Alastair Benn - Human Power of Editing, and a Hope for Literacy - With Englesberg Ideas's Alastair Benn

Dean Ball - Living Through a New Industrial Revolution.

This week on The Hope Axis, Dean Ball joined me for a conversation that took a real intersection in the space-time continuum to finally make happen. Dean — a senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, author of the Substack Hyperdimensional, and an influential policy voice in Washington — and I sat down to talk about his groundbreaking AI policy work including his recent four months at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he served as the principal staff drafter for America's AI Action Plan. We went into Dean's journey in politics, his writing, why Beethoven matters for technologists, and much more. Hope you enjoy! For the full transcript of our conversation, click here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m6PwzgJI5p2zYbNYwypFnz6F5WPEaL0E/view?usp=sharing [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m6PwzgJI5p2zYbNYwypFnz6F5WPEaL0E/view?usp=sharing] Important Links:  X (Twitter) – https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVVrdW15djhHZ2lFNU5NcEpQMVBxYm5URHpIQXxBQ3Jtc0tuOEpEN3FTZ0FFT3lONXR2QllWNjNfLU1GVEp4OXplT053bWlOWHp2NjdSRHUwRDBhUEFzMlZsZ2xJMFJHRnNGSXo5OHFfOXBVa2dMTC1haHVPUzAtRnJyOFhRZWpKcWV4M2JITERyRmd6aUJhTU1USQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FDylanoA4%3Flang%3Den&v=lhJ0EOvK6Fghttps://x.com/deanwball?lang=en [https://x.com/deanwball?lang=en]  Substack - https://www.hyperdimensional.co/ [https://www.hyperdimensional.co/]  LinkedIn – https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXVQYkpYSU45Mm40RHZGNjhWU0hEOWU1cjFBUXxBQ3Jtc0ttVmpvOGM4SDBFR0xSYmlsdTd6Tm9HWU5KX09ETjJiNTd6R2dILWpiSFJsYVA2SzVaWk5TUnZ5LTYzSU9QdFRfSENTbGVtM2xnV3M5TWVoY2ZmdDBac1Rpd3JrTkt5S2lNN0pxT2xvQXRVZTR4ZU43Zw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdylanoa4%2F&v=lhJ0EOvK6Fglinkedin.com/in/dean-ball-66823728 [http://linkedin.com/in/dean-ball-66823728]  The Foundation for American Innovation - https://www.thefai.org/profile/dean-ball [https://www.thefai.org/profile/dean-ball] The Federalist Society - https://fedsoc.org/bio/dean-ball-2 [https://fedsoc.org/bio/dean-ball-2] Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction (01:54) Dean Ball's family history (05:33) New wave of politicians (11:52) Explaining AI public debate to an alien (17:19) The difference between American and European thought about AI? (21:50) Technological chase and it's ties (24:52) Is it still possible for the past to guide us through the present revolutions? (29:51) The warmth of untidiness and conservative disposition (36:42) Why don't Europeans understand AGI? (47:23) The Encyclical (50:32) What did it cost to publicly criticize the Anthropic–Department of War fiasco? (58:59) The Hope Axis question - Beethoven and the metaphor of technology. (01:01:55) Final comments Books, Essays & References Mentioned:  * Michael Oakeshott — On Being Conservative  * Joel Mokyr — The Great Divergence  * Luis and Pieter Garicano — Silicon Continent  * Pope Leo XIII — Rerum Novarum  * Ludwig van Beethoven — Hammerklavier  * Claude Shannon — Information Theory  * Alan Turing — Signal Processing  * Marc Andreessen — Technoculture and AI  * Frantz Fanon — Post-colonial theory  * Alexis de Tocqueville — American democracy and society.

