Decoder with Nilay Patel

Writer Ben Mezrich talks with Recode’s Kara Swisher about his latest book Bitcoin Billionaires and his previous books, including The Accidental Billionaires, which was adapted into the movie The Social Network. Mezrich, who specializes in "true stories about young people doing crazy things," discusses the controversies around how he depicted Mark Zuckerberg in The Accidental Billionaires, how Zuck has changed over time, and how the story went from a “nobody will care” book proposal to a classic movie. He also talks about the respectability the Winklevoss twins brought to cryptocurrency and why Facebook is the exact wrong company to launch a cryptocurrency, even though they’re looking in the right direction. Plus: Will there be a sequel to The Social Network?

Featuring:

Ben Mezrich (@benmezrich), author, Bitcoin Billionaires

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

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Historian Margaret O'Mara talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about her latest book, The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. She explains how the government catalyzed the digital revolution starting in the 1960s, the reasons tech power coalesced in suburban California, and why tech history must be considered a part of political history — even though the industry has tried in recent decades to distance itself from government. O'Mara also talks about the origins of sexism in the tech industry and how women were not given the same opportunities to break in as men, and the threats to Silicon Valley's current culture, including government regulation, overly strict immigration laws, and the rise of China.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Margaret O'Mara (@MargaretOMara), author, The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Neal Katyal, a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his new book Impeach: The Case against Donald Trump. Katyal explains why he believes the “evidence will be too strong” against President Trump, ending his first term prematurely, and argues that if he were Trump's lawyer his advice would be to resign. He also talks about the inability of the DC establishment to comprehend Trump’s propensity for lying, and why social media will become less important during a presidential impeachment trial. Plus: How arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court became an ordinary part of Katyal's job, and how he advises tech companies in an era of looming tech regulation.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Neal Katyal (@neal_katyal), author, Impeach: The Case against Donald Trump

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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MakerBot CEO Nadav Goshen talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the company's Method X industrial printer, which Goshen says will foster innovation by making it easier to manufacture real products. He also talks about the setbacks to the initial hype that 3-D printers would be as accessible and commonplace as toothbrushes; how teachers use MakerBot's smaller 3-D printer Replicator in the classroom; and the importance of professionals adopting an emerging technology before it goes mainstream. Plus: What is the environmental impact of making manufacturing effortless at home, and how will global manufacturing change in the coming decades?

Featuring:

Nadav Goshen, CEO, MakerBot

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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Andrea Matwyshyn, the associate dean of innovation at Penn State Law, talks with Kara Swisher's executive producer, Erica Anderson, about the integration of technology with biology, a trend Matwyshyn terms the "internet of bodies." She explains what that means in real world terms, why someone might want to implant a computer chip in their bodies, and the potential risks and security concerns, including hackers who could manipulate thoughts. Matwyshyn also talks about the ethical and policy implications of this type of tech, and what she, a leading expert on the subject, is most worried about.

Featuring:

Andrea Matwyshyn (@amatwyshyn), associate dean of innovation at Penn State Law

Hosts:

Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer, Recode Decode

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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Deborah Rutter, the president of Washington, DC's John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about the Center's new free immersive learning spaces, REACH, which offer visitors the chance to participate in and look behind the scenes of many kinds of performances. Rutter also discusses how technology has impacted the public's relationship with art and education, why issues like cell phone addiction aren't a big threat to the Kennedy Center's shows, and how tech itself could become part of the artistic experience. Plus: Can art bridge the red-blue dividie, and what will the Kennedy Center look like in 50 years?

Featuring:

Deborah Rutter (@KenCenPrez), president, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (@kencen)

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Axon CEO Rick Smith talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about his company's best known product (the Taser), how it's thinking about the ethical implications of new products aimed at police, and the controversies around facial recognition in body cameras. Plus: Is the weapon of the future a pistol that doesn't kill you?

Featuring:

Rick Smith (@AxonRick), CEO of Axon (@Axon_us) and author of The End of Killing: How Our Newest Technologies Can Solve Humanity's Oldest Problem

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

Listen to Kara's interview with NYU Policing Project director Barry Friedman, who served on Axon's ethics board.

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Barry Friedman, the director of The Policing Project at New York University's School of Law, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about making police more accountable, the ethics of emerging technologies like AI and facial recognition, and the missing regulations that affect local communities in the US. Friedman also talks about his work with the company that created the Taser, Axon International — whose CEO Rick Smith will appear on Wednesday's episode of Recode Decode — and why there's not as much data about police work as one might assume.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Barry Friedman (@barryfriedman1), director of The Policing Project (@policingproject) and author of Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission.

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

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Recode's Kara Swisher and her executive producer Erica Anderson talk with a panel of entrepreneurs in Valparaiso, Indiana: Sarah Hallberg, the Medical Director of Virta Health; Eric Christopher, the co-founder and CEO of Zylo; and Robin Fleming, the CEO of Anvl. They discuss the positives and negatives of being tech entrepreneurs in an area not typically associated with the digital revolution, including hiring and retention, the impact of local success stories that went global such as ExactTarget, and the challenges of attracting venture capital funding. Plus: What changes would have the most positive impact on Indiana's entrepreneurial scene?

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Sarah Hallberg (@drsarahhallberg), Medical Director of Virta Health

Eric Christopher, co-founder and CEO of Zylo (@getzylo)

Robin Fleming, CEO of Anvl (@ANVLapp)

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

Erica Anderson (@EricaAmerica), executive producer

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

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Venture capitalist Jana Messerschmidt, talks with Recode's Kara Swisher about how she became a partner at Lightspeed and the co-founder of an all-female group of angel investors called #ANGELS. Messerschmidt previously worked at DivX, Netflix, and Twitter, and also discusses the early days of video streaming online and how Netflix timed the market perfectly. Plus: Why #ANGELS doesn't invest only in women, what made that collective different from traditional venture capital, and the urgent need to ensure that women have their fair share of equity in tech startups.

Read a full transcript of this interview here.

Featuring:

Jana Messerschmidt (@janamal), partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners (@Lightspeedvp) and co-founder, #ANGELS (@hashtagangels)

Hosts:

Kara Swisher (@karaswisher), Recode co-founder and editor-at-large

More to explore:

Subscribe for free to Reset, Recode's new podcast that explores why — and how — tech is changing everything.

About Recode by Vox:

Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us.

Follow Us:

Newsletter: Recode Daily

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