In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks again with Alec Nevala-Lee. Arbesman previously hosted Nevala-Lee to discuss his biography of Buckminster Fuller; this time, Nevala-Lee returns to talk about his new book, Collisions, a biography of Nobel Prize–winning physicist Luis Alvarez. Alvarez’s career ranged across particle physics, the Manhattan Project, the investigation of the JFK assassination, and—alongside his son—the asteroid-impact theory of dinosaur extinction.
Arbesman and Nevala-Lee explore how Nevala-Lee first became interested in Alvarez; the physicist’s unique skills, brilliance, and difficult personality; the character of Berkeley and the Rad Lab in Alvarez’s era; the kinds and scale of science that most appealed to him; and his extensive work with the U.S. government. They also discuss Alvarez’s views on computers and the broader lessons from his life about choosing research problems and thriving as a successful outsider.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Nick Foster, a designer and futurist who has worked with numerous major companies imagining a variety of futures—from Nokia and Dyson to Google. Foster is also the author of the new book Could Should Might Don’t, which explores the many ways we do and can think about the future.
Arbesman and Foster discuss how Foster found his way into the world of futures thinking and the nature of futures design work within organizations. Their conversation covers Foster’s taxonomy of different kinds of futures design, the importance of cultivating better future-thinking practices, common mistakes in forecasting, and the limits of prediction itself. They also delve into his perspective on science fiction and his distinctive approach to futures work—what he calls the “future mundane,” a vision of the future as a lived-in, everyday world.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with David Edmonds, cohost of the Philosophy Bites podcast and bestselling author of numerous books on philosophy, including his most recent work, Death in a Shallow Pond: A Philosopher, A Drowning Child, and Strangers in Need. In this delightful book, Edmonds explores Peter Singer’s famous “shallow pond” thought experiment—its moral implications, its influence, and how it gave rise to the Effective Altruism movement. The result is a fascinating biography of an idea and a penetrating analysis of its ripple effects through ethics and action.
Arbesman and Edmonds delve into the origins and nature of the Shallow Pond experiment, tracing its journey from moral philosophy to practical impact through Effective Altruism. They discuss the demandingness of Singer’s argument, the most compelling counterpoints, the EA movement’s evolution toward longtermism and focus on AI and existential risk, why EA provokes criticism, and the broader question of how thought experiments shape the real world.
n this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Rohit Krishnan, one of the most playful and insightful thinkers in the world of ideas. Rohit writes Strange Loop Canon, a newsletter devoted to exploring delightfully wide-ranging concepts—including artificial intelligence. He also recently collaborated with Jon Evans on Walter, a project that trained an AI to be good at social media.
Together, Samuel and Rohit discuss Walter and the curious question of why large language models remain so poor at good writing, despite being built around text. Their conversation branches into topics such as reinforcement learning for writing, useful metaphors for understanding LLMs—like “fuzzy processors”—and whether emphasizing the alienness of AIs is a fruitful endeavor. They also touch on the idea of nurturing AI, how to use these systems in one’s work and life, and what all this means for the future of labor—perhaps a future that feels more like a video game. Above all, they explore the importance of continuing to play with these strange new tools.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Linda Liukas, author of the beloved Hello Ruby children’s book series about computers, as well as a new Finnish-language book for adults on computing. Liukas also recently designed a playground in Helsinki that introduces children to foundational ideas in computer science through play.
Together, Arbesman and Liukas explore her path to becoming a children’s book author, how to cultivate curiosity, and the appeal of generative AI. Their conversation ranges across educational philosophies, playground design, and the relationship between play and curiosity. They also delve into the teaching of history within computer science, reflecting on the historical intersection of computing and education and the need to rekindle those connections.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Molly Mielke. Despite her youth, Molly has already built a fascinating career across tech—spending time at Notion, Figma, Stripe, and the Browser Company—before launching her own venture fund, Moth Fund. Along the way, she’s learned a great deal about herself and thought deeply about the role of technology in the world.
Arbesman and Mielke discuss her career so far, why she chose to move into venture, how she evaluates and supports people—whether through startup investments or grants—and the kinds of builders and thinkers who earn her conviction. The conversation also dives into tech culture, San Francisco’s gravitational pull and monoculture, the dynamics of age and youth, and how Molly frames meaning and purpose in work and life.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Daniel Temkin, a writer and artist working in the digital art space who has been creating strange and provocative programming languages for years. These “esoteric languages” or “esolangs” [esso] explore the limits and breadth of what programming and code can be. Temkin recently released a book collecting languages he created, titled Forty-Four Esolangs, a work that is both wild and fascinating.
Together, Arbesman and Temkin explore the nature of esolangs, the benefits of playful constraints, how to think about programming languages more broadly, code poetry, the balance between the unforgiving and human properties of code, and how Temkin was able to turn these experiments and projects into a book.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Parker Owens, whose passion for Lego has grown into something remarkable. In addition to working as an attorney, Parker runs Parker’s Brick Builds, a company where he designs and sells custom Lego creations. His sets range from vehicles and a siege tower to even a Lego “dumpster fire” that fans can build themselves.
