and characteristics of the environment.The book Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson is recommended for its engaging story and futuristic concepts.Show LinksVisit SpiralyzeConnect with Sahil Patel on LinkedIn and check his BioConnect with David Khim on LinkedIn and TwitterConnect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or TwitterPast guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEOShould You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?How Do Growth and Content Overlap?Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:Twitter: @beomniscientLinkedin: Be OmniscientListen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/
This week we're talking about Idris Elba, Rods From God, Snow Crash, The Jurassic League, and Fatal Games. Show music by HeartBeatHero and OGRE. Support the show! Joe's Linktree Get up to 2 months free podcasting service with our Libsyn code OZONE
In this thrilling episode of Edge of AI, we embark on a journey into the depths of the rapidly expanding AI universe. Our voyage is guided by none other than Walter de Brouwer of Snowcrash, a renowned figure in AI and deep tech. Walter shares insights into novel AI use cases, revealing how video games can prepare us for a more gamified life and discussing the explosive potential for balance sheet growth in the music industry. Support us through our Sponsors! ☕
Episode 28: In this month's episode the Escape the Earth crew discuss the book that named the Metaverse—Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. We'll struggle to explain Stephenson's complex and groundbreaking cyberpunk work, delight in all its crazy worldbuilding elements, and hold it up to the light of Elissa and Mary Elizabeth's feminist critique—all the while trying to figure out whether or not Hiro Protagonist, the book's samurai sword wielding pizza Deliverator, is a “good guy.” Join the discussion with Escape the Earth: email: saplescapetheearth@gmail.com goodreads: www.goodreads.com/group/show/10939…escape-the-earth libguide: guides.mysapl.org/ETE
Cryptonomicon er et vendepunkt i Neal Stephensons forfatterskab. Her forlader han den postmoderne cyberpunk, der kendetegner halvfemserhovedværkerne Snow Crash og The Diamond Age. Nu startede en periode med lange komplekse historiske romaner. Han skriver stadig umiskendeligt Nealsk, men i Cryptonomicon er emnet historisk og kontemporær kryptografi, tilsat konspirationer og en kæmpe guldskat. Indlægget Ep. 110: Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon blev først udgivet på SCIFI SNAK.
Bill Gates har sagt på et tidspunkt: “Vi har en tendens til at overvurdere teknologien på kort sigt og undervurdere den på lang sigt.” En af de teknologier, der har været undervejs de sidste 30 år eller mere, er virtual reality og virtuelle verdener. Senest er det blevet kendt som metaverset, fordi det var udgangspunktet, da Mark Zuckerberg omdøbte Facebook til Meta efter et sted i cyberpunk-romanen "Snowcrash" fra starten af 90'erne skrevet af Neal Stephenson. Det var lidt mærkeligt, at Facebook tog navneforandring efter et sted i en dystopisk science fiction roman, men det gjorde de altså, og det gav bagslag. Ikke mindst i medierne. Umiddelbart efter løb ChatGPT med al opmærksomheden og metaverset blev dømt ude selvom teknologien faktisk har masser af potentiale. I industrien findes der masser af virtual og augmented reality, der sammen med mixed reality har fællesbetegnelsen XR - extended reality. Det handler om at lave digitale tvillinger af maskiner og udstyr og afprøve forskellige forretningsprocesser eller lave virtuel efteruddannelse eller produktudvikling og en masse andre ting. På Technomania-konferencen i Herning industrimesse var der blandt andet fokus på virksomhedernes nye digitale rum. Medvirkende: Mads Troelsgaard, direktør og stifter, SynergyXR Link: SynergyXR https://synergyxr.com
Eric Ries is the creator of the Lean Startup methodology, author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup, and founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE). He's also a multi-time founder and currently advises startups, VC firms, and larger companies on business and product strategy. In today's episode, we discuss:• The current state of the Lean Startup methodology• Common misconceptions about the Lean Startup methodology• Understanding how to actually think about MVPs (minimum viable products)• When to pivot and when to stay the course• Thoughts on AI and how to deal with uncertainty• How to structure your company around core values and create products that benefit humanity• The philosophy behind Eric's current big idea: the Long-Term Stock Exchange• Much more—Brought to you by Sanity—The most customizable content layer to power your growth engine | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian's new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/reflections-on-a-movement-eric-ries-creator-of-the-lean-startup-methodology/#transcript—Where to find Eric Ries:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eries/• X: https://twitter.com/ericries• Website: https://theleanstartup.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Eric's background(04:46) Eric's recent activities and projects(06:23) Eric's start in advising and first-principles thinking(10:56) Lessons from designing the Lean Startup process(14:04) The current state of lean startup methodology(22:33) Common misconceptions about the methodology(24:28) Changes Eric would make in an updated version of Lean Startup(27:52) An explanation of minimum viable product (MVP) and why Eric still stands by the process(37:36) An example of “Less is more”(41:24) More on MVPs and the importance of testing your hypotheses (41:24) How LTSE had to pivot after a partnership fell apart(48:37) Eric's take on the concept of craft(53:36) Why getting fired for standing by your conviction can be a career accelerator(55:17) Tech's mental health crisis(56:28) Advice for founders stuck in a “zombie company”(1:00:16) How continuous pivots shape a company's vision, with a real-life story(1:08:20) Challenges in assessing companies from an external perspective(1:13:17) Practical advice for businesses considering a pivot(1:18:42) The impact of artificial intelligence(1:26:59) The current capabilities of ChatGPT and its potential use as an equalizer in the marketplace(1:31:26) Eric's current work with founders on human flourishing(1:42:40) Advice for founders who want to build ethical companies (1:49:37) Examples of first-principles thinking(1:53:42) Why shareholder primacy theory is wrong(1:55:19) The “spiritual holding company” (1:58:12) Lightning round—Referenced:• The Long-Term Stock Exchange: https://ltse.com/• The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898• Lean manufacturing: https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/lean-production• Six Sigma: https://www.6sigma.us/six-sigma.php• Clay Christensen: https://claytonchristensen.com/• Eric Ries on 4 Common Misconceptions About Lean Startup: https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/eric-ries-on-4-common-misconceptions-about-lean-startup/286701• Anakin Skywalker meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/for-the-better-right• Linear: Building with taste, craft, and focus | Karri Saarinen (co-founder, designer, CEO): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/inside-linear-building-with-taste-craft-and-focus-karri-saarinen-co-founder-designer-ceo/• Snow Crash: https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Crash-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0553380958• IMVU: https://about.imvu.com/• Ben Silbermann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silbermann/• Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos, and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley: amazon.com/Wonder-Boy-Zappos-Happiness-Silicon/dp/1250829097• Understanding Steve Jobs's Reality Distortion Field: https://www.emexmag.com/understanding-steve-jobs-reality-distortion-field• Paul Graham's website:http://www.paulgraham.com/raham• Segment: https://segment.com/• Loom: https://www.loom.com/• The Slack story: https://www.paperflite.com/blogs/slack-story• The Social Network on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/ca/title/70132721• Thomas Kuhn: Paradigm Shift: https://www.simplypsychology.org/kuhn-paradigm.html• Conway's Law: the little-known principle that influences your work more than you think: https://www.atlassian.com/blog/teamwork/what-is-conways-law-acmi• Monty Python and the Holy Grail Guards Scene on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVWH01E2weA• Toyota Production System: https://global.toyota/en/company/vision-and-philosophy/production-system/• Warren Buffett's Forbes bio: https://www.forbes.com/profile/warren-buffett• The Enlightened Capitalists: Cautionary Tales of Business Pioneers Who Tried to Do Well by Doing Good: amazon.com/Enlightened-Capitalists-Cautionary-Business-Pioneers/dp/0062880241• The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty): https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Kings-Dandelion-Dynasty/dp/148142428• All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries: https://www.amazon.com/All-Systems-Red-Murderbot-Diaries/dp/0765397536• Star Wars: Andor on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/series/star-wars-andor/3xsQKWG00GL5• Tesla Powerwall: https://www.tesla.com/powerwall• Levoit Classic 300S ultrasonic smart humidifier: https://www.amazon.com/LEVOIT-Humidifiers-Ultrasonic-Essential-Customized/dp/B09C24TYGQ• The Law of Sustainable Growth: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20121015181612-2157554-the-law-of-sustainable-growth/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
04th Oct: Crypto & Coffee at 8
Neil Stephenson's "Snowcrash" looked at the embryonic Internet and projected a future of VR and avatar onto it. And a world in which nation states had been eclipsed by successor states of corporate "franchulates." Is "Snowcrash" a corporate dystopia, a libertarian utopia, or merely prophetic? Brian Brushwood joins to discuss.
