technology

Valuing the Earth and Future Generations: Imagining Post-Capitalism /  by Grey Gallinger

I recently discovered the plethora of talks Kim Stanley Robinson has done about how human society may conceivably operate in the future.

Unlike many other science fiction authors Robinson embraces the complexity of human evolution and our relationship with technology. His books do not read like science fiction action movies, rather they are epic speculations looking at all the frameworks of society including the economic and political systems and how they may be forced to change and adapt as a result of the global environmental crisis and new technologies.

Robinson says he is an optimist, you can take this as such in that many of his books take place in a future where humans have managed to survive beyond peak oil, global warming, and global Capitalist-Feudalism.

In this particular talk* Robinson outlines many of the realities humans will be forced to address and what the future 200 years from now might look like. If you've read his most recent novel 2312 many of these ideas will be familiar to you.

*FYI it's a fairly lengthy talk, don't let that discourage you from watching it, but be forewarned it's not just for passive consumption.

Fidel Castro and social media /  by Grey Gallinger

Nelson P. Valdes, has a piece on CounterPunch about Fidel Castro's new briefer communiqués. He's scaled back his 5 hour speeches to haiku-like snippets of knowledge. Valdes points out that many American journalists are questioning Castro's sanity based on his recent musing, but as Valdes points out, Castro may be tipping us off to the rapidly changing world around us with comments like this:

Simply reading these news items shows the possibility and the necessity we have of enriching our knowledge which today is fragmented and scattered. Perhaps it takes us to more critical positions on the superficiality with which we deal with cultural and material problems. I have not the slightest doubt that our world is changing much more quickly than we are capable of imagining.

Our world is changing indeed. Imagine traveling back in time to 1962 and telling your grandparents/parents that one day Fidel Castro will be tweeting about yoga.

Internet Culture 201: Gender, Discrimation, and Dickish Parts of the Internet /  by Grey Gallinger

Let’s Make Mistakes is proving to be one of the best non-tech tech podcasts out there. Instead of theorizing about the minutia of current and future tech products, Katie Gillum and Mike Monteiro tackle big issues that affect the people working in the industry.

The most recent episode is a discussion about gender and privilege in the design, programming and technology industries with Faruk Ateş.

Even if you don't work in tech you can probably look around and see how subconscious discrimination plays a role in your workplace.