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Podcast Episode 011 – Marshall Thompson

My guest on this episode is Marshall Thompson, a friend, former co-worker from my Cognitect [https://cognitect.com] days, and fellow maker and learner. He is currently employed by the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy [https://www.parkerici.org/], where, as the name implies, he pursues no less lofty a goal than curing cancer. This being Get Smarter and Make Stuff, we did not limit ourselves to talk of curing cancer, but bounced around to woodworking with our kids, Tool Night with friends, and the purpose and perils of academic research and publishing, among other things. As I note at the beginning of the episode, we recorded at a party where there was rather a lot of background noise, and to top that off my microphone was acting up. So if you’re particularly sensitive to that kind of thing, you might want to skip this one. I promise I’ll do better next time. That said, you’d miss out on a really interesting conversation with a fascinating guest, so maybe don’t skip it after all. 🙂 [https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/mu-plugins/wpcom-smileys/twemoji/2/72x72/1f642.png] Listen to the podcast on this page or download it here [https://content.getsmarterandmakestuff.com/podcast/getsmarterandmakestuff-011-marshall-thompson.mp3]. Subscribe on iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-smarter-and-make-stuff-podcast/id1562504651], Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZXRzbWFydGVyYW5kbWFrZXN0dWZmLmNvbS9jYXRlZ29yeS9wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQv], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4IIuflKijxibJXcix6mCuy], Stitcher [https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/get-smarter-and-make-stuff-podcast], or via RSS [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/category/podcast/feed/]. LINKS AND NOTES * Marshall is @GlassOnion9 [https://twitter.com/glassonion9] on Twitter. * He works at the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy [https://www.parkerici.org/]. * I mentioned the Electronic Leadscrew Project [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/2021/07/29/video-electronic-leadscrew-complete/]. * I mentioned the episode with Rob Stenzinger [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/2021/04/14/podcast-episode-001-rob-stenzinger/]. [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cabinethinge.jpeg?w=1024] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cheeseboard.jpg?w=921] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-2.png?w=768] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image.png?w=1024] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/recipebox.jpg?w=498] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/recipebox2.jpg?w=498] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/votiveholder.jpg?w=962] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/wallshelves.jpg?w=1024] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/workbench.jpeg?w=1024] Some of the things Marshall has made, including some with his daughter. [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image-1.png?w=1024]A desk Marshall’s friend Jeff made for his daughter’s second grade classroom.

Podcast Episode 010 – James Avery

It was my great pleasure to sit down (virtually) with James Avery [https://twitter.com/averyj] and talk about learning and making. And specifically about the huge project we both spend the majority of our time working on together: growing Kevel [https://kevel.co] (formerly Adzerk), the company we both work for. James is more than just an employee, though: he is the founder, and had a host of interesting things to say about the things he has learned and his approach to leadership. I have always been impressed with him, and after our conversation that is only more true. I hope you will enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed having it! Listen to the podcast on this page or download it here [https://content.getsmarterandmakestuff.com/podcast/getsmarterandmakestuff-010-james-avery.mp3]. Subscribe on iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-smarter-and-make-stuff-podcast/id1562504651], Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZXRzbWFydGVyYW5kbWFrZXN0dWZmLmNvbS9jYXRlZ29yeS9wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQv], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4IIuflKijxibJXcix6mCuy], Stitcher [https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/get-smarter-and-make-stuff-podcast], or via RSS [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/category/podcast/feed/]. This episode is also available on YouTube. View it there for a transcript and subtitles. LINKS AND NOTES * Our guest, James Avery [https://twitter.com/averyj] * Dunbar’s Number [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar's_number], which I incorrectly described as a set of numbers. [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/img_3065.jpeg?w=768] [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/img_0055.jpeg?w=1024] Some pictures of the deck James built.

