Jaron Lanier
Computer scientist, composer and author
Jaron Lanier is an American computer scientist, composer and author, regarded as a founder of virtual reality. He writes about technology and its effect on society.
2 summaries 49 min of listening
American Born 1960 in New York City, United States
About Jaron Lanier
Jaron Lanier was born in 1960 in New York City. In 1985 he and Thomas G. Zimmerman left Atari to found VPL Research, the first company to sell virtual reality goggles and wired gloves. He later worked on Internet2 applications, joined Microsoft in 2006, and has worked at Microsoft Research since 2009. Lanier is also a composer of contemporary classical music and a collector of rare instruments. His 1994 album Instruments of Change features Asian wind and string instruments. In 2010, TIME magazine named him one of its 100 most influential people. His writing covers the social impact of technology. You Are Not a Gadget came out in 2010 and was an international bestseller. He has also written Ten Arguments for Deleting your Social Media Accounts Right Now.