Podcast | Traceroute - Episode 2: Silicon
Synopsis When we picture computing technology in the 70’s and 80’s, we think of nerdy, ambitious, young visionaries, burning the midnight oil in some suburban garage, striving to revolutionize the world by perfecting the motherboard. And the material that would eventually ignite that revolution? Silicon. In episode 2, we take a closer look at the material that changed the world. From the earliest discoveries at Bell Labs to the cutting-edge processors that run the Cloud, silicon has become the material that democratized access to information and gave rise to the technology we know and rely on today. Let us know your thoughts below!Podcast | Traceroute - Episode 3: Networks
Synopsis How did our society’s need to 'Netflix and chill' lead to a revolution in hardware networks? Eliminating the need to drive down to your local Blockbuster Video just to rent a movie took a miracle of hardware and convoluted networking…and a few motivated geniuses to figure it all out. In episode 3 of the Traceroute Podcast, Dave Temkin, Ingrid Burrington, Jack Waters, and Andrew Blum join us to discuss how the physical internet works. Detailing the hidden infrastructure involved in getting computers connected around the world, they shed some light on the fact that, contrary to what digital natives might think, your connection to the World Wide Web isn't 100% wireless. Let us know your thoughts below!Podcast | Traceroute - Episode 4: Wireless
Synopsis When the first car phones appeared in the 80s, most people wrote them off as a luxury for the ultra-rich. But once you cut the cable, you can’t go back. By the 90s, people were trying to join analog modems to the cellular network, so more people could connect to the internet. But it simply didn’t work. In episode 4 of the Traceroute podcast, we explore the realities that come with wireless opportunity. With a growth rate of 30+% a year, engineering advances need to scale to support demand. We know the future is bright, but how will we get there? Let us know your thoughts below!Podcast | Traceroute - Episode 5: Open Source
Synopsis As the world becomes more digital, the distance between software and hardware widens. Unspoken competition, gatekeeping, differences in perspective, these reasons and more push experts from the software and hardware spaces apart. So what is the key to furthering collaboration and innovation in technology development? In episode 6 of Traceroute, we look deeper into the digital space and how it intrinsically connects to physical hardware. Open-source advocates Jon Masters and Brian Fox share their insights on hardware and software proprietary rights, and how the road to renaissance lies in open source. Let us know your thoughts below!Podcast | Traceroute - Episode 6: Sustainability
Synopsis In episode 6 of Traceroute, we address arguably the most critical component of them all: sustainability. As demand for data rises, so too does our environmental impact, and in turn, the need to rapidly course correct to sustain rapid expansion without taking a toll on our planet. But it’s not just a matter of mitigating individual consumption—like streaming YouTube & Netflix–by recycling resources and using clean energy. The social and political ramifications of the internet are reshaping our society more rapidly than we can keep up with, demanding that we look at internet development with a sense of personal responsibility. Let us know your thoughts below!Podcast | Traceroute - Episode 7: Compute
Synopsis Hardware is the invisible skeleton of the Internet. Not only has it given us access to the world's base of knowledge, but with the cloud, a seemingly infinite storage space for files. Of course, the cloud is neither ethereal nor located in the air: it's a massive network of huge data centers. And running these facilities sustainably while innovating hardware to keep up with demand is one of the great technological challenges of our time. In the final episode of Traceroute, we take a closer look at hardware and why its advancement is crucial to the development of the internet. Joined by our guests Amir Michael, Rose Schooler, and Ken Patchett, we explore the synergy of software and hardware in data center services and its effects on the connected world. Let us know your thoughts below!