Wagner James Au's latest book Making a Metaverse that Matters: From Snow Crash & Second Life to A Virtual World Worth Fighting For releases on June 27 after the 20th anniversary of Second Life is on June 23, 2023. Au started as an embedded journalist employed by Second Life to cover the evolving trends of digital culture within their virtual world, and he's continued to be an intrepid reporter of this space on his New World Notes blog tracking the evolution of various different Metaverse platforms. I had a chance to take an early look of Au's book, and do an in-depth interview with him this week to unpack some of his deep insights into the industry. He goes back to the source material of the Metaverse of Snow Crash, providing the following strict definition of the Metaverse that is justified by associated passages from Neal Stephenson's classic sci-fi novel that coined the term. He says, "The Metaverse is a vast, immersive virtual world simultaneously accessible by millions of people through highly customizable avatars and powerful experience creation tools integrated with the offline world through its virtual economy and external technology." By this definition there are already well over 500 million active monthly users on Metaverse platforms including Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, ZEPETO, Rec Room, VRChat, Avankin Life, IMVU, Second Life, and Horizon Worlds. The book starts off with a retrospective look at Second Life, and some of the reasons why it never hit an inflection point to go mainstream. It also digs more into the philosophical origins of the Metaverse via Snow Crash, with a deep dive with author Neal Stephenson in the second part unpacking the Metaverse as product road map and how Stephenson's Lamina1 is attempting to fuse aspects of the cryptocurrency and blockchain with the Metaverse complete with literary citations and inspirations from Stephenson's body of sci-fi work. It digs into some of the limitations of Meta's approach with Horizon Worlds as well as some of why Au is skeptical that VR will ever take off as a mainstream consumer technology. More on those critiques here in a bit. The second part of the book does a more in-depth deep dive into some of the leading Metaverse platforms including Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and VRChat. Au speaks to leading world building and experiential design developers from each of these platforms, and in some cases speaks to executives when he is able to get ahold of them. A common theme throughout this book is that Au comes back to many Second Life veterans who offer their reflections on the different dynamics of each of these platforms, and he is able to usually pull out some little known, obscure, or under reported fact tying back each Metaverse development back to Second Life. The third portion of the book is where Au is able to tie up a lot of loose ends in terms of countering different Metaverse hype, but also unpacking the promises of pragmatic Metaverse applications as well as digging into the Metaverse perils and the variety of ethical and moral dilemmas. He lays out some trends and future paths moving forward including AI, cloud rendering, and up and coming platforms including how Discord and Value's Steam platform could be some spaces to keep an eye on. I really appreciated how much original reporting Au did for this book in gathering quotes from a broad range of Metaverse developers, industry insiders, and academics, and the tone is similar to his blog in the sense that he's either pulling quotes from his prior reporting or he was able to get the latest perspectives on the industry over the past year and a half. This is a quickly moving industry, and so his Afterword at the end is able to fill in the gaps to bring us mostly up to speed on a variety of different new develops that he was not able to cover in the main chapters. Au is skeptical that virtual reality has the viability to become a mainstream technology,
We've noticed we start off each show kind of sluggish so we throw to Kriss Kross to Warm It Up! Did you ever wear your clothes backwards? Govier remembers a terrible movie from 2001 called Killer Bud with Robert Stack as The Gooch. Cue the Unsolved Mysteries theme! Luke is a passionate fan of the movie Ravenous, but he could not recall the main theme from the film's score. Pat Robertson bit the big one and it's about damn time that homophobe left this plane of existence. When will Henry Kissinger die? Cormac McCarthy also hit the high road. Luke loves him, but Steve was more curious about Werner Herzog reading McCarthy's work in his silly Herzog voice. Silvio Berlusconi is dead too! Why did any Italians mourn him in the streets?! And Bunga Bunga will always be connected to Joe Versus The Volcano for Govier. Steve's mom burned VHS tapes and vinyl records when he was younger. She was definitely committed to her obsession. This leads to an overall frustration with the people we love who are locked in on their beliefs without any doubt on their face as they push the word of the people who proselytized them. We read your emails! We have two each from Mr. Pink & Christian! Thank you for the curiosities and questions you offer each episode. Mike is pissed because the term rotting has taken off on TikTok lately while the original rotting, burning people were Mike & Steve. Mr. Pink wants to know how to unwind when he has time off work. Steve and Luke are fine getting hammered on booze but the teetotaler Govier demands more. Also, what's your favorite Smoke? Porn is not a part of Mike's life anymore, but in the 2000's Mike was depressed and downloading a lot of porn before it became even more accessible last decade. The pixie cut of the 90's has apparently become the haircut of the modern day Karens? Remember the novel Snow Crash from the early 90's? It's a science fiction novel that Steve thinks may be the impetus for Facebook's garbo Metaverse. Also Trump was indicted and nobody cares here because what does it matter when he's running for president from the can? It's all trash. We love you all! Really! We are very pleased with our little world that together we have formed thanks to this show. This show has no substance to it without you listening and emailing. We close the show with Fear And Trembling by Gang Of Youths. If any of our nonsense provokes your thoughts, please share them with us at isitsafepod@gmail.com
In our first gm AMA, recent guest Neal Stephenson hopped into our listener Telegram room and candidly answered questions via voice memo. Neal is the "Snow Crash" author who coined the term "metaverse" and is now working on open metaverse blockchain Lamina1. Make sure you go back and listen to his full gm episode from March 4 before enjoying this bonus AMA. And make sure you join our Telegram room, open to all listeners, at t.me/gmpodcast. Hosts and guests:Dan RobertsTwitter: @readDanwriteNeal StephensonTwitter: @nealstephensonPodcast thumbnail art by Grant Kempster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mark Zuckerberg wants to build the metaverse. Neal Stephenson created the meta verse three decades ago. The author's 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash popularized the use of the term “avatar” in a digital context, inspired the makers of Google Earth, and, of course, imagined (and named) the dystopian metaverse that Silicon Valley is racing to make a reality. Stephenson has also tried his hand at actual science - helping Jeff Bezos build his private rocket ship business, and later working with Magic Leap at its fizzled AR goggles attempt. Now he's trying his hand at the blockchain and says he's not dissuaded by last year's crypto crash. And if you act right now, you can bid on some of his real and digital goods at a Sotheby's auction. Stephenson talks to Recode's Peter Kafka about all of that, plus his failed (so far) attempts to turn his work into TV shows or movies, the future of VR, and why his vision of cautious optimism involves calamitous climate disasters. Featuring: Neal Stephenson (@nealstephenson), Author Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Neal Stephenson coined the term “metaverse” in his seminal 1992 sci-fi hit novel “Snow Crash.” Now he's helming a metaverse blockchain company called Lamina1 and advocating for one free and open metaverse. He spoke to Dan Roberts and Stephen Graves at length about what he got right and wrong in “Snow Crash,” goggles and flat screens, Big Tech, NFTs and digital ownership, and more.For more from Decrypt, visit decrypt.co and follow @gmdecrypt on Twitter.Be sure to join the gm Telegram room for direct access to our hosts and guests.Hosts and guests:Dan RobertsTwitter: @readDanwriteStephen GravesTwitter: @stephengravesNeal StephensonTwitter: @nealstephensonPodcast thumbnail art by Grant Kempster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode Chris Gondek interviews Ed Finn, author of the new book What Algorithms Want. Tune in for an interesting discussion on algorithm disconnect revolving around things humans regularly use, like Siri. And listen in for a definition of the phrase "culture machines". We depend on--we believe in--algorithms to help us get a ride, choose which book to buy, execute a mathematical proof. It's as if we think of code as a magic spell, an incantation to reveal what we need to know and even what we want. Humans have always believed that certain invocations--the marriage vow, the shaman's curse--do not merely describe the world but make it. Computation casts a cultural shadow that is shaped by this long tradition of magical thinking. In this book, Ed Finn considers how the algorithm--in practical terms, "a method for solving a problem"--has its roots not only in mathematical logic but also in cybernetics, philosophy, and magical thinking. Finn argues that the algorithm deploys concepts from the idealized space of computation in a messy reality, with unpredictable and sometimes fascinating results. Drawing on sources that range from Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash to Diderot's Encyclopédie, from Adam Smith to the Star Trek computer, Finn explores the gap between theoretical ideas and pragmatic instructions. He examines the development of intelligent assistants like Siri, the rise of algorithmic aesthetics at Netflix, Ian Bogost's satiric Facebook game Cow Clicker, and the revolutionary economics of Bitcoin. He describes Google's goal of anticipating our questions, Uber's cartoon maps and black box accounting, and what Facebook tells us about programmable value, among other things. If we want to understand the gap between abstraction and messy reality, Finn argues, we need to build a model of "algorithmic reading" and scholarship that attends to process, spearheading a new experimental humanities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Hiro Protagonist is a self-described hacker working as a pizza-delivery driver and living in a storage unit at LAX. He lives in a US that has been fully corporatized - from Judge Bob's Judicial System to Pastor Wayne's Pearly Gates. To get away, Hiro spends much of his free-time in the Metaverse, where he wrote many of the subroutines that underpin the virtual world. One of his hacker friends, Da5id, is given a new virtual drug called Snow Crash that not only crashes his computer, but also destroys his brain in the real world. Hiro (and a hilarious cadre of friends) are drawn ever deeper into the worldwide conspiracy that is spilling out of the virtual world to threaten the real world.Link to buy the book (and help support the show!)Join the book club on discord!Written (and more shareable) reviewRelated books we recommend:Neuromancer by William GibsonBabel-17 by Samuel DelanyGood Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil GaimanOr you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer video.Keep reading y'all!
