Noah Smith: “It is what it is, and if necessary we’ll shoot it”

Alexander Mikaberidze, author of The Napoleonic Wars

* How did Georgia, with its unique language, survive sandwiched among empires? * Georgian histography and the origins of the Georgian language * How has the perception of Napoleon change over time * Is history fake? * Did Napoleon only eat one meal at the academy so that he could afford to buy himself books? * Napoleon, Jørgen Jørgensen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B8rgen_J%C3%B8rgensen], Mehmet Ali (Albanian founder of modern Egypt): the charisma and power of the outsider * Mamluks and the prominent roles of Georgians, their continued involvement with Georgia and how their nepotistic preference for Georgian slaves generated demand for Georgian captives * Georgian cuisine * What is most striking thing about living in Louisiana? * The role of Great Men in history

SolChicks and the leap from Finance to Crypto-Gaming

Lewis Grafton left private equity to cofound and raise US$55m for a pre-launch crypto-native game (SolChicks) I have profound admiration for anyone who takes the leap to start something new, and I was excited to talk to Lewis to see how he did it. Cherry on top: he’s expecting his second baby with his wife shortly. We speak about: * What is SolChicks * What’s special about gaming on the blockchain * How do you back yourself as finance guys to build a winning game experience * Working remotely from Australia and the global team * Day-to-day work in the early days * What SolChicks is doing differently, including innovations in fundraising * Going from zero to one * Taking the leap to a new career * Why gaming is a such a powerful sector and systemically underrated * Is Play-to-Earn dystopian? * 0 to 1 to 2 to 3 kids

God, rascality, and the search for meaning with Antonio García Martínez

We cover a lot: * the immigrant impulse * rascality as a temperament * fatherhood * Judaism * unchosen obligations as the nexus to a meaningful life * the intellectual life as respite to depression * + more

Genetics and the History of the Jews, with Razib Khan

The history of the Jews, including Ashkenazim, Sephardim and smaller communities like Greek, Yemenite, Moroccan, and Chinese Jews, and how their experiences diverged around the world. Plus, the miracle of modern genomics. “I’m imagining a future where genomics gives us a window onto the biochemical metabolic processes that are going on. We shall be as gods. We are biting of the apple” “The first human genome was $3bn. In 2010 the human genome was $20,000, and now it’s $200.”

Noah Smith: “It is what it is, and if necessary we’ll shoot it”

Noah as a Lithuanian yeshiva student American growth and decline Critical Race Theory How the left dominates academia and has cut off the right’s head 2020 riots and how we know anything Noah's conversion out of Judaism and into 90s gamer culture Cultural preservation, including Judaism Christian revivalism The misguided fixations of the right and the left The fertility crisis Noah’s cultural composition: Jewish, Texan and Japanese What Noah invests in + Much more