Post Wave: Recent Episodes
postwave
What are the implications of recent developments in code- and image-generating AI? What is the difference between intelligence and consciousness? What impact do these developments have on the open-source community? How will this affect developer jobs?
Test Driven Development in the Age of AI: https://youtu.be/kBIr46RNxVI
DALL.E: https://openai.com/blog/dall-e/ GLIDE: https://syncedreview.com/2021/12/24/deepmind-podracer-tpu-based-rl-frameworks-deliver-exceptional-performance-at-low-cost-173/ AlphaFold: https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/ AlphaCode: https://www.deepmind.com/blog/article/Competitive-programming-with-AlphaCode GitHub Co-Pilot: https://copilot.github.com/ GPT-3: https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.14165 Helen Keller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller Michio Kaku: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michio_Kaku Douglas Hofstadter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hofstadter Terrence McKenna on Intuition: https://www.post-wave.com/21-terence-mckenna Jest: https://github.com/facebook/jest Enzyme: https://enzymejs.github.io/enzyme/ Web Vitals: https://web.dev/vitals/ Embrace Extend Extinguish: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish
Outro Music by Trevor Villwock
What does it mean to exist? We explore Plato’s theory of ideas and his Republic.
Plato Republic: https://youtu.be/rVxSoiHtovM
Sophie’s World: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie%27s_World
Stephen Wolfram heat death of the universe: https://youtu.be/kuFRyOwkYuE
Universal wavefunction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_wavefunction#:~:text=The%20universal%20wave%20function%20is,times%20a%20deterministic%20wave%20equation.%22
Bohr’s atom: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Bohr
Alan Watts quote: https://youtu.be/-VzLBkmeW8E
Steven Pinker – The Better Angels of Our Nature: https://stevenpinker.com/publications/better-angels-our-nature
Iain McGilchrist episode: https://www.post-wave.com/49-divided-brain
Who were the Stoics, what did they believe about the world, and how can we apply it to life today?
References:
Marcus Aurelius - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/marcus-aurelius/
Hunter-gatherers and happiness - https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/10/01/551018759/are-hunter-gatherers-the-happiest-humans-to-inhabit-earth
Dzogchen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen
Music by Trevor Villwock
update: oh no! I accidentally bungled the conversion and only uploaded the last 2 minutes of this episode. Here's the full episode! (should be fixed now).
What is the self? Am I a different person than you are? How can we engender compassion in ourselves? Trevor & Eric discuss enlightenment as talked about by Ram Dass – philosopher, psychologist, luminary.
Ram Dass lecture: https://youtu.be/kjh1BAG5Pfs
Dzogchen Buddhism - https://www.shambhala.com/snowlion_articles/the-practice-of-dzogchen/
Timothy Leary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Leary
Terrence McKenna: https://www.post-wave.com/21-terence-mckenna
Ted Achocoso: https://www.post-wave.com/47-analysis-dr-ted-achacoso
Alan Watts: https://www.post-wave.com/episode-10-alan-watts-this-is-it
Peterson Dillahunty debate: https://www.post-wave.com/55-religion-and-morality
Incompleteness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del%27s_incompleteness_theorems
Outro Music by Trevor Villwock
How should we feel about billionaires pursuing space exploration when there's so much wrong on earth?
References:
Billionaire tax rates - https://www.propublica.org/article/the-secret-irs-files-trove-of-never-before-seen-records-reveal-how-the-wealthiest-avoid-income-tax
Culture series - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_series
Lex Fridman's conversation with Neal Stephenson - https://youtu.be/xAfdSak2fs8
Sabine Hossenfelder on terraforming Mars - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb0UnogKQeo
Spinlaunch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAczd3mt3X0
Largest comet ever discovered - https://www.space.com/newfound-comet-biggest-recorded-history
World's richest people 2021 - https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/
Elon Musk helping fight world hunger - https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/11/11/1052719247/how-6-billion-from-elon-musk-could-feed-millions-on-the-brink-of-famine
Percentage of U.S. who are independents - https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx
We are joined by special guest Walker T. Roman to continue our discussion of abstraction, this time in the context of art and music.
References:
Walker T. Roman: https://www.walkertroman.com/
Lascaux cave paintings: https://www.bradshawfoundation.com/lascaux/ Isometric perspective: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isometric_projection Vermeer optics: https://arranqhenderson.com/2017/09/19/did-vermeer-use-optics-in-his-art/ Danielle: http://www.daniellemulcahy.com/ Origins of Kindergarten: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/little-history-american-kindergartens-180963263/#:~:text=Kindergarten%20itself%20is%20a%20German,in%201837%20in%20Blankenburg%2C%20Germany. Jackson Pollock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock Clement Greenberg: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clement_Greenberg Isorhythm: https://www.britannica.com/art/isorhythm#:~:text=isorhythm%2C%20in%20music%2C%20the%20organizing,around%201900%20by%20the%20German Serialism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serialism
Trevor's music: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock Eric's music: https://soundcloud.com/faero
In this episode we discuss the various forms of immortality humanity could possibly achieve and their implications for meaning and purpose in life.
References:
Sean Carroll on time - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAScJvxCy2Y
Roy (Rick & Morty) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szzVlQ653as
Simulation argument (Nick Bostrom) - https://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.html
Possible evidence for a multiverse - https://www.quantamagazine.org/multiverse-proof-possibility-from-colliding-universes-20141110/
This is the first in a two-part series in which we discuss the topic of abstraction. In this episode we focus on the term as it relates to computer science, existentialism, and music.
Max MSP: https://cycling74.com/ Dorris McComics: https://dorrismccomics.com/ Infinite Jest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest Finnigan's Wake by James Joyce: Wassily Kandinsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wassily_Kandinsky Terence McKenna Episode: https://www.post-wave.com/21-terence-mckenna The Double by Dostoevsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Double_(Dostoevsky_novel) Donald Hoffman Episode: https://www.post-wave.com/episode-5-is-what-we-see-reality-donald-hoffman erowid: https://www.erowid.org/ Yes: http://www.yesworld.com/ The Mars Volta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2puUdO4YBg&ab_channel=TannerBarker Tally Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjGzOJ5IiSM&ab_channel=TallyHall-Topic The Well Tempered Clavier by Bach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0ufknMW0FI&ab_channel=RiqueBorges Reggaeton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxFSBPHwKgY&ab_channel=OSOCITYNATION
Music by Trevor Villwock: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/lattice-for-climbing
Can we have morality without religion? Where do spiritual experiences fit into a modern scientific conception of the world? In this episode we discuss a debate between Matt Dillahunty and Jordan Peterson from 2018 on religion, morality and more.
References:
Debate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmH7JUeVQb8
New Atheism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Atheism
Secular Humanism - https://secularhumanism.org/what-is-secular-humanism/
The Moral Landscape - https://samharris.org/books/the-moral-landscape/
Expert systems - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_system
Godel’s Incompleteness Theorems - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/goedel-incompleteness/
What motivates a teacher to pursue a career in software engineering? How do class roles permeate our society? We speak with teacher Eric Saldivar about his experience transitioning into a technical field.
