Infinite Loops

Sangeet Paul Choudary, bestselling author of Platform Revolution and Reshuffle, and senior fellow at UC Berkeley, joins the show to challenge the conventional wisdom about AI's impact on our economy. We explore why knowledge workers risk falling "below the algorithm," how curiosity and judgment become luxury goods in a world of cheap answers, and why our educational and career structures need complete reinvention rather than incremental reform. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Reshuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Knowledge Economy (Amazon) Website Twitter Substack LinkedIn Show Notes: Sangeet’s Core Thesis Technology's Second Order Effects Coordination Without Consensus Resistance to Innovation The Bottlenecks of Changing Systems Staying Above The Algorithm An Impending Cognitive Chasm The Limitations of Reskilling Redesigning Hiring for the AI Era The Human Touch Fallacy The End of Linear Career Paths Collective Sense-making in Uncertainty Sangeet as Emperor of the Day Books Mentioned: Platform Revolution; by Geoffrey G Parker, Marshall W Van Alstyne, Sangeet Paul Choudary Reshuffle; by Sangeet Paul Choudary The Hound of the Baskervilles; by Arthur Conan Doyle Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned; by Kenneth Stanley and Joel Lehman  

Michael Dean — architect-turned-writer, O’Shaughnessy Fellow, and creator of Essay Architecture — joins the show to explore the hidden structures beneath nonfiction and why essays, like buildings, can be designed with patterns rather than left to inspiration. We discuss the origins of Essay Architecture, Michael’s 27-pattern framework that maps essays across Idea, Form, and Voice, and how to make craft teachable and AI feedback useful without replacing the writer. Along the way, we dive into architecture school critiques, why publishable doesn’t mean perfect, how editing rewires thinking, and the cultural risks if we keep treating writing as vibes instead of patterns. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Michael’s Website Substack X/Twitter Profile Show Notes: The Architecture of Essays: from Design School to Writing Frameworks The Pattern Language: Idea, Form, and Voice Local Nuance vs Global Stylekits Fundamentals before Breaking Rules: Joyce, Picasso, the Beatles Quality Without a Name Leveling the College Playing Field The Two Sandboxes of Fundamentals and Amplification Gamification, Play and Motivation Beyond the Five-paragraph Essay: Emerson and AI in Education Scoring Great Essays: Why David Foster Wallace takes Three Top Spots How Writing Colonized the brain Editing as Belief-rewiring: Why Writers Avoid It and Why Math Helps The King of Biases: Confirmation Bias Michael as Emperor of the World Books Mentioned: Works on Wall Street; Jim O’Shaughnessy Essay Architecture (in progress) ; by Michael Dean A Pattern Language; by Christopher Alexander The Best American Essays 2024 Anthology; by Wesley Morris and Kim Dana Kupperman Consider the Lobster; by David Foster Wallace The White Album; by Joan Didion Shooting an Elephant; by George Orwell Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man; by James Joyce Finnegan’s Wake; by James Joyce Towards a Golden Age; Paul Graham The Limits of Scientific Reasoning; by David Faust The WEIRDest People in the World; by Joseph Henrich    

Hello everyone, Jim here. We're taking a brief two-week break from new episodes to spotlight a couple of golden oldies from the Infinite Loops archive. Years later, these remain some of my favorite conversations. We’ll be back soon with fresh episodes, but in the meantime, enjoy this trip back to November 2023, when we welcomed the one and only Roon. _________________ AI researcher, memelord extraordinaire, and techno-optimist Roon joins the show to discuss coming up with the shape rotator vs. wordcel meme, what an AGI world could become, and why Tenet is Christopher Nolan’s best movie. Important Links: Roon’s Twitter Roon’s Substack AGI Futures Show Notes: Shape Rotators Vs. Wordcels Why AGI is Possible AI in Science Fiction AGI Future #1: Neuralink Third Impact AGI Future #2: Simulation Theory AGI Future #3: Dumb Matter AGI Future #4: Balrog Awakened AGI Future #5: Ultra Kessler Syndrome AGI Future #6: The Tragedy of Taiwan AGI Future #7: For Dust Thou Art AGI Future #8: CEV Super Intelligence Why Tenet is Christopher Nolan’s Best Movie Roon as Emperor of the World MORE! Books Mentioned: The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History; by Howard Bloom The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism; by Howard Bloom The God Problem: How a Godless Cosmos Creates; by Howard Bloom William Blake vs the World; by John Higgs The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams  

