Mostly Human with Laurie Segall

Latest Episodes:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Jared Geller on Creativity in Chaos May 04, 2020

Show notes

You probably know Joseph Gordon-Levitt as an actor from films like Looper, Snowden, and 500 Days of Summer. But he’s also an entrepreneur. In 2005, Joe and his brother started HitRECORD -- it was a simple website where he could post things he was making. In 2010 he opened it up. He and his friend Jared Geller turned HitRecord into an online platform where people from all over the world could come together to collaborate. Since then, they’ve pivoted from a production company to a tech company, with a vision to help us move away from aimlessly scrolling, towards creating together.

We’re in a moment filled with anxiety and fear. It’s hard to find any kind of silver lining. But if we had to, it might be this: moments of pain and uncertainty have historically led to incredible art and creativity. So what will be the legacy of the technology built in this age? In this episode of First Contact, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and co-founder Jared Geller talk to Laurie about finding creativity in difficult times.

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Show Notes

Laurie’s interview with Joe at Web Summit 2016
HITRECORD
Jaron Lanier (author)
Tristan Harris

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TaskRabbit Founder: Finding Opportunity in Uncertainty Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

The 2008 recession was a devastating time for many Americans. But amidst the chaos, it was also the breeding ground for a new creative class: Developers who coded their visions into reality. Uber and Lyft redefined transportation, Airbnb shook up the travel industry, and TaskRabbit helped pave the way for the gig economy. In many ways, the uncertainty we face today mirrors that crisis. TaskRabbit’s founder Leah Solivan joins the show to explain why she believes founding her company in harsh conditions was key to her success, and why the pandemic provides a similar opportunity for innovation.

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Show Notes

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Covid-19 Has Made Us Slaves to Tech: Will We Ever Escape? Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

For a long time, we tried to limit our screen time. But now we’ve gone all in. We’re living in isolation, more reliant than ever on technology for human connection. So let’s look at technology through a more philosophical lens: Are we now slaves to our devices? Could tech companies use the same persuasion tactics they use to get us to click... to help save lives? How will we balance protection and privacy?

Aza Raskin is the co-founder of The Center for Humane Technology. There’s no one better to talk about the intersection of philosophy and technology. Aza returns to the show to chat with Laurie about the long-term ramifications of our newfound digital lives.

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Show Notes

Reboot
Facebook voter study
GeoCities
Doughnut Theory of Economics
Figma
Style Transfer: Photo, Text
Xiaoice
Replika
Earth Species Project
Songs of the Humpback Whale
Invisibilia: Two Heartbeats A Minute
First Contact: The Weaponization of Loneliness

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Let’s Talk About Sex (During a Pandemic) Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

All around the world, people are now living in isolation. Many of us are confronting this experience alone. Physical interaction is now a liability. What does this mean for one of humanity’s most important forms of connection — sex? And how can we continue to meet our fundamental need for intimacy during these times? Laurie looks at what all this on-screen interaction will mean for the future of sex. Could tech eventually replace human touch? Will people develop relationships with machines? From teledildonics to virtual girlfriends, sextech expert Bryony Cole talks sex in isolation and the future of love.

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Show Notes

O.School

End of Life Care Machine

Wheel Of Foreplay

Sex Hacker Kenneth Play

Mend (chatbot)

Roman (chatbot)

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"People Ahead of Profit:" How to Lead in Uncertain Times Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Jerry Colonna is fondly known as the CEO whisperer. He coaches some of the world's biggest entrepreneurs - like the former CEO of Etsy and the folks who started Gimlet Media. He helps business leaders navigate uncertainty and chaos. At a time when the coronavirus crisis is devastating the economy and millions of people's lives have been changed forever, the future is nothing but uncertain. Jerry's whole ethos is centered around the concept: better humans make better leaders. And there's never been a more critical time for humanity or leadership. Jerry is the expert. His message is simple: Show up.