References:
Eric Saldivar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esaldivar1214/
JavaUnscripted: https://anchor.fm/javaunscripted
Codesmith: https://codesmith.io/
Elon Musk work ethic: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/03/elon-musk-works-80-hour-weeks--heres-how-that-impacts--your-health.html
Doing Good Better: https://www.post-wave.com/20-doing-good-better
AI singularity: https://www.post-wave.com/episode-7-artificial-superintelligence
Outro music by Eric Mulhern
In this episode we discuss the advent of AlphaGo, an artificial intelligence program created by DeepMind that was the first to beat a top-ranked professional player at Go. This accomplishment in 2016 came nearly a decade before most experts thought it was possible, and brings up many interesting questions about the rate of AI progress, narrow vs. general artificial intelligence, intuition, and more.
Correction: Lee Sedol wasn't the world champion at the time he was defeated, but was second in international titles at 18. AlphaGo later beat the number 1 ranked player Ke Jie in 2017.
References:
AlphaGo Documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXuK6gekU1Y
Terrence McKenna - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_McKenna
3 Blue 1 Brown on neural networks - https://youtu.be/aircAruvnKk
Music:
https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/broken-franglish
https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/lattice-for-climbing
Does an artistic background lend unique advantages in the field of computer science? How will Github Copilot effect the future of software engineering? We speak with accredited actor Sam Arnold about his experience transitioning into a technical field.
References:
JavaUnscripted: https://open.spotify.com/show/47bsykKB1LJ3NtzQf3CHTA
Codesmith: https://codesmith.io/
AI Poetry episode: https://www.post-wave.com/42-computer-science-iii
Github Copilot: https://copilot.github.com/
Cardono: https://cardano.org/
Motvation & Addiction episode: https://www.post-wave.com/13-motivation-addiction
Mark Rylance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rylance
Outro Music by Eric Mulhern
What does the divided brain tell us about the mind body problem? As each half of our brain perceives the world in a different way, does it create a distinct world, or two aspects of the same one? We examine the first chapter of Iain McGilchrist's "The Master and His Emissary".
References:
The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist
Outro music by Eric Mulhern
It's our 50th episode of this crazy show somehow! We reflect back on this past year of recording the podcast and re-examine some of the topics we've touched.
References:
Coleman Hughes - https://colemanhughes.org/
John McWhorter - https://www.theatlantic.com/author/john-mcwhorter/
Glenn Loury - https://bloggingheads.tv/programs/glenn-show
How do the two hemispheres of our brains differ? How do they interact? How do these interactions influence society as a whole? We examine some of the ideas of British psychiatrist and author Iain McGilchrist.
References:
Iain Milgilchrist talk - https://youtu.be/HRMiHwT0H4M
The Master and His Emissary - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6968772-the-master-and-his-emissary
Neuralink monkey mind pong demo - https://observer.com/2021/04/elon-musk-neuralink-monkey-demo-draw-skepticism-scientist/
Kernel - https://www.kernel.com/
Dunning-Kruger effect - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect
What if there were secret knowledge that could effect everything you do: make you stronger, smarter, cure mental illness & heal chronic pain? We explore the concept of salutogenesis; that some activities can increase wellness for the sake of wellness.
Huberman Lab: https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-of-how-to-optimize-testosterone-and-estrogen/ Lex Fridman: https://lexfridman.com/podcast/ Robert Sapolski: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sapolsky Protien reccommendations: https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/protein-intake-for-optimal-muscle-maintenance.pdf Humans are naturally lactose intolerant: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/integrative_medicine_digestive_center/news_events/lactose_intolerance.html#:~:text=Lactose%20intolerance%20is%20a%20common,enzyme%20which%20breaks%20down%20lactose. Testosterone plummeting in males: https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilhowe/2017/10/02/youre-not-the-man-your-father-was/?sh=4b08aa478b7f The Alexander Technique: https://alexandertechnique.com/ Tounge pressure on the roof of your mouth changes skull shape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbzT00Cyq-g&ab_channel=WhatI%27veLearned Jaws by Robert Ehrlich: https://news.stanford.edu/2018/04/10/paul-ehrlich-problems-modern-jaw/
Outro Music by Eric Mulhern
In this episode we examine and explore the many interesting ideas of Dr. Ted Achacoso on consciousness, wellness, the brain, and more.
References:
Kyle Kingsbury Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kyle-kingsbury-podcast/id626299586
Dr. Ted Achacoso interview - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kyle-kingsbury-podcast/id626299586?i=1000521782588
Dzogchen Buddhism - https://www.shambhala.com/snowlion_articles/the-practice-of-dzogchen/
Default mode and task positive networks - https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-fundamental-four/201406/good-task-bad-people%3famp
Music - lattice for climbing by Trevor Villwock
https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/lattice-for-climbing
We explore some concepts in music theory: What are the fundamental elements that make music, and how do we use them in our own compositions?
Ladysmith Black Mambazo: https://mambazo.com/ Yo-Yo Ma Silk Road Ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWYo388T1XU&ab_channel=Berlinale-BerlinInternationalFilmFestival Sunn O))): https://sunn.bandcamp.com/ La Monte Young: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Monte_Young Lutosławski: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witold_Lutos%C5%82awski D'Angelo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Angelo J Dilla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J_Dilla Zach Hill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zach_Hill King Crimson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Crimson Thou: https://thou.bandcamp.com/album/heathen
What can roleplaying games tell us about ourselves -- about our relationships, about what it means to be human? We're joined by special guest Walker T. Roman; artist, creator, dungeon master.
Walker T. Roman: https://www.walkertroman.com/
References: Dungeons and Dragons: https://dnd.wizards.com/ I floop the pig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3baEtSTbog&ab_channel=CartoonNetwork Forgotten Realms: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page roll20: https://roll20.net/ Story by Robert McKee: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48654.Story Martin Puryear: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Puryear Spectralism episode: https://www.post-wave.com/12-spectralism James Turrell: https://jamesturrell.com/ Sunn O))): https://sunn.bandcamp.com/album/kannon The Raven Queen: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Raven_Queen Critical Role: https://critrole.com/ Infinite Jest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest Spaghettio Girl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9lmvX00TLY&ab_channel=LUISMIGGG Joseph Campbell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell
Music by Eric Mulhern.
What if current efforts to produce human-level artificial intelligence are fatally misguided? We discuss new research which suggests current AI practices fail to take into account the 95% of brain activity which takes the form of "spontaneous fluctuations" which are not clearly tied to anything in the mind or the body.
Salon articles:
https://www.salon.com/2021/04/30/why-artificial-intelligence-research-might-be-going-down-a-dead-end/?fbclid=IwAR0Wdjpk9Tlf8dp_bW8_2f5wN_KQt7oAzqJci7QcU_gcs66IyDl4cdRSOco
https://www.salon.com/2021/02/20/most-brain-activity-is-background-noise-cognitive-flux-consciousness-brain-activity-research/
Neutral Networks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk
Neurotransmitters and Nueromodulators: https://www.britannica.com/science/nervous-system/Neurotransmitters-and-neuromodulators
Neurons can change their own DNA: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/landmark-study-shows-brain-cells-revamp-their-dna-make-new-proteins-perhaps-sparking
Robin Carhart-Harris article on psychedelics:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390818301175
Harmonic series (Andrew Huang video): https://youtu.be/Wx_kugSemfY
You need to vibrate higher - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnsI67bHpmk
Are NFTs really the future of art? Do their benefits outweigh their downsides, and can their environmental impact really be mitigated? We discuss this potentially pivotal technology as well as the cryptocurrency and blockchain elements that make it possible.
