Storytelling

Byron Reese on Stories, Dice and Rocks That Think

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Byron Reese is a serial entrepreneur, technologist, and futurist. He has enjoyed a wide range of success over 30 years, including two NASDAQ IPOs as well as the sale of three companies he founded. Today Byron is the CEO of JJ Kent, a venture-backed company using AI to create new products. Reese is also the author of four books on technology and his newest title Stories, Dice and Rocks That Think launches in August.

During our 2-hour conversation with Byron Reese, we cover a variety of interesting topics such as why entrepreneurship is mostly failing and trying again; the power of habit and writing every day; the inception of Stories, Dice and Rocks That Think; Homo Erectus and the Acheulean Axe; Hellen Keller’s moving story; the birth of consciousness and “the Stoned Ape Theory;” dice, probability and the mathematization of everything; clocks, punctuality and the top-down creation of social virtues; why Byron is a techno-optimist but AI-skeptic; utopia, progress and messing things up.

As always you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full. To show your support you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is Byron Reese?

Speaking across the globe, Byron brings great enthusiasm and talent for deciphering our common destiny and unlocking business opportunities within it. As a successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, and award-winning futurist, Byron employs his perspective as a historian, futurist, and technologist to illuminate how the technology of today can solve some of our most daunting global challenges.

As a futurist, he understands the unprecedented technological change upon us and explores the dramatic transformation of society it will bring. As a technologist and entrepreneur, he knows how to manage change and inspire innovation, while still meeting the immediate obligations and realities of operating a business.

Serial entrepreneur, technologist, and futurist – Byron has enjoyed a wide range of success over 30 years, including two NASDAQ IPOs as well as the sale of three companies he founded. Today Byron is the CEO of JJ Kent, a venture-backed technology company using proprietary AI tools to create new products that delight consumers. Byron has served on numerous public and private boards and presently resides on the board of directors for GigaOm, technology research and analysis firm focused on helping business leaders understand the implications of emerging technologies and their impacts on business, media, and society.

Byron has spoken around the world to both technical and non-technical audiences, and his keynotes and appearances include SXSW, TEDx Austin, Google, Nvidia, FedEx, and Fortune 1000 companies (Dell Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Oticon, Swisslog) and universities Rice (the University of Texas, Queen’s University, TWU) and futurist conferences (TimeMachine, PICNIC Festival in Amsterdam, Wolfram Data Summit, and the IEEE Conference) among others.

His newest book, “Stories, Dice and Rocks That Think” launches in August 2022 from Ben Bella, provides a new look at the history and destiny of humanity, wherein dice teach us about probability, which allows us to accurately predict the future; storytelling allows us to envision the future; and rocks that think – a reference to a computer’s CPU – enable us to build the future.

Kendall Haven on Story Proof: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story

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Dr. Kendall Haven is the only West Point graduate to ever become a professional storyteller. Haven holds a Doctorate in Oceanography and spent eight years as a Senior Research Scientist for the Department of Energy before finding his true passion for what he calls, a very different kind of “truth.” Kendall is the author of 34 books but the 2 most relevant to our conversation today are Story Proof: the Science behind the Startling Power of Story which pioneered and reported on some of the first neuroscientific studies of the Brain on Story. And was later followed by Story Smart: Using the Science of Story to Persuade, Inspire, Influence, and Teach. Finally, Kendall Haven has performed for audiences of over 5 million people for the past four decades and has been appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Stanford University.

During our 2 1/2 hour conversation with Kendall Haven, we cover a variety of interesting topics such as why stories are like famous chess games; the problem with reading scientific reports; going to West Point, doing a Ph.D. in oceanography, and becoming a storyteller; how he discovered the power of story and a very different kind of truth; memory, information, and story; Story Proof and the science behind it; our most powerful tool and why we are Homo narrative; how information is story-processed before it gets to the conscious mind; the definition of story; whether storytelling has a bad reputation; why reframing the story, and not more information, is the way to change behavior; why change stories are about preservation; the need for ReWriting the Human Story; the danger that story can become a universal hammer for all nails.

My favorite quote that I will take away from this conversation with Kendall Haven is this:

Story is not theoretical anymore. It’s not hyperbole. Story is woven into our DNA. We are story. That’s now science.

As always you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full. To show your support you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is Kendall Haven?

The only West Point graduate to ever become a professional storyteller, Kendall Haven also holds a Doctorate in Oceanography (Oregon State University) and spent eight years as a Senior Research Scientist for the Department of Energy before finding his true passion for storytelling and a very different kind of “truth.”

