r89Z9i3g

11
200:00:25,192 --> 00:00:27,194
3(machinery whirring)
4
52
600:00:27,194 --> 00:00:29,196
7(wind blowing)
8
93
1000:00:31,323 --> 00:00:33,659
11(coughing)
12
134
1400:00:39,498 --> 00:00:41,708
15(static hissing, crackling)
16
175
1800:00:48,674 --> 00:00:55,430
19♪
20
216
2200:00:55,430 --> 00:00:59,142
23My name is Johannes,
24and I have a problem.
25
267
2700:00:59,142 --> 00:01:01,979
28I like Pachelbel's Canon in D.
29
308
3100:01:01,979 --> 00:01:06,775
32Even worse, I use it at least
33once in all of my films.
34
359
3600:01:06,775 --> 00:01:08,235
37Why?
38
3910
4000:01:08,235 --> 00:01:09,945
41Because it was part
42of the soundtrack
43
4411
4500:01:09,945 --> 00:01:13,115
46of a TV series called Cosmos,
47
4812
4900:01:13,115 --> 00:01:15,325
50and it is burnt
51into my existence
52
5313
5400:01:15,325 --> 00:01:18,203
55like an emotional cobalt bomb.
56
5714
5800:01:18,203 --> 00:01:20,998
59I first heard
60the melody in 1982
61
6215
6300:01:20,998 --> 00:01:24,209
64in a place called Austria.
65
6616
6700:01:24,209 --> 00:01:27,379
68This is what Austria looks like.
69
7017
7100:01:27,379 --> 00:01:32,384
72Austria is primarily known
73for music and mass murder,
74
7518
7600:01:32,384 --> 00:01:34,428
77a culturally challenged country
78
7919
8000:01:34,428 --> 00:01:38,724
81deep in the Heart of Darkness
82of Europe.
83
8420
8500:01:38,724 --> 00:01:41,560
86My last name is long
87and complicated,
88
8921
9000:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,855
91and very Austrian:
92Grenzfurthner.
93
9422
9500:01:44,855 --> 00:01:46,940
96"Grenze" means "border,"
97
9823
9900:01:46,940 --> 00:01:50,527
100and a "furt" is something
101like a shallow creek or ford,
102
10324
10400:01:50,527 --> 00:01:53,905
105like that charismatic
106U.S. president.
107
10825
10900:01:53,905 --> 00:01:57,701
110So in English my name
111would be Johnny Borderforder.
112
11326
11400:01:57,701 --> 00:02:00,871
115Has an exciting ring to it,
116don't you think?
117
11827
11900:02:00,871 --> 00:02:04,333
120English is the lingua franca
121of late capitalism,
122
12328
12400:02:04,333 --> 00:02:07,002
125so I decided to stick with it.
126
12729
12800:02:07,002 --> 00:02:09,629
129Everything in German
130sounds like a war crime,
131
13230
13300:02:09,629 --> 00:02:11,673
134and everything
135in Austrian German
136
13731
13800:02:11,673 --> 00:02:14,634
139sounds like a war crime
140served with whipped cream.
141
14232
14300:02:14,634 --> 00:02:16,219
144♪
145
14633
14700:02:16,219 --> 00:02:19,097
148I was born in 1975,
149
15034
15100:02:19,097 --> 00:02:20,849
152a year that
153is known for the end
154
15535
15600:02:20,849 --> 00:02:22,684
157of the Vietnam conflicts,
158
15936
16000:02:22,684 --> 00:02:26,646
161a geopolitical proxy war
162that, in the long run,
163
16437
16500:02:26,646 --> 00:02:28,899
166brought us great
167plot elements for films
168
16938
17000:02:28,899 --> 00:02:31,151
171like Joe Dante's Piranha
172
17339
17400:02:31,151 --> 00:02:35,155
175and the very underrated
176Jacob's Ladder by Adrian Lyne.
177
17840
17900:02:35,155 --> 00:02:37,115
180Microsoft was founded,
181
18241
18300:02:37,115 --> 00:02:41,119
184Michel Foucault published
185Discipline and Punish,
186
18742
18800:02:41,119 --> 00:02:44,623
189and a guy named Spielberg
190released a blockbuster
191
19243
19300:02:44,623 --> 00:02:46,541
194about a Great White one,
195
19644
19700:02:46,541 --> 00:02:49,294
198and I'm not talking
199about Richard Nixon.
200
20145
20200:02:49,294 --> 00:02:53,006
203I was an only child
204and grew up in the countryside.
205
20646
20700:02:53,006 --> 00:02:55,342
208If there's a bright
209center to the universe,
210
21147
21200:02:55,342 --> 00:02:59,012
213I lived in a place
214furthest from it: Stockerau.
215
21648
21700:02:59,012 --> 00:03:00,639
218Stockerau's claim to fame
219
22049
22100:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,518
222is providing Austria
223with its first Catholic saint,
224
22550
22600:03:04,518 --> 00:03:06,895
227a poor Irish guy
228who was hung as a spy
229
23051
23100:03:06,895 --> 00:03:11,650
232because of his, quote,
233"strange appearance."
234
23552
23600:03:11,650 --> 00:03:13,402
237When his corpse wouldn't decay
238
23953
24000:03:13,402 --> 00:03:15,070
241and the tree they hung him on
242
24354
24400:03:15,070 --> 00:03:17,531
245started to bloom
246in mid-winter,
247
24855
24900:03:17,531 --> 00:03:19,616
250the Stockerauians
251gladly reassessed
252
25356
25400:03:19,616 --> 00:03:22,327
255their impromptu flash mob.
256
25757
25800:03:22,327 --> 00:03:25,914
259They built a cloister
260and a kindergarten.
261
26258
26300:03:25,914 --> 00:03:29,167
264I can still smell the red beet
265they served me there.
266
26759
26800:03:29,167 --> 00:03:32,504
269The Body of Christ
270for vegetarians.
271
27260
27300:03:32,504 --> 00:03:35,924
274That was me, age 6.
275
27661
27700:03:35,924 --> 00:03:37,759
278Elton John.
279
28062
28100:03:37,759 --> 00:03:41,263
282And that was my best friend:
283Woschi Woschi Wau Wau,
284
28563
28600:03:41,263 --> 00:03:44,057
287the doggie that never pooped.
288
28964
29000:03:44,057 --> 00:03:47,018
291I loved Neil Armstrong,
292
29365
29400:03:47,018 --> 00:03:49,771
295and turning dirt
296into moon dust,
297
29866
29900:03:49,771 --> 00:03:52,399
300and battle cruisers,
301
30267
30300:03:52,399 --> 00:03:56,153
304and helicopter crashes.
305
30668
30700:03:56,153 --> 00:03:58,697
308Books and comics
309were the best thing ever.
310
31169
31200:03:58,697 --> 00:04:07,622
313♪
314
31570
31600:04:07,622 --> 00:04:10,375
317I was a huge fan
318of Richard Scarry,
319
32071
32100:04:10,375 --> 00:04:12,085
322and I constructed submarines
323
32472
32500:04:12,085 --> 00:04:14,296
326to explore the Mariana Trench,
327
32873
32900:04:14,296 --> 00:04:15,881
330but I also built tree houses
331
33274
33300:04:15,881 --> 00:04:20,010
334that grew into huge
335post-apocalyptic mansions.
336
33775
33800:04:20,010 --> 00:04:24,264
339I accidentally killed a chicken
340with a chemical experiment.
341
34276
34300:04:24,264 --> 00:04:27,017
344I hid the body in a fodder silo.
345
34677
34700:04:27,017 --> 00:04:32,105
348My family still
349thinks it was the fox.
350
35178
35200:04:32,105 --> 00:04:34,900
353My childhood took place
354in an interesting time--
355
35679
35700:04:34,900 --> 00:04:38,862
358"interesting" in that old
359Chinese-proverb sense--
360
36180
36200:04:38,862 --> 00:04:41,948
363the gloomy heydays
364of the Cold War.
365
36681
36700:04:49,748 --> 00:04:53,043
368♪
369
37082
37100:04:54,628 --> 00:04:58,256
372♪
373
37483
37500:05:12,395 --> 00:05:16,399
376We only had two TV channels,
377can you imagine?
378
37984
38000:05:16,399 --> 00:05:17,984
381But my dad had
382the consumer power
383
38485
38500:05:17,984 --> 00:05:19,611
386of a real Baby Boomer,
387
38886
38900:05:19,611 --> 00:05:23,782
390and obtained a VHS video
391recorder as early as 1980,
392
39387
39400:05:23,782 --> 00:05:26,284
395I assume to watch porn.
396
39788
39800:05:26,284 --> 00:05:28,245
399I was, without knowing,
400
40189
40200:05:28,245 --> 00:05:31,706
403part of the first generation
404of the information age,
405
40690
40700:05:31,706 --> 00:05:34,292
408a native of
409the radical technological
410
41191
41200:05:34,292 --> 00:05:35,835
413and societal shift
414
41592
41600:05:35,835 --> 00:05:39,339
417that's now called
418"globalization."
419
42093
42100:05:39,339 --> 00:05:40,799
422A completely hollow term,
423
42494
42500:05:40,799 --> 00:05:45,512
426but sometimes even hollow terms
427cast long shadows.
428
42995
43000:05:45,512 --> 00:05:47,556
431I was a good observer.
432
43396
43400:05:47,556 --> 00:05:49,975
435I learned a lot
436about basic biology
437
43897
43900:05:49,975 --> 00:05:52,269
440from Grandpa Zucker,
441
44298
44300:05:52,269 --> 00:05:54,271
444like after
445slaughtering pigs,
446
44799
44800:05:54,271 --> 00:05:57,482
449the stray cats always
450ate the testicles first.
451
452100
45300:05:57,482 --> 00:06:01,361
454I also spotted that
455our neighbor's hallway tiles
456
457101
45800:06:01,361 --> 00:06:04,447
459had the structure
460of LCD characters.
461
462102
46300:06:04,447 --> 00:06:07,409
464I never managed
465to unsee this fact.
466
467103
46800:06:07,409 --> 00:06:09,369
469My grandmother
470always used to stay:
471
472104
47300:06:13,790 --> 00:06:17,210
474The kids gave me nicknames
475like "UFO-Hannes."
476
477105
47800:06:17,210 --> 00:06:19,713
479That certainly created
480a level of isolation,
481
482106
48300:06:19,713 --> 00:06:22,340
484but also one that let me
485look for creative ways
486
487107
48800:06:22,340 --> 00:06:24,843
489to deal with my obsessions.
490
491108
49200:06:24,843 --> 00:06:28,096
493I compiled my own cut-and-paste
494popular science books
495
496109
49700:06:28,096 --> 00:06:29,723
498on the really bad Xerox machine
499
500110
50100:06:29,723 --> 00:06:33,143
502of the Volkspartei
503Niederösterreich,
504
505111
50600:06:33,143 --> 00:06:35,061
507or I made short films.
508
509112
51000:06:46,990 --> 00:06:49,075
511(shrieking)
512
513113
51400:06:57,792 --> 00:07:02,088
515Well, I guess I started
516the genre of docuploitation.
517
518114
51900:07:02,088 --> 00:07:04,215
520I wrote stories
521about exotic diseases
522
523115
52400:07:04,215 --> 00:07:07,218
525like "brain-aquaplaning,"
526
527116
52800:07:07,218 --> 00:07:11,848
529and not to forget a play
530called The Hole In The Andes.
531
532117
53300:07:11,848 --> 00:07:14,017
534A couple of scientists
535who do research
536
537118
53800:07:14,017 --> 00:07:16,269
539in the mountain range
540of the Andes
541
542119
54300:07:16,269 --> 00:07:20,065
544discover a hole that
545goes right through Earth.
546
547120
54800:07:20,065 --> 00:07:22,150
549One of the scientists
550accidentally falls
551
552121
55300:07:22,150 --> 00:07:25,153
554into the hole,
555and the high speed of his fall
556
557122
55800:07:25,153 --> 00:07:28,823
559and the high heat
560transform him into a zombie.
561
562123
56300:07:28,823 --> 00:07:32,243
564On the other side of Earth,
565he is catapulted into orbit,
566
567124
56800:07:32,243 --> 00:07:35,038
569where he attacks spacecraft.
570
571125
57200:07:35,038 --> 00:07:37,916
573An excellent example for bad
574science in science fiction,
575
576126
57700:07:37,916 --> 00:07:41,670
578but I think I could sell it
579to Michael Bay or other members
580
581127
58200:07:41,670 --> 00:07:44,756
583of the Military-Entertainment
584Complex.
585
586128
58700:07:44,756 --> 00:07:47,133
588My mother Hermi
589was always supportive
590
591129
59200:07:47,133 --> 00:07:50,845
593of my strange interests,
594and my Dad always said,
595
596130
59700:07:50,845 --> 00:07:52,806
598"Well, Hermi,
599that's what you get
600
601131
60200:07:52,806 --> 00:07:55,392
603when you raise an open mind."
604
605132
60600:07:55,392 --> 00:07:58,353
607I'm still not sure it
608was meant as a compliment.
609
610133
61100:07:58,353 --> 00:08:01,231
612♪
613
614134
61500:08:01,231 --> 00:08:02,816
616(yelling)
617
618135
61900:08:02,816 --> 00:08:06,569
620♪
621
622136
62300:08:13,118 --> 00:08:14,953
624I'm not into
625sweat suits anymore,
626
627137
62800:08:14,953 --> 00:08:18,248
629but damn, I still
630like my baseball caps,
631
632138
63300:08:18,248 --> 00:08:20,959
634and setting stuff on fire.
635
636139
63700:08:20,959 --> 00:08:22,252
638I was eager to impress,
639
640140
64100:08:22,252 --> 00:08:25,004
642but also jealous
643about the popular kids.
644
645141
64600:08:25,004 --> 00:08:27,424
647I was forced into being a rebel.
648
649142
65000:08:27,424 --> 00:08:29,759
651My rebellion manifested itself
652
653143
65400:08:29,759 --> 00:08:33,096
655in a perverted interest
656in cryptozoology,
657
658144
65900:08:33,096 --> 00:08:35,473
660conspiracy books,
661and all the bullshit
662
663145
66400:08:35,473 --> 00:08:37,559
665that Erich von Däniken ever spat
666
667146
66800:08:37,559 --> 00:08:39,602
669into the face of humanity.
670
671147
67200:08:39,602 --> 00:08:43,064
673And when I was 11
674I became an atheist.
675
676148
67700:08:43,064 --> 00:08:45,984
678I guess because
679I started masturbating.
680
681149
68200:08:45,984 --> 00:08:48,862
683But over the next years
684I got more sophisticated.
685
686150
68700:08:48,862 --> 00:08:50,864
688I devoured cyberpunk novels
689
690151
69100:08:50,864 --> 00:08:53,825
692and loved
693to watch Robocop and...
694
695152
69600:08:53,825 --> 00:08:57,662
697Edison Carter vom Sender 23,
698M-M-M-Max Headroom.
699
700153
70100:08:57,662 --> 00:09:00,540
702I goofed around
703with a friend's Commodore 64,
704
705154
70600:09:00,540 --> 00:09:03,877
707but getting my first
708IBM computer was a blast.
709
710155
71100:09:03,877 --> 00:09:08,047
712I learned English by playing
713Sierra Online adventure games,
714
715156
71600:09:08,047 --> 00:09:11,384
717and I was fascinated
718with GW-BASIC.
719
720157
72100:09:11,384 --> 00:09:16,181
722And when I was 13, I joined
723the FidoNet data network.
724
725158
72600:09:16,181 --> 00:09:18,183
727(beeping)
728
729159
73000:09:18,183 --> 00:09:20,852
731Electronic data communication
732was a wonderful way
733
734160
73500:09:20,852 --> 00:09:23,188
736to finally get in contact
737with strange folks
738
739161
74000:09:23,188 --> 00:09:24,814
741from all over the planet.
742
743162
74400:09:24,814 --> 00:09:27,734
745And I learned the proper
746term for what I was--
747
748163
74900:09:27,734 --> 00:09:29,402
750a nerd!
751
752164
75300:09:29,402 --> 00:09:32,322
754I felt at home in a world
755built by outsiders,
756
757165
75800:09:32,322 --> 00:09:35,867
759harvesting mailing lists
760and text file archives,
761
762166
76300:09:35,867 --> 00:09:37,744
764enjoying ANSI art.
765
766167
76700:09:37,744 --> 00:09:39,496
768I even created my own.
769
770168
77100:09:39,496 --> 00:09:42,582
772Not as elaborate,
773but, ah, what the heck.
774
775169
77600:09:42,582 --> 00:09:45,710
777And of course I joined
778endless debates about modems
779
780170
78100:09:45,710 --> 00:09:49,214
782and Akira
783and tokamak reactors...
784
785171
78600:09:49,214 --> 00:09:51,216
787and smut.
788
789172
79000:09:51,216 --> 00:09:55,970
791Oh yes, my nerd world
792was full of white dudes.
793
794173
79500:09:55,970 --> 00:09:57,514
796I didn't have a girlfriend--
797
798174
79900:09:57,514 --> 00:09:59,224
800guess why--
801
802175
80300:09:59,224 --> 00:10:00,683
804and I was definitely too scared
805
806176
80700:10:00,683 --> 00:10:02,811
808to do anything
809to change that,
810
811177
81200:10:02,811 --> 00:10:05,897
813but the reality of your body
814hits you hard, bro,
815
816178
81700:10:05,897 --> 00:10:08,650
818especially when it
819takes a three-hour-long
820
821179
82200:10:08,650 --> 00:10:11,444
823long distance call
824to fucking Germany
825
826180
82700:10:11,444 --> 00:10:14,322
828to download
829your first low-res porn.
830
831181
83200:10:14,322 --> 00:10:15,865
833I couldn't really wait
834until the image
835
836182
83700:10:15,865 --> 00:10:17,200
838was fully displayed.
839
840183
84100:10:17,200 --> 00:10:18,952
842I climaxed after
843the first couple
844
845184
84600:10:18,952 --> 00:10:21,120
847of grey pixels were shown.
848
849185
85000:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,123
851It was quite magic.
852
853186
85400:10:23,123 --> 00:10:25,500
855I still have a fetish
856for grey pixels.
857
858187
85900:10:31,631 --> 00:10:37,554
860♪
861
862188
86300:10:43,601 --> 00:10:46,187
864I don't want to be
865too Lacanian about it, but...
866
867189
86800:10:48,189 --> 00:10:51,442
869A lot of desire
870got externalized.
871
872190
87300:10:51,442 --> 00:10:53,862
874For example, I was part
875of a small gang,
876
877191
87800:10:53,862 --> 00:10:57,615
879and we played many pen and paper
880role-playing games.
881
882192
88300:10:57,615 --> 00:10:59,617
884I really liked my character.
885
886193
88700:10:59,617 --> 00:11:02,579
888I mean, look at
889my frickin' character sheet!
890
891194
89200:11:02,579 --> 00:11:06,457
893♪
894
895195
89600:11:06,457 --> 00:11:10,378
897I even did double entry
898bookkeeping for my gold coins.
899
900196
90100:11:10,378 --> 00:11:12,213
902Hindsight is always 20/20,
903
904197
90500:11:12,213 --> 00:11:16,259
906especially if you play games
907that require 20-sided dice.
908
909198
91000:11:16,259 --> 00:11:18,887
911Advice: You can do
912what you like.
913
914199
91500:11:18,887 --> 00:11:22,473
916It's only bad when you don't
917destroy the evidence.
918
919200
92000:11:25,977 --> 00:11:28,354
921♪
922
923201
92400:11:33,401 --> 00:11:37,071
925♪
926
927202
92800:11:37,071 --> 00:11:39,699
929The promise and dangers
930of technology
931
932203
93300:11:39,699 --> 00:11:41,409
934really interested me.
935
936204
93700:11:41,409 --> 00:11:44,329
938(screaming)
939
940205
94100:11:44,329 --> 00:11:48,625
942When I was 17, my wish to do
943something meaningful grew.
944
945206
94600:11:48,625 --> 00:11:50,043
947If I couldn't get a date,
948
949207
95000:11:50,043 --> 00:11:53,796
951at least I could
952change the planet.
953
954208
95500:11:53,796 --> 00:11:57,300
956I really wanted
957to start "monochrom,"
958
959209
96000:11:57,300 --> 00:12:00,637
961an online message board,
962but also magazine,
963
964210
96500:12:00,637 --> 00:12:03,806
966about the stuff
967that interested me:
968
969211
97000:12:03,806 --> 00:12:07,769
971cyber-topics, politics,
972and fringe culture,
973
974212
97500:12:07,769 --> 00:12:09,812
976and I found friends
977and comrades
978
979213
98000:12:09,812 --> 00:12:12,649
981who joined to make it happen.
982
983214
98400:12:12,649 --> 00:12:16,277
985And we found victims
986for articles and interviews.
987
988215
98900:12:16,277 --> 00:12:19,405
990Folks like HR Giger,
991
992216
99300:12:19,405 --> 00:12:22,367
994Kathy Acker,
995who were really great,
996
997217
99800:12:22,367 --> 00:12:24,452
999and Blixa Bargeld,
1000
1001218
100200:12:24,452 --> 00:12:27,330
1003who turned out
1004to be major butthurt.
1005
1006219
100700:12:34,128 --> 00:12:36,464
1008Techno-utopianism, my ass!
1009
1010220
101100:12:36,464 --> 00:12:38,257
1012I became a leftist.
1013
1014221
101500:12:38,257 --> 00:12:41,469
1016You couldn't leave the future
1017to stupid libertarians.
1018
1019222
102000:12:41,469 --> 00:12:43,805
1021Cyberpunk made me a punk.
1022
1023223
102400:12:43,805 --> 00:12:45,765
1025Hasta la victoria siempre!
1026
1027224
102800:12:45,765 --> 00:12:47,058
1029Never forget!
1030
1031225
103200:12:47,058 --> 00:12:48,977
1033And let anthropomorphized kiwis
1034
1035226
103600:12:48,977 --> 00:12:52,730
1037puke evil provitamins
1038on Jean-Luc Picard!
1039
1040227
104100:12:52,730 --> 00:12:54,816
1042monochrom was born,
1043
1044228
104500:12:54,816 --> 00:12:58,152
1046and it never died.
1047
1048229
104900:12:58,152 --> 00:13:00,530
1050monochrom's credo
1051was and still is
1052
1053230
105400:13:00,530 --> 00:13:04,242
1055to find the perfect
1056Weapon of Mass Distribution
1057
1058231
105900:13:04,242 --> 00:13:05,785
1060to spread an idea.
1061
1062232
106300:13:07,245 --> 00:13:09,247
1064What started as a fanzine
1065
1066233
106700:13:09,247 --> 00:13:11,332
1068experienced
1069a Cambrian Explosion,
1070
1071234
107200:13:11,332 --> 00:13:13,751
1073and we started working
1074in many different media.
1075
1076235
107700:13:13,751 --> 00:13:17,714
1078Robots, games,
1079interventions, musicals...
1080
1081236
108200:13:17,714 --> 00:13:20,091
1083And so I turned
1084from being some nerd
1085
1086237
108700:13:20,091 --> 00:13:22,051
1088into some artist.
1089
1090238
109100:13:22,051 --> 00:13:23,511
1092I'm 40 years old now,
1093
1094239
109500:13:23,511 --> 00:13:26,556
1096and monochrom, my baby,
1097is 22 years old.
1098
1099240
110000:13:26,556 --> 00:13:30,143
1101Only imagine, it can now
1102legally drink in the U.S.
1103
1104241
110500:13:30,143 --> 00:13:32,603
1106So, looking back
1107at my life's journey,
1108
1109242
111000:13:32,603 --> 00:13:36,274
1111it occurs to me, why not
1112going on a real journey,
1113
1114243
111500:13:36,274 --> 00:13:40,069
1116a journey from the west coast
1117to the east coast of the U.S.?
1118
1119244
112000:13:40,069 --> 00:13:42,989
1121To visit nerdy places
1122and nerdy people
1123
1124245
112500:13:42,989 --> 00:13:45,116
1126that inspired and shaped me,
1127
1128246
112900:13:45,116 --> 00:13:47,160
1130but also having
1131interesting conversations
1132
1133247
113400:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,079
1135with other nerds about
1136nerd culture in general.
1137
1138248
113900:13:50,079 --> 00:13:53,958
1140So please, join me on
1141my little three-week-long
1142
1143249
114400:13:53,958 --> 00:13:56,794
1145transcontinental tour de force.
1146
1147250
114800:13:56,794 --> 00:14:17,648
1149♪
1150
1151251
115200:14:17,648 --> 00:14:21,027
1153Traceroute is a road trip,
1154a pilgrimage,
1155
1156252
115700:14:21,027 --> 00:14:24,113
1158an inquiry, a palimpsest
1159
1160253
116100:14:24,113 --> 00:14:26,532
1162to chase and question the ghosts
1163
1164254
116500:14:26,532 --> 00:14:30,703
1166of nerdoms past,
1167present, and future.
1168
1169255
117000:14:30,703 --> 00:14:33,372
1171I teamed up
1172with two good friends:
1173
1174256
117500:14:33,372 --> 00:14:36,084
1176Jenny Marx from Germany
1177
1178257
117900:14:36,084 --> 00:14:39,462
1180and Eddie Codel from California.
1181
1182258
118300:14:39,462 --> 00:14:42,298
1184Eddie and Jenny at Tanagra.
1185
1186259
118700:14:42,298 --> 00:14:44,842
1188Johannes, his arms wide.
1189
1190260
119100:14:44,842 --> 00:14:48,888
1192We get a white rental van
1193and stockpile on good spirit.
1194
1195261
119600:14:48,888 --> 00:14:50,431
1197♪
1198
1199262
120000:14:50,431 --> 00:14:54,519
1201San Francisco is known
1202for free love and free markets,
1203
1204263
120500:14:54,519 --> 00:14:57,688
1206a fantastic realm
1207of endless opportunity
1208
1209264
121000:14:57,688 --> 00:14:59,649
1211and homelessness.
1212
1213265
121400:14:59,649 --> 00:15:02,860
1215The cultural center
1216of what Barbrook and Cameron
1217
1218266
121900:15:02,860 --> 00:15:06,280
1220called
1221the Californian Ideology,
1222
1223267
122400:15:06,280 --> 00:15:09,450
1225a town saturated
1226in playful dissent
1227
1228268
122900:15:09,450 --> 00:15:12,870
1230and positive corporate thinking.
1231
1232269
123300:15:12,870 --> 00:15:15,748
1234My childhood memories of SFO
1235
1236270
123700:15:15,748 --> 00:15:19,877
1238are the nightmarish game
1239Manhunter 2,
1240
1241271
124200:15:19,877 --> 00:15:24,715
1243the adorable serial killer film
1244Time After Time,
1245
1246272
124700:15:24,715 --> 00:15:27,468
1248and certainly Star Trek IV,
1249
1250273
125100:15:27,468 --> 00:15:29,303
1252the one about breaking
1253and entering
1254
1255274
125600:15:29,303 --> 00:15:32,723
1257a nuclear vessel in Alameda
1258
1259275
126000:15:32,723 --> 00:15:35,434
1261and kidnapping two whales.
1262
1263276
126400:15:35,434 --> 00:15:37,937
1265My friend V. Vale
1266lived in North Beach
1267
1268277
126900:15:37,937 --> 00:15:39,689
1270for a long, long time.
1271
1272278
127300:15:39,689 --> 00:15:43,025
1274He is a famed
1275publisher and documentarian.
1276
1277279
127800:15:43,025 --> 00:15:45,611
1279I remember vividly
1280when I first laid eyes
1281
1282280
128300:15:45,611 --> 00:15:49,157
1284upon his Industrial
1285Culture Handbook.
1286
1287281
128800:15:49,157 --> 00:15:52,827
1289Vale touched
1290my 15-year-old brain.
1291
1292282
129300:15:52,827 --> 00:15:55,955
1294It was a consensual bad touch.
1295
1296283
129700:15:55,955 --> 00:15:58,749
1298City Lights Bookstore,
1299where I once worked.
1300
1301284
130200:15:58,749 --> 00:16:00,626
1303-Oh, you did?
1304-Oh, yeah!
1305
1306285
130700:16:00,626 --> 00:16:02,086
1308-Yeah?
1309-Yeah, they funded
1310
1311286
131200:16:02,086 --> 00:16:04,213
1313-my first publication!
1314-Really?
1315
1316287
131700:16:04,213 --> 00:16:05,631
1318-Yes.
1319-What was that?
1320
1321288
132200:16:05,631 --> 00:16:07,216
1323-Search and Destroy.
1324-Search and Destroy!
1325
1326289
132700:16:07,216 --> 00:16:09,260
1328Ferlinghetti
1329and Allen Ginsberg.
1330
1331290
133200:16:09,260 --> 00:16:11,637
1333What do you think have
1334all subcultures in common?
1335
1336291
133700:16:11,637 --> 00:16:14,098
1338Because you have been witnessing
1339
1340292
134100:16:14,098 --> 00:16:17,226
1342many births and deaths
1343of subcultures.
1344
1345293
134600:16:17,226 --> 00:16:20,021
1347I think all countercultures,
1348subcultures,
1349
1350294
135100:16:20,021 --> 00:16:23,608
1352whatever you wanna call them,
1353movements such as this,
1354
1355295
135600:16:23,608 --> 00:16:26,402
1357they've always
1358been started by nerds.
1359
1360296
136100:16:26,402 --> 00:16:28,863
1362I mean, you have to have
1363a lot of solitude,
1364
1365297
136600:16:28,863 --> 00:16:31,240
1367you have to be used
1368to being alone,
1369
1370298
137100:16:31,240 --> 00:16:33,451
1372you have to be used
1373to being against the grain,
1374
1375299
137600:16:33,451 --> 00:16:37,288
1377you have to be used
1378to society not approving
1379
1380300
138100:16:37,288 --> 00:16:40,666
1382of the way you choose
1383to live your independent life,
1384
1385301
138600:16:40,666 --> 00:16:44,754
1387because there is no creativity
1388in the absence of revolt
1389
1390302
139100:16:44,754 --> 00:16:46,339
1392and the absence of revolution
1393
1394303
139500:16:46,339 --> 00:16:48,299
1396and the absence of rebellion.
1397
1398304
139900:16:48,299 --> 00:16:49,842
1400People just don't realize that
1401
1402305
140300:16:49,842 --> 00:16:52,720
1404when they're reading
1405the history books.
1406
1407306
140800:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,389
1409Just a very few people
1410are responsible
1411
1412307
141300:16:55,389 --> 00:16:59,018
1414for any new emerging
1415counterculture,
1416
1417308
141800:16:59,018 --> 00:17:03,272
1419and to me, a culture
1420has to be composed
1421
1422309
142300:17:03,272 --> 00:17:06,525
1424of everybody participating
1425and creating,
1426
1427310
142800:17:06,525 --> 00:17:08,527
1429not just consuming.
1430
1431311
143200:17:08,527 --> 00:17:10,029
1433And because of this,
1434
1435312
143600:17:10,029 --> 00:17:12,114
1437the future will
1438always be created
1439
1440313
144100:17:12,114 --> 00:17:14,533
1442by nerds in subcultures.
1443
1444314
144500:17:14,533 --> 00:17:15,993
1446Well, well!
1447
1448315
144900:17:15,993 --> 00:17:19,163
1450Are nerds the driving
1451force of dissent?
1452
1453316
145400:17:19,163 --> 00:17:22,208
1455Or just a bunch
1456of hyper-consumers?
1457
1458317
145900:17:22,208 --> 00:17:25,294
1460Hmm, leaves me
1461with an excellent case
1462
1463318
146400:17:25,294 --> 00:17:27,213
1465of cognitive dissonance.
1466
1467319
146800:17:27,213 --> 00:17:29,966
1469Maybe a stroll
1470around City Hall
1471
1472320
147300:17:29,966 --> 00:17:31,884
1474helps to clear my mind.
1475
1476321
147700:17:31,884 --> 00:17:38,099
1478♪
1479
1480322
148100:17:38,099 --> 00:17:40,726
1482(yelling)
1483
1484323
148500:17:40,726 --> 00:17:48,317
1486♪
1487
1488324
148900:17:48,317 --> 00:17:52,029
1490Invasion of the Body Snatchers
1491from 1978.
1492
1493325
149400:17:52,029 --> 00:17:55,116
1495The post-Watergate era
1496found America depressed,
1497
1498326
149900:17:55,116 --> 00:17:58,202
1500and Philip Kaufman told
1501a haunting sci-fi tale
1502
1503327
150400:17:58,202 --> 00:18:00,579
1505about how the Hippie
1506generation grew up,
1507
1508328
150900:18:00,579 --> 00:18:02,498
1510got absorbed and co-opted,
1511
1512329
151300:18:02,498 --> 00:18:06,544
1514and led the U.S. into
1515the dark ages of Reaganomics.
