Technology and the Human Purpose: Recent Episodes
Brian Wixted and Nick Toews
In a discussion ranging over the full history of human making (stone tools to modern cities), we centre our perspective of human purpose within a Christian worldview. Our distinctive focus centres on how the Bible’s lens on a diverse range of technologies starts within its ancient culture. However, its theological position often transforms those ideas with its own unique moral imagination. Bringing the Bible’s ideas to bear on times and places beyond the text, we must grapple with the original cultures and the theological transformation.
This episode I do a bit of a recap of the season and also discuss the 4 dimensions of Technology Space-Time
- Decades of delevlopment and regulatory domestication
- Technology and culture
- Space (geography (if it is stuff it happens somewhere)
- Socio-economic systems and discuss a recent interview between Nobel Prize winner in economics Daron Acemoglu and Fortune magazine.
References not specifically mention in the episode include:
23/06/2026, 12:27 A brief history of car safety innovations - Classics World https://classicsworld.co.uk/history/a-brief-history-of-car-safety-innovations/ 10/16
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jun/24/elon-musk-trillionaire-spacex
https://fortune.com/2026/06/21/nobel-laureate-daron-acemoglu-ai-productivity-capitalism-democracy/
In this episode I continue to discuss the "AI moment" - what I call the Event Horizon. It was recorded before the announcement of the signing of the a ceasefire between the USA and Iran.
Covered in this episode:
Gig work, how to think about the person, the tech bro phenomena and their seemingly hatred of people (and this I will say I AI-ed with Google Gemini to a fairly good extent). Whether, they do hate humanity is an open question but they do come across as if they do.
A discussion of order and disorder. In retrospect what I didn't include was the potential rationale that AI will lead to disorder being behind their leanings towards extreme libertarianism mixed with authoritarian leadership.
Ethics versus micro choices.
And a bit of poetry on human flourisng.
This is the notes for both epsiodes.
YouTube by Hannah Fry - a must watch really. _Why AI Agents are either the best or worst thing we've ever built_. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnzR5aOElvw
Nvidia and SpaceX - IPO – Bloomberg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J63KvjQlN8M&t=2s
Holy Post podcast 722 they talked about the impacts of the cuts to USAID.
The Lancet. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2014/07/07/douglas-adams-technology-rules/
CBC Frontburner podcast May 11. – regarding incentives but it is partial.
Youtube video by More Perfect Union https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aooiDA-AsNo
MIT Technology Review podcast= The gig workers who are training humanoid robots at home.
The Economist May 30th 2026 p63 Barteby How Should Bosses Talk about AI
Legal activity problems with AI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgN0fyYKLfc (audio)
"Big Tech" versus humans references.
https://peoplevsbig.tech https://peoplevsbig.tech/the-movement/
https://www.reddit.com https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1mejq1d/tech_ceos_dont_seem_to_realise_just_how_antihuman/
https://www.linkedin.com https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mikerosenbergwriting_the-reason-so-many-people-passionately-hate-activity-7460395755845869571-vUFG
https://www.linkedin.com https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-capital-boards-common-blind-spot-j%C3%B8rgensen-gcb-d-nacd-dc-md0wc
https://futurism.com https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-ceos-baffled-hatred
https://www.facebook.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/875231447226552/posts/1099404598142568/
https://futurism.com https://futurism.com/future-society/tech-ceo-ai-hate
https://keenon.substack.com https://keenon.substack.com/p/why-tech-billionaires-are-so-angry
https://www.youtube.com https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ogxwPyJPTMw
https://www.humanrightsresearch.org https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/big-tech-s-shift-to-the-right
https://www.instagram.com https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/big-tech-s-shift-to-the-right
https://www.amnesty.org https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/08/why-are-big-tech-companies-a-threat-to-human-rights/
https://www.thetimes.com https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/how-world-of-work-changed-times-enterprise-network-t0zvf96wv
https://www.wheresyoured.at https://www.wheresyoured.at/techs-elite-hates-labor/
https://medium.com https://medium.com/@adrianbooth/tech-ceos-whos-the-meanest-of-them-all-a684a7da0d20
https://www.reddit.com https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/bhuyjy/the_elitist_nature_of_tech_culture_and_why_its/
https://en.wikipedia.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tech_bro
https://medium.com https://medium.com/@l.churchill427/why-tech-bros-are-fleeing-silicon-valley-insiders-view-9c4e05f7ab2a
https://www.reddit.com https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1oy535n/tech_capitalists_dont_care_about_humans_literally/
https://nypost.com https://nypost.com/2020/09/26/why-silicon-valley-ceos-are-such-raging-psychopaths/
https://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/idols-of-the-valley
Every now and then a new technology comes along that fills our field of view from horizon to horizon. AI is now in that moment where other technologies like atomic power has been before.
