Jolty

Adam and Faith are back for a new episode of Jolty. This week’s guest is Don Burton, and education technology & innovation thought leader. Don started off in the business world working for Goldman Sachs as well as McKinsey & Company, before coming to the realization that career path wasn’t fully utilizing his passions and potential. This inspired Don to eventually branch out into the educational space, taking a look at how our public and private education systems are run, and how we could potentially evolve to become more efficient and achieve better results for future generations. The “drill and kill” method of education is from a bygone era, and it’s time to radically change how kids learn as they grow into healthy, educated, and productive adults. What are the choices when it comes to K-12 education for kids? What is a microschool like Elon Musk’s Ad Astra? How much money do we spend on education per child each year? Should homework be outright abolished? This is a fun one, and definitely one of our more Jolty episodes for 2024 thus far. We hope you enjoy it and learn more about the possibilities of our education system in the future.

This week on Jolty, Adam is riding solo as co host Faith is out on business. But this still promises to be a very jolty episode with guest Michael Matias. Michael is the CEO of Clarity, which is a relatively new company that is working to fight deepfakes for enterprises.  Deepfakes are a new threat in the digital realm which combines “deep learning” and artificial intelligence with personal identity. Whether it be a political deepfake, or a more personal scam call or banking identity theft, deepfakes are something society at large needs to contend with in an increasingly digital future.  What exactly is a deepfake and how can companies like Clarity detect them? What are the three types of “deepfakers” according to Michael? How will deepfakes affect digital avatars? What about biometrics? Adam and Micahel drill down “deep” into these questions and more on this episode of Jolty!

Adam and Faith are back for the second Jolty of 2024, and this is a great one with guest “Momo” Vuyisich, the Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer, and Head of Clinical Research at Viome Life Sciences. Viome is focused on microbiomes in your gut, making sure you are eating the proper nutrients for your individual needs.  It’s a fact that as advances in medical and pharmaceutical technology have expanded the human lifespan, we have also fallen short when it comes to nature immunity. The dirt and grime that we sterilize in our lives today used to be a huge factor in building our gut microbiome. Adam and Faith drill into this whole topic with Momo, covering topics from Covid to Ozempic. Are almonds actually healthy for everyone? How do we prevent things like Alzheimers or ALS? What about the brain microbiome? There’s a lot to discuss in this week's episode and we hope you enjoy it!

This week on Jolty, Adam and Faith are joined by the Senior Director at Ripp Media, Joshua Spivak, to talk about everything recall elections. Joshua has been running a recall elections blog going on thirteen years, and is a Senior Fellow at the Hugh L. Carey Center for Government Reform. Needless to say, he’s very passionate about this subject. In an age where people are frustrated with their political representatives, with a feeling of little to no progress, why aren’t there more recall elections? What does it take to actually recall an elected official? Why can’t recalls be done on the federal level? Faith and Adam ask these questions and more on the first Jolty of 2024!

Welcome to Jolty with Adam and Faith! In this episode, we dive into the world of mental health innovation with our guest, Alex Frenkel, who used his training in clinical psychology as the basis for Kai.ai. Kai is a conversational AI app that engages users in meaningful, therapeutically-validated chats where people reveal intimate emotions they might feel uncomfortable exploring in settings that aren’t anonymous. Alex discusses how technology that is trained on clinical learning can serve as a support system for anyone - especially young individuals navigating many of the well-documented emotional challenges brought about by social media.    Kai, developed three years ago, boasts over 100,000 users and addresses a myriad of issues, all while maintaining user anonymity. Its effectiveness has been validated in peer-reviewed papers.  Frenkel responded to the situation in Israel with a dedicated version of Kai, specially trained for the stresses of wartime. This geolocation-based response can be applied to any area that is experiencing high-levels of trauma, such as mass shootings.   Tune in to explore the future of mental health tech and the transformative potential of AI companionship with this week's Jolty!

