Science vs. Silicon Valley with Adam Becker

Science vs. Silicon Valley with Adam Becker

How skeptical should we be about the bill of goods (often marketed as needs) sold to us by Silicon Valley? Very, says Adam Becker, an astrophysicist and author of the new book, More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity. From colonizing Mars to building god-like AIs, Becker argues that the fantasies propagated by tech billionaires like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos and Marc Andreessen aren’t just far-fetched – they’re a convenient cover for a racist, authoritarian power grab. In this conversation, Kara sits down with her “soulmate” to dissect and debunk the narratives that undergird the less-than-benevolent Big Tech agenda and uphold the status quo. They also discuss why some ideas, like Musk’s dream of colonizing Mars, are scientifically impossible; the fallacy of effective altruism; the probability of existential threats against humanity; and how all of these factors add up to more power and more control for the techno-oligarchy. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(381)

Inside Rivian’s Strategy to Survive a Hostile EV Market

Inside Rivian’s Strategy to Survive a Hostile EV Market

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‘Stop This Mass Invasion’: Mayor Frey Blasts ICE Operation in Minneapolis

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For the last few weeks, Minneapolis has been the epicenter of President Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown, but tensions between residents and the administration exploded after an Immigration an...

26 Jan 46min

Elon’s “Nudify” Mess: How X Supercharged Deepfakes

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On Christmas Eve, Elon Musk’s X rolled out an in-app tool that lets users alter other people’s photos and post the results directly in reply. With minimal safeguards, it quickly became a pipeline for ...

22 Jan 53min

The Problem with Wellness Culture, According to Dr. Zeke Emanuel

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Dr. Zeke Emanuel is one of the country’s foremost healthcare experts. An oncologist and the former chair of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health, he was one of the architec...

19 Jan 58min

Rep. Ro Khanna on Epstein, ICE & a Billionaire Wealth Tax

Rep. Ro Khanna on Epstein, ICE & a Billionaire Wealth Tax

Democratic California Representative Ro Khanna joins Kara for a wide-ranging conversation about the culture of impunity that’s taken hold in America during President Trump’s second term.  They disc...

15 Jan 1h 8min

Imran Ahmed Researches Online Hate. Trump Wants to Deport Him

Imran Ahmed Researches Online Hate. Trump Wants to Deport Him

As the founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, Imran Ahmed specializes in researching how hate and disinformation spread online. His work has made him a target of Elon Musk and the ...

12 Jan 56min

Venezuela After Maduro: Can Trump Control Caracas From Afar?

Venezuela After Maduro: Can Trump Control Caracas From Afar?

The arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, on Saturday, sent shockwaves across the globe. And although the targeted military operation was a success, the repercussions of ousting the authorita...

8 Jan 55min

Isaac Chotiner on Confrontation, Curiosity, and Being the 'Interview Assassin'

Isaac Chotiner on Confrontation, Curiosity, and Being the 'Interview Assassin'

As the principal contributor to The New Yorker’s “Q&A” interview series, Isaac Chotiner has earned a reputation as “the interview assassin.” His persistent questioning has made for some awkward — and ...

5 Jan 1h

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