With 35 years of experience as a touring master storyteller, and after three decades leading the research effort for the National Storytelling Association and the International Storytelling Center, Haven has emerged as the nation’s leading, and an internationally recognized, Subject Matter Expert on the neuro- and cognitive-science of story, on story structure, and on story architectural design. This effort has culminated in his two seminal books that have revolutionized our understanding of the relationship between the human mind/brain and the elements of effective story structure: STORY PROOF: The Science Behind the Startling Power of Story and STORY SMART: Using the Science of Story to Persuade, Inspire, Influence, and Teach. For this work, Haven has been appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at Stanford University for his neural and cognitive story research expertise. Haven has also been recruited by the Department of State’s U.S. Speaker’s Program as an expert on Storytelling and Neural Influence Messaging

Kendall Haven regularly serves as a story consultant to departments in various governmental science agencies from the Navy and Army Intelligence to EPA, to NASA, NOAA, and NPS (the National Park Service), and to organizations and corporations from The World Bank, Boeing, and ARAMCO to United Way America and the Climate Protection Campaign. He was also selected as the only storyteller to participate in the 2012-2014 Department of Defense (DARPA) Narrative Networks Research Program.

Haven was selected as a Featured Presenter at the 2013 and at the 2014 Aspen Ideas Fest, the first storyteller ever to be so invited. In addition, he has been a featured presenter and performer at over 150 Industry and Science conferences, corporate and professional conferences, Government Conferences, Education Conferences, School and Public Library Conferences, and Storytelling Conferences and Festivals; has performed for audiences of over 5.5 million in 44 states and four foreign countries, and has won numerous awards both for his story-writing and for his story-telling.

Haven has published five audiotapes, and 34 books including ten collections of original historically-themed stories, one children’s novel, one picture book, four classroom story/activity books, and six award-winning instructional books on the process and use of story. For the International Storytelling Center (ISC) and the National Storytelling Association (NSA) Haven led a series of multi-year studies into the effective use of storytelling and current storytelling Best Practices.

Kendall also wrote two scripts for an animated Education Channel program and created a three-hour high adventure radio drama style mini-series for National Public Radio on the effects of watching television that has won five major national awards. He created a book of 50 science stories, Marvels of Science, to make the history and process of science fascinating and compelling, and, more recently a book of forty stories illuminating the fascinating and little-known women’s share of American history, Amazing American Women. His most recent story releases include Close Encounters with Deadly Dangers: Stories of Major Natural Predators, That’s Weird! Awesome Science Mysteries, Voices of the American Revolution, Voices of the American Civil War, and Women on the Edge of Discovery.

Kendall Haven is the 2012 winner of the Leo Politi Golden Author Award, a nine-time winner of the Storytelling World Silver Award for best Story Anthology, 3-time 2009 Telly and Communicator Silver Award Winner, and has won the 1993 International Festival Association Silver Award for Best Educational Program at a major national festival, the 1992 Corporation for Public Broadcasting Silver Award for Best Children’s Public Radio Production, and the 1991 Award for Excellence in California Education. He has twice been designated an American Library Association “Notable Recording Artist,” and is the only storyteller in America with three entries in the American Library Association’s Best of the Best for Children.

Haven has used his writing talent to create stories for many non-profit organizations, including The American Cancer Society, International Storytelling Center, United Way America, the Institute for Mental Health Initiatives, the Climate Protection Campaign, several Crisis Centers, the Children’s Television Resource and Education Center, one regional hospital, and the Child Abuse Prevention Training Center of California.

Kendall Haven lives with his wife in the rolling Sonoma County grape vineyards in rural Northern California.

Brian Boyd on the Origin of Stories

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Brian Boyd is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His work has appeared in 20 languages and has won awards on four continents. Most importantly, Prof. Boyd is the author of On the Origin of Stories which examines the connections between evolution, cognition, and fiction.

During our 2-hour conversation with Brian Boyd, we cover a variety of interesting topics such as how Brian fell in love with story; the definition of story; Heider and Simmel’s triangle movie; the evolutionary origins of story in humans and other species; why Brian defines art as “cognitive pattern play”; the AI frame problem; religion as perhaps the most powerful and popular story; Jonah Sach’s “Myth Gap” and the importance of the image of the future; science, values, and story; the human story; the limits of universal explanations; social media as a misguided attempt to control our story; Karl Popper’s views on science, stories, and revolutions.

My favorite quote from Brian Boyd is this:

Story is a type of evolutionary adaptation. Understanding the world as a story – i.e. as a cause and effect, must undoubtedly be of adaptive value. Furthermore, stories help us explore the world not only as an actuality but also as a possibility. So it is a tool of learning, of thinking beyond the here and now.

As always you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full. To show your support you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is Brian Boyd?

Brian Boyd is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Auckland who has been considered the foremost Nabokov scholar for over a third of a century. He has also published on other American, Brazilian, English, Greek, Irish, New Zealand, Polish, and Russian writers; on fiction, non-fiction, drama, verse, comics, film, translation, adaptation, and literary and art theory; on literature (and art) and evolution (On the Origin of Stories; Why Lyrics Last; On the Origin of Art); and on linguistics, philosophy, and science. Brian’s work has appeared in 20 languages and has won awards on four continents. Prof. Boyd is currently working on a biography of the philosopher of science Karl Popper.

