Coins, Medieval and Digital

What is money, and how is it changing? And what do bitcoins have in common with medieval coins? In this episode, Gili Vidan explains how the long history of coins can help us understand the history of digital currencies, something we perceive to be a radical break from the past. We start the episode with a discussion of the future - of one version of the future, science fiction - and what money is ideally imagined to be or not be.

Audio credits: Special thanks to The Overseas Ensemble, a collaboration between composer Paed Conca and Sarigama, for use of their music; thanks to Gili Vidan, for being the first and perhaps only person to listen to all of Ventricles, season one, in a single day!

Bio: Gili Vidan is a PhD Candidate in the Department of the History of Science and research fellow at the Program on Science, Technology, and Society at Harvard. Her work explores digital technologies, changing notions of public trust and democratic governance, and narratives of crisis and future-making in the US.