Constellation: Making the Graphic Novel
161 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago - ★★★★★ - 67 ratingsJoin us as we build an original science fiction world.
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Episodes
011: Review of McAfee and Brynjolfsson’s SECOND MACHINE AGE
February 10, 2014 22:29 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBIn this extra-long podcast, we review the important new book from MIT’s Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson, THE SECOND MACHINE AGE: Work, Progress, and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies. The first half is a detailed, Cliffs-Notes version of the book’s arguments for those that have not read it; others may want to skip to […]
010: What Will Remain Scarce in the Future?
January 27, 2014 22:18 - 37 minutes - 42.9 MBIn this week’s podcast, we do the thought experiment of what happens in a theoretically super-abundant future: what things remain scarce and still retain economic value? Further, as we approach that point, where are the safe areas to try to find work? We list all the scarce goods we can think of in four categories: […]
009: Is Storytelling More Difficult in a World of Accelerating Change?
January 20, 2014 22:35 - 24 minutes - 28.6 MBOn the podcast this week, we discuss the state of narrative in a world where technological change is accelerating. We start with William Gibson’s now decade-old attempt to write recent-past rather than near-future speculative work and continue to talk about the perceived rise in period, future and ambiguous time periods in contemporary films and novels. […]
008: Review of Tyler Cowen’s Average Is Over
January 13, 2014 23:03 - 49 minutes - 57.2 MBToday’s podcast reviews Tyler Cowen’s new book Average is Over: Powering America Beyond the Age of the Great Stagnation. The book’s thesis is that machine intelligence and other factors are driving a trend toward much greater inequality in America. We discuss Tyler’s conservative political persuasion and the relative plausibility of his near future vision. Will […]
007: Review of Spike Jonze’s HER
January 06, 2014 20:21 - 34 minutes - 40 MBIn this week’s podcast, we review Her, Spike Jonze’s entertaining new movie about a human-AI relationship. How well does it hold up from the point of view of speculation? Is the world fully realized and consistent? Do the characters seem like they inhabit the world of the film? We discuss the construction of a near-future Los […]
006: What is an Intelligence Explosion, and Will It Kill Us All?
December 30, 2013 20:34 - 28 minutes - 32.8 MBAn Intelligence Explosion is the idea that a greater-than-human intelligent machine will quickly design a greater-than-itself intelligent machine, and so on, until very rapidly the intelligence of artificial systems greatly outstrips that of humanity. Is this hard takeoff scenario realistic? Is it possible? Is there any way to encourage future super-intelligent machines to be friendly? […]
005: Are We Addicted to Technology?
December 24, 2013 03:46 - 24 minutes - 28.3 MBIt’s easy to find alarmist articles fretting about how addicted to technology we are becoming. It’s true that we are increasingly reliant on technology and many of us spend exorbitant numbers of hours staring at screens. But is it fair to describe this behavior as addiction? What does it mean to be addicted to technology? […]
004: Are Generation Gaps Going to be Relevant in the Future?
December 16, 2013 20:43 - 32 minutes - 37.6 MBWhen we were growing up, kids knew how to use the internet and adults didn’t. Should we expect that our kids will have a similar experience? Are generation gaps declining as access expands, attitudes change, longevity increases, and interest trumps age as an indicator of knowledge? Rebellion largely seems irrelevant and the only exception to […]
003: Is Privacy Dead?
December 09, 2013 20:36 - 39 minutes - 44.8 MBWe ask “Is privacy coming to an end, and if so, what does that mean exactly?” We examine progress in the areas of always-on surveillance and lifelogging, facial recognition, and other technologies that are eroding traditional spheres of privacy. Might this lead to tyranny or to greater tolerance? Is a transparent, sousveillance society that watches […]
002: Should We Be Worried About Technological Unemployment?
December 02, 2013 21:46 - 27 minutes - 31.3 MBWhat is technological unemployment, and should we be worried about it? Hosts Jon Perry and Ted Kupper discuss the problems associated with technological unemployment and some possible responses in this episode . Relevant Links Decline of Scarcity Article: A Detailed Critique of Race Against the Machine Decline of Scarcity Article: Ten Responses to the Technological Unemployment Problem Economic Possibilities […]
001: Is Technological Progress Accelerating?
November 24, 2013 05:40 - 33 minutes - 38.8 MBIn this first episode of the REVIEW THE FUTURE podcast, we speculate on the topic of accelerating technological returns. If technological progress is truly accelerating, that has wide reaching implications. Relevant Links Decline of Scarcity Article: Is Technological Progress Accelerating or Not? Peter Thiel’s Founder’s Fund: What Happened to the Future? The Law of Accelerating […]