Podcast · Tech & Science

Decoding Tech

by Computer History Museum · English · Tech & Science

Decoding Tech (from the Computer History Museum) explores the past, present and future of technology through conversations with today's leading experts as well as the pioneers and innovators of our on-going computing revolution. Programs are recorded live as a part of the museum's CHM Live events.

New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 1 hr 10 min
Latest: 30 Sep 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

30 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 9 min

In Conversation with Boris Cherny, Creator of Claude Code

What does it take to help shape one of the most consequential revolutions in tech history? Boris Cherny , creator and head of Claude Code, joins CHM curato r David C. Brock for a wide-ranging conversation about the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence. This CHM Live program was recorded on September 23, 2026, and made possible by the generous support of Mark and Mary Stevens. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at…

Play episodeWhatsApp Download

Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E42 · 9 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 8 min
The Silicon Gold Rush: How AI is Driving the Development of New Chips
The California Gold Rush created fortunes not only for prospectors, but also for the people selling picks and shovels. The contemporary version of that story is the explosive demand for AI hardware. To discuss this, Bill Dally , Nvidia's Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President of Research, joined Norm Jouppi , Google's VP and Technical Fellow, for a conversation led by Dave Patterson , a CHM Fellow and UC Berkeley Pardee Professor of Computer Science Emeritus. This CHM Live program was recorded on August 27, 2026. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's…
E41 · 26 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
Making Smalltalk
Smalltalk, the transformative programming language, development, and user environment pioneered by Alan Kay, turned 50 in 2022. For the occasion, Dan Ingalls and Adele Goldberg , members of Kay’s 1972 Learning Research Group at Xerox PARC, shared their experiences creating and working with Smalltalk. Former New York Times technology columnist John Markoff moderated the conversation and Alan Kay shared insights via prerecorded video. This CHM Live program was recorded on September 1, 2022. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn…
E40 · 5 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 35 min
David Pogue on Apple at 50: From a Garage Startup to a Cultural Force
David Pogue, author of the bestselling book Apple: The First 50 Years , explores Apple’s history through its four defining eras and highlights pivotal moments along the way. From the company’s founding in a garage by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to the evolution of landmark products like the iPhone, Pogue examines Apple’s cultural impact and its influence on how people relate to technology, This conversation was recorded on February 23, 2026, and CHM Curator Hansen Hsu was the interviewer. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn…
E39 · 22 Jul 2026 · 38 min
The Godmother of Silicon Valley, Esther Wojcicki, Answers Questions
What if the roots of Silicon Valley’s culture weren’t written in code but taught in a classroom? Esther Wojcicki, a trailblazing educator, journalist, and mother of tech leaders Susan and Ann Wojcicki, sat down for a live Q&A following a screening of The Godmother of Silicon Valley , a new documentary about her life. The conversation was moderated by the film's executive director Maciej Kawecki. This conversation was recorded on June 2, 2026, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube…
E38 · 8 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 11 min
A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare
Will AI finally fix healthcare, or create a whole new set of problems? Dr. Robert Wachter , chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSF, joined us to discuss his new book, A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future . Katie Hafner , host and executive producer of the Lost Women of Science podcast, moderated the conversation. This conversation was recorded on June 30, 2026, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. It was made possible by the generous support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. To watch a video of this program,…
E36 · 26 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
Out Online: Trans and Queer Community on the Early Net
How did the early internet help shape today's transgender identity and activism? Scholar and CHM Book Prize winner Avery Dame‑Griff joined us to discuss his book, The Two Revolutions: A History of the Transgender Internet, and explore the digital origins of a movement that began long before today’s social platforms existed. The conversation was moderated by Joshua K. Reason , Assistant Professor of Africana Studies, at San Francisco State University. This conversation was recorded on June 23, 2026, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program,…
