Technoculture

Robert Margouleff doesn't like to live in history, but "he knows he's made some." After a lifetime of achievements, he still looks ahead and experiments with audio spacialization, new artists, new sounds. An incredible privilege to hear Robert's opinion on technology, pop music, his collaborations, the industry, in his cozy studio on Hollywood.

Bonus content for episode #37 with Federico Faggin. After our regular interview in English, I decided to interview Federico Faggin again in Italian, as a tribute to our friends and colleagues in Italy. The questions are not the same, but on the podcast website and in the description of the YouTube video, you can find the list of questions (in English.) More info at: www.technoculture-podcast.com

It's hard to imagine the world without the microprocessor. And without the touchscreen. We owe both inventions to one man, Federico Faggin. An innovator all his life, he is currently devoting his efforts to the scientific study of consciousness, bringing spirituality and quantum physics together. In this interview, recorded at his house in the Silicon Valley, we talk about his latest work on consciousness. More episodes on: www.technoculture-podcast.com

Rick Ruth, Senior Advisor at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, talks about the importance of investing in face-to-face diplomacy today. "I have thought of everything I can think of, and the one thing that gives me some hope is the ethos that underlies the educational exchange program." This is Senator Fulbright speaking words of wisdom a couple of decades ago. Do they still apply to us?

Bonus content for episode #35. I challenged Bibhushan to explain some complex concepts of physics in simple terms. The first concept is supersimmetry (at minute 00:53); the second is the cutest expression I've ever heard in physics: "a baby universe in a black hole" (well, the baby part is cute at least - at minute 6:47); and the third is "space can travel faster than light" and even more precisely: "there is nothing in our equations that prevents space from traveling faster than light" (at minute 10:18).

When we ask questions about ourselves, our place in the universe... we are also asking questions about the universe: we are part of it and made of the same stuff. Conversely, to investigate the nature of the universe means also to ask questions about ourselves. That's why I went to CERN to talk to a particle physicist about life, research, and everything.

Technoculture inaugurates its second season with an episode that might seem outside the scope of the podcast. Why travel back in time? What do the Vikings have to do with Technoculture? Well, think about it this way: we are the Vikings of the people that will live on earth in a 1000 years. Technoculture is interested in this topic because Heidi's approach starts from the assumption that adopting a technology, wearing a technology, changes the way you perceive the world around you.

Do you know the difference between virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality? Hear Ward Peeters, pioneer of spatial computing, explain why he thinks we will soon no longer need street signs. (And how a cat can walk through a wall.)

Serge Lemouton is an expert in the preservation of the electroacoustic music produced at IRCAM, the renowned art and research center in Paris where he works as senior computer music designer. During this interview, he talks about the music repertoire at IRCAM since 1977 and how it is being documented in their Sidney system. He also shares no less than four excerpts from historical compositions produced at IRCAM. Get your peek behind the scenes at the legendary IRCAM!

Will robots steal our job? Seriously, come on. Sci-fi is cool, but unemployment affects real people. If you are a person, or know someone who is a person, you will love this episode. Andrea Glorioso is policy officer at the European Commission and an expert on the future of work, how it affects workers, training and retirement programs - and he has a very good answer to the question: will robots steal our jobs. What the world needs is more educated, informed, and intelligent leaders like Andrea Glorioso.