Brainstorm

Fortune
Brainstorm

Technology is disrupting our world and reshaping our lives, sometimes in ways we don't realize. In this weekly podcast, Fortune Senior Writer Michal Lev-Ram and Deputy Editor Brian O'Keefe dig behind the headlines to explore the world of tech. They speak with leaders of some of the biggest companies - and others perhaps you've never heard of - and call on industry experts for insight. Fortune's team of tech reporters and writers also weighs in on what's happening in technology news and why it matters for everyone.

  1. 2021/07/22

    The Billionaire Space Race

    In the past two weeks, both Sir Richard Branson and Amazon's Jeff Bezos flew into space on their own rockets. Space tourism, they say, is just around the corner: anyone who can pay the price of admission can now travel outside our home planet. In the flurry of headlines that followed, it’s easy to forget these billionaire-astronauts – along with Elon Musk – have been investing heavily in the commercial space industry for nearly two decades. There’s an obvious, immediate business case: Satellites help fuel the information economy. But the longer-term ambitions of a commercial space sector are deeply imaginative, if not fanciful. Human colonies on the moon, earth-orbiting-hotels, mining asteroids for precious metals.   On today’s Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O’Keefe discuss the rise of the commercial space sector and the technological breakthroughs it hopes to realize.   Christian Maender, director of in-space manufacturing and research at unicorn Axiom Space, describes the company’s plans to build the first private space station.  Peter Hughes, the Center Chief Technologist for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center applauds the space-minded venture capitalists. Up in orbit, he says, the more the merrier.   Also in the episode, Mehak Sarang, research associate at Harvard Business School, discusses the limitless possibilities for scientific and technological breakthroughs that space affords.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 分钟
  2. 2021/07/15

    The Growing Power of No-Code/Low-Code Software Development

    In a digital world, the ability to code – to train a computer, using its own language – is key, hence the enormous push to make people literate in programming languages. “Don’t just play on your phone,” urged President Barack Obama in 2013, “program it.”  But today the demand for digital applications outstrips the programming talent. The became especially clear during COVID-19, when digital accessibility became a necessity. Enter low-code and no-code application development: Platforms where software is configured visually, using drag and drop interfaces. They’re faster and cheaper to use than traditional coding, but how well do they work?   On today’s Brainstorm, Brian O’Keefe and Fortune’s Robert Hackett discuss the promise of low-code and no-code platforms, and how they've stood the test of emergency situations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Laela Sturdy is a general partner at CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund, which helps growth-stage tech companies scale. She says the attraction of these platforms is to enable creators and non-technical people to access the power and magic of code.   Michael Beckley is the Chief Technology Officer of Appian, the first company to go public as a low-code vendor. He says low-code has the power to deliver clients perfectly tailored software in half the time.   Also in this episode, Veronica Soto, director of San Antonio’s Neighborhood and Housing Services Department describes digitizing an entire rental assistance program in a week, at the outset of the pandemic, in partnership with low-code platform Mendix.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    21 分钟
  3. 2021/07/01

    When Will Autonomous Cars Become Reality?

    Driverless cars are supposed to eliminate traffic, prevent millions of deaths and injuries, reduce congestion, and slash carbon emissions. And, they were supposed to be on our streets by now. In 2016, then-Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, now the Chief Policy Officer at Lyft, said in an interview that by 2021 “families will be able to walk out of their homes and call [an autonomous] vehicle, and that vehicle will take them to work or to school.” He wasn't the only one to make such claims. On today’s Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O’Keefe examine why autonomous vehicles (AVs) have yet to go mainstream, and what needs to happen in order for us to take our hands off the wheel.  Laura Major is coauthor of the book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting Robots” as well as the Chief Technology Officer for Motional. Motional is a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv, currently partnering with Lyft on robotaxis in Las Vegas. She explains the experience of riding in a robotaxi, and how the company is approaching technical challenges it's facing. Jody Kelman, the General Manager of Lyft Autonomous, talks about what needs to happen for riders to feel comfortable in AVs, and about consolidation in the industry.  Also in this episode, Missy Cummings of Duke University and Rob Seamens of NYU explain the hype behind AVs, the unresolved technological hurdles, and the regulatory ambiguity that stands in the way of widespread adoption.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 分钟
  4. 2021/06/24

    Solving the Semiconductor Shortage

    Semiconductors are an essential part of computer chips and, therefore, power much of the technology our modern world increasingly relies upon. This is especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, as demand for personal electronics and internet connectivity has skyrocketed. Along with toilet paper and lumber, though, semiconductors are in short supply, due to erratic, pandemic-related bottlenecks in the global supply chain. But simply making more semiconductors isn’t so easy.    On today’s Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O’Keefe dive into the reasons for the semiconductor shortage, and explore what solutions exist in the near and long term.   Margaret O’Mara, a professor of history at the University of Washington and author of “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America,” describes how Silicon Valley is what it is because of the semiconductor industry and the U.S. government.  Ondrej Burkacky leads McKinsey's global Semiconductors and Business Technology practices; he explains why semiconductor manufacturing is so time and capital-intensive, and how the industry can avoid future shortages.   Also in this episode, Tyson Tuttle, CEO of Silicon Labs in Austin, Texas, describes the importance of geographic diversity in semiconductor manufacturing, and what role the government should play in preventing future shortages.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 分钟

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Technology is disrupting our world and reshaping our lives, sometimes in ways we don't realize. In this weekly podcast, Fortune Senior Writer Michal Lev-Ram and Deputy Editor Brian O'Keefe dig behind the headlines to explore the world of tech. They speak with leaders of some of the biggest companies - and others perhaps you've never heard of - and call on industry experts for insight. Fortune's team of tech reporters and writers also weighs in on what's happening in technology news and why it matters for everyone.

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