The Orthogonal Bet

Paul Rony on Lessons from Computer History

In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Rony. Paul is the founder and CEO of Kosmik, a tech startup based in France. Paul is also deeply knowledgeable about the history of computing and the ideas that animate it, and Samuel wanted to discuss these ideas with him. Samuel and Paul had a chance to discuss how Paul became interested in computing history, his own experiences with older computers, and the importance of the intellectual history and ideas that suffuse these technologies. They talked about the value of playing with old computers, the changing nature of programming as well as what hasn't changed, preserving old software and hardware, and even the best ways of learning about the history of computing. And of course, they talked about HyperCard, one of the wildest pieces of software ever.

Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock on the Recurse Center

In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock. Nick is the cofounder and CEO of the Recurse Center, a kind of retreat for programmers and community for people to work at what they term the edge of their abilities. RC has been running these self-directed retreats since 2011 and the company is a very intentional effort in fostering curiosity and is informed by the philosophy of unschooling. Samuel and Nick had a chance to discuss his unschooling experience and how he became interested in coding, the founding of what eventually became the Recurse Center, and how it developed. They talked about the uniqueness of RC's model, how Nick thinks about AI and programming, and the intentional culture of RC.

Corey Maley on the philosophy of science and computation

In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Corey Maley. Corey is an associate professor of philosophy at Purdue University who explores the philosophy of science and computation, focusing on cognitive science, the nature of computation both digital and analog, and how brains compute. Samuel and Corey had a chance to discuss the nature of analog computation and what people get wrong about it, the ways in which neurons are likely analog computers not digital ones, and even the implications for AI and consciousness. They talked about the history of computing, what computation is, and even explored some intriguing issues at the intersection of philosophy and computing.

Joel Simon on "Beyond Slop"

In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Joel Simon. Joel is a fascinating creator who works at the intersection of art and computational research, particularly in the realm of AI and creativity. He is the creator of Artbreeder, a biologically inspired tool for navigating the space of AI images, and has also worked on many other projects, such as evolving floorplans, a digital puppet theater, and generating computational paintbrushes. He is also the author of a new essay entitled "Beyond Slop" which explores how to think about creativity and AI. https://www.joelsimon.net/beyond-slop [https://www.joelsimon.net/beyond-slop] Samuel and Joel had a chance to discuss how Joel thinks about his work, the nature of evolutionary algorithms and his interest in them, and the origins of Artbreeder. They also spent time discussing his new essay, and the need for creating computational tools that expand self-expression rather than limiting it, and how to think more broadly about creativity and AI.

Stephen Webb on 75 Answers to the Fermi Paradox

In this episode, Samuel Arbesman has the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Webb. Stephen is a physicist and the author of numerous books, including one entitled "If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens… Where is Everybody?", the second edition of which includes 75 solutions to the Fermi Paradox. Samuel wanted to talk to Stephen to explore the nature of the Fermi paradox — essentially, if the universe should have extraterrestrial intelligences, why don't we see them? — and how it forces us to think about our place in the universe. Samuel and Stephen have a chance to examine what the Fermi paradox is, the interdisciplinary nature of the approaches to this puzzle, science fiction as a "playground for thought experiments," and the three main categories for how people approach the Fermi paradox. They discuss some of the fun answers to the paradox, Stephen's personal take on it, how scientific and technological advances have affected how we think about the paradox, and even how AI has changed how we might think about intelligence in the universe.