Explore the nuanced meanings of "asynchronous" in distributed systems through this insightful conference talk. Delve into the complexities of inter-service communication, challenging the simplistic synchronous vs. asynchronous dichotomy. Examine various interpretations, from non-blocking clients to message broker-based communication, and understand how context shapes these definitions. Investigate the impact of asynchronous concepts on cloud-native architectures, reactive systems, and sociotechnical considerations. Gain clarity on this often misunderstood term to make informed decisions in distributed system design and implementation.