We're very excited for this one. Part of our mission with Making Media is to highlight great content across the internet. Today, we're starting with business essays and to bring some wisdom to the conversation, we enlisted one of our favorite writers, Packy McCormick. Hear us break down our most influential business essays, read them through the links in the shownotes, and let us know what you think on Twitter or hello@joincolossus.com. Enjoy! For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- Scribe is the presenting sponsor of this episode of Making Media and the magic behind the Colossus transcripts. One of the best decisions we made at Colossus was transcribing all of our audio into a searchable transcript library. We had been using another provider up until the summer of 2022 but we were constantly having issues with accuracy if our audio was just the slightest bit impaired. Whether it's training sessions, internal Q&As, or for media purposes, the value of transcripts is huge. And we are not alone. Scribe is the transcription service that powers all of S&P Global - like CapIQ - and the client list includes our friends at Tegus. Go to joincolossus.com/scribe to unlock 150 minutes of free transcription and test their capabilities. ----- Making Media is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Making Media, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @ReustleMatt | @domcooke | @JoinColossus Show Notes (00:02:59) - [First question] - The Not Boring back story and what he learned from his time at Breather (00:05:06) - Aggregation Theory by Ben Thompson (00:09:42) - The Bus Ticket Theory of Genius by Paul Graham (00:13:45) - Letter to a friend who may start a new investment platform by Graham Duncan (00:17:05) - Positional Scarcity by Alex Danco (00:22:23] - The Three Sides of Risk by Morgan Housel (00:26:56) - Salary Negotiation by Patrick McKenzie (00:31:47) - Sam Hinkie's resignation letter (00:37:10) - Increasing Returns and the New World of Business by W. Brian Arthur (00:41:54) - 10 Tips on Writing by David Ogilvy (00:44:46) - The next big thing will start out looking like a toy by Chris Dixon (00:49:08) - The Tail End by Tim Urban (00:53:41) - 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly (00:59:07) - Honorable mention: The Great Online Game by Packy McCormick (01:03:26) - Honorable mention: Excel Never Dies by Packy McCormick (01:05:58) - Packy's closing thoughts and why he thinks people should read more Sci-Fi (01:08:37) - Honorable mention: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's time for the Comic Talk Headlines with Generally Nerdy! Lots of EXTRA news this week. Just didn't have the time to edit multiple versions of the same episode. So enjoy all the extra news!Tune in Wednesdays for the regular show and Saturdays for the re-post of the Friday night LIVE SHOW. Plus, don't forget to subscribe for more fresh content. MusicNew Music/VideoType O Negative - Love You To Death https://youtu.be/9lqy1iYh25k Live from 2007 Wacken Open Air Festival. The band is set to Re-release Dead Again, their final album, on May 5th in a number of colored vinyls and cassette.Butcher Babies - Beaver Cage https://youtu.be/r2rdf_oKXoA sometimes I worry about the metal community…Kreator V Lamb of God - State of Unrest https://youtu.be/wuW9SRR_UEI SWEETLinkin Park - Lost https://youtu.be/7NK_JOkuSVY sounds exactly like you think it should knowing that it comes from the Meteora sessions.Static X - Terrible Lie https://youtu.be/yZKzqTYBr2Y ANOTHER new album announced. Project Regeneration: Vol 2. Doing a GREAT job of keeping the singer thing a secret there boys.Tours/FestivalsEmperor - first tour of the US in 15 years.Only 5 dates, starting June 23 in Chicago IL through July 1 in Anaheim CA. tickets go on sale Friday Feb 17 10 a.m.https://www.vivapsycho.com/ Reg ‘ol NewsKillswitch Engage - According to Jesse, the new album is almost written and demoed. https://blabbermouth.net/news/killswith-engages-next-album-is-almost-demoed-out-says-jesse-leach Phil Labonte - New regular co-host of Timcast IRLhttps://www.youtube.com/@TimcastIRL SuggestsAvatar Hunter Gathererthe eighth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Avatar, released on 7 August 2020.Gaming/TechFollow-ups/CorrectionsMax Payne 1&2 - Remedy Entertainment gave a brief update. Not much progress sadly, but the vocabulary used shows signs of hope. Not JUST that the game will see the light of day, but also that Remedy sees this as a possibility to resurrect the franchise.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/max-payne-1-2-remake-new-update-ps5-xbox-series-x-s/ Dead Island 2 - the wait is finally over. And now even sooner than before. The game is getting pushed up by a week. Now will release April 21 rather than the 28th. Also certified GOLD due to presales.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dead-island-2-release-date/ Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - The game will be one of the LARGEST Switch games ever. 18.2 gb of space. In modern gaming that isn't much, but for the Switch that is a mountain.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-massive-download-size-nintendo-switch-lite-oled-botw-2/ Halo Infinite - New Twitch drops Feb 24-28 Death Hex coatings.Reg ‘ol NewsGamecube to the Switch - Adding the the list of Gamecube games is always a good thing. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, as well as Baten Kaitos Origins are now finding their way to the Switch marketplace. The package has been renamed to Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster, set to be released this summer.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/nintendo-switch-baten-kaitos-remasters-gamecube-gcn/ Suggestsinstantart.ioWith unlimited image generation, over 25 fine-tuned stable diffusion models.Comic Books/BooksFollow-ups/CorrectionsPoison Ivy - The limited series will in fact become an ongoing series. W - G Willow Wilson A - Marcio Takara and Atagun Ilhan. The book will officially start the ongoing extension in June, with issue #13. PLUS the hardcover trade of the first 6 issues will be released May 16. https://comicbook.com/comics/news/dc-poison-ivy-ongoing-series-issue-13-g-willow-wilson/ Reg ‘ol NewsTMNT: Last Ronin 2 - A sequel to the popular The Last Ronin comic has been announced by TMNT co-creator and Last Ronin co-writer Kevin Eastman. Eastman confirmed the news in a recent interview, revealing that a full Part II is on the way. The Last Ronin 2 will arrive after the conclusion of "The Lost Years" spinoff title, and further details will be confirmed later.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-last-ronin-2-announced/ Brave and the Bold - DC Studios is set to release a Batman-centric film titled The Brave and the Bold, while relaunching the legendary comic title with the same name later this year. The new title will feature a rotating array of stories spotlighting various characters and creators within the universe, including a four-part retelling of the first bloody clash between Batman and Joker by the Eisner-winning Tom King and Mitch Gerads. The debut issue of Batman: The Brave and The Bold will be a 64-page issue. The issue will also include fan-favorite artist Dan Mora's writing debut with a new string of Batman Black & White tales featuring a mysterious motorcycle-riding, bat-costumed hero.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/the-brave-and-the-bold-dc-new-details-relaunched-series/ White Knight Generation Joker - The White Knight universe is continuing with a new chapter titled Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker. The new series will reunite Sean Murphy with Katana Collins and Clay McCormack and will feature Mirka Andolfo as the artist. The story will revolve around Jackie and Bryce taking a road trip alongside a hologram of Joker, with the first issue set to release in July. This too will NOT be the end of the White Knight universe.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/dc-continues-batman-white-knight-universe-with-generation-joker/ https://youtu.be/J1MtZhc3sv8 Carnage V Miles Morales - Marvel's Summer of Symbiotes continues in May with the Carnage Reins, a seven-part crossover between Carnage and Miles Morales. Carnage follows the sadistic alien symbiote as it looks to grow and evolve by picking up new abilities across the Marvel Universe, while Miles Morales: Spider-Man has the young Miles picking up a mentor in Misty Knight, along with dealing with a new threat. The crossover will build on current plot developments in their individual series, such as Carnage's transformation and how Miles' superhero career is impacting his personal life. Book hits shelves May 3rd.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/carnage-vs-miles-morales-crossover-carnage-reigns-summer-of-symbiotes/#3 SuggestsSnow Crash Snow Crash is a science fiction novel by the American writer Neal Stephenson, published in 1992. nominated for both the British Science Fiction Award in 1993 and the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1994Episodic ShowsFollow-ups/CorrectionsThe Nevers - Double follow-up. Tubi is picking up the now canceled HBO Max series, with the previously unaired episodes. Six more episodes for part 2 of the first (and only) season. Feb, 13, 14, 15.https://collider.com/the-nevers-streaming-tubi/ Walking Dead - Rick and Michonne is FINALLY filming! https://twitter.com/WalkingDeadLife/status/1625490465398333446Avenue 5 - Canceled after just 2 seasons. https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/hbo-cancels-avenue-5-hit-comedy-two-seasons/ The Peripheral - Officially confirmed for season 2 on Amazon https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-peripheral-renewed-season-2-future-franchise-amazon-prime-video/ SuggestsHeroes created by Tim Kring that aired on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006, to February 8, 2010.MoviesFollow-ups/CorrectionsChronicles of Riddick: Furya - David Twohy is set to write and direct the fourth installment of the franchise. https://deadline.com/2023/02/vin-diesel-david-twohy-reunite-riddick-furya-hot-european-film-title-1235256547/ TrailersChildren of the Corn - https://youtu.be/PWCGoGdkM7I Looks at least a bit better than the first one…The Bowl Trailers - https://comicbook.com/movies/news/2023-super-bowl-trailers-commercials-super-bowl-lvii-chiefs-eagles/ Ant-Man - Looks Epic… but the reviews are middlingCreed 3 - Jonathan Majors is really proving to be one of the best actors of a generation.Scream VI - meh…65 - This movie will flopD&D: Honor Among Thieves - This too will underperform.AIR - Michael Jordan biopic… could be good.Fast X - Good Lord this series just won't stop.Guardians 3 - Ok for real… does Rocket die?Transformers - Rise of the Beasts won't be enough to salvage this live action franchise.The Flash - I can see why they are saying