Journey to 2125: One Century, One Family, Rising to Challenges with Gary F. Bengier

Inquiring Minds

Science, Society & Culture, Neuroscience, Female Host, Interview, Social Sciences, Critical Thinking

4.4 • 848 Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2024

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Inquiring Minds, host Adam Bristol sits down with Silicon Valley tech expert, philosopher, and acclaimed science fiction author Gary Bengier to discuss his new novel, Journey to 2125: One Century, One Family, Rising to Challenges. As a prequel to his celebrated book Unfettered Journey, this latest work delves into the pivotal technological, political, and societal challenges humanity may face in the next century, all framed through the lens of a multi-generational family saga. Bengier’s unique background—spanning a career as eBay’s Chief Financial Officer to his roles in astrophysics and philosophy—brings an unparalleled depth of realism and foresight to his writing. In Journey to 2125, he explores themes like climate change, robotics, AI, biotechnology, and the shifting labor landscape. The book blends hard science fiction with philosophical reflections, offering both a sobering view of the obstacles ahead and an optimistic call to action for addressing humanity’s most pressing issues. They discuss: The challenges of automation and labor displacement in a rapidly advancing technological landscape. The integration of cutting-edge biotechnology and its societal implications. The global energy crisis and the pivotal role of nuclear fission in the future. The philosophical and economic systems required to navigate an increasingly automated world. Bengier shares insights from his career in Silicon Valley, his work with the Santa Fe Institute, and his early life experiences that shaped his empathetic approach to storytelling. This episode offers a thought-provoking exploration of what it means to thrive in an era of exponential technological change. Listen in to uncover actionable insights and a hopeful vision for building a sustainable and equitable future. Journey to 2125 is available everywhere books are sold. Links: Get Gary’s new Book at Amazon Follow Gary on Facebook @garybengierauthor, Good Reads @Gary_F_Bengier and Twitter (X): @GaryFBengier Visit his website: GaryfBengier.com/journey-to-2125/ Inquiring Minds Homepage: https://inquiring.show/ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds See https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information

Transcript

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0:00.0	You and Betty and the nancy's and bills and joes and James will find in the study of science a richer, more rewarding life.
0:10.1	Hey, welcome back to Inquiring Minds.
0:12.8	This is a podcast that explores the space where science and society collide.
0:17.3	We want to find out what's true, what's left to discover, and why it matters.
0:31.1	Back in May of 2021, we spoke with technologist and sci-fi author Gary Benjier about his debut novel, Unfettered Journey.
0:40.9	We talked about how Benjir was building a fictional but plausible world set in 2165.
0:48.0	I would put Benjier in the same category as Kim Stanley Robinson and Andy Weir,
0:57.5	hard science fiction authors whose work is based on verifiable physics and biological sciences. Bentier is now back with a new novel, and it turns out
1:04.6	it's a prequel to unfettered journey. It's called The Journey to 2125. The novel draws the through lines of climate change,
1:14.1	robotics, AI, and biotechnology, all topics that we cover in this podcast, from the present
1:20.1	and into the next century by following events shaping four generations of a single family.
1:26.5	It's a fascinating look into a possible future,
1:29.0	and as I mentioned, covers a lot of the themes we talk a lot about on this podcast.
1:33.3	And like unfettered journey, it's not all doom and gloom.
1:38.5	In fact, our co-host, Adam Bristol, who is a techno-optimist,
1:43.2	is the one who spoke to Gary.
1:45.6	So without further ado, I'm going to hand it over to Adam Bristol and Gary Benjier.
1:50.7	Back in episode 347, we had Silicon Valley tech expert and science fiction author Gary Benjure on the show to discuss what was at that time my favorite science fiction novel of 2020,
2:04.1	and that was called Unfettered Journey. Now, here we are several years later, and Gary is back
2:08.9	with a follow-up to that novel. This one's called Journey to 21-25. It is, in fact, a prequel to
2:16.9	unfettered journey. So if you love that first book, you're going
2:19.9	to love this one because there's many through lines and connections. Gary Benger, welcome back
	...

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