Hello everyone, Jim here. We're taking a brief two-week break from new episodes to spotlight a couple of golden oldies from the Infinite Loops archive. Years later, these remain some of my favorite conversations. We’ll be back soon with fresh episodes, but in the meantime, enjoy this trip back to August 2024, when we welcomed the one and only Gurwinder Bhogal. _________________ “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, that’s interesting!” check out our Substack. Important Links: Gurwinder's Substack  Gurwinder's Twitter Gurwinder’s previous Infinite Loops appearance Show Notes: “We have created for ourselves a world we didn’t evolve for” The dogged persistence of our stubborn beliefs Gamification; generational differences in agency The societal impact of the education system’s changing priorities How to zombify a population Skin in the game: Gurwinder’s guide to reclaiming agency LLMs, bullshit, and the atomization of culture How to play better games Willpower is the bottleneck Gurwinder as emperor of the world MORE! Books Mentioned: Why Everything is Becoming a Game; by Gurwinder Bhogal Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know; by Adam Grant The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements; by Eric Hoffer Why the Mental Health of Liberal Girls Sank First and Fastest; by Jonathan Haidt (After Babel) America’s Colleges Are Reaping What They Sowed; by Tyler Austin Harper (The Atlantic) Joe Biden and the Common Knowledge Game; by Ben Hunt (Epsilon Theory) The Emperor’s New Clothes; by Hans Christian Andersen Futarchy Details; by Robin Hanson (Overcoming Bias) The Enlightenment Trilogy; by Jed McKenna The Weirdest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous; by Joseph Henrich

What happens when a self-described "not very good" venture capitalist discovers he has an extraordinary gift for coaching the world's most successful CEOs? Joe Hudson joins Infinite Loops to share his unconventional journey from Alaska fishing boats to Hollywood directing to Silicon Valley boardrooms, ultimately finding his calling in helping high-performers unlock their deepest potential. This conversation dives deep into Joe's revolutionary three-center approach to human development—working with the head, heart, and nervous system simultaneously to create lasting transformation, and MORE! I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Sign up for a complimentary transformation guide: artofaccomplishment.com Listen to the Art of Accomplishment Podcast on Spotify Listen to the Art of Accomplishment Podcast on YouTube Joe Hudson's Twitter Joe Hudson's LinkedIn Show Notes: Opening Joe's Unconventional Coaching Philosophy The Artist in the Art The "Should" Trap & The Trash Can Experiment Game Rules & Emotional Decision-Making The Curiosity Override The Big Five & CEO Personality Patterns The Three-Center System The Disinterested Observer & Emotional Suppression John Sarno & The Mind-Body Connection Fear & Gratitude Escaping the Logic Box Invest in Great Entrepreneurs The Tennis Ball & Quarter Analogy Micro Expressions & Unconditional Love Buddhist Monks & The last Taboo Trustafarians & Multi-Generational Wealth AI, Wandering & The Rat Park Joe as Emperor of the World Authors & Books Mentioned: Prometheus Rising; by Robert Anton Wilson Quantum Psychology; by Robert Anton Wilson Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert Pirsig Mind Over Back Pain; by John Sarno Molecules of Emotion; by Candace Pert Adventures of a Bystander; by Peter Drucker The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock; by T.S. Eliot The Enlightened Brain; by Andrew Newberg

Michael Gibson and Danielle Strachman, co-founders of 1517 Fund, join the show to discuss their rebellion against higher education, why universities stifle creativity, why IQ doesn't correlate with innovation, and how betting on "misfit toys" is the way to go—plus we explore Girardian mimesis, the perishable nature of creativity, the laziness of pessimistic storytelling and MORE! I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: 1517 Fund Michael’s Twitter Danielle’s Twitter 1517 Substack Show Notes: Why 1517 Fund Rebels Against Higher Education Giving Individuals a Shot “It’s cool to be building stuff, it’s not cool to be a Thiel Fellow” The ‘ATM Founder’ and ‘Rich Too Early’ Syndrome The Power of Predictive Character Traits Flipping Credentialist Thinking "How do we become Spielberg? How do we do something truly great?" Simple Memes and Powerful Narratives Avoiding a Monoculture of Misfits The Incestuous Universities Scene Choosing Your Own Path People Contain Multitudes Michael and Danielle as World Emperor and Empress Books & Essays Mentioned: A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age; by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions; by Todd Rose "A Gift for My Daughter"; by Harry Browne (Full text available here) Paper Belt on Fire; by Michael Gibson The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation; by Jon Gertner The Right Stuff; by Tom Wolfe The Status Game; by Will Storr The Two Cultures; by C.P. Snow What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy White Mirror: Stories; by Tinkered Thinking Zero to One; by Peter Thiel The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley; by Jimmy Soni Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar; by Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World; by Harry Browne

