Luminary: Recent Episodes
Luminary.fm
Kitchen table-style conversations with some of the world’s brightest minds, exploring boundaries of human knowledge. Join us on a pursuit to discover the ideas, intuition, theories and thoughts behind these luminaries.
Tim O’Reilly is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of O’Reilly Media, a company that has profoundly impacted how generations of software engineers and computer hobbyists have learned programming. Tim is of course a luminary of the technology industry and hardly needs an introduction. It is difficult to overstate the importance of his contributions. Tim has been active in the open source and internet community for decades, providing the intellectual inspiration behind terms like open source software and web 2.0.
Our conversation with Tim centers around open source. We discuss: the characteristics of open source software, which company has best executed on its open source strategy, and how the open source ethos has influenced the tech industry and beyond. We also cover Tim’s latest project around algorithmic rents.
About and From Tim O’Reilly:
- Tim O’Reilly: Various Things I’ve Written
- Tim O’Reilly – Wikipedia
Recommendations and References:
- Richard Stallman
- David Stutz
- The Man Watching by Rainer Maria Rilke
- The Dawn of Everything
- Marriana Mazzucato
- Herbert Simon
- Economics for the Common Good
- The Paris Wife
- Working Days
- East of Eden
- David Graeber
The post Tim O’Reilly on Open Source Alchemy: Shaping the Tech Landscape appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Yochai Benkler is a professor of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies at Harvard Law School and co-director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Yochai is known for coining the term commons-based peer production which describes collaborative efforts or social production in the creation of information goods such as Apache server or Wikipedia. In 2012, he received a lifetime achievement award from Oxford University in recognition of his contribution to the study and public understanding of the Internet and information goods. Yochai has written a number of influential books, including The Wealth of Networks, Network Propaganda, and the Penguin and Leviathan.
Our conversation with Yochai focuses on the role of capitalism, institutions, and ideology in shaping technology and societal outcomes. Yochai’s theory centers around the notion that it is not technology and software that shape change, but rather that the dynamics of power-seeking in capitalism have subsumed and directed technology and software towards the same aim as it always had — which is to maximize profit for a narrow set of profit-reaping classes while legitimizing it under a patina of claims of self-actualization, democratization, social mobility, and improvement in well-being for all. Yochai’s framework pushes back on the prevailing wisdom that technology is the cause of change but rather an arena where the dynamics of capitalism established since the 17th century are driving, while a naturalized view of technology is simply a red herring.
We also discuss the political economy of technology, commons-based peer production as a value generation model, and the value of decentralized blockchain systems like bitcoin and ethereum.
This was a very refreshing conversation. It’s clear the world could learn a lot from the wisdom of Yochai Benkler.
About and From Yochai Benkler:
- Director, Berkman Klein Center for Entrepreneurial Studies
- Jack N. and Lillian R. Berkman Professor for Entrepreneurial Legal Studies
- Personal website
- Practical Anarchism: Peer Mutualism, Market Power, and the Fallible State
- The Role of Technology in Political Economy: Part 1
- The Role of Technology in Political Economy: Part 2
- The Role of Technology in Political Economy: Part 3
- Power and Productivity: Institutions, Ideology, and Technology in Political Economy
- The Penguin and the Leviathan
Recommendations and References:
- Heart of Darkness
- Black Reconstruction
- Shardlake series
The post Yochai Benkler on Tech’s True Forces: Capitalism, Institutions, and Ideological Impact appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Jason Crawford is the founder of Roots of Progress and a prolific writer on all things technology and progress. Jason was previously a startup founder and engineering manager. His mission is to understand the causes of progress and help usher in a new era of human advancement via a philosophy of progress fit for the 21st century. You can find his essays on rootsofprogress.org.
Our conversation with Jason centers around progress and the history of technology. We cover the relationship between human civilization and technology, assorted inventions, and lessons to consider in the development and implementation of future technologies. We also talk about why progress matters, how things went wrong in the 20th century, and Jason’s idea of a new philosophy of progress. Jason has encyclopedic knowledge of diverse topics which made this an especially rich conversation.