Blockchain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain
NFTs and climate change: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/13/climate/nft-climate-change.html
Pro-NFT arguments: https://medium.com/superrare/no-cryptoartists-arent-harming-the-planet-43182f72fc61
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rovhDccuLkY
Anti-NFT arguments:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmFcezujGc0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7JVwbV2JBI
Music - Canon I by Glossolalia Online
https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/canon-i
AGI. Quantum Computing. What would it take for an artificial intelligence to be considered conscious? How can we approach AI development in an ethical way? We discuss the recent firings of Google's heads of Ethical AI research, Timnit Gebru & Margret Mitchel.
References:
Timnit Gebru interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWqpPsMXVsI
Margret Mitchel interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gh82yynsfQ
gwern.net
bots of new york: https://www.facebook.com/botsofnewyork/
Roger Penrose Quantum Coherence: https://nautil.us/issue/47/consciousness/roger-penrose-on-why-consciousness-does-not-compute#:~:text=Quantum%20coherence%20occurs%20when%20a,structures%20inside%20the%20brain's%20neurons.
Terrence McKenna Episode: https://www.post-wave.com/21-terence-mckenna
MOO programming language: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOO
Ben Goertzel Zen teachings of Wong Po: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LcUHaKvFuc
We continue our exploration of computer science, delving into its history and relating our experiences as we enter into this field of study.
References:
Antikythera mechanism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism Charles Babbage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Babbage Ada Lovelace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace Francois Chollet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fchollet Alan Turing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing Robert Miles GPT3 Poems: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8yVOC4ciXc
Music by Glossolalia Online: https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/dopamine
We explore some topics in computer science and relate our experiences delving into this daunting subject.
References:
Codesmith: https://codesmith.io/
OOP: https://searchapparchitecture.techtarget.com/definition/object-oriented-programming-OOP#:~:text=Object%2Doriented%20programming%20(OOP)%20is%20a%20computer%20programming%20model,has%20unique%20attributes%20and%20behavior.
Functional programming: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/functional-programming-paradigm/#:~:text=Functional%20programming%20is%20a%20programming,is%20%E2%80%9Chow%20to%20solve%E2%80%9D.
Inheritence: https://www.computerhope.com/jargon/i/inheritance.htm#:~:text=In%20object%2Doriented%20programming%2C%20inheritance,is%20known%20as%20a%20subclass.
Package dependency: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swift_packages/package/dependency
Max MSP: https://cycling74.com/
Supercollider: https://supercollider.github.io/
Godel, Escher, Bach: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach
Anathem by Niel Stephenson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathem
UW CSE142: https://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/cse142/21sp/
AI episode: https://www.post-wave.com/episode-7-artificial-superintelligence
3blue1brown on neural networks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk&vl=en
Outro music - Dreaming of Zeno by Trevor Villwock: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/dreaming-of-zeno
We give our thoughts on the now widely-shared idea that governments should provide all their citizens with regular no-strings-attached payments.
Andrew Yang on UBI: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpWomZiUDkM
AlphaFold - https://deepmind.com/blog/article/alphafold-a-solution-to-a-50-year-old-grand-challenge-in-biology
Levels of self-driving cars - https://www.synopsys.com/automotive/autonomous-driving-levels.html
Karl Widerquist & Oren Cass debate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDNKo0tcH-I
Jared Bernstein and Charles Murray debate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFVr7Ku0KQk
Music:
lattice for climbing by Trevor Villwock - https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/lattice-for-climbing
Floating by Glossolalia Online - https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/floating
Is introversion a helpful concept, or does it cause harm? How does it relate to mental illness and generational trauma? We explore this concept and share some of our own experiences with anxiety, depression & social awkwardness.
Islands of consciousness: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11065-020-09439-3 Stoic philosophy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism#:~:text=Stoicism%20teaches%20the%20development%20of,the%20universal%20reason%20(logos). Carl Jung on introversion/extroversion: https://fractalenlightenment.com/31622/life/jungs-theory-of-introvert-and-extrovert-personalities#:~:text=According%20to%20Jung%20there%20are,internal%20world%20(introversion).%E2%80%9D&text=Introverts%20are%20more%20comfortable%20living%20alone%20and%20being%20by%20themselves. The Introvert Advantage by Marti Olsen Laney: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Introvert_Advantage.html?id=fsR7BgAAQBAJ Generational trauma: https://www.health.com/condition/ptsd/generational-trauma#:~:text=The%20symptoms%20of%20generational%20trauma,DeSilva. Hedgehog dilema: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog%27s_dilemma
Outro music by Eric Mulhern: https://soundcloud.com/faero
We continue our deep dive into meme culture (for real this time): How do they affect public opinion?
Florian Kramer lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiNYuhLKzi8 Seveneves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves pepe the frog: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pepe-the-frog Michael Rosen interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIiGqXlNbsY Richard Spencer getting punched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFh08JEKDYk Big Joel on The Red Pill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDI4F7eWu7k Jordan Peterson episode: https://www.post-wave.com/28-jordan-peterson
Music - Dopamine by Trevor Villwock: https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/dopamine
Colorado multi-disciplinary artist Alex White joins us for the 2nd installment of our deep dive into meme culture.
Memes I
In which we go over some of the history of memes and their impact on the modern world. Stay til the end for our Top 5 memes of all time!
Richard Dawkins: https://richarddawkins.net/
The Selfish Gene: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Selfish_Gene
Bernie Sanders mittens meme: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bernie-sanders-wearing-mittens-sitting-in-a-chair
GPT-3:
https://openai.com/blog/openai-api/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8yVOC4ciXc&t=164s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rURRYI66E54&t=1098s
DALL-E (not WALL-E): https://openai.com/blog/dall-e/
Transformers: https://towardsdatascience.com/transformers-141e32e69591
Memebase: https://memebase.cheezburger.com/
Renard Queenston: https://halleylabs.com/
Michael Rosen Youtube Poop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTkN_KNJSE0
Bee Movie Technical Memes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPDgEUAowPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMG1Nl7uWko
We Are Number One/Monsters Inc: https://youtu.be/yeh708tybpM
Sweet Bro and Hella Jeff: https://www.homestuck.com/sweet-bro-and-hella-jeff/1
Deep fried memes: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/deep-fried-memes
Expanding Brain/Galaxy Brain: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/galaxy-brain
Buff guys on laptops: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/buff-guys-help-out-nerdy-kid
GI Joe PSA parodies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8K08AcVru0
That's what she said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqZci_8wuC0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBUGfs9rwms
Trolley Problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem
Multitrack drifting: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/multi-track-drifting
Deontology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deontological_ethics
Utilitarianism/Consequentialism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consequentialism/
Pornhub drumbeat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frV7RQE3QvY
Contrafacts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrafact
Gallant schemata: http://openmusictheory.com/schemataSummary.html
Wojack: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wojak
Money printer go brrr: https://imgflip.com/tag/haha+money+printer+go+brrr?sort=top-2020-04
Death Grips discography portrayed by The Office: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNL0tmBueuI
Spongebob/Radiohead: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2wig-kqZ98
Spiderman death grips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SThRvg6cdQI
Death Grips remixes (NSFW):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFWHB40N4pE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8g2kPu4J8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPrzkkbxFeQ
The Lick:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BP2UZvq7nE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krDxhnaKD7Q
Music:
https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/wobbly
https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/the-plot-thickens
https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/garbage-patch-kids
Writer, multi-disciplinary artist, and friend of the show Alex White joins us again to talk societal collapse in light of the recent power crisis in Texas; Trevor also relates his experience in Austin.
