Grey Matter with Michael Krasny

Latest Episodes:

Frank Bruni - The End Of Nuanced and Complicated Conversations? A Zero Sum Game Fosters Competition Versus Connection Jul 09, 2024

Show notes

Leading New York Times writer and best-selling author Frank Bruni joined us for an in-depth discussion of his most recent book The Age of Grievance which focuses on American culture's fall into pessimism and the binary world of choosing sides, tribalism, and the pressing need for compromise and common ground. It is somewhat global (as with Brexit) but largely an American phenomenon of a scale never imagined and at the center, says Bruni, is ugly politics. Though more consequential and perilous from the right than from the left, there are grievance merchants and grievance entrepreneurs on both sides and Bruni went into an example on the left side of the political spectrum of the use of identity politics with Brittany Greiner and on the right with the power of Donald Trump. Though originally all about social connection, social media makes all of it worse and creates disconnection. Bruni, a Duke journalism professor, also emphasized the role of the media in exacerbating the pervasive sense of grievance and he spoke of geographic sorting after the Dobbs abortion decision being like social media. He spoke, too, of the power of consumers and the need for more open and non-partisan primaries, ranked-choice voting, and overall moderation and major change in both political and civil culture, including a deeper recognition of the common good and how our welfare is bound together as citizens. We concluded with talk about whether he missed being a restaurant or movie critic, his feelings about being a gay professor, Seinfeld's appearance at Duke, and the extent of emphasis in academia on trigger warnings. A fascinating discussion with one of the nation's leading and most respected thinkers.

Self-Driving Cars to Robot Roommates: Robert Scoble Spatial Computing Strategist Jul 02, 2024

Show notes

Passion is an understatement when it comes to tech futurist, evangelist, creator of famous Silicon Valley blog Scobleizer, author of six prescient books, podcaster, video journalist, and former Microsoft strategist Robert Scoble. Host Michael Krasny gets down to business, exploring a mind-bending array of topics that will define our technological future:

Get Ready for the Driverless Revolution: Scoble dives deep into the world of autonomous vehicles, discussing how they will transform transportation and the impact they'll have on our roads.
Robots: Roommates or Revolutionaries? The conversation delves into the rise of humanoid robots, exploring their potential to become helpful companions in our homes and workplaces, while also examining the possible societal shifts they might bring.
AI Ethics: Navigating the Maze: Scoble tackles the crucial yet complex issue of artificial intelligence (AI) ethics, prompting discussion on responsible development and the need for safeguards in a world increasingly reliant on AI.
Smart Cities: The Tech-Powered Metropolis of Tomorrow: The future of urban planning takes center stage as Scoble explores how cities will adapt and evolve to integrate seamlessly with new technologies.
Beyond the Bits: Quantum Computing Leaps Forward: Unpack the potential of quantum computing with Scoble as he explains its mind-boggling capabilities and the groundbreaking applications that lie ahead.
Privacy Paradox: Can We Have Our Tech Cake and Eat It Too?: The episode tackles the ever-present challenge of privacy in a world where technology is constantly evolving. Scoble explores the delicate balance between innovation and safeguarding our personal data.

Beyond the Headliners: This episode goes beyond the usual tech buzzwords. Scoble explores these additional fascinating themes:

Merging Realities: Augmented Reality, Spatial Computing, and the Metaverse: Scoble examines how these emerging technologies will blur the lines between our physical and digital worlds, and the potential impact they'll have on everything from entertainment to work.
Jobs, the New GI Bill, and a "New American Dream": The conversation takes a turn towards the future of work. Scoble explores how technology will reshape the job market and proposes ideas like a "New American Dream" initiative to equip individuals with the skills needed to thrive in a tech-driven economy.
Brain Gain: The Rise of Neural Links: Scoble dives into the world of neural links, exploring the potential for a direct interface between the human brain and computers, and the ethical considerations surrounding this groundbreaking technology.
Pixels and Progress: The Future of Photography: Scoble examines how advancements in AI and machine learning will transform the way we capture and interact with photographs.
Tech and the Political Landscape: The episode concludes with a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of technology and politics. Scoble explores the potential impact of technology on political discourse, elections, and governance.

Whether you're a self-proclaimed tech enthusiast or simply curious about the world to come, this Gray Matter podcast episode with Robert Scoble is a must-listen. Prepare to have your mind stretched and your imagination ignited as you embark on this captivating exploration of the future.