Ed Latimore: boxer, physicist, and author of Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business makes his third appearance on the show to discuss hard-won wisdom about impulse control, self-forgiveness, the challenges of modern parenting and why being discerning (not judgmental) about your social circle might be the simplest rule for a better life. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Ed’s Twitter Ed’s Website Ed’s Substack Ed’s Previous Appearances: #1, #2 Show Notes: Punctuality and Impulse Control Ed’s Parenting Philosophy The Dilemmas of Raising Kids Having Socratic Dialogues with Six Year Olds Exposure to Different Realities The Journey to Getting Sober Learning from Experience How Stories Transmit Values Justice and Forgiveness Self-Talk and Internal Narratives Race, Merit, and Cultural Double Standards Falsifiability and Rational Thinking Ed as World Emperor Books Mentioned: The Triple Package; by Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business; by Edward Latimore What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O'Shaughnessy Boxing and the Art of Life; by Edward Latimore

Sam Arbesman, complexity scientist, author of "The Magic of Code," and scientist in residence at Lux Capital, joins me for a wide-ranging exploration of how we navigate an increasingly complex world that often exceeds human comprehension. We dive into the oral traditions that preserve crucial scientific knowledge, why cognitive diversity trumps demographic diversity, the forgotten innovations hiding in technological history, and Sam's vision for "Maxis 2.0". This conversation had everything—from science fiction's cultural impact to the philosophy of intellectual humility. Sam and I discovered we're remarkably simpatico on how to think about complex systems, the importance of historical context, and why saying "I don't know" is the foundation of genuine learning. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Personal Website Book Page: The Magic of Code Sam’s X Profile Show Notes: Sam’s Sci-fi Origins The Oral Tradition in Science and Technology Cultivating the Unexpected Open-Endedness and Large Language Models “All Models Are Wrong, but Some Are Useful” Culture’s Role in Shaping Everything Patching Bugs in HumanOS Tech History and Forgotten Innovations A Tech Archaeology Fellowship Humility and Knowledge Learning Via Negativa The Complexity of Our World Sam’s Current Obsessions in Science and Gaming Sam As Emperor of the World Books Mentioned: Dune; by Frank Herbert Foundation trilogy; by Isaac Asimov Overcomplicated: Technology at the Limits of Comprehension; by Sam Arbesman The Half-Life of Facts; by Sam Arbesman When We Cease to Understand the World; by Benjamín Labatut White Mirror; by Tinkered Thinking Nonzero; by Robert Wright The Evolution of God; by Robert Wright God and Golem, Inc.; by Norbert Wiener The Road; by Cormac McCarthy The Guide for the Perplexed; by Moses Maimonides The Story of Civilization; by Will and Ariel Durant Mistakes Were Made, and Yes, by Me; by Jim O'Shaughnessy

Nick Maggiulli, data scientist turned financial writer and COO of Ritholtz Wealth Management, joins me to discuss his latest book,The Wealth Ladder, which presents a six-level framework for building and managing wealth. Warning: this episode will upend what you think you know about money. We explore why atypical results require atypical actions, how income and not budgeting is the real unlock for wealth mobility, and how many financial myths persist simply because they feel good. Nick also shares the personal rules he lives by, how wealth changes meaning, and why being rich doesn’t guarantee happiness. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Of Dollars and Data Nick’s Twitter Nick’s LinkedIn Nick’s Instagram Ritholz Wealth Management Show Notes: Money May Magnify Happiness But Can’t Manufacture It Atypical Results Require Atypical Actions The Risk of Financial Generalization The Loneliness Tax Some Legacies Can Be Built Without Capital The Plateau Between Wealthy and Wealthier When the Job Becomes a Side Hustle The Spending Myth The Baby Bond Idea The Universal Basic Income Debate Markets Evolve Faster Than Us Kindness is Rare and Needed. Books and Papers Mentioned: What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O’Shaughnessy Just Keep Buying; by Nick Maggiulli The Wealth Ladder; by Nick Maggiulli Portfolios of the Poor; by Daryl Collins, Jonathan Morduch, Stuart Rutherford, and Orlanda Ruthven Invest like the Best; by Jim O’Shaughnessy Experienced well-being rises with income, even above $75,000 per year; by Matthew A. Killingsworth, Daniel Kahneman, and Barbara Mellers