What are we to make of this moment? That is the point of this little series.
Show notes will be included with the final episode.
In the Everywhere, Everything, All At Once Revolution (Almost), how do we get into our moment?
We need a new bestiary (Latin: bestiarium vocabulum) is a compendium of beasts.
Some academic articles.
Business History Review 98 (Spring 2024): 203–236. doi:10.1017/S0007680523000946. The Will to Chaos and Disorder: The Behemoth as a Model of Political Economy.
Leviathan And Kraken: States, Corporations, And Political Economy
Robert Fredona, Sophus A. Reinert 2020 https://doi.org/10.1111/hith.12153
https://news.asu.edu/20231009-solutions-monsters-cybersecurity-and-how-slay-them
The Westpac ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0UEMlfTj_M
And an analysis of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFBGqncN3WU
Introduction
News concludes 9:30
Corporate Raiders Min 11:00
The bestiary min 14:00
5 Horsemen of the apocalypse
A – Avatar
B – Behemoth
B – Big Brother
B – Black Swans
B - Bots
B - Bugs
C - Chatbots
D - Dragons
E
F – Frankenstein
G – Godzilla
G -
H
I
J
K – Kraken
K – Kings (Dragon)
L – Leviathan
M – Magnificent 7
M - Minotaur
N
O
P – Phishers
P -Pigs
Q
R - Gray Rhinos
S
T – Trolls
T - Trojan
U - Unicorns
V – Vampires
V - Viruses
W – Double You
W – Worms
W - Werewolves
X
Y
Z
This is the second season of my roll of the dice series. In this season I am focussing of the changes throughout the economy, and less on the values behind and being pushed by those changes. I think it is really important to take stock and observe so we are clear about what is happening. This episode really is about everything. Well almost. The technological disruptions occurring across the enormous services sector are fascinating. This is just a little snapshot of the last few years of developments.
Covered in this episode.
D Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
E Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
F Construction
G Wholesale and retail trade
H Transportation and storage
I Accommodation and food service activities
J Publishing, broadcasting, and content production and distribution activities
K Telecommunications, computer programming, consultancy, computing infrastructure, and other information service activities
L Financial and insurance activities
M Real estate activities
N Professional, scientific and technical activities
O Administrative and support service activities
P Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
Q Education
R Human health and social work activities
S Arts, sports and recreation
T Other service activities
U Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use
V Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies
Some notes
Global supply chains.
https://unctad.org/news/gas-grain-fertilizer-disruptions-raise-risks-food-security-and-trade
https://www.economies.com/forex/news/beyond-oil:-which-global-supply-chains-has-the-iran-conflict-disrupted%20-48545
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
This is the second season of my roll of the dice series. This episode really is about everything. Well almost. The technological developments occurring across agriculture, mining and manufacturing are breath taking. This is just a little snapshot of the last few years of developments.
Normally, I like to add a bunch of references. This episode has too many, and I have accumulated this knowledge over decades of watching and doing analysis in this field. However, wikipedia has been really valuable in checking some of the specifics of ships sizes. Here is a link to the aerospace company mentioned https://beta.team/
You may think I was a bit skimpy on the computer industry, which is true but it gets enormous coverage and sometimes it is important to focus everywhere else.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
If you are wondering how I think about building the arc of story telling through this podcast and multiples seasons, this little podcast may help.
Well we finally get there. I get around to talking about AI. Because of its widespread use and various applications I thought it best to do a bit of a big survey of many the ways we currently use AI.
Here are some story notes.
