7.11: An Experiment in Moral Imagination, Pt. 2

“Go Do Earth Things”, or, How 80 Years of Non-Technocratic Thinking Might Improve Phoenix, AZ

What will the world be like 80 years from now if we avoid technocratic thinking? We discuss the far future of ecologies, urban planning, and … open-source code economy. Listen all the way through for the closing note about the next episode and one of the most incredible bloopers we’ve ever produced.

Best efforts notwithstanding, we couldn’t actually find a news story about the Woodmoor HOA’s fight with its own residents—Chris got this from a friend who lived through it, but the news items (if any) are lost to the depths of time.

• iPhone comparison to a tricorder
• The inventor of the cell phone says Dick Tracy inspired the cell phone, not Star Trek (Mea culpa: We said that iPhone was potentially inspired by Star Trek but it was really the first cell phone embroiled in this controversy)
• Eastern Colorado’s unsustainable land/water management
• Interactive tool assessing Phoenix’s water issues (Bonus: co-created by a member of Stephen’s academic department)
• Flash Forward’s episode on space crime
• Norman Music Fest

Previous episodes:

• 5.09: Regulate All the Things! (This is the “local loop unbundling” episode)
• 4.06: Kickstarting a Hyperlocal Superfarm

The best thing about the blooper is that Stephen technically correct but still also technically wrong: While the state of Denmark (16,577 sq. mi.) is indeed larger than Rhode Island (1,034 sq. mi.), it is also larger than eight other U.S. States. It would place 42nd on a list of sizes, after West Virginia (24,087 sq. mi.) and before Maryland (9,775 sq. mi.). Furthermore, Denmark (as astute newswatchers know) technically includes Greenland and the Faroe islands as part of Denmark, making in total 857,510 sq mi; this would make Denmark literally the largest American state by almost 300,000 square miles. Depending on how you count it, Denmark is actually more than three times the size of Texas. Oops.

• “On Reflection” by Message to Bears. Used by permission.
• “Winning Slowly Theme” by Chris Krycho.

Many thanks to the people who help us make this show possible by their financial support! This month’s sponsors:

• Daniel Ellcey
• Jake Grant
• Jeremy W. Sherman
• Marnix Klooster
• Nathaniel Blaney
• Spencer Smith

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