#091 The Magic of Code, History of Computing, and the Future of AI Interfaces [Sam Arbesman #2]
Smart Friends
Shaping the Future: Agency and Imagination
This chapter discusses the vital role of societal agency in crafting the future, emphasizing how history and science fiction influence this process. It highlights the need for active engagement in shaping desired outcomes rather than relying solely on predictions from past narratives.
Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:14) - The magic of code
(00:05:30) - The wonder of early computing
(00:11:13) - The evolution of computing: From analog to digital
(00:18:45) - The personal computer revolution
(00:32:36) - The future of computing: Beyond silicon
(00:36:59) - The importance of computing history
(00:40:53) - AI and human uniqueness
(00:50:46) - The future of AI and computing interfaces
(01:02:13) - The intersection of playfulness and utility in computing
(01:11:17) - Conclusion and final thoughts
Links:
Books: God & Golem, Inc. — https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262730065/god--golem-inc
In the Beginning... Was the Command Line — https://www.harpercollins.com/products/in-the-beginning-was-the-command-line-neal-stephenson
I, Robot — https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/180504/i-robot-by-isaac-asimov
The Half-Life of Facts — https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/310285/the-half-life-of-facts-by-sam-arbesman
The Magic of Code — https://themagicofcode.com
Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet — https://www.harpercollins.com/products/tubes-andrew-blum
People:
Eric Jorgenson — https://www.ericjorgenson.com
Sam Arbesman — https://arbesman.net
Podcasts:
The Orthogonal Bet — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-orthogonal-bet/id1682641800
Companies:
Lux Capital — https://www.luxcapital.com tldraw — https://www.tldraw.com
Websites / Tools / Platforms:
Arbesman.net — https://arbesman.net
Internet Archive Spacewar Emulation — https://archive.org/details/spacewar_202301
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We discuss:
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Why software can be seen as ACTUAL MAGIC
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The combination of history and science fiction for more accurate prediction
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The phases of computing technology, and what might be next after silicon
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The creative opportunities for the future of software
Quotes from Sam:
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“Software is absolutely magic. It's wizardry. It's sorcery. Nobody gets it.”
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“We actually can use text and code to affect the world around us.”
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“Computing should almost be this humanistic liberal art—it should connect to language and philosophy and art.”
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“Code is not a substance, but it operates in the world.”
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“Computers are weird everything machines.”
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“We’re shielded from the vast complexity of computing—until something goes wrong.”
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“People used to build computers in their garages. Now we can’t even open them.”
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“Unix is like the Epic of Gilgamesh of computing—it’s been around for decades and it’s still foundational.”
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“AI is powerful, but it’s part of a much longer conversation around tools for thought.”
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“Biology is a wildly different computer than anything we would ever use to compute with.”
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“Science fiction doesn’t always predict well, but it gives us worlds we can aim toward.”
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“I want more weird, playful experimentation in computing—something beyond the chat interface.”
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“Computing history is so young that many of the pioneers are still around to email.”
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“Ultimately, all these tools were developed for people. They’re meant to be in service of humans.”
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