1516
1517330
151800:18:06,544 --> 00:18:08,421
1519Few films left me more hopeless,
1520
1521331
152200:18:08,421 --> 00:18:10,381
1523yet more determined.
1524
1525332
152600:18:10,381 --> 00:18:12,842
1527So, whenever you check
1528your Facebook status
1529
1530333
153100:18:12,842 --> 00:18:15,970
1532or plan your week-long
1533escape to Burning Man,
1534
1535334
153600:18:15,970 --> 00:18:18,431
1537please remember
1538that the cultures
1539
1540335
154100:18:18,431 --> 00:18:20,850
1542and countercultures
1543of Silicon Valley
1544
1545336
154600:18:20,850 --> 00:18:24,061
1547were made possible
1548only due to exploitation
1549
1550337
155100:18:24,061 --> 00:18:26,856
1552of the immigrant poor
1553plus defense funding
1554
1555338
155600:18:26,856 --> 00:18:29,650
1557and subsidies for corporations.
1558
1559339
156000:18:29,650 --> 00:18:32,069
1561Adam Flynn is
1562very aware of this.
1563
1564340
156500:18:32,069 --> 00:18:35,239
1566He grew up in the small town
1567of Yuma, Arizona,
1568
1569341
157000:18:35,239 --> 00:18:38,284
1571the real-life equivalent
1572of Night Vale.
1573
1574342
157500:18:38,284 --> 00:18:42,204
1576Now he lives in the Bay Area
1577as a philosopher for hire.
1578
1579343
158000:18:42,204 --> 00:18:45,041
1581Good, 'cause there
1582are no apps for that.
1583
1584344
158500:18:45,041 --> 00:18:48,919
1586Cyberpunk, for me, like punk,
1587is a very wide thing.
1588
1589345
159000:18:48,919 --> 00:18:50,504
1591I mean, who were the cyberpunks?
1592
1593346
159400:18:50,504 --> 00:18:53,966
1595So, like, 13-year-old boys
1596like me,
1597
1598347
159900:18:53,966 --> 00:18:56,010
1600it's a very
1601privileged subculture,
1602
1603348
160400:18:56,010 --> 00:18:58,763
1605because it's usually people
1606who had access to technology.
1607
1608349
160900:18:58,763 --> 00:19:02,224
1610Women and minorities
1611and queer people
1612
1613350
161400:19:02,224 --> 00:19:05,353
1615have always been
1616in geek culture,
1617
1618351
161900:19:05,353 --> 00:19:07,521
1620but they've been made invisible.
1621
1622352
162300:19:07,521 --> 00:19:10,941
1624Now suddenly geek culture
1625is mainstream,
1626
1627353
162800:19:10,941 --> 00:19:14,862
1629like the only reliable things
1630keeping Hollywood afloat
1631
1632354
163300:19:14,862 --> 00:19:19,492
1634are superhero action movies
1635from comic books.
1636
1637355
163800:19:19,492 --> 00:19:22,912
1639All of these things are
1640trying to be a big tent,
1641
1642356
164300:19:22,912 --> 00:19:26,707
1644but the people that used
1645to be part of the small tent
1646
1647357
164800:19:26,707 --> 00:19:30,711
1649feel like, "Oh, someone's
1650stolen my country."
1651
1652358
165300:19:30,711 --> 00:19:33,339
1654Geography creates mindsets.
1655
1656359
165700:19:33,339 --> 00:19:34,715
1658-It's, like, undebatable...
1659-Sure!
1660
1661360
166200:19:34,715 --> 00:19:35,841
1663-...I think, yeah?
1664-Yeah!
1665
1666361
166700:19:35,841 --> 00:19:38,010
1668You feel super alienated,
1669
1670362
167100:19:38,010 --> 00:19:42,014
1672but you find somewhere
1673out there something
1674
1675363
167600:19:42,014 --> 00:19:44,433
1677that is--that you
1678can connect with
1679
1680364
168100:19:44,433 --> 00:19:47,686
1682and that you have this sense
1683of "One of these days,
1684
1685365
168600:19:47,686 --> 00:19:49,605
1687I'm gonna shake the dust
1688from my heels
1689
1690366
169100:19:49,605 --> 00:19:52,108
1692and go to the big city
1693and find my people."
1694
1695367
169600:19:52,108 --> 00:19:54,068
1697You know, so much
1698of video games,
1699
1700368
170100:19:54,068 --> 00:19:56,821
1702so much of comic books,
1703are based on this sense of
1704
1705369
170600:19:56,821 --> 00:19:58,739
1707a kind of, you know,
1708wish fulfillment
1709
1710370
171100:19:58,739 --> 00:20:00,491
1712and power fantasies
1713
1714371
171500:20:00,491 --> 00:20:04,787
1716or the sense of, you know,
1717in playing something very hard
1718
1719372
172000:20:04,787 --> 00:20:07,289
1721or going through and mastering
1722the secret knowledge,
1723
1724373
172500:20:07,289 --> 00:20:11,252
1726this shared hardship
1727and discipline
1728
1729374
173000:20:11,252 --> 00:20:14,171
1731that you have gone through
1732and mastered.
1733
1734375
173500:20:14,171 --> 00:20:16,799
1736Absolutely, man, I see
1737that camaraderie, let's say,
1738
1739376
174000:20:16,799 --> 00:20:18,509
1741the camaraderie of nerdom,
1742
1743377
174400:20:18,509 --> 00:20:22,221
1745especially potent
1746in role-playing campaigns
1747
1748378
174900:20:22,221 --> 00:20:23,764
1750when you, like,
1751sit around a table
1752
1753379
175400:20:23,764 --> 00:20:25,599
1755for hours and hours and hours
1756
1757380
175800:20:25,599 --> 00:20:27,601
1759and master and fight
1760monsters or whatever,
1761
1762381
176300:20:27,601 --> 00:20:29,145
1764and you do it together.
1765
1766382
176700:20:29,145 --> 00:20:31,981
1768I had my first date,
1769the first date of my life,
1770
1771383
177200:20:31,981 --> 00:20:34,066
1773was in a role-playing game.
1774
1775384
177600:20:34,066 --> 00:20:35,693
1777Wait, like, your character
1778was having a date?
1779
1780385
178100:20:35,693 --> 00:20:38,237
1782Yes, the character
1783was having a date,
1784
1785386
178600:20:38,237 --> 00:20:41,115
1787but that was for me
1788like my first date!
1789
1790387
179100:20:41,115 --> 00:20:43,325
1792It was so--he's laughing, yes,
1793
1794388
179500:20:43,325 --> 00:20:44,743
1796and you should!
1797
1798389
179900:20:44,743 --> 00:20:46,245
1800I truly believe
1801
1802390
180300:20:46,245 --> 00:20:49,123
1804that two things
1805are true about humanity:
1806
1807391
180800:20:49,123 --> 00:20:51,041
1809We are a sexual species,
1810
1811392
181200:20:51,041 --> 00:20:53,878
1813and we are a tool-using species.
1814
1815393
181600:20:53,878 --> 00:20:56,422
1817The rest is pure speculation.
1818
1819394
182000:20:56,422 --> 00:21:00,885
1821So we make our way to
1822the hackerspace Noisebridge,
1823
1824395
182500:21:00,885 --> 00:21:03,637
1826known for tinkering
1827and social drama.
1828
1829396
183000:21:03,637 --> 00:21:07,141
1831That's where we meet
1832an old activist friend of mine.
1833
1834397
183500:21:07,141 --> 00:21:09,768
1836Hi, my name is Maggie Mayhem!
1837
1838398
183900:21:09,768 --> 00:21:13,314
1840I'm a lifelong nerd,
1841and I'm a sex worker.
1842
1843399
184400:21:13,314 --> 00:21:15,524
1845When I think about how
1846I define myself as a nerd,
1847
1848400
184900:21:15,524 --> 00:21:17,818
1850I think back to a lot
1851of really important moments
1852
1853401
185400:21:17,818 --> 00:21:19,487
1855in childhood.
1856
1857402
185800:21:19,487 --> 00:21:22,031
1859For one thing, I never
1860really had a thing for dolls.
1861
1862403
186300:21:22,031 --> 00:21:23,657
1864I did have a thing
1865for batteries,
1866
1867404
186800:21:23,657 --> 00:21:25,618
1869and I loved being able
1870to design my own types
1871
1872405
187300:21:25,618 --> 00:21:27,453
1874of electric circuitry
1875around my room.
1876
1877406
187800:21:27,453 --> 00:21:29,955
1879I had lights, I had bells,
1880I had booby traps,
1881
1882407
188300:21:29,955 --> 00:21:31,665
1884I had everything
1885I could think of.
1886
1887408
188800:21:31,665 --> 00:21:33,334
1889I went from nine-volt batteries
1890
1891409
189200:21:33,334 --> 00:21:35,252
1893and eventually graduated
1894up to bigger ones.
1895
1896410
189700:21:35,252 --> 00:21:36,795
1898I think even,
1899at my shining glory,
1900
1901411
190200:21:36,795 --> 00:21:38,339
1903a car battery
1904that I was using
1905
1906412
190700:21:38,339 --> 00:21:40,090
1908to power all kinds of things.
1909
1910413
191100:21:40,090 --> 00:21:42,760
1912I had a console that
1913let me program in BASIC,
1914
1915414
191600:21:42,760 --> 00:21:44,553
1917and it reminded me of
1918the Catholic teachings
1919
1920415
192100:21:44,553 --> 00:21:47,348
1922that I was getting at school,
1923my small parochial school,
1924
1925416
192600:21:47,348 --> 00:21:49,975
1927about how on the first day
1928God created light
1929
1930417
193100:21:49,975 --> 00:21:52,228
1932and then He programmed
1933the rest of the universe.
1934
1935418
193600:21:52,228 --> 00:21:54,438
1937And that's how I felt
1938with my whole sandbox
1939
1940419
194100:21:54,438 --> 00:21:56,148
1942where I could just do anything.
1943
1944420
194500:21:56,148 --> 00:21:57,566
1946I went down to the library
1947
1948421
194900:21:57,566 --> 00:21:59,276
1950and I learned how
1951to use the internet,
1952
1953422
195400:21:59,276 --> 00:22:01,403
1955and one of my early lessons
1956was not to tell anybody
1957
1958423
195900:22:01,403 --> 00:22:03,405
1960that I was a nine-year-old girl.
1961
1962424
196300:22:03,405 --> 00:22:06,158
1964Just no one will believe you,
1965and if they do,
1966
1967425
196800:22:06,158 --> 00:22:08,536
1969they don't have anything
1970good to say to you.
1971
1972426
197300:22:08,536 --> 00:22:10,663
1974So I pretended
1975I was a teenage boy,
1976
1977427
197800:22:10,663 --> 00:22:13,332
1979and that worked
1980for a really long time.
1981
1982428
198300:22:13,332 --> 00:22:15,376
1984It worked until
1985I was a teenager.
1986
1987429
198800:22:15,376 --> 00:22:16,835
1989As soon as I hit puberty,
1990
1991430
199200:22:16,835 --> 00:22:18,295
1993I guess either through implied
1994
1995431
199600:22:18,295 --> 00:22:20,881
1997or maybe even sometimes
1998explicit statements,
1999
2000432
200100:22:20,881 --> 00:22:23,300
2002I kinda thought being a woman
2003meant giving that all up.
2004
2005433
200600:22:23,300 --> 00:22:24,760
2007And sometimes,
2008now that I'm older,
2009
2010434
201100:22:24,760 --> 00:22:26,387
2012that's really frustrating,
2013
2014435
201500:22:26,387 --> 00:22:28,514
2016because I still love technology,
2017and I'm still a nerd,
2018
2019436
202000:22:28,514 --> 00:22:31,100
2021and I still have all kinds
2022of great equipment around,
2023
2024437
202500:22:31,100 --> 00:22:34,395
2026and I'll go to do something
2027or I'll have an idea,
2028
2029438
203000:22:34,395 --> 00:22:37,314
2031and I sit down at my computer
2032
2033439
203400:22:37,314 --> 00:22:39,316
2035and it's like it's
2036a language that I forgot.
2037
2038440
203900:22:39,316 --> 00:22:41,235
2040And I can't make
2041the words come to my lips.
2042
2043441
204400:22:41,235 --> 00:22:45,239
2045I can't quite program the way
2046I used to remember, you know?
2047
2048442
204900:22:45,239 --> 00:22:47,616
2050I mean, on the internet,
2051looking at source code
2052
2053443
205400:22:47,616 --> 00:22:50,369
2055of HTML on a website
2056was like an upskirt view.
2057
2058444
205900:22:50,369 --> 00:22:51,620
2060It was exciting,
2061it was a chance
2062
2063445
206400:22:51,620 --> 00:22:53,289
2065to figure it out
2066just by watching
2067
2068446
206900:22:53,289 --> 00:22:55,708
2070and piecing it together,
2071and I think that sex workers
2072
2073447
207400:22:55,708 --> 00:22:57,960
2075have always had
2076a relationship to technology.
2077
2078448
207900:22:57,960 --> 00:22:59,587
2080Either sex has been
2081a driving force
2082
2083449
208400:22:59,587 --> 00:23:01,297
2085in how technology
2086has played out
2087
2088450
208900:23:01,297 --> 00:23:04,633
2090in regards to whether or not
2091Beta or VHS was gonna win
2092
2093451
209400:23:04,633 --> 00:23:06,302
2095on how they carried porn,
2096
2097452
209800:23:06,302 --> 00:23:08,596
2099or even the fact that
2100the Consumer Electronics Show
2101
2102453
210300:23:08,596 --> 00:23:10,598
2104in Las Vegas is
2105one of the number one
2106
2107454
210800:23:10,598 --> 00:23:12,391
2109sex work destinations.
2110
2111455
211200:23:12,391 --> 00:23:16,145
2113I remember the first time
2114I ever traded sex for software.
2115
2116456
211700:23:16,145 --> 00:23:18,355
2118It was about 2005,
2119
2120457
212100:23:18,355 --> 00:23:20,274
2122and I was a student
2123in Santa Cruz.
2124
2125458
212600:23:20,274 --> 00:23:22,151
2127I remember meeting
2128so many software engineers
2129
2130459
213100:23:22,151 --> 00:23:25,195
2132because we could share
2133all kinds of conversations,
2134
2135460
213600:23:25,195 --> 00:23:27,698
2137we could have a really
2138good time together.
2139
2140461
214100:23:27,698 --> 00:23:29,283
2142We had so much in common,
2143
2144462
214500:23:29,283 --> 00:23:32,620
2146and we could work out
2147barter arrangements.
2148
2149463
215000:23:32,620 --> 00:23:34,288
2151I think sex workers
2152have been carrying
2153
2154464
215500:23:34,288 --> 00:23:36,874
2156all kinds of innovation
2157and maybe help spurring it.
2158
2159465
216000:23:36,874 --> 00:23:38,250
2161Maybe there's always
2162been a relationship
2163
2164466
216500:23:38,250 --> 00:23:40,169
2166between hackers and hookers.
2167
2168467
216900:23:40,169 --> 00:23:41,795
2170At the same time
2171sometimes now it feels like
2172
2173468
217400:23:41,795 --> 00:23:43,589
2175it's a little bit more hostile.
2176
2177469
217800:23:43,589 --> 00:23:47,134
2179You know, we've been alongside
2180technology the whole time,
2181
2182470
218300:23:47,134 --> 00:23:49,762
2184and yet we're being written
2185out of the Terms of Service.
2186
2187471
218800:23:49,762 --> 00:23:51,764
2189And sometimes I wonder
2190if there's ever gonna be
2191
2192472
219300:23:51,764 --> 00:23:53,515
2194the people come out to say
2195that they were johns,
2196
2197473
219800:23:53,515 --> 00:23:55,267
2199that they were clients,
2200
2201474
220200:23:55,267 --> 00:23:58,062
2203that they, too, are allies
2204to sex workers,
2205
2206475
220700:23:58,062 --> 00:23:59,688
2208that they know that
2209we're human beings,
2210
2211476
221200:23:59,688 --> 00:24:01,690
2213that we deserve rights
2214and that there is a difference
2215
2216477
221700:24:01,690 --> 00:24:04,485
2218between trafficking
2219and consensual sex.
2220
2221478
222200:24:04,485 --> 00:24:06,945
2223But I can come out,
2224and I'm hoping that the nerds
2225
2226479
222700:24:06,945 --> 00:24:08,280
2228who like to have
2229a good time with me
2230
2231480
223200:24:08,280 --> 00:24:09,823
2233might come out, too.
2234
2235481
223600:24:09,823 --> 00:24:11,367
2237Bravo!
2238
2239482
224000:24:11,367 --> 00:24:12,951
2241And as a little thank you,
2242
2243483
224400:24:12,951 --> 00:24:15,120
2245we present Maggie with a mug
2246
2247484
224800:24:15,120 --> 00:24:16,997
2249that Jenny and I created.
2250
2251485
225200:24:16,997 --> 00:24:19,958
2253The Venus of Strapondorf.
2254
2255486
225600:24:19,958 --> 00:24:21,543
2257Always remember...
2258
2259487
226000:24:24,588 --> 00:24:29,176
2261Josh Ellingson is a wonderful
2262illustrator and designer.
2263
2264488
226500:24:30,844 --> 00:24:34,181
2266When I first saw
2267his illustration of Carl Sagan,
2268
2269489
227000:24:34,181 --> 00:24:35,974
2271I was hooked to his work.
2272
2273490
227400:24:35,974 --> 00:24:40,270
2275I asked Josh to bring
2276some of his designs.
2277
2278491
227900:24:40,270 --> 00:24:42,272
2280That's Dirty Martini,
2281a Burlesque performer
2282
2283492
228400:24:42,272 --> 00:24:44,400
2285from New York City,
2286and she's standing there
2287
2288493
228900:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,653
2290in front of the Mercury rocket
2291that's taking off.
2292
2293494
229400:24:47,653 --> 00:24:53,367
2295And that piece was featured
2296in outer space on the ISS.
2297
2298495
229900:24:53,367 --> 00:24:55,661
2300Richard Garriott, one of
2301those internet millionaires
2302
2303496
230400:24:55,661 --> 00:24:58,664
2305or video game millionaires,
2306actually, took it up
2307
2308497
230900:24:58,664 --> 00:25:02,459
2310as part of an art show
2311that he put together.
2312
2313498
231400:25:02,459 --> 00:25:04,378
2315There were eight
2316other artists in the show,
2317
2318499
231900:25:04,378 --> 00:25:07,339
2320and it was just kind
2321of a crazy privilege
2322
2323500
232400:25:07,339 --> 00:25:10,509
2325to be featured
2326on the Space Station.
2327
2328501
232900:25:10,509 --> 00:25:13,554
2330The space tourist
2331takes your art to space.
2332
2333502
233400:25:13,554 --> 00:25:15,305
2335Garriott is
2336an interesting character
2337
2338503
233900:25:15,305 --> 00:25:18,350
2340because he's one of the many,
2341many nerds nowadays
2342
2343504
234400:25:18,350 --> 00:25:21,228
2345who kinda made it--
2346he's like a billionaire.
2347
2348505
234900:25:21,228 --> 00:25:24,189
2350-Oh, such a nerd.
2351-Growing up as a nerd
2352
2353506
235400:25:24,189 --> 00:25:26,233
2355in Flint, Michigan,
2356was probably not easy.
2357
2358507
235900:25:26,233 --> 00:25:28,777
2360Yeah, and I definitely
2361felt different, for sure.
2362
2363508
236400:25:28,777 --> 00:25:30,904
2365Like, growing up,
2366like, I was always
2367
2368509
236900:25:30,904 --> 00:25:32,573
2370into something really hardcore,
2371
2372510
237300:25:32,573 --> 00:25:34,616
2374and some of my friends
2375would be into it for a while.
2376
2377511
237800:25:34,616 --> 00:25:36,952
2379You know, I didn't
2380get into, like, sports
2381
2382512
238300:25:36,952 --> 00:25:39,121
2384or popular music, really.
2385
2386513
238700:25:39,121 --> 00:25:42,666
2388So I guess it was--
2389I felt weird and different,
2390
2391514
239200:25:42,666 --> 00:25:45,085
2393but I didn't know that it--
2394I don't know,
2395
2396515
239700:25:45,085 --> 00:25:48,297
2398I guess I kinda picked on nerds
2399or thought I was better
2400
2401516
240200:25:48,297 --> 00:25:50,966
2403than the nerdy people
2404or whatever, but--
2405
2406517
240700:25:50,966 --> 00:25:54,553
2408So you were like--kinda
2409almost like a social cannibal
2410
2411518
241200:25:54,553 --> 00:25:56,221
2413or something
2414because you were a nerd,
2415
2416519
241700:25:56,221 --> 00:25:57,765
2418but you were picking on nerds?
2419
2420520
242100:25:57,765 --> 00:25:59,516
2422Yeah, I didn't know
2423what the hell I was--
2424
2425521
242600:25:59,516 --> 00:26:01,977
2427what was going on,
2428and I would wear--
2429
2430522
243100:26:01,977 --> 00:26:03,562
2432I would try to be cool,
2433like, I don't know.
2434
2435523
243600:26:03,562 --> 00:26:04,938
2437Like I said,
2438I thought I was cool.
2439
2440524
244100:26:04,938 --> 00:26:06,565
2442So when did you
2443come out as a nerd?
2444
2445525
244600:26:06,565 --> 00:26:09,902
2447I don't know, 10 years ago
2448or maybe 12 years ago
2449
2450526
245100:26:09,902 --> 00:26:13,280
2452or something, I'm like,
2453"Yeah, I'm just a nerd."
2454
2455527
245600:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,908
2457Like I'm just--yeah.
2458
2459528
246000:26:15,908 --> 00:26:18,243
2461-I think we should get drunk.
2462-Yeah, let's do it, man.
2463
2464529
246500:26:18,243 --> 00:26:20,162
2466Okay.
2467
2468530
246900:26:20,162 --> 00:26:23,207
2470And I sit at the bar
2471and put bread in his jar,
2472
2473531
247400:26:23,207 --> 00:26:26,543
2475and say, "Man,
2476what are you doing here?"
2477
2478532
247900:26:26,543 --> 00:26:29,463
2480The term "nerd" got popularized
2481
2482533
248300:26:29,463 --> 00:26:32,341
2484by sitcoms around
2485the time I was born.
2486
2487534
248800:26:32,341 --> 00:26:34,510
2489The etymology
2490is a bit unclear.
2491
2492535
249300:26:34,510 --> 00:26:38,347
2494Some say it got invented
2495by my old hero Dr. Seuss,
2496
2497536
249800:26:38,347 --> 00:26:40,808
2499some refer to various
2500slang origins,
2501
2502537
250300:26:40,808 --> 00:26:42,267
2504and even Philip K. Dick
2505
2506538
250700:26:42,267 --> 00:26:44,686
2508claimed to have
2509coined the spelling.
2510
2511539
251200:26:44,686 --> 00:26:46,104
2513Doesn't really matter.
2514
2515540
251600:26:46,104 --> 00:26:47,815
2517What matters
2518is how this new archetype
2519
2520541
252100:26:47,815 --> 00:26:50,776
2522is embedded in the guts
2523of neoliberalism.
2524
2525542
252600:26:50,776 --> 00:26:55,364
2527Dare I postulate that
2528the Revenge Of The Nerds
2529
2530543
253100:26:55,364 --> 00:26:58,826
2532is cognitive capitalism itself.
2533
2534544
253500:26:58,826 --> 00:27:00,786
2536We walk down
2537Hoff Street, and...
2538
2539545
254000:27:00,786 --> 00:27:02,454
2541-Hey!
2542-Oh, hello!
2543
2544546
254500:27:02,454 --> 00:27:04,456
2546-Abie, good to see you!
2547-Johannes, good to see you!
2548
2549547
255000:27:04,456 --> 00:27:06,083
2551-So you're a therapist.
2552-I am.
2553
2554548
255500:27:06,083 --> 00:27:08,418
2556I think, first of all,
2557it's important to think
2558
2559549
256000:27:08,418 --> 00:27:11,213
2561about the many different types
2562of nerds that there are.
2563
2564550
256500:27:11,213 --> 00:27:13,090
2566I think it's not
2567just technology.
2568
2569551
257000:27:13,090 --> 00:27:16,176
2571Anybody who is
2572really into something,
2573
2574552
257500:27:16,176 --> 00:27:18,887
2576anybody that has a focus
2577and an intensity
2578
2579553
258000:27:18,887 --> 00:27:21,598
2581about any particular
2582topic is a nerd.
2583
2584554
258500:27:21,598 --> 00:27:23,350
2586Our culture doesn't
2587necessarily value
2588
2589555
259000:27:23,350 --> 00:27:25,686
2591all of these interests, right,
2592so you come into school,
2593
2594556
259500:27:25,686 --> 00:27:27,354
2596and you found
2597this really cool thing,
2598
2599557
260000:27:27,354 --> 00:27:28,772
2601and you wanna show everyone,
2602and they think,
2603
2604558
260500:27:28,772 --> 00:27:30,566
2606"Ah, that's stupid,
2607why are you into that?"
2608
2609559
261000:27:30,566 --> 00:27:33,402
2611That's the beginning
2612of that kind of trauma, right?
2613
2614560
261500:27:33,402 --> 00:27:34,862
2616And it can also go
2617the other way around
2618
2619561
262000:27:34,862 --> 00:27:36,697
2621where you start off
2622with the idea
2623
2624562
262500:27:36,697 --> 00:27:38,615
2626of you're just
2627a little bit different,
2628
2629563
263000:27:38,615 --> 00:27:42,077
2631like many of us were,
2632and you're ostracized,
2633
2634564
263500:27:42,077 --> 00:27:44,955
2636and the way that you
2637deal with that trauma
2638
2639565
264000:27:44,955 --> 00:27:46,790
2641is by finding something,
2642
2643566
264400:27:46,790 --> 00:27:49,334
2645a passion that you pour
2646yourself into like that.
2647
2648567
264900:27:49,334 --> 00:27:54,214
2650And so the nerdery can be--
2651it's a response to the trauma
2652
2653568
265400:27:54,214 --> 00:27:55,924
2655and a way of dealing
2656with the trauma
2657
2658569
265900:27:55,924 --> 00:28:00,220
2660of being an outsider,
2661so it kind of goes both ways.
2662
2663570
266400:28:00,220 --> 00:28:01,847
2665You know, if you're just
2666playing guitar chords,
2667
2668571
266900:28:01,847 --> 00:28:04,099
2670that's one thing,
2671but then you start to be a--
2672
2673572
267400:28:04,099 --> 00:28:06,059
2675you become a rock star,
2676that's a different thing.
2677
2678573
267900:28:06,059 --> 00:28:07,978
2680If you're coding in your room,
2681that's one thing,
2682
2683574
268400:28:07,978 --> 00:28:09,146
2685but then you get hired
2686by Google,
2687
2688575
268900:28:09,146 --> 00:28:10,522
2690that's another thing, right?
2691
2692576
269300:28:10,522 --> 00:28:13,942
2694So I think when
2695that crossover happens
2696
2697577
269800:28:13,942 --> 00:28:17,613
2699and the sense
2700of self in the world
2701
2702578
270300:28:17,613 --> 00:28:19,615
2704doesn't catch up with it--
2705
2706579
270700:28:19,615 --> 00:28:21,617
2708so it's almost a kind
2709of social dysmorphia
2710
2711580
271200:28:21,617 --> 00:28:25,078
2713where you still feel like
2714you are completely powerless,
2715
2716581
271700:28:25,078 --> 00:28:27,581
2718but you don't realize
2719that you have suddenly
2720
2721582
272200:28:27,581 --> 00:28:31,543
2723become very powerful,
2724and it's easy not to realize
2725
2726583
272700:28:31,543 --> 00:28:34,922
2728the impact of your actions on,
2729you know, the people around you,
2730
2731584
273200:28:34,922 --> 00:28:37,090
2733the planet around you, all that.
2734
2735585
273600:28:37,090 --> 00:28:38,884
2737Now sleepy time.
2738
2739586
274000:28:38,884 --> 00:28:41,720
2741♪
2742
2743587
274400:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,097
2745Bye-bye, San Francisco.
2746
2747588
274800:28:44,097 --> 00:28:45,933
2749A drive over the Bay Bridge
2750
2751589
275200:28:45,933 --> 00:28:48,560
2753offers a good view
2754of the giant cranes
2755
2756590
275700:28:48,560 --> 00:28:50,896
2758at the Port of Oakland,
2759
2760591
276100:28:50,896 --> 00:28:53,273
2762and that triggers
2763two of my passions:
2764
2765592
276600:28:53,273 --> 00:28:57,402
2767intergalactic oppression
2768and logistics.
2769
2770593
277100:28:57,402 --> 00:28:59,947
2772Many fans think
2773that those cranes
2774
2775594
277600:28:59,947 --> 00:29:03,492
2777inspired the Imperial Walkers
2778in Star Wars.
2779
2780595
278100:29:03,492 --> 00:29:05,035
2782Well, nope.
2783
2784596
278500:29:05,035 --> 00:29:08,413
2786George Lucas himself
2787dismissed that claim.
2788
2789597
279000:29:08,413 --> 00:29:10,082
2791Walker designs
2792were actually inspired
2793
2794598
279500:29:10,082 --> 00:29:12,668
2796by garbage trucks,
2797
2798599
279900:29:12,668 --> 00:29:15,796
2800but what always stuns me
2801is a different fact.
2802
2803600
280400:29:15,796 --> 00:29:19,007
2805One of the greatest
2806inventions of the 20th century
2807
2808601
280900:29:19,007 --> 00:29:22,135
2810is the shipping container.
2811
2812602
281300:29:22,135 --> 00:29:26,348
2814In 1955 a guy called McLean
2815
2816603
281700:29:26,348 --> 00:29:28,976
2818realized it would be
2819much simpler and quicker
2820
2821604
282200:29:28,976 --> 00:29:31,061
2823to have one
2824standardized container
2825
2826605
282700:29:31,061 --> 00:29:32,813
2828that could be lifted
2829from a vehicle
2830
2831606
283200:29:32,813 --> 00:29:35,315
2833directly onto a ship
2834or a train
2835
2836607
283700:29:35,315 --> 00:29:38,318
2838without first having
2839to unload its contents.
2840
2841608
284200:29:38,318 --> 00:29:41,405
2843That fundamentally
2844changed the world.
2845
2846609
284700:29:41,405 --> 00:29:46,410
2848Nine billion tons of cargo
2849across our seas each year
2850
2851610
285200:29:46,410 --> 00:29:48,245
2853in an evenly distributed system
2854
2855611
285600:29:48,245 --> 00:29:52,499
2857that would be a ton
2858for each person on the planet.
2859
2860612
286100:29:52,499 --> 00:29:55,836
2862So even though Lucas
2863was not inspired by it,
2864
2865613
286600:29:55,836 --> 00:29:58,213
2867the container-shipping network
2868
2869614
287000:29:58,213 --> 00:30:02,592
2871is the true backbone
2872of the Global Empire.
2873
2874615
287500:30:02,592 --> 00:30:05,637
2876Sending stuff efficiently
2877from one point to another
2878
2879616
288000:30:05,637 --> 00:30:08,098
2881is a fascinating subject.
2882
2883617
288400:30:08,098 --> 00:30:10,892
2885One of the big players is FedEx.
2886
2887618
288800:30:10,892 --> 00:30:15,439
2889And FedEx has one of
2890the best logos ever created.
2891
2892619
289300:30:15,439 --> 00:30:17,899
2894You ever realized
2895that there is an arrow
2896
2897620
289800:30:17,899 --> 00:30:19,359
2899in the Ex?
2900
2901621
290200:30:19,359 --> 00:30:20,777
2903No?
2904
2905622
290600:30:20,777 --> 00:30:22,863
2907Look there, there it is!
2908
2909623
291000:30:22,863 --> 00:30:25,157
2911Lindon Leader created
2912this masterpiece
2913
2914624
291500:30:25,157 --> 00:30:28,201
2916of negative space in 1994.
2917
2918625
291900:30:28,201 --> 00:30:31,663
2920Leader learned from
2921an unsung hero himself.
2922
2923626
292400:30:31,663 --> 00:30:35,625
2925His first job was
2926working for Saul Bass,
2927
2928627
292900:30:35,625 --> 00:30:39,046
2930the guy who created
2931the AT&T logo,
2932
2933628
293400:30:39,046 --> 00:30:43,341
2935made posters and title
2936sequences for Hitchcock,
2937
2938629
293900:30:43,341 --> 00:30:45,135
2940and directed a movie
2941
2942630
294300:30:45,135 --> 00:30:50,432
2944about intelligent ants
2945who talk math--Phase IV,
2946
2947631
294800:30:50,432 --> 00:30:53,769
2949the first film to depict
2950a geometric crop circle,
2951
2952632
295300:30:53,769 --> 00:30:55,896
2954and it was an influence
2955on the pranksters
2956
2957633
295800:30:55,896 --> 00:30:58,315
2959who started this phenomenon.
