Welcome to the podcast version of New World Same Humans, a weekly newsletter on trends, technology, and society by David Mattin.
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We’ve become accustomed to asking: is 2020 the start of a great change? And it’s clear we can’t answer that question without thinking about the future of capitalism.
That’s what this week’s essay seeks to do. Specifically, it takes aim at a much-repeated but little-examined idea: that we live inside a kind of economic and cultural after-time, which we call late-stage capitalism. I wonder whether that is really true. In the essay, I float a new way to judge how far into the evolution of capitalism we’ve travelled.
Also, a little innovation when it comes to this newsletter. Two changes, both designed to to ensure you can quickly draw maximum value from New World Same Humans.
First, I’m adding a new permanent section to this newsletter called Fast Download. This is a bullet-point summary of the argument made in the essay. You can read more about it, and see it for yourself, in the text version of this instalment.
Second, the regular snippets section will now become a separate email – delivered every Wednesday. The format stays the same: new stories and super-fast analysis.
So NWSH now becomes the Sunday essay and the Wednesday news.
Enough introduction; just hit play! And if you’d rather read this instalment, check out the text version of New World Same Humans #30.
Links in this week’s instalment
1. The idea that we live inside late-stage capitalism has become commonplace.
2. Replika is an AI-fuelled virtual companion.
3. Simulated worlds such as Fortnite are becoming new domains of meaningful experience.
4. The American philosopher Robert Nozick conceived of an Experience Machine.
Network effects
Thanks for reading this week.
We may be a long way from the Experience Machine, but together we’re building something almost as exciting. That is, a community dedicated to understanding our shared future – and to mutual empowerment, support and inspiration. Each one of us is a valuable node in the growing New World Same Humans network.
Behind the scenes, the NWSH team is working hard to take this community to the next stage. There’s one thing you can do to help. Link up more people!
So if you found today’s instalment useful, please forward this email to one person – a friend, family member or colleague – who’d also enjoy it. Or share New World Same Humans across one of your social networks, and let people know why you find this newsletter valuable.
Your membership of our community is so appreciated. I’ll be back next Sunday; until then, be well.
David.
New World Same Humans #30 – Audio Edition