Hollis Robbins - Hope for AI in Education and Beyond

This week on The Hope Axis, Hollis Robbins joins me to talk about her dense career and what it actually means to build a life dedicated to the humanities today. Hollis, a dear friend of Interintellect and one of the first hosts, stepped back from her role as Dean of Humanities at the University of Utah in 2024 to focus on writing three upcoming books, including one with the incredible title, “Do Not Go to College Unless.” We get into her journey, and finding room for hope and leisure in the middle of it all. Hope you enjoy! For the full transcript of our conversation, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QrykHXAFjyGdh6OlLQ1WD7yo06rIBf8J/view?usp=drive_link [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QrykHXAFjyGdh6OlLQ1WD7yo06rIBf8J/view?usp=drive_link] Important Links: X (Twitter) – https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVVrdW15djhHZ2lFNU5NcEpQMVBxYm5URHpIQXxBQ3Jtc0tuOEpEN3FTZ0FFT3lONXR2QllWNjNfLU1GVEp4OXplT053bWlOWHp2NjdSRHUwRDBhUEFzMlZsZ2xJMFJHRnNGSXo5OHFfOXBVa2dMTC1haHVPUzAtRnJyOFhRZWpKcWV4M2JITERyRmd6aUJhTU1USQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FDylanoA4%3Flang%3Den&v=lhJ0EOvK6Fghttps://x.com/anecdotal?lang=en [https://x.com/anecdotal?lang=en] Substack - https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbm8tN0ZFYTFQT1ljMUE5VzgzSHBtaThVWm1BUXxBQ3Jtc0ttZjJsS1IwSUthRkpvaHd2enBkNUQ0UGo3VGUyVEVzdWY0R1Y5YjJxeUZ6cTl1amhMV21vOEhGR0ZZXzNsVm1uVWNxeVhxd2dlRTV6WXFTbWszbDZJdmtFRXBDeXJTbFEtNmxaX2tRSVc0eTBVM1NZOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2F%40essayful&v=lhJ0EOvK6Fghttps://substack.com/@hollisrobbins [https://substack.com/@hollisrobbins]LinkedIn – https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbXVQYkpYSU45Mm40RHZGNjhWU0hEOWU1cjFBUXxBQ3Jtc0ttVmpvOGM4SDBFR0xSYmlsdTd6Tm9HWU5KX09ETjJiNTd6R2dILWpiSFJsYVA2SzVaWk5TUnZ5LTYzSU9QdFRfSENTbGVtM2xnV3M5TWVoY2ZmdDBac1Rpd3JrTkt5S2lNN0pxT2xvQXRVZTR4ZU43Zw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fdylanoa4%2F&v=lhJ0EOvK6Fghttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hollisrobbins [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollisrobbins] Google Scholars - https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1lqeDhEWTdZRFlKNzZvX3RjUlFIRHpwY185UXxBQ3Jtc0trSHVFT3Y3czVldGtNZEJuYWtnUXRTSFFsaE9jVmxZQU9sbWEyMDJGYkZlajd3NjYyRUoxZ05JbDlNY0JYRVJ0VkVoekVqcG1kNjhndExIeVhDdUtyeF9JNDFuMG1WUW01N2NYOXFPV1FRSHczeVA3UQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fspectator.com%2Fwriter%2Fdylan-osullivan%2F&v=lhJ0EOvK6Fghttps://scholar.google.com/citations?user=d2MNMeMAAAAJ&hl=en [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=d2MNMeMAAAAJ&hl=en] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/_anecdotal/ [https://www.instagram.com/_anecdotal/] Show Notes: (00:00) Introduction (02:12)  College, dropping out, intellectual ideals and AI (07:22)  The state of universities and colleges in the time of information abundance (15:01)  Intellect and technology (29:00)  Anti-AI and pro-intellectual discourse is missing the point (33:39) America's higher (mid) education doesn't compete with AI (42:45)  Reinventing tutoring (48:04)  How is Hollis Robbins surviving in the humanities? (53:59)  The process of ""dumbing down"" of the American University (01:04:03)  If a specialist won't be teaching you at the university - don't go there. (01:07:24) Intellectual labour in scale economy. (01:10:02)  Final thoughts

