Life After Google audiobook cover - The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy

Life After Google

The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy

George Gilder

★ 3.9 / 5(363 ratings)
Start ListeningDownload App
Categories:
Technology & the FutureMoney & InvestmentsEconomics

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to Life After Google — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from Life After Google

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Life After Google

Mind Map

Life After Google
Google's System of the World+
The AI Fallacy+
Education vs. Innovation+
The Cryptocosm & Blockchain+
Pioneering Decentralized Platforms+
Hardware Revolution+
Economics and the Gold Standard+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
According to Jaron Lanier, what term describes Google's massive, centralized data centers that draw users in but may ultimately lead to the company's downfall?
  • A. Cloud Hubs
  • B. Siren Servers
  • C. Data Monoliths
  • D. The Cryptocosm
Question 2 of 7
How does Kurt Gödel’s mathematical theorem apply to Silicon Valley's fears of an Artificial Intelligence takeover?
  • A. It proves that computer processing power will eventually surpass human brain capacity.
  • B. It demonstrates that machines can eventually learn to write their own complete logical systems.
  • C. It shows that no logical system is entirely self-sufficient, meaning AI will always rely on human-defined rules.
  • D. It proves that all scientific progress can ultimately be reduced to a single mathematical equation.
Question 3 of 7
What is the primary philosophy behind the Thiel Fellowship and the 1517 Fund regarding higher education?
  • A. Universities should focus on teaching students how to stop climate change through reactionary measures.
  • B. Academic institutions should double their tuition to increase the prestige and 'trophy' status of their degrees.
  • C. Students should be encouraged to drop out of college to pursue innovative, entrepreneurial projects.
  • D. Universities should integrate cryptocurrency payments to modernize their financial systems.
Question 4 of 7
Why is it nearly impossible to edit or hack the information inside a single block on the blockchain?
  • A. Because the data is stored on a centralized server protected by highly sophisticated algorithms.
  • B. Because each block is encrypted using only the sender's public key.
  • C. Because editing one block's unique fingerprint would require editing all previous blocks in the chain.
  • D. Because the blockchain is kept completely private and hidden from public view.
Question 5 of 7
What major innovation does the Ethereum blockchain platform provide beyond simply handling cryptocurrency transactions?
  • A. It acts as a decentralized search engine designed to compete directly with Google.
  • B. It securely handles and verifies 'smart contracts' for various assets like shares.
  • C. It provides a new type of hardware chip essential for operating self-driving cars.
  • D. It stabilizes the value of cryptocurrencies by pegging them to a digital gold standard.
Question 6 of 7
How does the company Golem challenge the dominance of massive, centralized data centers?
  • A. It manufactures cooler, more efficient silicon chips for smartphones and personal devices.
  • B. It builds physical data centers powered entirely by renewable energy sources.
  • C. It provides a free, open-source web browser that blocks all advertising and tracking.
  • D. It pools users' unused computer processing power into a decentralized virtual supercomputer.
Question 7 of 7
Why does economics blogger Mike Kendall argue that Bitcoin cannot successfully serve as a new 'gold standard'?
  • A. Because its supply is fixed, meaning changes in demand cause wild and volatile fluctuations in its value.
  • B. Because the algorithmic difficulty of mining decreases over time, flooding the market with new coins.
  • C. Because the total supply of Bitcoin is uncapped, leading to inevitable hyperinflation.
  • D. Because governments have completely banned the use of Bitcoin for international trade.

Life After Google — Full Chapter Overview

Life After Google Summary & Overview

Life After Google (2018), shows how the future may instead lie in the “cryptocosm” and its blockchain architecture, which allows everyone to exert individual control of data and security online. Since the dawn of the internet, there have been tremendous progress in technology and the way people live their lives. And at the heart of it all is Google, a company that has managed to build a global way of thinking around their business model and vision. But it’s also falling rapidly out of favor with users for its lack of security precautions. Google may once have dominated, but we should prepare for a world that is no longer defined by it.

Who Should Listen to Life After Google?

  • Business buffs who want to know where the future is headed
  • Technology enthusiasts who want to understand the latest developments
  • Anyone with an interest in their online data security

About the Author: George Gilder

George Gilder is a leading economic and technological thinker, and has been for the past 40 years. He is the author of 19 books including Life After Television (1990) and The Scandal of Money (2016). He is also a founding fellow of the Discovery Institute, a think tank for public policy.

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App