Pushkin.

It's hard to read the news these days without asking yourself, how did we get here?

Fiasco is a history podcast for the co-creators of Slow Burn.

In our first season, Bush v. Gore, we examine an unmistakable turning point in American politics, the 2000 election, which resulted in a high-stakes stalemate, ended with one of the most controversial rulings in Supreme Court history.

So if you're trying to make sense at the present moment, check out Fiasco, Bush v. Gore. Listen on theHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

From Pushkin Industries, this is Deep Background, the show where we explore the stories behind the stories in the news.

I'm Noah Feldman. Today on deep background, something a little bit different.

I have been watching very closely the debates about the future of virtual reality and augmented reality.

Since the beginning of COVID, all of us have had to explore making human connections, having conversations, learning, and

engaging with others from our desks, staring at our screens in ways we did not do previously.

That entire process has led me to think increasingly about what kinds of human engagement can happen in virtual space.

One direction this might take us, and I hope to discuss this in a future episode, is the question

of virtual reality, augmented reality, and the new modes and platforms of engagement that

will take place in our lives. Another is to think about activities

that increasingly take place not only in the real world, but also almost exclusively online.

Gaming is one such activity. We hear a lot about the gamification of trading, a topic that we've

done an episode on, and about the gamification of a wider range of human interactive activities, including coding.

But what about the gamification of gaming itself?

What I'm referring to is the e-sports industry, in which, it turns out, millions and millions of people watch others playing games, either at an

extraordinarily high competitive level for rewards and for money, or alternatively, in an

entertainment mode, as gamers who are particularly clever or sophisticated or knowledgeable

stream their own games for the edification and entertainment of their fans.

...