E36 · 8 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 11 min
Steve Jobs in Exile: NeXT and the Making of a Comeback
Most people know about Steve Jobs' amazing work at Apple, but what about his "wilderness years" when he created NeXT? Learn about this period from Geoffrey Cain , author of Steve Jobs in Exile: The Untold Story of NeXT and the Remaking of an American Visionary, along with key figures from NeXT’s history, including: Dan’l Lewin, Cofounder and VP of Sales and Marketing, NeXT Rich Page, Cofounder and VP of Hardware Engineering / Manufacturing, NeXT Avie Tevanian, VP of Engineering, NeXT Bud Tribble, Cofounder and VP of Software Engineering, NeXT This conversation was recorded on May 26, 2026,…
E35 · 21 May 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
My Year With AI: Joanna Stern Hands Over Her Life
What happens when you let artificial intelligence run your life? Joanna Stern, Emmy Award–winning tech journalist, asks this question in her new book, I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything . She sat down with Nilay Patel, cofounder and editor-in-chief of The Verge, to share what actually worked, what didn’t, and what her experience reveals about where AI is headed. This conversation was recorded on May 19, 2026, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To…
E34 · 6 May 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
Emoji for Everyone: A Quest for Inclusive Communication with 🥟 and 🧕
Are you part of the 92 percent? That’s how many people around the world use emojis every day. Today's conversation explores how something as small as an emoji can have a big impact on inclusion and representation. Journalist, film producer, and emoji activist Jennifer 8. Lee joined acclaimed artist Yiying Lu , alongside Rayouf Alhumedhi —named one of Time magazine’s most influential teens—for a wide‑ranging discussion moderated by Sara Dean , then a California College of the Arts professor. This conversation was recorded on March 8, 2023, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View,…
E33 · 8 Apr 2026 · 1 hr
The Geek Way: A Handbook for a New Culture
What if the most important innovation in technology isn’t what companies build but how they build it? In this episode, New York Times bestselling author Andrew McAfee explores The Geek Way , a radical approach to corporate culture that’s fast-moving, egalitarian, and relentlessly evidence-driven. Carl Bass , Former President and CEO, Autodesk, Moderates the conversation. This conversation was recorded on December 14, 2023, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more…
E32 · 25 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 36 min
Apple at 50: Five Decades of Thinking Different
On April 1, 1976, Apple Computer was founded with a radical idea: that powerful computing should be personal. Fifty years later, Apple stands as one of the most influential tech companies in history. To celebrate this anniversary, David Pogue , legendary journalist and author of the new book Apple: The First 50 Years , hosted an event featuring: Chris Espinosa, Senior Apple Employee John Sculley, former Apple CEO Avie Tevanian, former Chief Software Technology Officer and SVP of Software Engineering Plus, recorded segments from Apple luminaries like Steve Wozniak as well as live audience…
E31 · 12 Mar 2026 · 1 hr 16 min
Computing For the Whole World
The iPod and the iPhone transformed entertainment, communications, and computing in less than a decade. Tony Fadell joins John Markoff on stage to explore his time designing these amazing products as well as his founding of Nest. This conversation was recorded on May 10, 2017, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org
E30 · 25 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
The Pixel: From Cave Paintings to Toy Story
The tiny pixel is the “big idea” that ties all digital imaging together. In this episode, computing‑graphics pioneer and Pixar cofounder Alvy Ray Smith shares insights from his book A Biography of the Pixel , on how this humble building block reshaped art, entertainment, and our digital world. Barbara Robertson , former Senior Editor of Computer Graphics World, moderated the conversation. This CHM Live event was recorded on August 11, 2022, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube…
E29 · 11 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 10 min
Algorithms of Love: Dating in the Digital World
What happens when the quest for love gets outsourced to computers? Just in time for Valentine's Day, we're exploring how technology has changed the ways we live and love today and what changes might be coming tomorrow. Featuring: Jeffrey Tarr , Cofounder, Operation Match Gary Kremen , Entrepreneur & Founder of Match.com Steve Dean , Online Dating Consultant at Dateworking Moderator: Hanna Kozlowska , Reporter & Author of U Up? A Social History of Online Dating, which will be published with One Signal/Simon & Schuster in the US and Icon Books in the UK in 2027. This conversation was recorded…