The Economist - The World Ahead 2026
How are people using AI technology now (well 2023) https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/04/14/upshot/up-ai-uses.html
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. CBC Nov 2025 - The human labour to improve AI answers. https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/ai-economy-human-labour-data-annotation-fine-tuning-jobs-9.6967918
Deloitte in Australia partly wrote a government policy brief using AI and it was wrong. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/06/deloitte-to-pay-money-back-to-albanese-government-after-using-ai-in-440000-report
CBC white coat black arts. Chatbots. The human face of 'AI psychosis' https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/audio/9.6899214
Mentioned: Kevin Kelly The Inevitable. https://www.amazon.ca/Inevitable-Understanding-Technological-Forces-Future/dp/0143110373
The episode is all about how we use stuff and how much we use. From growing almonds to cooling data centres to our global probably unsustainable use of sand.
Just a few of the resources used to make this podcast.
Australian social media ban for under 16s
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/04/social-media-ban-instagram-facebook-accounts-shutting-down-closing-teen-under-16-australia
Almonds production. https://www.almonds.org/sites/default/files/2020-05/Water_footprint_plus_almonds.pdf
2012 PNAS. The water footprint of humanity Arjen Y. Hoekstra and Mesfin M. Mekonnen www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1109936109
Water and Data centres
https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-63-the-current/clip/16163527-can-deleting-eails-help-save-water-drought
Data Centres AI Power and Water Usage (Goodyear Data Centre). https://andthewest.stanford.edu/2025/thirsty-for-power-and-water-ai-crunching-data-centers-sprout-across-the-west/
Really excellent explanation.https://theconversation.com/data-centers-consume-massive-amounts-of-water-companies-rarely-tell-the-public-exactly-how-much-262901#
MIT Technology Review - We did the math on AI's energy footprint. Here's the story you haven't heard.
ABC – Globally Sand is a problem. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-25/sand-mining-impacts-vietnam-bridges/104511578\
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/latenightlive/sand-shortage-daniel-franks/105918556
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
The season is all about the (almost) everywhere everything all at once revolution we are living through at the present moment. Today, its about the almost everywhere nature of change.
We live in a fast changing world it seems. While the world tech hubs are still the mountain peaks of the global technosphere, the 21st technologies are mostly quickly beginning to spread. Everything is changing it seems but how far do the changes go.
Notes
News
Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/investigations/meta-is-earning-fortune-deluge-fraudulent-ads-documents-show-2025-11-06/ . Pay Wall but the first para is readable.
LLM and Roomba. https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/llm-robot-vacuum-existential-crisis
Go listen to Holy Post 696: Transcending Our Political Divisions & Labels with Andy Beshear.
Development. Dani Rodrik Journal Econ Growth (2016) 21:1–33. Premature Deindustrialisation
Energy. International Energy Agency. Access to electricity stagnates, leaving globally 730 million in the dark. https://www.iea.org/commentaries/access-to-electricity-stagnates-leaving-globally-730-million-in-the-dark
Mobility. The Economist October 4th 2025. Automation. Way more. SAN FRANCISCO. The peculiar economics of self-driving taxis.
AI and Development. Technology: Leaps and limits. Can artificial intelligence make the poor world richer? Economist 25 October 2025 p63-64.
Weird and Wonderful. Those Year 7 students https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-02/3d-printed-hands-made-by-port-macquarie-high-school-sudents/105793670
Utter disruption. Suspected drone sightings disrupt flights at Belgium airports. BBC 4 Nov 2025 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyk9k399lyo
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Notes
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Futureviille
https://www.amazon.ca/Futureville-Discover-Purpose-Reimagining-Tomorrow/dp/1595554610/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title
Jesse Nickel. A Revolutionary Jesus: Violence and Peacemaking in the Kingdom of God
https://www.fortresspress.com/store/product/9781506483351/A-Revolutionary-Jesus
CPX Centre for Public Christianity
https://publicchristianity.org/podcast/which-dystopia-won/
Douglas Adams
https://timharford.com/2025/09/cautionary-tales-dont-panic-douglas-adams-guide-to-tomorrow-with-arvind-ethan-david/
Notes
Questions or comments to techumanpurpose@gmail.com
Anthropology and economics: Undeceptions by John Dickson https://undeceptions.com/podcast/the-anthropologists/
Amnesty International – gun violence
https://www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/arms-control/gun-violence
Pew Research https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/05/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-us/#:~:text=On%20a%20per%20capita%20basis,16.3%20per%20100%2C000%20in%201974.