Lawrence Yeo — writer, illustrator and author of “The Inner Compass” — joins the show to discuss the power of intuition in an uncertain world. We explore why embracing uncertainty leads to greater curiosity, how social conditioning pulls us away from our true north, why doing things for their own sake builds authentic conviction and how journaling the "whys" rather than the "whats" can transform your self-awareness. This conversation flowed so naturally we jumped right in without a formal introduction! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm, that's interesting!," check out our Substack. Important Links: Lawrence's Website Twitter The Inner Compass Show Notes: The Co-Creator Mentality Writing a Letter to Your Child The Root of All Suffering The Proximity of Envy The Inevitability of Social Conditioning How to Hone Your Intuition Escaping the Illusion of Certainty What Looks Like a Leap is Actually a Series of Small Steps Mistakes Are Portals of Discovery Can You Learn Self-Confidence? If Everyone Says Your Book is Great, Something is Wrong Journals > Diaries Lawrence as World Emperor Books & Articles Mentioned: The Inner Compass: Cultivating the Courage to Trust Yourself; by Lawrence Yeo Two Thoughts: a Timeless Collection of Infinite Wisdom; by Jim O’Shaughnessy and Vatsal Kaushik A Letter to my Newborn Daughter; by Lawrence Yeo Mistakes were Made. (And, Yes, by Me.); by Jim O’Shaughnessy Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing); by Lao Tzu Death; by Thomas Nagel

Hello everyone, Jim here. We're taking a brief two-week break from new episodes to spotlight a couple of golden oldies from the archive. Years later, these remain some of my favorite conversations. We’ll be back soon with fresh episodes, but in the meantime,  here's my September 2022 chat with the always interesting Will Storr.  _________________ Will Storr is an award winning journalist and author. His book ‘The Status Game’ transforms our understanding of human nature by demonstrating how our unconscious desire for status ultimately drives our behaviour. Important Links: Twitter: https://twitter.com/wstorr?s=21&t=ZdtIqP9eE3_a5qZocDjEXQ Website: https://willstorr.com The Science of Storytelling: https://www.thescienceofstorytelling.com Show Notes: Will’s origin story The strange case of David Irving The fundamental nature of status games The Stanford prison experiment and dominance games The status games played by cults Luxury beliefs Why we are all moral hypocrites The importance of being funny Social status and socioeconomic status Human OS and the education system How status seeking leads to the “very best of human nature” The murderous nature of reputation destruction The post WW1 humiliation of Germany Loaded magazine Finding the true reason behind seemingly crazy beliefs The value of religion Trading status Spreading humility Why we could be wrong about our closest beliefs Books Mentioned: The Unpersuadables: Adventures with the Enemies of Science; by Will Storr The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition into the Forces of History; by Howard Bloom The Genius of the Beast: A Radical Re-Vision of Capitalism; by Howard Bloom The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous; by Joseph Henrich The Science of Storytelling; by Will Storr Slaughterhouse-Five; by Kurt Vonnegut Selfie: How We Became so Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us; by Will Storr The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It; by Will Storr

Hello everyone, Jim here. We're taking a brief two-week break from new episodes to spotlight a couple of golden oldies from the Infinite Loops archive. Years later, these remain some of my favorite conversations. We’ll be back soon with fresh episodes, but in the meantime, enjoy this trip back to February 2024, when we welcomed the one and only Rupert Sheldrake. _________________ Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of 9 books and over 100 scientific papers. A critic of what he sees as the scientific establishment’s dogmatic dedication to materialism, he is perhaps best known for his theory of “morphic resonance,” via which information and activity can be transferred across space and time. Rupert joins the show to discuss being branded a heretic, how to test for telepathy, his advice for young scientists, and MUCH more! Important Links: Rupert’s Website Rupert’s Banned TED Talk The Science Delusion; by Rupert Sheldrake A New Science of Life; by Rupert Sheldrake Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home: And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals; by Rupert Sheldrake Is The Sun Conscious?; by Rupert Sheldrake (Journal of Consciousness Studies) Show Notes: The Apostate of Scientism The Origins of Scientism How to Achieve a Phase Change in the Sciences Testing for Telepathy & Incentivizing Intuition Structural Resistance to Panpsychism When Science Gets Personal Loosening the Grip of Determinism Advice for Young Scientists Rupert as Emperor of the World MORE! Books & Articles Mentioned: The Science Delusion; by Rupert Sheldrake New Science of Life; by Rupert Sheldrake Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home: And Other Unexplained Powers of Animals; by Rupert Sheldrake Is The Sun Conscious?; by Rupert Sheldrake The New Inquisition: Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science; by Robert Anton Wilson Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters; by Steven Pinker The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature; by Steven Pinker Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures; by Merlin Sheldrake The End of Faith; by Sam Harris The Fifth Science; by Exurb1a What the Tortoise Said to Achilles; by Lewis Carroll Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert M. Pirsig The (Mis)Behaviour of Markets: A Fractal View of Risk, Ruin and Reward; by Benoit B. Mandelbrot & Richard L. Hudson The Structure of Scientific Revolutions; by Thomas Kuhn