this could be the biggest comic book movie ever.Indiana Jones 5 - This too will flop.Reg ‘ol NewsKevin Feige - The man with the plan at Marvel just revealed that Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross will be the President confirming rumors. Spider-Man 4 is currently in production, with Tom Holland returning. Deadpool 3 will, in fact, be rated R. Tries to sell Kamala Khan as the “next Peter Parker.” Buckey Barnes to officially lead the Thunderbolts in the movie.https://cosmicbook.news/spider-man-4-underway-at-marvel-confirms-kevin-feige SuggestsLiar Liar 1997 American comedy film, directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur. It stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who built his entire career on lying but finds himself cursed to speak only the truth for a single dayRumor MillConfirmations/RefutationsBatman- Bale looks to be the “other” Batman… James Gunn though said that an existing actor will NOT be the new DCU Bats. It will in fact be a new actor.New SourcesPhase 5 - only a few of the projects happening in Phase 5 will feed into the multiverse. Marvels, Agatha, Fantastic 4, Deadpool 3, Quantumania, Loki S2. ~AND~ The 838 Universe is supposed to be factoring into the overall plot heavily. ~AND~ Iron Man 838 variant said to be a minor antagonist against the Avengers.Twisted Metal - Firesprite is said to be the studio developing the next game, to coincide (somehow) with the release of the Peacock series starring Anthony Mackie. One job listing at the company explicitly is looking for a developer with experience in both vehicular combat AND on-foot combat. Metroid - With the Prime Remaster having been announced, the Rumor Mill is a buzz with talk for Metroid 4 being announced at the end of the year. Possibly for a 2025 release. As well as ports (remasters? remakes?) of MP 2 and 3.New RumorsFantastic Four - Mila Kunis rumored for Sue Storm role. Penn Badgley rumored for a secret role.Star Wars - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to star in Damon Lindelof's movie.Assassin's Creed - Second VR game in the works?Starfield - released date LEAK. June 29 2023 according to GOG Galaxy. Seems odd because that is a thursday.Halo Infinite - SO MANY LEAKS! S3 Infection focused20-28 maps in development (only 3-5 for S3)Forge AIFirefight gamemodeOne new weapon in S3 and new Gear type (previously leaked)Brutes, Elites, and Grunts all spawnable in Forge on the next update. Though not fully fleshed out yet.You can support this show by visiting our merch store, or by leaving us an Apple Podcasts review.
It's time for the Comic Talk Headlines with Generally Nerdy! Lots of EXTRA news this week. Just didn't have the time to edit multiple versions of the same episode. So enjoy all the extra news!Tune in Wednesdays for the regular show and Saturdays for the re-post of the Friday night LIVE SHOW. Plus, don't forget to subscribe for more fresh content. MusicNew Music/VideoType O Negative - Love You To Death https://youtu.be/9lqy1iYh25k Live from 2007 Wacken Open Air Festival. The band is set to Re-release Dead Again, their final album, on May 5th in a number of colored vinyls and cassette.Butcher Babies - Beaver Cage https://youtu.be/r2rdf_oKXoA sometimes I worry about the metal community…Kreator V Lamb of God - State of Unrest https://youtu.be/wuW9SRR_UEI SWEETLinkin Park - Lost https://youtu.be/7NK_JOkuSVY sounds exactly like you think it should knowing that it comes from the Meteora sessions.Static X - Terrible Lie https://youtu.be/yZKzqTYBr2Y ANOTHER new album announced. Project Regeneration: Vol 2. Doing a GREAT job of keeping the singer thing a secret there boys.Tours/FestivalsEmperor - first tour of the US in 15 years.Only 5 dates, starting June 23 in Chicago IL through July 1 in Anaheim CA. tickets go on sale Friday Feb 17 10 a.m.https://www.vivapsycho.com/ Reg ‘ol NewsKillswitch Engage - According to Jesse, the new album is almost written and demoed. https://blabbermouth.net/news/killswith-engages-next-album-is-almost-demoed-out-says-jesse-leach Phil Labonte - New regular co-host of Timcast IRLhttps://www.youtube.com/@TimcastIRL SuggestsAvatar Hunter Gathererthe eighth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band Avatar, released on 7 August 2020.Gaming/TechFollow-ups/CorrectionsMax Payne 1&2 - Remedy Entertainment gave a brief update. Not much progress sadly, but the vocabulary used shows signs of hope. Not JUST that the game will see the light of day, but also that Remedy sees this as a possibility to resurrect the franchise.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/max-payne-1-2-remake-new-update-ps5-xbox-series-x-s/ Dead Island 2 - the wait is finally over. And now even sooner than before. The game is getting pushed up by a week. Now will release April 21 rather than the 28th. Also certified GOLD due to presales.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/dead-island-2-release-date/ Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - The game will be one of the LARGEST Switch games ever. 18.2 gb of space. In modern gaming that isn't much, but for the Switch that is a mountain.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-massive-download-size-nintendo-switch-lite-oled-botw-2/ Halo Infinite - New Twitch drops Feb 24-28 Death Hex coatings.Reg ‘ol NewsGamecube to the Switch - Adding the the list of Gamecube games is always a good thing. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean, as well as Baten Kaitos Origins are now finding their way to the Switch marketplace. The package has been renamed to Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster, set to be released this summer.https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/nintendo-switch-baten-kaitos-remasters-gamecube-gcn/ Suggestsinstantart.ioWith unlimited image generation, over 25 fine-tuned stable diffusion models.Comic Books/BooksFollow-ups/CorrectionsPoison Ivy - The limited series will in fact become an ongoing series. W - G Willow Wilson A - Marcio Takara and Atagun Ilhan. The book will officially start the ongoing extension in June, with issue #13. PLUS the hardcover trade of the first 6 issues will be released May 16. https://comicbook.com/comics/news/dc-poison-ivy-ongoing-series-issue-13-g-willow-wilson/ Reg ‘ol NewsTMNT: Last Ronin 2 - A sequel to the popular The Last Ronin comic has been announced by TMNT co-creator and Last Ronin co-writer Kevin Eastman. Eastman confirmed the news in a recent interview, revealing that a full Part II is on the way. The Last Ronin 2 will arrive after the conclusion of "The Lost Years" spinoff title, and further details will be confirmed later.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-last-ronin-2-announced/ Brave and the Bold - DC Studios is set to release a Batman-centric film titled The Brave and the Bold, while relaunching the legendary comic title with the same name later this year. The new title will feature a rotating array of stories spotlighting various characters and creators within the universe, including a four-part retelling of the first bloody clash between Batman and Joker by the Eisner-winning Tom King and Mitch Gerads. The debut issue of Batman: The Brave and The Bold will be a 64-page issue. The issue will also include fan-favorite artist Dan Mora's writing debut with a new string of Batman Black & White tales featuring a mysterious motorcycle-riding, bat-costumed hero.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/the-brave-and-the-bold-dc-new-details-relaunched-series/ White Knight Generation Joker - The White Knight universe is continuing with a new chapter titled Batman: White Knight Presents: Generation Joker. The new series will reunite Sean Murphy with Katana Collins and Clay McCormack and will feature Mirka Andolfo as the artist. The story will revolve around Jackie and Bryce taking a road trip alongside a hologram of Joker, with the first issue set to release in July. This too will NOT be the end of the White Knight universe.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/dc-continues-batman-white-knight-universe-with-generation-joker/ https://youtu.be/J1MtZhc3sv8 Carnage V Miles Morales - Marvel's Summer of Symbiotes continues in May with the Carnage Reins, a seven-part crossover between Carnage and Miles Morales. Carnage follows the sadistic alien symbiote as it looks to grow and evolve by picking up new abilities across the Marvel Universe, while Miles Morales: Spider-Man has the young Miles picking up a mentor in Misty Knight, along with dealing with a new threat. The crossover will build on current plot developments in their individual series, such as Carnage's transformation and how Miles' superhero career is impacting his personal life. Book hits shelves May 3rd.https://comicbook.com/comics/news/carnage-vs-miles-morales-crossover-carnage-reigns-summer-of-symbiotes/#3 SuggestsSnow Crash Snow Crash is a science fiction novel by the American writer Neal Stephenson, published in 1992. nominated for both the British Science Fiction Award in 1993 and the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1994Episodic ShowsFollow-ups/CorrectionsThe Nevers - Double follow-up. Tubi is picking up the now canceled HBO Max series, with the previously unaired episodes. Six more episodes for part 2 of the first (and only) season. Feb, 13, 14, 15.https://collider.com/the-nevers-streaming-tubi/ Walking Dead - Rick and Michonne is FINALLY filming! https://twitter.com/WalkingDeadLife/status/1625490465398333446Avenue 5 - Canceled after just 2 seasons. https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/hbo-cancels-avenue-5-hit-comedy-two-seasons/ The Peripheral - Officially confirmed for season 2 on Amazon https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-peripheral-renewed-season-2-future-franchise-amazon-prime-video/ SuggestsHeroes created by Tim Kring that aired on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006, to February 8, 2010.MoviesFollow-ups/CorrectionsChronicles of Riddick: Furya - David Twohy is set to write and direct the fourth installment of the franchise. https://deadline.com/2023/02/vin-diesel-david-twohy-reunite-riddick-furya-hot-european-film-title-1235256547/ TrailersChildren of the Corn - https://youtu.be/PWCGoGdkM7I Looks at least a bit better than the first one…The Bowl Trailers - https://comicbook.com/movies/news/2023-super-bowl-trailers-commercials-super-bowl-lvii-chiefs-eagles/ Ant-Man - Looks Epic… but the reviews are middlingCreed 3 - Jonathan Majors is really proving to be one of the best actors of a generation.Scream VI - meh…65 - This movie will flopD&D: Honor Among Thieves - This too will underperform.AIR - Michael Jordan biopic… could be good.Fast X - Good Lord this series just won't stop.Guardians 3 - Ok for real… does Rocket die?Transformers - Rise of the Beasts won't be enough to salvage this live action franchise.The Flash - I can see why they