Techno-Visions Interviewee Wins Nobel Prize in Economics

What the "Ghost Dance" of the Native Americans and the French Painters Who Led the Cubist Movement Have in Common

Editor's note: Kurt Vonnegut delivered the following speech at the University of Chicago in 1994. I discovered it in a lovely collection of his speeches and commencement addresses. The collection is titled: If This Isn't Nice, What Is? The Graduation Speeches and Other Words to Live

Recording: A Techno-Visions Conversation with Simon Johnson

I am excited to share the third and final conversation in the Techno-Visions series. I spoke with MIT economist Simon Johnson about his new book, Power and Progress, co-authored with fellow MIT economist Daron Acemoglu. A Techno-Visions Conversation with Simon Johnson0:00/3127.9681×

Techno-Visions: The Bell Lap

Despite being October, our Summer Book Club is still running. Travel to Colombia and Kenya over the past three weeks delayed the final lap of Techno-Visions. (The travel is part of our initiative to expand the routes of behavioral science knowledge around the world). I am writing with an update

Recording: A Techno-Visions Conversation with Jane McGonigal

Recording: A Techno-Visions Conversation with Barry Schwartz

The Human Nature We Create

This Thursday, we’ll speak with psychologist Barry Schwartz about why we work. One topic we’ll explore is how our ideas about human nature, whether true or false, can shape the workplaces we create, an idea Barry has explored throughout his career. Below is an introduction to the idea

Schedule Announced: Expert Conversations Series

We are pleased to announce the dates and times for the Techno-Visions Expert Conversations Series. To help illuminate questions and ideas inspired by Player Piano, we'll host two live conversations and one pre-recorded conversation. We'll speak with Barry Schwartz and Jane McGonigal live. The live conversations

Happy Birthday Player Piano

Techno-Visions: Expert Conversation Series

Early on in Player Piano, Paul crosses the river into Homestead to buy a “bottle of Irish” for Finnerty. While waiting for the bartender to retrieve the whiskey, Paul suffers through an awkward and embarrassing exchange with two gentlemen at the bar. There is Rudy Hertz, a retired machinist full

The Difference Between ‘Know-How’ and ‘Know-What’

Why did Kurt Vonnegut choose the title Player Piano? Although I first picked up the book 15 or 20 years ago, I never gave the question much thought. There are a couple of scenes with a player piano in the bar in Homestead, but they seem to serve a supporting

Old School Cool: Kurt Vonnegut in the 1970s (A Brief Documentary)

“It’s just the most marvelous practical joke,” Kurt Vonnegut says about writing. “Because imagine just making little marks on paper and having somebody cry. The damn fool will really weep, or get frightened. I just think it’s hilarious to do something to somebody with a piece of paper.

The Spark File: Add Your Connections, Questions, and Ideas Throughout the Summer

This weekend, I received a handful of emails from members who wanted to share a thought or an article or a question that connected to Player Piano and the Techno-Visions theme. It was great to find them in my inbox, but I wondered, wouldn't other members like to

Player Piano: Over the Years, Around the World

Early on in Player Piano, star engineer and insufferable malcontent, Ed Finnerty delivers one of Vonnegut’s more memorable lines; a line of his that people still like to quote today. “I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over,” Finnerty tells protagonist Paul

Techno-Visions: Overview of this Summer's Schedule

And we’re off! This week is the official start of Techno-Visions. It means it’s time to get reading, and that you can keep your eyes out for bonus content starting this week. We’ll also announce the expert conversation lineup soon.  As we begin, I want to share

Pressing Play on Techno-Visions: Getting the Summer Started

We’re beaming this letter to you through the Summer Book Club website. The purpose of the message is threefold: welcome you to the club, put the communication system through its paces, and share a lesson from Uncle Alex. Welcome and Getting Started First, I want to welcome you to