E28 · 28 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
Read Me: The Books that Inspired the Computing Revolution
How can you truly grasp what is happening in computing? One powerful answer has endured: “Read a book!” In this conversation with historian W. Patrick McCray, we learn how the most influential books in computing didn’t just explain technology but also ignited the computer revolution. CHM curator, David C. Brock, moderates. This conversation was recorded on January 20, 2026, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming…
E27 · 14 Jan 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Look Who's Driving
Today, autonomous vehicles are no longer a futuristic dream. But in 2019, industry leaders and researchers were still figuring how they work, the challenge of teaching AI to make life-and-death decisions, and the profound changes this technology could bring to our lives. This special panel from our archives featured Dmitri Dolgov from Waymo, Chris Gerdes from Stanford University, Jesse Levinson from Zoox, and Jack Weast of Mobileye. It was moderated by Talithia Williams of Harvey Mudd College and cohost of the PBS series NOVA Wonders. The program was recorded on October 18, 2019, at the…
E26 · 31 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
The Future of Humanoid Robots
Humanoid robots are stepping out of science fiction and into our daily lives. But what does that mean for us? Chaoyi Li from Booster Robotics, Victor Suen from Fourier, and Niv Sundaram from Machani joined us for a conversation on how these machines are reshaping our expectations of technology, companionship, and what a healthy relationship with this technology might look like. CHM's Director and Curator of the Internet History Program, Marc Weber, moderated. This conversation, a partnership with the Humanoid Summit, was recorded on December 11, 2025, at the Computer History Museum in…
E22 · 10 Dec 2025 · 1 hr 23 min
Morris Chang in Conversation with Jensen Huang
What happens when two tech visionaries sit down to talk? In this remarkable 2007 conversation, Dr. Morris Chang, the pioneering founder of TSMC, joins NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to reflect on how his revolutionary silicon foundry model reshaped the semiconductor industry and powered the digital age. This conversation was recorded on October 17, 2007, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our…
E24 · 26 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
To Infinity and Beyond: The Story of Pixar's Stock Market Debut
In November 1995, Steve Jobs pitched Wall Street on a company with no revenues and an unproven film. That company was Pixar, and against all odds, Toy Story became a smash hit, the stock soared, and the deal rewrote the rules for tech investing while cementing Jobs as a visionary. Hear the untold stories behind one of Silicon Valley's most improbable successes from Lawrence Levy (Former Pixar CFO), Mike McCaffery (Former Robertson Stephens CEO), and Cristina Morgan (Former Head of Technology Investment Banking for Hambrecht & Quist). This program was coproduced by Paul Noglows, formerly with…
E23 · 12 Nov 2025 · 1 hr 14 min
Taiwan Tech: The Origins of a High-Tech Industry
How did Taiwan ascend to such great heights in high-tech manufacturing? Honghong Tinn, author of Island Tinkerers, shares the fascinating history of how hobbyists and enthusiasts in Taiwan helped transform the country through innovative and creative computer use. CHM Curator Hansen Hsu moderates. This conversation was recorded on November 4, 2025, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, as a part of the CHM Live series. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our…
E20 · 29 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 11 min
Happy 40th Birthday Lisa: Apple’s Most Important Flop
How could a machine that transformed the way people interact with computers also be a commercial flop? On January 31, 2023, CHM gathered key insiders to celebrate the Apple Lisa’s innovations, explore its ongoing impact, and learn lessons from its failure. The Program was divided into three segments: "Birth" with original Lisa Team members Bruce Daniels, Wayne Rosing and John Couch (via recording) "This is Your Life, Lisa" with Graphic Designer Annette Wagner, Developer Bill Atkinson (via recording), and CHM's then President and CEO, Dan'l Lewin, who was the Lisa's Market Development…
E21 · 15 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 6 min
This Time It's Different: AI Startups Across Three Generations
Despite the hype, AI is far from an overnight success. The story of AI is full of both booms and busts stretching back many decades. Jerry Kaplan, cofounder of Teknowledge, Adam Cheyer, cofounder of Siri, and Daniela Rus, cofounder of Liquid AI came together for a conversation about AI's evolution that was moderated by CHM's Director and Curator of the Internet History Program, Marc Weber. This CHM Live event was made possible by the generous support of Mark and Mary Stevens. It was recorded at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California on October 7, 2025. To watch a video of…
