23 episodes

Great stories of how tech shapes our culture in wild ways.Would you be surprised to find out scientists are using World of Warcraft to learn how to fight COVID-19? What if I told you that I could spoil almost any movie based on who uses an iPhone? Or how about the fact that Disney is afraid of butts? Well, that’s Wild Wild Tech, the podcast that brings you the wildest, most bizarre, most interesting stories about how tech is shaping our culture.
Hosted by Jordan Erica Webber and Joshua Rivera, every week on Wild Wild Tech we’ll uncover infamous stories at the intersection of pop culture and tech, learn from the experts, and talk to the people who lived through some truly strange tales. These are the tech stories that are seldom told - but once you hear them, you won’t be able to forget them.
These are the stories that are seldom told, but once you hear them, you’ll never forget.
Follow Wild Wild Tech
Love Wild Wild Tech, but hate the ads? Subscribe to the ad-free version here!: https://wildwildtech.supercast.tech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 
For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com   
Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

Wild Wild Tech Studio71

    • Technology
    • 4.2 • 195 Ratings

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

Great stories of how tech shapes our culture in wild ways.Would you be surprised to find out scientists are using World of Warcraft to learn how to fight COVID-19? What if I told you that I could spoil almost any movie based on who uses an iPhone? Or how about the fact that Disney is afraid of butts? Well, that’s Wild Wild Tech, the podcast that brings you the wildest, most bizarre, most interesting stories about how tech is shaping our culture.
Hosted by Jordan Erica Webber and Joshua Rivera, every week on Wild Wild Tech we’ll uncover infamous stories at the intersection of pop culture and tech, learn from the experts, and talk to the people who lived through some truly strange tales. These are the tech stories that are seldom told - but once you hear them, you won’t be able to forget them.
These are the stories that are seldom told, but once you hear them, you’ll never forget.
Follow Wild Wild Tech
Love Wild Wild Tech, but hate the ads? Subscribe to the ad-free version here!: https://wildwildtech.supercast.tech/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 
For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com   
Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    From Tools and Weapons: Finding the Heart and Soul of AI - hosted by Microsoft Vice Chair & President Brad Smith

    From Tools and Weapons: Finding the Heart and Soul of AI - hosted by Microsoft Vice Chair & President Brad Smith

    Tools and Weapons, hosted by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, features conversations with leaders in government, business, and culture that explore the world’s most critical challenges at the intersection of technology and society. This episode’s guest is Father Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan monk who is also a technology and bioethics professor and advisor to Pope Francis on the ethics of artificial intelligence. He and Brad discuss the Rome Call for AI Ethics, which has brought together faith leaders and tech companies around the mission of putting people at the center of AI development.
    Listen to Tools and Weapons at https://news.microsoft.com/tools-and-weapons-podcast/
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    • 32 min
    Porn Meets the Internet: From Hot Money

    Porn Meets the Internet: From Hot Money

    We’re shaking things up today and sharing a preview from Hot Money, a new podcast from our friends at Pushkin Industries and the Financial Times. When Financial Times reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: Nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, Nilsson and her editor, Alex Barker, have figured out who the guy was, and much more. Their reporting reveals
    a shadowy power structure that includes billionaires, tech geniuses and the most powerful finance companies in the world. In the preview you’re about to hear, you’ll meet Stoya, a porn star who sends Alex and Patricia on a quest: Find out who is in charge, and get to the bottom of how the business of porn really works.
    You can hear more from Hot Money at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/hotmoney
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 34 min
    Why a Dystopian Future is Not So Far Away

    Why a Dystopian Future is Not So Far Away

    With the continually rapid evolution of the technology around us and the advent of computers and smartphones, it would appear that the future is upon us. But is that necessarily a good thing? This week, Jordan and Joshua speak with writer and tech journalist Alexandra Samuel to discuss how our new reality was merely science fiction just a few years ago, and sometimes quite literally! Alexandra explains how Sci-Fi writers have actually predicted technology trends and have even shaped a lot of the tech we use today. She also explains how, much like everything else, a lot of how technology is used tends to benefit those who are already privileged, while leaving the underprivileged in the past. Not to mention that after a certain point, A.I. technology can become self-sufficient which could mean the end of humanity as we know it. So can science fiction continue to give us a window into a beautiful future, or have we progressed so much that we've already doomed ourselves?
    Follow Wild Wild Tech
    Love Wild Wild Tech, but hate the ads? Subscribe to the ad-free version here!: https://wildwildtech.supercast.tech/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 45 min
    Mario, Switch and Zelda: The Nintendo Story