Arbesman and Owens explore Parker’s Lego journey—from childhood play, through a hiatus during his young adult years, to rediscovering the bricks and eventually becoming a Lego TikTok star. Their conversation covers the origins of Parker’s business, his win in a business competition, the broader Lego-adjacent ecosystem of creators and companies beyond the official Lego Group, how he approaches design, and the mission that guides his work, including the kind of customer he envisions for his sets.
Samuel Arbesman is joined once again by Kristoffer Tjalve. The two previously spoke about the poetic web and the delightful aspects of the internet. This time, Kristoffer shares his new project: the Internet Phone Book—a physical book that lists personal websites alongside essays about the internet. After selling out its first run, the book is now available again as a reprint from Metalabel.
In their conversation, Arbesman and Tjalve discuss the origins and nature of the Internet Phone Book, the spirit of the early web it seeks to recapture, and the lessons Kristoffer learned while making it. They also explore ideas such as the Internet as an “underdeveloped ecosystem,” the notion of “organic software,” ways of supporting the poetic web, and what today’s online world might learn from the traditions of books and print publishing.
It’s a wide-ranging and playful exchange that captures both the wonder and the seriousness of building a more poetic internet.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Edward Ashton. Edward Ashton is a science fiction writer and the author of numerous novels, including Mickey7, which became the basis for the movie Mickey 17. His most recent novel is The Fourth Consort, a fascinating first contact story that touches upon many different topics, from humanity’s uniqueness to how to think about interstellar confederations.
Arbesman and Ashton discuss the origins of The Fourth Consort, the science fiction features Ashton was playing with and subverting, and why science fiction shouldn’t simplify alien species or human beings. They also explore the unique features of humanity, the power of storytelling and its role in humanity’s triumph on Earth, the qualities that allow for technological intelligence, and much more. Their conversation even touches on the dark forest theory, underestimating humans, interstellar federations and the exploitation of other species, as well as other authors and works Ashton recommends.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Neal Agarwal. Neal has been building online playthings for most of his life. He runs neal.fun, which many listeners may already be familiar with, home to such games and internet toys as Infinite Craft and Internet Roadtrip. For example, Infinite Craft begins with the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, which can be recombined in open-ended ways to build almost anything: water plus earth yields plant; plant plus fire equals smoke; smoke plus fire equals volcano—and then you’re off to the races. These websites are delightful, strange, and exciting, showcasing the sheer breadth of what the web can be.
Samuel and Neal discuss Neal’s origins and history making things on the web, and how he came to build neal.fun full time. Their conversation explores the unique nature of the web as a medium, and what it means to take it seriously. This connects to the challenge of describing the internet toys Neal creates, since they represent something truly new and delightful. They also touch on programming, how AI might make building weird online things easier, the communities that have grown around Neal’s creations, and his process for designing these games. Along the way, they even consider fellow travelers in this world of fun online creations.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Julian Gough — a writer, musician, and now researcher in cosmology. Julian was part of Toasted Heretic, an Irish rock group, has written novels for both children and adults, and even composed Minecraft’s end poem. More recently, he has turned his attention to cosmology, exploring ideas at the intersection of evolution and universe formation to better understand why the cosmos is the way it is. He writes about this work in his newsletter The Egg and the Rock, where he argues that “our universe appears to be the result of an evolutionary process at the level of universes,” drawing on recent data from across many fields.
Samuel and Julian discuss his career in music and writing, and how he gradually became drawn into big questions about cosmology. Their conversation explores cosmological natural selection, the idea of the universe as a developmental process, Julian’s blowtorch theory, and the challenges and opportunities of doing research outside the scientific establishment. Along the way, they consider the implications for our understanding of the cosmos, the role of intelligent life in the universe, how scientific paradigm shifts occur, and the value of interdisciplinary thinking.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Étienne Fortier-Dubois, a writer and programmer whose work has appeared in publications such as Asterisk Magazine and Works in Progress. He also authors the newsletter Hopeful Monsters. With a vast and eclectic set of interests—from the intricate details of technological history to the sweeping arcs of human civilization—Fortier-Dubois recently created The Historical Tech Tree, a website mapping the vast interconnections and interdependencies of technological advances across millions of years.
Arbesman and Fortier-Dubois delve into the concept of a tech tree (and its connections to the game Civilization) and examine the nature of the tech tree he built. Their discussion ranges from decisions about what qualifies as a technology to the sources he used, as well as fascinating edge cases and stories uncovered during the project. They explore how such a tech tree can and cannot be used, its implications for education in technological history and literacy, and the potential for other kinds of “trees” to be constructed. The conversation also touches on worldbuilding, the so-called “illusion of complexity” in most fantasy and science fiction worlds, and how this perspective may have influenced Fortier-Dubois’s interest in history.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Chris Ferrie, an associate professor of quantum information at the University of Technology Sydney and the author of an impressive range of books for audiences of all ages — from adults and children to even babies. Ferrie is best known for Quantum Physics for Babies, but his prolific output spans titles such as Night Night Tyrannosaurus, Newtonian Physics for Babies, 42 Reasons to Hate the Universe (and One Reason Not To), and ABCs of Artificial Intelligence. The breadth of his work is astonishing.