Podcast Episode 009 – Carin Meier

It was my great pleasure to sit down with Carin Meier and have a conversation that – as usual – ranged across a wide variety of interesting topics. We talked a lot about Carin’s current professional interest in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, but we also took a swing through gardening along the way. I always have fun talking to Carin, and this time was no exception. I think you’ll enjoy it too! Oh, and her advice is excellent – be sure to check that out at the end of the episode. Listen to the podcast on this page or download it here [https://content.getsmarterandmakestuff.com/podcast/getsmarterandmakestuff-009-carin-meier.mp3]. Subscribe on iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-smarter-and-make-stuff-podcast/id1562504651], Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZXRzbWFydGVyYW5kbWFrZXN0dWZmLmNvbS9jYXRlZ29yeS9wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQv], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4IIuflKijxibJXcix6mCuy], or via RSS [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/category/podcast/feed/]. This episode is also available on YouTube. View it there for a transcript and subtitles. LINKS AND NOTES * The Cognicast, the podcast I started and which Carin also hosted * The first episode where I interviewed her [https://www.cognitect.com/cognicast/049-carin-meier] * The second one [https://www.cognitect.com/cognicast/088] * “Our Shared Joy of Programmig” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_zW63dcZB0], the Strange Loop [https://thestrangeloop.com] talk Carin gave wherein she had robots dance on stage, and for which I gave her a disco ball * Bergisons G Seat [https://bergisons.simpit.info/motion-integrated-g-seat], a motorized chair that gives a sensation of motion for flight simulation * This video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Db9usi3DU] is a good overview if you prefer that format. * Carin works at Reify Health [https://www.reifyhealth.com/], who are hiring [https://www.reifyhealth.com/careers]! * Terraform [https://learn.hashicorp.com/terraform], a cloud ops tool * GitHub Copilot [https://copilot.github.com/], which uses AI techniques to write code * OpenAI [https://openai.com/], an AI research and deployment company. * GPT3 [https://openai.com/blog/gpt-3-apps/], one of their projects, an autoregressive language model that uses deep learning to produce human-like text. * Derivative works [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_work] in software * Vector Symbolic Architectures [https://www.hd-computing.com/] (VSAs) aka Hyperdimensional Computing * Carin recommends this paper [http://rctn.org/vs265/kanerva09-hyperdimensional.pdf] if you are interested in the topic * Prolog [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolog] * Possumus Ergo Faciemus [https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=possumus%20ergo%20faciemus%20&op=translate] – “We Can, Therefore We Do”. My family’s somewhat tongue-in-check motto.

Podcast Episode 008 – Peter Bettenberg

New show! This time, I talk with Peter Bettenberg, a longtime friend of mine. Peter is an amateur blacksmith, and one of the board members of the Minnesota Guild of Metalsmiths [https://www.metalsmith.org]. We talked about his journey to blacksmithing and how that connects him to his grandfather (a member of the Dutch Resistance during World War II), how a Halloween costume idea turned into a quest to make an object capable of being hit with an axe by an angry Viking, and a quote from The Edge [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119051/characters/nm0000164]. Listen to the podcast on this page or download it here [https://content.getsmarterandmakestuff.com/podcast/getsmarterandmakestuff-008-peter-bettenberg.mp3]. Subscribe on iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-smarter-and-make-stuff-podcast/id1562504651], Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZXRzbWFydGVyYW5kbWFrZXN0dWZmLmNvbS9jYXRlZ29yeS9wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQv], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4IIuflKijxibJXcix6mCuy], or via RSS [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/category/podcast/feed/]. This episode is also available on YouTube. View it there for a transcript and subtitles. LINKS AND NOTES * The Guild of Metalsmiths [https://www.metalsmith.org/] * Metalsmith Magazine [https://www.metalsmith.org/publications/the-metalsmith/] of which Peter is the editor * Arms and Armor [https://www.arms-n-armor.com/] in Minneapolis * Ira Glass’s talk [https://vimeo.com/85040589] about how your taste outruns your ability * What one man can do, another can do [https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2017/10/18/one-man-can-another-can/] * Forged in Fire [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forged_in_Fire_(TV_series)] * The Artist-Blacksmith Association of North America (ABANA) [https://abana.org/] * The Endlands Pilot [https://vimeo.com/413785001?fbclid=IwAR1AF_bw7fKWkONxzlnFBA8Q5w_Mipjo7gxUhnn1f_1Qf5iiv63x2R1skTk], an indie sci-fi film project in which Peter and his Viking getup make an appearance * The Sutton Hoo ship burial site [https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/death-and-memory/anglo-saxon-ship-burial-sutton-hoo] * My lathe electronic leadscrew build [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZZNzErFZ4AmOr67r81afrD7DHfnJMD8V] * Keyway broach [https://amzn.to/3AyFEnh] * MIT’s motto “Mens et Manus” [https://mitadmissions.org/help/faq/motto-mens-et-manus/] * Bruce Dickenson [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Dickinson] * “Feel the fear and do it anyway” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as_0aI3aOT4] * A Craftsman’s Legacy [https://craftsmanslegacy.com/] PICTURES [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/grim-warrior-1.jpg?w=960]Peter in full regalia * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/rawhide-on-shield3.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/rawhide-on-shield2.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/rawhide-on-shield.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/raven-shield.jpg?w=1024] Pictures of Peter’s shield and its construction [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/leg-vice.jpg?w=768]A Blacksmith’s Leg Vise [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrZcfdehS6Y] Image [https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E5eHSpeWYAQiaK4?format=jpg&name=large]The shave pony I built with my younger daughter.