    Mario, Switch and Zelda: The Nintendo Story

    Nintendo is a household name, but how is that possible for a video game company that's over 100 years old? This week, Joshua and Jordan discuss the enduring legacy of Nintendo, a video game company that has found appeal across all levels of gamers, from casual to the most die-hard. Nintendo was started in 1889 as a playing card company, but they're mostly known for Mario's birthplace and consistently creating innovative games and gameplay. Listen as Jordan and Joshua explore their personal connections with their favorite Nintendo consoles and handheld devices, how this Japanese company infiltrated the American market, how they created a multitude of iconic characters, and how they recently created a phenomenon with Switch and Animal Crossing (and developed a digital black market). So whether you're a Nintendo fan or wondering why we're still talking about them, you'll want to check this one out!
    Follow Wild Wild Tech
    Love Wild Wild Tech, but hate the ads? Subscribe to the ad-free version here!: https://wildwildtech.supercast.tech/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 46 min
    Can A.I. Bring the Dead Back to Life?

    Can A.I. Bring the Dead Back to Life?

    What if you were offered the chance to speak with a lost loved one? New technology, namely the app Replika, is offering the chance to upload someone's data to recreate them in the digital form. Joshua and Jordan chat with journalist with Protocol, Mike Murphy, who has written extensively about the subject of recreating the digital self using data. Replika came into the public eye when founder Eugenia Kuyda shared the story of her friend Roman Mazurenko who passed away. Eugenia uploaded Roman's thousands of texts to the Replika software to create a chatbot that converses like Roman. Eugengia believes that this technology could help keep the spirit alive of someone who has died. Conversely, Jordan and Joshua also speak with Professor at Keene State College, Amber Davisson, who warns of how this burgeoning technology could be exploited for the vast amount of user-submitted data it requires. So is this the modern answer to grieving or is this yet another dangerous step towards perfecting deep fakes and having it fall into the wrong hands?
    Follow Wild Wild Tech
    Love Wild Wild Tech, but hate the ads? Subscribe to the ad-free version here!: https://wildwildtech.supercast.tech/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 49 min
    The Ratatouille Tik Tok Musical That Became a Sensation

    The Ratatouille Tik Tok Musical That Became a Sensation

    Ratatouille: The Musical started as a meme, then a viral TikTok video until ultimately becoming a hit Broadway musical that Disney approved. How is that possible, especially during a pandemic? This week, Jordan and Joshua talk to a few of the key players in turning a short internet video into a full-scale production. Jordan and Joshua speak with Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley, the writers of Ratatouille: The Musical (or Ratatousical if you'd like) to explain the incredible journey that this musical has undertaken. They also speak with Greg Nobile, CEO of Seaview Productions, who explains how he was able to get in contact with Disney representatives to secure their blessing for the once-unauthorized musical version of their hit Pixar film. And finally, the hosts chat with Daniel Mertzlufft who fell into the role of composer for the musical and how this experience has changed his life forever. Beyond breaking through its internet fame, Ratatouille: The Musical also raised over $2 million for The Actors Fund, a charitable organization aiming to help struggling film and theater actors, most notably during this pandemic that has shut down most if not all film and theatrical productions across the country.
    Follow Wild Wild Tech
    Love Wild Wild Tech, but hate the ads? Subscribe to the ad-free version here!: https://wildwildtech.supercast.tech/
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildwildtechpod/ 
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    • 41 min

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5
195 Ratings

195 Ratings

Danye Weest ,

Awesome Podcast!

I was so skeptical of this podcast when it first came out, but i gave it a try anyways. Almost a year later, I’m still listening and enjoy every episode even more than the last.

Skyetrinity ,

Tech Podcast or Advocacy?

I enjoyed season 1, but as I get into season 2 the tone has shifted dramatically to one in which a clear political agenda is being pushed. The hosts’ have become very condescending and in no way attempt to report with any semblance of a neutral tone. Such a disappointment! ....and I have no problem with any podcast having ads, but I would agree with many other reviews that the amount of ads is excessive. Sadly this is another podcast ruined for me by politics...

listener_kc ,

Have heard all of these stories done better on other shows

Probably enjoyable if you’re new to podcasts or otherwise haven’t heard about all of these topics already. I’ve been listening to pods for over 5 years and I have already heard all of the topics on this show done better on other shows. That is my main gripe. My other smaller gripes are: The hosts say they’ll put things in the show notes and then they don’t, a lot of ads, and the hosts laugh at each other way too much (maybe you really think each other are that funny, but it takes away from the show). Anyway, I’ve been a listener from the beginning, but with the quantity of shows I subscribe to, not sure this one will make the cut for much longer.

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