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March 27, 2001: Technology Failures - Matthew Stein
Published 1 year, 5 months ago
Description
Art Bell welcomes engineer and author Matthew Stein to discuss his book "When Technology Fails," a comprehensive guide to self-reliance when modern systems break down. The conversation opens with real-world examples of technological vulnerability, including California's record electricity rate hikes, the unreported nuclear accident at San Onofre that likely caused the state's rolling blackouts, and a mysterious electromagnetic pulse in Bremerton, Washington that disabled thousands of keyless car entries.
Stein, who holds degrees from MIT and Harvard, explains that he received the concept for his book during a flash of intuitive inspiration during meditation. He covers renewable energy options for homeowners, from solar panels and wind turbines to micro-hydro systems using backyard creeks. He also discusses bio-intensive farming methods developed by John Jevons that use one-fifth the water of conventional agriculture and can transform arid land into productive gardens.
The discussion touches on the fragility of interconnected systems, from nuclear reactors with single-point failures to antibiotic-resistant bacteria bred through livestock overmedication. Art and Matthew agree that the pendulum of technological dependence is swinging and that within a decade, current disruptions will seem mild by comparison.
Stein, who holds degrees from MIT and Harvard, explains that he received the concept for his book during a flash of intuitive inspiration during meditation. He covers renewable energy options for homeowners, from solar panels and wind turbines to micro-hydro systems using backyard creeks. He also discusses bio-intensive farming methods developed by John Jevons that use one-fifth the water of conventional agriculture and can transform arid land into productive gardens.
The discussion touches on the fragility of interconnected systems, from nuclear reactors with single-point failures to antibiotic-resistant bacteria bred through livestock overmedication. Art and Matthew agree that the pendulum of technological dependence is swinging and that within a decade, current disruptions will seem mild by comparison.