Fred Turner

In 1940, a group of 60 American intellectuals formed the Committee for National Morale. “They’ve largely been forgotten,” says Fred Turner, a professor of communications at Stanford University, but their work had a profound impact on public opinion. They produced groundbreaking films and art exhibitions. They urged viewers to stop, reflect and think for themselves, and in so doing, they developed a set of design principles that reimagined how media could make us feel more calm, reflective, empathetic; in short, more democratic.

Fred Turner, a Stanford Professor and historian of Silicon Valley culture, dives into the fascinating history of the intersection between technology and counterculture. He discusses the evolution of cyberculture, touching on how the ideals of 1960s hippies transformed into today's digital utopianism. Topics include the corporatization of everyday life, the dynamics of dating apps, and the cultural origins of Burning Man. Turner also critiques the shift in Silicon Valley from libertarianism to corporate control, advocating for the importance of humanities in navigating our tech-driven society.