Today, Faith and Adam are joined by Dr. Harold Koplewicz, one of the nation’s leading child and adolescent psychiatrists and President of the Child Mind Institute. In a timely conversation following the attacks on children and other civilians in Israel, Dr. Koplewicz shares his insights on how parents can communicate the reality of these brutal events with honesty and sensitivity. He explains how much is enough, how to be truthful without triggering anxiety, and some basic truths about anti-Semitism. As the child of two Holocaust survivors, Dr. Kolpewicz combines deep emotional resonance and decades of experience helping children and adolescents adjust to difficult news and experiences, in this don't-miss episode. And if you want to learn more about Dr. Harold’s work, check out his website at: http://www.childmind.org

Today, Faith and Adam are joined by Steven Hassan. In this episode, we discover the secrets of cults, the impact of AI, and the future of humanity. Steven, a cult expert and author, shares his personal experience within the Moonies cult, highlighting their manipulation and thought-stopping techniques. We’ll explore the psychology of cults, the "malignant narcissism" in powerful figures, and the unsettling parallels between Donald Trump and cult leaders. We also look into AI's role in paranoia and social media's addictive allure with apps like TikTok and its potential for mind control by the Chinese government.  We’re excited for you to hear this episode, we talk about so many different aspects of mind influence and coercion, and even futurist ideas like Elon Musk's Neuralink, and the controversial notion of trans-humanism. We hope you enjoy this episode of Jolty!

This week on Jolty we are joined by Lenny Ackerman, a lifelong lawyer and author. Lenny turned to writing after his wife's passing, starting with pen pals and growing into a great storyteller. His book, "Fishing The Morning," blends his love of fishing with personal experiences. Lenny also shares his father's journey from Ukraine to America, and an upbringing which shaped him into the person he is today. While better known for his tough love in the courtroom, Lenny has found tranquility in his love for fishing and writing. Join Adam and Faith for an episode filled with inspiring stories and meaningful insights into Lenny Ackerman's life, writing, and journey of self-discovery.

On this episode of Jolty, Adam and Faith are joined by Walter De Brouwer, a theoretician on artificial intelligence with an over 30 year career in the field. Walter has established several AI and deep tech companies, 4 of which even underwent public offerings. He’s here to walk us through AI and computer language models, black holes, further innovations in AI coming down the pike, and even the history of language itself. Is uploading consciousness even possible? How far are we from having actual AI lovers like in the movie “Her” with Joaqin Phoenix? Where and when did human language originate? Answers to these questions and much more on this week’s Jolty!

This week on Jolty, Adam and Faith explore integrative medicine and holistic wellness with Dr. Richard Firshein. Richard has seen more than 25,000 patients at the Firshein Center on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, treating conditions ranging from asthma and chronic fatigue to migraines, sciatica and Long Covid.   Dr. Firshein shares his family-inspired journey, treating chronic issues holistically through acupuncture and other therapies. Discover the blend of Eastern-Western practices, pros and cons of treatments like Ozempic, brain-unlocking through diet and ketamine, and insights into alcohol's effects on health.  This is a very insightful episode and we believe it will make a difference on your way to a transformative health journey! You can find out more about Dr. Firshein’s practice on his website: http://www.firsheincenter.com

On this week’s Jolty, Adam and Faith are joined by a very special guest, Juan Enriquez, who is an author, academic, and speaker. He has some pretty amazing insights into the polarization of Americans in 2023, and why our perceptions of right and wrong have changed over the history of human civilization.  How have the goal posts of morality changed over the years? Why was slavery accepted across the world for thousands of years? How are our ideas of sexuality changing and what will it look like 100 years from now? What about the effect of antidepressants and other drugs more and more people are relying on (including Adderall for ADHD)? Where does technology come in? We’ll drill down with Juan on all these questions and more on this episode of Jolty!

This week on Jolty we have a very special guest; the President of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten. The AFT is one of the largest organizations in the country with over 1.7 million members, 60% of which work directly in education, but also many of which work in other fields such as healthcare. One of Randi’s many missions is to make the middle class cool again, while also making public school a place that can bring people together of all different backgrounds, beliefs, and ethnicities, creating a better society for all. We also asked her about many of the hot button topics of today like: Why has public education become so politicized? What is the effectiveness of boycotts? What is the status of unions, and how will companies like Starbucks and Amazon be affected? Join Adam and Faith for this exquisite episode of Jolty!

Join us as we dive into the world of longevity with Sergey Young, author of "Science and Technology of Growing Young." In this episode, Young shares groundbreaking insights on extending human lifespan. Discover the latest research, cutting-edge technologies, and visionary perspectives that challenge our understanding of aging.  Explore the potential of rejuvenation biotechnology, regenerative medicine, and personalized medicine to reshape our lives. How will our diets change in a future where humans live to be 200? What about sex and reproduction? Adam and Faith can’t wait for you to hear this week’s episode of Jolty!

