The 7th Kingdom Podcast

VR is finally here – the Vive and Rift are already in the world, and Sony’s version coming later this year! In honor of this moment, Jay and Jason talk about why we think that’s a big deal – specifically exploring the unique platform for experiences that VR provides, and how that’s different from traditional entertainment. We also talk about some of the dangers and possible abuses of VR (addiction!), and close out our talk talking about how VR may or may not impact traditional narrative cinema.

We’re Back! First, a quick shout out – Stan James is deep in life and had to step away for the time being. He’ll be back and we can’t wait to catch up with him when he does. In the meantime I’ve invited the amazing Jay Mutzafi to join me on the show. In this episode we learn all about Jay, his relationship to technology, how he and I met, and the extremely cool work he’s doing in the world of lucid dreaming. Welcome to the 7k family Jay!

We’re back! Re-awoken from our slumber, Stan and Jason return to The Seventh Kingdom! In this episode we talk a bit about what got us fired up to start podcasting again, and then take advantage of our absence to share what we’ve noticed in how technology has further emerged since we talked last. Ranging from VR to snapchat to Uber/Lyft, a lot is covered in Episode 21, which kicks off our 2016 return. We’d love to hear what YOU’VE noticed in the last 2 years as well, or things you’d like us to discuss in a future episode. Leave us some comments below!

Millions of dollars go missing from a BitCoin “bank” while an unknown programmer in Vietnam decides that $50,000 a day from his game was ruining his life. Vertical monopoly returns with Comcast/Universal’s bid to buy Time Warner and Facebook increases it’s kingmaker status by creating more millionaires overnight. This week Jason and Stan talk about money and technology from several angles. Mt. Gox was the biggest exchange for a new form of currency called BitCoin which is based on algorithms and thousands of interconnected computers. But when it failed, the very human emotions of greed, theft, and revenge rose to the top. Meanwhile money wasn’t everything for the lone programmer of the most popular mobile phone game, Flappy Bird. How has technology changed how you interact with your money?

With awards season in the air, Stan & Jason discuss HER, the latest film by director Spike Jonze, about a man that falls in love with his operating system. It’s literally a film about the human side of technology, and one that paints a hyper realistic portrait of what a technology laden future might look like. Stan & Jason discuss what they thought worked best about the film and the ways in which it differs from many other films that attempt to show the near future. We discuss the film spoiler free for about 20 minutes for those that haven’t seen it and declare loudly when we’re entering into spoilers to discuss the end of the film. And please, do tell us, have you seen HER?

This week’s episode is a bit more esoteric, and a little more unconventional, than usual. Jason sits down with Zachary Feder to discuss his talk “The Spiritual Singularity and the Coming Age of Transparency.” Jason and Zach get into how the rapid pace of technological development that is so clearly seen in the world of “things” is also happening “inside”. In other words, the ways we connect, grow, and develop as individuals is also undergoing rapid and profound changes. Zach’s vision is one of overall optimism rooted from the belief that new generations will be raising their kids into a world of default connectedness (technological, emotional, cognitive), and in which transparency and integrity become the easiest paths to a fulfilling life. Stan, however, challenges Zach’s utopian vision and default optimism in the face of the real world’s challenges, and the two of them enter into a lively and fascinating discussion about nothing short of the future path of humanity. While a bit more out of the box than usual, we hope you enjoy this episode! About Zachary Feder Zachary is an associate with LionHeart Consulting; a business development firm based in Portland, Oregon that assists organizations in reaching greater levels of harmony, prosperity and sustainability. Zachary is particularly known for his program “The Foundation”, a system that provides individuals with a solid mental and emotional ground upon which the structures of higher consciousness can be securely built. Video of Zachary’s talk from the What Next Conference, as put on by Integral Life.

Stan and Jason talk about two books they recently read which both examine our changing economy from different angles: Who Owns the Future by Jaron Lanier and The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer. With Lanier’s book covering where we’re going, and Packer’s book covering where we’ve been, the question arises, what exactly will our economy consist of in the coming years?

They’re back! After a long hiatus, Stan and Jason return to chat about what they’ve each been up to over the last few months that have been keeping them busy. Stan’s put some finishing touches on his fascinating self tracking app, LifeSlice and Jason’s been plugging along editing his forthcoming short film, Share. The duo also discuss some of the different tech trends we’ve been noticing over the last few months, as well as sharing about some of the unique challenges those tech trends can present to freelancers. Can too much choice be a bad thing? Feeling decision fatigue? Should you even be listening to this podcast right now, or maybe is there something more important you should be doing? But, what if in listening to this podcast it starts a chain reaction that makes doing that thing you need to be doing easier? Why are you still reading this? Shouldn’t you just be listening by now? Only you can decide.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve heard about whistleblower Edward Snowden’s startling leaks. The National Security Agency is collecting massive amounts of data about our phone calls and online activity. (If you have been hiding under a rock, then they might not have anything about you.) Many people are outraged and call it an invasion of privacy, but polls show a majority of Americans are okay with it. In this week’s episode, Jason and Stan explain what the NSA is actually doing, and talk about the bigger implications of the technology of snooping.