are saying this could be the biggest comic book movie ever.Indiana Jones 5 - This too will flop.Reg ‘ol NewsKevin Feige - The man with the plan at Marvel just revealed that Harrison Ford's Thunderbolt Ross will be the President confirming rumors. Spider-Man 4 is currently in production, with Tom Holland returning. Deadpool 3 will, in fact, be rated R. Tries to sell Kamala Khan as the “next Peter Parker.” Buckey Barnes to officially lead the Thunderbolts in the movie.https://cosmicbook.news/spider-man-4-underway-at-marvel-confirms-kevin-feige SuggestsLiar Liar 1997 American comedy film, directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Paul Guay and Stephen Mazur. It stars Jim Carrey as a lawyer who built his entire career on lying but finds himself cursed to speak only the truth for a single dayRumor MillConfirmations/RefutationsBatman- Bale looks to be the “other” Batman… James Gunn though said that an existing actor will NOT be the new DCU Bats. It will in fact be a new actor.New SourcesPhase 5 - only a few of the projects happening in Phase 5 will feed into the multiverse. Marvels, Agatha, Fantastic 4, Deadpool 3, Quantumania, Loki S2. ~AND~ The 838 Universe is supposed to be factoring into the overall plot heavily. ~AND~ Iron Man 838 variant said to be a minor antagonist against the Avengers.Twisted Metal - Firesprite is said to be the studio developing the next game, to coincide (somehow) with the release of the Peacock series starring Anthony Mackie. One job listing at the company explicitly is looking for a developer with experience in both vehicular combat AND on-foot combat. Metroid - With the Prime Remaster having been announced, the Rumor Mill is a buzz with talk for Metroid 4 being announced at the end of the year. Possibly for a 2025 release. As well as ports (remasters? remakes?) of MP 2 and 3.New RumorsFantastic Four - Mila Kunis rumored for Sue Storm role. Penn Badgley rumored for a secret role.Star Wars - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to star in Damon Lindelof's movie.Assassin's Creed - Second VR game in the works?Starfield - released date LEAK. June 29 2023 according to GOG Galaxy. Seems odd because that is a thursday.Halo Infinite - SO MANY LEAKS! S3 Infection focused20-28 maps in development (only 3-5 for S3)Forge AIFirefight gamemodeOne new weapon in S3 and new Gear type (previously leaked)Brutes, Elites, and Grunts all spawnable in Forge on the next update. Though not fully fleshed out yet.You can support this show by visiting our merch store, or by leaving us an Apple Podcasts review.
Mitch and Blake discuss the recurring industry obsession with the idea of virtual reality, beginning in the mid-1980s. Mitch recounts a story about his encounter with VPL and the weird world of digital artists and promoters in the early days of personal computing. They look at the second failed wave of VR investment in the 1990s and the importance of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. Mitch talks about how Linden Lab's Second Life anticipated many of the ideas of the modern metaverse. They then look at the Oculus, and Facebook's decade-long failure to generate momentum behind a new wave of virtual reality, and what Apple's entry into the market may mean. They conclude with a look at the idea of the metaverse and its challenges. Links and Show Notes: Mondo 2000 magazine Mark Pauline - Survival Research Labs Neuromancer (William Gibson, 1984) “Spawn of Atari” (Wired Magazine) VPL “Murder She Wrote” VR Episode Hasbro's Toaster VR Project Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson, 1993) Ready Player One (Ernest Cline, 2011) Beat Saber The Metaverse (Matthew Ball, 2022) Raph Koster's “real talk about a real metaverse”
On previous episodes of Faster, Please! — The Podcast and in my newsletter essays, I've argued for the importance of optimistic science fiction. But what exactly qualifies as future-optimistic fiction, and how is it different from utopian literature? To discuss one of my favorite science-fiction book and TV series, The Expanse, and to consider the importance of what fiction tells us about the future, I've brought on Peter Suderman.Peter is features editor at Reason magazine. He has written a number of fantastic pieces on science fiction including "The Fractal, Fractious Politics of The Expanse" in the December 2022 issue of Reason.In This Episode* Does The Expanse count as optimistic science fiction? (1:15)* Optimistic—not utopian—visions of the future (9:10)* The evolution of science fiction (19:30)* The importance of the future sci-fi shows us (27:09)Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.Does The Expanse count as optimistic science fiction?French film director François Truffaut famously claimed it was impossible to make an anti-war film. He said, “I find that violence is very ambiguous in movies. For example, some films claim to be antiwar, but I don't think I've really seen an antiwar film. Every film about war ends up being pro-war.” And that quote, which has always stuck in my head, reemerged in my brain when I came across a somewhat similar observation from Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton, who said, “Futuristic science fiction tends to be pessimistic. If you imagine a future that's wonderful, you don't have a story.” I think some people may interpret that as meaning you cannot write optimistic science fiction.And I think of a show that you have written a long essay about, and I've written about—not as intelligently, but I've written about it from time to time: the TV show The Expanse. And I find The Expanse to be optimistic sci-fi. It takes place in the future, a couple hundred years in the future. Humanity has spread out to Mars and the asteroid belts. There's certainly conflict. As an Expanse fan, someone just wrote an essay on it, would you agree that it's optimistic science fiction?I think it is, with some caveats. The first one is that it's optimistic but it's not utopian. And I think a lot of the argument against optimistic science fiction is actually not really arguing against optimism. It's arguing against utopianism and this idea that you sometimes see—there are hints of it sometimes in Star Trek, especially in Star Trek: The Next Generation—of, in the future humanity will have all of its problems solved, we won't have money, there will be no poverty. If you think about the Earth of Star Trek: The Next Generation's future, it's actually kind of boring, right? There isn't a lot of conflict. Writers eventually found ways to drive conflict out of conflicts between the Federation and other planets and even within the Federation. Because of course, they realized the utopian surface is just a surface. And if you dig down at all beneath it, of course humans would have conflict.But I think a lot of the opposition to the idea of optimistic science fiction just comes from this idea of, “Well, wouldn't it be utopian?” And what The Expanse does is it tells a story that is, I think, inherently optimistic but really deeply not utopian, because it recognizes that progress is not an easy, straight linear line in which everybody comes together and holds hands, and there's a rainbow and My Little Ponies, and everybody just sort of sings, and it's wonderful. That's not how it works. In fact, the way that progress happens is that people have things they want in their lives, and then they seek, either on their own or in coalitions, factions, organizations—whether that's governments, whether that's the private sector, whether that's unions, whatever it is—they organize somehow or another to get the thing that they want. And sometimes they build things. Sometimes they build habitats.And so this is something you see a lot of in The Expanse. Humans have colonized the solar system, as the story begins, and there are just all of these fascinating habitats that humans have built. Some of those habitats actually have problems with them. There are air filtration issues, where you have to constantly be supplying ice from asteroid mining. That sort of thing. Some of the main characters, when we first meet them, are working as ice haulers. Because of course, you would have to have some sort of trade of important resources in space in order to make these habitats work. And you could call this, “That's not optimistic. In fact, a lot of these lives are sort of grubby and unpleasant, and people don't get everything they want.” But I think that misunderstands the idea of progress, because the idea of progress isn't that suddenly everything will be happy and My Little Pony-ish. It's not My Little Pony. It's actually conflict and it's clashing desires and it's clashing ideals about how humans should live. And then it's people kind of working that stuff out amongst themselves, day by day, hour by hour, through coalitions, through organizations, through institutions, through technology, through politics sometimes. And all of those sort of tools and all of those organizational forms have a role. Sometimes they also have drawbacks. All of them have drawbacks to some extent. And then it's just a matter of how are people going work out the problems they have at the moment in order to get to the next place, in order to build the thing they want to build, in order to start the society they want to have.It's a six-season TV show based on a nine-novel series. The six-season TV show adapts the first six books, and then there are three additional books, plus there's a bunch of short stories, novellas, interstitial material. There's this moment that happens in both the TV show and in the books that's really important. And it's about it when humanity finds a way to other solar systems. There are 1300 gates that open up and they can sort of go out and colonize the rest of space. All of these colonies are settled, and each one of them takes on an idea and a culture and often technological capability. There's one of them that's really funny that you meet called Freehold. Frankly, it's a bunch of anarchist libertarian gun nuts who decide to basically ignore all the rules that the trade union that is managing a lot of the trade between the gates has put in place. And they are managing that trade for a good reason. Because if you mess with the gates, if you go through them the wrong way, it kills people, it kills ships, it destroys them. And so you have to go through in order, and you have to go through slowly, and it's this whole sort of process. In Freehold, they‘re a bunch of difficult, crazy anarchist-like libertarian gun nuts who don't want to play by the rules. And at first they're a problem. You can see why that would be a problem for the social organizational form that has come up in these books from managing the gates and making sure that they don't kill people. But later, when basically a super powerful high-tech imperial planet that has designs on controlling all of humanity and putting