References:
Hardcore History with Dan Carlin - https://www.dancarlin.com
ERCOT - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Reliability_Council_of_Texas
Kally Akuno, Cooperation Jackson - https://cooperationjackson.org/cop-delegation-bios/2015/9/16/kali-akuno
https://commoditycreature.substack.com/p/surviving-the-future
SAS Survival Handbook - https://thebwh.com/p/military-history-sas-survival-handbook-the-ultimate-guide-to-surviving-anywhere
Nomadland - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9770150/
Climate change, jet streams, and the Texas freeze - https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-16/how-the-warming-arctic-helped-drive-a-deep-freeze-into-texas
Weakening ocean circulation - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/25/atlantic-ocean-circulation-at-weakest-in-a-millennium-say-scientists
Quelle Chris, Big Sen - Mirage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbG-6upal8U
Forests no longer absorbing CO2 - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/04/tropical-forests-losing-their-ability-to-absorb-carbon-study-finds
Music: Canon III by Glossolalia Online https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/canon-iii
What is Atheism? What are the ramifications of holding a belief?
References:
Four horsemen of the atheist apocalypse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Atheism Tim Minchin - Thank you god: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZeWPScnolo Doomer episode: https://www.post-wave.com/24-ok-doomer Unitarian Universalism: https://www.uua.org/ Alan Watts episode: https://www.post-wave.com/episode-10-alan-watts-this-is-it Marcus Aurelius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius Sam Harris episodes: https://www.post-wave.com/31-sam-harris-1 Maajid Nawaz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maajid_Nawaz The Atheist Experience: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCprs0DXUS-refN1i8FkQkdg
Music - 'Dreaming of Zeno' by Trevor Villwock: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/dreaming-of-zeno
What duty do we have to protect others against their will? Does religion threaten our ability to make rational decisions about morality? We examine the ideas of Sam Harris, an American author, philosopher, neuroscientist, and host of the popular podcast Waking Up.
Refrences:
Sam Harris TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8llkjvURyg
Sam Harris on Bill Maher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vln9D81eO60 David Hume: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hume/ Sean Carroll & Sam Harris debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVZp4nWMphE Trolley problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem#:~:text=The%20trolley%20problem%20is%20a,to%20save%20a%20larger%20number.&text=If%20you%20pull%20this%20lever,person%20on%20the%20side%20track. Terrence McKenna: https://www.post-wave.com/21-terence-mckenna Ram Dass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Dass Joe Rogan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Rogan Alan Watts: https://www.post-wave.com/episode-10-alan-watts-this-is-it Dzogchen meditation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzogchen Douglas Harding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Harding Rick and Morty 9/11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaQtC8Itb18 Sam Harris Yasmine Mohammed interview: https://samharris.org/podcasts/175-leaving-faith/ Correction: Eric describes the following scene from Genesis 19 as being from Ezekiel 8: https://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0119.htm#32 Maajid Nawaz: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maajid_Nawaz IDW Episode: https://www.post-wave.com/26-the-idw-part-1
Outro Music - Moss by Eric Mulhern: https://soundcloud.com/faero/
We speak with multi-disciplinary artist Alex White about the creative process - what inspires you? How do you motivate yourself to create?
References:
Andrew Huberman: https://profiles.stanford.edu/andrew-huberman
CU New Opera Workshop: https://www.colorado.edu/music/summer-college-music/cu-new-opera-workshop
Silent Night - Kevin Puts: http://silentnightopera.com/
Justin Roiland: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Roiland
Eric Andre: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Andre
Spectralism episode: https://www.post-wave.com/12-spectralism
Paul Hindemith - Symphony in B-flat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVgCoORNHM
John Cage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cage
Leaf blowers are bad: https://www.zmescience.com/science/leaf-blowers-health-noise-hazards/#:~:text=The%20inefficient%20gas%20engines%20typically,loss%2C%20according%20to%20the%20CDC.
Tinnitus examples: https://www.soundrelief.com/tinnitus/sounds-tinnitus/
Sunn (0))): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IswnGaGxvRQ
What's it like to be a bat: https://www.post-wave.com/11-whats-it-like-to-be-a-bat
I am a strange loop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_a_Strange_Loop
Outro Music by Alex White: https://soundcloud.com/neonnightscloudydays/sets/background-music
What is a life worth? Does one person have an obligation to suffer to protect another? In this episode, we explore some of the costs of our response to covid-19 and examine the possibility that social distancing may be causing more harm than good.
References:
KFF Article - The Implications of COVID-19 for Mental Health and Substance Use: https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/the-implications-of-covid-19-for-mental-health-and-substance-use/
Scinetific American Article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-surprising-mental-toll-of-covid/
Social distancing will result in a backlash of sickness: https://www.pnas.org/content/117/48/30547 Motivation & Addiction episode: https://www.post-wave.com/13-motivation-addiction Doing Good Better episode: https://www.post-wave.com/20-doing-good-better Heroin use in Vietnam veterans: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12873239/ Projected US Deaths: https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america?view=total-deaths&tab=trend South Korea, Hong Kong, Germany response to covid: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-020-01791-8 Eradication of Polio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polio_eradication Sterile environment affects gut microbiome: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4080534/ Boston homeless population disproportionately asymptomatic to covid: https://www.bhchp.org/sites/default/files/Asymptomatic%20cases%20pose%20challenge%20for%20Boston%20homeless%20shelters%20_%20Boston.com_.pdf
Music by Trevor Villwock
Jordan Peterson: radical luminary or raving bigot? We explore the ideas of public intellectual Jordan Peterson and why he has garnered so much criticism from trans right activists.
References:
Peterson interviews with Joe Rogan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIeFt88Hm8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Xc7DN-noAc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T7pUEZfgdI
Peterson motivational video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-oNXuLDIfU
Peterson on Psilopsybin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MnqXlmLGuc
Contrapoints on Jordan Peterson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LqZdkkBDas
Peterson opposed to gender neutral pronouns: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-37875695
Music by Trevor Villwock: garbage patch kids (how to learn the art of being without lifting a single finger)
Matthew Farquharson, violin
Vela Farquharson, cello
Charles Lovell, marimba
We continue our discussion of the Intellectual Dark Web and how it relates to the Black Lives Matter movement.
References: Black lives matter protests during pandemic: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/black-lives-matter-protests-didnt-contribute-to-covid19-surge Police in favor of body cameras: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/body-cameras-are-seen-as-key-to-police-reform-but-do-they-increase-accountability Coleman Hughes - Stories & Data: https://www.city-journal.org/reflections-on-race-riots-and-police City Journal criticism: https://www.reddit.com/r/neoliberal/comments/h9ryqq/stories_and_data_coleman_hughes_on_race_police/
Outro Music: Dopamine by Glossolalia Online (Trevor Villwock): https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/dopamine
In the next episode of our multi-part series on the Intellectual Dark Web, or IDW, we continue to critique their ideas and give our opinions on why the movement has gained so much traction.
