Exploring Complex Themes in 'Dune'

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Delving into the intricate power dynamics, eugenics, and societal manipulation within the world of 'Dune', this chapter discusses the portrayal of characters, selective breeding practices, and the pursuit of extended life through genetic manipulation. It contrasts the themes of the movie with real-world tech inclinations, exploring the intersection of technology and biology. The conversation also touches on the absence of explicit explanations in the film, contemplating the director's preference for visual storytelling over detailed dialogue.

In a bonus episode, Paris Marx is joined by Ed Ongweso Jr. and Brian Merchant to share their thoughts on Dune: Part Two, how it relates to the modern tech industry, and whether today’s Luddites can take anything from Dune’s Butlerian Jihad.

Ed Ongweso Jr is finance editor at Logic(s) Magazine and cohost of This Machine Kills. Brian Merchant is a technology journalist and the author of Blood In the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.

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