Dylan O'Sullivan - The Classics Are Never Getting Old

This week on The Hope Axis, Dylan O’Sullivan joins to talk about the classics and their second life online. We get into reading in the age of TikTok and AI, and whether people today can still take on long, difficult books, along with the experience of going back to books and seeing them differently over time. Hope you enjoy. For the full transcript of our conversation, click here:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fGdRmgt7ZO6MKGzd6sHUX15n3q5QBINl/view?usp=sharing Important Links:  X (Twitter) – https://x.com/DylanoA4?lang=en [https://x.com/DylanoA4?lang=en]  Essayful - https://substack.com/@essayful [https://substack.com/@essayful]  LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanoa4/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanoa4/]  The Spectator - https://spectator.com/writer/dylan-osullivan/ [https://spectator.com/writer/dylan-osullivan/]  Show Notes:  (00:00) Introduction (02:33) The Right Age to Start Reading The Classics (07:53) The Feeling of Cultural Stagnation (12:22) How to Find Good Books (21:53) Finding What to Read and Where to Think (31:09) Dylan's Most Quoted Authors (39:03) Modern World of Self-publishing (41:38) What Do You Write About If You Don't Live First (48:19) What's up with Dostoevsky (56:14) Ulysses and End Notes Books, Essays & References Mentioned: C.S. Lewis — The Abolition of Man C.S. Lewis — Mere Christianity Arthur Koestler — Darkness at Noon Arthur Koestler — The Act of Creation Leo Tolstoy — War and Peace Leo Tolstoy — Anna Karenina Fyodor Dostoevsky — The Brothers Karamazov Fyodor Dostoevsky — Notes from Underground Fyodor Dostoevsky — White Nights James Joyce — Ulysses

Alastair Benn - Human Power of Editing, and a Hope for Literacy - With Englesberg Ideas's Alastair Benn

This week on The Hope Axis, I’m very happy to welcome Alastair Benn, deputy editor of Engelsberg Ideas. In this conversation, we talk about Scottish identity and language, the challenges of writing clearly in a “post-literate” age, and the editorial philosophy behind Engelsberg Ideas. We also discuss the idea of Bildung and Benn’s view of the editor as a mentor who helps writers turn strong ideas into clear, readable essays. Hope you enjoy. For the full transcript of our conversation, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IZLw1IkUsu5Q5A-AbAf_mAJZKCUAkQjd/view?usp=drive_link [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IZLw1IkUsu5Q5A-AbAf_mAJZKCUAkQjd/view?usp=drive_link] Important Links:  X (Twitter) –https://x.com/alastair_benn [https://x.com/alastair_benn]  Engelsberg Ideas - https://engelsbergideas.com/author/alastair-benn/ [https://engelsbergideas.com/author/alastair-benn/] LinkedIn – https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alastair-benn-0327b578 [https://uk.linkedin.com/in/alastair-benn-0327b578] Bokforlaget Stolpe– https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnRNVEJobnE5R0laejJ0MGZRNm1RVjdwSHRWUXxBQ3Jtc0traHU2aUtoV1Q2LW5VWllIRUFsNzVERGJmak9KckRQNVItR3NqUzRrTEUwd19DVnk2Rlc0VnZJeWQtMWlkM1NENnhHMk14UzVsdVo1eU1rT2tpRnpqU2R3WVNnSkVDalM3R3pmb19jRmo3aEc0THFoWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Fby%2Falana-newhouse&v=MkpQ2LRQ0x0https://bokforlagetstolpe.com/en/authors/alastair-benn/ [https://bokforlagetstolpe.com/en/authors/alastair-benn/] Show Notes:  (0:00:00) Introduction (0:00:58) Misunderstanding the Scots (0:05:32) Linguistic Identity and Code-Switching (0:10:24) Scotland Compared to Scandinavia (0:13:02) Whisky, the Burning Bush, and Scottish Identity (0:22:26) Engelsberg Ideas (0:25:07) Plain Language, Complex Ideas (0:31:12) Why the Written Word Still Matters (0:37:25) Writing Essays like Montaigne (0:42:39) Gatekeepers of the World of the Ideas (0:48:35) Are We Becoming Post-Literate? (0:56:47) What Is Bildung (1:01:08) The Bildungsroman from Goethe to Thomas Mann (1:10:31) Innerlichkeit and the Cult of Inwardness (1:18:14) Hans Castorp and the Arid Cult of Productivity (1:24:38) The Biases of the Hyper-Literate Elite (1:27:10) Schopenhauer, Hegel, and the Problem of Jargon (1:30:03) The Editor as a Mentor (1:36:35) AI and Editing: What It Can and Cannot Do (1:43:19) Closing Remarks  Books, Essays & References Mentioned: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Thomas Mann — The Magic Mountain Great Expectations — Charles Dickens Arthur Schopenhauer Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel Robert Louis Stevenson Miguel de Cervantes — Don Quixote Virgil — Aeneid John Milton — Paradise Lost