2960
2961634
296200:30:58,315 --> 00:31:00,817
2963Time to get some
2964hard drives for backup.
2965
2966635
296700:31:00,817 --> 00:31:04,154
2968You know, Jesus saves...
2969
2970636
297100:31:04,154 --> 00:31:07,616
2972Fry's Electronics is a chain
2973of big-box one-stop stores.
2974
2975637
297600:31:07,616 --> 00:31:10,827
2977They sell everything
2978tech-nerd-relevant.
2979
2980638
298100:31:10,827 --> 00:31:13,914
2982They even sold porn
2983when that was still lucrative.
2984
2985639
298600:31:13,914 --> 00:31:19,961
2987♪
2988
2989640
299000:31:19,961 --> 00:31:21,963
2991(screaming)
2992
2993641
299400:31:21,963 --> 00:31:23,423
2995♪
2996
2997642
299800:31:23,423 --> 00:31:24,591
2999(tonal beep)
3000
3001643
300200:31:24,591 --> 00:31:26,468
3003We have our loot,
3004
3005644
300600:31:26,468 --> 00:31:28,011
3007but we are also late.
3008
3009645
301000:31:28,011 --> 00:31:30,847
3011We have to make it
3012to Santa Cruz before sunset.
3013
3014646
301500:31:30,847 --> 00:31:32,557
3016♪
3017
3018647
301900:31:32,557 --> 00:31:35,727
3020She is a media theorist,
3021artist, and technology writer.
3022
3023648
302400:31:35,727 --> 00:31:37,312
3025But she worked in many odd jobs,
3026
3027649
302800:31:37,312 --> 00:31:38,730
3029one of them was
3030recording engineer
3031
3032650
303300:31:38,730 --> 00:31:40,524
3034for Jimi Hendrix.
3035
3036651
303700:31:40,524 --> 00:31:42,192
3038Sandy is considered the founder
3039
3040652
304100:31:42,192 --> 00:31:46,446
3042of the academic discipline
3043of transgender studies.
3044
3045653
304600:31:46,446 --> 00:31:48,698
3047...a real lost boy...
3048
3049654
305000:31:48,698 --> 00:31:50,742
3051(indistinct conversation)
3052
3053655
305400:31:50,742 --> 00:31:53,286
3055We have to work on
3056that a little bit.
3057
3058656
305900:31:53,286 --> 00:31:55,747
3060The most fascinating thing
3061about what happened
3062
3063657
306400:31:55,747 --> 00:31:58,875
3065is everything Bill Gibson
3066talked about came true,
3067
3068658
306900:31:58,875 --> 00:32:00,836
3070plus the things
3071that he only thought about
3072
3073659
307400:32:00,836 --> 00:32:03,130
3075that he didn't really
3076think would happen.
3077
3078660
307900:32:03,130 --> 00:32:06,591
3080And the worst aspects of them
3081
3082661
308300:32:06,591 --> 00:32:08,718
3084turned out to be
3085kind of the average.
3086
3087662
308800:32:08,718 --> 00:32:12,639
3089You know, that's
3090what everything is now.
3091
3092663
309300:32:12,639 --> 00:32:15,934
3094And as happens
3095with every movement
3096
3097664
309800:32:15,934 --> 00:32:19,938
3099or period or whatever,
3100everybody grew up--
3101
3102665
310300:32:19,938 --> 00:32:21,606
3104you know, we had
3105a fantastic time,
3106
3107666
310800:32:21,606 --> 00:32:24,317
3109it was a tremendously
3110powerful time.
3111
3112667
311300:32:24,317 --> 00:32:26,236
3114A lot of wonderful
3115things happened,
3116
3117668
311800:32:26,236 --> 00:32:28,738
3119people developed,
3120and finished,
3121
3122669
312300:32:28,738 --> 00:32:32,784
3124and moved on with really
3125wonderful technological things
3126
3127670
312800:32:32,784 --> 00:32:36,163
3129and societal things,
3130and then it all went to shit.
3131
3132671
313300:32:36,163 --> 00:32:39,624
3134It got ground up in
3135the great capitalist grinder,
3136
3137672
313800:32:39,624 --> 00:32:42,419
3139and now we have post--
3140lost boys.
3141
3142673
314300:32:42,419 --> 00:32:45,589
3144-We have post-post.
3145-We have post-post lost boys.
3146
3147674
314800:32:45,589 --> 00:32:47,048
3149And it's all okay,
3150
3151675
315200:32:47,048 --> 00:32:48,884
3153because we're all
3154still doing it.
3155
3156676
315700:32:48,884 --> 00:32:52,387
3158I mean, the street found
3159its uses for technology,
3160
3161677
316200:32:52,387 --> 00:32:55,265
3163and it found its uses
3164for the social furnishings
3165
3166678
316700:32:55,265 --> 00:32:57,559
3168that those technologies
3169produced.
3170
3171679
317200:32:57,559 --> 00:33:03,481
3173♪
3174
3175680
317600:33:03,481 --> 00:33:05,775
3177He took that interest
3178and creative energy
3179
3180681
318100:33:05,775 --> 00:33:07,944
3182of hippiedom and dropping LSD
3183
3184682
318500:33:07,944 --> 00:33:11,198
3186and channeled it
3187into what is Apple now,
3188
3189683
319000:33:11,198 --> 00:33:14,951
3191and you're just like, nobody
3192should ever take LSD anymore!
3193
3194684
319500:33:14,951 --> 00:33:18,788
3196LSD is a tool
3197that can do anything.
3198
3199685
320000:33:18,788 --> 00:33:21,666
3201If you are Steve Jobs,
3202it will make you Super Steve.
3203
3204686
320500:33:21,666 --> 00:33:23,710
3206It would make you
3207Super Johannes.
3208
3209687
321000:33:23,710 --> 00:33:26,546
3211Super Johannes, like running
3212a death camp or something.
3213
3214688
321500:33:26,546 --> 00:33:29,257
3216(laughing)
3217
3218689
321900:33:29,257 --> 00:33:33,511
3220Now, broiled scallops
3221in a tourist trap.
3222
3223690
322400:33:33,511 --> 00:33:36,139
3225I always loved
3226the great dichotomies of life:
3227
3228691
322900:33:36,139 --> 00:33:37,766
3230PLAYMOBIL and LEGO,
3231
3232692
323300:33:37,766 --> 00:33:40,518
3234dinosaurs and things
3235that dinosaurs eat,
3236
3237693
323800:33:40,518 --> 00:33:43,104
3239trees with leaves
3240and pine trees,
3241
3242694
324300:33:43,104 --> 00:33:46,524
3244cats and mice
3245like Tom and Jerry.
3246
3247695
324800:33:46,524 --> 00:33:49,569
3249But as someone who grew up
3250in Central Europe,
3251
3252696
325300:33:49,569 --> 00:33:53,531
3254I never understood how a mouse
3255can live inside a wall.
3256
3257697
325800:33:53,531 --> 00:33:55,075
3259Walls are
3260made of bricks!
3261
3262698
326300:33:55,075 --> 00:33:56,534
3264Walls are not hollow.
3265
3266699
326700:33:56,534 --> 00:33:58,245
3268Way later I came to understand
3269
3270700
327100:33:58,245 --> 00:34:00,789
3272that U.S. American houses
3273are made of wood,
3274
3275701
327600:34:00,789 --> 00:34:03,124
3277and the walls are really hollow.
3278
3279702
328000:34:03,124 --> 00:34:04,793
3281♪
3282
3283703
328400:34:04,793 --> 00:34:07,045
3285Sandy's car has so many
3286nice bumper stickers,
3287
3288704
328900:34:07,045 --> 00:34:11,132
3290so we decide that
3291our van needs one, too.
3292
3293705
329400:34:11,132 --> 00:34:15,303
3295Let's live dangerous and break
3296our rental car contract.
3297
3298706
329900:34:15,303 --> 00:34:17,347
3300♪
3301
3302707
330300:34:17,347 --> 00:34:19,599
3304I realize that
3305I lost my passport.
3306
3307708
330800:34:19,599 --> 00:34:21,434
3309Shock!
3310
3311709
331200:34:21,434 --> 00:34:23,520
3313I track it down at
3314the scallops-serving
3315
3316710
331700:34:23,520 --> 00:34:25,355
3318tourist trap.
3319
3320711
332100:34:26,731 --> 00:34:29,192
3322-Yeah!
3323-Perfect!
3324
3325712
332600:34:29,192 --> 00:34:30,610
3327Makes me happy.
3328
3329713
333000:34:30,610 --> 00:34:32,445
3331The Peace of Westphalia
3332
3333714
333400:34:32,445 --> 00:34:35,156
3335gave us the concept
3336of the nation state,
3337
3338715
333900:34:35,156 --> 00:34:38,118
3340and we all have to play
3341by its strange rules.
3342
3343716
334400:34:38,118 --> 00:34:41,204
3345♪
3346
3347717
334800:34:41,204 --> 00:34:43,373
3349Carl Sagan's take on humanity,
3350
3351718
335200:34:43,373 --> 00:34:46,251
3353exploration, and pathos
3354is still engrained
3355
3356719
335700:34:46,251 --> 00:34:47,836
3358in my thinking and doing,
3359
3360720
336100:34:47,836 --> 00:34:49,713
3362and when I find out
3363that our route
3364
3365721
336600:34:49,713 --> 00:34:51,715
3367takes us by the spot
3368where he shot
3369
3370722
337100:34:51,715 --> 00:34:54,884
3372the famous opening scene
3373of Cosmos,
3374
3375723
337600:34:54,884 --> 00:34:57,095
3377I can't help
3378but knock on some doors...
3379
3380724
338100:34:57,095 --> 00:34:59,598
3382-I have information!
3383-Oh, yeah?
3384
3385725
338600:34:59,598 --> 00:35:03,643
3387...hoping to get access to that
3388piece of magic grazing land.
3389
3390726
339100:35:03,643 --> 00:35:06,187
3392And really,
3393we get an interview!
3394
3395727
339600:35:06,187 --> 00:35:08,523
3397Well, my dead grandfather
3398bought this property
3399
3400728
340100:35:08,523 --> 00:35:11,693
3402around 1910,
3403and he ended up with it
3404
3405729
340600:35:11,693 --> 00:35:13,278
3407mainly because he couldn't
3408afford property
3409
3410730
341100:35:13,278 --> 00:35:14,779
3412in the Salinas Valley
3413
3414731
341500:35:14,779 --> 00:35:17,115
3416where it was all
3417the good planting land.
3418
3419732
342000:35:17,115 --> 00:35:19,159
3421So he came out here
3422and had a few cows,
3423
3424733
342500:35:19,159 --> 00:35:22,370
3426and then through the years,
3427people felt it was much nicer
3428
3429734
343000:35:22,370 --> 00:35:24,080
3431to live by the ocean
3432and the views,
3433
3434735
343500:35:24,080 --> 00:35:26,291
3436and so it became more
3437and more valuable,
3438
3439736
344000:35:26,291 --> 00:35:28,126
3441which then attracted
3442more people
3443
3444737
344500:35:28,126 --> 00:35:30,295
3446and, you know,
3447eventually Cosmos
3448
3449738
345000:35:30,295 --> 00:35:32,630
3451and many other filming
3452companies showed up here,
3453
3454739
345500:35:32,630 --> 00:35:34,257
3456and actually wanted
3457to take advantage
3458
3459740
346000:35:34,257 --> 00:35:36,634
3461of the views that
3462we have here on the flats,
3463
3464741
346500:35:36,634 --> 00:35:39,137
3466because it's one of the only
3467flat pieces here on the coast.
3468
3469742
347000:35:39,137 --> 00:35:41,556
3471So Cosmos showed up
3472in the last '70s,
3473
3474743
347500:35:41,556 --> 00:35:42,849
3476and I didn't really know
3477
3478744
347900:35:42,849 --> 00:35:44,434
3480exactly what
3481they were going to do,
3482
3483745
348400:35:44,434 --> 00:35:45,852
3485and they stuck
3486this guy out there
3487
3488746
348900:35:45,852 --> 00:35:47,187
3490who I didn't know
3491a whole lot about,
3492
3493747
349400:35:47,187 --> 00:35:49,272
3495and he had his little deb.
3496
3497748
349800:35:49,272 --> 00:35:51,858
3499Since then, they've come back
3500and filmed the sequel to it
3501
3502749
350300:35:51,858 --> 00:35:54,736
3504and, you know,
3505that's where we are today.
3506
3507750
350800:35:54,736 --> 00:35:57,364
3509He was standing here
3510and holding a dandelion,
3511
3512751
351300:35:57,364 --> 00:35:58,948
3514and the dandelion would turn
3515
3516752
351700:35:58,948 --> 00:36:01,326
3518into the Spaceship
3519of Imagination--
3520
3521753
352200:36:01,326 --> 00:36:02,577
3523Yeah, and he picked
3524the dandelion
3525
3526754
352700:36:02,577 --> 00:36:04,120
3528-over there, I think...
3529-Ah, wonderful!
3530
3531755
353200:36:04,120 --> 00:36:05,538
3533...'cause that turns
3534into a bunch of field
3535
3536756
353700:36:05,538 --> 00:36:08,041
3538of dandelions and poppies, so...
3539
3540757
354100:36:08,041 --> 00:36:27,685
3542♪
3543
3544758
354500:36:27,685 --> 00:36:32,023
3546Pee and literature break
3547at the Henry Miller Library.
3548
3549759
355000:36:32,023 --> 00:36:38,071
3551♪
3552
3553760
355400:36:38,071 --> 00:36:40,824
3555I like driving,
3556but realizing that we have
3557
3558761
355900:36:40,824 --> 00:36:45,453
3560a journey of 7,000 miles
3561before us makes me shiver.
3562
3563762
356400:36:45,453 --> 00:36:48,498
3565It reminds me of
3566the strange societal consensus
3567
3568763
356900:36:48,498 --> 00:36:51,543
3570of steering tons of machinery
3571at high speeds
3572
3573764
357400:36:51,543 --> 00:36:54,337
3575to get milk or drop someone off,
3576
3577765
357800:36:54,337 --> 00:36:56,965
3579and we don't consider
3580this strange!
3581
3582766
358300:36:56,965 --> 00:37:00,677
3584We just accept it from
3585an economical perspective,
3586
3587767
358800:37:00,677 --> 00:37:03,805
3589although we know
3590how deadly cars are.
3591
3592768
359300:37:03,805 --> 00:37:06,224
3594The age of self-driving cars
3595is dawning,
3596
3597769
359800:37:06,224 --> 00:37:08,309
3599and we will look back
3600at this behavior
3601
3602770
360300:37:08,309 --> 00:37:10,854
3604and shake our heads.
3605
3606771
360700:37:10,854 --> 00:37:13,148
3608Henry Ford's decision
3609to pay his workers
3610
3611772
361200:37:13,148 --> 00:37:17,652
3613$5-a-day-wages was
3614not one of welfare.
3615
3616773
361700:37:17,652 --> 00:37:21,448
3618It was that he realized
3619that he should pay his workers
3620
3621774
362200:37:21,448 --> 00:37:23,992
3623sufficiently large sums
3624so they could afford
3625
3626775
362700:37:23,992 --> 00:37:26,494
3628the products they were making.
3629
3630776
363100:37:26,494 --> 00:37:29,664
3632He wanted to expand his market.
3633
3634777
363500:37:29,664 --> 00:37:33,084
3636For Google, self-driving cars
3637will be entertainment
3638
3639778
364000:37:33,084 --> 00:37:34,794
3641and communication hubs.
3642
3643779
364400:37:34,794 --> 00:37:37,213
3645I sit in my car
3646while it drives me around,
3647
3648780
364900:37:37,213 --> 00:37:38,506
3650and what do I do?
3651
3652781
365300:37:38,506 --> 00:37:40,925
3654I consume media
3655and make calls.
3656
3657782
365800:37:40,925 --> 00:37:43,428
3659I literally become
3660a captive audience
3661
3662783
366300:37:43,428 --> 00:37:47,640
3664for advertisers and services
3665that want my money.
3666
3667784
366800:37:47,640 --> 00:37:49,434
3669Whoever controls that aspect
3670
3671785
367200:37:49,434 --> 00:37:52,228
3673will have many
3674happy shareholders.
3675
3676786
367700:37:52,228 --> 00:38:01,821
3678♪
3679
3680787
368100:38:01,821 --> 00:38:04,741
3682L.A. feels like the aftermath
3683
3684788
368500:38:04,741 --> 00:38:08,036
3686of a giant WikiLeaks release.
3687
3688789
368900:38:08,036 --> 00:38:10,788
3690The truth is out,
3691in black and white,
3692
3693790
369400:38:10,788 --> 00:38:14,042
3695everyone knows it,
3696it's blatantly clear
3697
3698791
369900:38:14,042 --> 00:38:16,628
3700that everything
3701is wrong and bad
3702
3703792
370400:38:16,628 --> 00:38:19,547
3705and can't get any worse,
3706
3707793
370800:38:19,547 --> 00:38:22,300
3709but nobody really cares.
3710
3711794
371200:38:22,300 --> 00:38:25,220
3713I appreciate this attitude.
3714
3715795
371600:38:25,220 --> 00:38:29,599
3717You can't make fun of L.A.,
3718it's beyond parody.
3719
3720796
372100:38:29,599 --> 00:38:31,351
3722It's like Henry Kissinger
3723
3724797
372500:38:31,351 --> 00:38:33,353
3726receiving
3727the Nobel Peace Prize.
3728
3729798
373000:38:33,353 --> 00:38:36,314
3731♪
3732
3733799
373400:38:36,314 --> 00:38:40,777
3735We are on our way to
3736the botanical gardens of UCLA.
3737
3738800
373900:38:40,777 --> 00:38:43,738
3740Whenever I go
3741to a botanical garden,
3742
3743801
374400:38:43,738 --> 00:38:46,699
3745I think of killing people
3746with a spade
3747
3748802
374900:38:46,699 --> 00:38:48,660
3750and American Airlines.
3751
3752803
375300:38:48,660 --> 00:38:50,537
3754And that's because
3755of Douglas Trumbull's
3756
3757804
375800:38:50,537 --> 00:38:56,209
37591972 eco-sci-fi film
3760Silent Running.
3761
3762805
376300:38:56,209 --> 00:38:59,003
3764A couple of space freighters
3765are carrying domes
3766
3767806
376800:38:59,003 --> 00:39:01,548
3769with the last
3770remaining ecosystems,
3771
3772807
377300:39:01,548 --> 00:39:05,176
3774and Bruce Dern is one
3775of the caretaking astronauts.
3776
3777808
377800:39:05,176 --> 00:39:08,846
3779When the crew gets the command
3780to destroy all domes,
3781
3782809
378300:39:08,846 --> 00:39:11,349
3784Dern freaks out,
3785kills his colleagues,
3786
3787810
378800:39:11,349 --> 00:39:15,019
3789and flees with all the bunnies
3790and cactuses and stuff.
3791
3792811
379300:39:15,019 --> 00:39:17,564
3794The political message
3795is a bit woo woo,
3796
3797812
379800:39:17,564 --> 00:39:19,190
3799but the space freighters
3800
3801813
380200:39:19,190 --> 00:39:22,527
3803featured big
3804American Airlines logos,
3805
3806814
380700:39:22,527 --> 00:39:24,237
3808and I still remember it.
3809
3810815
381100:39:24,237 --> 00:39:28,616
3812Best product placement
3813buck ever spent.
3814
3815816
381600:39:28,616 --> 00:39:31,995
3817Christina Agapakis
3818is a synthetic biologist
3819
3820817
382100:39:31,995 --> 00:39:34,289
3822who does exciting projects.
3823
3824818
382500:39:34,289 --> 00:39:35,957
3826I guess I always
3827thought of myself
3828
3829819
383000:39:35,957 --> 00:39:38,209
3831sort of a cross between
3832a ballerina and a scientist
3833
3834820
383500:39:38,209 --> 00:39:40,670
3836when I was five,
3837and I realized at that point
3838
3839821
384000:39:40,670 --> 00:39:43,631
3841that I wasn't going to be
3842a ballerina pretty early on.
3843
3844822
384500:39:43,631 --> 00:39:46,926
3846As a young nerd she liked
3847the soothing fact
3848
3849823
385000:39:46,926 --> 00:39:50,096
3851that there was always
3852an answer in science.
3853
3854824
385500:39:50,096 --> 00:39:52,974
3856Turned out to be a bit
3857of a misunderstanding.
3858
3859825
386000:39:52,974 --> 00:39:55,101
3861So you're also
3862doing art projects,
3863
3864826
386500:39:55,101 --> 00:39:56,603
3866and one project
3867is about cheese.
3868
3869827
387000:39:56,603 --> 00:39:58,021
3871Could you tell us about that?
3872
3873828
387400:39:58,021 --> 00:40:00,607
3875We realized that the
3876chemistry of armpits
3877
3878829
387900:40:00,607 --> 00:40:03,818
3880and sweat and body odors
3881and foot odor
3882
3883830
388400:40:03,818 --> 00:40:07,155
3885is very, very similar to
3886the chemistry of cheese.
3887
3888831
388900:40:07,155 --> 00:40:11,784
3890Um, and so a lot of the
3891smells and flavors of cheeses
3892
3893832
389400:40:11,784 --> 00:40:13,828
3895are really similar to
3896the smells and flavors
3897
3898833
389900:40:13,828 --> 00:40:16,080
3900of the human body,
3901it turns out.
3902
3903834
390400:40:16,080 --> 00:40:17,373
3905So, you know, you can
3906have Limburger cheese
3907
3908835
390900:40:17,373 --> 00:40:18,750
3910that smells like feet,
3911
3912836
391300:40:18,750 --> 00:40:21,210
3914Swiss cheese can have
3915a kind of sweaty smell,
3916
3917837
391800:40:21,210 --> 00:40:22,712
3919and that's 'cause the bacteria
3920
3921838
392200:40:22,712 --> 00:40:24,589
3923are making the same
3924kinds of molecules,
3925
3926839
392700:40:24,589 --> 00:40:27,258
3928and the bacteria themselves
3929are really closely related.
3930
3931840
393200:40:27,258 --> 00:40:30,011
3933So the project was to kind of,
3934again, decontextualize,
3935
3936841
393700:40:30,011 --> 00:40:33,473
3938reframe our kind of
3939emotional understanding
3940
3941842
394200:40:33,473 --> 00:40:36,017
3943and kind of disgust at microbes
3944
3945843
394600:40:36,017 --> 00:40:38,186
3947and the kind of
3948ickiness of them.
3949
3950844
395100:40:38,186 --> 00:40:40,063
3952We created our own cheeses
3953
3954845
395500:40:40,063 --> 00:40:43,900
3956using bacteria from the
3957human body, including yours.
3958
3959846
396000:40:43,900 --> 00:40:46,277
3961You were one of our
3962very kind donors.
3963
3964847
396500:40:46,277 --> 00:40:48,738
3966I think I had, like, armpits,
3967
3968848
396900:40:48,738 --> 00:40:50,698
3970and I think it
3971was also crotch.
3972
3973849
397400:40:50,698 --> 00:40:53,993
3975I think you did provide us a
3976crotch sample but I'm not sure--
3977
3978850
397900:40:53,993 --> 00:40:57,205
3980But you don't know
3981what--what specific...
3982
3983851
398400:40:57,205 --> 00:40:58,873
3985I can't remember now.
3986
3987852
398800:40:58,873 --> 00:41:00,333
3989But it failed.
3990
3991853
399200:41:00,333 --> 00:41:03,127
3993It--yeah, I didn't
3994do a very good job
3995
3996854
399700:41:03,127 --> 00:41:06,297
3998sort of aging the cheese,
3999so that was one thing
4000
4001855
400200:41:06,297 --> 00:41:08,549
4003I really learned
4004about--about microbes.
4005
4006856
400700:41:08,549 --> 00:41:11,052
4008There's a real craft
4009element to cheesemaking
4010
4011857
401200:41:11,052 --> 00:41:13,429
4013and you have to really
4014nurture the bacteria
4015
4016858
401700:41:13,429 --> 00:41:15,014
4018to grow the right way.
4019
4020859
402100:41:15,014 --> 00:41:16,516
4022So your cheese,
4023in particular,
4024
4025860
402600:41:16,516 --> 00:41:17,975
4027I had to go to a conference,
4028
4029861
403000:41:17,975 --> 00:41:19,519
4031so I was like, "Okay,
4032I'll set up the cheese.
4033
4034862
403500:41:19,519 --> 00:41:21,312
4036I'll put it to kind
4037of age in the cabinet
4038
4039863
404000:41:21,312 --> 00:41:23,606
4041that I had been using,
4042um, and I'll come back
4043
4044864
404500:41:23,606 --> 00:41:25,358
4046from the conference,
4047it'll be ready."
4048
4049865
405000:41:25,358 --> 00:41:29,112
4051And then I come back home,
4052and the house smells terrible
4053
4054866
405500:41:29,112 --> 00:41:32,198
4056like it had just
4057gone very, very bad.
4058
4059867
406000:41:32,198 --> 00:41:34,033
4061I fucked up your house.
4062
4063868
406400:41:34,033 --> 00:41:36,953
4065Anyway, it ended up okay,
4066but I opened the cabinet,
4067
4068869
406900:41:36,953 --> 00:41:39,706
4070and the cheese was moving
4071
4072870
407300:41:39,706 --> 00:41:43,126
4074because it had little
4075maggots had laid their--
4076
4077871
407800:41:43,126 --> 00:41:46,254
4079like, flies had laid their
4080eggs inside the cheese.
4081
4082872
408300:41:46,254 --> 00:41:48,339
4084It was very, very bad.
4085
4086873
408700:41:48,339 --> 00:41:51,175
4088So your cheese was a
4089very striking example
4090
4091874
409200:41:51,175 --> 00:41:53,302
4093of kind of the
4094visceral disgust
4095
4096875
409700:41:53,302 --> 00:41:56,222
4098that you can experience
4099with biological organisms
4100
4101876
410200:41:56,222 --> 00:42:00,476
4103out of context
4104and the kind of signal
4105
4106877
410700:42:00,476 --> 00:42:03,813
4108of how you really have to
4109care for things as they rot.
4110
4111878
411200:42:03,813 --> 00:42:06,899
4113Can it get any worse?
4114
4115879
411600:42:06,899 --> 00:42:08,067
4117Yes.
4118
4119880
412000:42:08,067 --> 00:42:10,820
4121♪
4122
4123881
412400:42:10,820 --> 00:42:12,613
4125Calm down, calm down.
4126
4127882
412800:42:12,613 --> 00:42:17,076
4129I just don't want you to
4130fall asleep, dear audience.
4131
4132883
413300:42:17,076 --> 00:42:19,704
4134Time to visit my
4135buddy Sean Bonner
4136
4137884
413800:42:19,704 --> 00:42:22,498
4139and his wife Tara,
4140and son Rips.
4141
4142885
414300:42:22,498 --> 00:42:25,501
4144They have an
4145impressive collection...
4146
4147886
414800:42:25,501 --> 00:42:29,130
4149♪
4150
4151887
415200:42:29,130 --> 00:42:30,631
4153-Sean.
4154-Johannes.
4155
4156888
415700:42:30,631 --> 00:42:32,592
4158Sean, Sean, Sean, Sean.
4159
4160889
416100:42:32,592 --> 00:42:35,636
4162So, we are both born in 1975,
4163
4164890
416500:42:35,636 --> 00:42:38,556
4166so we are pretty much
4167the last generation
4168
4169891
417000:42:38,556 --> 00:42:40,224
4171with an inbred angst
4172
4173892
417400:42:40,224 --> 00:42:44,187
4175of total nuclear
4176annihilation, okay?
4177
4178893
417900:42:44,187 --> 00:42:46,564
4180As kids, we didn't know
4181that it was weird, right?
4182
4183894
418400:42:46,564 --> 00:42:48,983
4185Like, there was nothing
4186unusual about going to school
4187
4188895
418900:42:48,983 --> 00:42:51,360
4190and your teacher saying,
4191"Okay, when the nuclear bombs
4192
4193896
419400:42:51,360 --> 00:42:53,237
4195start dropping,
4196hide under your desks,"
4197
4198897
419900:42:53,237 --> 00:42:55,490
4200you know, and do this sort of
4201stuff because you're a kid,
4202
4203898
420400:42:55,490 --> 00:42:57,158
4205like, "Oh, okay, well,
4206that's what you do."
4207
4208899
420900:42:57,158 --> 00:43:00,161
4210I was 11 years old and you
4211were 11 years old in 1986,
4212
4213900
421400:43:00,161 --> 00:43:02,455
4215and that was a kind of
4216bad year for modernity
4217
4218901
421900:43:02,455 --> 00:43:05,208
4220because, first of all,
4221Chernobyl blew up
4222
4223902
422400:43:05,208 --> 00:43:08,836
4225and secondly, the Challenger
4226explosion happened.
4227
4228903
422900:43:08,836 --> 00:43:12,173
4230Goddamn O-ring.
4231
4232904
423300:43:12,173 --> 00:43:15,885
4234I don't worry too much
4235about the established rules
4236
4237905
423800:43:15,885 --> 00:43:19,138
4239and setup of things
4240because I sort of--
4241
4242906
424300:43:19,138 --> 00:43:20,807
4244I sort of always
4245approach that as that's--
4246
4247907
424800:43:20,807 --> 00:43:22,600
4249Whatever--whatever
4250is an existing process
4251
4252908
425300:43:22,600 --> 00:43:24,393
4254to do something
4255is the old way.
4256
4257909
425800:43:24,393 --> 00:43:26,270
4259That's kind of something
4260that sort of sticks with me
4261
4262910
426300:43:26,270 --> 00:43:28,815
4264in everything that I do, and
4265I think it probably is rooted
4266
4267911
426800:43:28,815 --> 00:43:30,191
4269in all of this sort of stuff.
4270
4271912
427200:43:30,191 --> 00:43:32,151
4273We were very, very
4274anxious in finding out
4275
4276913
427700:43:32,151 --> 00:43:34,070
4278that everybody was
4279okay really quickly,
4280
4281914
428200:43:34,070 --> 00:43:36,405
4283and once word started
4284coming back in
4285
4286915
428700:43:36,405 --> 00:43:38,825
4288about what was
4289happening at Daiichi,
4290
4291916
429200:43:38,825 --> 00:43:40,827
4293and the word that I was
4294getting from everyone in Japan
4295
4296917
429700:43:40,827 --> 00:43:43,371
4298was that they didn't
4299know what was going on
4300
4301918
430200:43:43,371 --> 00:43:44,914
4303and they couldn't
4304find any information.
4305
4306919
430700:43:44,914 --> 00:43:47,333
4308There was nobody
4309monitoring any of this stuff,
4310
4311920
431200:43:47,333 --> 00:43:49,460
4313and that the sort
4314of institutions
4315
4316921
431700:43:49,460 --> 00:43:51,337
4318and organizations
4319that you would expect
4320
4321922
432200:43:51,337 --> 00:43:52,797
4323to be on top of that
4324
4325923
432600:43:52,797 --> 00:43:54,590
4327really didn't have
4328any idea what to do
4329
4330924
433100:43:54,590 --> 00:43:55,925
4332and they weren't
4333doing anything.
4334
4335925
433600:43:55,925 --> 00:43:57,635
4337The world supply
4338of Geiger counters,
4339
4340926
434100:43:57,635 --> 00:43:59,846
4342essentially, sold out
4343in about 24 hours.
4344
4345927
434600:43:59,846 --> 00:44:01,722
4347There was nobody--nobody
4348buying them before that
4349
4350928
435100:44:01,722 --> 00:44:03,266
4352and then everybody
4353buying them after that,
4354
4355929
435600:44:03,266 --> 00:44:05,726
4357so the entire supply chain
4358died up immediately.
4359
4360930
436100:44:05,726 --> 00:44:08,145
4362What you need for a
4363functioning market
4364
4365931
436600:44:08,145 --> 00:44:10,565
4367-is a good crisis.
4368-Yeah, exactly.
4369
4370932
437100:44:10,565 --> 00:44:12,525
4372The example that I use a lot
4373is, like, if you wanted
4374
4375933
437600:44:12,525 --> 00:44:16,112
4377to find out what the weather
4378was in Los Angeles right now,
4379
4380934
438100:44:16,112 --> 00:44:17,446
4382and the best thing
4383you could get
4384
4385935
438600:44:17,446 --> 00:44:18,948
4387was an average for
4388all of California.