Statistics Canada. Table 35-10-0059-01 Police services expenditures, by detailed expenditures (x 1,000) DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/3510005901-eng
National Geographic ancient copper fraud
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ea-nasir-copper-merchant-ur
BBC news – Kobe Steel.
http://ww.bbc.com/news/business-41607008
The Economist
Scam Inc.
(article and podcast both behind paywall)
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/02/06/the-vast-and-sophisticated-global-enterprise-that-is-scam-inc
https://www.economist.com/audio/podcasts/scam-inc
Casinos, high-rises and fraud: The BBC visits a bizarre city built on scams
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04nx1vnw17o
Jerrod Brown, Jeffrey Long-McGie, Judge Anthony Wartnik, Pamela Oberoi, Janina Wresh,
Erv Weinkauf, Gennae Falconer, & Alyse Kerr Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the Criminal Justice System: A Review. JOURNAL OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, VOLUME 3, NUMBER 6
Lautensach, A., & Lautensach, S. (Eds.) 2020 Human Security in World Affairs: Problems and Opportunities (2nd edition) chapter 13. Transnational Crime John Wilson
The US econ in 2025 is est. to be about 30.3 trillion $
The Chinese Econ 19.5 trillion
Germany 5 Trillion
The 2017 Global Financial Integrity report suggested that just for transnational crime
https://gfintegrity.org/report/transnational-crime-and-the-developing-world/
Transnational Crime
Estimated Annual Value (US$)
Counterfeiting
$923 billion to $1.13 trillion
Drug Trafficking
$426 billion to $652 billion
Illegal Logging
$52 billion to $157 billion
Human Trafficking
$150.2 billion
Illegal Mining
$12 billion to $48 billion
IUU Fishing
$15.5 billion to $36.4 billion
Illegal Wildlife Trade
$5 billion to $23 billion
Crude Oil Theft
$5.2 billion to $11.9 billion
Small Arms & Light Weapons Trafficking
$1.7 billion to $3.5 billion
Organ Trafficking
$840 million to $1.7 billion
Total
$1.6 trillion to $2.2 trillion
That was 2017.
Now there was one missing from that list.
Bloomberg reported in 2024 that cyber crime alone was probably worth 9.5 Trillion making it the 3rd largest economy on the planet.
https://sponsored.bloomberg.com/quicksight/check-point/the-worlds-third-largest-economy-has-bad-intentions-and-its-only-getting-bigger
Facebook and scam ads - Andrew Forrest
https://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/1068185/us-judge-orders-meta-to-explain-230-000-scam-ads-using-andrew-forrest-s-image-1068185.html
Recommendations
Podcast – Ask N T Wright Anything
Notes.
If you want to get in touch techumanpurpose@gmail.com
For a brilliant book to read about the human scale of helping the poor then read this.
Rhythms of Poverty: Reconsidering our affluent approach to the poor Paperback – Aug. 16 2013 by Murray Nickel (Author)
https://www.amazon.ca/Rhythms-Poverty-Reconsidering-affluent-approach/dp/0992020913
Holy Post with David French - A Unified Theory of Trump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXTm6RxQ3Pk
The Economist
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/02/27/donald-trump-has-begun-a-mafia-like-struggle-for-global-power
https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/home
World Bank
Poverty, Prosperity, and Planet Report 2024
World Development Report 2024
LSE on development
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh7TIYuU4JM&t=3930s
Deirdre McCloskey
The Bourgeois Virtues: Ethics for an Age of Commerce. Vol. 1 of 3 of the trilogy “The Bourgeois Era,”,University of Chicago Press, 2006, as a trade book, 616 +
Bourgeois Dignity: Why Economics Can't Explain the Modern World. Vol. 2 of 3 of the trilogy "The Bourgeois Era," 2010,University of Chicago Press, 571
Especially.
