A Conversation with Neal Stephenson

A Conversation with Neal Stephenson

Over his nearly four-decade career as a novelist, Neal Stephenson has built complex visions of future worlds that, looking back at them now, feel eerily prescient. He writes about the possible ways unchecked globalization, pollution, and technological capitalism could transform our planet. Along the way, he’s introduced readers to concepts like cryptocurrency, virtual reality, and the metaverse. In his new novel, Termination Shock, Stevenson brings readers into a near future when an eccentric billionaire puts forward a radical plan for slowing climate change by blasting sulphur into the Earth’s atmosphere. Sounds plausible, doesn’t it? Maybe.

WIRED senior correspondent Adam Rogers spoke with Neal Stephenson at the annual RE:WIRED conference earlier this month. This week, we’ll listen to the audio from that interview, and we’ll hear from Adam about what it was like to profile Stephenson for the November issue of WIRED magazine.

Show Notes:

Neal Stephenson’s new book Termination Shock is available now. Read Adam’s WIRED story about Neal Stephenson taking on Global Warming. Check out more from our RE:WIRED sessions here.

Recommendations:

Adam recommends getting your Covid-19 vaccine booster shot if you’re eligible, and also the show Star Trek Prodigy. Lauren recommends Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy on HBO Max. Mike recommends “The Veggie” newsletter from The New York Times.

Adam Rogers can be found on Twitter @jetjocko. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Neal Stephenson is @nealstephenson. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@booneashworth). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.

If you have feedback about the show, or just want to enter to win a $50 gift card, take our brief listener survey here.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Avsnitt(431)

A Tariff Standoff with China, Power Outages and the End of Christmas

A Tariff Standoff with China, Power Outages and the End of Christmas

President Trump’s tariff standoff with China has caused chaos, confusion and major delays for companies of all shapes and sizes. As everyone waits to see what happens next, some businesses that depend...

29 Apr 202515min

Protecting Your Phone—and Your Privacy—at the US Border

Protecting Your Phone—and Your Privacy—at the US Border

Under the new Trump administration, more and more visa holders and foreign visitors are being detained or denied entry at the border. It’s also becoming more common for people to be questioned or deta...

24 Apr 202539min

Is Telsa on the Outs in China?

Is Telsa on the Outs in China?

China has long been a really important market for Tesla and for Elon Musk, but after the rising US tariffs and rising competition in the electric vehicle market – Tesla may be on the outs in China. To...

22 Apr 202517min

How Americans Are Surveilled During Protests

How Americans Are Surveilled During Protests

There have been a number of protests in the past few months pushing back against President Trump’s most recent policy changes, and we're likely to see more. Today on the show, WIRED’s Senior Editor of...

17 Apr 202529min

Will Meta Really Have to Sell Instagram and WhatsApp?

Will Meta Really Have to Sell Instagram and WhatsApp?

The trial between the US Federal Trade Commission and Meta began this week—and the future of the company is at stake. The FTC wants Meta to sell off two prized assets, Instagram and WhatsApp, arguing ...

15 Apr 202517min

What The Actual Tariff

What The Actual Tariff

It’s been total chaos since President Trump announced tariffs last week. Despite the endless reporting on this story, none of it really makes any sense yet. So today, we attempt to make sense of how t...

10 Apr 202542min

Why the Market Is Going Crazy This Week

Why the Market Is Going Crazy This Week

WIRED’s Louise Matsakis joins Zoë Schiffer, WIRED’s Director of Business & Industry, to talk about this week’s market madness and why the US probably won’t have armies of people screwing in little scr...

8 Apr 202520min

Is Silicon Valley Actually Libertarian? (Re-Run)

Is Silicon Valley Actually Libertarian? (Re-Run)

It's long been believed that Silicon Valley is a hotbed for libertarian ideals, but where did that idea come from? Aside from some high-profile tech founders and investors who either identify as liber...

3 Apr 202539min

Populärt inom Teknik

uppgang-och-fall
elbilsveckan
market-makers
rss-elektrikerpodden
bilar-med-sladd
skogsforum-podcast
rss-uppgang-och-fall
rss-laddstationen-med-elbilen-i-sverige
developers-mer-an-bara-kod
rss-veckans-ai
natets-morka-sida
bli-saker-podden
rss-powerboat-sverige-podcast
rss-technokratin
rss-fabriken-2
rss-snacka-om-ai
teknikveckan
hej-bruksbil
kodsnack
rss-digitala-influencer-podden