4389
4390936
439100:44:18,948 --> 00:44:21,075
4392This device collects
4393a radiation reading
4394
4395937
439600:44:21,075 --> 00:44:23,452
4397every five seconds and
4398ties it to a GPS point
4399
4400938
440100:44:23,452 --> 00:44:25,955
4402and then uploads
4403it to a server
4404
4405939
440600:44:25,955 --> 00:44:28,916
4407that's shared for
4408the entire world,
4409
4410940
441100:44:28,916 --> 00:44:33,838
4412so now we have just shy
4413of 30 million data points
4414
4415941
441600:44:33,838 --> 00:44:35,506
4417covering the entire world.
4418
4419942
442000:44:35,506 --> 00:44:38,092
4421This is more data than
4422every other organization
4423
4424943
442500:44:38,092 --> 00:44:41,220
4426who's ever collected
4427radiation readings combined.
4428
4429944
443000:44:41,220 --> 00:44:42,972
4431-Wonderful.
4432-It's been pretty fantastic.
4433
4434945
443500:44:42,972 --> 00:44:45,850
4436Yes, it is, and we will
4437take it on the road with us.
4438
4439946
444000:44:45,850 --> 00:44:47,435
4441Yeah, absolutely,
4442I have one for you
4443
4444947
444500:44:47,435 --> 00:44:49,270
4446so you can map out
4447the entire route.
4448
4449948
445000:44:49,270 --> 00:44:53,941
4451We'll strap it onto our
4452little Town & Country
4453
4454949
445500:44:53,941 --> 00:44:55,985
4456and find out
4457what is out there.
4458
4459950
446000:44:55,985 --> 00:44:58,362
4461Yeah, totally,
4462you should, you should.
4463
4464951
446500:44:58,362 --> 00:45:01,032
4466Let's check out
4467the L.A. River.
4468
4469952
447000:45:01,032 --> 00:45:12,710
4471♪
4472
4473953
447400:45:12,710 --> 00:45:15,755
4475(gong ringing)
4476
4477954
447800:45:15,755 --> 00:45:18,925
4479We have to get
4480to Griffith Park.
4481
4482955
448300:45:18,925 --> 00:45:23,262
4484The fastest route is the
4485wormhole in Sean's beard.
4486
4487956
448800:45:23,262 --> 00:45:28,559
4489♪
4490
4491957
449200:45:28,559 --> 00:45:31,437
4493This tunnel is
4494very dear to me.
4495
4496958
449700:45:31,437 --> 00:45:34,106
4498It goes right into my heart.
4499
4500959
450100:45:34,106 --> 00:45:35,316
4502Thanks to Hollywood
4503
4504960
450500:45:35,316 --> 00:45:38,778
4506and its love for
4507cost-efficient wizardry,
4508
4509961
451000:45:38,778 --> 00:45:43,115
4511I'm standing at the entrance
4512of three marvelous universes.
4513
4514962
451500:45:43,115 --> 00:45:46,118
4516This tunnel is the
4517portal to Toontown
4518
4519963
452000:45:46,118 --> 00:45:48,829
4521in Who Framed Roger Rabbit,
4522
4523964
452400:45:48,829 --> 00:45:50,581
4525a movie about the destruction
4526
4527965
452800:45:50,581 --> 00:45:54,168
4529of the public transport system
4530by private car companies.
4531
4532966
453300:45:54,168 --> 00:45:58,297
4534It's also the scene of the
4535wonderful hoverboard sequence
4536
4537967
453800:45:58,297 --> 00:46:00,633
4539in Back to the Future II,
4540
4541968
454200:46:00,633 --> 00:46:04,220
4543set in the distant
4544future of 2015.
4545
4546969
454700:46:04,220 --> 00:46:05,846
4548And most important:
4549
4550970
455100:46:05,846 --> 00:46:07,682
4552it's the tunnel
4553into the bowels
4554
4555971
455600:46:07,682 --> 00:46:11,143
4557of mutual assured destruction,
4558
4559972
456000:46:11,143 --> 00:46:15,898
4561the entrance to NORAD,
4562in WarGames from 1983.
4563
4564973
456500:46:15,898 --> 00:46:18,734
4566Home of WOPR, a supercomputer
4567
4568974
456900:46:18,734 --> 00:46:21,487
4570that almost turns
4571the world population
4572
4573975
457400:46:21,487 --> 00:46:25,783
4575into sizzling hamburgers.
4576
4577976
457800:46:25,783 --> 00:46:28,786
4579WarGames was
4580very influential.
4581
4582977
458300:46:28,786 --> 00:46:31,622
4584For the first time ever,
4585it presented the trope
4586
4587978
458800:46:31,622 --> 00:46:33,708
4589of the lone,
4590intelligent hacker
4591
4592979
459300:46:33,708 --> 00:46:35,418
4594to a mainstream audience
4595
4596980
459700:46:35,418 --> 00:46:39,213
4598and created a whole flood
4599of keyboard jockeys.
4600
4601981
460200:46:39,213 --> 00:46:42,633
4603For me, WarGames
4604offered the first glimpse
4605
4606982
460700:46:42,633 --> 00:46:45,052
4608into understanding the obscene
4609
4610983
461100:46:45,052 --> 00:46:48,472
4612and absurd power
4613structures of society.
4614
4615984
461600:46:48,472 --> 00:46:49,849
4617We don't need experts,
4618
4619985
462000:46:49,849 --> 00:46:52,852
4621we need people who
4622are willing to play.
4623
4624986
462500:46:52,852 --> 00:46:56,564
4626Thirty years later, hacker
4627culture is still too white
4628
4629987
463000:46:56,564 --> 00:46:59,734
4631and too male and mostly
4632made up of highly educated,
4633
4634988
463500:46:59,734 --> 00:47:01,902
4636extremely well-paid people
4637
4638989
463900:47:01,902 --> 00:47:04,155
4640who think they're
4641being oppressed.
4642
4643990
464400:47:04,155 --> 00:47:07,867
4645What about a nice game of
4646dialectical materialism?
4647
4648991
464900:47:07,867 --> 00:47:10,161
4650♪
4651
4652992
465300:47:10,161 --> 00:47:14,790
4654On the way to 4267
4655Roxbury St., Simi Valley.
4656
4657993
465800:47:14,790 --> 00:47:17,752
4659I need to show you something.
4660
4661994
466200:47:17,752 --> 00:47:19,795
4663Damn, we are too late.
4664
4665995
466600:47:19,795 --> 00:47:22,673
4667Now you can't see
4668why we are here.
4669
4670996
467100:47:22,673 --> 00:47:24,759
4672But I will give you a hint.
4673
4674997
467500:47:24,759 --> 00:47:27,678
4676♪
4677
4678998
467900:47:32,391 --> 00:47:35,644
4680Hiding in the suburban
4681darkness behind me
4682
4683999
468400:47:35,644 --> 00:47:37,313
4685is the former estate
4686
46871000
468800:47:37,313 --> 00:47:40,691
4689of the Freeling family
4690of Poltergeist fame.
4691
46921001
469300:47:40,691 --> 00:47:42,610
4694♪
4695
46961002
469700:47:42,610 --> 00:47:46,572
4698In the 1970s,
4699Raymond Williams postulated
4700
47011003
470200:47:46,572 --> 00:47:48,657
4703that the real
4704innovation of television
4705
47061004
470700:47:48,657 --> 00:47:50,451
4708is television itself.
4709
47101005
471100:47:50,451 --> 00:47:53,537
4712He calls this "flow."
4713
47141006
471500:47:53,537 --> 00:47:56,957
4716An experience where all the
4717different program elements
4718
47191007
472000:47:56,957 --> 00:48:01,087
4721and styles form a
4722mesmerizing emotional pastiche
4723
47241008
472500:48:01,087 --> 00:48:02,671
4726for the viewer.
4727
47281009
472900:48:02,671 --> 00:48:05,591
4730There used to be an
4731end to this "flow."
4732
47331010
473400:48:05,591 --> 00:48:10,262
4735Sometime came the
4736inevitable nightly signoff.
4737
47381011
473900:48:10,262 --> 00:48:12,223
4740Snow.
4741
47421012
474300:48:12,223 --> 00:48:15,267
4744I remember from my childhood
4745how that was a moment
4746
47471013
474800:48:15,267 --> 00:48:18,938
4749of terrifying
4750stillness and clarity.
4751
47521014
475300:48:18,938 --> 00:48:21,315
4754It is no coincidence
4755that Poltergeist
4756
47571015
475800:48:21,315 --> 00:48:24,068
4759used this phenomenon
4760as a plot device.
4761
47621016
476300:48:24,068 --> 00:48:28,739
4764After the American national
4765anthem, the broadcast is over;
4766
47671017
476800:48:28,739 --> 00:48:31,951
4769the snowstorm sets in,
4770and the eerie voices
4771
47721018
477300:48:31,951 --> 00:48:34,537
4774of the damned start calling.
4775
47761019
477700:48:44,964 --> 00:48:46,632
4778♪
4779
47801020
478100:48:46,632 --> 00:48:47,550
4782(static crackling)
4783
47841021
478500:48:47,550 --> 00:48:50,469
4786♪
4787
47881022
478900:48:50,469 --> 00:48:52,638
4790The first American
4791towns I knew by name
4792
47931023
479400:48:52,638 --> 00:48:55,224
4795were New York City
4796and Pasadena,
4797
47981024
479900:48:55,224 --> 00:48:59,145
4800the latter because of NASA's
4801Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
4802
48031025
480400:48:59,145 --> 00:49:01,105
4805birthplace of
4806the Viking probe
4807
48081026
480900:49:01,105 --> 00:49:04,859
4810and other fine goods of
4811interplanetary gadgetry.
4812
48131027
481400:49:04,859 --> 00:49:06,068
4815It's 10:00 p.m.
4816
48171028
481800:49:06,068 --> 00:49:07,486
4819Let's try to sneak in.
4820
48211029
482200:49:07,486 --> 00:49:09,738
4823Hello, honestly,
4824we're just tourists
4825
48261030
482700:49:09,738 --> 00:49:11,198
4828and wanted to check out JPL.
4829
48301031
483100:49:11,198 --> 00:49:12,283
4832Can we go in?
4833
48341032
483500:49:12,283 --> 00:49:14,577
4836Okay, that didn't work.
4837
48381033
483900:49:14,577 --> 00:49:15,995
4840Frustrating.
4841
48421034
484300:49:15,995 --> 00:49:18,747
4844Let's get hammered
4845in the hotel bar.
4846
48471035
484800:49:18,747 --> 00:49:21,292
4849Suddenly, there is a
4850strange image appearing
4851
48521036
485300:49:21,292 --> 00:49:24,420
4854on the rear-view monitor.
4855
48561037
485700:49:24,420 --> 00:49:26,755
4858We stop to check
4859what's going on.
4860
48611038
486200:49:26,755 --> 00:49:29,842
4863♪
4864
48651039
486600:49:29,842 --> 00:49:32,845
4867Jack Parsons was an
4868explosives hobbyist,
4869
48701040
487100:49:32,845 --> 00:49:34,889
4872science fiction enthusiast,
4873
48741041
487500:49:34,889 --> 00:49:37,099
4876and Crowleyan occultist.
4877
48781042
487900:49:37,099 --> 00:49:39,602
4880He was also one of the
4881earliest people to focus
4882
48831043
488400:49:39,602 --> 00:49:42,021
4885on practical rocketry.
4886
48871044
488800:49:42,021 --> 00:49:46,150
4889In the '30s, rockets were a
4890crazy science fiction idea,
4891
48921045
489300:49:46,150 --> 00:49:49,028
4894so it took people who had
4895an entirely different concept
4896
48971046
489800:49:49,028 --> 00:49:51,113
4899of what was possible
4900to make rocketry
4901
49021047
490300:49:51,113 --> 00:49:52,740
4904a practical reality.
4905
49061048
490700:49:52,740 --> 00:49:54,450
4908Although, his only
4909experience in the field
4910
49111049
491200:49:54,450 --> 00:49:56,577
4913was working in an
4914explosives factory,
4915
49161050
491700:49:56,577 --> 00:49:59,496
4918Parsons hooked up with a group
4919of Caltech grad students
4920
49211051
492200:49:59,496 --> 00:50:01,498
4923trying to build
4924working rockets.
4925
49261052
492700:50:01,498 --> 00:50:03,542
4928After ruining one lab in 1937,
4929
49301053
493100:50:03,542 --> 00:50:05,878
4932the team known as
4933the "Suicide Squad"
4934
49351054
493600:50:05,878 --> 00:50:07,463
4937were sent out to the Arroyo
4938
49391055
494000:50:07,463 --> 00:50:09,673
4941where they could only
4942damage themselves.
4943
49441056
494500:50:09,673 --> 00:50:11,383
4946Many things did explode,
4947
49481057
494900:50:11,383 --> 00:50:14,511
4950but somehow they did not
4951blow themselves up.
4952
49531058
495400:50:14,511 --> 00:50:17,640
4955Parsons' designs
4956became the foundation
4957
49581059
495900:50:17,640 --> 00:50:20,059
4960of modern
4961solid-fuel rocketry,
4962
49631060
496400:50:20,059 --> 00:50:21,936
4965and the location
4966of their tests
4967
49681061
496900:50:21,936 --> 00:50:24,313
4970became the Jet Propulsion Lab.
4971
49721062
497300:50:24,313 --> 00:50:26,690
4974The Suicide Squad's
4975leader, Frank Malina,
4976
49771063
497800:50:26,690 --> 00:50:28,609
4979became the director of JPL.
4980
49811064
498200:50:28,609 --> 00:50:31,111
4983This combination of
4984occultist and technologist
4985
49861065
498700:50:31,111 --> 00:50:33,113
4988blowing things up in
4989the dusty foothills
4990
49911066
499200:50:33,113 --> 00:50:36,617
4993made sense in the context
4994of the freaky technoculture
4995
49961067
499700:50:36,617 --> 00:50:38,911
4998of Los Angeles which
4999was a heavy blend
5000
50011068
500200:50:38,911 --> 00:50:42,039
5003of boundless optimism
5004and cosmic paranoia.
5005
50061069
500700:50:42,039 --> 00:50:45,251
5008It was in this context that
5009someone like Jack Parsons
5010
50111070
501200:50:45,251 --> 00:50:47,461
5013could be one of the
5014inventors of modern rocketry
5015
50161071
501700:50:47,461 --> 00:50:49,255
5018because why the hell not?
5019
50201072
502100:50:49,255 --> 00:50:50,881
5022And it was in this context
5023
50241073
502500:50:50,881 --> 00:50:53,259
5026that a pulp science fiction
5027author named Lafayette
5028
50291074
503000:50:53,259 --> 00:50:56,178
5031ended up performing
5032Crowleyan sex magick rituals
5033
50341075
503500:50:56,178 --> 00:50:58,555
5036with that same amateur
5037rocket scientist
5038
50391076
504000:50:58,555 --> 00:51:00,140
5041in a Pasadena mansion.
5042
50431077
504400:51:00,140 --> 00:51:01,767
5045L. Ron Hubbard went on to use
5046
50471078
504800:51:01,767 --> 00:51:03,185
5049some of Aleister Crowley's
5050religious symbols
5051
50521079
505300:51:03,185 --> 00:51:05,271
5054to create his own
5055Church of Scientology.
5056
50571080
505800:51:05,271 --> 00:51:07,898
5059Jack Parsons was killed
5060in a mysterious explosion
5061
50621081
506300:51:07,898 --> 00:51:10,067
5064in a Pasadena garage in 1952.
5065
50661082
506700:51:10,067 --> 00:51:11,360
5068He has a crater
5069named after him
5070
50711083
507200:51:11,360 --> 00:51:12,736
5073on the dark side of the moon.
5074
50751084
507600:51:12,736 --> 00:51:15,948
5077Today, JPL controls a
5078team of Martian robots.
5079
50801085
508100:51:15,948 --> 00:51:20,786
5082♪
5083
50841086
508500:51:20,786 --> 00:51:22,288
5086I like palms...
5087
50881087
508900:51:22,288 --> 00:51:24,665
5090♪
5091
50921088
509300:51:24,665 --> 00:51:28,919
5094A century ago, the iconic
5095street tree of Los Angeles
5096
50971089
509800:51:28,919 --> 00:51:30,796
5099was not the palm.
5100
51011090
510200:51:30,796 --> 00:51:33,215
5103In the 1920s and 1930s,
5104
51051091
510600:51:33,215 --> 00:51:36,010
5107L.A. was busy
5108building its modern grid
5109
51101092
511100:51:36,010 --> 00:51:38,429
5112of automobile boulevards,
5113
51141093
511500:51:38,429 --> 00:51:41,849
5116and the city was looking for
5117standardized street trees.
5118
51191094
512000:51:41,849 --> 00:51:45,853
5121Palms held out the promise
5122of symbiotic infrastructure:
5123
51241095
512500:51:45,853 --> 00:51:47,855
5126they could provide
5127beautification
5128
51291096
513000:51:47,855 --> 00:51:51,358
5131without dropping fruit
5132or buckling concrete.
5133
51341097
513500:51:51,358 --> 00:51:55,237
5136Now palms stand for
5137glamour and celebrity.
5138
51391098
514000:51:55,237 --> 00:51:57,323
5141A symbol was born.
5142
51431099
514400:51:57,323 --> 00:52:05,789
5145♪
5146
51471100
514800:52:05,789 --> 00:52:07,708
5149For longer than I exist,
5150
51511101
515200:52:07,708 --> 00:52:10,336
5153the name Stan Winston
5154has been synonymous
5155
51561102
515700:52:10,336 --> 00:52:13,547
5158with iconic
5159fantasy characters.
5160
51611103
516200:52:13,547 --> 00:52:18,135
5163♪
5164
51651104
516600:52:18,135 --> 00:52:21,472
5167Stan Winston Studio
5168continually set new standards
5169
51701105
517100:52:21,472 --> 00:52:24,475
5172of excellence and innovation.
5173
51741106
517500:52:24,475 --> 00:52:27,311
5176♪
5177
51781107
517900:52:27,311 --> 00:52:31,106
5180After Stan's untimely
5181passing in 2008,
5182
51831108
518400:52:31,106 --> 00:52:32,733
5185Matt Winston co-founded
5186
51871109
518800:52:32,733 --> 00:52:35,611
5189Stan Winston School
5190of Character Arts
5191
51921110
519300:52:35,611 --> 00:52:39,615
5194to preserve Stan's legacy
5195by fostering creativity
5196
51971111
519800:52:39,615 --> 00:52:42,743
5199in a new generation
5200of character creators.
5201
52021112
520300:52:42,743 --> 00:52:45,079
5204(growling)
5205
52061113
520700:52:46,372 --> 00:52:48,457
5208I grew up consuming
5209all the stuff
5210
52111114
521200:52:48,457 --> 00:52:50,334
5213that your father
5214was working on
5215
52161115
521700:52:50,334 --> 00:52:53,879
5218like The Thing or Aliens
5219or Jurassic Park.
5220
52211116
522200:52:53,879 --> 00:52:57,257
5223You were living in a
5224household with your father
5225
52261117
522700:52:57,257 --> 00:52:59,885
5228who was creating and
5229really doing all this stuff,
5230
52311118
523200:52:59,885 --> 00:53:02,388
5233so you were probably
5234sitting there eating pizza
5235
52361119
523700:53:02,388 --> 00:53:04,890
5238and your father would
5239say, "Ah, Jim Cameron,
5240
52411120
524200:53:04,890 --> 00:53:07,559
5243he wants this and
5244this, I don't know."
5245
52461121
524700:53:07,559 --> 00:53:10,104
5248I don't know, is this
5249also like part of that?
5250
52511122
525200:53:10,104 --> 00:53:15,192
5253Yeah, I was very
5254fortunate to be around
5255
52561123
525700:53:15,192 --> 00:53:17,611
5258when Jim Cameron would
5259come and work with Dad
5260
52611124
526200:53:17,611 --> 00:53:19,363
5263and they'd do tests
5264for alien queens
5265
52661125
526700:53:19,363 --> 00:53:21,407
5268and, you know, you'd
5269think it would be,
5270
52711126
527200:53:21,407 --> 00:53:23,117
5273"Oh, humdrum, this is
5274what I grew up around."
5275
52761127
527700:53:23,117 --> 00:53:24,701
5278It was never humdrum for me.
5279
52801128
528100:53:24,701 --> 00:53:28,997
5282I was always totally
5283excited by it and around it
5284
52851129
528600:53:28,997 --> 00:53:32,334
5287just like you were 5,000,
52886,000 miles away.
5289
52901130
529100:53:32,334 --> 00:53:34,044
5292It was the same for me.
5293
52941131
529500:53:34,044 --> 00:53:37,131
5296I was--I'm still the
5297biggest nerd for this stuff,
5298
52991132
530000:53:37,131 --> 00:53:40,384
5301and I just got a closer
5302insider view of it,
5303
53041133
530500:53:40,384 --> 00:53:42,928
5306but it's really
5307the same thing.
5308
53091134
531000:53:42,928 --> 00:53:45,556
5311You know, we both
5312are--love, you know?
5313
53141135
531500:53:45,556 --> 00:53:47,599
5316-Heart to heart.
5317-It really is.
5318
53191136
532000:53:47,599 --> 00:53:50,978
5321I mean, I still--I get
5322a big grin on my face
5323
53241137
532500:53:50,978 --> 00:53:52,729
5326every time I go to a
5327special effects shop
5328
53291138
533000:53:52,729 --> 00:53:54,189
5331and I see an artist working.
5332
53331139
533400:53:54,189 --> 00:53:55,899
5335I'm wearing--look at that.
5336
53371140
533800:53:55,899 --> 00:53:59,194
5339I'm wearing an Aliens
5340Colonial Marines cap.
5341
53421141
534300:53:59,194 --> 00:54:01,655
5344-And it never gets old.
5345-It never gets old!
5346
53471142
534800:54:01,655 --> 00:54:03,240
5349It never gets old,
5350and I'm the same as you.
5351
53521143
535300:54:03,240 --> 00:54:05,409
5354Wait, I'm dragging it here.
5355
53561144
535700:54:05,409 --> 00:54:08,036
5358Look at this,
5359the Weyland-Yutani,
5360
53611145
536200:54:08,036 --> 00:54:12,374
5363Weyland-Yutani bag on
5364my frigging backpack.
5365
53661146
536700:54:12,374 --> 00:54:14,585
5368And I was--just happened
5369to be lucky enough,
5370
53711147
537200:54:14,585 --> 00:54:16,128
5373I get to go onto
5374the set of Aliens
5375
53761148
537700:54:16,128 --> 00:54:17,421
5378and help puppeteer
5379the alien queen.
5380
53811149
538200:54:17,421 --> 00:54:19,298
5383Ah!
5384
53851150
538600:54:19,298 --> 00:54:21,258
5387But I was as
5388excited as you were.
5389
53901151
539100:54:21,258 --> 00:54:23,385
5392I was never like, "Ah,
5393a day at work with Dad."
5394
53951152
539600:54:23,385 --> 00:54:26,722
5397It was always like, "Holy
5398crap, this is so awesome."
5399
54001153
540100:54:26,722 --> 00:54:28,640
5402That's wonderful,
5403that's wonderful.
5404
54051154
540600:54:28,640 --> 00:54:32,227
5407So little outview,
5408what do you think will be
5409
54101155
541100:54:32,227 --> 00:54:34,521
5412the next five, ten years
5413of special effects?
5414
54151156
541600:54:34,521 --> 00:54:37,858
5417Where will the--the really
5418interesting stuff go now?
5419
54201157
542100:54:37,858 --> 00:54:41,403
5422Um, I--I believe that there is
5423
54241158
542500:54:41,403 --> 00:54:45,741
5426a pendulum swing
5427back to embracing
5428
54291159
543000:54:45,741 --> 00:54:48,368
5431lots of techniques
5432for making movies.
5433
54341160
543500:54:48,368 --> 00:54:51,747
5436I think after CGI came along,
5437
54381161
543900:54:51,747 --> 00:54:54,082
5440everyone was so excited
5441by this brand-new toy
5442
54431162
544400:54:54,082 --> 00:54:55,751
5445that they used it
5446for everything,
5447
54481163
544900:54:55,751 --> 00:54:57,628
5450and I think there's
5451a new generation
5452
54531164
545400:54:57,628 --> 00:55:00,339
5455who want to see us come
5456back to using everything
5457
54581165
545900:55:00,339 --> 00:55:02,174
5460and I think that's where
5461
54621166
546300:55:02,174 --> 00:55:04,176
5464the industry's headed
5465and that's where the magic
5466
54671167
546800:55:04,176 --> 00:55:05,594
5469comes back to movie making.
5470
54711168
547200:55:05,594 --> 00:55:07,721
5473No one gets into
5474the movie business
5475
54761169
547700:55:07,721 --> 00:55:09,306
5478to go to a big empty stage
5479
54801170
548100:55:09,306 --> 00:55:10,974
5482with green walls
5483and people in green.
5484
54851171
548600:55:10,974 --> 00:55:15,062
5487No, you get into storytelling
5488because you like--
5489
54901172
549100:55:15,062 --> 00:55:16,146
5492You want to lick
5493the Terminator.
5494
54951173
549600:55:16,146 --> 00:55:17,606
5497You want to lick
5498the Terminator.
5499
55001174
550100:55:17,606 --> 00:55:19,733
5502He's actually licking
5503the Terminator.
5504
55051175
550600:55:19,733 --> 00:55:21,318
5507Yes, I am, I am.
5508
55091176
551000:55:21,318 --> 00:55:23,278
5511This is what nerds
5512do, it's fine.
5513
55141177
551500:55:23,278 --> 00:55:27,032
5516Just don't lick the
5517zombie head, um...
5518
55191178
552000:55:27,032 --> 00:55:29,576
5521I can put my finger up his
5522nose, like I can do this.
5523
55241179
552500:55:29,576 --> 00:55:31,119
5526You can, and you can't
5527do that with pixels.
5528
55291180
553000:55:31,119 --> 00:55:32,412
5531I can actually lick the nose.
5532
55331181
553400:55:32,412 --> 00:55:34,081
5535No, please stop
5536licking our stuff.
5537
55381182
553900:55:34,081 --> 00:55:37,751
5540-Okay, I'll stop.
5541-Thank you.
5542
55431183
554400:55:37,751 --> 00:55:39,253
5545We'll remove that in post.
5546
55471184
554800:55:39,253 --> 00:55:40,587
5549It's okay, we'll
5550remove it in post.
5551
55521185
555300:55:40,587 --> 00:55:43,840
5554The wonder of
5555special effects.
5556
55571186
555800:55:43,840 --> 00:55:46,426
5559Now another good example,
5560Fantastic Mr. Fox.
5561
55621187
556300:55:46,426 --> 00:55:47,511
5564-Did you see that?
5565-Of course!
5566
55671188
556800:55:47,511 --> 00:55:50,973
5569Old-style stop motion.
5570
55711189
557200:55:50,973 --> 00:55:53,767
5573Great, it's magical to watch.
5574
55751190
557600:55:53,767 --> 00:55:55,185
5577The Boxtrolls.
5578
55791191
558000:55:55,185 --> 00:55:57,312
5581So I think we're
5582getting back to variety.
5583
55841192
558500:55:57,312 --> 00:56:00,607
5586That's what I think the
5587next ten years holds.
5588
55891193
559000:56:00,607 --> 00:56:02,317
5591Thank you so much--hug, hug!
5592
55931194
559400:56:02,317 --> 00:56:03,902
5595Oh, don't lick me though.
5596
55971195
559800:56:03,902 --> 00:56:05,153
5599No, I don't lick you,
5600I don't lick you.
5601
56021196
560300:56:05,153 --> 00:56:06,780
5604I know he's gonna lick me.
5605
56061197
560700:56:06,780 --> 00:56:08,031
5608Oh, he licked me!
5609
56101198
561100:56:08,031 --> 00:56:09,783
5612He just licked me!
5613
56141199
561500:56:09,783 --> 00:56:12,202
5616Stop licking people,
5617you crazy Austrian!
5618
56191200
562000:56:12,202 --> 00:56:14,496
5621No licking?
5622What does he expect?
5623
56241201
562500:56:14,496 --> 00:56:16,957
5626We are in San Fernando Valley!
5627
56281202
562900:56:16,957 --> 00:56:19,876
5630I got so excited
5631that I forgot to ask Matt
5632
56331203
563400:56:19,876 --> 00:56:22,212
5635the most important question:
5636
56371204
563800:56:22,212 --> 00:56:25,674
5639Why do they send a high-tech
5640killing machine back in time
5641
56421205
564300:56:25,674 --> 00:56:28,010
5644that can't speak
5645proper English?
5646
56471206
564800:56:28,010 --> 00:56:31,263
5649An 8-bit problem?
5650
56511207
565200:56:31,263 --> 00:56:33,724
5653Escape from L.A.
5654
56551208
565600:56:33,724 --> 00:56:35,559
5657Our next destination:
5658
56591209
566000:56:35,559 --> 00:56:40,063
5661The El Mirage Dry Lake Bed
5662in San Bernardino County.
5663
56641210
566500:56:40,063 --> 00:56:42,524
5666♪
5667
56681211
566900:56:42,524 --> 00:56:44,151
5670Ouch!
5671
56721212
567300:56:44,151 --> 00:56:46,486
5674The lake bed is an
5675interesting place
5676
56771213
567800:56:46,486 --> 00:56:49,406
5679of speed and stillness.
5680
56811214
568200:56:49,406 --> 00:56:53,285
5683It is mostly used in car
5684commercials and yoga videos,
5685
56861215
568700:56:53,285 --> 00:56:57,039
5688but it also was a testing
5689ground for rocket cars.
5690
56911216
569200:56:57,039 --> 00:56:59,124
5693Is this the right turn?
5694
56951217
569600:56:59,124 --> 00:57:04,296
5697♪
5698
56991218
570000:57:04,296 --> 00:57:08,884
5701Reminds me of the waltzing
5702truck scene in Convoy.
5703
57041219
570500:57:08,884 --> 00:57:11,762
5706♪
5707
57081220
570900:57:11,762 --> 00:57:16,058
5710After 45 minutes driving
5711around in dusty nothingness,
5712
57131221
571400:57:16,058 --> 00:57:18,143
5715we are getting a bit worried.
5716
57171222
571800:57:18,143 --> 00:57:20,979
5719♪
5720
57211223
572200:57:20,979 --> 00:57:22,939
5723Oh, look at that jet
5724engine right there.
5725
57261224
572700:57:22,939 --> 00:57:24,775
5728There's the gate.
5729
57301225
573100:57:24,775 --> 00:57:26,193
5732Okay, so what do we do?
5733
57341226
573500:57:26,193 --> 00:57:28,236
5736I don't see any
5737human being and--
5738
57391227
574000:57:28,236 --> 00:57:29,780
5741Back up?
5742
57431228
574400:57:32,866 --> 00:57:34,201
5745...and that's the last
5746thing you want to do.
5747
57481229
574900:57:34,201 --> 00:57:35,369
5750You want to...
5751
57521230
575300:57:35,369 --> 00:57:36,745
5754(laughing)
5755
57561231
575700:57:36,745 --> 00:57:39,331
5758Okay, welcome to
5759El Mirage, California.
5760
57611232
576200:57:39,331 --> 00:57:41,124
5763I'm into race cars.
5764
57651233
576600:57:41,124 --> 00:57:44,795
5767We are damn lucky that we run
5768into the mayor of Dry Lake.
5769
57701234
577100:57:44,795 --> 00:57:46,630
5772Well, he is not
5773really the mayor,
5774
57751235
577600:57:46,630 --> 00:57:48,882
5777but everyone calls
5778him that way.
5779
57801236
578100:57:48,882 --> 00:57:50,550
5782And rightly so.
5783
57841237
578500:57:50,550 --> 00:57:54,137
5786He has the demeanor of
5787a Mad Maxian warlord,
5788
57891238
579000:57:54,137 --> 00:57:56,973
5791and he sells car parts on eBay.
5792
57931239
579400:57:56,973 --> 00:58:01,103
5795This is a fiberglass replica
5796of a 1929 Ford.
5797
57981240
579900:58:01,103 --> 00:58:03,689
5800Supercharger
5801and this is the fuel injector.
5802
58031241
580400:58:03,689 --> 00:58:06,149
5805The car weighs 5,000 pounds.
5806
58071242
580800:58:06,149 --> 00:58:07,192
5809Oh, that's lead.
5810
58111243
581200:58:07,192 --> 00:58:08,819
5813Yeah, lie down in there.
5814
58151244
581600:58:08,819 --> 00:58:10,862
5817Woo!
