Complexity Theory Podcast

Are fears about A.I. overblown or is it as bad as they say?

"Nero fiddled while Rome burned" -- Metaphor for debasement of the silver currency? Interesting similarities between Roman money and modern

Guest Ephraim McCormick talks about using a comparator mirror to draw extremely precise sketches. The device was so accurate that, at its invention on the 1600s it was considered extremely controversial. The outcry over the comparator mirror's use echoes the criticisms of the use AI in creating digital art in the 2020s. But is technology really so bad? Zach and Ephraim discuss this question and touch on interesting parallels between the the "Tulip Mania" of the 17th Century and how it c...

Joseph Cassell talks about his hijinks in the Fall of 1971 when he and his two buddies Frank and Earl decided to take a year off from college and drive across America. Truth is stranger than fiction as the long-haired, California trio (and an Afghan Hound), visit the Grand Canyon and see a mysterious figure hundreds of feet below. The adventure continues with near death encounters in freezing temperatures, and, just when it did not seem possible, things get even more surreal when the boys end...

Doulas Heather Rich and Madeline Mosco with InJoyBirth discuss their work in helping expectant mothers and fathers through the complex and sometimes scary world of pregnancy and life after delivery. They discuss what a doula's role is, what it is not and how it can be helpful even in more traditional settings like hospitals. These two go on to talk about how they offer postpartum support because the job of child-rearing is only just beginning once baby comes home. Heather and...

The owners of Eden Abbey Brewing Community, Ben & Eve Passmore discuss how their lives have taken them from the American heartland to the middle of the Mediterranean and into North Africa during the popular political uprisings known as the "Arab Spring". From parent's grief, death, loss of faith , redemption reconciliation and love, the Passmores' story covers nearly every human emotion and brings with it a real-world message that inspires. Today, Eden Abbey helps Ben & Eve cont...

Zach talks with retired ATF special agent Dan O'Kelly who helped convict Efraim Diveroli, (whose real-life arms dealing inspired the movie "War Dogs"). Dan also talks about what it was like going undercover against the Russian Mafia and shutting down a gun-smuggling operation. Bonus content: Dan talks about his career in the private sector as a firearms instructor and an expert-witness who has had to testify opposite his former employer in some high profile court cases on what makes a '...

Good Fellow Games Co. founder Ephraim McCormick talks about the new game "Fish N' Ships" and what it takes to bring a table top board game from idea to market. Bonus material: the sometimes bumpy and interesting path that led him to this point. Getting nearly arrested twice as a teenager, learning the ropes of the entertainment industry in college and applying the creative drive in wedding videography as well as in the world of documentaries.