Decoding Tech

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, 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

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 about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 EmployeeJohn 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 interviews. This conversation was recorded on March 11, 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 CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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

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 channel.To learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 MatchGary Kremen, Entrepreneur & Founder of Match.comSteve Dean, Online Dating Consultant at DateworkingModerator: 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 on February 4, 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 CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, as a part of a special screening of the NOVA documentary, Look Who's Driving. 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.

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 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 website at www.computerhistory.org

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 Hambrecht & Quist, and JP Mark, formerly with Robertson Stephens. Both are coauthors of an upcoming book on these firms, and Paul moderated the discussion.It was made possible by the generous support of J.P. Morgan.This conversation was recorded on November 20, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 Manager."Death and Afterlife" with Steven Levy, Journalist and Wired Editor-at-LargeThe program was moderated by New York Times contributor and author Katie Hafner.This conversation was recorded at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, as a part of the CHM Live series. To watch a video of this program, which includes a recorded Lisa demo and short film from The Verge, 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

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 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

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 www.computerhistory.org

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 Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 learn more about the Computer History Museum and our upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

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 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

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

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 computing landscape. CHM Trustee Diane Souvaine led the discussion with two computer scientists from pioneering research labs: Ilya Sutskever,who was then cofounder and chief scientist of Open AI, and Microsoft Chief Scientific Officer Eric Horvitz.This conversation was recorded on April 26, 2023 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Innovations in artificial intelligence are not only changing the present, they’re also revolutionizing the study of history. In this episode, an expert panel shares their groundbreaking work deciphering the Herculaneum scrolls, which were burned in the same volcanic eruption that destroyed nearby Pompeii and were thought to have been lost forever.The panel included:Nat Friedman, investor and entrepreneur who co-launched the Vesuvius ChallengeFederica Nicolardi, assistant professor of papyrology at the University of Naples Federico IIBrent Seales, the Stanley and Karen Pigman Chair of Heritage Science and professor of computer science at the University of Kentucky. CHM Senior Producer and Manager of Programming Russell Ihrig moderated.The program was made possible by the generous support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation.This conversation was recorded on June 10, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Do you know who has your personal data? Experts featured in NOVA’s documentary, Secrets In Your Data, explored this question and more on stage at CHM.The Panel included Eva Galperin from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Patrick Jackson of Disconnect, and Brewster Kahle from the Internet Archive Physician Alok Patel, who also hosted the NOVA episode, moderated.This conversation was recorded on May 16, 2024, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

How can we ensure that every language—and the communities that speak them—can fully participate in the digital world? Hear from Unicode pioneers and language experts as they discuss the evolution of language support, the barriers to true linguistic inclusivity online, and why ensuring digital access is about more than just code—it’s about culture, identity, and the survival of languages.PANEL:Roy Boney, Jr, Cherokee Language Revitalization Manager at Cherokee FilmMark Davis, Cofounder and CTO, Unicode ConsortiumAnushah Hossain, Research Director of the Script Encoding InitiativeModerator: Teresa Marshall, Vice President of Globalization & Localization at SalesforceThis conversation was recorded on May 13, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

How can Chinese—a language with tens of thousands of characters and no alphabet—be input on a QWERTY keyboard with only a few dozen keys designed for English? Thomas Mullaney, professor of Chinese history at Stanford University, shares insights about this challenge from his book, The Chinese Computer: a Global History of the Information Age in a conversation with Yangyang Chen, a research scholar and fellow at the Yale Law School.This program was generously supported by the Bin Lin and Daisy Liu Family Foundation.The conversation was recorded on June 18, 2024, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

From AI to data analysis and visualization, technology is reshaping the news. To discuss journalistic challenges presented by new technologies, CHM brought together Marian Chia-Ming Liu from the Washington Post, Jason Koebler from 404 Media, and Alex Reed from Mapping Black California. The conversation was moderated by David Yarnold, former executive editor of the San Jose Mercury News.This event was recorded on April 16, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Is AI a threat to humanity or a partner with the power to unlock our full potential? Reid Hoffman, cofounder of Inflection AI and former board member of OpenAI shared his insights and hopes for the future in a conversation with Anne Dwane of Village Global.This conversation was recorded on October 30, 2023, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Do Large Language Models like Chat GPT have the “sparks” of true intelligence, or are they merely “stochastic parrots,” lacking understanding and meaning. Hear a debate on this matter between University of Washington's computational linguist Emily Bender and OpenAI's Sébastien Bubeck. IEEE Spectrum Senior Editor Eliza Strickland moderatesThis program was a partnership with IEEE Spectrum and was made possible by the generous support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. This conversation was recorded on March 25, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Khan Academy founder Sal Khan joined KQED’s Rachael Myrow on stage to share insights from his new book, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing). This conversation was made possible by the generous support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, and was a partnership with Silicon Valley Reads. It was recorded on March 11, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Over the last fifteen years, India has evolved from a primarily cash-based society to the country with the highest volume of digital payments in the world. Hear how this was accomplished from one of the primary architects of India’s digital public infrastructure, Pramod Varma, in a discussion with M.R. Rangaswami, the founder of Indiaspora, CEF, and Sand Hill Group.This conversation was recorded on May 30, 2024, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Learn about the origin story of Bill Gates, one of the most influential and transformative business leaders and philanthropists of the modern age. In this episode Gates discusses his deeply personal new memoir, Source Code, in conversation with Patrick Collison, cofounder and CEO of Stripe.This conversation was recorded on February 11, 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Thirty years ago, Blizzard Entertainment spawned Warcraft, and then World of Warcraft a decade later, unleashing hordes of orcs and humans onto millions of fans' computer screens. Many of those fans were in attendance at CHM Live on December 10, 2024, to hear New York Times bestselling author and Bloomberg News reporter Jason Schreier discuss his new book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment, with CHM curator and gamer Hansen Hsu. 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

In January 1984, Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple Macintosh, an "insanely great" computer "for the rest of us" that changed the world—and Apple itself. Moderated by tech journalist and author David Pogue, this anniversary event included three panels focused on the development, marketing and impact of the Mac. Panel 1 (3:59): Mac Development Team members Bill Atkinson, Steve Capps, Andy Hertzfeld, and Bruce Horn, and creator of the Mac icons and fonts Susan Kare.  Panel 2 (39:00): Marketing team members Andy Cunningham, Dan’l Lewin, and Mike Murray. Panel 3 (1:06:57): Mac’s impact with the longest-serving Apple employee, Chris Espinosa, former Apple Chief Evangelist Guy Kawasaki, and tech journalist Steven Levy This event was recorded live on January 24, 2024 (The Mac's 40th anniversary) 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

AI expert and Stanford Professor Fei-Fei Li shares her experience and insights from more than two decades at the forefront of the field. Tech policy guru and current CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy Tom Kalil moderated the discussion, which was made possible by the generous support of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. This conversation was recorded on September 17, 2024 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 upcoming CHM Live events, visit our website at www.computerhistory.org

Listen to excerpts from upcoming episodes of Decoding Tech. Coming soon from the Computer History Museum! Episodes are recorded at the museum's CHM Live series of events.