References:
Ben Shapiro video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn1N3K7pqps&t=1650s
Eric Weinstein’s Geometric Unity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdW9XDBuxjU&t=404s
Brett Weinstein - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bret_Weinstein
The Joe Rogan Experience - https://www.youtube.com/user/PowerfulJRE
Colorado gay wedding cake controversy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpiece_Cakeshop_v._Colorado_Civil_Rights_Commission
Critical Theory - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory
Christina Hoff-Sommers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Hoff_Sommers Tamler Sommers (Tamler Sommer’s stepmom)
Coleman Hughes - https://colemanhughes.org/
Stories and Data - https://www.city-journal.org/reflections-on-race-riots-and-police
Sam Harris disavows the intellectual dark web - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPc7r9LRxBE
Music - Broken Franglish by Trevor Villwock
https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/broken-franglish
Originally uploaded January 14th
We kick off 2021 with an episode recorded unusually close to its release! We give our thoughts on the recent storming of the Capitol especially as it relates to the Intellectual Dark Web, the topic of a multi-episode series we'll be releasing over the coming weeks. We also talk about conspiracies in general and about how all three of these topics intersect.
References:
Police letting rioters into Capitol is likely false -
https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/jan/07/ask-politifact-did-capitol-police-let-mob-trump-su/
The Intellectual Dark Web - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_dark_web
Sean Carroll Episode -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v7uZUQPtkk
Stories & Data by Coleman Hughes - https://www.city-journal.org/reflections-on-race-riots-and-police
Big Brains / U of Chicago Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oF3vU6xnaEg
Conspiracies and the internet - https://theconversation.com/the-internet-fuels-conspiracy-theories-but-not-in-the-way-you-might-imagine-98037?fbclid=IwAR1A5UHKg_9S3rFwP3RVWeR9NjujTTLYRev5T1bckPgEtYjQoudhtwrmVTY
Q Anon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QAnon
Pizzagate - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizzagate_conspiracy_theory
Critical Theory - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory
Anti-vax movement - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine_hesitancy
Vaccines and POC - https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-some-black-and-latinx-people-are-reluctant-to-get-the-covid-19-vaccine
5G Covid circuit diagram -
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/5g-covid-guitar-pedal-b1782573.html%3famp
Buzz Aldrin punches moon landing conspiracy theorist - https://953wdae.iheart.com/content/2019-07-17-video-buzz-aldrin-punches-a-guy-for-harassing-him-about-moon-landing/
Ufos - https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/us/pentagon-ufo-videos.amp.html
David Fravyr (navy ufo guy) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB8zcAttP1E&t=5479s
Hollow Earth - https://www.wired.com/2020/12/geeks-guide-owen-egerton/
Lizard people -https://www.insider.com/lizard-people-conspiracy-theory-origin-nashville-bomber-qanon-2021-1
Intro music - Broken Franglish by Trevor Villwock
https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/broken-franglish
Bumper music - Floating by Glossolalia Online
https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/floating
Outro Music - Glossolalia Online by Glossolalia Online
In our final episode of 2020, we talk about the holiday-cheer-filled topic of environmental and societal collapse as well as the possibility of near-term human extinction with Colorado multidisciplinary artist and friend of the show Alex White.
Articles:
https://guymcpherson.com/2013/04/the-irreconcilable-acceptance-of-near-term-extinction/
https://www.lifeworth.com/deepadaptation.pdf
References:
Overshoot - https://youtu.be/VIBIO1vywP4
Ecofascism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecofascism
Kurzgesagt: Geoengineering - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSu5sXmsur4&t=467s
Seveneves - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves
r/collapse - https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse
r/collapsesupport - https://www.reddit.com/r/CollapseSupport/
Antinatalism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinatalism
Active Hope by Joanna Macy - https://www.activehope.info/
Guy McPherson Stock Report - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bcsqqmFH00
“War is a Racket” by General Smedly D. Butler
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Is_a_Racket
Surveillance Valley by Jascha Levine - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/06/surveillance-valley-by-yasha-levine-review
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inherent_Vice
Die Wise by Steven Jenkinson - https://orphanwisdom.com/shop/die-wise/
New York Times Doomscrolling article - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/technology/personaltech/youre-doomscrolling-again-heres-how-to-snap-out-of-it.html
Death! Dread! Meaning! In the latest installment of “Books You Haven’t Read,” Eric leads Trevor through a discussion of some excerpts from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot on awaiting executions, having epileptic seizures, and doing good in the world.
Full text of The Idiot available for free below; we discuss Part 1 Chapter 5 (p. 73), Part 2 Chapter 5 (p. 324), and Part 3 Chapter 6 (p. 580).
https://www.planetebook.com/free-ebooks/the-idiot.pdf
“The Unreality of Time” by J.M.E. McTaggart - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Unreality_of_Time
Are Space and Time interchangeable?
https://www.physicsoftheuniverse.com/topics_relativity_spacetime.html
How long does the head remain conscious after beheading?
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/decapitation-survive-speak-anne-boleyn-henry-viii-conscious-brain-a8886126.html
DMT - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N,N-Dimethyltryptamine#:~:text=N%2CN%2DDimethyltryptamine%20(DMT,ritual%20purposes%20as%20an%20entheogen.
Dostoyevsky’s epilepsy - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/for-dostoevsky-epilepsy-was-a-matter-of-both-life-and-literature
Counterpoint - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint
Terrence McKenna Wired article = https://www.wired.com/2000/05/mckenna/
Neurons changing their DNA - https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/11/landmark-study-shows-brain-cells-revamp-their-dna-make-new-proteins-perhaps-sparking#:~:text=Scientists%20have%20seen%20hints%20that,than%20the%20cells%20around%20them.
Existentialism - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaDvRdLMkHs
The Stranger - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stranger_(Camus_novel)
Intro Music - "Sum Over Paths" by Eric Mulhern
Bumper and Outro Music - "In the Embers of Existence" by Eric Mulhern
Are we living in a simulation? If we are, do we have free will? Are simulations the same as dreams? We explore the Simulation Argument presented in the paper by Nick Bostrom.
References:
Simulation Argument: https://www.simulation-argument.com/simulation.pdf Expanding universe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_of_the_universe#:~:text=The%20universe%20does%20not%20expand,to%20exist%20%22outside%22%20it.&text=A%20much%20slower%20and%20gradual,and%20is%20still%20doing%20so. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_of_Champions Alan Watts If you could dream anything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU0PYcCsL6o
Outro Music — Moss by Eric Mulhern: https://soundcloud.com/faero/1-moss-1
Is science based in intuition? Can we trust logic? What do psychedelics have to do with culture and feminism? We explore the ideas of renowned ethnobotanist & psychonaut Terence McKenna.
References:
McKenna on intuition: https://youtu.be/YTOZn7ZMacU
Transistors: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor
A computer cannot simulate itself: https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2014/09/15/could-scientists-perfectly-simulate-the-entire-universe-in-a-computer-down-to-the-last-atom/
Inteligence is compression of information:
Emergence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence
Slime Mold: https://www.ted.com/talks/heather_barnett_what_humans_can_learn_from_semi_intelligent_slime?language=en
NP-Complete: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/210829/what-is-an-np-complete-in-computer-science#:~:text=NP%2DComplete%20means%20the%20problem,solution%20to%20all%20NP%20problems.