5818
58191245
582000:58:10,862 --> 00:58:12,572
5821'Cause you're not--you're not
5822really steering this thing.
5823
58241246
582500:58:12,572 --> 00:58:14,616
5826You're just hoping
5827that it goes straight.
5828
58291247
583000:58:14,616 --> 00:58:17,744
5831Whoa, Jesus...
5832
58331248
583400:58:17,744 --> 00:58:19,371
5835H. Christ.
5836
58371249
583800:58:19,371 --> 00:58:21,289
5839I'm in the middle of
5840nowhere, as you can tell,
5841
58421250
584300:58:21,289 --> 00:58:25,210
5844but I really enjoy this,
5845you know, this kind of living.
5846
58471251
584800:58:25,210 --> 00:58:28,171
5849Hear the noise in the
5850background, you know.
5851
58521252
585300:58:28,171 --> 00:58:32,050
5854But over the years I've
5855seen all kinds of movies.
5856
58571253
585800:58:32,050 --> 00:58:34,344
5859Clint Eastwood's
5860been out here,
5861
58621254
586300:58:34,344 --> 00:58:37,597
5864uh, they did some
5865Star Treks out here.
5866
58671255
586800:58:37,597 --> 00:58:39,349
5869A lot of times,
5870if I see a movie
5871
58721256
587300:58:39,349 --> 00:58:41,560
5874and then I may know
5875somebody working on it,
5876
58771257
587800:58:41,560 --> 00:58:44,271
5879and I'll go out
5880and that's always fun.
5881
58821258
588300:58:44,271 --> 00:58:47,232
5884Yeah, you know, see the crew
5885and hang around with them,
5886
58871259
588800:58:47,232 --> 00:58:50,193
5889and, of course, I go
5890bum a little free food.
5891
58921260
589300:58:50,193 --> 00:58:53,029
5894Bum up to the roach coach,
5895you know.
5896
58971261
589800:58:53,029 --> 00:58:55,782
5899Hey, the movie
5900people eat well.
5901
59021262
590300:58:55,782 --> 00:58:57,617
5904You know, they'll have
5905burritos for breakfast,
5906
59071263
590800:58:57,617 --> 00:58:59,578
5909they'll have roast beef
5910sandwiches,
5911
59121264
591300:58:59,578 --> 00:59:01,079
5914and then they'll have
5915steak for dinner,
5916
59171265
591800:59:01,079 --> 00:59:04,124
5919and there's always
5920the craft person there.
5921
59221266
592300:59:04,124 --> 00:59:06,084
5924Thanks, now I'm hungry.
5925
59261267
592700:59:06,084 --> 00:59:08,879
5928The lake bed is featured
5929in the opening sequence
5930
59311268
593200:59:08,879 --> 00:59:10,839
5933of Knight Rider,
5934
59351269
593600:59:10,839 --> 00:59:12,883
5937but my favorite
5938movie shot here
5939
59401270
594100:59:12,883 --> 00:59:15,886
5942is The Adventures
5943of Buckaroo Banzai
5944
59451271
594600:59:15,886 --> 00:59:20,265
5947Across the 8th
5948Dimension from 1984.
5949
59501272
595100:59:20,265 --> 00:59:22,851
5952A brain surgeon,
5953speed car racer,
5954
59551273
595600:59:22,851 --> 00:59:25,228
5957rock star,
5958alien defender epic
5959
59601274
596100:59:25,228 --> 00:59:28,231
5962with one of the best
5963bare man breasts
5964
59651275
596600:59:28,231 --> 00:59:31,359
5967in the history of
5968bare man breasts.
5969
59701276
597100:59:31,359 --> 00:59:33,612
5972It's a remarkably
5973enthusiastic,
5974
59751277
597600:59:33,612 --> 00:59:35,906
5977good-natured movie for nerds
5978
59791278
598000:59:35,906 --> 00:59:39,367
5981at a time before nerd
5982culture was mainstreamed.
5983
59841279
598500:59:39,367 --> 00:59:41,203
5986It sadly fails offering
5987
59881280
598900:59:41,203 --> 00:59:44,039
5990a single interesting
5991female character.
5992
59931281
599400:59:44,039 --> 00:59:49,211
5995♪
5996
59971282
599800:59:49,211 --> 00:59:52,172
5999Heroes and heroines
6000are our demise.
6001
60021283
600300:59:52,172 --> 00:59:54,299
6004We don't need them.
6005
60061284
600700:59:54,299 --> 00:59:58,887
6008We can't change the world
6009without thinking as a group,
6010
60111285
601200:59:58,887 --> 01:00:00,639
6013as a system.
6014
60151286
601601:00:00,639 --> 01:00:04,017
6017Retelling and fetishizing
6018the hero narrative
6019
60201287
602101:00:04,017 --> 01:00:07,771
6022is deadly naïveté,
6023perpetuating a belief
6024
60251288
602601:00:07,771 --> 01:00:12,067
6027that "exceptional
6028people will save us."
6029
60301289
603101:00:12,067 --> 01:00:15,946
6032No, especially not Elon Musk.
6033
60341290
603501:00:15,946 --> 01:00:18,073
6036Can you see us drive away?
6037
60381291
603901:00:18,073 --> 01:00:19,866
6040That's because we
6041are in the process
6042
60431292
604401:00:19,866 --> 01:00:22,661
6045of accidentally leaving
6046our GoPro behind.
6047
60481293
604901:00:22,661 --> 01:00:24,371
6050♪
6051
60521294
605301:00:24,371 --> 01:00:26,289
6054The next step on
6055our little journey
6056
60571295
605801:00:26,289 --> 01:00:30,210
6059on Damnation Alley
6060is Las Vegas.
6061
60621296
606301:00:30,210 --> 01:00:33,213
6064Nothing should
6065be here but dust.
6066
60671297
606801:00:33,213 --> 01:00:37,008
6069Vegas exists due to an
6070overlap of weird factors.
6071
60721298
607301:00:37,008 --> 01:00:39,761
6074Trucking routes,
6075the mafia, the military,
6076
60771299
607801:00:39,761 --> 01:00:41,680
6079and the entertainment business.
6080
60811300
608201:00:41,680 --> 01:00:44,891
6083Vegas is gorgeous
6084hyperreality,
6085
60861301
608701:00:44,891 --> 01:00:46,935
6088but most of the stuff
6089people like here
6090
60911302
609201:00:46,935 --> 01:00:48,687
6093is not my cup of tea.
6094
60951303
609601:00:48,687 --> 01:00:52,148
6097I don't gamble, and I
6098don't like Penn & Teller.
6099
61001304
610101:00:52,148 --> 01:00:54,109
6102I'd rather be locked
6103into a basement
6104
61051305
610601:00:54,109 --> 01:00:56,194
6107full of Philip Glass
6108recordings.
6109
61101306
611101:00:56,194 --> 01:00:58,113
6112But I'm no party pooper.
6113
61141307
611501:00:58,113 --> 01:01:08,415
6116♪
6117
61181308
611901:01:08,415 --> 01:01:10,208
6120Let's go to the outskirts
6121
61221309
612301:01:10,208 --> 01:01:13,420
6124and visit my friend, Kristina
6125Amerson, for a coffee break,
6126
61271310
612801:01:13,420 --> 01:01:15,422
6129and let Eddie fly his drones.
6130
61311311
613201:01:15,422 --> 01:01:17,674
6133He hasn't flown his
6134babies in two days
6135
61361312
613701:01:17,674 --> 01:01:20,302
6138and that means
6139severe withdrawal.
6140
61411313
614201:01:20,302 --> 01:01:23,263
6143♪
6144
61451314
614601:01:23,263 --> 01:01:26,349
6147We spot an interesting RV.
6148
61491315
615001:01:26,349 --> 01:01:28,268
6151♪
6152
61531316
615401:01:28,268 --> 01:01:31,396
6155It belongs to Kelly Poots.
6156
61571317
615801:01:31,396 --> 01:01:33,940
6159He repairs CB radios.
6160
61611318
616201:01:33,940 --> 01:01:36,443
6163Back when this was
6164really booming,
6165
61661319
616701:01:36,443 --> 01:01:40,363
6168um, a lot of people used it
6169and they repaired it,
6170
61711320
617201:01:40,363 --> 01:01:43,325
6173you know, that's the--
6174the component level,
6175
61761321
617701:01:43,325 --> 01:01:44,701
6178if something broke,
6179then you fixed something
6180
61811322
618201:01:44,701 --> 01:01:46,119
6183inside the radio.
6184
61851323
618601:01:46,119 --> 01:01:48,413
6187And nowadays,
6188everything, if it breaks,
6189
61901324
619101:01:48,413 --> 01:01:50,415
6192you throw it in the garbage,
6193you buy another one,
6194
61951325
619601:01:50,415 --> 01:01:52,375
6197and that's, unfortunately,
6198that's the way the whole world
6199
62001326
620101:01:52,375 --> 01:01:54,210
6202is going through
6203a bunch of stuff.
6204
62051327
620601:01:54,210 --> 01:01:58,548
6207But I see the last--at least
6208three or four years anyway,
6209
62101328
621101:01:58,548 --> 01:02:02,135
6212that people are really
6213afraid of terrorists
6214
62151329
621601:02:02,135 --> 01:02:03,929
6217and government and weather
6218
62191330
622001:02:03,929 --> 01:02:07,349
6221and things going
6222on in the world,
6223
62241331
622501:02:07,349 --> 01:02:10,602
6226and these still are 12-volt.
6227
62281332
622901:02:10,602 --> 01:02:12,354
6230They hook up--when
6231something happens,
6232
62331333
623401:02:12,354 --> 01:02:15,523
6235these are garbage, you go
6236in the--boom, you're done.
6237
62381334
623901:02:15,523 --> 01:02:18,193
6240These, you can
6241still communicate
6242
62431335
624401:02:18,193 --> 01:02:21,112
6245at least five, ten miles
6246
62471336
624801:02:21,112 --> 01:02:23,323
6249without any kind
6250of technology.
6251
62521337
625301:02:23,323 --> 01:02:26,409
6254And everybody just had 'em
6255because it was convenient.
6256
62571338
625801:02:26,409 --> 01:02:29,579
6259The economy crashed,
6260everything went south,
6261
62621339
626301:02:29,579 --> 01:02:32,415
6264and now we have a whole
6265different crew of people
6266
62671340
626801:02:32,415 --> 01:02:33,917
6269driving the trucks
6270
62711341
627201:02:33,917 --> 01:02:36,086
6273that don't even know
6274what a radio is.
6275
62761342
627701:02:36,086 --> 01:02:39,506
6278You know, they see this,
6279"Oh, okay," you know,
6280
62811343
628201:02:39,506 --> 01:02:41,633
6283and they don't know what--
6284
62851344
628601:02:41,633 --> 01:02:43,468
6287Like the guy that
6288was just here.
6289
62901345
629101:02:43,468 --> 01:02:45,011
6292He come to the
6293door and he says,
6294
62951346
629601:02:45,011 --> 01:02:46,930
6297"Oh, my radio's not working."
6298
62991347
630001:02:46,930 --> 01:02:49,015
6301I said, "Well, bring it in."
6302
63031348
630401:02:49,015 --> 01:02:50,642
6305"What, I've got
6306to bring it in?
6307
63081349
630901:02:50,642 --> 01:02:53,186
6310I don't understand."
6311
63121350
631301:02:53,186 --> 01:02:55,814
6314In retrospect,
6315only those technologies
6316
63171351
631801:02:55,814 --> 01:02:57,565
6319that prove functional
6320for a culture
6321
63221352
632301:02:57,565 --> 01:03:02,320
6324and can be integrated into
6325everyday life are left over.
6326
63271353
632801:03:02,320 --> 01:03:05,657
6329We need to talk more about
6330the fascinating underworld
6331
63321354
633301:03:05,657 --> 01:03:09,911
6334of Dead Media, about
6335the abandoned branches
6336
63371355
633801:03:09,911 --> 01:03:12,372
6339of the tree of
6340media creation,
6341
63421356
634301:03:12,372 --> 01:03:15,041
6344from cuneiform tablets
6345to Apple Newton,
6346
63471357
634801:03:15,041 --> 01:03:18,628
6349from passenger
6350pigeons to MySpace.
6351
63521358
635301:03:18,628 --> 01:03:20,714
6354♪
6355
63561359
635701:03:20,714 --> 01:03:24,050
6358Something draws me northwest.
6359
63601360
636101:03:24,050 --> 01:03:26,302
6362I crave ice cream.
6363
63641361
636501:03:26,302 --> 01:03:48,199
6366♪
6367
63681362
636901:03:48,199 --> 01:03:50,577
6370While Eddie is a
6371bit too energetic
6372
63731363
637401:03:50,577 --> 01:03:52,912
6375and floods the bathroom...
6376
63771364
637801:03:52,912 --> 01:03:56,249
6379I finally get my ice cream.
6380
63811365
638201:03:56,249 --> 01:04:00,336
6383I think we are very close.
6384
63851366
638601:04:00,336 --> 01:04:02,464
6387Dirt road.
6388
63891367
639001:04:02,464 --> 01:04:04,841
6391Follow the dirt road.
6392
63931368
639401:04:04,841 --> 01:04:07,552
6395♪ Follow the dirt road ♪♪
6396
63971369
639801:04:07,552 --> 01:04:16,853
6399♪
6400
64011370
640201:04:16,853 --> 01:04:21,232
6403Somewhere beyond
6404this gate is Area 51.
6405
64061371
640701:04:21,232 --> 01:04:23,318
6408Nobody really knows
6409what's going on inside,
6410
64111372
641201:04:23,318 --> 01:04:25,361
6413but the reality
6414of military life
6415
64161373
641701:04:25,361 --> 01:04:27,238
6418is certainly far
6419more hilarious
6420
64211374
642201:04:27,238 --> 01:04:31,701
6423than anything Roland Emmerich
6424could ever come up with.
6425
64261375
642701:04:31,701 --> 01:04:34,871
6428My friend, Trevor Paglen,
6429does a lot of research
6430
64311376
643201:04:34,871 --> 01:04:38,166
6433to make this hidden world
6434visible and more accessible.
6435
64361377
643701:04:38,166 --> 01:04:40,210
6438-Uh, wonderful.
6439-Good to see you, Johannes.
6440
64411378
644201:04:40,210 --> 01:04:41,836
6443I'm surprised that
6444it's actually working,
6445
64461379
644701:04:41,836 --> 01:04:45,590
6448so, um, good to have you
6449and, please, tell me
6450
64511380
645201:04:45,590 --> 01:04:48,551
6453a little bit about the
6454blackness behind me.
6455
64561381
645701:04:48,551 --> 01:04:51,846
6458Okay, so Area 51, right
6459by where you're standing,
6460
64611382
646201:04:51,846 --> 01:04:54,516
6463is inside a much
6464larger restricted area
6465
64661383
646701:04:54,516 --> 01:04:56,184
6468called the Nellis Range,
6469
64701384
647101:04:56,184 --> 01:04:59,437
6472and the Nellis Range is a
6473giant restricted military,
6474
64751385
647601:04:59,437 --> 01:05:02,607
6477um, area in Nevada
6478
64791386
648001:05:02,607 --> 01:05:05,318
6481that's about the
6482size of Switzerland.
6483
64841387
648501:05:05,318 --> 01:05:09,030
6486Area 51 is basically
6487a black facility.
6488
64891388
649001:05:09,030 --> 01:05:10,782
6491But there's other
6492places as well
6493
64941389
649501:05:10,782 --> 01:05:14,119
6496like the Tonopah Test Range,
6497for example, is in there.
6498
64991390
650001:05:14,119 --> 01:05:16,538
6501On the southern border is
6502the Creech Air Force Base
6503
65041391
650501:05:16,538 --> 01:05:18,123
6506which is where
6507they fly all the drones
6508
65091392
651001:05:18,123 --> 01:05:20,125
6511around the world from
6512via satellite uplink.
6513
65141393
651501:05:20,125 --> 01:05:22,127
6516The military loves patches.
6517
65181394
651901:05:22,127 --> 01:05:24,546
6520Almost everything
6521it does has patches,
6522
65231395
652401:05:24,546 --> 01:05:27,882
6525even, oddly enough, programs,
6526units, and activities
6527
65281396
652901:05:27,882 --> 01:05:30,927
6530that are officially secret.
6531
65321397
653301:05:30,927 --> 01:05:33,721
6534It says,
6535"Classified Flight Test,"
6536
65371398
653801:05:33,721 --> 01:05:38,143
6539and it has this alien
6540eating a stealth bomber.
6541
65421399
654301:05:38,143 --> 01:05:41,104
6544And this stealth bomber has
6545
65461400
654701:05:41,104 --> 01:05:43,690
6548this weird sigma
6549symbol in here
6550
65511401
655201:05:43,690 --> 01:05:46,943
6553and what that represents
6554is invisibility, right?
6555
65561402
655701:05:46,943 --> 01:05:49,279
6558So that's when they're doing
6559a radar cross-section test,
6560
65611403
656201:05:49,279 --> 01:05:51,030
6563this is what
6564they're looking for
6565
65661404
656701:05:51,030 --> 01:05:54,325
6568in a stealth airplane, something
6569approaching invisibility.
6570
65711405
657201:05:54,325 --> 01:05:59,038
6573Um, the--here's
6574the numbers, the 509.
6575
65761406
657701:05:59,038 --> 01:06:02,917
6578The 509 is the 509th
6579bombing squadron
6580
65811407
658201:06:02,917 --> 01:06:05,211
6583whose lineage goes back,
6584
65851408
658601:06:05,211 --> 01:06:08,047
6587actually, to Roswell,
6588New Mexico, which is, hence,
6589
65901409
659101:06:08,047 --> 01:06:10,300
6592where this alien
6593figure comes from.
6594
65951410
659601:06:10,300 --> 01:06:11,718
6597It's kind of talking
6598about Roswell,
6599
66001411
660101:06:11,718 --> 01:06:14,262
6602but then also
6603Area 51 is an alien.
6604
66051412
660601:06:14,262 --> 01:06:18,183
6607You see this a lot in patches
6608associated with Area 51
6609
66101413
661101:06:18,183 --> 01:06:21,144
6612where they use aliens
6613a lot in their patches.
6614
66151414
661601:06:21,144 --> 01:06:23,354
6617And if you're a
6618conspiracy theorist,
6619
66201415
662101:06:23,354 --> 01:06:25,023
6622some people interpret that
6623as like, "Oh, my God,
6624
66251416
662601:06:25,023 --> 01:06:26,900
6627they have aliens
6628at Area 51,"
6629
66301417
663101:06:26,900 --> 01:06:28,651
6632but, you know,
6633the other part of it
6634
66351418
663601:06:28,651 --> 01:06:30,862
6637is that they've appropriated
6638that image of the alien
6639
66401419
664101:06:30,862 --> 01:06:33,781
6642and incorporated it
6643into their own mythology.
6644
66451420
664601:06:33,781 --> 01:06:38,828
6647Here at the bottom it says,
6648"Gustatus Similis Pullus,"
6649
66501421
665101:06:38,828 --> 01:06:42,582
6652and what that means is, it
6653says, "Tastes like chicken."
6654
66551422
665601:06:42,582 --> 01:06:46,169
6657It's government-funded
6658fraternity humor on crack.
6659
66601423
666101:06:46,169 --> 01:06:53,968
6662♪
6663
66641424
666501:06:53,968 --> 01:06:56,721
6666Long drive to Phoenix is long.
6667
66681425
666901:06:56,721 --> 01:07:00,600
6670♪
6671
66721426
667301:07:00,600 --> 01:07:03,061
6674Time enough to ponder.
6675
66761427
667701:07:03,061 --> 01:07:06,231
6678Did you know that if you
6679removed all nerve cells
6680
66811428
668201:07:06,231 --> 01:07:07,941
6683from your brain
6684and laid them out
6685
66861429
668701:07:07,941 --> 01:07:11,319
6688end-to-end in a straight
6689line, you would die?
6690
66911430
669201:07:11,319 --> 01:07:13,780
6693(laughter)
6694
66951431
669601:07:13,780 --> 01:07:15,406
6697We are super excited.
6698
66991432
670001:07:15,406 --> 01:07:18,534
6701We are visiting the
6702headquarters of Bad Dragon,
6703
67041433
670501:07:18,534 --> 01:07:22,747
6706flourishing producers of
6707fine fantasy sex toys.
6708
67091434
671001:07:22,747 --> 01:07:27,210
6711Only a few nerdverts
6712have that privilege.
6713
67141435
671501:07:27,210 --> 01:07:30,171
6716The location is kept
6717a strict secret.
6718
67191436
672001:07:30,171 --> 01:07:33,967
6721It's wonderful to be here,
6722and what we can see
6723
67241437
672501:07:33,967 --> 01:07:37,845
6726is a huge variety of dicks.
6727
67281438
672901:07:37,845 --> 01:07:40,348
6730-Oh, yeah.
6731-Bad Dragon started
6732
67331439
673401:07:40,348 --> 01:07:44,978
6735as a WordPress blog
6736about your endeavors
6737
67381440
673901:07:44,978 --> 01:07:49,440
6740of creating molds and doing
6741do-it-yourself prosthetics.
6742
67431441
674401:07:49,440 --> 01:07:52,151
6745When we started out, like,
6746basically what happened
6747
67481442
674901:07:52,151 --> 01:07:55,363
6750is I was working 14-hour days
6751between university and a job,
6752
67531443
675401:07:55,363 --> 01:07:57,490
6755and it was all in
6756front of the computer,
6757
67581444
675901:07:57,490 --> 01:08:01,202
6760and 14 hours a day
6761in your house
6762
67631445
676401:08:01,202 --> 01:08:02,996
6765studying and doing
6766computer stuff,
6767
67681446
676901:08:02,996 --> 01:08:05,748
6770you know, it gets very boring,
6771and I wanted to get out
6772
67731447
677401:08:05,748 --> 01:08:07,792
6775and, you know, do something and
6776learn some practical things
6777
67781448
677901:08:07,792 --> 01:08:09,961
6780and, you know, learn some
6781new skills or something
6782
67831449
678401:08:09,961 --> 01:08:11,796
6785and take up a hobby.
6786
67871450
678801:08:11,796 --> 01:08:15,675
6789And so I what I did is I
6790decided to try sculpting.
6791
67921451
679301:08:15,675 --> 01:08:17,593
6794And so what I did is I
6795went and bought some clay,
6796
67971452
679801:08:17,593 --> 01:08:19,595
6799some air-drying clay,
6800hobby clay, right,
6801
68021453
680301:08:19,595 --> 01:08:22,890
6804from the art store,
6805and took it home
6806
68071454
680801:08:22,890 --> 01:08:25,935
6809and said, "I'm gonna teach
6810myself how to sculpt,"
6811
68121455
681301:08:25,935 --> 01:08:28,313
6814and I decided I was
6815gonna go sculpt dragons
6816
68171456
681801:08:28,313 --> 01:08:30,148
6819and fantasy creatures
6820and all the rest of this,
6821
68221457
682301:08:30,148 --> 01:08:32,942
6824and I had great aspirations
6825of I'd have this new hobby,
6826
68271458
682801:08:32,942 --> 01:08:35,862
6829and then proceeded to
6830find that the only thing
6831
68321459
683301:08:35,862 --> 01:08:37,363
6834I could sculpt with any
6835degree of competency
6836
68371460
683801:08:37,363 --> 01:08:39,157
6839was dragon dildos.
6840
68411461
684201:08:39,157 --> 01:08:42,160
6843And what was funny was I,
6844you know, just sculpted stuff,
6845
68461462
684701:08:42,160 --> 01:08:43,661
6848you know, you squidge it around,
6849"Oh, that's kind of
6850
68511463
685201:08:43,661 --> 01:08:45,121
6853sort of a dragon
6854dick, you know,"
6855
68561464
685701:08:45,121 --> 01:08:46,831
6858and then shared it
6859with your friends
6860
68611465
686201:08:46,831 --> 01:08:48,416
6863and, you know,
6864posted pictures online,
6865
68661466
686701:08:48,416 --> 01:08:51,794
6868and people saying, "Hey,
6869so when can I buy one?
6870
68711467
687201:08:51,794 --> 01:08:53,713
6873When's this toy coming out?"
6874
68751468
687601:08:53,713 --> 01:08:56,299
6877And I'm like, "Really,
6878really, you want this?"
6879
68801469
688101:08:56,299 --> 01:08:58,968
6882Now Bad Dragon is
6883a thriving company
6884
68851470
688601:08:58,968 --> 01:09:02,305
6887employing over 40 people,
6888who have a lot of fun
6889
68901471
689101:09:02,305 --> 01:09:05,016
6892while really doing
6893groundbreaking work.
6894
68951472
689601:09:05,016 --> 01:09:08,644
6897Every day they use thousands
6898of dollars worth of silicone
6899
69001473
690101:09:08,644 --> 01:09:10,271
6902and ship hundreds of toys,
6903
69041474
690501:09:10,271 --> 01:09:12,815
6906many of them
6907custom-made pieces.
6908
69091475
691001:09:12,815 --> 01:09:16,235
6911The sex toy industry is a
6912very uncanny environment,
6913
69141476
691501:09:16,235 --> 01:09:18,696
6916and Bad Dragon doesn't
6917even try to compete
6918
69191477
692001:09:18,696 --> 01:09:20,406
6921with the harsh reality
6922
69231478
692401:09:20,406 --> 01:09:23,534
6925of dildo-producing
6926sweatshops in China.
6927
69281479
692901:09:23,534 --> 01:09:26,496
6930Varka and his fellow
6931cocksmiths are nerds
6932
69331480
693401:09:26,496 --> 01:09:29,749
6935and have a very imaginative
6936perspective on designing,
6937
69381481
693901:09:29,749 --> 01:09:31,918
6940manufacturing, and promoting.
6941
69421482
694301:09:31,918 --> 01:09:33,461
6944Werewolf strap-ons?
6945
69461483
694701:09:33,461 --> 01:09:35,588
6948Basilisk vaginas?
6949
69501484
695101:09:35,588 --> 01:09:37,507
6952Shut up and take my money!
6953
69541485
695501:09:37,507 --> 01:09:39,592
6956Nerds like assembling in clans
6957
69581486
695901:09:39,592 --> 01:09:43,096
6960that always end up in
6961tribal warfare scenarios
6962
69631487
696401:09:43,096 --> 01:09:45,139
6965that are very,
6966very unhealthy.
6967
69681488
696901:09:45,139 --> 01:09:47,350
6970Now add gender and sexuality
6971
69721489
697301:09:47,350 --> 01:09:50,478
6974and you usually end up
6975in a toxic wasteland.
6976
69771490
697801:09:50,478 --> 01:09:53,606
6979The story of Bad Dragon
6980and its message of openness
6981
69821491
698301:09:53,606 --> 01:09:56,234
6984and acceptance is
6985telling a different story
6986
69871492
698801:09:56,234 --> 01:09:58,403
6989and a super encouraging one.
6990
69911493
699201:09:58,403 --> 01:09:59,737
6993Johannes, what the
6994hell are you doing?
6995
69961494
699701:09:59,737 --> 01:10:01,447
6998I think he was
6999just laying down.
7000
70011495
700201:10:01,447 --> 01:10:03,074
7003Yeah, I'm just
7004laying there, yeah.
7005
70061496
700701:10:03,074 --> 01:10:06,702
7008Okay, and, now,
7009bring the dicks.
7010
70111497
701201:10:06,702 --> 01:10:08,162
7013♪
7014
70151498
701601:10:08,162 --> 01:10:09,789
7017I feel like I'm in
7018San Francisco again,
7019
70201499
702101:10:09,789 --> 01:10:11,290
7022seeing some
7023performance art
7024
70251500
702601:10:11,290 --> 01:10:13,042
7027and wondering, "What
7028the hell is going on?"
7029
70301501
703101:10:21,342 --> 01:10:22,969
7032Ah, you don't get it.
7033
70341502
703501:10:22,969 --> 01:10:25,054
7036Let's go to Olive Garden.
7037
70381503
703901:10:25,054 --> 01:10:28,224
7040It is a fascinating example
7041of corporate culture.
7042
70431504
704401:10:28,224 --> 01:10:31,894
7045Its menu is entirely based
7046on customer statistics.
7047
70481505
704901:10:31,894 --> 01:10:33,938
7050It offers as Italian food
7051
70521506
705301:10:33,938 --> 01:10:37,650
7054what Americans think
7055Italian food is.
7056
70571507
705801:10:37,650 --> 01:10:40,653
7059It's a gastro-empirical
7060feedback loop,
7061
70621508
706301:10:40,653 --> 01:10:42,321
7064and it knocks us straight
7065
70661509
706701:10:42,321 --> 01:10:45,450
7068into a well-deserved
7069Alfredo coma.
7070
70711510
707201:10:45,450 --> 01:10:52,290
7073♪
7074
70751511
707601:10:52,290 --> 01:10:55,960
7077(rumbling)
7078
70791512
708001:10:55,960 --> 01:10:58,921
7081What does my subconscious
7082
70831513
708401:10:58,921 --> 01:11:02,091
7085want to tell me?
7086
70871514
708801:11:02,091 --> 01:11:05,928
7089Maybe the physically
7090impossible promise
7091
70921515
709301:11:05,928 --> 01:11:09,765
7094of unlimited breadsticks
7095
70961516
709701:11:09,765 --> 01:11:13,436
7098haunts my skeptical mind.
7099
71001517
710101:11:13,436 --> 01:11:15,813
7102Or maybe it tells me
7103
71041518
710501:11:15,813 --> 01:11:18,983
7106that we should
7107go to Flagstaff
7108
71091519
711001:11:18,983 --> 01:11:22,069
7111and check out Meteor Crater.
7112
71131520
711401:11:22,069 --> 01:11:24,071
7115♪
7116
71171521
711801:11:24,071 --> 01:11:26,032
7119"The world's best preserved
7120
71211522
712201:11:26,032 --> 01:11:29,494
7123meteorite impact
7124site on Earth."
7125
71261523
712701:11:29,494 --> 01:11:31,746
7128♪
7129
71301524
713101:11:31,746 --> 01:11:33,956
7132Meteor Crater is the
7133result of a collision
7134
71351525
713601:11:33,956 --> 01:11:36,250
7137between an asteroid
7138and our planet,
7139
71401526
714101:11:36,250 --> 01:11:39,378
7142before Bruce Willis
7143could stop it.
7144
71451527
714601:11:39,378 --> 01:12:11,118
7147♪
7148
71491528
715001:12:12,954 --> 01:12:17,458
7151This is an impact
7152simulation using impact.
7153
71541529
715501:12:17,458 --> 01:12:21,045
7156And we're not allowed to
7157do "Arial" photography.
7158
71591530
716001:12:21,045 --> 01:12:23,673
7161I wonder if we can use
7162Helvetica instead.
7163
71641531
716501:12:23,673 --> 01:12:30,680
7166♪
7167
71681532
716901:12:30,680 --> 01:12:34,225
7170We make a stop at the dinosaur
7171tracks near Tuba City.
7172
71731533
717401:12:34,225 --> 01:12:36,602
7175♪
7176
71771534
717801:12:36,602 --> 01:12:38,396
7179Very impressive.
7180
71811535
718201:12:38,396 --> 01:12:42,149
7183Our Navajo guide, Virgil
7184Secody, is very helpful.
7185
71861536
718701:12:42,149 --> 01:12:43,693
7188West side of Tuba City,
7189right here,
7190
71911537
719201:12:43,693 --> 01:12:45,820
7193is a little town on top,
7194that's where I'm from,
7195
71961538
719701:12:45,820 --> 01:12:49,156
7198but back here, we've got
7199some corn fields on top.
7200
72011539
720201:12:49,156 --> 01:12:51,492
7203That's where my
7204grandpa's ranch at.
7205
72061540
720701:12:51,492 --> 01:12:52,994
7208I come from back there.
7209
72101541
721101:12:52,994 --> 01:12:55,037
7212How far would you
7213actually find tracks here?
7214
72151542
721601:12:55,037 --> 01:12:56,747
7217Well, in this area,
7218it's probably like
7219
72201543
722101:12:56,747 --> 01:12:58,165
7222a quarter acre right here.
7223
72241544
722501:12:58,165 --> 01:13:00,710
7226Full of bones and then
7227tracks everywhere.
7228
72291545
723001:13:00,710 --> 01:13:03,045
7231During the summer, there's
7232a bunch of people stopping.
7233
72341546
723501:13:03,045 --> 01:13:05,756
7236Everybody took off
7237'cause it's kind of cold,
7238
72391547
724001:13:05,756 --> 01:13:09,010
7241so it's just me
7242and him, that guy,
7243
72441548
724501:13:09,010 --> 01:13:11,637
7246we're still waiting
7247for some customers.