This week, we are joined by our good friend Dr. Jane Aronson, pediatrician and child psychiatrist, who specializes in adopted kids. Jane also ran the Worldwide Orphans foundations for over 20 years, and even helped Faith to adopt her two lovely children, gg, 24 and cc, 18.   We explore with Jane the failures of orphanages, the health issues with which adopted children struggle, child trafficking concerns, and how to make adoption more appealing to families across the country. What was it like helping Angelina Jolie to locate and adopt several of her children? We get the answers and more questions in this week's episode of Jolty!

This week, Adam and Faith are joined by longtime friend and colleague Emily Oberman, who is a Partner at the design studio Pentagram. Emily has a wealth of experience in the design and branding space, working on projects like Saturday Night Live, Ready Player One, and DC.  Why are logos and brands made the way they are? How will AI impact designers? What was it like rebranding the SNL intro after COVID? If Emily could redesign or rebrand one company who would it be? These are some of the questions we ask Emily in this very Jolty episode.

This week Adam and Faith are joined by one of the most Jolty guests yet, a fellow futurist Nita Farahany, who is the author of a new book called The Battle for Your Brain. It's quite the dystopian idea that future technology will open up the possibilities of reading and understanding what someone is thinking. But while it seems like something from a George Orwell novel, it could be here sooner than you think. That’s why Nita has made it her mission to bring awareness to this developing field so that society may have a chance to grapple with this possibility and put laws and limits in place before it gets out of hand. What is the idea of cognitive liberty? Could this be used to prevent crime? What happens to free will? Should people be judged by their thoughts rather than their actions? We ask Nita all of this and much more on this episode of Jolty.

As we grow older, the abundance of guidance, patterns, and exemplary figures that we once had access to in our youth, seem to dwindle. However, despite the fact that media and brands have struggled to grasp, promote, or address any demographic over the age of 40, AGEIST is a company committed to advocating for a fresh perspective on life beyond 50. On this week’s Jolty, Adam and Faith are joined by David Stewart, the founder of AGEIST, and he’s here to talk to us about all parts of the aging process. Whether that be changing work goals, living to be 120, or even nutrition tips, David has thought of it all. What is ‘biological age’ referring to? How can companies help to support aging employees without suppressing younger up and comers? What about the science behind extending your actual lifespan? We’ll cover these questions and much more on Jolty!

This week’s Jolty episode is all about the future of human resources. As life expectancy increases, future generations will be required to work longer, into their seventies and even eighties. But it seems like companies today are looking to hire people over 50 less and less. How will we bridge this divide? That’s where NxtWaves comes in. Adam and Faith are joined by the founder, Michele Evans, who has worked for 20+ years in HR for some pretty big businesses including Microsoft and Meta. She has a vision of helping accomplished professionals in the second half of their careers to find the next phase of fulfilling work. How will the introduction of AI affect workers? What’s the future of remote vs. in office work? Can you have fun at work in a virtual environment? Why are so many tech companies laying off employees in the thousands over email? Michele has valuable insights into these critical questions and much more on this week’s Jolty!

Adam and Faith are delighted to be joined by Louis Rosenberg, PhD, and David Baltaxe, who are the CEO and President respectively of Unanimous AI. Unanimous AI amplifies the intelligence of networked human groups through their Swarm AI technology. This technology seems to be especially directed at businesses with multiple shareholders trying to all pull in different directions, with the idea that a ‘swarm’ can get to the solution more effectively. Louis and David often refer to their technology in the biological sense with schools of fish or swarms of bees, but the technology is far from rudimentary. Unlike most AI companies, Unanimous AI is not looking to replace humans, but instead looking to connect people leveraging AI. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

This week Adam and Faith are about to get ‘Jolted’ by Alayar Kangarlu, an associate professor of neurobiology who has also been working in the field of MRI research and development since the 90s. More recently, Alayar has been focused on a therapeutic procedure called PrTMS which uses an fMRI scan to locate areas of the brain that are not working correctly and sends signals to help ‘jolt’ the brain back into working order. Faith and Adam pepper Alayar with questions like: Can this treatment change your personality? What is happiness? Is this just for patients on the spectrum (like autism) or can someone who is depressed utilize the treatment? How close are we to mainstreaming this type of therapy? Find out the answers on this week’s Jolty! Interested in finding more about neurotherapy? Visit Dr. Kangarlu’s website: https://neurotherapeutixnyc.com/