all of humanity under the thumb of basically one emperor who has plans to live forever—it's sort of this, become a kind of a god who is ruling over all of humanity and then basically turn all of humans into like a hive mind but for the good of humanity so that we'll survive—when you have that all-encompassing, super powerful collectivist impulse that is threatening human civilization, it turns out that the libertarian anarchist gun nuts at Freehold are actually pretty good friends to have. This series does a bunch of interesting work of noting that, yes, of course those people can be difficult at times, and they can present problems to social cohesion. At the same time, it's not bad to have them as allies when you are threatened by an authoritarian.Optimistic—not utopian—visions of the futureYou've nailed it. Well done. I view it as optimistic but not utopian—I think that's a key point—particularly compared to how the future is often portrayed. I think it's pretty optimistic because no zombies. We're still around. And the world looks like it's doing okay. Was there climate change? Sure. But New York is surrounded by barriers. Clearly there's been disruption, but we kept moving forward. Now we're this multi-planetary civilization, so it doesn't look like we're going to get killed by an asteroid anytime soon.I think a big mistake that a lot of the pessimists about the future in politics and our culture generally, but in science fiction as well—a big mistake that they make is that they think only in terms of grand plans. They think in terms of mass systems of social control and social organization. And so when you see an apocalypse, it's “all the governments have failed and so has capitalism.” When you see an apocalypse, it's “the oceans swallowed us because we used too much energy or the wrong kind of energy.” And that's it. The grand plan didn't work. And then we're in a hellscape after that. And what you see in The Expanse, what makes it so smart, is grand plans actually do fail.Almost any time somebody has a big sweeping theory of how we're going to reorganize human social organization, of how humanity is going to be totally different from now on—almost anytime that someone has that sort of theory in The Expanse series, it doesn't work out. And often that person is revealed to be a bad guy, or at least somebody who has a bad way of thinking about the world. Instead, progress comes in fits and starts, and it's made on a much smaller scale by these ad hoc coalitions of people who are constantly changing their coalitions. Sometimes you want something that requires building something, that requires a new technology. And so you ally with people who are engineer types, and you work with them to build something. At the end of it, you've got the thing that they've built, and your life is a little bit better, or at least you've accomplished one of your goals. And then maybe after that, those people, the engineers, actually it turns out that they have a culture that is not cooperative with yours. And so you're going to ally with a different political faction and the engineers are going to be on the other side of it, but they've still built the little thing that you needed them to build. And it's just this idea that big systems and big plans that assume that everything falls in line, those plans don't work, and they do fail. And if that's your idea of how we're going to make progress, that's a bad idea. The way we make progress is…In a Hayekian sense, all our individual wants and needs cannot be incorporated in this grand system or grand plan. Our wants and needs today, much less how those will evolve over time. Our future wants and needs don't fit into the plan either.Yeah, this is right. This is one of the issues I have with a lot of zombie fiction, is that it just sort of assumes that after the zombie apocalypse—the zombie apocalypse is not all that realistic, but you can imagine a scenario in which there is something environmental that really goes very bad for humanity; that's not out of the realm of possibility—but what a lot of the zombie apocalypse fiction assumes, then, is that in the decades or years afterwards no one will really find ways to work with other people towards shared goals. Or at best, they'll do so in a really ugly and simplistic way where somebody sets up a society that's walled off but it's ruled by some evil authoritarian and you're living under this person's thumb.I grew up in Florida, and so we had hurricanes. One of the things you see when you have hurricanes is that, yes, there is a government response and they send out trucks and power company officials and all of that sort of thing. But people drive around the neighborhood with chainsaws and cut up the trees that have fallen across your driveway. And other people who may not have chainsaws go and help their friends move the stuff out of their bedroom where the tree fell into the bedroom through the ceiling and there's been some leakages. It's just sort of people working together in these informal coalitions, these little neighborhood local groups, to help each other out and to try to fix things that have broken and gone wrong. It's not fun. It's not like, “Oh man, hurricanes, they're wonderful. We shouldn't worry about them at all!” We should, and we should try to build resilience against them and that sort of thing.At the same time, when disaster strikes, often what you see—not always, but often what you see—is that people come back together and they survey the problems and they work to fix them minute by minute, hour by hour in little ways. And sometimes the first thing you do is, “Well, I got a hole in my roof. I'm going to stretch garbage bags across it so that the next time it rains…” And then you got a hole in your roof with garbage bags across it for a couple of weeks. But that's a solution for the time. It's better than a hole in your roof. On the other hand, you got a hole in your roof. It sucks. But that's progress relative to the hole that's there. That's a way that a lot of people who don't think about engineering, who don't think in a Hayekian manner, it's something that they miss. Because they only think about big systems and big plans. And big systems and big plans do have big risks, and they do often fail. But that's not how humans figure out how to move forward and how to make their life better.An interesting aspect is that, you mentioned how at some point these gates open so we're no longer stuck in the solar system. We can go to any of these other planetary systems. And what's interesting is the devastating effect this has on the planet Mars, which is its own world, its own government, it has its own military, it's independent of Earth. But it's a society that was built around one big idea, which is terraforming Mars and creating a sustainable civilization. And when that goal didn't look important anymore, that was it. It fell apart. People left. There was no resilience, there was no ability to adapt. To me, that's one of the most interesting twists I've seen in science fiction. When the grand plan fails, the whole thing falls apart because they never assumed the grand plan wouldn't work.The Mars example is great because it shows what I think is one of the biggest problems in political thinking and in kind of bad science-fiction storytelling. It's a great demonstration of steady state thinking, where people think that the current arrangement of power and resources is going to persist forever. And so Mars in The Expanse story was basically a competitor with Earth, which in The Expanse universe was the sort of political home of humanity as well as the bread basket. It's where of all the food was produced. And then the asteroid belt, which is sort of the rough and tumble outer world—the outer world were the resource extractors. They provided for the inner systems. They kind of had a blue-collar vibe to them. There was some terrorist activity that came out of this because they were resentful. There's sort of some interesting cultural and subcultural effects there. And then Mars was heavily military and high tech, and they thought that would be their competitive advantage.Almost a quasi-fascist state, in a way. It was very militaristic and authoritarian.Yes, which comes back to pay off in a big way in the final three books of the trilogy which, unfortunately, the shows don't adapt, but are in some ways, I think, the best of the books. And so much of our politics is built around that idea that this power structure, this arrangement of resources that we have right now where everybody's on Facebook, where everybody is on Twitter, where everybody uses Google search, that's going to last forever. And the only way you can dislodge it is through government and through regulation and through interventions that are designed to break that sort of thing up. I'm thinking very specifically of antitrust, and a lot of antitrust theories are predicated on this. But there are other realms in which this sort of approach to regulation and to politics is quite common as well.And in The Expanse, you see, guess what? Those power structures—even power structures that have persisted in the case of The Expanse books at least for decades and I think for a couple of hundred years that's basically been the arrangement as we sort of enter the story—even those arrangements that seem like they're immutable facts of human organization—Oh, this is how politics has always been; this is how the arrangement of national power (effectively in this story) has always been arranged—those things can change, and they can change because of environmental changes and they can change because of technological developments that people don't foresee.The evolution of science fictionIt seems to me that you had this period during the Space Race, the Atomic Age, ‘50s, ‘60s, in which there was lots of somewhat optimistic science fiction. You obviously had Star Trek and even I would say 2001: A Space Odyssey. You could go to the Jetsons, but then you started not seeing that. And to me, it seems like there's a pretty sharp dividing line there in the late ‘60s, early ‘70s, and I've written about that. Am I making too much out of that, that there was a change? Or has it always been like this and we started noticing it more because we started doing more science fiction?I don't think you're wrong to notice that. And I think there was a big change in the 1970s. I think maybe one place to start, if you're thinking about that, though, is actually something like 100 years before the 1970s.That would be the 1870s!Yeah. In the 1870s, in the 1890s, maybe even a little bit before then. This maybe tells you how naive I was as a seven- or an eight-year-old, but I started reading science fiction when I was around eight years old. My parents were big fans, and I of course watched Star Trek even starting when I was four or five. Star Wars, that sort of