7248
72491549
725001:13:11,637 --> 01:13:13,472
7251In the end, he asks
7252for a donation,
7253
72541550
725501:13:13,472 --> 01:13:15,057
7256and we gladly help.
7257
72581551
725901:13:15,057 --> 01:13:17,852
7260Another reminder that
7261the socio-economic status
7262
72631552
726401:13:17,852 --> 01:13:19,770
7265of the region is dire.
7266
72671553
726801:13:19,770 --> 01:13:21,564
7269We leave behind
7270a little warning
7271
72721554
727301:13:21,564 --> 01:13:23,399
7274for all the colonialists
7275
72761555
727701:13:23,399 --> 01:13:25,860
7278and creationists
7279for that matter.
7280
72811556
728201:13:25,860 --> 01:13:27,945
7283Monotheism is a dictatorship.
7284
72851557
728601:13:27,945 --> 01:13:30,823
7287The number of
7288the beast is one.
7289
72901558
729101:13:30,823 --> 01:13:34,744
7292Come here and get your
7293well-deserved face-melting!
7294
72951559
729601:13:34,744 --> 01:13:36,912
7297♪
7298
72991560
730001:13:36,912 --> 01:13:39,582
7301Bilingual Navajo
7302speakers were recruited
7303
73041561
730501:13:39,582 --> 01:13:41,667
7306during World War II
7307by the Marines
7308
73091562
731001:13:41,667 --> 01:13:45,212
7311to speak Navajo language
7312as an unbreakable code,
7313
73141563
731501:13:45,212 --> 01:13:48,090
7316and it helped
7317the U.S. win the war.
7318
73191564
732001:13:48,090 --> 01:13:51,510
7321Teddy Draper, Sr., one of
7322the Navajo Code Talkers,
7323
73241565
732501:13:51,510 --> 01:13:53,471
7326later commented that
7327when he was going
7328
73291566
733001:13:53,471 --> 01:13:55,640
7331to boarding school
7332before the war,
7333
73341567
733501:13:55,640 --> 01:13:58,768
7336the U.S. government told
7337him not to speak Navajo,
7338
73391568
734001:13:58,768 --> 01:14:02,313
7341but during the war,
7342they wanted him to speak it.
7343
73441569
734501:14:02,313 --> 01:14:05,191
7346A precise summary
7347of the problem,
7348
73491570
735001:14:05,191 --> 01:14:08,945
7351amplified by the fact that
7352the only Code Talker Museum
7353
73541571
735501:14:08,945 --> 01:14:11,530
7356on the planet is
7357in a Burger King,
7358
73591572
736001:14:11,530 --> 01:14:12,948
7361with the biggest exhibit
7362
73631573
736401:14:12,948 --> 01:14:15,076
7365being a printout
7366of Nicolas Cage.
7367
73681574
736901:14:15,076 --> 01:14:21,540
7370♪
7371
73721575
737301:14:21,540 --> 01:14:26,504
7374No idea how, but we make
7375it to Durango, Colorado,
7376
73771576
737801:14:26,504 --> 01:14:31,550
7379a former mining and smelting
7380town turned tourist mecca.
7381
73821577
738301:14:31,550 --> 01:14:33,552
7384A lovely place
7385full of wonders.
7386
73871578
738801:14:33,552 --> 01:14:35,221
7389Not only because
7390my good friend,
7391
73921579
739301:14:35,221 --> 01:14:38,599
7394Ryan Finnigan, lives here
7395and creates crazy tech art
7396
73971580
739801:14:38,599 --> 01:14:41,936
7399like Benny the Booze Organ,
7400
74011581
740201:14:41,936 --> 01:14:45,606
7403or this floating
7404speaker system,
7405
74061582
740701:14:45,606 --> 01:14:49,902
7408or a machine that
7409turns itself off.
7410
74111583
741201:14:49,902 --> 01:14:52,154
7413Ryan runs CarbonForm Design,
7414
74151584
741601:14:52,154 --> 01:14:53,948
7417and creates new
7418techniques for metalwork,
7419
74201585
742101:14:53,948 --> 01:14:57,910
7422like etching photographs
7423and similar glorious things.
7424
74251586
742601:14:57,910 --> 01:15:00,246
7427Durango is very Wild West.
7428
74291587
743001:15:00,246 --> 01:15:02,581
7431♪
7432
74331588
743401:15:02,581 --> 01:15:04,542
7435Fap, fap, fap.
7436
74371589
743801:15:04,542 --> 01:15:07,211
7439We check out the
7440Powerhouse Science Center,
7441
74421590
744301:15:07,211 --> 01:15:10,089
7444a former electric power
7445plant that lit up Durango
7446
74471591
744801:15:10,089 --> 01:15:12,383
7449even before New York City
7450or Chicago.
7451
74521592
745301:15:12,383 --> 01:15:14,760
7454It was designed by
7455inventor, futurist,
7456
74571593
745801:15:14,760 --> 01:15:18,305
7459and kind of mad scientist,
7460Nikola Tesla.
7461
74621594
746301:15:18,305 --> 01:15:20,599
7464Yes, this guy.
7465
74661595
746701:15:20,599 --> 01:15:23,436
7468One of my favorite nerd
7469battles of all times
7470
74711596
747201:15:23,436 --> 01:15:26,397
7473was the "War of the Currents."
7474
74751597
747601:15:26,397 --> 01:15:28,607
7477Industrialist
7478Westinghouse was promoting
7479
74801598
748101:15:28,607 --> 01:15:32,194
7482Tesla's alternating
7483current, AC,
7484
74851599
748601:15:32,194 --> 01:15:37,158
7487while Thomas Edison tried
7488to sell direct current, DC.
7489
74901600
749101:15:37,158 --> 01:15:40,202
7492Edison toured the U.S.
7493on a PR campaign
7494
74951601
749601:15:40,202 --> 01:15:42,788
7497and killed cats
7498and cows with AC,
7499
75001602
750101:15:42,788 --> 01:15:45,583
7502just to discourage
7503people from using it.
7504
75051603
750601:15:45,583 --> 01:15:49,086
7507His desire to
7508disparage the AC system
7509
75101604
751101:15:49,086 --> 01:15:52,423
7512even led to the invention
7513of the electric chair,
7514
75151605
751601:15:52,423 --> 01:15:55,217
7517even though he opposed
7518capital punishment.
7519
75201606
752101:15:55,217 --> 01:15:57,845
7522A man with priorities.
7523
75241607
752501:15:57,845 --> 01:16:01,640
7526Twitter tells me that a truly
7527great one died yesterday:
7528
75291608
753001:16:01,640 --> 01:16:03,225
7531Terry Pratchett.
7532
75331609
753401:16:03,225 --> 01:16:06,103
7535One of the few fantasy
7536authors who was a knight
7537
75381610
753901:16:06,103 --> 01:16:10,024
7540and owned a greenhouse
7541full of carnivorous plants.
7542
75431611
754401:16:10,024 --> 01:16:12,234
7545You will be surely missed.
7546
75471612
754801:16:12,234 --> 01:16:18,407
7549♪
7550
75511613
755201:16:18,407 --> 01:16:20,951
7553(birds chirping)
7554
75551614
755601:16:20,951 --> 01:16:22,244
7557What a sunny day.
7558
75591615
756001:16:22,244 --> 01:16:24,330
7561We drive out to
7562Smelter Mountain
7563
75641616
756501:16:24,330 --> 01:16:28,542
7566and strap one of Sean Bonner's
7567Geiger counters to a drone.
7568
75691617
757001:16:28,542 --> 01:16:31,378
7571And there is a
7572reason for that.
7573
75741618
757501:16:31,378 --> 01:16:35,424
7576The Durango Uranium Mill
7577was a uranium recovery plant
7578
75791619
758001:16:35,424 --> 01:16:38,219
7581set up secretly in 1943
7582
75831620
758401:16:38,219 --> 01:16:41,263
7585to produce uranium for
7586the Manhattan Project,
7587
75881621
758901:16:41,263 --> 01:16:44,183
7590the project to create
7591the first atom bomb.
7592
75931622
759401:16:44,183 --> 01:16:46,435
7595The area underwent clean-up,
7596
75971623
759801:16:46,435 --> 01:16:48,854
7599but can we trust
7600the government?
7601
76021624
760301:16:48,854 --> 01:16:53,442
7604Hmm, let's send in a probe
7605and get some measurements.
7606
76071625
760801:16:53,442 --> 01:16:56,153
7609♪
7610
76111626
761201:16:56,153 --> 01:16:59,198
7613What a picturesque view
7614of Lake Nighthorse.
7615
76161627
761701:16:59,198 --> 01:17:02,952
7618Let's turn the drone
7619and check out the dark side.
7620
76211628
762201:17:02,952 --> 01:17:05,412
7623I wish this pile of gravel
7624
76251629
762601:17:05,412 --> 01:17:07,873
7627would turn into
7628a giant creature
7629
76301630
763101:17:07,873 --> 01:17:12,044
7632and use our drone
7633to take a selfie.
7634
76351631
763601:17:12,044 --> 01:17:14,046
7637Okay, we have enough data.
7638
76391632
764001:17:14,046 --> 01:17:16,382
7641♪
7642
76431633
764401:17:16,382 --> 01:17:17,800
7645They must have done
7646a really good job
7647
76481634
764901:17:17,800 --> 01:17:19,343
7650of keeping it in there.
7651
76521635
765301:17:19,343 --> 01:17:20,761
7654Well, seems okay.
7655
76561636
765701:17:20,761 --> 01:17:24,306
7658Taxpayers' money well spent.
7659
76601637
766101:17:24,306 --> 01:17:26,684
7662Today is the
7663nerdiest of all days:
7664
76651638
766601:17:26,684 --> 01:17:28,686
7667Pi Day.
7668
76691639
767001:17:28,686 --> 01:17:45,744
7671♪
7672
76731640
767401:17:45,744 --> 01:17:47,288
7675Ah!
7676
76771641
767801:17:47,288 --> 01:17:48,998
7679♪
7680
76811642
768201:17:48,998 --> 01:17:50,916
7683The rest of the
7684night is blurry
7685
76861643
768701:17:50,916 --> 01:17:53,794
7688and I dream of a
7689spirit named Jeannie
7690
76911644
769201:17:53,794 --> 01:17:56,088
7693who torments an astronaut.
7694
76951645
769601:17:56,088 --> 01:17:58,257
7697♪
7698
76991646
770001:17:58,257 --> 01:18:00,801
7701Durango has a weekly
7702atheist meet-up,
7703
77041647
770501:18:00,801 --> 01:18:04,889
7706and I'm talking about real
7707atheists, not agnostics.
7708
77091648
771001:18:04,889 --> 01:18:07,850
7711Agnostics are like
7712vegetarians who eat fish.
7713
77141649
771501:18:07,850 --> 01:18:09,560
7716We meet our host, Ryan,
7717
77181650
771901:18:09,560 --> 01:18:11,770
7720in front of Durango's
7721Cowboy Church
7722
77231651
772401:18:11,770 --> 01:18:14,148
7725during Sunday
7726morning service.
7727
77281652
772901:18:14,148 --> 01:18:15,649
7730Maybe I could talk
7731a little more broadly
7732
77331653
773401:18:15,649 --> 01:18:17,401
7735about kind of the
7736differences between
7737
77381654
773901:18:17,401 --> 01:18:19,987
7740the foundational
7741thinking methodologies
7742
77431655
774401:18:19,987 --> 01:18:22,531
7745that kind of span over into
7746religion and science also.
7747
77481656
774901:18:22,531 --> 01:18:26,410
7750Um, so, I mean, obviously,
7751the foundational difference
7752
77531657
775401:18:26,410 --> 01:18:28,996
7755is that if you're starting
7756first from a conclusion
7757
77581658
775901:18:28,996 --> 01:18:31,248
7760and moving backwards, always
7761attempting to find evidence
7762
77631659
776401:18:31,248 --> 01:18:32,791
7765to support your position,
7766
77671660
776801:18:32,791 --> 01:18:35,502
7769like religious mythopoeic
7770speculation models,
7771
77721661
777301:18:35,502 --> 01:18:39,256
7774um, comparative to
7775scientific empiricism
7776
77771662
777801:18:39,256 --> 01:18:41,550
7779where you start with
7780evidence, you observe,
7781
77821663
778301:18:41,550 --> 01:18:43,552
7784find evidence, and then
7785infer from that evidence
7786
77871664
778801:18:43,552 --> 01:18:47,181
7789what seems to be the best
7790explanation offered thus far,
7791
77921665
779301:18:47,181 --> 01:18:48,933
7794which is always
7795an approximation,
7796
77971666
779801:18:48,933 --> 01:18:51,518
7799and the value of your position
7800is not in the conclusion,
7801
78021667
780301:18:51,518 --> 01:18:54,688
7804not in what your ultimate
7805belief ends up being.
7806
78071668
780801:18:54,688 --> 01:18:56,815
7809It's in the way in
7810which you got there.
7811
78121669
781301:18:56,815 --> 01:18:59,109
7814It's the process,
7815it's the methodology.
7816
78171670
781801:18:59,109 --> 01:19:00,778
7819The conclusion is always
7820potentially fallible.
7821
78221671
782301:19:00,778 --> 01:19:02,738
7824It'll always change
7825based on new evidence
7826
78271672
782801:19:02,738 --> 01:19:04,448
7829as anomalies occur
7830
78311673
783201:19:04,448 --> 01:19:07,326
7833and you're forced to
7834reconsider that new evidence.
7835
78361674
783701:19:07,326 --> 01:19:09,745
7838Whereas from a
7839top-down structure,
7840
78411675
784201:19:09,745 --> 01:19:11,830
7843um, where you start
7844with the conclusion,
7845
78461676
784701:19:11,830 --> 01:19:13,958
7848you're always susceptible
7849to confirmation bias.
7850
78511677
785201:19:13,958 --> 01:19:17,002
7853You're always gonna just
7854attempt to find evidence
7855
78561678
785701:19:17,002 --> 01:19:18,379
7858that just supports
7859your position
7860
78611679
786201:19:18,379 --> 01:19:20,798
7863because the value
7864in your conclusion
7865
78661680
786701:19:20,798 --> 01:19:23,258
7868is in your conclusion
7869and not your method.
7870
78711681
787201:19:23,258 --> 01:19:24,927
7873For instance, there
7874was a classic debate
7875
78761682
787701:19:24,927 --> 01:19:27,054
7878just recently between
7879Ken Ham and Bill Nye,
7880
78811683
788201:19:27,054 --> 01:19:29,598
7883it was all over the
7884internet, on creationism,
7885
78861684
788701:19:29,598 --> 01:19:31,934
7888and at the end of it, one of
7889the questions was asked was:
7890
78911685
789201:19:31,934 --> 01:19:33,727
7893what would change
7894your position?
7895
78961686
789701:19:33,727 --> 01:19:34,853
7898Or what would
7899change your mind?
7900
79011687
790201:19:34,853 --> 01:19:36,522
7903And Bill Nye said, "Evidence,"
7904
79051688
790601:19:36,522 --> 01:19:38,565
7907and Ken Ham said, "Nothing."
7908
79091689
791001:19:38,565 --> 01:19:41,819
7911And that's not the type
7912of thinker that you want
7913
79141690
791501:19:41,819 --> 01:19:44,280
7916functionally in a democracy
7917aside of you voting
7918
79191691
792001:19:44,280 --> 01:19:46,532
7921because when we start facing
7922
79231692
792401:19:46,532 --> 01:19:48,325
7925much more complex
7926moral dilemmas
7927
79281693
792901:19:48,325 --> 01:19:50,452
7930in the near future with AI
7931
79321694
793301:19:50,452 --> 01:19:52,121
7934and the types of moral
7935dilemmas that are going
7936
79371695
793801:19:52,121 --> 01:19:54,707
7939to be brought about by
7940advancing technology,
7941
79421696
794301:19:54,707 --> 01:19:56,417
7944we need to have
7945a healthy debate.
7946
79471697
794801:19:56,417 --> 01:19:59,962
7949Christianity is a death
7950cult gone horribly wrong.
7951
79521698
795301:19:59,962 --> 01:20:24,111
7954♪
7955
79561699
795701:20:24,111 --> 01:20:27,364
7958I experience a moment
7959of ontological panic.
7960
79611700
796201:20:27,364 --> 01:20:28,365
7963(screaming)
7964
79651701
796601:20:28,365 --> 01:20:29,825
7967♪
7968
79691702
797001:20:29,825 --> 01:20:33,078
7971Today is a day about death,
7972
79731703
797401:20:33,078 --> 01:20:35,539
7975but not in a bad way.
7976
79771704
797801:20:35,539 --> 01:20:46,550
7979♪
7980
79811705
798201:20:46,550 --> 01:20:48,761
7983I'm the least
7984spiritual person ever,
7985
79861706
798701:20:48,761 --> 01:20:50,679
7988but this place is awe-inspiring,
7989
79901707
799101:20:50,679 --> 01:20:53,599
7992and unknowing future
7993generations will definitely
7994
79951708
799601:20:53,599 --> 01:20:56,894
7997mistake this place
7998for a place of worship.
7999
80001709
800101:20:56,894 --> 01:21:00,689
8002Metal flowers who
8003listened to dead stars.
8004
80051710
800601:21:00,689 --> 01:21:03,275
8007What's also dead
8008is our cell phones.
8009
80101711
801101:21:03,275 --> 01:21:05,736
8012The VLA is such a sensitive
8013receiving system
8014
80151712
801601:21:05,736 --> 01:21:08,238
8017that it could detect
8018a cell phone's radio signal
8019
80201713
802101:21:08,238 --> 01:21:09,948
8022at the distance of Jupiter.
8023
80241714
802501:21:09,948 --> 01:21:13,077
8026♪
8027
80281715
802901:21:13,077 --> 01:21:16,246
8030Trinity Site, the location
8031of the first nuclear explosion,
8032
80331716
803401:21:16,246 --> 01:21:18,248
8035is not far from here.
8036
80371717
803801:21:18,248 --> 01:21:21,085
8039Now we know where all
8040the uranium from Durango
8041
80421718
804301:21:21,085 --> 01:21:24,880
8044got turned into
8045thermal radiation.
8046
80471719
804801:21:24,880 --> 01:21:28,509
8049A couple of miles down the road
8050is Blanchard Rock Shop,
8051
80521720
805301:21:28,509 --> 01:21:31,929
8054selling beautiful
8055geological wonders.
8056
80571721
805801:21:31,929 --> 01:21:33,889
8059One of these wonders
8060isn't geological per se,
8061
80621722
806301:21:33,889 --> 01:21:36,475
8064but a unique man-made artifact:
8065
80661723
806701:21:36,475 --> 01:21:39,019
8068Trinitite, the glass formed
8069
80701724
807101:21:39,019 --> 01:21:41,855
8072by the first nuclear explosion.
8073
80741725
807501:21:41,855 --> 01:21:44,733
8076Allison Cameron runs the
8077rock shop with her husband,
8078
80791726
808001:21:44,733 --> 01:21:46,985
8081but she bought if from
8082the Blanchard family
8083
80841727
808501:21:46,985 --> 01:21:49,238
8086in the early 1990s.
8087
80881728
808901:21:49,238 --> 01:21:51,615
8090Mr. Blanchard,
8091the founder of the shop,
8092
80931729
809401:21:51,615 --> 01:21:55,327
8095was a kind, and freedom-loving,
8096and adventurous man.
8097
80981730
809901:21:55,327 --> 01:21:58,872
8100He had a rattlesnake pit that
8101tourists threw coins into,
8102
81031731
810401:21:58,872 --> 01:22:02,251
8105and he climbed down every
8106day to get the money out.
8107
81081732
810901:22:02,251 --> 01:22:06,213
8110Just the right kind of guy to
8111venture into a nuclear test site
8112
81131733
811401:22:06,213 --> 01:22:08,841
8115to harvest Trinitite to sell.
8116
81171734
811801:22:08,841 --> 01:22:11,301
8119They made it a national
8120historic site,
8121
81221735
812301:22:11,301 --> 01:22:13,929
8124which made it a federal offense
8125to remove from the site,
8126
81271736
812801:22:13,929 --> 01:22:15,389
8129to remove the Trinitite.
8130
81311737
813201:22:15,389 --> 01:22:17,599
8133So you can go out
8134there once a year now--
8135
81361738
813701:22:17,599 --> 01:22:19,893
8138it used to be twice a year,
8139but now it's only once a year,
8140
81411739
814201:22:19,893 --> 01:22:22,980
8143the first Saturday of April--
8144and see the site,
8145
81461740
814701:22:22,980 --> 01:22:24,731
8148but you're not allowed
8149to pick it up.
8150
81511741
815201:22:24,731 --> 01:22:26,817
8153It is a federal offense
8154to remove it from the site.
8155
81561742
815701:22:26,817 --> 01:22:28,861
8158It'd be like going to
8159Mount Rushmore and chipping
8160
81611743
816201:22:28,861 --> 01:22:32,072
8163on George Washington's
8164nose or something.
8165
81661744
816701:22:32,072 --> 01:22:35,576
8168But I, fortunately,
8169have a whole bunch of it,
8170
81711745
817201:22:35,576 --> 01:22:37,703
8173and it's some pretty
8174rare stuff to have.
8175
81761746
817701:22:37,703 --> 01:22:39,621
8178This is my favorite piece of it.
8179
81801747
818101:22:39,621 --> 01:22:43,584
8182Ah, oh my, look at that,
8183May I touch it.
8184
81851748
818601:22:43,584 --> 01:22:46,587
8187Oh, beautiful.
8188
81891749
819001:22:46,587 --> 01:22:49,715
8191Most of 'em are flat, because
8192what happened when the bomb
8193
81941750
819501:22:49,715 --> 01:22:52,634
8196was detonated, it says
8197it fused the ground.
8198
81991751
820001:22:52,634 --> 01:22:54,261
8201It did, but it didn't.
8202
82031752
820401:22:54,261 --> 01:22:58,098
8205What happened is it liquefied
8206the sand in the air,
8207
82081753
820901:22:58,098 --> 01:23:00,434
8210and then it splattered
8211to the ground like paint.
8212
82131754
821401:23:00,434 --> 01:23:02,853
8215So most of the Trinitite
8216is gonna be flat,
8217
82181755
821901:23:02,853 --> 01:23:05,522
8220not three-dimensional
8221like this so much,
8222
82231756
822401:23:05,522 --> 01:23:08,483
8225but it's gonna be flat
8226and the bottom side
8227
82281757
822901:23:08,483 --> 01:23:10,444
8230is going to be sand.
8231
82321758
823301:23:10,444 --> 01:23:13,113
8234It's gonna be sandy, where
8235the top is gonna be glassier.
8236
82371759
823801:23:13,113 --> 01:23:16,325
8239Oh, wonderful, so, and how much
8240
82411760
824201:23:16,325 --> 01:23:19,953
8243of the Trinitite
8244did he carry out?
8245
82461761
824701:23:19,953 --> 01:23:22,789
8248-Not enough.
8249-I guess, how much
8250
82511762
825201:23:22,789 --> 01:23:25,334
8253-would that sell, let's say?
8254-That piece there,
8255
82561763
825701:23:25,334 --> 01:23:28,378
8258I would sell that piece
8259for about $5,000.
8260
82611764
826201:23:28,378 --> 01:23:31,173
8263In 1992, Mr. Blanchard
8264told his wife
8265
82661765
826701:23:31,173 --> 01:23:32,966
8268that he would shoot himself.
8269
82701766
827101:23:32,966 --> 01:23:34,676
8272She said that he
8273should go outside,
8274
82751767
827601:23:34,676 --> 01:23:37,554
8277because she didn't want
8278a bloody mess in the kitchen.
8279
82801768
828101:23:37,554 --> 01:23:41,183
8282Five minutes later,
8283she heard a shot from outdoors.
8284
82851769
828601:23:41,183 --> 01:23:42,726
8287He was in charge of his life.
8288
82891770
829001:23:42,726 --> 01:23:45,395
8291He did not want anybody
8292controlling his life.
8293
82941771
829501:23:45,395 --> 01:23:48,565
8296He didn't believe in
8297being a burden to anyone.
8298
82991772
830001:23:48,565 --> 01:23:50,692
8301He didn't want the government
8302taking care of him,
8303
83041773
830501:23:50,692 --> 01:23:52,903
8306and didn't want his wife
8307taking care of him.
8308
83091774
831001:23:52,903 --> 01:23:57,699
8311So he decided to kill himself
8312on June 30th of '92,
8313
83141775
831501:23:57,699 --> 01:23:59,660
8316and it's kinda
8317an interesting story,
8318
83191776
832001:23:59,660 --> 01:24:01,870
8321because I have a lot
8322of connections with this place
8323
83241777
832501:24:01,870 --> 01:24:04,706
8326before I ever even
8327knew it existed.
8328
83291778
833001:24:04,706 --> 01:24:08,126
8331I almost died on
8332June 30th of 1987.
8333
83341779
833501:24:08,126 --> 01:24:12,422
8336♪ We'll meet again ♪
8337
83381780
833901:24:12,422 --> 01:24:15,133
8340♪ Don't know where ♪
8341
83421781
834301:24:15,133 --> 01:24:18,178
8344♪ Don't know when ♪
8345
83461782
834701:24:18,178 --> 01:24:22,224
8348♪ But I know we'll meet again
8349
83501783
835101:24:22,224 --> 01:24:26,270
8352some sunny day ♪
8353
83541784
835501:24:26,270 --> 01:24:28,897
8356The first American
8357in space was Ham,
8358
83591785
836001:24:28,897 --> 01:24:31,108
8361the Astrochimp.
8362
83631786
836401:24:31,108 --> 01:24:33,235
8365Ham was known as Number 65
8366
83671787
836801:24:33,235 --> 01:24:36,029
8369before his space flight,
8370and only renamed Ham
8371
83721788
837301:24:36,029 --> 01:24:40,617
8374upon his successful
8375return to Earth.
8376
83771789
837801:24:40,617 --> 01:24:43,078
8379His final resting place is at
8380
83811790
838201:24:43,078 --> 01:24:48,041
8383the International Space Hall
8384of Fame in Alamogordo.
8385
83861791
838701:24:48,041 --> 01:24:50,627
8388Well, let's say Ham's
8389final resting place
8390
83911792
839201:24:50,627 --> 01:24:52,337
8393minus his skeleton.
8394
83951793
839601:24:52,337 --> 01:24:54,172
8397That is somewhere else.
8398
83991794
840001:24:54,172 --> 01:24:55,966
8401♪
8402
84031795
840401:24:55,966 --> 01:24:58,760
8405Remember E.T.,
8406the friendly alien?
8407
84081796
840901:24:58,760 --> 01:25:00,971
8410E.T. died a horrible
8411death in shame,
8412
84131797
841401:25:00,971 --> 01:25:03,473
8415and was buried in a mass grave.
8416
84171798
841801:25:03,473 --> 01:25:04,850
8419Believe me.
8420
84211799
842201:25:04,850 --> 01:25:09,479
8423This is the Atari video
8424game mass burial site.
8425
84261800
842701:25:09,479 --> 01:25:13,317
8428In 1983, Atari got rid
8429of all the unsold copies
8430
84311801
843201:25:13,317 --> 01:25:15,652
8433of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial",
8434
84351802
843601:25:15,652 --> 01:25:19,031
8437one of the biggest commercial
8438failures in video gaming,
8439
84401803
844101:25:19,031 --> 01:25:21,825
8442by dumping them
8443in a landfill.
8444
84451804
844601:25:21,825 --> 01:25:24,953
8447The end of several eras.
8448
84491805
845001:25:24,953 --> 01:25:29,207
8451♪ Some sunny day ♪
8452
84531806
845401:25:29,207 --> 01:25:41,887
8455♪
8456
84571807
845801:25:41,887 --> 01:25:44,556
8459Gotcha!
8460
84611808
846201:25:44,556 --> 01:25:46,892
8463Ufology is the perfect religion
8464
84651809
846601:25:46,892 --> 01:25:49,978
8467for the troubled postmodern age.
8468
84691810
847001:25:49,978 --> 01:25:53,440
8471It's a convincing blend of
8472a strong belief in technology,
8473
84741811
847501:25:53,440 --> 01:25:55,776
8476of helplessness and masochism,
8477
84781812
847901:25:55,776 --> 01:25:58,987
8480spiced up with a full-grown
8481inferiority complex.
8482
84831813
848401:25:58,987 --> 01:26:02,032
8485♪
8486
84871814
848801:26:02,032 --> 01:26:04,576
8489Driving through Northwestern
8490Texas feels a bit
8491
84921815
849301:26:04,576 --> 01:26:07,621
8494like time dilation, and
8495I fear the world is suddenly
8496
84971816
849801:26:07,621 --> 01:26:10,665
8499ruled by apes when
8500we stop at a gas station.
8501
85021817
850301:26:10,665 --> 01:26:19,216
8504♪
8505
85061818
850701:26:19,216 --> 01:26:21,843
8508Austin is great,
8509and I have to say this
8510
85111819
851201:26:21,843 --> 01:26:25,138
8513because my ex-wife is
8514coproducing this film.
8515
85161820
851701:26:25,138 --> 01:26:27,766
8518South by Southwest
8519Interactive is happening,
8520
85211821
852201:26:27,766 --> 01:26:30,477
8523the biggest techie
8524culture event in the U.S.,
8525
85261822
852701:26:30,477 --> 01:26:33,355
8528and the streets are
8529swamped with badgers.
8530
85311823
853201:26:33,355 --> 01:26:35,190
8533That's how the locals
8534call the thousands
8535
85361824
853701:26:35,190 --> 01:26:37,317
8538of festival guests
8539very fittingly.
8540
85411825
854201:26:37,317 --> 01:26:41,530
8543It feels like a citywide
8544start-up swinger club.
8545
85461826
854701:26:41,530 --> 01:26:45,784
8548We meet cyberpunk veterans Jon
8549Lebkowsky and Bruce Sterling.
8550
85511827
855201:26:45,784 --> 01:26:48,912
8553Old friends and collaborators,
8554and Bruce was the first person
8555
85561828
855701:26:48,912 --> 01:26:51,915
8558I interviewed for
8559monochrom in 1993.
8560
85611829
856201:26:58,380 --> 01:27:01,842
8563I hosted a conference on the--
8564well, like an online forum
8565
85661830
856701:27:01,842 --> 01:27:04,177
8568for Mondo 2000, the magazine
8569
85701831
857101:27:04,177 --> 01:27:05,929
8572that was published at the time.
8573
85741832
857501:27:05,929 --> 01:27:08,890
8576And people kinda showed up
8577who were sort of in this mode
8578
85791833
858001:27:08,890 --> 01:27:11,435
8581and thinking about
8582these sorts of things.
8583
85841834
858501:27:11,435 --> 01:27:15,063
8586And there was a guy who called
8587himself The Alien who showed up,
8588
85891835
859001:27:15,063 --> 01:27:18,775
8591and he started talking
8592about how he was a cyberpunk.
8593
85941836
859501:27:18,775 --> 01:27:21,445
8596I didn't really think of it
8597as a thing you could be
8598
85991837
860001:27:21,445 --> 01:27:24,865
8601or as a political movement
8602or anything like that.
8603
86041838
860501:27:24,865 --> 01:27:28,076
8606And suddenly people like this
8607guy were starting to show up
8608
86091839
861001:27:28,076 --> 01:27:31,163
8611saying that they were cyberpunks
8612and that this was a reality
8613
86141840
861501:27:31,163 --> 01:27:33,790
8616that they were living
8617or expected to live,
8618
86191841
862001:27:33,790 --> 01:27:35,667
8621and it's like, "Wow, you know?"
8622
86231842
862401:27:35,667 --> 01:27:39,463
8625That was super fun, and I
8626remember when I left the U.S.
8627
86281843
862901:27:39,463 --> 01:27:43,675
8630and was hanging with the
8631Milanese cyberpunk underground,
8632
86331844
863401:27:43,675 --> 01:27:47,429
8635guys from ShaKe Press,
8636or "Shake,"
8637
86381845
863901:27:47,429 --> 01:27:49,055
8640And you know, these
8641were guys who were like
8642
86431846
864401:27:49,055 --> 01:27:51,141
8645Milanese anarchists,
8646but they'd been reading a lot
8647
86481847
864901:27:51,141 --> 01:27:53,351
8650of cyberpunk, and they'd
8651sorta decided to like,
8652
86531848
865401:27:53,351 --> 01:27:56,605
8655carry it into daily life
8656and their normal, you know,
8657
86581849
865901:27:56,605 --> 01:27:59,316
8660'80s, Italian,
8661left-wing drop-out world
8662
86631850
866401:27:59,316 --> 01:28:02,736
8665of, you know, squats,
8666and bicycle repair shops,
8667
86681851
866901:28:02,736 --> 01:28:05,363
8670and you know,
8671socialist communes.