Show Notes

Mostly Human: Silicon Valley’s Secret
Comfortable With Uncertainty - a book by Pema Chödrön
Old Maps No Longer Work - a poem by Joyce Rupp
Reboot Peer Circles: Tips for Launching Your Own Support Group
Polyvagal Theory
Bodhisattva

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Quarantine Diaries Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

While we all stay inside, each one of us is living our own story. Many of us are coping with the painful realities of a society in isolation. Jobs lost. Weddings canceled. Loved ones sick, or worse. We are confronting a new reality, and an uncertain future. First Contact host Laurie Segall has been in quarantine for weeks, and she’s been thinking a lot about community. Human connection. And then she had an idea: What if we cold-called strangers in quarantine, and just listened to what they had to say? About life, isolation, their hopes, and fears? Here’s what happened...

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It’s "Boss Level Mode” Time: Remote Work Pioneer Matt Mullenweg On Staying Productive Mar 19, 2020

Show notes

Workouts between calls. Meditation apps. A desk candle to boost productivity. Work-from-home hacks for all of us, as we self-isolate and practice social distancing to slow the spread of Coronavirus.

Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress and Automattic, was an early evangelist of remote work. Back in the early 2000s, many of his first hires at Wordpress were people he had never met in person. Today, Automattic has nearly 1,200 employees spread across 75 countries around the globe.

With the pandemic now forcing many companies to unexpectedly adopt similar policies, Matt gives Laurie advice on transitioning to this new lifestyle and answers listener questions on the best ways for employees and employers to stay productive.

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Show Notes

Dance Fitness with Jessica
Fitbod (fitness app)
Waking Up with Sam Harris (meditation app)
Calm (meditation app)
Sennheiser headset
Krisp.ai
Zoom videoconferencing
Days Without You (Crussen Remix) by Satori
Dancing by Kiley Minogue
Qbserve (time-tracking app)
Momentum (Chrome extension)
Tomato One (timer app)

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Ev Williams on Coronavirus and the 'Extreme' Tech of the Future Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Ev Williams is the entrepreneur behind Twitter, Blogger, and publishing platform Medium -- three companies that helped shape the modern Internet. As we grapple with the impact of Coronavirus, these digital platforms are playing an even larger role in our ability to connect with one another. Ev weighs in on how all our lives could change in the short term and what the longer term future may hold for technology and media…

Will Augmented Reality project images onto our eyeballs? Will Silicon Valley ever move beyond the attention span economy? Will our lives start to resemble more of a video game than real-life? There's a lot to explore. And no one better than Ev Williams to help make sense of it all.

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Show Notes

Laurie and Ev’s first contact

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a book from Ev’s childhood

Full Episode Transcript

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Coronavirus: The Rise of Isolation Tech Mar 09, 2020

Show notes

The rise of “cloud clubbing” from your living room, as people are ordered to stay inside. Digital raves. Virtual connection as a means to deal with an isolation bubble.

As people in China grapple with an uneasy reality, isolation, and the uncertainty around the Coronavirus, a new trend is emerging: the rise of Isolation Tech. Concerts are canceled. People are rethinking physical interaction. Nightclubs are shut down. So millions are meeting in digital clubs in the cloud where they can watch live DJ sets on Chinese apps. Welcome to The Matrix.

Instead of finding ways to depart from their devices, people have gone all in, living life in a digital bubble. Entrepreneur Zander Shapiro, who has lived in Beijing for nine years, describes his new reality in "the bubble" -- days beginning with virtual work outs, afternoons filled with remote meetings, and evenings where he joins a virtual concert, meeting other avatars for connection. He calls this moment an excellent "experiment" of what's to come in tech. Expect more extremism, less humanity, and money pouring into the business of virtual connection.

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Inside the minds of trolls Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

Who are the people who spread online disinformation? The so-called trolls you hear about in the news whose jobs are to distort facts and create chaos? Camille Francois knows them well. She’s the chief innovation officer at Graphika - a social media analytics firm hired by major companies to identify and fight online disinformation. Her team was a big part of uncovering the extent of Russian influence during the 2016 election. She spends her time in the darkest corners of the Internet taking on one of the most extraordinary digital threats of our time… But it might just be her humanity that gives her an edge.

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