thing. I grew up in a real nerd household, and something that I heard when I was I believe in fourth grade that just blew my mind—but of course, it is super obvious when you hear it—is for a long time in human history, we didn't have science fiction. We didn't have it at all. And you go back to the 1700s, to the 1800s, you start to see little bits of it. Jules Verne, even maybe some of Edgar Allan Poe. But it wasn't until the Industrial Revolution and then some of the fiction that sort of came out decades into the Industrial Revolution. It wasn't until relatively recently in human history that people had the idea that the future would be different, because that's the heart of what science fiction is. It is the idea that the future will be different because humans will organize themselves differently, and/or because we will have invented new technologies that make our lives different.And you go back to 1000 AD or 1200 or 1500 even, and you just don't see that idea present in fiction and in storytelling because essentially no one imagined that the future would be different. They thought it would be the way it was in their time forever. And they assumed that it had basically been the same forever. That humanity's social and technological and resource arrangements would be steady state. And something happened in the ‘30s and ‘40s with the early science fiction that really predicated on this idea that, “Oh, wait! The future will be different and it will be better.” And then you get to the 1970s and things start to look a little bit shaky in world affairs, especially in the Western world, right? And what happens is that then is reflected in a lot of popular science fiction, where you start to see this more pessimistic view, this idea that the future will be different but it will be worse. And it will be worse because all of the things we rely on for the present will fail. I don't think that that's an illegitimate mode of storytelling in any way. I, in fact, really like a lot of…Even as I've harangued against them, those are all super enjoyable movies. I just wish there were the other kind too. And it seems to me that maybe we're starting to get more of the other kind again. I mean, we don't have a lot of examples.So about 10 or 15 years ago, there was literally a movement in science fiction led by people like Neal Stephenson, the author of most prominently Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, and Snow Crash in the 1990s, but also some more recent stuff as well. And he was like, “We need ideas about the future that are, if not utopian, then at least sort of optimistic. Ideas about things that we will do that will be better, not things that we will do that will make everything worse and that will sort of contribute to suffering and to collapse.” And Stevenson has been a leading proponent both of other writers doing that but then of doing it himself.Since we were talking about ad hoc coalitions and small-scale problem solving, his novel Termination Shock, I think from two years ago, is a quasi-science-fiction novel about global warming set in the near future in which global warming has both become a real problem and also one that people have started to find a lot of small-scale ways to, not solve exactly, but to address on a personal level. When the novel begins, there are a lot of houses on stilts in Texas because there are flooding issues. But what, they just picked up their houses and they put them on stilts. And people have to wear these sort of Dune-like suits that cool them. There are all these sort of crazy traveling caravans of people who live not in any particular place, but then there are these mega truck stops that have sprung up to meet their needs and sort of become these kind of travel hubs. And then, of course, people start trying to not solve global warming, exactly, but to mitigate global warming kind of locally by shooting stuff into the air that blocks reflections of the atmosphere. Of course, that causes some problems. He's not just sort of like, “Yeah, we can just fix this.” But he's like, “This sort of thing is how problems get solve solved. They don't get solved through politics and grand, multi-lateral agreements.”Of course, I would also point to another Stephenson novel, which is Seveneves, which is a novel in which things get about as dark for humanity as possible. We're down to seven people, and then we come all the way back and beyond.And it's all through distributed solutions. There's a great bit: You get down to the final seven people and then you flash forward, I think it's like 5,000 years. There's just a great like section header in this book. You're like 700 pages into a 1000-page book and suddenly it just says, “5,000 years later.” Okay, okay, I guess. Sure, Neal Stephenson, you can do that. 5,000 years later. And you see that humanity is flourishing again because somehow or another you have distributed rings, habitat systems around the Earth. You have the submarine people. We don't really know what they did, but the submarine people somehow or another figured it out. There are still some Earth-dwellers who survived in caves, like probably the Mars people who just like took off for Mars in the middle of the catastrophe. We think they survived somehow too. Part of this is, there's a kind of cheat in that book in which he doesn't tell you how all of these people survived, but there's also a kind of genius and a truth in that, in that we don't know how it's going to go. But what we know is that when put to the test, people have—not always, I don't want to say it just works 100 percent of the time, because sometimes there are true catastrophes in the world—but people, when put to the test, when your survival, the survival of you, your family, your friends, and the future of your race is on the line, people have figured out ways to survive that their predecessors would never have imagined because they never had to.The importance of the future sci-fi shows usIs it important that we have popular culture that gives us images of the future, a variety of images, to shoot for?I think it's incredibly important. I think even people who think it's important underrate how important it is. Because most people, even the smartest, most innovative people, they're… People are modelers. They kind of do things that they've seen done, even if it's that they've seen it in a story. And I just think about my own history and my own life. I grew up in a household where there wasn't, I would say, a lot of political ideology. It was in the background, but my parents like didn't actually talk about politics that much. It was just that one of them was quite liberal and the other one was quite conservative. And there were differing radio programs that I would hear in the company of one versus the other.But they were both, like I said, science fiction readers. And there was science fiction just all over our house. The first adult science-fiction novel I read was The Caves of Steel, which I was given when I was in fourth grade, eight-years-old. It's like Isaac Asimov's sort of Agatha Christie murder-mystery-in-the-future, in a futuristic New York, story. I was totally hooked after that. I just didn't ever go back. Read science fiction. And like I said, what science fiction gave me was this idea that the future would be different and that maybe—maybe—it could be better in some ways. And I think that if you just listen to interviews and talk to the people who are at the head of some of the most innovative companies in the world and in the United States right now, one through-line you see is that maybe not all of them, but a surprising number of them were science fiction readers growing up as kids.And they spent a lot of time, as a result, just sort of imagining the future. And imagining that it would be different. And I think that exercise, just being drawn into that kind of imagination of a world that is different than the one we live in now and different because people have invented things, because people have reorganized politics, because of whatever it is, but a world that is different because the future will be different—that is an exercise that we need more people to engage in. And when people do it, I think the results… I frankly think that even reading pessimistic science fiction is better than reading none at all, because again, it just constantly hammers home this idea [that] the future will be different. It's not a steady state. That progress or maybe anti-progress can be made.I think it certainly matters on that sort of doer, elite level, where you do have all these entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley folks, who obviously were really inspired by science fiction. Also, I think it's just important for everybody else. I just can't imagine, if people have gotten more of that, not only would they be a bit more resilient to the super negativity. It would just create more dreamers among people about what the future can be. Not utopia, but better. I'll take better.I'll take better as well. And I think that storytellers have a big role to play in that. And I think that anybody who creates images, who is an imaginer for the popular consciousness, has some influence here. Because like I said, people call to mind what they have seen before and people operate based on the ideas that have been handed to them. I certainly would like to see more of those stories. And I would also just like to say that if you're a person who tells stories and who makes images and who tries to sort of worm your way into the public consciousness, obviously you can do it through fear. But wouldn't it be better, wouldn't you feel a little more proud of yourself if you could do it through hope and through making people think that maybe there's something wonderful coming?Star Trek and Star Wars, which is the capitalist show, which is the communist show?Star Trek: The Next Generation's pilot episode is about how basically energy capitalism is inherently bad. The Ferengi are the super capitalists. It's really hard to make like a strong “Star Trek is a pro-capitalist show” argument. Maybe. You get a little bit into that with some of the Deep Space Nine stuff later. But even there, that's mostly just about political conflict. Does that mean that Star Wars is the pro-capitalist show? I don't know. I mean, people do seem to have jobs and buy and sell stuff and make things. I guess I'd have to go with Star Wars just because you can buy droids when you need help on your farm? That's all I got. This is a public episode. 