Welcome to Core Memory
Core Memory exists to provide you with a window into to the most compelling people, start-ups, and stories in science and technology.
We’re part Substack and part production company. This means that we’ll be offering up a mix of the written word, podcasts, and videos and films. Our paid subscribers will get unfettered access to everything.
We will give you a straight shot into the world’s most exciting and influential figures in science and technology along with the up and commers and as of yet undiscovered people developing new breakthroughs. Core Memory will approach reporting on technology with an open mind and unyielding curiosity and a working assumption that you all want better, smarter and deeper coverage about where the world is heading.
For the last two decades, I’ve been chronicling major advances and the people behind them for publications like The Economist, The New York Times and Bloomberg Businessweek. Along with the stories, I’ve written best-selling books like Elon Musk’s biography, made an Emmy-nominated tech TV show watched by millions and produced films for HBO and Netflix. The goal has always been to bring the tales of complex technology and compelling people to the public and give them a path into exceptional and unusual worlds they would not normally have a chance to experience.
My past work has put me in the very fortunate position of having the best access to the inner sanctum of science and technology. The goal with Core Memory is to transport you all into the same places I’m lucky enough to inhabit. Secret longevity labs. Cutting-edge factories. Rocket launch sites. Fusion power plants. All of it. Only we’re going to do the reporting with some new twists.
In the most practical terms, Core Memory will offer up writing, podcasts and videos. The stories will often be longform pieces that will be my take on a person or company or new technology. We also plan to break stories, if the news is big enough. In addition, we’ll also be providing access to the full underlying interviews and images that went into the creation of the stories. In other words, you’ll be able to peruse the raw reporting materials. This should help satiate the information wants and needs of those readers who desire something more or perhaps desire something unfiltered.
On the video front, we’re making full-on shows and movies. We’ll soon be launching a new show that will have seasons dedicated to different areas of technology like longevity science, energy, defense, aerospace and transportation. And another focused on manufacturing. We’re also already developing scripted shows and movies.
Want some more sci-fi anime in the world? Or maybe some tales about the most dramatic moments in tech and science history? Yeah, so do we.
We’re going to be putting out posts and podcasts every week and coming to you with full seasons of TV shows that roll out on a weekly basis. If you’re into, say, brains or manufacturing or AI, we’re going to provide huge collections of interviews and videos on these topics with the very best people in their fields.
The work and productions cost money if we’re going to do this right – and we are. We want to chase all of this with fierce independence and not let large corporations dilute or alter the work. We want to make stuff you will love and need your help to do it.
We’ve already built a small team to go out into the world and bring you these interviews. David Nicholson, the longtime cinematographer of my tech-travel show Hello World (and his own documentary films) has joined Core Memory to lead our video work. So too has Jaye Callahan. She’s a superstar producer who has made numerous films and TV shows, including our recent HBO documentary Wild, Wild, Space. And we’re in the midst of adding new editors and producers. If you buy into the mission, we’ll be able to add writers as well. The fire rises.
Those of you who sign up as founding members - aka The Foundry, obviously - will also receive invites to early, private screenings of our new shows and films and exclusive events with the people featured in our coverage. Maximize your yield!
The goal here is to explore the future together.
None of what we’re doing is cheap to produce. Your support helps make all this possible, and we hope you’ll come along for the ride. Thank you!
— Ashlee Vance