8672
86731852
867401:28:05,363 --> 01:28:06,698
8675And I thought,
8676"Okay, you know,
8677
86781853
867901:28:06,698 --> 01:28:08,325
8680like, the genie's
8681out of the bottle.
8682
86831854
868401:28:08,325 --> 01:28:12,078
8685These Milanese kids are
8686just like all over this."
8687
86881855
868901:28:12,078 --> 01:28:16,333
8690And they had names like
8691Wrath of Valvole and Goma.
8692
86931856
869401:28:16,333 --> 01:28:20,462
8695A lot of the effective cyberpunk
8696writing was very critical
8697
86981857
869901:28:20,462 --> 01:28:24,216
8700of American politics because
8701it was basically Canadian.
8702
87031858
870401:28:24,216 --> 01:28:28,678
8705The last thing I wanna get to
8706before they take our chairs is--
8707
87081859
870901:28:28,678 --> 01:28:32,140
8710No, no, you're welcome to 'em,
8711we gotta go anyway.
8712
87131860
871401:28:32,140 --> 01:28:34,226
8715I have a present for you guys.
8716
87171861
871801:28:34,226 --> 01:28:38,271
8719So, it's a project I did
8720with Heather Kelley,
8721
87221862
872301:28:38,271 --> 01:28:42,442
8724and it's called Dogs Playing
8725Dungeons & Dragons.
8726
87271863
872801:28:42,442 --> 01:28:45,904
8729-Dogs playing D & D, yeah.
8730-It's fantastic.
8731
87321864
873301:28:45,904 --> 01:28:48,740
8734-You can put it somewhere.
8735-I'm gonna commemorate it.
8736
87371865
873801:28:48,740 --> 01:28:51,785
8739-Arf, arf, arf.
8740-Needs to be online.
8741
87421866
874301:28:51,785 --> 01:28:54,746
8744-You're welcome.
8745-Thank you, thank you.
8746
87471867
874801:28:54,746 --> 01:28:56,831
8749-Making a mess here.
8750-Oh, no worries.
8751
87521868
875301:28:56,831 --> 01:29:01,086
8754It's kinda like a Stonehenge
8755of chairs, I really like...
8756
87571869
875801:29:01,086 --> 01:29:03,797
8759Steve Jackson Games
8760is based in Austin.
8761
87621870
876301:29:03,797 --> 01:29:05,882
8764They created one of
8765the best pen and paper
8766
87671871
876801:29:05,882 --> 01:29:08,802
8769role-playing systems, GURPS.
8770
87711872
877201:29:08,802 --> 01:29:10,845
8773Part of the series
8774was a role-playing
8775
87761873
877701:29:10,845 --> 01:29:13,682
8778scenario book for Cyberpunk.
8779
87801874
878101:29:13,682 --> 01:29:15,976
8782The company got raided
8783by the Secret Service,
8784
87851875
878601:29:15,976 --> 01:29:18,228
8787because they thought
8788it was an actual manual
8789
87901876
879101:29:18,228 --> 01:29:19,854
8792for cybercriminals.
8793
87941877
879501:29:19,854 --> 01:29:22,983
8796Fantasy and reality can
8797short-circuit in odd ways,
8798
87991878
880001:29:22,983 --> 01:29:25,235
8801especially if you
8802add incompetence.
8803
88041879
880501:29:25,235 --> 01:29:26,945
8806In the case of the
8807Steve Jackson Raid,
8808
88091880
881001:29:26,945 --> 01:29:29,573
8811it ended in the confiscation
8812of their computers,
8813
88141881
881501:29:29,573 --> 01:29:32,409
8816and a minor uproar in
8817the alternative scene.
8818
88191882
882001:29:32,409 --> 01:29:35,495
8821But a short drive north
8822and we can visit a location
8823
88241883
882501:29:35,495 --> 01:29:39,082
8826where incompetence really
8827led to a horror scenario.
8828
88291884
883001:29:39,082 --> 01:29:41,668
8831The Branch Davidian
8832Compound near Waco
8833
88341885
883501:29:41,668 --> 01:29:44,796
8836was the stage
8837of a 51-day standoff
8838
88391886
884001:29:44,796 --> 01:29:47,132
8841between the church
8842members, the ATF,
8843
88441887
884501:29:47,132 --> 01:29:50,010
8846and the FBI in 1993.
8847
88481888
884901:29:50,010 --> 01:29:53,555
8850It ended in the death
8851of most of the Davidians.
8852
88531889
885401:29:53,555 --> 01:29:57,183
8855I'm leaving behind
8856some Kool-Aid.
8857
88581890
885901:29:57,183 --> 01:30:00,604
8860You think that I'm getting
8861my cult metaphors mixed up here?
8862
88631891
886401:30:00,604 --> 01:30:02,647
8865Well, no.
8866
88671892
886801:30:02,647 --> 01:30:06,526
8869The Kool-Aid is for the public,
8870who drank it in big gulps
8871
88721893
887301:30:06,526 --> 01:30:09,738
8874by accepting the official
8875story too easily.
8876
88771894
887801:30:09,738 --> 01:30:11,448
8879The Davidians were surely nuts,
8880
88811895
888201:30:11,448 --> 01:30:13,742
8883but it was also one
8884of the biggest fuck-ups
8885
88861896
888701:30:13,742 --> 01:30:16,286
8888in the history
8889of law enforcement.
8890
88911897
889201:30:16,286 --> 01:30:26,921
8893♪
8894
88951898
889601:30:26,921 --> 01:30:29,132
8897Oliver Stone's
8898movie interpretation
8899
89001899
890101:30:29,132 --> 01:30:31,217
8902was probably too blown up,
8903
89041900
890501:30:31,217 --> 01:30:35,138
8906but I will never forget
8907this quote from the film.
8908
89091901
891001:30:35,138 --> 01:30:38,516
8911"What is past is prologue."
8912
89131902
891401:30:38,516 --> 01:30:40,393
8915A motto to live by.
8916
89171903
891801:30:40,393 --> 01:30:42,228
8919It's actually from
8920Shakespeare's Tempest,
8921
89221904
892301:30:42,228 --> 01:30:44,564
8924but I never read that one.
8925
89261905
892701:30:44,564 --> 01:30:46,483
8928♪
8929
89301906
893101:30:46,483 --> 01:30:48,693
8932Driving, driving, driving,
8933
89341907
893501:30:48,693 --> 01:30:52,197
8936and we have only one thing
8937that keeps us sane,
8938
89391908
894001:30:52,197 --> 01:30:54,074
8941talk radio.
8942
89431909
894401:30:54,074 --> 01:30:57,327
8945And we are so focused
8946on it that I miss a call.
8947
89481910
894901:30:57,327 --> 01:30:59,120
8950I check my voice box.
8951
89521911
895301:30:59,120 --> 01:31:02,999
8954Howdy, Johannes, it's Dan
8955Wilcox, AKA danomatika online.
8956
89571912
895801:31:02,999 --> 01:31:05,543
8959You should be just pulling
8960up into my hometown
8961
89621913
896301:31:05,543 --> 01:31:07,128
8964of Huntsville, Alabama.
8965
89661914
896701:31:07,128 --> 01:31:09,714
8968Remember that's Hunts-vull,
8969not Hunts-ville.
8970
89711915
897201:31:09,714 --> 01:31:11,549
8973You don't wanna say
8974it Yankee style.
8975
89761916
897701:31:11,549 --> 01:31:14,177
8978Growing up there was pretty
8979interesting, it's like living
8980
89811917
898201:31:14,177 --> 01:31:17,514
8983in an island of engineers
8984in a sea of rednecks.
8985
89861918
898701:31:17,514 --> 01:31:21,434
8988Yeah, and you should be just
8989coming in on, I assume, I-565.
8990
89911919
899201:31:21,434 --> 01:31:23,061
8993You should be rounding
8994the corner and seeing
8995
89961920
899701:31:23,061 --> 01:31:25,689
8998the giant lit up space penis,
8999that is the Saturn V
9000
90011921
900201:31:25,689 --> 01:31:27,524
9003from the U.S. Space
9004and Rocket Center.
9005
90061922
900701:31:27,524 --> 01:31:28,858
9008Spent a lot of time there.
9009
90101923
901101:31:28,858 --> 01:31:31,277
9012I went to space camp
9013when I was eighth grade.
9014
90151924
901601:31:31,277 --> 01:31:32,946
9017Yeah, growing up there
9018was pretty interesting.
9019
90201925
902101:31:32,946 --> 01:31:34,823
9022It's a big Department
9023of Defense town
9024
90251926
902601:31:34,823 --> 01:31:36,991
9027with a lot of
9028defense contractors,
9029
90301927
903101:31:36,991 --> 01:31:39,536
9032and a very large army base
9033called Redstone Arsenal
9034
90351928
903601:31:39,536 --> 01:31:42,288
9037which has Marshall Space Flight
9038Center from NASA on there.
9039
90401929
904101:31:42,288 --> 01:31:45,208
9042A lot of amazing smart people,
9043my dad being one them.
9044
90451930
904601:31:45,208 --> 01:31:48,253
9047He was an aerospace engineer,
9048and for some reason,
9049
90501931
905101:31:48,253 --> 01:31:50,880
9052it makes me think--
9053he worked for a long time
9054
90551932
905601:31:50,880 --> 01:31:52,549
9057on this huge project
9058called Safeguard
9059
90601933
906101:31:52,549 --> 01:31:54,634
9062which was an anti-ballistic
9063missile defense system
9064
90651934
906601:31:54,634 --> 01:31:57,721
9067deployed in the mid '70s,
9068and it was only deployed
9069
90701935
907101:31:57,721 --> 01:31:59,681
9072for one month, and
9073then it was taken off
9074
90751936
907601:31:59,681 --> 01:32:01,558
9077due to the SALT II treaty.
9078
90791937
908001:32:01,558 --> 01:32:04,185
9081So I guess it totally
9082did its job, right?
9083
90841938
908501:32:04,185 --> 01:32:06,104
9086Pretty amazing that--
9087you know, back then,
9088
90891939
909001:32:06,104 --> 01:32:08,690
9091that was a time when the
9092United States actually built
9093
90941940
909501:32:08,690 --> 01:32:10,525
9096huge, amazing
9097large-scale systems,
9098
90991941
910001:32:10,525 --> 01:32:12,610
9101and hey, now we build apps.
9102
91031942
910401:32:12,610 --> 01:32:15,405
9105But whatever, at least we can
9106talk to each other on the phone,
9107
91081943
910901:32:15,405 --> 01:32:17,699
9110except that you're not
9111picking up, but whatever.
9112
91131944
911401:32:17,699 --> 01:32:19,451
9115Go drink a beer under
9116the Saturn V.
9117
91181945
911901:32:19,451 --> 01:32:20,744
9120Talk to you later, ciao.
9121
91221946
912301:32:20,744 --> 01:32:22,412
9124And certainly we do.
9125
91261947
912701:32:22,412 --> 01:32:24,539
9128♪
9129
91301948
913101:32:24,539 --> 01:32:26,583
9132We enjoy some very decent
9133
91341949
913501:32:26,583 --> 01:32:30,086
9136German-ish sausages and beer.
9137
91381950
913901:32:30,086 --> 01:32:34,674
9140The whole museum is a shrine
9141for Wernher von Braun,
9142
91431951
914401:32:34,674 --> 01:32:36,843
9145who is one of the best
9146examples of the horrors
9147
91481952
914901:32:36,843 --> 01:32:39,304
9150and wonders of the 20th century.
9151
91521953
915301:32:39,304 --> 01:32:41,473
9154His rockets sent
9155people to the moon,
9156
91571954
915801:32:41,473 --> 01:32:44,392
9159but he could only do that
9160because he worked for the Nazis
9161
91621955
916301:32:44,392 --> 01:32:47,103
9164building V2 rockets
9165to destroy London.
9166
91671956
916801:32:47,103 --> 01:32:49,981
9169Well, more people died in
9170the labor camp where they built
9171
91721957
917301:32:49,981 --> 01:32:52,567
9174the V2 rockets
9175than did in London.
9176
91771958
917801:32:52,567 --> 01:32:56,279
9179"Through Hardship To The Stars"
9180is not just a saying.
9181
91821959
918301:32:56,279 --> 01:32:58,323
9184It's a curse,
9185
91861960
918701:32:58,323 --> 01:33:01,409
9188but there is something
9189like symbolic karma.
9190
91911961
919201:33:01,409 --> 01:33:03,995
9193Remember the shiny
9194American flags,
9195
91961962
919701:33:03,995 --> 01:33:05,997
9198the message of triumph
9199of a system
9200
92011963
920201:33:05,997 --> 01:33:07,832
9203of living over another?
9204
92051964
920601:33:07,832 --> 01:33:10,543
9207While the $5.50 nylon flags
9208
92091965
921001:33:10,543 --> 01:33:13,755
9211are still waving
9212on the windless orb,
9213
92141966
921501:33:13,755 --> 01:33:17,133
9216they are not flags of the United
9217States of America anymore.
9218
92191967
922001:33:17,133 --> 01:33:20,094
9221All material experts
9222have no doubt about it,
9223
92241968
922501:33:20,094 --> 01:33:24,724
9226the flags are now
9227completely white, faded.
9228
92291969
923001:33:24,724 --> 01:33:27,185
9231The beautiful outcome
9232of the indifference
9233
92341970
923501:33:27,185 --> 01:33:29,604
9236of years of cosmic bombardment.
9237
92381971
923901:33:29,604 --> 01:33:32,816
9240♪
9241
92421972
924301:33:32,816 --> 01:33:36,694
9244From the darkness of outer
9245to the darkness of inner space.
9246
92471973
924801:33:36,694 --> 01:33:38,988
9249No, not Martin Short's
9250gallbladder,
9251
92521974
925301:33:38,988 --> 01:33:41,115
9254but Mammoth Cave in Kentucky,
9255
92561975
925701:33:41,115 --> 01:33:44,661
9258the longest cave system
9259known in the world.
9260
92611976
926201:33:44,661 --> 01:33:48,164
9263Last time I was here, I was 11.
9264
92651977
926601:33:48,164 --> 01:33:51,543
9267I remember I asked a park ranger
9268where I could buy ice cream,
9269
92701978
927101:33:51,543 --> 01:33:53,711
9272and he sent me to the bathroom.
9273
92741979
927501:33:53,711 --> 01:33:56,464
9276I guess my accent
9277got better since then.
9278
92791980
928001:33:56,464 --> 01:33:59,467
9281♪
9282
92831981
928401:33:59,467 --> 01:34:01,719
9285African Americans
9286played a vital role
9287
92881982
928901:34:01,719 --> 01:34:04,472
9290in the development
9291of cave tour routes.
9292
92931983
929401:34:04,472 --> 01:34:06,808
9295Stephen Bishop was one
9296of the lead explorers
9297
92981984
929901:34:06,808 --> 01:34:10,186
9300of the cave system,
9301he was a slave.
9302
93031985
930401:34:10,186 --> 01:34:14,858
9305He gained his freedom in 1856,
9306and sadly died a year later.
9307
93081986
930901:34:14,858 --> 01:34:17,694
9310But his legendary mapping
9311work laid the foundation
9312
93131987
931401:34:17,694 --> 01:34:20,363
9315for future explorers.
9316
93171988
931801:34:20,363 --> 01:34:23,992
9319One of them was Will Crowther,
9320a programmer and caver,
9321
93221989
932301:34:23,992 --> 01:34:26,786
9324who wrote the first
9325text adventure game,
9326
93271990
932801:34:26,786 --> 01:34:30,665
9329Adventure, in my
9330birth year of 1975.
9331
93321991
933301:34:30,665 --> 01:34:33,042
9334Having just gone through
9335a divorce, he was looking
9336
93371992
933801:34:33,042 --> 01:34:35,795
9339for a way to connect
9340with his two kids.
9341
93421993
934301:34:35,795 --> 01:34:39,007
9344So he wrote a text-based
9345cave game based on
9346
93471994
934801:34:39,007 --> 01:34:42,427
9349many of the locations that
9350Bishop discovered and named.
9351
93521995
935301:34:42,427 --> 01:34:45,555
9354The game triggered
9355a global chain reaction.
9356
93571996
935801:34:45,555 --> 01:34:48,516
9359Most importantly,
9360inspiring Roberta Williams,
9361
93621997
936301:34:48,516 --> 01:34:51,185
9364the godmother of graphic
9365adventure gaming.
9366
93671998
936801:34:51,185 --> 01:34:53,563
9369A lone woman in
9370a male-dominated field,
9371
93721999
937301:34:53,563 --> 01:34:56,190
9374and one of my absolute heroines.
9375
93762000
937701:34:56,190 --> 01:34:59,777
9378An interesting arc
9379of oppression, exploration,
9380
93812001
938201:34:59,777 --> 01:35:01,988
9383personal loss, and creation,
9384
93852002
938601:35:01,988 --> 01:35:05,533
9387and deeply rooted in the
9388troubled history of the U.S.
9389
93902003
939101:35:05,533 --> 01:35:10,788
9392♪
9393
93942004
939501:35:10,788 --> 01:35:12,373
9396Guess where I am.
9397
93982005
939901:35:12,373 --> 01:35:23,217
9400♪
9401
94022006
940301:35:23,217 --> 01:35:24,969
9404Beautiful Pittsburgh.
9405
94062007
940701:35:24,969 --> 01:35:29,349
9408Birthplace of Michael Keaton
9409and chemical mace.
9410
94112008
941201:35:29,349 --> 01:35:32,393
9413Look close,
9414focus on my underpants.
9415
94162009
941701:35:32,393 --> 01:35:35,229
9418Can you see the 3D dolphin?
9419
94202010
942101:35:35,229 --> 01:35:37,982
9422In fiction, Pittsburgh
9423is the origin
9424
94252011
942601:35:37,982 --> 01:35:40,276
9427of the Videodrome signal.
9428
94292012
943001:35:40,276 --> 01:35:43,696
9431In reality, it is known for
9432being one of the few cities
9433
94342013
943501:35:43,696 --> 01:35:46,908
9436that made a successful
9437transition from a steel-based
9438
94392014
944001:35:46,908 --> 01:35:49,327
9441to a knowledge-based economy.
9442
94432015
944401:35:49,327 --> 01:35:50,995
9445Both equally cruel.
9446
94472016
944801:35:50,995 --> 01:35:54,415
9449Wait to cross technology.
9450
94512017
945201:35:54,415 --> 01:35:56,250
9453Do you know this fellow?
9454
94552018
945601:35:56,250 --> 01:35:58,336
9457He created one of
9458the most interesting
9459
94602019
946101:35:58,336 --> 01:36:01,297
9462political mythologies
9463of pop culture.
9464
94652020
946601:36:01,297 --> 01:36:05,802
9467George Romero and his radical
9468consumers, the Zombies.
9469
94702021
947101:36:05,802 --> 01:36:07,845
9472We drive to
9473Monroeville Mall,
9474
94752022
947601:36:07,845 --> 01:36:11,516
9477location of Dawn of
9478the Dead from 1978,
9479
94802023
948101:36:11,516 --> 01:36:14,769
9482to chat with leftist critic
9483and computer game designer,
9484
94852024
948601:36:14,769 --> 01:36:17,855
9487Paolo Pedercini.
9488
94892025
949001:36:17,855 --> 01:36:20,566
9491I think the ironic
9492part of this history
9493
94942026
949501:36:20,566 --> 01:36:23,069
9496is that the shopping
9497mall indoors
9498
94992027
950001:36:23,069 --> 01:36:26,239
9501was actually devised
9502and invented
9503
95042028
950501:36:26,239 --> 01:36:29,033
9506by, yes, a Viennese architect
9507
95082029
950901:36:29,033 --> 01:36:32,704
9510who escaped from Austria
9511during World War II
9512
95132030
951401:36:32,704 --> 01:36:36,416
9515and seek refuge
9516in the United States.
9517
95182031
951901:36:36,416 --> 01:36:38,626
9520And he tried to essentially
9521
95222032
952301:36:38,626 --> 01:36:41,462
9524counter the suburban sprawl.
9525
95262033
952701:36:41,462 --> 01:36:44,632
9528He tried to bring some lessons
9529
95302034
953101:36:44,632 --> 01:36:48,553
9532from Europe, I guess,
9533to recreate the social--
9534
95352035
953601:36:48,553 --> 01:36:50,722
9537the social context of a market,
9538
95392036
954001:36:50,722 --> 01:36:53,266
9541of a square.
9542
95432037
954401:36:53,266 --> 01:36:55,601
9545And through times,
9546
95472038
954801:36:55,601 --> 01:36:58,062
9549he kind of realized how
9550his original concept of
9551
95522039
955301:36:58,062 --> 01:37:01,858
9554recreating a piazza and sort of
9555like bringing people together,
9556
95572040
955801:37:01,858 --> 01:37:05,695
9559creating a cultural center,
9560not just a consuming center,
9561
95622041
956301:37:05,695 --> 01:37:09,949
9564he kinda realized how it
9565kind of failed as a project.
9566
95672042
956801:37:09,949 --> 01:37:11,701
9569We are talking about
9570like a public space
9571
95722043
957301:37:11,701 --> 01:37:13,995
9574while there is
9575a security guard here
9576
95772044
957801:37:13,995 --> 01:37:17,290
9579probably trying to shut us down,
9580because this is a social space.
9581
95822045
958301:37:17,290 --> 01:37:20,501
9584It's meant to be a sort
9585of simulation of a square,
9586
95872046
958801:37:20,501 --> 01:37:22,295
9589but it's actually
9590a very private space,
9591
95922047
959301:37:22,295 --> 01:37:25,048
9594and they're gonna kick us out
9595in five minutes, you know?
9596
95972048
959801:37:25,048 --> 01:37:27,341
9599I think there is a strong
9600connection between
9601
96022049
960301:37:27,341 --> 01:37:30,553
9604this kind of space
9605and geek and nerd culture
9606
96072050
960801:37:30,553 --> 01:37:34,807
9609because geeks find their own
9610communities online essentially.
9611
96122051
961301:37:34,807 --> 01:37:37,727
9614I think there is a strong
9615connection between
9616
96172052
961801:37:37,727 --> 01:37:40,188
9619living your teenage years
9620
96212053
962201:37:40,188 --> 01:37:43,191
9623in kind of an
9624isolated environment
9625
96262054
962701:37:43,191 --> 01:37:45,860
9628that you depend on
9629the car transportation.
9630
96312055
963201:37:45,860 --> 01:37:49,697
9633So you are always with your
9634family, always in your--
9635
96362056
963701:37:49,697 --> 01:37:52,992
9638in your domestic environment.
9639
96402057
964101:37:52,992 --> 01:37:55,912
9642Security is tight, because
9643a couple of months ago
9644
96452058
964601:37:55,912 --> 01:37:59,415
9647a teen girl fight
9648turned into a giant mob.
9649
96502059
965101:37:59,415 --> 01:38:00,833
9652Wow.
9653
96542060
965501:38:00,833 --> 01:38:03,920
9656That's even more
9657terrifying than zombies.
9658
96592061
966001:38:03,920 --> 01:38:07,632
9661If you are 15 and want to
9662rebel against your parents,
9663
96642062
966501:38:07,632 --> 01:38:11,052
9666there is a store
9667for that, Hot Topic.
9668
96692063
967001:38:11,052 --> 01:38:13,805
9671A reminder that we shouldn't
9672fear the end of the world,
9673
96742064
967501:38:13,805 --> 01:38:16,432
9676but its never-ending decay.
9677
96782065
967901:38:16,432 --> 01:38:20,186
9680Watch children.
9681
96822066
968301:38:20,186 --> 01:38:23,773
9684We flee to Punxsutawney,
9685Pennsylvania.
9686
96872067
968801:38:23,773 --> 01:38:27,026
9689The center of this community
9690is a rodent on welfare.
9691
96922068
969301:38:27,026 --> 01:38:29,654
9694Punxsutawney Phil, known
9695everywhere because of a film
9696
96972069
969801:38:29,654 --> 01:38:33,157
9699that took the world by
9700snowstorm, Groundhog Day.
9701
97022070
970301:38:33,157 --> 01:38:34,909
9704The never-ending loop
9705of small-town life
9706
97072071
970801:38:34,909 --> 01:38:36,869
9709that brainwashes
9710a cynic into true love
9711
97122072
971301:38:36,869 --> 01:38:39,247
9714is one of my favorite
9715conservative plots.
9716
97172073
971801:38:39,247 --> 01:38:41,958
9719Only beaten by Ghostbusters,
9720a film that honestly tries
9721
97222074
972301:38:41,958 --> 01:38:43,960
9724to convince us that a free
9725market can save the world,
9726
97272075
972801:38:43,960 --> 01:38:46,045
9729and that Environmental
9730Protection Agency inspectors
9731
97322076
973301:38:46,045 --> 01:38:47,588
9734don't have penises.
9735
97362077
973701:38:47,588 --> 01:38:50,633
9738Oh, the Euro is worth
9739less than the dollar,
9740
97412078
974201:38:50,633 --> 01:38:53,219
9743for the first time
9744in recorded history.
9745
97462079
974701:38:53,219 --> 01:38:56,806
9748Greece, ♪ I got you babe ♪♪
9749
97502080
975101:38:56,806 --> 01:38:58,808
9752♪
9753
97542081
975501:38:58,808 --> 01:39:01,477
9756Boston, Massachusetts.
9757
97582082
975901:39:01,477 --> 01:39:04,063
9760We visit the makerspace
9761Artisan's Asylum,
9762
97632083
976401:39:04,063 --> 01:39:07,150
9765and in front of Stompy,
9766a 4,000-pound,
9767
97682084
976901:39:07,150 --> 01:39:09,193
9770six-legged hydraulic robot,
9771
97722085
977301:39:09,193 --> 01:39:12,530
9774we meet my good friend,
9775Kit Stubbs.
9776
97772086
977801:39:12,530 --> 01:39:16,075
9779Kit has a PhD in Robotics
9780from Carnegie Mellon,
9781
97822087
978301:39:16,075 --> 01:39:19,078
9784but will not talk
9785about robots at all.
9786
97872088
978801:39:19,078 --> 01:39:21,873
9789Kit decided to change careers
9790and work in the field
9791
97922089
979301:39:21,873 --> 01:39:24,917
9794of sex tech and sex education.
9795
97962090
979701:39:24,917 --> 01:39:28,921
9798Disclaimer, our Canon's SD
9799card committed suicide,
9800
98012091
980201:39:28,921 --> 01:39:33,551
9803but monochrom's Evelyn
9804fixed the footage in post.
9805
98062092
980701:39:33,551 --> 01:39:37,054
9808The stereotype of nerd doesn't
9809include sex, or does it?
9810
98112093
981201:39:37,054 --> 01:39:38,973
9813It's a double-edged sword
9814though, because on the one hand,
9815
98162094
981701:39:38,973 --> 01:39:41,392
9818you have the, like, poor nerd
9819who can never get laid,
9820
98212095
982201:39:41,392 --> 01:39:43,352
9823and on the other hand,
9824you have a lot
9825
98262096
982701:39:43,352 --> 01:39:47,273
9828of nerd cultural stories
9829
98302097
983101:39:47,273 --> 01:39:50,818
9832in which the nerd, through
9833persistence, gets the girl.
9834
98352098
983601:39:50,818 --> 01:39:53,738
9837And it's the horrible
9838sort of entitlement culture
9839
98402099
984101:39:53,738 --> 01:39:56,240
9842where if you just work
9843hard enough, you know,
9844
98452100
984601:39:56,240 --> 01:39:59,452
9847the person that you want
9848will suddenly fall for you,
9849
98502101
985101:39:59,452 --> 01:40:01,078
9852which is just
9853absolutely horrible.
9854
98552102
985601:40:01,078 --> 01:40:04,498
9857What I have found is that
9858a lot of geeky people,
9859
98602103
986101:40:04,498 --> 01:40:07,752
9862who are interested in thinking
9863about different kinds
9864
98652104
986601:40:07,752 --> 01:40:09,962
9867of problems, find
9868sexuality fascinating.
9869
98702105
987101:40:09,962 --> 01:40:12,131
9872So I self-identify
9873as a sex geek,
9874
98752106
987601:40:12,131 --> 01:40:14,842
9877and I know a number of other
9878folks who do as well.
9879
98802107
988101:40:14,842 --> 01:40:16,469
9882And so what you're just
9883taking is you're taking
9884
98852108
988601:40:16,469 --> 01:40:19,180
9887all that passion, right,
9888of how you love something,
9889
98902109
989101:40:19,180 --> 01:40:21,849
9892because nerds, we get into
9893a thing and we love it,
9894
98952110
989601:40:21,849 --> 01:40:24,852
9897and we talk about it, and
9898we make our own creations
9899
99002111
990101:40:24,852 --> 01:40:27,855
9902that are inspired by whatever
9903fandom we're talking about.
9904
99052112
990601:40:27,855 --> 01:40:29,774
9907You can do the same
9908thing with sex.
9909
99102113
991101:40:29,774 --> 01:40:32,151
9912You know, there's
9913sex-positive podcasts,
9914
99152114
991601:40:32,151 --> 01:40:34,737
9917and making their own toys,
9918like I do, or you're going
9919
99202115
992101:40:34,737 --> 01:40:37,615
9922to Cons and you're talking
9923with people about sexuality.
9924
99252116
992601:40:37,615 --> 01:40:39,784
9927Like all that stuff
9928still happens.
9929
99302117
993101:40:39,784 --> 01:40:43,746
9932By identifying myself
9933as a sex geek publicly,
9934
99352118
993601:40:43,746 --> 01:40:46,332
9937that is a political act
9938in this culture,
9939
99402119
994101:40:46,332 --> 01:40:48,834
9942because we live in this
9943very sex-negative culture
9944
99452120
994601:40:48,834 --> 01:40:51,003
9947where sex is this kind
9948of shameful activity
9949
99502121
995101:40:51,003 --> 01:40:53,005
9952that we don't really
9953wanna talk about,
9954
99552122
995601:40:53,005 --> 01:40:56,133
9957and yet it's everywhere
9958in the media, complicated.
9959
99602123
996101:40:56,133 --> 01:40:58,678
9962I'm trying to use
9963my privilege in ways
9964
99652124
996601:40:58,678 --> 01:41:01,847
9967to help people feel
9968kind of more accepting
9969
99702125
997101:41:01,847 --> 01:41:06,310
9972of their own desires, other
9973people's desires, and yeah.
9974
99752126
997601:41:06,310 --> 01:41:09,981
9977Sex geek, it's a thing,
9978it's a great thing.
9979
99802127
998101:41:09,981 --> 01:41:12,525
9982Kit encouraged a wave
9983of new sex geeks
9984
99852128
998601:41:12,525 --> 01:41:16,279
9987and the feedback is exciting.
9988
99892129
999001:41:16,279 --> 01:41:18,781
9991(two-note repetition)
9992
99932130
999401:41:18,781 --> 01:41:25,413
9995♪
9996
99972131
999801:41:25,413 --> 01:41:26,831
9999I fear two things:
10000
100012132
1000201:41:26,831 --> 01:41:29,333
10003Shoggoths and Goatse,
10004
100052133
1000601:41:29,333 --> 01:41:31,502
10007and both out of nostalgia.
10008
100092134
1001001:41:31,502 --> 01:41:35,006
10011Here is the tombstone
10012of H.P. Lovecraft.
10013
100142135
1001501:41:35,006 --> 01:41:38,759
10016We are not allowed to film,
10017so please don't tell Pickman.
10018
100192136
1002001:41:38,759 --> 01:41:42,305
10021H.P. Lovecraft loved
10022cheese and hated fish,
10023
100242137
1002501:41:42,305 --> 01:41:46,100
10026was a racist, and died,
10027without any success as a writer,
10028
100292138
1003001:41:46,100 --> 01:41:48,436
10031a horrible death of cancer.
10032
100332139
1003401:41:48,436 --> 01:41:50,438
10035Maybe too much cheese,
10036not enough fish.
10037
100382140
1003901:41:50,438 --> 01:41:54,942
10040♪ It's beginning to look
10041a lot like fish-men
10042
100432141
1004401:41:54,942 --> 01:41:58,571
10045everywhere I go ♪
10046
100472142
1004801:41:58,571 --> 01:42:01,532
10049Lovecraft was very
10050important for me.
10051
100522143
1005301:42:01,532 --> 01:42:03,701
10054He was the first of many idols
10055
100562144
1005701:42:03,701 --> 01:42:06,162
10058that I learned to question
10059and disagree with,
10060
100612145
1006201:42:06,162 --> 01:42:07,830
10063and I needed that to grow up.