Bourgeois Equality: How Ideas, Not Capital or Institutions, Enriched the World. Vol. 3 of the trilogy “The Bourgeois Era,” 2016
OECD data on development assistance
https://www.oecd.org/en/about/committees/development-assistance-committee.html
NPR on USAID
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/03/10/g-s1-52964/rubio-announces-that-83-of-usaid-contracts-will-be-canceled
CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/americas/china-us-migrants-illegal-crossings-intl-hnk-dst/index.html
ABC New Daily 2024-05-22 Why Chinese people are the latest boat people
ABC [Australia] South Africa – Lust for Red Gold.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-26/south-africa-copper-crime-wave/104384580
Some reference material.
Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West Andrew Wilson. https://www.amazon.ca/Remaking-World-1776-Created-Post-Christian/
https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/research-datasets
A millennium of macroeconomic data – stretching back to 1086.
Peter Mathias The First Industrial Nation https://www.routledge.com/The-First-Industrial-Nation-The-Economic-History-of-Britain-1700-1914/Mathias/p/book/9780415266727?srsltid=AfmBOoqnHA_j01irBsL2hSUMInjDIZ7zGi20ZhM5oHiSTsha6odNrJqq
David Tomson. https://www.amazon.ca/England-nineteenth-century-1815-1914-Thomson/dp/B00BO7SRCG
Child and infant mortality https://ourworldindata.org/child-mortality
Edwin Judge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgqzDfkr_6M
John Dickson Podcast Undeceptions Episode 76 - 5 minute Jesus - hospitals
https://undeceptions.com/history/5-minute-jesus-the-churchs-hospitals/
Fabiola of Rome https://undeceptions.com/podcast/the-pandemic-love-single/
Jobs.New Frontiers: The Origins And Content Of New Work, 1940–2018 in The Quarterly Journal of Economics.
Listen also to Freakonomics Radio podcast 605 on what do people do all day.
Here is a video of kiwibots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGNpqvHAydE
Haber-Bosch Process explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1_D4FscMnU
From Rikk Watts 2001 On the Edge of the Millennium- Making Sense of Genesis 1
And – 2002. The New Exodus / New Creational Restoration of the Image of God
Just a note about what happened to the promised episode on jobs, clothing, food and shelter.
- of course Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2025.
References to the impacts of humans, 9 Boundaries, climate change, London smog and PFAS chemicals.
The impact of ancient people on the environment https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-08-30/ancient-civilisations-environmental-impact/11450072
Science 365, 897–902 (2019) 30 August 2019 Archaeological assessment reveals Earth’s early transformation through land use
World population https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/world-population-by-year/
Wheat
https://www.nytimes.com/1975/07/25/archives/another-million-tons-of-wheat-bought-by-soviet-from-canada-canadian.html#:~:text=Wheat%20Outlook%20Revised,million%20to%2010%20million%20tons
World wheatt production data from USDA.
9 Planetary Boundary conditions identified
https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2023-09-13-all-planetary-boundaries-mapped-out-for-the-first-time-six-of-nine-crossed.html
ABC (Australian Broadcasting) and the Pacific Islands https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-26/sea-levels-will-rise-new-research-nasa/104400114
Air conditioning
The Economist September 7th 2024 _Chilling prospects_ pp39-40
London Smog of 1952 (BBC) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90kq35cWZz4
PFAS chemicals https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2024-10-21/new-safe-pfas-drinking-water-guidelines/104497226
Wicked Problems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem
https://web.archive.org/web/20070930021510/http://www.uctc.net/mwebber/Rittel+Webber+Dilemmas+General_Theory_of_Planning.pdf
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Erasistratus |John Dickson…….
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/genesis-created-science-a-reply-to-tamas-pataki/10101306
John Philoponus | Wikipedia |
- John Dickson
https://www.abc.net.au/religion/genesis-created-science-a-reply-to-tamas-pataki/10101306
Economist August 24th 2024 p-10 in an article on AI.
The Economist September 7th 2024 Death Roads
Water in Canadian first nations
https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/indigenous-safe-drinking-water-crisis-in-canada-overview#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20that%20many,supplied%20with%20safe%20drinking%20water.
