Stewart Brand

Stewart Brand, a prominent writer and cultural thinker known for founding the Whole Earth Catalog and the Long Now Foundation, explores the vital role of maintenance in society. He argues that maintenance is an often-overlooked necessity linked to everything from infrastructure to personal projects. Discussing everything from quantum error correction to the art of repairing, Brand emphasizes the importance of viewing maintenance as a valuable practice rather than a chore. His insights challenge listeners to consider the balance between innovation and durability, all while advocating for the right to repair.

Stewart Brand, President of The Long Now Foundation, is a visionary behind projects like Revive & Restore aimed at reviving extinct species. He shares fascinating insights on long-term thinking and environmental responsibility. The discussion spans his groundbreaking Whole Earth Catalog, the role of psychedelics in consciousness, and the revolutionary potential of genetic technologies like CRISPR in conservation. Brand emphasizes the importance of thoughtful collaboration and innovative solutions in tackling environmental challenges.

Ray Kurzweil, a renowned futurist and inventor, and Stewart Brand, a counterculture icon and Whole Earth Catalog creator, dive deep into the future of technology. They discuss the exponential growth of AI and its implications for humanity, including the concept of the singularity where machines may outsmart us. Together, they explore the profound possibilities of technology's role in extending human life and the philosophical questions surrounding mortality. The insightful exchange highlights how countercultural movements have spurred innovation in personal computing and long-term thinking.

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.

Jonathan Haidt sees that we have entered a social-psychological phase change that was initiated in 02009 when social media platforms introduced several fateful innovations that changed the course of our society and disintegrated our consensus on reality. In this conversation with Long Now co-founders Stewart Brand and Kevin Kelly, Haidt explored questions of technological optimism, morality vs ethics, teen mental health, possible platform tweaks that could reduce the damage and just how long this next cycle of history could last. Prompted by Haidt's piece on [Why The Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/), this discussion offers a behind the scenes look at the thinking going into Haidt's next book, _The Anxious Generation_.