Maddy Dychtwald - Women Are Different Than Men! Jun 25, 2024

Show notes

Author and global futurist Maddy Dychtwald joined us for a wide-ranging deep dive into the subject of her latest best-selling book on the topic of women and aging. We began with her discussing her reasons for writing the book, her work with cutting edge researchers, her erasing of personal hip pain and the longevity revolution. She clarified her objective of not trying to retain youth versus discovering ways to prevent or delay physical or brain decline. We delved into gender differences and the historical gender biases in the health care system beyond reproductive health. A question followed on ultra processed foods which, Maddy argued "should be kept out of the pantry," followed by a caveat from the host about lingering uncertainties. Problems of ageism, discrimination of women in the workplace, loss and loneliness were also addressed as were factors to offset all of those - especially sense of purpose and social connections, family and pets. We then addressed commercial and demographic changes and the thirty trillion dollars women stand to inherit though we also touched on women's poverty in the U.S. and the developing world. We spoke of the effect of sugar, alcohol and the importance of lifelong learning and financial agency, proper hours of circadian sleep and a positive attitude. We focused on spirituality, meditation and sex, including the role of orgasms, and wound-up discussing hormone replacement and what is singularly most important for women's health. We even heard a bit about Maddy Dychtwald's youthful career as an actor. An illuminating, spirited and lively hour!

Bret Stephens - Competition between the Morally Unfit and the Mentally Unfit Jun 18, 2024

Show notes

"Competition between the Morally Unfit and the Mentally Unfit." That was Bret Stephens' take on the U.S. presidential race. We spoke of the race and of immigration, including what Stephens described as "legitimate criticism" of the Biden administration as well as Stephens' own family history and realizing the American dream. He also spoke of the need for control of U.S. borders and a wall and the need to bring people in in a regularized way to apply for visas in a way that does not overwhelm. "We need immigrants," Stephens said and from there we went to reproductive rights which Stephens believes won't have the impact it did in the last election. Our conversation went on to Jews and Zionism and Anti-Zionism as the new Anti-Semitism and parallels of the present to the Second World War and Stephens' views that "Ukraine will change the nature of warfare" and Europe's turn to the Right and the present as "a Dreyfus and Herzl moment." Social media, Stephens said, should be called Anti-Social Media because it allows fanatics to find one another. He made his position clear in condemning students who support Hamas and made clear, too, that he blames the professors even more as well as outside money supporting encampments. Stephens then addressed how democracy allowed technologies to be born and take root in the U.S. Who, he asked, would buy Russian and he stated, "China will never overtake the United States" and he said the biggest threat from China is their decline. We went back to discussing immigration and the need for assimilatory capacity and the presidential race and the need there for a system that produces better candidates. We concluded comparing Mozart and Beethoven and The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.

Steven Brill - Pallbeaerers for Truth? Jun 11, 2024

Show notes

Journalist, entrepreneur and best-selling author Steven Brill joined us to map out why opinions, disinformation and conspiracy theories have become the global death knell for truth. We spoke of why so many people no longer trust facts and Brill's own personal experience with a Russian disinformation operative. He discussed his for-profit business NewsGuard and his vested interest in exposing disinformation. We focused on false narratives from both the Right and the Left and on a young man, an Ohio State graduate, who went down the rabbit hole of the Internet and wound-up part of the violence in D.C. on January 6th. The lack of trust in the health care system and the belief in pedophilia conspiracy theories were highlighted and linked to a need for order. Brill was asked about Court TV, which was his original project, and he spoke of his regret that the trial of former President Trump was not televised. He also spoke of the inevitable worsening of our present circumstances as generative Artificial Intelligence moves forward and he provided a picture of the overall deleterious effects of programmatic advertising. We then moved on to necessary solutions with discussion of Section 230, FTC enforcement and lawsuits based on terms of service, as well as K thru 12 computer literacy education. A timely, highly engaging and illuminating dialogue!

I'm Anything but a Luddite: An Hour with Entrepreneur Andrew Keen Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

Silicon Valley acclaimed entrepreneur and author Andrew Keen of Keen on and Keen on Substack joined us. We heard his views on the Internet and big tech companies and how new agency and a middle ground are needed rather than regulation or new technology. Andrew discussed the future of work as well as failures of Facebook despite its economic successes; the damage potential of AI; failures of the digital revolution and Israel as a U.S. junior partner. He additionally touched on privacy and surveillance; Google's "Do no Evil" and Google as the first AI company and AI's running the narrative of the 21rst century. We concluded with Andrew defending against shutting down Tik Tok. However, the episode took place the day after former U.S. President Donald Trump was found guilty on thirty-four felony counts and so we began by getting Andrew's reactions and analysis on all of that. Andrew opined that "the extraordinary is ordinary in politics in America" and spoke of January 6th as being more theatre than existential crisis and the Nineties as being more violent and more disturbing. He also spoke of every day seeming to be a crisis in America and his sympathy for protesting students.