Their conversation explores Ferrie’s background and the origins of his science-for-babies books, but also ventures far beyond. They discuss his nonlinear approach to building a career, his comfort with embracing the strange and unpredictable paths his professional life has taken, and his thoughts on communicating ideas clearly. Along the way, they touch on scientific jargon and gatekeeping, the value of generalists, perspectives on education and its future, and the work of raising children.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Evan Armstrong, the writer behind The Leverage, a newsletter devoted to exploring and explaining the rapid changes in technology markets. Before launching his own publication, Evan was the lead writer at Every, where he helped grow the platform to over 100,000 subscribers.
Samuel and Evan discuss Evan’s path to writing and what it takes to build a new tech publication in today’s evolving media landscape. Evan shares his taxonomy of tech media publications, his thoughts on the nature of newsletters, and the kind of writing he believes the Internet needs more of. Their conversation also ventures further afield—touching on how to rekindle the tech world’s interest in the humanities, T.S. Eliot’s historical sensibility, and a vision of the future rooted in beauty, taste, and curiosity.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with writer Gabe Henry, whose latest book Enough is Enuf delves into the long-running crusade to simplify English spelling (note the purposeful “ENUF” in the title). Everyone senses that English orthography can feel downright irrational, yet spelling-reform campaigns often make readers bristle. Henry unpacks those efforts—missteps, breakthroughs, and all.
Together, Arbesman and Gabe trace the tangled roots of English irregularity, explore past attempts to tame it, and spotlight the luminaries who tried: Benjamin Franklin, Noah Webster, Melvil Dewey, Teddy Roosevelt, and more. Their conversation weighs the case for and against reform, debates how fast change must move to stick, and considers the fresh pressures (and opportunities) technology brings to the spelling frontier.
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman sits down with novelist Daryl Gregory, celebrated author of numerous science-fiction and fantasy works—including the newly released When We Were Real. Set seven years after humanity discovers that reality is a vast computer simulation, Gregory’s novel follows a cross-country bus tour of Americans seeking out the strangest “glitches” in their digital world. The story is wild, uncanny, and irresistibly imaginative—exactly the sort of narrative Arbesman is eager to unpack with its creator.
Together, Arbesman and Gregory trace the book’s origins and intricate world-building, delving into the unused catalog of “Impossibles” that never made it to the page. Their conversation ranges from philosophical reflections on the simulation hypothesis and how to find meaning within it, to the tantalizing prospect of breaking free from the code entirely. Along the way, they consider how the novel doubles as a lens on the United States itself—its eccentricities, excesses, and enduring weirdness.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Kenneth Stanley, a renowned computer scientist and AI researcher whose career spans academia, industry, and startup innovation. Stanley has been a professor, a cofounder of multiple companies, and a researcher at both OpenAI and Uber. He currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Open-Endedness at Lila Sciences. He is also the coauthor of Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective, a widely praised book exploring the nature of creativity and discovery.
Arbesman and Stanley discuss the nuances of conducting research across a variety of organizational structures. Their conversation delves into the tradeoffs between traditional and novel research institutions, how to carve out space for exploratory or “weird” work within large organizations, and how research itself can serve as a tool for navigating disruption. The episode also explores the evolving role of open-endedness in AI research and what it reveals about the future of scientific and technological progress.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with journalist and author Clive Thompson. Known for his thoughtful writing on science and technology—particularly in the realms of computing and programming—Clive contributes to Wired, The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian, and more. He is also the author of Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World (2019).
With the rise of generative AI and the emergence of “vibe coding,” their conversation turns to the evolving nature of programming and how Clive makes sense of it. They explore his early experiences with computers in the 1970s and ’80s, his temporary departure from coding, and his eventual return. The discussion ranges from creative coding and AI-assisted programming to computational thinking, the literary nature of code, and the future of coding education.
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with Alec Nevala-Lee, author of numerous books, including Inventor of the Future, a definitive biography of Buckminster Fuller.
Buckminster Fuller was an architect, designer, and public intellectual whose influence stretched far beyond blueprints and prototypes. Later in life, he became a lodestar for the counterculture, inspiring the pages of the Whole Earth Catalog and leaving fingerprints all over what would become Silicon Valley’s ethos.
In his biography, Nevala-Lee unravels Fuller’s contradictions — a visionary who struggled to succeed yet profoundly shaped culture, and who in many ways anticipated the archetype of the modern startup founder before such a figure existed.
Samuel and Alec explore Fuller’s radical ideas in design, the curious saga of the geodesic dome, the “virtual corporation” Fuller orchestrated around himself, his sway over the tech world’s imagination, and how he played the role of a mystical, almost messianic presence amid the polished suits of the Mad Men era — and so much more.