Data on CO2 comes from Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/co2-emissions
Ed Conway
https://www.amazon.ca/Material-World-Substantial-Story-Future/dp/075355917X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?crid=26Q6YP94691J9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.amY7jxaZ_qnHRhkPnv_Jlhv0zb8YK1hFlpUlozRL8qAP8wpKL8_71-ZMzJGb1159x7H3u_9wFCrPEyseEr3UQN9gHfOQHNisMnzAGu9YYZcbzDLSZoFV2W2U8Rt3hOuS.HKjnDWgWto5ZRiwNbtaRpaCbRvcTRIS-UE7j7WjBEdI&dib_tag=se&keywords=ed+conway+material+world&qid=1731007740&sprefix=ed+conway+material+world%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1-fkmr0
Rikk Watts (2001) On the edge of Millenium: Making Sense of Genesis 1 in ‘Living in the lamblight’ .
(2002) The New Exodus / Creational Restoration of the Image of God. In ‘What does it mean to be saved’ .
Gospel Conversations Cross and Creation part 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBvjOMlfj0k
NT wright on the Premier Unbelievable podcast talking about his new Book with Mike Bird minute 18 onwards particularly regarding wise human beings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvd2E4Th6dI&t=1876s
C S Lewis Podcast #142 That Hideous Strength: What is the future of humanity?
Jeff Bilbro Living as Creatures in a World Built for Machines https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgIc7h3pepQ&list=PL04Zl7nYDurr51J5F93GDhP4mEZXo2AW1&index=3&t=2158s
Also regarding Christianity and technology, I think there is a strong Greek influence.
Show Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Ellul
Understanding Jacques Ellul (2012) https://www.amazon.ca/Understanding-Jacques-Ellul-Jeffrey-Greenman/dp/161097431X
Ellul 1984 Technique and the Opening Chapters of Genesis Jacques Ellul in n Theology and Technology: Essays in Christian Analysis and Exegesis, eds. Carl Mitcham and Jim Grote (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1984), 126.
Jacques Ellul (1968) THE TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY in The New Technology and Human Values ed JOHN G. BURKE Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., Belmont, Callfornla
_George Grant_
The quote was taken from ….Hugh Donald Forbes 2007. George Grant: A guide to his Thought University of Toronto Press.
Ian Box 1982’George Grant and the Embrace of Technology’ Canadian Journal of Political Science / Revue canadienne de science politique, Vol.15, No. 3 (Sep., 1982), pp. 503-515
_Albert Borgmann_
Borgmann, Reality and technology. Cambridge Journal of Economics 2010, 34, 27–35 doi:10.1093/cje/ben055
Craig Gay – Modern Technology….
https://www.amazon.ca/Modern-Technology-Human-Future-Craig/dp/0830852204
People and things podcast https://athenaeum.vt.domains/peoplesandthings/2024/10/07/82-pamela-o-long-on-the-long-long-long-history-of-technology/
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
From time to time it is necessary to upgrade your computing power to do podcasts. That time is apparently now. I had recorded the next episode but the quality was terrible. So back soon.
S5E1 Technology and the Human Purpose Introduction to Season 5 Roll of the Dice: Technology in the Modern World.
In this episode I introduce plans for season 5, with some small teaser ideas.
For more information on Monkey traps
https://abergseyeview.com/blog/2019/3/30/the-monkey-trap-of-the-mind
Oona Strathern https://www.amazon.ca/Brief-History-Future-Visionary-Tomorrows/dp/0786719044/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title
Rest is History Podcast episode 21 – the History of the Future https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-history-of-the-future/id1537788786?i=1000508130777
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
We probably all heard about the recent Crowdstrike software problem of 19 July 2024 North American time. This episode uses that one event to look at our technological world through multiple lenses to reinforce the ideas of season 4.
This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors as the focussing device.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors. In this sho I do a quick recap of A-Z.