What if everything we think we know about raising children is not just wrong, but actively harmful? Aaron Stupple and Logan Chipkin, authors of "The Sovereign Child," join Infinite Loops to make a case so compelling and radical that it challenges the very foundation of modern parenting and education. From birth, we're told that children need rules, structure, and authority to thrive. But what if this approach is crushing their natural creativity, problem-solving abilities, and authentic self-development? Stupple and Chipkin argue that children are people—full stop. They have reasons, preferences, and the capacity to make decisions about their own lives, yet we systematically ignore this reality in favor of compliance and control. We dive deep into their concept of the "foul four"—the four devastating ways that imposing non-consensual rules damages children's relationships with themselves, their parents, problem-solving itself, and their understanding of how to navigate the world. From the arbitrary nature of bedtimes to the deeper psychological damage of forcing gratitude and politeness, this conversation will make you question every "because I said so" moment in your childhood and parenting. Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply someone interested in human flourishing, this episode offers a radically different lens through which to view childhood, autonomy, and what it means to raise great adults. Important Links: Conjecture Institute The Sovereign Child Book Aaron Stupple X Logan Chipkin X Logan Chipkin Substack Show Notes: Opening & The Radical Quote The Childhood Inversion Problem False Dichotomy: Control vs. Neglect AI Steel-manning the Opposition Edge Cases and Prohibition Parallels Podcast Host Reactions & Food Wars Evolutionary Food Arguments Raising Great Adults Scaling Challenges & Sleep Dilemmas Market Opportunities & Historical Context Why Alternative Schools Didn’t Scale The Foul Four Explained Game Rules vs. Imposed Rules Etiquette, Manners & Sibling Conflicts The Bully Problem & Popper’s Paradox Class and Economics Arguments Rules Built on Sand Falsification & Moral Philosophy Conformity, Culture & Progress Emotional Intelligence & Propaganda Self-Silencing & Social Dynamics The School Persona Revelation Emperor of the World Matilda & Closing Thoughts Books Mentioned: The Sovereign Child: How a Forgotten Philosophy Can Liberate Kids and Their Parents (Aaron Stupple with Logan Chipkin) Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Dr. Robert Cialdini) The Open Society and Its Enemies (Karl Popper) What the Tortoise Said to Achilles (Lewis Carroll) No Country for Old Men (Cormac McCarthy) One Summer: America 1927 (Bill Bryson) Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll) Matilda (Roald Dahl) Authors Mentioned: Jed McKenna Jonathan Haidt Edward Bernays Robert Solomon David Deutsch

Nadia Asparouhova, author of "Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading," joins me for a fascinating exploration of why some ideas go viral while others—often the most important ones—resist transmission entirely. We dive into antimemes, Curtis Yarvin's journey from being canceled to becoming mainstream, St. Paul as history's ultimate memetic engineer, and why "Don't Mess with Texas" became a masterpiece of viral messaging. Plus her current research on advanced meditation techniques, internet dynamics, and MUCH MORE! Important Links: Nadia's Twitter Nadia's LinkedIn Personal Website Nadia’s Substack: Monomythical Show Notes: Nadia’s fall into the Antimemetics Rabbithole Girardian Theory vs. Antimemetics The Story of Curtis Yarvin How Subcultures Form and Coalesce Engineering Supermemes Why Maxims are Compressed Memes The History of Antimemes Truth Tellers and Meme Spreading Gaining Immunity from Memetic Viruses Nadia’s Jhana Journey Nadia as Empress of the World Books Mentioned: Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading; by Nadia Asparouhova Virus of the Mind; by Richard Brodie There Is No Antimemetics Division; by qntm Steal This Book; by Abbie Hoffman Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose How to Change Your Mind; by Michael Pollan Thank You for Smoking; by Christopher Buckley Last Chance to See; by Douglas Adams

