The Maximum Project

Is life deterministic, or does free will exist? A belief in the latter may better serve us, but this question is no longer philosophical. AI is a human creation capable of eradicating free will in insidious ways for aims, from creating echo chambers through seductive 'personalisation' to winning elections and ambient wallet theft. It doesn't need to be that way.  Irrespective of our view, AI affects how we live, work, and interact with the world. What are the consequences of this development? What is AI? Why does it matter? And what can we do about it? What do I know? Not much.  That's why experts exist. With a background in the social sciences, and a firm conviction about living well, Johannes Castner has many radical ideas.  Good business can be good, and people can have agency while focusing on collective well-being. There are lifelines besides advertising in a saturated media market. And many more. Crazy.  Johannes is a data scientist, engineer and AI practitioner with expertise in modern (scalable) deep learning, data pipelines, knowledge graphs and reasoning systems. He has a broad background in Anthropology, Economics and Computational Social Science, which he is keen to apply to societally relevant problems. Johannes wants companies to use ethical AI ethically for moral and profitable outcomes. In his view, you can be a good citizen and build wealth. You'll want to hear his take. Episode Credits: Artwork Design - Tanmayi Reddy Mixing - Micah Bedford Links: Johannes’s Links: Website: https://www.johannescastner.com/ [http://lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johannes-castner-80727496/ [https://www.facebook.com/les.edgerton] TMP Links: TMP Website: https://www.themaximumproject.com/ [https://www.themaximumproject.com/] TMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject [https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject] TMP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject [https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject] TMP Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject [https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject]

Les Edgerton is a writer. He is also a writing mentor, published author, trauma survivor, father, husband, and human being with a rich and complex past. As someone capable of preventing and inflicting harm with equal intensity, Les has spent time in the navy as a cryptographer and in prison for burglary. As a bystander, perpetrator, victim, and astute observer, he has dealt with the evil side of the human condition and lived to tell the story. For more about Les, I recommend reading his memoir - Adrenaline Junkie. This episode, however, is about the genuine spirit and gift that runs through this writer. Because that’s what Les is. I am nervous, curious, excited, and moved by the idea of this conversation. I don’t know what will come up. I’m no expert reader or writer either. But it’s going to be a ride. And I’d love for you to buckle in. Enjoy this conversation with the marvellous enigma that is Les Edgerton. Let’s go. Episode Credits: Artwork Photo: Mary Ann Peters Artwork Design: Tanmayi Reddy Mixing: Micah Bedford Links: Mentioned on the show: Les’s Interviews with Richard Godwin at The Slaughterhouse: https://www.richardgodwin.net/author-interviews-promotional-specific/quick-fire-at-the-slaughterhouse-interview-with-les-edgerton-2 [https://www.richardgodwin.net/author-interviews-promotional-specific/quick-fire-at-the-slaughterhouse-interview-with-les-edgerton-2] https://www.richardgodwin.net/author-interviews-extensive/chin-wag-at-the-slaughterhouse-interview-with-les-edgerton [https://www.richardgodwin.net/author-interviews-extensive/chin-wag-at-the-slaughterhouse-interview-with-les-edgerton] Les’s Links: Blog: http://lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/ [http://lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/les.edgerton [https://www.facebook.com/les.edgerton] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/les.edgerton [https://www.facebook.com/les.edgerton] Email: butchedgerton@comcast.net [butchedgerton@comcast.net] TMP Links: TMP Website: https://www.themaximumproject.com/ [https://www.themaximumproject.com/] TMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject [https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject] TMP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject [https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject] TMP Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject [https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject]

Tushar Bajaj used to be my boss. He is also someone I’ve always enjoyed speaking with. Tushar is an executive leader at MSL, an integrated communications firm part of the Publicis Groupe. Not originally from a communication background, he dipped his toes in a bunch of ventures before landing in the field that has been home for the last decade. I’m yet to find a topic he can’t talk about and a room that won’t listen to him in rapt attention. Yes, he’s smart and has a fantastic voice (you’re in for a right treat on this episode) but, most importantly, he’s aggressively kind. Maintaining your composure is no mean feat, especially in the sometimes bizarre situations we inhabit, but Tushar has it down to an art form. In this chat, Tushar tells us about his approach to life, communication, balance, and composure. Tushar’s Links: LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/tushar-bajaj-b90612b [https://in.linkedin.com/in/tushar-bajaj-b90612b] Twitter: @bajajtushar [https://twitter.com/bajajtushar] TMP Links: TMP Website: https://www.themaximumproject.com/ [https://www.themaximumproject.com/] TMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject [https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject] TMP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject [https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject] TMP Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject [https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject] TMP Stripe: https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ [https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ]

