Tech Won't Save Us Demystifying the Billionaire Space Race
Jul 22, 2021
43:35
Paris Marx takes a solo episode to discuss the billionaire space race. Specifically, how billionaires are selling grand futures of space travel as a PR scheme to get huge public contracts that will allow them to control the infrastructure of space.
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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. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.
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Also mentioned in this episode:
- Paris wrote about the billionaire space race, and it was translated into German, Italian, and Turkish.
- New Mexico’s $220-million Spaceport America that’s used by Virgin Galactic is a joke.
- SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service has been way overhyped.
- If we went to Mars, we would get cancer.
- Adam Mann had a great essay on how we should think about Mars, and whether it’s “ours.”
- Elon Musk says we can be indentured servants on Mars, and people will die.
- Paris has written about Jeff Bezos’ space colonies, and compared them to Blade Runner and The Expanse.
- Jeff Bezos stepped down as Amazon CEO to take on the role of Executive Chairman.
- Ursula K. Le Guin argues science fiction isn’t about the future, nor is it predictive.
- Amazon’s emissions rose 19% in 2020 and it’s helping Big Oil.
- Paris wrote about the real climate future billionaires are creating.