History

A Sense of Rebellion

by Evgeny Morozov

HistoryTechnology

Share this ranking Is this your show? Claim it

Listen on Apple Podcasts RSS feed

Where it charts

Today’s combined position on our country charts.

United Kingdom · History

#195

Pulse 4

Ranking history

History builds daily. We started tracking this show on the History chart recently, so the trend line appears after a second day of data.

About the show

A Podcast Series by Evgeny Morozov. Forget the military or Silicon Valley: we owe our smart technologies - from toothbrushes to beds - to a band of eccentric 1960s hippies. Hidden away in a secretive, privately funded lab on Boston’s waterfront, these visionaries developed intimate, personal technologies a decade before Steve Jobs. But their rebellion was fraught with obstacles: the military-industrial complex, corporate resistance, and the founders’ larger-than-life personalities. As Silicon Valley adopted their ideas, the lab's vision for more humane and diverse technologies was twisted into something entirely different. A decade in the making, this podcast unravels their captivating and often tragic tale. It's all here: Cold War psychiatry, Maoism, LSD, the Rockefellers, Scientology, CIA’s forays into extrasensory perception, and even the advent of tech libertarianism.

Latest episodes

Bonus Episode 1: The Family Verdict

July 8, 2024 · 1 hr 11 min

In this bonus episode, Evgeny meets Warren Brodey, his children, and his partner Karene on the day of Warren's 100th birthday. A lively discussion follows: this podcast's last attempt to decipher Warren's strange arc. Watch the video on…
Out of Jail

June 14, 2024 · 1 hr 58 min

GUARDEA, ITALY, 2024: Evgeny joins Warren Brodey's 100th birthday celebration at his daughter Lisa's home in Umbria. We uncover the final days of the lab, the fates of Peter Oser and Avery Johnson, Warren's numerous defense mechanisms, and…
Free the Slaves

June 14, 2024 · 1 hr 7 min

BOSTON, 1969: We revisit the lab on Lewis Wharf for a final glimpse into the early tech start-up scene. The project begins with utopian optimism, but soon faces problems and conflicts. As the team readies for the final presentation, Peter…
Disruption or Sabotage

June 14, 2024 · 1 hr 2 min

WASHINGTON, 1964: We travel to Georgetown of the early 1960s, where the Brodeys mingle with the country's elite, including the Kennedys. Brodey's fascination with computers and responsive environments begins, influenced by his psychiatric…
Family Issues

June 14, 2024 · 59 min

BOSTON, 1968: Evgeny examines an alternative, non-military hypothesis about the origins of the Environmental Ecology Lab. As personal struggles of Avery Johnson and Peter Oser, key collaborators of Warren Brodey, come to light, unsettling…
Ice Cream, Whiskey, and the CIA

June 14, 2024 · 1 hr 5 min

GENEVA, 2023: Evgeny makes one last push in his quest to uncover the truth behind the Environmental Ecology Lab's mysterious ties to the military and the CIA. As he follows the trail, startling revelations come to light, hinting at a…
The Other Lab

June 14, 2024 · 1 hr 12 min

LONDON, 2023: Evgeny finally meets Nicholas Negroponte, one of the most famous prophets of the digital age and a key figure inspired by Brodey and Johnson. As their conversation unfolds, questions arise: Has Negroponte remained true to…
Rebellion Against Rebellion

June 14, 2024 · 1 hr 9 min

OSLO, 1978: Evgeny is determined to uncover the truth behind Warren Brodey's sudden departure from America and his reappearance as a fervent Maoist at a Norwegian iron foundry. Locals whisper he might be a CIA agent, but is there any truth…