Conversations with Tyler

Stewart Brand on Starting Things and Staying Curious

Jan 26, 2022

Stewart Brand, a polymath known for his involvement in cyberculture and environmental movements, shares his wisdom at 83. He dives into the curious connections between his Cold War upbringing and modern curiosity. Brand discusses the allure of psychedelics, the impact of the Whole Earth Catalog, and critiques of Silicon Valley's disconnect from the arts. He raises fascinating ideas about bringing back woolly mammoths and challenges the notion of space colonization, urging us to focus on maintenance and the importance of institutions.

57:17

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Episode guests

Stewart Brand

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Episode notes

Intro

3min

Evolving Perspectives: From Nature to Space

16min

The Legacy of the Whole Earth Catalog

4min

Silicon Valley's Artistic Disconnect

21min

The Dual Nature of Smart Living

4min

Cultural Craftsmanship and Ecological Revival

7min

Exploring Attention and the Importance of Maintenance

3min

From psychedelics to cyberculture, hippie communes to commercial startups, and the Whole Earth Catalog to the Long Now Foundation, Stewart Brand has not only been a part of many movements—he was there at the start. Now 83, he says he doesn’t understand why older people let their curiosity fade, when in many ways it’s the best time to set off on new intellectual pursuits.

Tyler and Stewart discuss what drives his curiosity, including the ways in which he’s a product of the Cold War, how he became a Darwinian decentralist, the effects of pre-industrial America on his thought, the subcultural convergences between hippies and younger American Indians, why he doesn’t think humans will be going to the stars, his two-minded approach to unexplained phenomena, how L.L. Bean inspired the Whole Earth Catalog, why Silicon Valley entrepreneurs don’t seem interested in the visual arts, why L.A. could not have been the home of hippie culture and digital innovation, what libertarians don’t understand about government, why we should bring back woolly mammoths, why he’s now focused on maintenance and institutions, and more.

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Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video.

Recorded January 3rd, 2022 Other ways to connect

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