10064
100652146
1006601:42:07,830 --> 01:42:11,709
10067♪ I'm beginning to hear
10068a lot of fish-men
10069
100702147
1007101:42:11,709 --> 01:42:15,379
10072right outside my door ♪
10073
100742148
1007501:42:15,379 --> 01:42:19,675
10076♪ As I try to escape in fright
10077to the moonlit Innsmouth night
10078
100792149
1008001:42:19,675 --> 01:42:23,346
10081I can hear some more ♪♪
10082
100832150
1008401:42:23,346 --> 01:42:25,348
10085♪
10086
100872151
1008801:42:25,348 --> 01:42:28,601
10089Is love our true destiny?
10090
100912152
1009201:42:28,601 --> 01:42:30,811
10093No, it's Hopewell Junction,
10094New York,
10095
100962153
1009701:42:30,811 --> 01:42:33,814
10098to meet Jason Scott,
10099computer historian.
10100
101012154
1010201:42:33,814 --> 01:42:37,193
10103Nerds care about history,
10104but until somebody
10105
101062155
1010701:42:37,193 --> 01:42:40,237
10108kind of walks them through
10109what exactly happened,
10110
101112156
1011201:42:40,237 --> 01:42:43,074
10113the stories they'll tell you
10114will be extremely self-centered
10115
101162157
1011701:42:43,074 --> 01:42:46,702
10118and extremely oriented
10119towards their world view.
10120
101212158
1012201:42:46,702 --> 01:42:49,330
10123Okay, so,
10124
101252159
1012601:42:49,330 --> 01:42:52,458
10127currently we're located
10128in the information cube,
10129
101302160
1013101:42:52,458 --> 01:42:54,877
10132which is actually an information
10133shipping container,
10134
101352161
1013601:42:54,877 --> 01:42:57,880
10137which is a shipping container
10138I started renting
10139
101402162
1014101:42:57,880 --> 01:43:00,758
10142a number of years ago when
10143I moved out of my old house
10144
101452163
1014601:43:00,758 --> 01:43:02,385
10147and moved to New York State.
10148
101492164
1015001:43:02,385 --> 01:43:05,638
10151And I had collected
10152all variety of technology,
10153
101542165
1015501:43:05,638 --> 01:43:09,266
10156just various pieces of
10157human and computer culture,
10158
101592166
1016001:43:09,266 --> 01:43:12,603
10161and wanted to store them
10162in some sort of way
10163
101642167
1016501:43:12,603 --> 01:43:15,272
10166that I could then figure
10167out what to do next.
10168
101692168
1017001:43:15,272 --> 01:43:17,691
10171What I've done next, of course,
10172is just amass more stuff.
10173
101742169
1017501:43:17,691 --> 01:43:19,068
10176You stay where you are.
10177
101782170
1017901:43:19,068 --> 01:43:22,405
10180So, here's a Hello Kitty
10181personal pleasure toy.
10182
101832171
1018401:43:22,405 --> 01:43:24,198
10185A Pac-Man energy drink.
10186
101872172
1018801:43:24,198 --> 01:43:28,452
10189This was during the insane
10190energy drink wars of the 2000s.
10191
101922173
1019301:43:28,452 --> 01:43:30,871
10194This was a bunch of Baby
10195Boomers who thought that
10196
101972174
1019801:43:30,871 --> 01:43:33,833
10199they could explain the
10200computer revolution by using
10201
102022175
1020301:43:33,833 --> 01:43:36,001
1020450 and 60-year-old writers.
10205
102062176
1020701:43:36,001 --> 01:43:38,045
10208A bright and disgusting color.
10209
102102177
1021101:43:38,045 --> 01:43:40,548
10212This thing sank without a trace,
10213nobody ever heard of it again.
10214
102152178
1021601:43:40,548 --> 01:43:43,384
10217Sometime around, you know,
10218the '50s and '60s,
10219
102202179
1022101:43:43,384 --> 01:43:45,219
10222we were producing
10223a lot of electronics,
10224
102252180
1022601:43:45,219 --> 01:43:47,680
10227especially post-war,
10228but nobody looked at it
10229
102302181
1023101:43:47,680 --> 01:43:49,598
10232as a pure historical force.
10233
102342182
1023501:43:49,598 --> 01:43:51,225
10236It was just products.
10237
102382183
1023901:43:51,225 --> 01:43:54,353
10240In the same way you
10241might not get worked up
10242
102432184
1024401:43:54,353 --> 01:43:56,730
10245about a traffic cone, or you
10246might not get worked up
10247
102482185
1024901:43:56,730 --> 01:43:58,774
10250about a shopping cart,
10251you wouldn't get worked up
10252
102532186
1025401:43:58,774 --> 01:44:01,986
10255about a computer or a piece
10256of electronic equipment.
10257
102582187
1025901:44:01,986 --> 01:44:04,655
10260And what we've discovered
10261is that, no, it has real
10262
102632188
1026401:44:04,655 --> 01:44:07,283
10265historical value
10266and meaning and where is it?
10267
102682189
1026901:44:07,283 --> 01:44:10,411
10270Floppy disks,
10271if you're a younger kid,
10272
102732190
1027401:44:10,411 --> 01:44:12,538
10275look, it's a bunch
10276of save icons.
10277
102782191
1027901:44:12,538 --> 01:44:16,083
10280What I and others have
10281to do is go through them,
10282
102832192
1028401:44:16,083 --> 01:44:18,502
10285pull out the data that's on
10286them, and store them online
10287
102882193
1028901:44:18,502 --> 01:44:21,172
10290so that later,
10291in 40 or 50 years,
10292
102932194
1029401:44:21,172 --> 01:44:23,632
10295we're still able to figure
10296out what these things were.
10297
102982195
1029901:44:23,632 --> 01:44:27,553
10300The third font disk, this
10301is the second font disk.
10302
103032196
1030401:44:27,553 --> 01:44:29,555
10305This is the first font disk.
10306
103072197
1030801:44:29,555 --> 01:44:32,349
10309This is the disk that lets
10310you read the other fonts.
10311
103122198
1031301:44:32,349 --> 01:44:35,144
10314Manuals to machines
10315or equipment or software
10316
103172199
1031801:44:35,144 --> 01:44:39,023
10319that no longer exists, and
10320this is vital to understand
10321
103222200
1032301:44:39,023 --> 01:44:41,233
10324where we came from
10325in terms of programming,
10326
103272201
1032801:44:41,233 --> 01:44:43,986
10329and what different machines did,
10330and what roles people played.
10331
103322202
1033301:44:43,986 --> 01:44:47,156
10334There's even, to a lighter
10335extent, a patent aspect
10336
103372203
1033801:44:47,156 --> 01:44:49,450
10339to understanding
10340who patented what when.
10341
103422204
1034301:44:49,450 --> 01:44:52,203
10344Minimum COBOL, this is
10345a business language
10346
103472205
1034801:44:52,203 --> 01:44:54,079
10349that computers used
10350on mainframes,
10351
103522206
1035301:44:54,079 --> 01:44:56,040
10354and is still in
10355use in some places.
10356
103572207
1035801:44:56,040 --> 01:44:58,751
10359American civilization and
10360perhaps worldwide civilization
10361
103622208
1036301:44:58,751 --> 01:45:00,211
10364still runs on COBOL.
10365
103662209
1036701:45:00,211 --> 01:45:02,087
10368When somebody says to me
10369like, "I think you have
10370
103712210
1037201:45:02,087 --> 01:45:05,174
10373a hoarding problem," I go,
10374"Well, I'll take your opinion
10375
103762211
1037701:45:05,174 --> 01:45:08,469
10378and I will carefully stack
10379it with all the others."
10380
103812212
1038201:45:08,469 --> 01:45:12,932
10383We leave, and I'm glad Jason
10384didn't delve too deep.
10385
103862213
1038701:45:12,932 --> 01:45:16,352
10388I feared he would
10389awake the Balrog.
10390
103912214
1039201:45:16,352 --> 01:45:19,063
10393En route to New York, or N'Ork,
10394
103952215
1039601:45:19,063 --> 01:45:22,483
10397as they call it in
10398A Canticle For Leibowitz.
10399
104002216
1040101:45:22,483 --> 01:45:24,068
10402Laughing Squid's Scott Beale
10403
104042217
1040501:45:24,068 --> 01:45:26,529
10406is hosting a Traceroute
10407party for us.
10408
104092218
1041001:45:26,529 --> 01:45:28,781
10411A good chance to record drunk,
10412
104132219
1041401:45:28,781 --> 01:45:31,200
10415nostalgic statements.
10416
104172220
1041801:45:31,200 --> 01:45:35,621
10419It's really weird
10420being mainstream now.
10421
104222221
1042301:45:35,621 --> 01:45:38,499
10424And I used to write down URLs
10425
104262222
1042701:45:38,499 --> 01:45:40,876
10428in my little notebook so
10429I could go when I get back
10430
104312223
1043201:45:40,876 --> 01:45:43,420
10433to a computer to look
10434up the websites.
10435
104362224
1043701:45:43,420 --> 01:45:46,507
10438URL, university
10439tilde user, you know.
10440
104412225
1044201:45:46,507 --> 01:45:48,425
10443So that's pretty precious,
10444I mean, really.
10445
104462226
1044701:45:48,425 --> 01:45:50,678
10448This recent hype
10449
104502227
1045101:45:50,678 --> 01:45:54,348
10452that I call "nerdsploitation,"
10453
104542228
1045501:45:54,348 --> 01:45:56,350
10456because for example, you know,
10457
104582229
1045901:45:56,350 --> 01:45:58,644
10460you have this
10461Big Bang Theory, right?
10462
104632230
1046401:45:58,644 --> 01:46:00,646
10465I mean, it kind of feels weird.
10466
104672231
1046801:46:00,646 --> 01:46:03,607
10469I mean, I definitely
10470think the nerds-nerds-
10471
104722232
1047301:46:03,607 --> 01:46:07,027
10474nerds-nerds-nerds-nerds,
10475
104762233
1047701:46:07,027 --> 01:46:09,029
10478they definitely tend to
10479be the early adopters.
10480
104812234
1048201:46:09,029 --> 01:46:12,449
10483They tend to be way
10484more engaged on a whole.
10485
104862235
1048701:46:12,449 --> 01:46:14,868
10488♪
10489
104902236
1049101:46:14,868 --> 01:46:16,954
10492Baby Jesus,
10493please open my motel room.
10494
104952237
1049601:46:16,954 --> 01:46:19,123
10497♪
10498
104992238
1050001:46:19,123 --> 01:46:20,374
10501Baby Jesus.
10502
105032239
1050401:46:20,374 --> 01:46:22,376
10505♪
10506
105072240
1050801:46:22,376 --> 01:46:24,878
10509To Raymond Rocello
10510and his orchestra,
10511
105122241
1051301:46:24,878 --> 01:46:26,964
10514whose smooth jazz
10515
105162242
1051701:46:26,964 --> 01:46:30,342
10518got interrupted too many times.
10519
105202243
1052101:46:30,342 --> 01:46:32,636
10522Welcome to Grover's Mill,
10523New Jersey,
10524
105252244
1052601:46:32,636 --> 01:46:35,180
10527picked by Orson Welles in 1938
10528
105292245
1053001:46:35,180 --> 01:46:38,434
10531as the location of a
10532fictitious Martian invasion
10533
105342246
1053501:46:38,434 --> 01:46:40,936
10536for a live radio
10537dramatization of--
10538
105392247
1054001:46:40,936 --> 01:46:43,606
10541The "War of the Worlds"
10542by H.G. Wells.
10543
105442248
1054501:46:43,606 --> 01:46:45,899
10546It caused a mass panic.
10547
105482249
1054901:46:45,899 --> 01:46:47,443
10550I demonstrate.
10551
105522250
1055301:46:47,443 --> 01:46:55,326
10554♪
10555
105562251
1055701:46:55,326 --> 01:46:59,079
10558Concerned citizens even shot
10559a nearby water tower
10560
105612252
1056201:46:59,079 --> 01:47:02,082
10563thinking it was one
10564of the alien invaders.
10565
105662253
1056701:47:02,082 --> 01:47:04,251
10568What is there to learn?
10569
105702254
1057101:47:04,251 --> 01:47:06,962
10572Nothing, but the true
10573lesson of life,
10574
105752255
1057601:47:06,962 --> 01:47:09,673
10577when and when not
10578to give a fuck.
10579
105802256
1058101:47:09,673 --> 01:47:13,594
10582♪
10583
105842257
1058501:47:13,594 --> 01:47:17,640
10586Hello, Washington,
10587District of Columbia!
10588
105892258
1059001:47:17,640 --> 01:47:20,017
10591The Pentagon,
10592always a good excuse
10593
105942259
1059501:47:20,017 --> 01:47:22,978
10596for liberal American self-hate.
10597
105982260
1059901:47:22,978 --> 01:47:24,980
10600Arlington National Cemetery.
10601
106022261
1060301:47:24,980 --> 01:47:26,774
10604We pay our tributes.
10605
106062262
1060701:47:26,774 --> 01:47:34,990
10608♪
10609
106102263
1061101:47:34,990 --> 01:47:37,660
10612But my fondest memory
10613is one of fiction.
10614
106152264
1061601:47:37,660 --> 01:47:40,829
10617The last minutes
10618of the glorious 1970s
10619
106202265
1062101:47:40,829 --> 01:47:44,166
10622paranoia movie, Capricorn One.
10623
106242266
1062501:47:44,166 --> 01:47:46,960
10626NASA fakes a Mars landing,
10627and when something goes wrong
10628
106292267
1063001:47:46,960 --> 01:47:49,880
10631they need to kill off
10632the astronauts for real.
10633
106342268
1063501:47:49,880 --> 01:47:53,592
10636But James Brolin survives,
10637and shows up at his own funeral,
10638
106392269
1064001:47:53,592 --> 01:47:55,511
10641in hyper-slo-mo.
10642
106432270
1064401:47:55,511 --> 01:47:57,805
10645I couldn't believe how
10646cool that ending was.
10647
106482271
1064901:47:57,805 --> 01:48:00,307
10650And I wish I could still
10651believe in such fantasies,
10652
106532272
1065401:48:00,307 --> 01:48:02,434
10655still believe in
10656the great narrative
10657
106582273
1065901:48:02,434 --> 01:48:05,145
10660of truth versus lies.
10661
106622274
1066301:48:05,145 --> 01:48:06,855
10664But it's just a fantasy.
10665
106662275
1066701:48:06,855 --> 01:48:09,650
10668I know that nerds like the
10669story of the lone underdog,
10670
106712276
1067201:48:09,650 --> 01:48:11,610
10673but it's ultimately
10674self-degrading
10675
106762277
1067701:48:11,610 --> 01:48:14,822
10678and conceals the real problems.
10679
106802278
1068101:48:14,822 --> 01:48:18,409
10682It's not the evil feminists,
10683if you're a #gamergate freako.
10684
106852279
1068601:48:18,409 --> 01:48:20,828
10687It's not evil patents,
10688if you are part
10689
106902280
1069101:48:20,828 --> 01:48:23,247
10692of the fellowship
10693of open-source.
10694
106952281
1069601:48:23,247 --> 01:48:25,040
10697It's not the evil NSA,
10698
106992282
1070001:48:25,040 --> 01:48:28,502
10701if you're a privacy
10702hacker martyr.
10703
107042283
1070501:48:28,502 --> 01:48:30,504
10706All of these are
10707third degree symptoms
10708
107092284
1071001:48:30,504 --> 01:48:32,715
10711and reductionist blunder.
10712
107132285
1071401:48:32,715 --> 01:48:35,342
10715All that exists in and through
10716
107172286
1071801:48:35,342 --> 01:48:37,428
10719and because of capitalism,
10720
107212287
1072201:48:37,428 --> 01:48:40,264
10723a totalitarian economic
10724game that encompasses
10725
107262288
1072701:48:40,264 --> 01:48:42,683
10728our planet since the late 1700s,
10729
107302289
1073101:48:42,683 --> 01:48:45,269
10732and there is no difference
10733if you live in Austria,
10734
107352290
1073601:48:45,269 --> 01:48:47,813
10737Iran, or Arlington, Virginia.
10738
107392291
1074001:48:47,813 --> 01:48:50,691
10741The basic rules are the same.
10742
107432292
1074401:48:50,691 --> 01:48:54,236
10745Capitalism separates us,
10746forces us into alienation
10747
107482293
1074901:48:54,236 --> 01:48:56,905
10750and de-solidarity,
10751and many nerds are just
10752
107532294
1075401:48:56,905 --> 01:49:00,451
10755willing cannon fodder
10756for its next upgrade.
10757
107582295
1075901:49:00,451 --> 01:49:04,329
10760Google Campus is like Logan's
10761Run with free shuttle busses
10762
107632296
1076401:49:04,329 --> 01:49:07,499
10765to visit Peter Ustinov
10766sleep on the street.
10767
107682297
1076901:49:07,499 --> 01:49:09,918
10770They initially set themselves up
10771
107722298
1077301:49:09,918 --> 01:49:12,087
10774as essentially Neverland,
10775
107762299
1077701:49:12,087 --> 01:49:13,672
10778a place where you
10779never had to grow up,
10780
107812300
1078201:49:13,672 --> 01:49:16,425
10783a place where everything
10784was there for you
10785
107862301
1078701:49:16,425 --> 01:49:19,887
10788so that you could spend
10789every waking moment
10790
107912302
1079201:49:19,887 --> 01:49:21,680
10793working for the company.
10794
107952303
1079601:49:21,680 --> 01:49:24,641
10797And for the nerd type, the one
10798that's built up this bubble
10799
108002304
1080101:49:24,641 --> 01:49:27,144
10802of existence and this way
10803of looking at the world
10804
108052305
1080601:49:27,144 --> 01:49:30,647
10807from the outside--
10808was and continues to be
10809
108102306
1081101:49:30,647 --> 01:49:32,775
10812really, really
10813appealing to them.
10814
108152307
1081601:49:32,775 --> 01:49:36,069
10817The thing that drove me nuts
10818when I went to Facebook
10819
108202308
1082101:49:36,069 --> 01:49:39,823
10822was they had this DJ booth,
10823and they had vodka bottles
10824
108252309
1082601:49:39,823 --> 01:49:42,534
10827with little spouts attached
10828to them so you could
10829
108302310
1083101:49:42,534 --> 01:49:45,287
10832nail down the vodka
10833and do some DJ spinning.
10834
108352311
1083601:49:45,287 --> 01:49:47,456
10837And I was like, "Well,
10838that explains Facebook."
10839
108402312
1084101:49:47,456 --> 01:49:57,883
10842♪
10843
108442313
1084501:49:57,883 --> 01:50:01,595
10846Kind of overwhelmed
10847and a bit in a bad mood,
10848
108492314
1085001:50:01,595 --> 01:50:05,682
10851and this doesn't
10852make it any better.
10853
108542315
1085501:50:05,682 --> 01:50:09,186
10856Well, last day.
10857
108582316
1085901:50:09,186 --> 01:50:12,022
10860In 1955, someone
10861in the film industry
10862
108632317
1086401:50:12,022 --> 01:50:14,817
10865decided to put an explosive
10866under a blood-bag
10867
108682318
1086901:50:14,817 --> 01:50:17,110
10870to simulate a gunshot wound.
10871
108722319
1087301:50:17,110 --> 01:50:19,488
10874This technique is still
10875in use and performers
10876
108772320
1087801:50:19,488 --> 01:50:22,324
10879get hurt by shrapnel
10880all the time.
10881
108822321
1088301:50:22,324 --> 01:50:25,661
10884Steve Tolin is a marvelous
10885special effects problem-solver.
10886
108872322
1088801:50:25,661 --> 01:50:29,581
10889So he created a completely new
10890system based on air pressure.
10891
108922323
1089301:50:29,581 --> 01:50:31,750
10894Eureka, but originally,
10895
108962324
1089701:50:31,750 --> 01:50:34,002
10898Steve wanted to
10899become a biologist.
10900
109012325
1090201:50:34,002 --> 01:50:37,256
10903In my heart, I'm a creature
10904creator above all else.
10905
109062326
1090701:50:37,256 --> 01:50:40,092
10908You know, and I think
10909that that really is because
10910
109112327
1091201:50:40,092 --> 01:50:43,512
10913of the biology foundation
10914that I've got.
10915
109162328
1091701:50:43,512 --> 01:50:45,389
10918So with biology,
10919what you're doing
10920
109212329
1092201:50:45,389 --> 01:50:47,140
10923is you've got the
10924form of something,
10925
109262330
1092701:50:47,140 --> 01:50:48,851
10928and you're gonna try to figure
10929out what the function is.
10930
109312331
1093201:50:48,851 --> 01:50:50,477
10933You're gonna figure out what
10934the hell does this thing--
10935
109362332
1093701:50:50,477 --> 01:50:53,230
10938where does he live, what
10939does he eat, what eats it.
10940
109412333
1094201:50:53,230 --> 01:50:55,566
10943With a creature in a movie
10944I've got the obvious scenario
10945
109462334
1094701:50:55,566 --> 01:50:58,068
10948where they give me a script and
10949they told me who he's gonna eat,
10950
109512335
1095201:50:58,068 --> 01:51:00,445
10953they told me what is gonna
10954try to kill it, how it moves,
10955
109562336
1095701:51:00,445 --> 01:51:02,865
10958where it lives, and so
10959my job then is to totally
10960
109612337
1096201:51:02,865 --> 01:51:05,784
10963reverse-engineer
10964the function of it
10965
109662338
1096701:51:05,784 --> 01:51:07,744
10968into what the form would be.
10969
109702339
1097101:51:07,744 --> 01:51:10,539
10972You wanted to go into biology,
10973
109742340
1097501:51:10,539 --> 01:51:13,584
10976and you do creature effects,
10977you do puppets.
10978
109792341
1098001:51:13,584 --> 01:51:15,919
10981And now you're working
10982for the Jesus nerds,
10983
109842342
1098501:51:15,919 --> 01:51:19,464
10986you're working for
10987a museum for creationists.
10988
109892343
1099001:51:19,464 --> 01:51:21,758
10991So the point that
10992I was just making
10993
109942344
1099501:51:21,758 --> 01:51:24,052
10996is really evident when
10997I'm working with creationists.
10998
109992345
1100001:51:24,052 --> 01:51:25,846
11001I've done it in the past,
11002I've worked for the museum
11003
110042346
1100501:51:25,846 --> 01:51:28,223
11006they built initially,
11007and you really feel like
11008
110092347
1101001:51:28,223 --> 01:51:30,100
11011that kinda sense,
11012in that group of people,
11013
110142348
1101501:51:30,100 --> 01:51:32,644
11016of trying to recreate
11017God's work.
11018
110192349
1102001:51:32,644 --> 01:51:34,438
11021It's much more specific even
11022than what I'm talking about--
11023
110242350
1102501:51:34,438 --> 01:51:37,024
11026I'm trying to recreate what
11027exists, and they definitely
11028
110292351
1103001:51:37,024 --> 01:51:40,235
11031are trying to recreate
11032what they see
11033
110342352
1103501:51:40,235 --> 01:51:42,446
11036as having been created
11037ahead of them.
11038
110392353
1104001:51:42,446 --> 01:51:46,074
11041And they are now recreating
11042a full size ark, Noah's Ark.
11043
110442354
1104501:51:46,074 --> 01:51:48,076
11046They're rebuilding the entire
11047thing, it's gonna be, I think,
11048
110492355
1105001:51:48,076 --> 01:51:50,704
110513 stories tall and
11052whatever, 500 cubits long.
11053
110542356
1105501:51:50,704 --> 01:51:53,165
11056I mean, it's gonna be a giant
11057place that you can go inside,
11058
110592357
1106001:51:53,165 --> 01:51:54,958
11061and they're recreating
11062everything.
11063
110642358
1106501:51:54,958 --> 01:51:56,710
11066And again, this is what was
11067so fascinating about it to me
11068
110692359
1107001:51:56,710 --> 01:51:59,046
11071because if you look about
11072it in terms of form
11073
110742360
1107501:51:59,046 --> 01:52:01,131
11076following function,
11077function sometimes is,
11078
110792361
1108001:52:01,131 --> 01:52:02,716
11081okay, so how does
11082the thing work?
11083
110842362
1108501:52:02,716 --> 01:52:04,676
11086Like what is the physical
11087part of how it works,
11088
110892363
1109001:52:04,676 --> 01:52:06,261
11091but then there's also
11092the function of like,
11093
110942364
1109501:52:06,261 --> 01:52:08,347
11096how does it function
11097theologically?
11098
110992365
1110001:52:08,347 --> 01:52:10,182
11101You know, and so what's
11102the form in terms of--
11103
111042366
1110501:52:10,182 --> 01:52:13,393
11106Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
11107blah, blah, blah, blah.
11108
111092367
1111001:52:16,521 --> 01:52:17,648
11111(gunshot)
11112
111132368
1111401:52:19,650 --> 01:52:23,362
11115(static crackling)
11116
111172369
1111801:52:36,750 --> 01:52:39,086
11119I had always heard
11120your entire life
11121
111222370
1112301:52:39,086 --> 01:52:40,963
11124flashes in front of your eyes
11125
111262371
1112701:52:40,963 --> 01:52:44,591
11128the second before you die.
11129
111302372
1113101:52:44,591 --> 01:52:47,052
11132First of all, that one second
11133
111342373
1113501:52:47,052 --> 01:52:49,846
11136isn't a second at all.
11137
111382374
1113901:52:49,846 --> 01:52:52,432
11140It stretches on forever,
11141
111422375
1114301:52:52,432 --> 01:52:55,143
11144like Hilbert space.
11145
111462376
1114701:52:55,143 --> 01:52:58,021
11148For me, it was eating
11149barbecue-flavored chips
11150
111512377
1115201:52:58,021 --> 01:53:02,401
11153while playing Micro Machines
11154on my AT 386.
11155
111562378
1115701:53:02,401 --> 01:53:04,611
11158♪
11159
111602379
1116101:53:04,611 --> 01:53:07,614
11162Or visiting Skywalker Ranch
11163and touching the real
11164
111652380
1116601:53:07,614 --> 01:53:11,618
11167Holy Grail from Indiana Jones.
11168
111692381
1117001:53:11,618 --> 01:53:14,997
11171Or watching American Beauty
11172for the first time,
11173
111742382
1117501:53:14,997 --> 01:53:17,874
11176and being the only one
11177in the theatre to understand
11178
111792383
1118001:53:17,874 --> 01:53:22,004
11181its true reactionary agenda.
11182
111832384
1118401:53:22,004 --> 01:53:26,383
11185I guess I could be pretty pissed
11186off about what happened to me,
11187
111882385
1118901:53:26,383 --> 01:53:28,719
11190but then I remember to relax,
11191
111922386
1119301:53:28,719 --> 01:53:31,263
11194and stop trying
11195to hold on to it,
11196
111972387
1119801:53:31,263 --> 01:53:35,892
11199and then it flows through
11200me like Russian hydrazine,
11201
112022388
1120301:53:35,892 --> 01:53:39,396
11204and I can't feel anything
11205but gratitude for every single
11206
112072389
1120801:53:39,396 --> 01:53:43,650
11209moment of my stupid little life.
11210
112112390
1121201:53:43,650 --> 01:53:46,987
11213You have no idea what I'm
11214talking about, I'm sure,
11215
112162391
1121701:53:46,987 --> 01:53:49,364
11218but don't worry.
11219
112202392
1122101:53:49,364 --> 01:53:50,907
11222You will someday.
11223
112242393
1122501:53:50,907 --> 01:56:32,986
11226♪
11227
112282394
1122901:56:32,986 --> 01:56:34,654
11230♪ The force ♪
11231
112322395
1123301:56:34,654 --> 01:56:37,032
11234♪
11235
112362396
1123701:56:37,032 --> 01:56:38,575
11238♪ The force ♪
11239
112402397
1124101:56:38,575 --> 01:56:41,036
11242♪
11243
112442398
1124501:56:41,036 --> 01:56:42,412
11246♪ The force ♪
11247
112482399
1124901:56:42,412 --> 01:56:44,998
11250♪
11251
112522400
1125301:56:44,998 --> 01:56:46,458
11254♪ The force ♪
11255
112562401
1125701:56:46,458 --> 01:56:48,084
11258♪
11259
112602402
1126101:56:48,084 --> 01:56:50,253
11262♪ The fucking force ♪
11263
112642403
1126501:56:50,253 --> 01:56:52,589
11266♪
11267
112682404
1126901:56:52,589 --> 01:56:56,384
11270♪ The motherfucking force ♪
11271
112722405
1127301:56:56,384 --> 01:56:59,221
11274♪ The force,
11275the motherfucking force ♪
11276
112772406
1127801:56:59,221 --> 01:57:02,891
11279♪
11280
112812407
1128201:57:02,891 --> 01:57:06,645
11283(singing in foreign language)
11284
112852408
1128601:57:06,645 --> 01:58:07,580
11287♪
11288
112892409
1129001:58:07,580 --> 01:58:09,124
11291♪ eBay ♪
11292
112932410
1129401:58:09,124 --> 01:58:09,916
11295♪ The force ♪
11296
112972411
1129801:58:09,916 --> 01:58:11,710
11299♪
11300
113012412
1130201:58:11,710 --> 01:58:13,128
11303♪ eBay ♪
11304
113052413
1130601:58:13,128 --> 01:58:14,045
11307♪ The force ♪
11308
113092414
1131001:58:14,045 --> 01:58:15,588
11311♪
11312
113132415
1131401:58:15,588 --> 01:58:17,090
11315♪ eBay ♪
11316
113172416
1131801:58:17,090 --> 01:58:18,091
11319♪ The force ♪
11320
113212417
1132201:58:18,091 --> 01:58:19,634
11323♪
11324
113252418
1132601:58:19,634 --> 01:58:21,928
11327-♪ eBay ♪
11328-♪ The fucking force ♪
11329
113302419
1133101:58:21,928 --> 01:58:23,680
11332♪
11333
113342420
1133501:58:23,680 --> 01:58:26,266
11336-♪ eBay ♪
11337-♪ The motherfucking force ♪
11338
113392421
1134001:58:26,266 --> 01:58:27,642
11341♪
11342
113432422
1134401:58:27,642 --> 01:58:29,519
11345-♪ eBay ♪
11346-♪ The force,
11347
113482423
1134901:58:29,519 --> 01:58:31,313
11350the motherfucking force ♪
11351
113522424
1135301:58:31,313 --> 01:58:35,233
11354♪ My kingdom and my horse ♪
11355
113562425
1135701:58:35,233 --> 01:58:38,862
11358♪ My kingdom and my horse ♪
11359
113602426
1136101:58:38,862 --> 01:58:41,990
11362(singing in foreign language)
11363
113642427
1136501:58:41,990 --> 01:59:11,603
11366♪
11367
113682428
1136901:59:11,603 --> 01:59:13,104
11370♪ eBay ♪
11371
113722429
1137301:59:13,104 --> 01:59:14,647
11374♪ The force ♪
11375
113762430
1137701:59:14,647 --> 01:59:15,607
11378♪
11379
113802431
1138101:59:15,607 --> 01:59:17,108
11382♪ eBay ♪
11383
113842432
1138501:59:17,108 --> 01:59:17,984
11386♪ The force ♪
11387
113882433
1138901:59:17,984 --> 01:59:19,611
11390♪
11391
113922434
1139301:59:19,611 --> 01:59:21,071
11394♪ eBay ♪
11395
113962435
1139701:59:21,071 --> 01:59:22,155
11398♪ The force ♪
11399
114002436
1140101:59:22,155 --> 01:59:23,698
11402♪
11403
114042437
1140501:59:23,698 --> 01:59:25,992
11406-♪ eBay ♪
11407-♪ The fucking force ♪
11408
114092438
1141001:59:25,992 --> 01:59:27,660
11411♪
11412
114132439
1141401:59:27,660 --> 01:59:30,163
11415-♪ eBay ♪
11416-♪ The motherfucking force ♪
11417
114182440
1141901:59:30,163 --> 01:59:31,664
11420♪
11421
114222441
1142301:59:31,664 --> 01:59:33,208
11424-♪ eBay ♪
11425-♪ The force,
11426
114272442
1142801:59:33,208 --> 01:59:35,335
11429the motherfucking force ♪
11430
114312443
1143201:59:35,335 --> 01:59:39,255
11433♪ My kingdom and my horse ♪
11434
114352444
1143601:59:39,255 --> 01:59:42,884
11437♪ My kingdom and my horse ♪
11438
114392445
1144001:59:42,884 --> 01:59:44,302
11441♪
11442
114432446
1144401:59:44,302 --> 01:59:46,763
11445(singing in foreign language)
11446
114472447
1144801:59:46,763 --> 01:59:49,349
11449♪
11450
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