About and From Jason Crawford:
- https://jasoncrawford.org/
- https://rootsofprogress.org/
- https://twitter.com/jasoncrawford
- The spiritual benefits of material progress
Recommendations and References:
- The Ascent of Man: Bronowski, Jacob, Dawkins, Richard
- On the Origin of Clockwork, Perpetual Motion Devices, and the Compass
- Economics of the singularity | IEEE Journals & Magazine
- Robin Hansen
- The Population Explosion
- Charles I. Jones – Wikipedia
- Paul Romer – Wikipedia
- Robert Solow – Wikipedia
- One Process | Reaction Wheel
- Derek Thompson (journalist) – Wikipedia
- Noahpinion
- Ezra Klein – The New York Times
- David Deutsch
- Steven Pinker
- Where Is My Flying Car? (Audible Audio Edition): J. Storrs Hall, Jonathan Todd Ross, Stripe Press: Books
- Ayn Rand – Wikipedia
- The Industrial Revolution
- The Conservative Futurist by James Pethokoukis | Hachette Book Group
- The Industrial Revolution, 1760-1830 – T. S. Ashton – Oxford University Press
- Slate Star Codex
- FreakTakes
- The Lunar Society
- The Making of the Atomic Bomb | Book by Richard Rhodes | Official Publisher Page | Simon & Schuster
The post Jason Crawford on progress and the history of technology appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Noah Smith is a renaissance man, blogger, and commentator. Noah’s popular blog, Noahpinion, focuses on economics, technology, and current events. He was previously a columnist for Bloomberg and an assistant professor of Behavioral finance at Stony Brook University.
Our wide-ranging conversation covers digital technology, economics, and energy. We discuss Noah’s framework for thinking about technology, digital technology adoption and its implications for economic activity, measures of technological advancement, opportunities and challenges for solar and nuclear energy, and the Noah Smith production function.
About and From Noah Smith:
- Noah Smith (writer) – Wikipedia
- Noahpinion
- Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) / Twitter
- 140 – The Future is Fiat | Noah Smith (Noahpinion)
- Interview: Tyler Cowen, economist and public intellectual
- Globalization Is Narrowing the Wealth Gap, One Nation at a Time
Recommendations and References:
- Ramez Naam
- Robert J Gordon
- The New Argonauts
- Kardashev Scale
- The Measure of Civilization
- Grasping Reality, Brad DeLong
- Hannah Ritchie
- Faster Please
- Matthew Yglesias
- David Roberts
- David Thompson
- Jerusalem Demsas
- Ezra Klein
- Odd Lots
- Packy McCormick
- Roon
- Sam D’Amico
The post Noah Smith on digital technology adoption, energy, and economic progress appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Carlota Perez is a pre-eminent multi-disciplinarian, scholar, and author. Carlota studies the nature of technological change and economic systems, and the lessons provided by the history of technological revolutions. Her book, Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital, is a landmark contribution to the study of technological innovation and change. She has received numerous awards and accolades including most recently an Honorary Doctorate by Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
Our conversation with Carlota centers around her framework for studying technological change and the adoption of digital technologies. We discuss the ideas behind technology cycles, the role of capitalism in influencing change, the difference between the current digital paradigm and prior technology revolutions, the role government can play in accelerating the adoption of digital technologies, and get a preview of her upcoming book which features the role of governments in shaping technological revolutions.
About and From Carlota Perez:
- Personal website
- Carlota Perez: Wikipedia
- Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital
- The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State
- Carlota Perez (@CarlotaPrzPerez) / Twitter
- Carlota Perez | UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose – UCL – University College London
- Carlota Perez – Agenda Contributor | World Economic Forum
The post Carlota Perez on technological revolutions and capitalism appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Clay Shirky is the Vice Provost of Educational Technologies at New York University and an associate professor at the New York University Tisch school of arts. He is a prominent thinker on the social and economic effects of the Internet and the Web. Clay has authored a number of books, including Here Comes Everybody and Cognitive Surplus.
Our conversation with Clay gravitates around models of value generation in the context of digital technologies and the impact of ai on education. We talk about the social and economic impact of digital technologies, the nature of the internet, and why distributed version control is a new and important form of arguing. We also touch on how the university model of education might co-evolve with the growth of digital technology.
About and From Clay Shirky:
- Clay Shirky
- Clay Shirky: Wikipedia
- Clay Shirky (@cshirky): Twitter
- Clay Shirky: TED Speaker
- Clay Shirky: Books
- Clay Shirky: Institutions vs. collaboration
Recommendations and References:
- ChatGPT Is Here — What’s NYU Doing About It? – YR Media
- Beware the Shirky Principle: John M Jennings
- Clay Shirky Quotes: BrainyQuote
- Danah Boyd: Wikipedia
- David Weinberger: Wikipedia
- Yochai Benkler: Wikipedia
- Marshall McLuhan
- Attribution of “we shape our tools and then our tools shape us”
- Ward Cunningham
- John Herman Randall Jr: Wikipedia.
- Bob Lewis: books, biography, latest update
- Midjourney
Luminary Podcast:
- Visit us
- Follow us on Twitter
- Luminary on Linkedin
- Luminary on Youtube Channel
Music:
- Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
- Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
The post Clay Shirky on value generation, ChatGpt, and education appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Matt Clancy is a research fellow at Open Philanthropy and a senior fellow at The Institute for Progress, a think tank for accelerating scientific, technological, and industrial progress. He maintains New Things Under the Sun, a living literature review about innovation.
Our conversation with Matt gravitates around the state of knowledge of technological innovation. We talk about inputs to innovation, models of innovation, the discipline of Progress Studies, and ways to measure technological progress. We also cover the relationship between policy and innovation.