Algorithms, Butterfly effects and black swans, Concrete creeks, Dark Matter, Evolution and Ecosystems, Flux capacitor, Gravity, Holy Grail, Invention, Jam, Kryptonite , Lego, Metaphor, Neutral (not), One ring (technique) to rule, Pillars of technology history, Queens (red), Rust, Sailing ship effect, TARDIS Door, Unseeing, Vision and values, Waves, X factor, Y - trade offs - choices, Zombie technologies.
The infinite rebics cube...
Let’s recap our A-Z guide to technology metaphors with some cleaning up where I don’t think I was terribly clear.
Also, I refer to a couple of videos during this podcast – here are some links: the 1939 GM world fair exhibit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sClZqfnWqmc
and the 1964 GM World Fair exhibit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5aK0H05jk .
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors as the focussing device. In this show I cover U-Z.
U – Unseeing (what you think you see)
V – Vision and values
W – Waves -diffusion waves
X – X factor the unknown secret sauce + knowledge
Y – well Y actually the trade-off and choices
Z - Zombie technologies - so what might be the living dead of the tech world
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Some of the work referenced in this epsiode.
https://www.stanleyjgrenz.com/Books/primer-on-postmodernism.html
https://www.alaindebotton.com/architecture/
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2428386-toxic-chemicals-from-car-tyres-can-get-into-soil-and-contaminate-food/
This season is all about expanding our repertoire of technology stories and metaphors. To that end I am building an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors as the focussing device. In this show I cover P-T.
P – Pillars of the technological world
Q - Queens (Red Queens)
R - Rust
S – Sailing Ship effect
T – The TARDIS Door – technology in Time and Space
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
I am starting the season with an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors and the focussing device. In this show I cover K-O.
K - Kryptonite
L – LEGO – Life is a road
M – Metaphor (bad)
N – Neutral (nah) Nothing is Neutral
O – One ring to rule them all
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
I am starting the season with an A to Z guide of how technology works using metaphors and the focussing device. In this show I cover F-J.
F is Flux capacitor
G is for gravity
H is for Holy Grail
I is for invention
J is for Jam
A couple of recent shows worth listening to.
BBC History Extra podcast : Benjamin Franklin: life of the week. Wherever you get your podcasts.
BBC IOT Nikola Tesla https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xvhb
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
In this episode we really get going with season 4.
I am starting the season with an A to Z guide of technology through metaphors. In this show I cover A-E.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ . Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
An Awesome introduction to metaphors. Lakoff, G.and Johnson, M. (1980) Metaphors We Live By. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
The book Subtract I mentioned - https://www.amazon.ca/Subtract-Untapped-Science-Leidy-Klotz/dp/1250249864
UK population estimates are from Bank of England
I also mentioned Tom Standage, 2005. A History of the World in 6 Glasses.
In this episode I introduce plans for season 4, with some small teaser ideas.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
The 2nd of 2 sermons I did in 2023 on money. As money is at its core a technology I thought it fitted well in this podcast. You can watch the sermon here if you would prefer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JumiOzeduk .
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/ .
I thought I would share 2 sermons I did earlier this year on money. As money is at its core a technology I thought it fitted well in this podcast. You can watch the sermon here if you would prefer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTvNxRSZHtQ&t=35s
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ https://freesound.org/people/DeVern/sounds/348275/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Its been a while but we are back to close out series 2. In this episode we discuss ChatGPT and applications of AI dep in industrial applications such as mining. We also discuss in a round about way a process of thinking about technology that is based in bouncing between multiple Biblical metaphors. This is in contrast to current publishing where every book puts forward just one idea is at a time. This is problematic because it does not teach that there are always trade-offs in decisions.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/. Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
This episode discusses why technology is not neutral along with other issues such as whether technology determines history or whether there is a cultural conversation between humans and technology. This episode was recorded sometime ago with life getting a little in the way of editing and editing it. Sorry about that. But it is funny that we discuss Twitter and Elon Musk and now that is back in the news again. We hope you enjoy the episode.
We are used to reading history that explores a particular epoch or technology or reveals the connections that get us to now. Those histories make sense.
In this episode I want to explore a different approach one I refer to as nowness. Nowness is about the exploring the puzzle of problem solving in a particular period and how that is difficult because of the interconnections and the difficulties in perceiving consequences.
This is just the start of an ongoing conversation.
