Brave New World vs Nineteen Eighty-Four featuring Adam Gopnik and Will Self
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN recommends it as a good long debate for the recurring question of whether Orwell or Huxley was right.
What it is
An Intelligence Squared debate in which Will Self argues for Brave New World and Adam Gopnik for Nineteen Eighty-Four as the better dystopian warning. It includes acted excerpts and is chaired by Jonathan Freedland.
Recommended by 2 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2018 to 2022.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec stickfigure · 2018-10 · on “Thermometer Tells Your Temperature, Then Tells Firms Where to Advertise”
I don't know if Brave New World or 1984 was right. You will enjoy this debate about that exact question: [this video] Fantastic oratory, excerpts acted out by famous actors, intriguing ideas. Marvelous production.
Recommends LesZedCB · 2022-08 · on “Is this the end of social networking?”
yes! thank you. huxley was right about a scary number of things... this debate between will self and adam gopnik on 'brave new world' vs '1984' is really good if anybody has 1.5 hours to indulge. [this video] just grabbed 'amusing ourselves to death' from libby, thanks for the recommendation!
Cites personlurking · 2018-06 · on “Ask HN: Which YouTube channels do you watch regularly?”
- Most channels by IDW (Intelectual Dark Web) people, though when you know all the arguments, due to overwatching, it can get a bit tiring. - Tom Scott, igsquared, JunsKitchen, Alex French Cooking Guy, New York Times, Great Big Story, Strange Parts, TED, and a few philosophy ones from Brazil. Some examples: JunsKitchen (Japanese cooking), homemade tofu [LINK] Lateral (Tom Scott's new game show) [LINK] igsquared (Brave New World vs 1984) [this video] If anyone knows any good Italian channels I might like, based on the above, let me know please. Grazie.
Cites DyslexicAtheist · 2019-02 · on “Attorneys General in Six States Are Now Investigating Facebook's Data Practices”
interesting and I agree with you. sorry if my original comment sounded like I was correcting you or something. I had my mind made up after watching an actual 90 mins panel[1] on this subject - then after watching I re-read both books and since then thought I finally had my answer to this annoying question. that is until you just tore it all up again with more facts I hadn't considered :) the problem you describe with reading feels very familiar. I haven't had time to read any fiction for 20 years and only focused on papers (or stuff that I felt had some kind of immediate value to my career). The only pleasure I allowed myself was social media, shallow type of blogs and regurgitated opinions