We Are Here Tomorrow

HELLO & WELCOME back! Today on the pod, we are talking about HARDWARE SECURITY, and what that means for the future of personal privacy. Even though hardware pervades every nook and cranny of our lives, most people (us included) have no idea what those little devices can do, and what someone else can do when they secretly control them. We talk backdoors and exploits, Apple and Huawei, Snowden and the NSA, and so much more! (PS in case the title isn't clear, these is a TWO-PARTER! Next week, we will be delving into the software and mass-privacy side of this story, so stay tuned!)

SEASON 3 IS HERE!!! John and Zach could not be more excited to be back on the airwaves. This week, we are talking CARBON CAPTURE, maybe the only true way for us to fix our CO2 emission problems at scale. We delve into the promising methods of how to capture the carbon (CO2), what to do with the CO2 once capture is complete, what Silicon Valley and the governments of the world have to say about it, and much more!

The FDA has approved two mRNA vaccines for mass-distribution, a milestone for the "new" type of vaccine tech. So, John and Zach want to know more! We run through the history of vaccination tech in the US, as well as the state of distrust in vaccines. After that, we work through how a virus invades the body, how vaccines are used to combat it, and how mRNA is used specifically. Then, we hop over to Today, and highlight the advantages and nuances of mRNA vaccines; how it affects manufacturing, how it might scale, and what incremental improvements are being worked on right now! This gives us a perfect launchpad to ponder our future with mRNA vaccines, including Tesla-made mRNA microfactories and universal vaccines! Lastly, we discuss how this tech might impact our society, before saying "au revoir" to We Are Here Tomorrow Season 2!!

Zach and John ride the rails of train technology. Societies rarely abandon a technology only to readopt it decades later. City-to-city trains might be one of these outliers in America! But why? How have trains changed? Or how has society changed? What might be the downstream effects of trains? And, of course, what about other communities around the world? We attempt to answer these questions and help you navigate our future better!

The U.S. Presidential election has dominated the news cycle. With the politicized pandemic and the prevalence of multiple ways of voting, John and Zach needed to ask: what IS the best way to vote? What have we done in the past, where are we heading in the future, and does cutting-edge technology play a role?

The world had a population boom after World War II. Now, that age wave is crashing into retirement and projected to need daily living care in the next couple of decades. Elder and disabled care seems bound for a care crunch! No surprise, some think technology is poised to address this problem. But can it?

John and Zach discuss this situation, our technology projections, and how “carebots” might impact our world and culture.

You've heard the word "quantum" probably thrown around a lot, especially when it comes to the future of computing. But, what is quantum computing, exactly? Hint: it's not as complicated as you might think, but it's also not the sci-fi Easy Button to every computational problem, either. In fact, there are only a few niche areas that QC will really be better than classical computers; one of them is chemistry! So, what's the story of quantum computing? Why is it so good for chemistry? Why is Google claiming the quantum supremacy crown for the simulation of a simple molecule? And, what does being better at chemistry do for us in the future?

Some consider psychedelics as a perceptual rollercoaster ride. The histories of these mind-altering agents are in themselves a rollercoaster of methodical traditions punctuated with shooting star experimentation (2:20). But the ride isn’t over! John and Zach cover what these compounds do to us (23:15), the current standing of psychedelics (35:30), the still-bright future of psychedelics (56:05), and how they might impact our worlds (71:15).

Billions of global citizens attend many business meetings and other events every year. Attendee satisfaction isn’t exactly 100%... John and Zach discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic is transforming the business event industry generally (36:30), why that transformation was overdue (19:30), and how the virtualization of these events forecasts to our business and event futures (53:50).

In this week's electrifying episode, Zach and John channel their inner Jimmy Neutron (BRAIN BLAST!!!) and delve into the mad-science-inspiring world of "neuromodulation through electricity". Since the 1800's, physicians have experimented with electrocuting the brain as a cure for various maladies. We've even figured out how to do this using only magnets! Just as shockingly, this magnetic treatment is used effectively to this day; it's an FDA-approved treatment for clinical depression! By altering the electromagnetic state of the brain, we are actually able to have some effect on how it's wired. BUT, what happens when you electrocute a healthy brain? Current research seems to promise enhanced cognition, more effective athletic training, and maybe a lot more! Will a neuromodulation headset be a common household appliance by 2040? Or will it only exist on the coffee table of the DIY neurologist? We discuss that and a whole lot more, come join in!