The Gray Area with Sean Illing

The dark history of Silicon Valley

Feb 16, 2023

Malcolm Harris, an insightful journalist and author, dives deep into the peculiar history of Palo Alto and Silicon Valley. They uncover the unsettling connections between Stanford University and the rise of big tech, alongside a fraught youth suicide crisis hidden behind the town's idyllic façade. The discussion also touches on the intersection of psychedelics and tech culture, questioning capitalism's sustainability. Harris challenges listeners to reflect on land reclamation and the responsibilities of institutions in addressing historical injustices.

01:00:13

Episode guests

Malcolm Harris

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Episode notes

Intro

3min

Lessons of Privilege in Palo Alto

5min

Stanford and the Birth of Silicon Valley

13min

Psychedelics and Silicon Valley: A Cultural Nexus

7min

The Interplay of Capitalism and Historical Forces in Silicon Valley

3min

Capitalism and Ecological Limits

12min

Reclaiming Ancestral Land

6min

Reform vs. Revolution in Silicon Valley

6min

Sean Illing speaks with Malcolm Harris, a journalist, critic, and author of the new book Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World. Together, they discuss the weird history of the city that's birthed Stanford University, Hewlett Packard, Theranos, and the model of capitalism that's made an impact across the globe.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area

Guest: Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet), journalist, critic and author

References:

Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World by Malcolm Harris (Little Brown; 2023)
Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials by Malcolm Harris (Little Brown; 2017)
"CDC investigates why so many students in wealthy Palo Alto, Calif., commit suicide" by Yanan Wang (The Washington Post, Feb. 16th, 2016)
“The undocumented workers who built Silicon Valley” by Louis Hyman (The Washington Post, Aug. 30th, 2018)
Stanford University Land Acknowledgement
"Meet The PayPal Mafia, the Richest Group Of Men In Silicon Valley" by Charlie Parrish (The Telegraph, Sep. 20th, 2014)

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This episode was made by:

Producer: Erikk Geannikis
Engineer: Patrick Boyd
Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

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