Podcast Episode 007 – Clint Andera

Crass nepotism?! Why yes! Luckily, while my guest on this show is one of my brothers, he’s also a fascinating maker and learner. We talked about woodworking, music, curling, teaching as a learning technique, and a bunch of other stuff. I’m really glad I had him on. I think you’ll enjoy our conversation as well. Oh, and I’m told we sound a lot alike. By both my wife and our mother, so it’s on good authority. If you find our voices confusingly similar, I suggest using headphones. I’ve edited the audio so we have some stereo separation between us. Listen to the podcast on this page or download it here [https://content.getsmarterandmakestuff.com/podcast/getsmarterandmakestuff-007-clint-andera.mp3]. Subscribe on iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-smarter-and-make-stuff-podcast/id1562504651], Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9nZXRzbWFydGVyYW5kbWFrZXN0dWZmLmNvbS9jYXRlZ29yeS9wb2RjYXN0L2ZlZWQv], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4IIuflKijxibJXcix6mCuy], or via RSS [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/category/podcast/feed/]. This episode is also available on YouTube. View it there for a transcript and subtitles. LINKS AND NOTES * NPR’s Science Friday [https://www.sciencefriday.com/] * MDF – Medium Density Fibreboard [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard] * Woodworking jigs [https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/what-is-a-woodworking-jig/9ba683603be9fa5395fab901ae9d659c] * Flexner on Finishing [https://amzn.to/3kqPi6r] – one of the definitive works on finishing in woodworking * Curling [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curling] * setlisthelper.com [https://setlisthelper.com] – the app Clint mentioned that he uses to help with set lists and lyrics PICTURES AND VIDEOS [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/brothers.jpg?w=980]A family resemblance? You judge. Craig left, Clint right. * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210221_220747622.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210223_024745622.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210223_234307948.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210223_234331825.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210223_234726311.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210223_234956824.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210223_235037543.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210224_042941868.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210224_043058586.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210224_043326456.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210224_044036451.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210403_164103268.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210403_164110651.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210424_161219086.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210424_161315009.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210424_161335461.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210424_161548413.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210424_165443461.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210424_165504844.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210424_165611449.jpg?w=768] Building the mixer stand * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210320_164216211.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210320_164127153.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210320_164021149.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210320_163457036.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210320_163441502.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210316_210511591.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210316_210444873.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210316_210333819.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210316_205846608.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210316_205811718.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210314_220027111.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pxl_20210314_210705640.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/img_20200718_181907.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/img_20200706_202208_01.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/img_20200706_202124_01.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/img_20200706_200015.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/img_20200705_161907.jpg?w=768] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/img_20200703_141007_01.jpg?w=1024] Various pictures of the box drum, or Cajon, that Clint built The Cajon in action, with the snare active The Cajon again, this time without snare * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/frogtown.jpg?w=1024] * [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/frogtown2.jpg?w=1024] Frogtown Curling Club [https://getsmarterandmakestuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/pebbled-ice2.jpg?w=1024]A curling stone on pebbled ice Clint, curling