Theory Of Everything

New York After Rent (post prop f director’s cut)

November 25, 2015 Benjamen Walker ny after rent, Theory Of Everything 8 Comments

New York After Rent (post prop f director's cut)

Now that Airbnb has proved it can beat regulation we return to the post-gentrified city. Two! new segments:  we meet a landlord (named Benny) who built an illegal artists space in Bushwick, and we visit Astor Place, the embodiment of the New New York, with writer Ada Calhoun (Saint Marks is Dead). astorplace

The things we do for money

October 30, 2015 Benjamen Walker Theory Of Everything 1 Comment

The thing we do for money

Allen Ginsberg tries his hand at Market Research,  Walter Benjamin goes on the radio and ToE’s Chris drops in on a new bar in DC called the Freedom Cock. Also visit radiotopia.fm and become a sustaining member today! three cups

image: Celeste Lai

Secret Histories of Podcasting

October 21, 2015 Benjamen Walker Theory Of Everything 13 Comments

Secret Histories of Podcasting

It turns out there are (at least) three ways to tell the secret history of podcasting: it is a story about technology, it is a story about a business model for audio, and it is also a story about the birth of a new art form. What’s really cool is that the whole thing is sort of a Rashomon narrative – in this special edition to mark the radiotopiaforever campaign your host attempts to tell all three versions using the same people. Visit radiotopia.fm to join the radiotopiaforever campaign. secret podcast

illustration: Celeste Lai

Enchanting By Numbers (2015 version)

October 9, 2015 Benjamen Walker Theory Of Everything 4 Comments

Enchanting by Numbers (2015 version)

We take another look at algorithms. Tim Hwang explains how Uber’s algorithms generate phantom cars and marketplace mirages. And we revisit our conversation with Christian Sandvig who, last year asked Facebook users to explain how they imagine the Edgerank algorithm works (this is the algorithm that powers Facebook’s news feed). Sandvig discovered that most of his subjects had no idea there even was an algorithm at work. Plus  James Essinger and Suw Charman-Anderson, tell us about Ada Lovelace, the woman who wrote the first computer program (or as James puts it – Algorithm)  in 1843.

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Recent, Relevant, Random (r)

September 28, 2015 Benjamen Walker Theory Of Everything 0 Comments

Recent, Relevant, Random (r)

We don’t have metrics to measure what happens when we read something that changes our life. So this episode is an attempt to deal with that.  We begin with writer Rob Walker who tells us about his “New Old Thing,”  a regular feature he produces for Yahoo Tech. Rob is one of the most thoughtful writers I know and if anyone can wean us from our addiction to the now it will be him. I also get to talk to one of my heros this week: Edwin Frank who is the editor in chief of the NYRB classics imprint. About 10 years ago I read a collection of Platonov stories, a book that definitely changed my life, and I became a life-long devotee of the series. I have always wanted to ask Edwin about his editorial sensibilities and what exactly binds all the books with the well designed multi-coloured spines together. Phyllis Rose is the author of The Shelf.  She “randomly” chose a shelf at the library near her house and read every book on it – then she wrote about the experience. It is a deep funny philosophical treatise on the act of reading itself. MORE  

Resolution

September 7, 2015 Benjamen Walker Theory Of Everything 3 Comments

Resolution

Your host attempts to write a description for the Podcast. He seeks assistance from an old book, and the plot whisperer. Screen shot 2015-09-07 at 6.17.42 PM  

Artifacts (redux)

August 12, 2015 Benjamen Walker Theory Of Everything 2 Comments

Artifacts (redux)

Photographer Robert Burley takes pictures of the end of analog for his book The Disappearance Of Darkness. Christine Frohnert and Christiane Paul explain why it is difficult to care for digital artworks and Social Media theorist Nathan Jurgenson wants us to understand what is truly revolutionary about ephemeral photographs and platforms like Snapchat. Sponsors: Hellofresh.com (offer code: theory ) and Souverain.com

Toe12

Instaserfs (III of III)

July 7, 2015 Benjamen Walker instaserfs, Theory Of Everything 15 Comments

Instaserfs (part three of three)

“This is part of the sharing economy, I am sharing myself”
Our instaserfs series comes to a crushing conclusion, Hear Instapoder Andrew attempt to manserve…  Plus we meet two former Uber drivers! Also this Thursday July 9th 3pm EST a live online ToE post-listening party. Visit spoken.am for details. Your host will be there, along with Andrew and some of the guests featured in the show, plus Mary Gray a researcher who studies labor and the sharing economy. Special thanks to our new sponsor Zady.com
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Instaserfs (II of III)

June 24, 2015 Benjamen Walker instaserfs, Theory Of Everything 12 Comments

Instaserfs (part two of three)

Instaserfs II: “Chipolte Strikes back” or “Seriously, in the sharing economy no one can hear you work”  Either tagline works for our second installment in our future of work series. Andrew (our ToE instapoder) continues with his task of working for as many San Francisco sharing economy companies as he can stand this month. Plus Susie Cagle (cartoonist, journalist, and freelancer) explains why the tech community prefers not to talk about the worker. sharing economy

Instaserfs (I of III)

June 17, 2015 Benjamen Walker instaserfs, Theory Of Everything 34 Comments

Instaserfs (part one of three)

In the sharing economy no one  can hear you work. This is because companies like Uber, Lyft, Postmates and others only employ “partners” or independent contractors. So your host decided to partner with Andrew Callaway, a 25 year old San Francisco native, to find out what its like to work in the sharing economy. As the official ToE instapoder Andrew will drive, shop, clean, deliver, and serve for a whole month, and he’s going to record his entire experience.  Plus in this episode technology journalist Sarah Lacey tells us the truth about Uber.

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******Click on the image for the whole story about this installment*******

Special thanks to our new sponsor Zady.com