E20 · 1 Oct 2025 · 58 min
Cold War Computing: Balkan Cyberia
Did you know that Bulgaria became an electronics powerhouse during the Cold War? In an illuminating lecture for CHM Live, historian Victor Petrov shared insights from his new book, Balkan Cyberia , a CHM Book Prize winner. This conversation was recorded on September 18, 2025 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. To watch a video of this program, including the visuals shown in the presentation, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at…
E19 · 17 Sep 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Creating the iPhone (Part 2)
With the latest iPhone recently announced, we're sharing this conversation from 2017 about how the first iPhone came to be. In this episode, John Markoff interviews original iPhone Software Team Leader Scott Forstall. The previous episode was Part 1 of this conversation and featured members of the original iPhone Engineering team. This conversation was recorded on June 20, 2017 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, as a part of the CHM Live series. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the…
E18 · 3 Sep 2025 · 58 min
Creating the iPhone (Part 1)
With the latest iPhone soon to be announced, we're sharingthis conversation from 2017 about how the first iPhone came to be. In this episode, John Markoff interviews original iPhone Engineers Nitin Ganatra, Scott Herz, and Hugo Fiennes. Part 2 of the conversation, featuring original iPhone Software Team Leader Scott Forstall will be released in 2 weeks. This conversation was recorded on June 20, 2017 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, as a part of the CHM Live series. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To…
E17 · 20 Aug 2025 · 1 hr 15 min
Dialed In: The Prehistory of Social Media
Long before online forums and communities like Reddit and Discord, and even before the World Wide Web, bulletin board systems (BBSs) reigned supreme. In the 1980s and '90s, millions of people participated in more than 100,000 BBSs. Kevin Driscoll, author of the award-winning book The Modem World: A Prehistory of Social Media , and technology and society expert danah boyd joined CHM’s Marc Weber on stage to discuss the innovative world of BBSs and how they shaped today's digital world. This conversation was recorded on April 25, 2024 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View,…
E16 · 6 Aug 2025 · 1 hr 17 min
Impact of the Commodore 64
With sales close to 17 million units, The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. On December 7, 2007, John Markoff, tech reporter for The New York Times , moderated a panel at CHM to celebrate the Commodore's 25th anniversary. First, John chats with Jack Tramiel, founder of Commodore International, before being joined by former IBM exec William Lowe, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and Adam Chowaniac who developed the Amiga. Note: there are few brief periods of Mic troubles that are quickly resolved. To watch a video of this program, please visit the…
E15 · 23 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 20 min
Steve Jobs: The Authorized Biography with Author Walter Isaacson
Recorded only a few months after Steve Jobs passed away, his award-winning biographer, Walter Isaacson, joined CHM's CEO at the time, John Hollar, to discuss one of the most celebrated figures in computer history. This conversation was recorded on December 13, 2011 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, as a part of the Revolutionaries series. To watch a video of this program, please visit the Computer History Museum's YouTube channel. To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org
E14 · 9 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
The Legendary Alto and Research at the Edge
On the 50th anniversary of the Alto, many of its creators and some of today’s leading inventors gathered at CHM to share the Alto’s legacy and discuss what we can expect for the future of computing research—centered today on artificial intelligence (AI). The program included two panels: In the first, CHM Trustee John Shoch, who worked at PARC as a graduate student, moderated a discussion with two of Alto’s designers, Butler Lampson and Charles Simonyi. Alan Kay participated via video. The second panel focused on artificial intelligence, arguably the most revolutionary sector in today's…

About Decoding Tech

Decoding Tech is a English tech & science podcast from Computer History Museum. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Computer History Museum
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Every two weeks
Typical length: 1 hr 10 min
Latest episode: 30 Sep 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1792478736
Rights: Computer History Museum

RSS feed Apple Podcasts

More English tech & science

Take it with you

The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.