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This week, we're sharing an episode of Imaginary Worlds. For the last 30 years, the real world has been catching up to Neal Stephenson's vision of the future in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, which influenced the creators of Google Earth, Second Life, Oculus Rift and more. Now the centerpiece of the novel, a virtual world called The Metaverse, may become a daily part of our lives thanks to Facebook (renamed Meta) and other big tech companies. In this episode of Imaginary Worlds, host Eric Molinsky explores whether it's a good idea to use a satirical cyberpunk novel from decades ago as a blueprint for the future.You can hear more episodes of Imaginary Worlds at https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When Neal Stephenson coined “the metaverse” three decades ago, his book Snow Crash was found on the shelves of “science fiction”. While the book remains in that category, many of its concepts are now found in reality…Fast forward to 2022, where numerous companies are now building toward their version of the metaverse, including Neal himself – working on Lamina1 – a blockchain company oriented toward creators. While the present metaverses don't perfectly mimic that from Stephenson's early imagination, we get the unique opportunity to discuss the various design decisions that he's making, but also the intersection between the metaverse and gaming, the involvement that AR/VR might play, the evolving role of IP, how artificial intelligence fits in, what he's building and why, and where he gets all of his ideas from. Resources: Neal's Twitter: https://twitter.com/nealstephensonLamina1's website: https://www.lamina1.com/ Stay Updated: Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/a16zFind us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zSubscribe on your favorite podcast app:https://a16z.simplecast.com/Follow our host: https://twitter.com/stephsmithioPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
There Are Now Eight Billion People On Earth. What's Next? Humankind just hit a big milestone this week: a world population of eight billion people. A hundred years ago, there were less than two billion, and now we've more than quadrupled that. But after decades of quick population growth, what will the next few decades hold? Sophie Bushwick, technology editor at Scientific American, explains this to Ira live from the studio. They also talk about other science news this week, like a new initiative from COP 27 to help transition poor countries away from fossil fuels, an ambitious plan to put solar panels in space, how mental health apps aren't protecting user data, what the discovery of the earliest cooked meal in history tells us about human evolution, and the very first lab-grown meat to gain FDA approval. Groundwater Contamination In Springfield, Missouri Kept Secret From Residents Early in 2019, Ed Galbraith faced a crowd of some 200 unhappy Springfield, Missouri residents. He wanted to make amends. Galbraith, then director of Missouri Department of Natural Resources' environmental quality division, acknowledged that the state agency in charge of protecting the environment should have announced sooner that contaminated water had spread from an old industrial site near the Springfield-Branson National Airport. Residents had recently found out that a harmful chemical known to cause cancer had been detected in the groundwater. The contamination came from the site of the now-shuttered Litton Systems, a former defense contractor that had employed thousands of people in Springfield to make circuit boards for the Navy and telecommunications industry. Read the rest at sciencefriday.com. Can A New Surge Of Tech Interest Make The Metaverse A Thing? Late last year, Mark Zuckerberg took the company then known as Facebook in a new direction. He renamed it Meta, short for “metaverse.” And he promised the company would go all in on building a virtual reality world like the first famous metaverse—the fictional topic of Neal Stephenson's 1992 novel “Snow Crash.” While many companies have tried to make metaverses in the 30 years since “Snow Crash” came out, including the popular virtual world called Second Life, we seem to be entering a new era of metaverse hype: besides Zuckerberg, Apple seems to be investing in a VR world. And even Nike wants to make a metaverse. So what are users actually getting if these companies succeed at their goals? And are there other, perhaps better, ways to go about bringing people together virtually? Ira talks to science fiction writer and tech journalist Annalee Newitz, and Avi Bar-Zeev, a pioneer of extended-reality technologies for companies like Disney, Apple, and others.
Paris Marx is joined by Dave Karpf to discuss Meta's misguided attempt to turn Facebook into a metaverse company, how Wired Magazine has evolved, and why the tech billionaires are destroying the world.Dave Karpf is an Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University. He's also the author of The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy and Analytic Activism: Digital Listening and the New Political Strategy. Follow Dave on Twitter at @davekarpf.Tech Won't Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, support the show on Patreon, and sign up for the weekly newsletter.The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.Also mentioned in this episode:Dave wrote about the history of WIRED Magazine's future predictions and why VR never dies.People Make Games made a video looking at what's going on in VRChat.Meta's legs demo wasn't real.Douglas Rushkoff's new book Survival of the Richest looks at how the rich are trying to protect themselves from the crises they're making worse.Science fiction books mentioned: Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, Ernest Cline's Ready Player One, and William Gibson's The Peripheral.Support the show
For the last 30 years, the real world has been catching up to Neal Stephenson's vision of the future in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, which influenced the creators of Google Earth, Second Life, Oculus Rift and more. Now the centerpiece of the novel, a virtual world called The Metaverse, may become a daily part of our lives thanks to Facebook (renamed Meta) and other big tech companies. I talk with Meta's director of A.I. policy Kevin Bankston, Silicon Valley engineer Stephen Pimentel, Australian National University School of Cybernetics director Genevieve Bell, Yale professor Lisa Messeri, and Grace Ng of the DAO Crash Punks about whether it's a good idea to use a satirical cyberpunk novel as a blueprint for the future. Plus, actor Varick Boyd reads from Snow Crash. Our 200th Episode is coming up! We'd love to hear from you, especially if you have listened to Imaginary Worlds in a place that's evocative of imaginary worlds, or if a particular episode spoke to you and maybe inspired a creative work. Leave us a voice mail at 732-743-8255, and we might use your audio in the 200th episode. You can also send a voice memo to the show's Facebook or Instagram accounts. This episode is sponsored by Backblaze, VAST Horizon, and Squarespace. Our ad partner is Multitude. If you're interested in advertising on Imaginary Worlds, you can contact them here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Notes & Links from Today's Show Check out Abby Pittman's Art! Oil Paintings — Abby Pittman Artwork Maxar's Images of Russia's War on Ukraine: Is It Propaganda? | The New Republic Putin: Western spy agencies weaponize intelligence in attempt to undermine Russian President (msn.com) What will happen after Russia takes over Ukraine? Will they kill lots of people? - Quora Putin: Western spy agencies weaponize intelligence in attempt to undermine Russian President (msn.com) Fears over Will Smith slap copycats as comedy club owner says King Richard actor should 'apologize to all comedians' (the-sun.com) Newest psychedelic drug - is sound? How people are using binaural beats to get high - Brain Tomorrow https://www.foxnews.com/world/zelenskyy-demotes-ukrainian-generals-traitors https://finance.yahoo.com/news/elizabeth-warren-calls-us-create-010924766.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/03/09/executive-order-on-ensuring-responsible-development-of-digital-assets/ Catholic teaching on gender theory and gender ideology: https://www.usccb.org/resources/Gender-Ideology-Select-Teaching-Resources_0.pdf https://www.wsj.com/articles/does-the-dont-say-gay-bill-say-that-11647041916 https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-chief-bob-chapek-takes-stand-on-floridas-parental-rights-in-education-bill-11646866002 https://www.foxnews.com/politics/disney-employee-issues-dire-warning-about-the-economic-consequences-of-new-leftward-lurch?cmpid=prn_newsstand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reedy_Creek_Improvement_District Listen, Subscribe, Share the Show, Donate. Help us keep this train rollin! The Propaganda Report on Rokfin The CFR Plots To Shut Up Critically Thinking Americans | Rokfin The Propaganda Report on Patreon Propaganda Report Community (locals.com) The Propaganda Report Store Support Our Sponsors! Donate… If you find value in the content we produce and want to help us keep this train rollin, drop us a donation via Paypal or become a Patreon. (links below) Every little bit helps. Thank you! And thank you to everyone who has and continues to support the show. It's your support that enables us to continue producing shows. Paypal Patreon Subscribe & Leave A 5-Star Review… Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Google Play Music Listen on Google Podcasts Listen on Tunein Listen on Stitcher Follow on Spotify Like and Follow us on Facebook Follow Monica on Twitter Follow Binkley on Twitter Subscribe to Binkley's Youtube Channel https://www.paypal.me/BradBinkley https://www.patreon.com/propagandareport https://twitter.com/freedomactradio https://twitter.com/MonicaPerezShow https://www.youtube.com/bradbinkley https://www.youtube.com/monicaperez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Location: Los Angeles Date: Wednesday 2nd February Company: N/A Role: N/A Web3 is a co-opted term that was originally used to describe an internet that gives users greater control over their privacy and data. It is now commonly referred to as the metaverse. The metaverse, originally described in Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, was a dystopian future that envisions a virtual reality-based successor to the internet. The metaverse has been picked up on by VCs and Silicon Valley and is now promising to revolutionise the way we interact with the internet taking advantage of NFTs and 'crypto'. However, bitcoiners remain sceptical. Over the last 13 years, thousands of projects have come and gone, promising huge innovation with little to back it up, from altcoins that promise to be 'the new bitcoin' to narratives like 'blockchain, not bitcoin' and the ICO boom, and bust. In this interview, American HODL and Junseth take aim at Web3, NFTs and the metaverse and discuss why they believe that it will not only fail but that it doesn't even exist in the first place.
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