Podcasts

For the Fun of It

We explore ornamentation, the non-medical application of a device made with gold leaf, and how the MIT Media Lab stays creative.
Steven Johnson
Jan 25, 2017 9 min read

Sphere of Life

An investigation into one of humanity's oldest and most ubiquitous inventions: the ball.
Steven Johnson
Jan 11, 2017 8 min read

Party in the Front

An exploration of the cultural shift that began with a leisure space of idle chatter and led to some of our...
Steven Johnson
Dec 15, 2016 11 min read

In Pursuit of Condiments

A look at how playful spices remade the map of the world.
Steven Johnson
Nov 30, 2016 9 min read

Clever Like a Fox

A look into how games and childhood play encourage the kind of adaptive, flexible thinking we need to navigate a complex...
Steven Johnson
Nov 2, 2016 11 min read

Airplanes, Zoos, and Infinite Chickens

An exploration of the power of play, from screen-based games like Pokémon Go or Minecraft, to the imaginative worlds of children...
Steven Johnson
Oct 5, 2016 11 min read

Strange Loops and Circuit Benders

A mysterious stranger in San Francisco's Union Square helps jumpstart a sonic revolution with a malfunctioning tape recorder.
Steven Johnson
Sep 23, 2016 14 min read

32 Dots Per Spaceship

A look back at the origins of Spacewar!, the first video game and one of the most influential pieces of software...
Steven Johnson
Sep 23, 2016 10 min read

Babbage and the Dancer

An eight-year-old boy's encounter with a robotic toy doll ends up changing the course of technological history.
Steven Johnson
Aug 16, 2016 10 min read

Wonderland

A podcast about the past and future of play and innovation.
Steven Johnson
Aug 15, 2016 3 min read
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