ASI Singularity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity
What it's like to be a bat episode: https://www.post-wave.com/11-whats-it-like-to-be-a-bat
Quantum field theory: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/quantum-field-theory/#:~:text=Quantum%20Field%20Theory%20(QFT)%20is,matter%20physics%20and%20statistical%20mechanics.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverwhere_(novel)
Paul Stamets: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Stamets
Outro music — Dreaming of Zeno by Trevor Villwock: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/dreaming-of-zeno
How can we have the greatest impact on the world? Does it even make sense to try? We explore the concept of Effective Altruism through Will MacAskill's groundbreaking book 'Doing Good Better'.
References:
Doing Good Better by Will MacAskill: https://www.effectivealtruism.org/doing-good-better/
Animal Liberation by Peter Singer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Liberation_(book)
Aidan Cook - Harris mic grab: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/06/02/three-years-after-rushing-bernie-sanders-event-animal-rights-activist-takes-mic
80,000 Hours: https://80000hours.org/
History of Fine Dining: http://donlehmanjr.com/Restaurant/Dining%20History/hfd3.htm
Joe Rogan: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/
Ayn Rand: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand
Happiness across income brackets: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-exactly-how-much-money-you-need-to-be-truly-happy-earning-more-wont-help-2018-02-14
Mark 10-25: https://biblehub.com/mark/10-25.htm
Outro music: Moss by Eric Mulhern
What is Ultimate Reality? We react to an interview by PBS' Closer to Truth with Dr. Lothar Schafer, accredited Quantum Chemist and philosopher.
References:
Lothar Schafer Interview on Closer to Truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwkCXjRn2NA
Hyperspace by Michio Kaku: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperspace_(book)
Electrons jump between orbitals instantaneously: https://wtamu.edu/~cbaird/sq/2014/06/18/how-can-an-electron-leap-between-atomic-levels-without-passing-through-all-the-space-in-between/#:~:text=An%20atomic%20electron%20spreads%20out,wave%20shapes%20called%20%22orbitals%22.&text=But%20the%20electron%20does%20not,it%20does%20not%20instantaneously%20leap.
Alan Watts on the Big Bang: https://youtu.be/ZYffSEV7pdw
Ben Gortzel: https://youtu.be/6pcSKBrsDPw
Bill Clinton Scandal "Is": https://slate.com/news-and-politics/1998/09/bill-clinton-and-the-meaning-of-is.html
Predicting random coin flips: https://cocosci.princeton.edu/tom/papers/LabPublications/WilliamsPeopleBadRandom.pdf
Boltzmann brain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boltzmann_brain
Infinite monkey theorem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem#:~:text=The%20infinite%20monkey%20theorem%20states,complete%20works%20of%20William%20Shakespeare.
Outro music — From Fireflies to Thunderstorms by Eric Mulhern: https://soundcloud.com/faero/from-fireflies-to-thunderstorms
Does free will exist? How do you even define it? We take on this long-debated topic as it relates to volition, perfect vs. imperfect worlds, determinism vs. indeterminism, musical improvisation, moral responsibility, consciousness, and more.
References:
Free Will - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/
Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics -https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-manyworlds/
A Brief History Of Time by Stephen Hawking - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Brief_History_of_Time
Perpetual Motion Machine - https://www.britannica.com/science/perpetual-motion
Heat Death of The Universe - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_death_of_the_universe
Counterfactuals - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/counterfactuals/
Libet experiment - https://www.informationphilosopher.com/freedom/libet_experiments.html
Gut feeling - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/gut-second-brain/
The Lick - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krDxhnaKD7Q
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lick
Intro, bumper, and outro music - lattice for climbing, composed and performed by Trevor Villwock (trumpet and electronics)
Why do we read? What makes us feel like we 'should' read? Why do we leave books unread & unfinished? We talk with librarian Marco Daniels about books and reading.
References:
Oak Bluffs Public Library: https://oakbluffslibrary.org/
Mortal Questions by Thomas Nagel:https://books.google.com/books/about/Mortal_Questions.html?id=7T1dAAAAQBAJ
Skinner Box: https://psychology.uiowa.edu/comparative-cognition-laboratory/glossary/skinner-box#:~:text=A%20Skinner%20Box%20is%20a,the%20chamber%20as%20a%20reinforcer.
The Man Without Qualities - Robert Meusel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Without_Qualities
Incompleteness by Godel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del%27s_incompleteness_theorems
Godel Escher Bach by Douglas Hofstadter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6del,_Escher,_Bach
Principia Mathematica by Bertrand Russell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principia_Mathematica#:~:text=The%20Principia%20Mathematica%20(often%20abbreviated,1910%2C%201912%2C%20and%201913.&text=PM%20is%20not%20to%20be,1903%20The%20Principles%20of%20Mathematics.
I am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_a_Strange_Loop
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest
The Idiot by Dostsoevsky: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idiot
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_Heaven_(novel)
Outro Music — Coalfire by Eric Mulhern: https://www.instagram.com/marthas_vineyard_music_lessons/
What can our dreams tell us about ourselves? We discuss dreams — lucid dreaming, sleep paralysis and more, and share some of our experiences with them.
Refrences:
Mind Reading Visuals: https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-invented-a-mind-reading-machine-that-can-visualise-your-thoughts-kind-of
Ben Goertzel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Goertzel
Lucid Dreaming by Stephen LaBerge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_LaBerge#Lucid_dreaming_education_and_facilitation
David Blaine Ascension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwzvNAAqH3g
Acid f=Flashback: https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-08/fyi-can-acid-trip-really-give-you-flashbacks/
DMT Released When Dreaming: https://www.beckleyfoundation.org/2017/07/05/do-our-brains-produce-dmt-and-if-so-why/
Psychedelics & Default Mode Network: https://psychedelicstoday.com/2020/02/04/psychedelics-and-the-default-mode-network/
Intrinsic by The Contortionist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89vxiQ46MLk
Bill Hicks - Positive Drug Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdatGhm_WE4
Inception: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/
the i.l.y's - Articulate (Im Going So Far Into You): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVauoeybuzs
Eric's Dream Journal: https://dreamingwithfaero.blogspot.com/
We talk about some of the ways that the current Covid-19 pandemic has impacted our lives as musicians and teachers as well as the performing arts industry in general.
References:
Esquire article - https://www.esquire.com/uk/culture/a32360709/coronavirus-music-industry/
Spotify CEO comments - https://musically.com/2020/07/30/spotify-ceo-talks-covid-19-artist-incomes-and-podcasting-interview/
Mastering for Streaming - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiRMYoqU3ys
Loudness Wars - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
Cygnus… Vismund Cygnus by The Mars Volta - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnw7Hi6iIKE
It’s a Wonderful Life - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_Wonderful_Life
Backwards Causation - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/causation-backwards/
Breakfast of Champions - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakfast_of_Champions
Inversion Ensemble - http://inversionensemble.com/
Tom Scott - https://www.youtube.com/user/enyay
Parasocial Relationships - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasocial_relationship
webcomic name - https://webcomicname.com/
Dorris McComics - https://dorrismccomics.com/
Covid-19 and herd immunity - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/health/coronavirus-herd-immunity.html
Joe Rogan and Spotify - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZKWTXEX2YY
Music - Excerpts from "On Breathing" by Trevor Villwock, performed by:
Kelly Lovelady, conductor
Gavin Goodwin, soprano sax
Kristen Zelenak, alto sax
David Baker, tenor sax
Will Marchetti, bari sax
Brett Keating, euphonium
Jack Yarborough, piano
Full performance here: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/on-breathing
We share our experiences with psychedelics and talk about how they've affected us.