About and From Matt Clancy:
- Personal Website
- What’s New Under the Sun: What academia knows about innovation
- Are Technologies Inevitable?
- Matt’s dissertation
References and Recommendations:
- Institute for Progress
- Ned Gulley: Patterns of innovation, a web-based MATLAB programming contest
- Anton Howes
- William Nordhaus: Do Real-Output and Real-Wage Measures Capture Reality? The History of Lightning Suggests Not
- Tyler Cowen: Marginal Revolution
- Pop Culture Happy Hour Podcast
- George Elliot: Middlemarch
- Ursula K. Le Guin: Dispossessed
- Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley: Barriers to Bioweapons
Luminary Podcast:
- Visit us
- Follow us on Twitter
- Luminary on Linkedin
- Luminary on Youtube Channel
Music:
- Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
- Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
The post Matt Clancy on innovation, policy, and Progress Studies appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Martin Gurri is the visiting research fellow at Mercatus Center and a former CIA analyst. Martin’s core interests center around politics, information, and media. His book The Revolt of the Public received notoriety for its cogent analysis of the effects of information on political change.
Our conversation with Martin centers around the societal and political implications of how information is organized and controlled. We launch into Martin’s thesis in The Revolt of the Public which tells the story of How insurgencies—enabled by digital devices and a vast information sphere—have mobilized millions of ordinary people around the world, and talk about what’s changed since it was last published in 2018. We discuss the evolution of technology and information structure and its implications for how societies are organized, the nature of the current political discord, and democracy. Martin also offers some practical advice for engaged citizens and aspiring politicians.
About Martin Gurri:
- Martin Gurri – Wikipedia
- Martin Gurri – Mercatus Center
- Martin Gurri – Twitter
*From Martin Gurri*:
- The Fifth Wave
- The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium
Recommendations:
- Light in August: Weiner, Tim
- San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities: Shellenberger, Michael
Luminary Podcast:
- Visit us
- Follow us on Twitter
- Luminary on Linkedin
- Luminary on Youtube Channel
Music:
- Music used in this podcast: Simplex Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
- Chipper Doodle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com): Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
The post Martin Gurri on the fifth wave, democracy, and technology appeared first on Luminary.fm.
Brian Arthur is a storied economist and complexity thinker. He is a pioneer in a number of disciplines including increasing […]
Alissa Cooper is the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Technology Policy and a Fellow at Cisco Systems. She […]
Eric Peters is the founder, CEO, and CIO of One River Asset Management. He is a macro-thinker with a rare […]
Andrew Sullivan is the president and CEO of the Internet Society, a leading advocacy organization for an open and free […]
Dr. Vint Cerf is an internet pioneer commonly known as one of the “father’s of the internet.” He co-designed the […]
Albert Borgmann is a philosopher and writer whose research interests intersect technology, society, and culture. Albert’s theory, the device paradigm, […]
Kevin Kelly is one of the leading and deepest thinkers on the technology of our time. A startling percentage of […]
Our second season launches with a three-part series featuring the preeminent Mitch Waldrop. We discuss the history, ideas, and origins […]
Our second season launches with a three-part series featuring the preeminent Mitch Waldrop. We discuss the history, ideas, and origins […]
Our second season launches with a three-part series featuring the preeminent Mitch Waldrop. We discuss the history, ideas, and origins […]
Jeff Behrends is a director of ethics and technology initiatives at the Edmond J Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard […]
Micael Dahlen is a wonderfully brilliant, thought-provoking, and multi-facetted professor in the Department of Marketing and Strategy at Stockholm School […]
Today’s guest is Rebecca Katz, a professor and director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown […]
David Danks is a professor of philosophy and psychology and head of the department of philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University. […]
Mahzarin Banaji is an award-winning experimental psychologist and professor at the Department of Psychology at Harvard University. Her research explores […]
Jonathan Aldrich is a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and director of the software engineering Ph.D. program at Carnegie Mellon’s […]
Amy Lippert is a former assistant professor of urban and social history at the University of Chicago, with a particular […]
Manu Prakash is a physical biologist, inventor, and associate professor of BioEngineering at Stanford University. Manu was awarded the McArthur […]
Kimberlé Crenshaw is an American civil rights advocate and legal scholar, well-known for her work around intersectionality and critical race […]
Gerta Keller is a professor of paleontology and geology in the geo sciences department at Princeton University with a wonderful […]
Chika Okeke-Agulu is an Igbo-Nigerian artist, art historian, art curator, and a blogger specializing in African and African Diaspora art […]
Kevin Leyton-Brown is an award-winning computer scientist focusing on predominantly two streams of research: 1) algorithmic game theory and 2) […]
Mihir Desai is a Professor of Finance at Harvard Business School and a Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. […]