Alana Newhouse - Why Everything Is Broken and How to Fix It

This week on The Hope Axis, I’m very happy to welcome Alana Newhouse. Alana is a journalist, editor, and founder of Tablet Magazine, and the author of the influential 2021 essay “Everything Is Broken.” In this conversation, we revisit the idea of brokenism a few years later and talk about how people who are intelligent and well-read enough to despair all day might still find a small ray of hope. Hope you enjoy. For the full transcript of our conversation, click here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HaBI_AINhbkwXo2aXaVfiUd1qvMTcc1J/view?usp=drive_link [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HaBI_AINhbkwXo2aXaVfiUd1qvMTcc1J/view?usp=drive_link] Important Links:  X (Twitter) – https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0tNUlk3SFBYSENRaDFkZk1NSVlhV01CbGFnQXxBQ3Jtc0trcFI1bGx3ZjVMRVZtNlhvTVdHdkdQN25VbWNuNE1jdzM1cUxKNUlLcGxHUTdjUzVvQy1zOFNlS3ljbVhyMUhPWm5rMk9tWUdiRllISU1xeVRBRGZlYWVLZHQ5QUJ2eXg0OXV5UTIyM0VfRWl0QjlOTQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2Felidourado&v=mmpcuqMiC_0https://x.com/alananewhouse [https://x.com/alananewhouse]  Tablet Magazine – https://www.tabletmag.com/contributors/alana-newhouse [https://www.tabletmag.com/contributors/alana-newhouse]     LinkedIn –      / [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjJ3M1ozeHl6VVhNWlI3OC1ueHpyU0FCSG95d3xBQ3Jtc0ttc2Faa0w4NFR2WmI0eWxvN1Z5ODU5VmZZZDhTbEZCcFJRUU9TUFNtV0k4eDVUeVotZUcxMUJqaVZqeUd2b3cxWXVCS1J4ck15enU2Mmw1LXZJSXdVb3RCOENPZmU5U1VuOTBpelFuc3V6MjJtNTVFQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Felidourado&v=mmpcuqMiC_0]https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-newhouse-25214716a [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alana-newhouse-25214716a]  The New York Times – https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWlmRVpTbWFkR2RGb1hUNkRiaF9IandtajhUQXxBQ3Jtc0trc09MMmVSUkdCSVI1d1QydkFBQ085UFRFZ21qTHNmX3h1VS0yOXRPZU9ZOGJfM0F2RmxlNGVtZmstbUl1RXlqUVJQdnBBVHljdmFFeDFyYTBGdDhjQjc5UVhLV1JEYldja0xnREZQWGJYVFlzN3VOSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.elidourado.com%2F&v=mmpcuqMiC_0https://www.nytimes.com/by/alana-newhouse [https://www.nytimes.com/by/alana-newhouse]  Website - https://www.alananewhouse.com/ [https://www.alananewhouse.com/]  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alana.newhouse/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/alana.newhouse/?hl=en]  Show Notes:  (0:00:00) Introduction (0:02:01) "Everything Is Broken" - The Backstory (0:15:36) The Diagnosis and the Dinner that Changed Everything (0:28:01) What It Means to Be a Part of Community (0:35:19) The Internet Has Shrunk the World (0:38:09) Alana's Concept of Flatness (0:46:17) Long-form Content Exercises Your Brain (0:49:24) The Legibility Crisis (0:56:19) Critical Reception of Media and News (0:59:28) The Future of Journalism (1:08:12) Extremes, Media and Antisemitism (1:13:25) 2030 Predictions and End Notes Books, Essays & References Mentioned: “Everything Is Broken” — Alana Newhouse Jürgen Habermas Tablet Magazine The New York Times Bluesky Donald Trump COVID-19 pandemic Legibility crisis Public sphere fragmentation