Disclaimer: We do not endorse nor encourage the use of any illicit substances. Psychedelics should be approached with extreme caution and respect.
References:
Ram Dass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Dass
erowid: https://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/psychoactives.shtml
Post Wave Time: https://www.post-wave.com/episode-2-time
Eric's First Acid Trip: https://erowid.org/experiences/exp.php?ID=114774
Sierra Center for Spiritual Living: http://www.sierracenter.org/
Terence McKenna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eGdKztd4TE
We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbWZjlZ-znU
De-Loused in the Comatorium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De-Loused_in_the_Comatorium
Les Espaces Acoustiques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXQ5c8GUsUM
The Princess Bride: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093779/
Shostakovich Symphony No 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4feLVLg46k
Language by The Contortionist: https://thecontortionistband.bandcamp.com/album/language
Bon Iver 22, A Million: https://boniver.bandcamp.com/album/22-a-million
Leonard Bernsein Mass: https://leonardbernstein.com/works/view/12/mass-a-theatre-piece-for-singers-players-and-dancers
Microdosing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microdosing
Alex Grey: https://www.alexgrey.com/art
Douglass Harding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Harding
How does addiction affect our motivation? Why do we feel a resistance to achieving our goals?
References:
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield: https://stevenpressfield.com/books/the-war-of-art/
Jennifer McCurdy: https://www.jennifermccurdy.com/
The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Denial_of_Death
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius
This is Water by David Foster Wallace: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhhC_N6Bm_s
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_Jest
BLOrk: https://www.colorado.edu/music/ensembles/blork-boulder-laptop-orchestra#:~:text=Contact%20BLOrk&text=The%20emergence%20of%20the%20laptop,live%20interaction%20between%20the%20two.
Wintergatan MMX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q
Dopamine detox: https://www.livescience.com/is-there-science-behind-dopamine-fasting-trend.html
Gifted kid burnout bingo: https://images.app.goo.gl/NHeQiuN8nkrDL5hr5
Outro Music: Dopamine by Glossolalia Online (Trevor Villwock): https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/dopamine
Trombonist Matt Flores joins us for an exploration of the musical practice of Spectralism as well as the broader subject of microtonality. Stay tuned to the end for a group improvisation!
References:
Spectral Music - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_music
Harmonic Series - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music)
Gerard Grisey - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A9rard_Grisey
Melt Banana - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1s0ZOIKtp8
Pentatonic Scale - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentatonic_scale
Tristan Murail - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_Murail
Adam Neely Major Chord Video (4:5:6 polyrhythm) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tRAkWaeepg
Well-Tuned Piano - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXxZCSAWUP8&t=736s
SPEAR - http://www.klingbeil.com/spear/
N.E.O. Voice Festival - http://www.neovoicefestival.com/
Voice Science Works - https://www.voicescienceworks.org/
Voce Vista - http://www.vocevista.com/
Sara Corry - https://saracorry.com/
Shepard Tone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9VMfdG873E
“in vain” by Georg Friedrich Haas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAwvWLVfSkM
Ring modulation - http://synthesizeracademy.com/ring-modulator/
George Cantor - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Cantor
"Périodes" by Gerard Grisey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yljhvouhh2Q
What's it like to be a bat? What does it mean to 'be'? What is consciousness? We explore Thomas Nagel's groundbreaking essay, What Is It Like To Be A Bat.
References:
What Is It Like To Be A Bat by Thomas Nagel: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/ugmodules/humananimalstudies/lectures/32/nagel_bat.pdf
Very Bad Wizards on 'What Is It Like To Be A Bat': https://www.verybadwizards.com/175
David Chalmers Hard Problem of Consciousness: http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Hard_problem_of_consciousness#:~:text=The%20hard%20problem%20of%20consciousness,with%20phenomenal%20qualities%20or%20qualia).
Daniel Kish 'I use sonar to navigate the world': https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_kish_how_i_use_sonar_to_navigate_the_world?language=en
Mary the Color Scientist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_argument
Giulio Tononi components of consciousness: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-fundamental-nature-consciousness-giulio-tononi-excerpt/
FMRI: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_magnetic_resonance_imaging#:~:text=Functional%20magnetic%20resonance%20imaging%20or,and%20neuronal%20activation%20are%20coupled.
Closer To Truth: https://www.closertotruth.com/
Deepak Chopra everything is made of consciousness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXC0RUH1axE
Panpsychism: https://iep.utm.edu/panpsych/#:~:text=Panpsychism%20is%20the%20view%20that,psyche%20(soul%20or%20mind).
Michio Kaku Hyperspace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperspace_(book)
Inverted Spectrum thought experiment: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qualia-inverted/
Douglas Hofstadter I Am A Strange Loop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_a_Strange_Loop
Sterocilia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereocilia_(inner_ear)
Jungian Archetypes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungian_archetypes#:~:text=Jungian%20archetypes%20are%20defined%20as,as%20proposed%20by%20Carl%20Jung.&text=They%20are%20unclear%20underlying%20forms,and%20the%20flood%20among%20others.
Ego Death https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_death
Douglas Harding: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Harding
Inside Out: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2096673/
Walking forests: https://www.livescience.com/33663-walking-tree-socratea-exorrhiza.html#:~:text=There%20is%20one%20unique%20exception,exorrhiza)%20found%20in%20Latin%20America.&text=The%20tree%20slowly%20'walks'%20from,with%20its%20wanderlust%20to%20die.%22
Roger Penrose quantum consciousness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mind
Quantum biology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_biology#:~:text=Quantum%20biology%20is%20the%20study,are%20quantum%20mechanical%20in%20nature.
Bernard Barr brain limits consciousness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_workspace_theory
Outro music — Dreaming of Zeno by Trevor Villwock: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-villwock/dreaming-of-zeno
In this episode of the podcast we discuss Alan Watts' 1960 essay "This Is It."
References:
This Is It: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/432223.This_is_It_Other_Essays_on_Zen_Spiritual_Experience
What if you could control your dreams?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz-RJXaaMW8
Mindfulness: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness
Hierarchies of Agents: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-agent_system
Genetic Algorithms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_algorithm
Leonard Bernstien’s Mass - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5imPUq39jlg
Many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics -https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-manyworlds/#:~:text=The%20Many%2DWorlds%20Interpretation%20(MWI,and%20thus%20from%20all%20physics.
Outro Music: From Fireflies to Thunderstorms by Eric Mulhern
Would we all be better off having never been born? We take close look at the philosophy of anti-natalism, which argues that procreation is morally wrong. Be warned that this episode contains mentions of suicide and depression.