I’m joined today by two remarkable men I met through the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships and Grants program. Israel Balogun was homeless and illiterate until the age of 22. Now, he leads a Nigerian youth rehabilitation nonprofit for street kids and is building a self-sustaining village for 200 out-of-school children with the support of an OSV Fellowship. Miyoba Hamuhuma lost both parents by 12 and battled polio as a child. Now he runs Enlight Abilities, a Zambian organization advocating for inclusive education and economic dignity for children with disabilities and their families, backed by an OSV Grant. “Inspiring” is overused nowadays, but here, it barely does them justice. As well as digging into their stories, we explore how personal pain became public mission, how grassroots enablement beats top-down intervention, and why they believe rewriting destiny begins with changing who gets seen, who gets supported, and who gets to dream. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Israel Balogun's Akhin Foundation Israel Balogun's LinkedIn Miyoba Hamuhuma's Enlight Abilities Miyoba Hamuhuma's LinkedIn Show Notes: First Goodnight in 12 Years How OSV Helped to Build a Home for Street Kids The Street King – Reclaiming Agency The Dignity of Choice Microenterprise for the Mothers Rethinking the Street Kid Stigma Inclusion is Not a Luxury, It is a Necessity Trust over Control: We help the kids Lead We seek to enable and empower Emperors of the World $10 = 30 bricks = Home for a Street Child

Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, neuropsychiatrist and author of "The ESP Enigma," joins me for a mind-bending exploration of consciousness, savant abilities, and the limitations of materialist science. Trained at Johns Hopkins under a neurologist-turned-psychiatrist, Diane has spent decades investigating phenomena that challenge our fundamental assumptions about how the brain works. We dive deep into why the scientific establishment reacts so emotionally to consciousness research, her fascinating work with autistic savants, and why she believes the brain functions as a navigation tool for consciousness rather than its creator. This is one of those conversations that might just upgrade your entire worldview. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!,” check out our Substack. Important Links: Personal Website The Telepathy Tapes Twitter LinkedIn Show Notes: Dr. Powell’s Journey through Science Early Interest in Savants Filter Failure and Consciousness Why People Reject Obvious Data Why are Savants different from Neurotypical People? The Sheep Goat Effect in Parapsychology The Brain as a Navigational Tool Improving our own Intuition and Focus Dr. Diane’s work on Twins Speculations in Post-Materialism Dr. Diane as Empress of the World Books Mentioned: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat; by Oliver Sacks The ESP Enigma; by Diane Hennacy Powell What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell; by Erwin Schrödinger Mind Over Back Pain; by Dr. John Sarno

Todd Rose, co-founder and CEO of Populace and author of books including "Collective Illusions" and "The End of Average," joins the show to discuss the science behind collective illusions and their impact on society. We explore why so many Americans self-silence, the dangers of conformity, and how one person can spark change. Todd and I are simpatico on… pretty much everything! So this was a fun one. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!,” check out our Substack. Important Links: Website Twitter Collective Illusions The End of Average Show Notes: Are We Living in the Truman Show? The Danger of Self-Silencing How to Know What People REALLY Think Why We Are Suckers For Groupthink Social Media: Why Bots Are Everywhere Why Persuasion is the Wrong Strategy for Fighting Collective Illusions There is More Social Trust in America Than You Think How We Can Fight Collective Illusions The Human Need to Be Understood Steelmanning & the Popperian Solution The Role of Fiction The Dawn of a New Era? Todd as World Emperor Books Mentioned: Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose The End of Average; by Todd Rose The Power of the Powerless (essay); by Václav Havel Troubled; by Rob Henderson The Idea Factory; by Jon Gertner Theory of Moral Sentiments; by Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations; by Adam Smith White Mirror; by Tinkered Thinking The Guns of August; by Barbara Tuchman