Observations and Advice on Children and Teens from Leading Researcher Ellen Galinsky May 30, 2024

Show notes

Director of The Bezos Family Foundation and author of Mind in the Making, The Six Stages of Parenthood and The Breakthrough Years, Ellen Galinsky joined us for a deep dive interview starting with the role of neuroscience in understanding the teen brain and then branching out to questions related to teen risky behavior, self-control, decision making and autonomy. We talked about the student protestors who she viewed as taking positive risks and went on to helicopter parenting; kids as pals of their parents; birth order; temperaments and the two areas in which she holds some of her strongest convictions -- executive function skills and engagement. A veritable potpourri of important and interrelated topics, including the good and the bad in social media; social efficacy; home schooling; creative and critical thinking and kids who change gender.

Mike Elgan - A Cosmopolitan Bon Vivant on being a Gastronomad and Artificial Intelligence May 21, 2024

Show notes

Journalist, blogger, columnist, podcaster, and technology writer Mike Elgan joined us live from Venice to talk about being a temporary local and AI. The dialogue began with Mike explaining the life he lives and wrote about in Gastronomad, a life of constant travel and absorbing different cultures while remote work allows for a livable income and stories are gathered. We moved on to talk about nineteenth century historian Thomas Carlyle's notion of the mechanical age and how we are presently in it as well as a hierarchical structure based on machinery use. Mike spoke of the use of avatars and Apple Vision Pros and digital twins, all imminent, and he expressed his concern that society is not ready for the adoptions ahead. He spoke of the two sides of AI -- hope in matters of health and communications and the thousands of other ways it can help us as well as skepticism about sci fi created dangers and tons of problems AI will never solve. Mike urged for AI to be seen as non-human and emphasized the need to realize we will never replace the human mind. He touched on prosthetic memory, artificial knowledge, multimodal AI, Meta Ray-Bans, the video mode in AI and digital influencers as well as dangers of artificial and AI generated people. A unique episode brimming with thoughts and ideas!

Larry Tye - Jazz - Backdrop to the Civil Rights Movement May 14, 2024

Show notes

Biographer (Bobby Kennedy and Satchel) and award-winning reporter Larry Tye talked to us about his newest book, The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Count Basie Transformed America. All three of these iconic musicians, Tye noted, though from different backgrounds, had to endure Jim Crow and racial bigotry but "opened the eyes, ears and souls" of White men and the women they wooed and "set the table for the civil rights movement." Tye took on this writing task out of a promise he made to Black Pullman porters. His many books have resulted from what he, as a journalist, was drawn to enough to devote three years to. The Jazzmen emerged from looking for what these three musical geniuses did in music and the world and despite Tye describing himself as tone deaf and knowing nothing about music and discovering the moral feet of clay of all three of these men of faith. We discussed the lives and times of each of the three and then talked about women in jazz - mostly singers except for Armstrong's wife, Lillian Hardin, and we touched on the origin of the nickname Satchmo for Armstrong and the different class backgrounds of the three and some of their famous sidemen as well as the links between the three and Jewish managers, bandmates and mobsters and Armstrong's adoption by a Jewish family and the Jewish origins of Superman. We spoke, too, of jazz language, Wynton Marsalis, Jon Batiste, Sonny Rollins, Dave Brubeck and what Bobby Kennedy Senior might have felt about his son and namesake running for president.

More Americans Killed By Cows Than Illegal Border Crossers: A Conversation With Pundit Marc Sandalow Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

Veteran political analyst and Associate Director of The Washington Center Marc Sandalow joined us for a rich and wide ranging conversation about the political landscape -- starting with the ongoing trial of Donald Trump and proceeding to questions about who will and will not turn out to vote in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Marc spoke of his UC Berkeley student's dissatisfaction with both President Biden and former President Trump and citizen perceptions of aging in the two as well as the liability to President Biden of Vice President Kamala Harris being his likely running mate. We also discussed the third party candidacy of Robert F Kennedy Jr and the historic role of third party candidates and touched on the electoral college, the Black vote and the efficacy of polls. The dialogue then pivoted to immigration with Marc expressing the view of illegal/undocumented immigrants being demonized and scapegoated for political purposes as responsible for high incidences of murder, rape and other violent crimes. Terrorists may be entering the U.S. illegally, Marc conceded, but for the present, he declared, more Americans are killed by cows. More illegal/undocumented immigrants, he pointed out, are coming into the U.S. and more fentanyl also is, but crime is continuing to go down and illegals/undocumenteds generally do not illegally vote. Marc spoke of how playing up the fearsome dangers of big cities also plays well politically. He discussed presidential immunity, bipartisanship, today's social media, journalism, rank choice voting, national security and the Chinese and their ownership of TikTok. A master class on civics and politics by a seasoned journalist, political analyst and university teacher!

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