Jonah Sachs on Winning the Story Wars: Storytelling is our neglected secret weapon

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Jonah Sachs is an author, speaker, and viral marketing pioneer. He helped create some of the world’s first and most heralded digital social change campaigns. Jonah Sachs is also the author of Winning the Story Wars: Why Those Who Tell (and Live) the Best Stories Will Rule the Future and, most recently, Unsafe Thinking: How to be Nimble and Bold When You Need it Most.

During our 2-hour conversation with Jonah Sachs, we cover a variety of interesting topics such as why stories are the root of who we are; the Story of Stuff, the Meatrix and Grocery Store Wars; the definition of story, and the top 5 markers of a great one; Winning the Story Wars; the hero’s journey; cultural relativism and finding the common space we can build on; the pros and cons of our current human story; AI, GPT3, and 2 Turing Tests; the poison and cure of story and the Buddhist test of suffering.

My favorite quote that I will take away from this interview with Jonah Sachs is:

Storytelling is the neglected secret weapon we all have

As always you can listen to or download the audio file above or scroll down and watch the video interview in full. To show your support you can write a review on iTunes, make a direct donation, or become a patron on Patreon.

Who is Jonah Sachs?

Jonah Sachs is an author, speaker and viral marketing pioneer. His new approaches to digital media have been critical in bringing the ideals of social change — such as equity, empowerment, responsibility and transparency — to the forefront of business and popular culture.

Jonah helped to create some of the world’s first, and still most heralded, digital social change campaign. As co-founder of Free Range Studios, his work on Amnesty International’s blood diamonds viral film was seen by 20 million people and was delivered by to every member of congress, helping drive the passage of the Clean Diamond Act.

He later helped to create “The Story of Stuff,” which, viewed by over 60 million people, marked a turning point in the fight to educate the public about the environmental and social impact of consumer goods. Jonah went onto to lead groundbreaking campaigns for Greenpeace, Human Rights Campaigns and the ACLU, as well as major brands including Microsoft and Patagonia.

Jonah’s work and opinions have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, FOX News, Sundance Film Festival, NPR. Sachs also pens a column for Fast Company, which named him one of today’s 50 most influential social innovators.

Part  I: Story

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ReWriting the Human Story: How Our Story Determines Our Future

an alternative thought experiment by Nikola Danaylov

 

Part  I: Story

People always find it easier to be a result of the past rather than a cause of the future. Unknown

Are we just billiard balls in a predetermined cosmic game of pool?

Or are we free to choose our future?

My thesis in this book is that our future is indeed determined. But not by some unbreakable and deterministic law of nature. No. Our future is determined by a story that we have created. Because ours is a civilization of story. And we are Homo Narrative – a species of story. So much so that today humanity lives and dies not by facts but by and for our stories. And this has gone so far that at present the fate of actual, non-fictional entities – such as animals, rivers, trees, mountains, oceans, and even our planet, is determined by stories – such as money, religion, law, corporations, nations, and international organizations.

In other words, in our civilization, what is real and we can touch, see, feel and smell, is ruled by what is fictional and doesn’t necessarily exist outside of the shared human imagination. All future possibilities – what is and what is not possible, are not determined by past events or facts on the ground. They are determined by the stories we attach to those because we are story-telling animals. And that is true for us individually – as persons, or collectively – as organizations, businesses, nations, and even for our civilization. We all build our future upon the story we tell ourselves.

Whether it is Climate Change, Brexit, or the election of President Trump we have witnessed many powerful examples where neither the facts nor the events of the past made a sufficient difference to the future outcome. What did and does make the difference is the stories attached. Therefore, if we want a different outcome, we ought to focus on changing the respective stories within which those facts and past events fit. Because only after one has embraced a new story will she be able to reinterpret the same old facts and events in a new way and thereby take a different action.

I claim that our story determines our future. But I am not claiming that anything is possible. Geographical, biological, physical, and economic forces do create constraints. But those constraints leave sufficient space for us to choose our future and not be bound by determinism. Yes, human choices are limited and human freedom is freedom within constraints. So it is not our freedom from external conditions but our attitude towards those conditions that embodies our free will. And attitude is derived from story: a positive story creates a positive attitude and a negative story – a negative one.

The same applies to events. Yes, the past does exert a choke-hold on us all. But we can break free if we can change the story.

In the next 18 chapters I will demonstrate how the above claim is true at every level: individually – as private persons; collectively – as corporations and organizations; and globally – as a civilization. No matter the level, new outcomes come only after the large-scale dissemination of new stories. For as long as the dominant story remains the same, no meaningful change can or will occur.

In short, my thesis is that it doesn’t matter if you are an individual, a company, a nation, or an international organization – change your story, change your future. Because our stories are our compass to the future. But they don’t just point the way. They frame what’s left and what’s right, what’s back and what’s forth, what’s right and what’s wrong, what’s possible and what’s not possible. They frame our space of possibility and motivate us to act or not to act. That is why we have to get into the story if we want to break free of the story. As Brenee Brown notes:

When we deny our stories they define us. When we own our stories we get to write a brave new ending.