Aerospace investor and York Space Systems chairman Chuck Beames joins me for a fascinating discussion on the commercial space revolution and the future of satellite security. A retired Air Force colonel with over 20 years experience as a space and intelligence officer, Chuck brings unparalleled expertise to our conversation about what many are calling "the second space race”. We explore how America can leverage her free-market strengths, why ‘zero trust’ protocols could revolutionize cybersecurity, the military origins of GPS, and why Space Force needs a streamlined procurement approach. I hope you enjoy this insightful conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Chuck's Twitter Chuck's Forbes Contributor Page The SmallSat Alliance Show Notes: The Second Space Race The Zero Trust Approach and ‘Secure By Design’ GPS as a Military Technology The Space Force is dealing with Multiple Complex Adaptive Systems New Paradigms in Satellite Design What VCs and Bankers Need to know about the Space Community Wargaming with AIs and Humans Laser Spoofing and Adversarial AIs Establishing Supply Chain Sovereignty Open Organizational Cultures Chuck’s Lessons from Woodworking The Job of an Executive Chairman Chuck as World Emperor

Strategy consultant turned writer Natasha Joukovsky joins me to discuss why bourgeois comfort is more conducive to writing than you think, why choice-plots make for better fiction, the eyerolling prevalence of manufactured nonchalance, our shared distaste for Atlantis Bahamas, and MUCH more! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Natasha’s Website Natasha’s Substack The Portrait of a Mirror Show Notes: “You can do everything, just not at the same time” It’s Recursion All the Way Down Pretending to Read vs Actually Reading Manufactured Nonchalance as a Status Signal Counter-Signalling, Fake-Famous & Jim’s Cursed Trip to Atlantis Bahamas On No-Choice Plots & Writing in Service of Beauty The Self-Deception of Status Hunting Why Bourgeois Comfort is More Conducive to Art Than You Think Natasha’s Next Book “We don’t do auctions” Natasha as World Empress Books Mentioned: The Portrait of a Mirror; by Natasha Joukovsky The novels of Jane Austen Status Anxiety; by Alain de Botton The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (poem); by T.S. Eliot Class: A Guide Through the American Status System; by Paul Fussell Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid; by Douglas R. Hofstadter Ulysses; by James Joyce Metamorphosis; by Franz Kafka Beloved; by Toni Morrison In Search of Lost Time (Remembrance of Things Past); by Marcel Proust Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose The Status Game; by Will Storr Anna Karenina; by Leo Tolstoy The Theory of the Leisure Class; by Thorstein Veblen A Little Life; by Hanya Yanagihara

I’ve said before that one of the best parts of hosting Infinite Loops is the chance to connect with people who consistently make me think differently — and few do that quite like Tiago Forte. Tiago Forte joins Infinite Loops for the first time, and within minutes we closed the door on his best-selling “Building A Second Brain” and were off to the races: from digitizing 50,000+ words of personal data to build an AI-powered life coach, to the emotional intelligence hiding inside envy, to the surprising lessons he learned walking through a tiny historical museum in Coconut Grove. We also dig into the messy magic of identity shifts, how fit dads triggered a personal transformation, and why letting go of productivity-as-performance might be the most productive thing you can do. Plus: the power of NotebookLM, building AI-native systems of self-awareness, and why the future will belong to those who embrace the one-way door. Unsurprisingly, this was a fun one. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Tiago Forte’s Website Tiago Forte on X Tiago Forte on LinkedIn Tiago Forte’s Annual Reviews Building A Second Brain Book The PARA Method Book I Replaced my $700/hour Coach with NotebookLM — Here’s What Happened (YouTube) What I Learned About the Future By Reading 100 Science Fiction Books Show Notes: Closing the Door on Second Brain The Power of the Annual Review Tiago's Family: Incredibly Vibrant, Visual, Auditory Incorporating AI Into Work & Life Joe Hudson: Mentorship and Emotional Intelligence Miami: The Most Introspective Place on Earth Irreversible Decisions Archival Material: Underrated Forcing Function The Future of Book Publishing The Hard Truth on Performance Reviews AI Skepticism & Building Moats AI-First Mentality for Early Adopters Learning From Sci-Fi Books Cumulative Cultural Evolution Tiago as Emperor of the World Books Mentioned: Building A Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential; by Tiago Forte The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life; by Tiago Forte How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain; by Lisa Feldman Barrett Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World; by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned; by Kenneth O. Stanley and Joel Lehman Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine; by Candace B. Pert What Works on Wall Street; by Jim O’Shaughnessy The Beginning of Infinity; by David Deutsch One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson White Mirror; by Tinkered Thinking The Forever War; by Joe Halderman