George Dyson – historian, boat maker, and volunteer Staff Historian at Radiant Earth – returns to discuss Fred Hoyle's The Black Cloud. We discuss the cultural conflicts that arise between scientists and politicians, the limits of human language, human-incomprehensible modes of communication, the inevitable benefits of creating new observing instruments, alien consciousness, and the perils of simplified science.Show notes:The Black Cloud on WikipediaFred Hoyle on WikipediaGeorge's keynote at Radiant Earth's Expanding and Accelerating Global Climate Data Collaboration workshop on 14 October 2025Cause of Cambrian Explosion - Terrestrial or Cosmic? – as mentioned by George, the paper exploring extraterrestrial origins of life on Earth, co-authored by Hoyle's student and collaborator Chandra WickramasingheBuy George's books!Next month will be a discussion of Ted Chiang's "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom" with Marta Regn.
If you enjoyed this, please share it.Produced by Jed Sundwall. Write to jed at techsontexts.net with feedback and suggestions for books or guests.Intro music by Secret School.Outro music is "3/10th of the Population" by WE™.Please donate to Radiant Earth.

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