"Kids? Just Say No" by David Benatar - https://aeon.co/essays/having-children-is-not-life-affirming-its-immoral
Anti-natalism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antinatalism
The Brothers Karamazov - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brothers_Karamazov
Depressive Realism - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depressive_realism
Dukkha - https://encyclopediaofbuddhism.org/wiki/Dukkha
Nick Bostrom on Dangerous Technology (The Vulnerable World Hypothesis) - https://nickbostrom.com/papers/vulnerable.pdf
Marcus Aurelius - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius
Intro and Outro music: "Garbage Patch Kids (How to learn the Art of Being Without Lifting a Single Finger)" by Trevor Villwock, performed by Matthew Farquharson, Vela Mrdjen Farquharson, and Charles Lovell
Continuing the Books You Haven't Read series, we explore a selection from Dostoevsky's pivotal novel 'The Brothers Karamazov', wherein the brothers Ivan and Alyosha discuss life, suffering, and god (Book 5).
References:
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Ian Hutchinson on Lex Fridman's Podcast: https://lexfridman.com/ian-hutchinson/
The Athiest Experience on contradictions in the bible: https://youtu.be/DtY4wWNZ7-Y
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin
Very Bad Wizards on T.O.W.W.A.F.O: https://www.verybadwizards.com/163
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
Different kinds of infinity: https://youtu.be/elvOZm0d4H0
Trolley problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolley_problem
Outro Music - From Fireflies to Thunderstorms by Eric Mulhern: https://soundcloud.com/faero/from-fireflies-to-thunderstorms
What will future developments in AI bring? What is free will? What is pain? In the second installment of "Books You Haven't Read" we react to ideas shared by Nick Bostrom in Chapter 9 of 'Superintelligence' with Trevor providing perspective from the rest of the book.
References:
Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom
SMBC: https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/do-humans-have-feelings
Joscha Bach: http://bach.ai/
Alan Watts on Opposition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hMP8TucpDg
Wait But Why: https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/01/artificial-intelligence-revolution-1.html
Akira: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_(1988_film)
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditations
After On by Robert Reid
Outro Music - The Heart Asks by Trevor Villwock: https://soundcloud.com/inversionensemble/the-heart-asks-by-trevor
Continuing the 'Books You Haven't Read' series, we explore the first chapter of David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest.
References:
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Sam Harris Podcast: https://samharris.org/podcast/
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
Simulation Theory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBKRuI2zHp0
Anne Sexton: "Saints have no moderation, nor do poets, just exuberance."
David Foster Wallace Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5R8gduPZw4
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy
How to Create a Mind by Ray Kurzweil
Outro Music - Dopamine by Glossolalia Online (Trevor Villwock): https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/dopamine?in=glossolalia-online/sets/glossolalia-online
We explore Donald Hoffman's theory that our experience bears no resemblance to actual reality.
References:
Donald Hoffman on reality: https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-evolutionary-argument-against-reality-20160421/
Roger Penrose on consciousness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXgqik6HXc0
AI progress due mostly to improvement in computation power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me96OWd44q0
Anthropic (not Anthropological) Principle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropic_principle
Cosmological Natural Selection (Lee Smolin): https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-logic-and-beauty-of-cosmological-natural-selection/
2nd Law of Thermodynamics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_law_of_thermodynamics
Heat Death of the Universe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_death_of_the_universe
Higgs Boson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higgs_Boson
Standard Model of Particle Physics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Model
Mandelbrot Fractal Zoom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFyC68CIEio
Holographic Universe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klpDHn8viX8
Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpretations_of_quantum_mechanics#Copenhagen_interpretation
Outro music: "Moss" by Eric Mulhern
What are makerspaces? What is it like to work in a startup? Does being an engineer affect the way you communicate? We speak with special guests Luke Collier and Richard Franklin (Product Engineer and Marketing Agent of EdBoard) about their experiences with makerspaces, school, and working in a startup company.
References:
EdBoard: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edboard/edboard-story-based-circuit-building-for-children
Zometool: https://www.zometool.com/
The Way Things Work by David Macaulay and Neil Ardley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_Things_Work
TinkerMill: https://www.tinkermill.org/
The Creative Class by Richard Florida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_class
BTU Lab: http://btulab.com/
Hunter Ewen: http://www.hunterewen.com/main.html
Hackathons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackathon
Continuum by György Ligeti: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPgwF3G5i4k
Raspberry Pi: https://www.raspberrypi.org/
Milton Babbitt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Babbitt
Little Bits (from Rick and Morty): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj4-E5Hs3Kc
Outro Music - Dopamine by Glossolalia Online (Trevor Villwock): https://soundcloud.com/glossolalia-online/dopamine?in=glossolalia-online/sets/glossolalia-online
What is Music? Why does it affect us the way that it does? What distinguishes it from other forms of art?
References:
Edgard Varèse - "Music is organized sound": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgard_Var%C3%A8se
Music of West Africa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_West_Africa
The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten
Jim Simmons: jimsimmonscomposer.com
Spectralism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_music
Quantum Entanglement: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
Trombone Multipavillions: http://www.mim.be/trombone-with-7-bells
Thundercat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundercat_(musician)
Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cedric_Bixler-Zavala
Geddy Lee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geddy_Lee
John Anderson (Yes): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Anderson
Donald Fagen (Steely Dan): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Fagen
Bjork: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rk
Choirs synchronize their heartbeats: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-23230411#:~:text=Choir%20singers%20not%20only%20harmonise,their%20heartbeats%2C%20a%20study%20suggests.&text=Writing%20in%20the%20journal%20Frontiers,the%20singers%20coordinate%20their%20breathing.
Nocturne in Eb by Chopin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV5U8kVYS88
Arvo Pärt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvo_P%C3%A4rt
Milton Babbit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Babbitt
Alan Watts on music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV-D2_G9w5c
Ending Music: In the Embers of Existence by Eric Mulhern
Is time an illusion?
References:
Michio Kaku: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michio_Kaku#Books
Neil DeGrasse Tyson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson#Books
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Spectralism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_music
Morton Feldman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Feldman
Sean Carroll on Eternalism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAScJvxCy2Y
Taoism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism
Alan Watts on Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af85afJIeBo
The Unreality of Time by JME McTaggart: https://iep.utm.edu/mctaggar/#:~:text=McTaggart's%20paper%20%E2%80%9CThe%20Unreality%20of,he%20is%20best%20known%20for.&text=McTaggart%20argues%20that%20the%20belief,%2C%20Kant%2C%20Hegel%20and%20Bradley.
Laplace's Demon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace%27s_demon
Rick & Morty - Citadel of Ricks: https://rickandmorty.fandom.com/wiki/The_Citadel
Feynman's Sum Over Paths Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_integral_formulation
Panpsychism: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/panpsychism/
Quantum Immortality: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_immortality#:~:text=Quantum%20immortality%20refers%20to%20the,gun%20detects%20a%20downward%20spin.
M-theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_M-theory
Why make art? Why make experimental art? How can you justify dedicating your life to art when there are so many pressing problems to be solved in the world? Can you really answer these questions objectively from a privileged position in a developed country? We discuss how our experiences as working musicians have shaped our answers to these questions and what we think the best mindset is for living as an artist in 2020.
https://80000hours.org/career-reviews/pursuing-fame-in-art-and-entertainment/
https://www.givewell.org/
http://www.openculture.com/2019/07/sir-ian-mckellen-reads-kurt-vonneguts-letter-to-high-school-students-make-art-and-make-your-soul-grow.html
Outro music: “In the Embers of Existence” by Eric Mulhern