Iwan brings a unique experience of both teaching theological topics including communication and also doing media with the BBC over many years. Its an fascinating interview giving a glimpse into what integrates Iwan’s thinking.
While we didn’t delve into the topic or allow it to overwhelm us this interview took place with the Russian invasion of Ukraine dominating the news.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
As we promised in the introduction to the season we want to mix it up a little this season. To kick that off we launch into a discussion of the movie “Don’t Look Up” which was on limited release in early December 2021 and Christmas on Netflix release. It was quite the discussion piece on many shows particularly science and arts related discussion radio.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/ https://freesound.org/people/DeVern/sounds/348275/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
There is a bunch of stuff to discuss as we kick off season 2. There has been a lot of technology developments: SpaceX, xenotransplantation and more.
We have big plans for this season.
We want to interview people and we want to focus on the issue of how we understand technology from a values perspective.
We also want to lighten the tone sometimes wit movie discussions - they may not be reviews as such and book reviews and more.
So lets get started ...
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Brian discusses how with many technologies used for transportation in particular we have taken enormous steps to modify the environment and systematise so that everything works the same. We haven't made life so easy for wheerchair users. Further, the necessities of wheelchair design make it challenging to make a wheelchair go everywhere.
The intro and outro music is clipped from 'happy-sandbox' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and content at https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Nick still likes the title 'technology' and 'human purpose'. Nick still pondering the ancient meaning of cities and the Bible's take on cities.
Brian's takeaway is how nuanced the Bible is regarding the economic and social systems humans build around technology - even in ancient times.
The intro and outro music is clipped from 'happy-sandbox' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and content at https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Nick and Brian discuss what is order and peace and what all that means for technology. The intro and outro music is clipped from 'happy-sandbox' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and content at https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
The discussion starts with cryptocurrencies and economies as being within technological epochs - not economics as being within eternal economic rules.
Brian and Nick then go onto to discuss how Christians have thought about economics and why it matters.
The intro and outro music is clipped from 'happy-sandbox' available at https://freesound.org/ Watch out for more information and content at https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Brian re-examines technology from the point of view of biological metaphors. Is a tree just a tree or is it more? Is a piece of technology just an artifact or is it more?
Does anything really reside as a thing or do humans engage with things as more than in this physical universe? Brian makes the case that contemporary reality and history says that technology is incredibly complex, and no reductionist approach will be good enough.
The intro and outro music is clipped from 'happy-sandbox' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and content at https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Nick asks the question when do you update your computer? Brian talks about the coming again (?) of hydrogen power before the discussion moves onto theology.
In the theology discussion we particularly focus on the ancient setting for the phrase – “image of God” as the best starting point for discussing a “Biblical Anthropology.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
We pick up our conversation where we finished the previous major episode, inside Solomon’s Temple looking at the furniture and in particular the Bronze Sea. What is it doing in the Temple and what did ‘seas’ mean to ancient peoples – and it wasn’t just about water.
Its about gods, and chaos vs good creation and the created environment.
Take a listen.
We hope it will help you get a new perspective on the world, the Bible and technology.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Brian takes a look a very brief look at Brian Arthur’s 2009 book “The Nature of Technology” and the three fold definition of technology.
The intro and outro music is clips from 'happy-sandbox' available at https://freesound.org/
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Brian starts a deep dive in what exactly is technology and just how hard it is to define.
The intro and outro music is clips from 'happy-sandbox' available at freesounds.org
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
Nick and Brian discuss two important stories – Joseph and pre-Exodus Egypt and Solomon’s Temple. The story of Joseph in particular has some surprises for those interested in technology.
These stories should be cornerstones of a view of the Bible and technology.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy orchestra' available at freesounds.org
Watch out for more information and connected content with each episode on the blog https://theology-and-technology.blogspot.com/
In epsiode 1 Brian and Nick introduced themselves. In this episode, they discuss many layers of what is happening in the early chapters of Genesis - everything up to and including the Tower of Babel story.
The intro and outro music is 'fantasy-orchestra' available on https://freesound.org/
In this episode Brian Wixted and Nick Toews introduce their new podcast on the relationship between Biblical faith and technology - ancient and modern.