You’ve thought about getting fit, haven’t you? And you’ve slipped in the quest a few times, too, eh? It’s a massive concern but might just need a few tweaks to fix. The first tweak? Your mindset. I heard of Dan (or ‘Coach’ as I’ve been calling him on intuition) through Dinesh, my trainer, who I’ve mentioned a few times now. Dan John is a weightlifting and strength coach. He is also an All-American discus thrower, academic, and author. If that’s not enough, Dan holds the American record for the weight pentathlon, which combines five events - hammer throw, shot put, discus throw, and javelin throw (the four Olympic throwing events) and the weight throw. You can read all about Dan on his website and anywhere else on the internet, so let me tell you what I think about him instead. Like with a lot of exceptional achievers, Dan’s magic comprises simplicity, consistency, and specificity. Thinker and thrower of equal force, Dan’s voracious reading habit has clearly moulded his mind into a knowledge distilling machine. His capacity to deliver dense insights in efficient sentences caught me off guard as I grappled with the jumping-off points for every answer, but we got in the groove pretty soon. Listen to this episode for immediately useful insights about behaviour, habit, and attitude. I’d write a conclusion to this bio, but Coach just does it better, as the following suffix to most of his Instagram posts will reveal: “Make a Difference. Live. Love. Laugh. Balance work, rest, play and pray (enjoy beauty and solitude) Sleep soundly. Drink Water. Eat veggies and protein. Walk. Wear your seat belt. Don’t smoke. Floss your teeth. Put weights overhead. Pick weights off the floor. Carry weights. Reread great books. Say thank you.” Dan’s Links: Dan’s Website: https://danjohn.net/ [https://danjohn.net/]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachdanjohn/ [https://www.instagram.com/coachdanjohn/] Dan John University: https://www.instagram.com/coachdanjohn/ [https://www.instagram.com/coachdanjohn/] Links: TMP Website: https://www.themaximumproject.com/ [https://www.themaximumproject.com/] TMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject [https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject] TMP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject [https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject] TMP Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject [https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject] TMP Stripe: https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ [https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ]

Teachers are often formative influences in our development. But, unfortunately, they are also subject to more flak than is often due. So when I thought it would be fascinating to hear their side of the story, only one name came to mind.  Padmakumar MM heads the Media Studies department at CHRIST University, one of India’s leading private universities. An educator for 16 years, he has an astute sense of the benefits of the education system and its limitations. In his academic career, Padmakumar has led the revision of CHRIST’s media studies curriculum and introduced several programmes to meet present-day challenges. He has experimented with learner-centred and learning-centred pedagogy in many of his courses. For example, to raise the ecological consciousness of his students, he has taken them on study tours to different parts of the Western Ghats. We met nearly seven years ago when his efforts to give students access to industry professionals saw me run workshops and even teach complete courses at Christ. Right from the outset, his commitment and gritty idealism stood out to me instantly. We have since built a respectful and trusting relationship with a mutual love for curiosity and critical thinking. As someone who gave me my start in teaching, offering me the confidence to go with my intent, Padmakumar is a crucial figure in my development as a person. In my work with students at Christ, I realised he played this role for several others in various capacities. His openness to being on the podcast, fully knowing my style of questioning and appetite for the uncomfortable, is a testament to his quest for personal growth and adventure.  This conversation ranks among my favourites, on this podcast and outside of it, and I believe you will enjoy it just as much as I did. PK’s Twitter: @perhapspk [https://mobile.twitter.com/perhapspk] Links: TMP Website: https://www.themaximumproject.com/ [https://www.themaximumproject.com/] TMP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject [https://www.instagram.com/themaximumproject] TMP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject [https://www.patreon.com/themaximumproject] TMP Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject [https://ko-fi.com/themaximumproject] TMP Stripe: https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ [https://buy.stripe.com/4gwcPR3c4cnb2icdQQ]