Infinite Loops
As a former quant with six grandkids, my spidey-senses started tingling as soon as I heard about Ben Orlin’s mission to make math fun. A native of St.Paul, Ben is a math educator and popularizer who is known for his “Math With Bad Drawing” blog and book series. Today’s conversation revolves around his excellent, original new book , which reframes math as a language, complete with nouns, verbs and grammar. Like any mathematician worth his salt, Ben loves games, which he sees as ‘puzzle engines’. No wonder then that our conversation meandered and unfolded like a satisfying...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
“We have created for ourselves a world that we didn't evolve for.” Gurwinder Bhogal is, for my money, one of the most independent, original and insightful thinkers you’ll find in our corner of the internet. He returns to discuss how willpower and good old-fashioned human agency can help us reclaim our mental sovereignty and escape the “constant avalanche of concerns that are being vomited over us through our laptop screens, our phones, our TV screens, and in conversations.” For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other stuff designed to make you go, “Hmm,...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
Professor Julia Sonnevend believes that charm is one of the defining political trends of our era. In her latest book, she argues that charm will do no less than “shape the future of democracy worldwide,” exploring how it is weaponized by politicians ranging from Jacinda Arden to Kim Jong Un. In our episode, you will discover why charm has emerged as a political force and how to innoculate yourself when you encounter it in the wild. Julia and I also dig into the five components of a charming interaction, a tantalizing prospect for those of you who want to dabble in the dark arts yourself…...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
As a proud owner of the exceedingly rare “two-digit” designation on CompuServe (the internet’s precursor), I’ve always been an early adopter of new tech. I was, therefore, particularly excited to speak to Bilawal Sidhu, a one-man corporation whose prolific output outpaces many creators put together. Since he was 11, Bilawal has been passionate about using cutting-edge tech to create videos that unite reality with his imagination. He made his bones as a product manager at Google, but after his short-form videos generated millions of views on social media, he decided to go all-in on his...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
When Luca Dellanna speaks, I listen. Unlike many of the other management, productivity and behavioral gurus out there, Luca is ruthlessly committed to providing actionable, tangible advice that is rooted in the messy, chaotic reality of daily life. This conversation, my second with Luca, revolves around his excellent new book, . Why should you care? Because long-term strategies consistently deliver better results. In other words, being able to identify, play, and win long-term games is, quite literally, the secret to success. With examples ranging from NASA janitors to Stonehenge spray...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
Let me introduce you to the four horsemen of the investment apocalypse: Fear. Greed. Hope. Ignorance. Notice anything? Three of four are emotions. I’ve long argued that effective investing is far more about emotional control than technical know-how (although the latter certainly helps!) By hook or by crook, the best investors can find a way to tame their pesky emotional impulses and overcome that primal urge to respond impulsively to panic, passion, or pride. My guest, the razor-sharp Ateet Ahluwalia, is a veteran trader and investor who has spent well over 15 years at the coalface, from...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
I’ve always tried to encourage curiosity in my three children and now six (!) grandchildren. My kids often reminisce about my default response to their childhood questions: pointing to the bookshelf that flanked our sofa and saying, “look it up in there!” Luckily, natural curiosity was never lacking in our household. Over the years, however, I have become increasingly frustrated when I hear about the stultifying, rote, curiosity-killing nature of our education system. It was a pleasure, therefore, to speak to , an impressive young founder who, after witnessing first-hand how kids’...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion, which makes angel investments, provides advisory services, and produces television, films, and video games. He’s also a Venture Partner at Makers Fund, Senior Advisor to KKR, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, and sits on the board of numerous start-ups. Matthew is one of the sharpest and most original thinkers on the future of media and the Internet (i.e. The Metaverse). The fully revised and updated edition of his bestselling book releases next week. Important Links: Show Notes: Into The Metaverse AI and The Metaverse ‘AI Can Bend the...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
Nat Eliason is a writer with a keen interest in writing about challenging and revealing things. His debut book, Crypto Confidential: Winning and Losing Millions in the New Frontier of Finance (out July 9th, 2024), charts his personal odyssey into Crypto’s Get-Rich-Quick underbelly. Nat joins the show to discuss the highs and lows of the cryptocurrency market, the lessons learned from his financial adventures, the psychological effects of bubbles, crypto’s cutting-edge developments, and MUCH more! Important Links: Show Notes: Making A Lot of Money, As Fast as Possible The Peer...
info_outlineInfinite Loops
Noor Siddiqui is currently building Orchid, a reproductive technology company that measures genetic predisposition to disease and provides embryo screening for couples going through IVF. Noor joins the show to discuss the ambitious culture of the West Coast, getting into the Thiel Fellowship, her personal reasons for starting Orchid, the sacred act of reproduction and why it must be made safe, her belief in children as the future, and MUCH more! Important Links: Show Notes: The Ambitious Culture of San Francisco The East Coast Aversion to Risky Ambition The Intimate Origin Story of...
info_outlineMatthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion, which makes angel investments, provides advisory services, and produces television, films, and video games.
He’s also a Venture Partner at Makers Fund, Senior Advisor to KKR, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, and sits on the board of numerous start-ups.
Matthew is one of the sharpest and most original thinkers on the future of media and the Internet (i.e. The Metaverse). The fully revised and updated edition of his bestselling book "The Metaverse: Building the Spatial Internet" releases next week.
Important Links:
Show Notes:
- Into The Metaverse
- AI and The Metaverse
- ‘AI Can Bend the Laws of Physics’
- Human Engineering and the Human Brain
- Screens and Education
- The Reflexivity of AI Doomerism
- The Salvation of the ‘TV Species’
- From Passive Media to Active Media
- ‘What’s An Appropriate Simulation?’
- ‘We Don’t Outlaw Fire, We Train Firemen’
- Applying the Precautionary Principle
- Media and the Metaverse: Three Stages of Competition
- The Enduring Value of Taste
- Hardware and AI: The Vergence-Accommodation Conflict
- The Emperor of the Metaverse
- MORE!
Books Mentioned:
- The Metaverse: Building the Spatial Internet; by Matthew Ball
- The Streaming Book; by Matthew Ball
- The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous; by Joseph Henrich