Breaking Banks - Episode 331: Sci-Fi Legends talk COVID-19 On this week's show, we invited acclaimed science fiction authors David Brin, Kevin J. Anderson, and Ramez Naam on the show to talk about how the #COVID19 crisis might affect humanity on a long term basis, looking out short-term and then 50 years from now. These authors have written science fiction with topics like evolutionary adaptation, pandemics, nanobot infections and alien viruses, so they're well placed to think about societal impact. This is one you won't want to miss! TOPICS DISCUSSED:[4:10]  What are we seeing in terms of global response to the coronavirus that are intriguing. [04:35] David Brin wrote a book called Earth in the 1980’s and the most difficult part for a sci-fi writer to predict is the very near future. [6:45] Will daily life return to normal after the events of COVID-19? What is the fall out from reduction in the demand for oil? [8:30] Does capitalism at its heart have the tools necessary to solve the outlying problems? Is COVID-19 a wake up call for capitalism? [10:36] David Brin discusses https://tinyurl.com/breathassist1 and the XPRIZE Foundation. [12:15] What does the future of working from home look like post coronavirus? [15:50] Will VR become the wave of the future in communicating, conferences, and dating? [19:00] David Brin gives listeners a lesson in haptics and comedy ensues. [22:51] Ramez Naam speaks about flattening the curve and how China handled the COVID-19 pandemic. [30:30] In the United States will we see the scales tip towards a more socialist society after COVID-19? [35:30] Does the United States need a basic social safety net? [40:20] There’s no doubt the United States needs to be more agile, will COVID-19 spur rapid innovation and change to be implemented? [41:50] Brett King explores the theory that sensors and cutting edge technologies could protect, diagnose, and prevent future outbreaks. [45:40] David Brin addresses the notion that the first symptom of COVID-19 is the loss of sense of smell. [50:00] Will citizens be open to sharing more personal information and data in order to move about freely post COVID-19? [51:19] Brett King asks each guest what society looks like 100 years post COVID-19. GUESTS:Ramez Naam @RamezKevin J. Anderson @TheKJA David Brin @DavidBrin RESOURCES MENTIONED:https://tinyurl.com/breathassist1www.rameznaam.comwww.wordfire.comwww.davidbrin.comhttp://denninginstitute.com/pjd/PUBS/CACMcols/cacmJun19.pdfhttps://www.davidbrin.com/fiction/givingplague.htmlhttp://www.thehugoawards.org/https://www.legendary.com/https://www.xprize.org/https://barackobama.com/https://zoom.us/meetinghttps://www.skype.com/en/http://www.levyinstitute.org/about/minsky/https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/franklin-d-roosevelt/ SPONSORS:Fiverr @fiverrHarrys @harrys  Breaking Banks is the #1 global fintech radio show and podcast, created by Brett King. Tune in for a look at how technology and customer behavior will bring about more changes in banking in the next 10 years, than in the last 200 years. Listen every Thursday at 3pm eastern time, noon pacific on the VoiceAmerica Business Channel. Subscribe at Provoke.fm to hear the show nearly 2 million listeners from 72 countries are raving about. FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPTIONBrett: (00:00)Welcome back to Breaking Banks. This week, we thought with all the Coronavirus fuss and bother, that we would bring in the sci-fi guys and we would have a talk about what's going to happen next. Part of the art of science fiction is trying to role play, model out scenarios, look at how events that are happening right now might extend out into the future. So we've invited a few friends on. Mez, Ramez Naam. Welcome back. Ramez Naam: (00:30)Thanks Brett. It’s a pleasure to be here.Brett: (00:32)Hugo award winning author of Nexus, if I understand correctly, a singularity university. Was it Hugo award?Ramez Naam: (00:38)No Hugo for me.