As our digital trails become stronger and stronger, Jason posits the theory that it’s getting harder to be a dick.  We break down 3 significant topical events of the last year: the Boston Marathon Bombing, the unmasking of internet troll Violentacrez, and the video of Karen Klein the Bus Monitor. In each case, technology was both the cause of and solution to the situations being discussed. Using this trio as our lens, we break down the pros and cons of increasing camera surveillance, anonymity on the internet, the ways in which the internet’s perfect digital memory makes it harder to live down mistakes, and the dangers of online “witch hunts” powered solely by the crowd. Let us know your thoughts below!

In episode 13 Jason talks with Stan about the new short film he is writing and directing: SHARE. Taking place in a world where life-recording has been perfected and people can record their ENTIRE life experiences – all their thoughts, emotions, memories, and even fantasies – those digital memories can also be “shared” with other people in a bit of science fiction magic. Wondering how this might affect intimate relationships, Jason’s film explores one couple’s decision whether or not to “share” everything with each other. Playing off that idea, Jason asks Stan the question that’s been driving his promotional campaign, Would You Share? Tune in to find out what Stan thinks, how this might affect family history, some of the ways digital archiving is already changing Stan’s relationship with is father, and how things like ambient intimacy are already changing the ways in which we relate. If you like the idea, please support the film’s kickstarter campaign! And if you want to see our mugs up close and personal, checkout the special video of this episode.

We’ve all googled ourselves at some point, but what happens when we don’t like what appears? In episode 12 Stan sits down with Kathleen, who specializes in “online reputation management”, or the art of controlling what information appears on page one when googling a person, brand, or company. In the digital age when NOTHING disappears on the internet, and google makes it nearly impossible to remove any pages you didn’t personally create, a person’s entire digital history can be deeply affected by bad reviews, public records of legal problems, or any other matter a person might not want to be known for. To get around this, Kathleen specializes in writing keyword dense biographies, blog entries, press releases, and all manner of content trying to push the offending content deeper down the google page ranking, so negative results appear on page 5 instead of page 1 (as close to erasing content as is possible on the web). By writing content that the Google bots LOVE, Kathleen ensures her client’s avoid being associated with content they don’t love. Stan and Jason then discuss what it means that Kathleen is essentially writing algorithmic content for algorithms, content that’s in some ways not even meant to be read by humans, only by machines! Not only that, but in this world of ORM, maybe facebook is the best thing to happen in a long time and what happens if you’re “google bombed”?

Jason sits down with Ernesto Ramirez, the editor and community organizer of QuantifiedSelf.com to discuss what exactly the quantified self movement is, how self tracking can potentially improve life quality, and the idea that QS at its root is essentially a mindfulness practice for the 21st century. Stan and Jason then break down some of the QS practices in their own lives. Follow @quantifiedself Follow @e_ramirez

Is the singularity near? Stan and Jason discuss the documentary Transcendent Man about futurist Ray Kurzweil and the possibility that medicine will soon produce such vastly increased lifespans that immortality might become a possibility. Whether by extending the span of our biological selves, and/or uploading by our consciousness, we discuss the implications Ray Kurzweil’s predictions might have on human consciousness in the near future. Would you want to live forever? Or choose when you die? Tune in to hear our thoughts now!

Tech doesn’t just mean gizmos, gadgets, and computers. Medicine has also been evolving at exponential rates in recent decades in ways that affect us every day. In episode 9 Stan & Jason discuss life expectancy, how thankful we are for modern dentistry, natural selection, pain, crowd sourced health, WATSON the doctor, & more! Plus Jason says the phrase “mind-blowing” a “mind-blowing” number of times!

Does technology connect us or isolate us? Stan’s friend Adam Dingle shares about how a recent train trip across the country differed from some of his previous trips – because of technology. During this trip, Adam noticed he was doing a lot less connecting with other people on his trip and spending a lot more time on his smart phone, laptop, and the internet. Stan and Jason discuss a bit about this ever popular topic – is technology connecting us or making us more isolated?

We’re shifting from an ownership econcomy to an access based economy. As more and more media moves into the “cloud”, as devices like smartphones take over the roles of more and more discreet devices, and as on demand 3D printer looms on the horizon, Stan & Jason ponder discuss how we’re at the beginning of an era of “less stuff”. How might this shift away from physical goods affect the environment? An upgrade based economy? Our identities? JOBS? **Note** Apologies for Jason’s robot voice in the last few minutes of the episode. The gremlins in his headset seem to get upset after they’ve been recording his voice too long **

Lawyers and hackers are colliding more often. Never more poignantly than a month ago when hacker-activist Aaron Schwartz was found dead in his apartment. His family maintains that his death was caused my the government’s overzealous prosecution after he downloaded millions of academic articles. Jason and Stan talk about the case, and how the legal world is straining to keep up with the fast-paced world of technology.

Stan and Jason come clean about their prejudices. We’re totally judging based on your email address domain, the type of computer you use, and whether or not your TV is setup with the correct aspect ratio. Not only that, but we’re bracing ourselves to BE judged for our biases towards technologies and our use of them as well. Have a favorite tech judgement, projection, or assumption you like to make about people? Come clean and share below!

Is a robot going to take your job? Jason and Stan discuss how technology has changed the way jobs are created, and what this means for the future of all our jobs. Jason sees a world where you must be a creative entrepreneur to survive, and Stan wonders if work is necessary for us to feel fulfilled as people. Related Links History of Monopoly Angry Birds Photo by bistrosavage