Stablecoins already move more volume than Visa and Mastercard combined! And with only 200 million users.
Robby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands, shows how people move dollars across borders in minutes with near-flat fees, from market traders in Nigeria to institutions shifting tens or hundreds of millions.
This is a short from our full length deep dive into web3, the decentralized internet, DOAs, AI and what Animoca has in store for the coming year.
Subscribe to Thinking on Paper for the full conversation.--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/O_Iy1jYTRz8
China built its space station Tiangong in three years after being excluded from the ISS program. It landed on the Moon in 2020 and 2024, returning samples from areas with high helium-3. Now the fight is over rules, resources, and who decides what happens on the Moon.
In this short, aerospace designer Glen Martin explains how Chinaâs program moves from high-speed rail and grid power at home to the Moon: far-side lunar samples (via a relay network and nuclear-powered rover), a 2029 crewed landing plan, and why helium-3 matters.
We break down the rules and risks: who gets to mine the Moon, what a UN Space Resources Treaty (draft due 2027) might change, and how U.S. domestic space laws could drive a Wild-West approach.
We cover why China built Tiangong after being blocked from the ISS, and whatâs so important about the lunar south poleâs ârim of eternal light.â
Keep Thinking On Paper.
Cheers,Â
Mark & Jeremy.
PS: Please be kind and subscribe. This helps us immensely.Â
--
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--
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Chinese Infrastructure
(00:47) Bringing Russia to ISS
(01:21) We Blocked The Chinese
(01:41) Tiangong & 2029 Moon Landings
(02:22) The Global Politics Of Space
(03:36) The Lunar South Pole
(04:07) The United Nations
(04:41) The Moon Wild West
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
You're probably listening to AI generated music and you don't even realise it. But rest assured, the musicians whose beats, rhymes and livelihood were stolen to train the models are well aware.
They're reminded every time they check their empty bank accounts.
99,000 new songs are uploaded to streaming platforms every day. According to Deezer, almost one in five are now made by our artificial friends.
You wouldn't play a single one at your funeral.
And it gets worse.
According to Ditto music, 59% of musicians use AI in some aspect of their music.
It's a highway to hell.
How do the real musicians get paid?
How do the record labels keep track of their... tracks?
What about session musicians, producers, songwriters and the bass player?
How do they all get their fair reward?
And how do you prove their input in the output of a model?
Yes, it is all very very very difficult.
Thankfully, amongst the madness, the always excellent Cherie Hu, Yung Spielburg and Alexander Flores of Water & Music researched and wrote about what's at stake, how technology can be used to solve the riddle and which companies are trying to shake that moneymaker.
We read their research.
Please share with a music lover.
Cheers
Mark and Jeremy
â
(00:00) The Intersection of Music and AI
(03:26) Understanding Music Attribution
(03:51) Sonic Characteristics and AI Influence
(06:39) The Complexity of AI Music Generation
(07:36) The Value Equation in AI Music Creation
(08:08) Understanding Influence Functions in Music AI
(09:44) Challenges of Attribution in AI-Generated Music
(11:38) Exploring Embeddings and Their Role in Music AI
(14:17) Watermarking and Its Limitations in Music Attribution
(15:30) Synthetic Data and Its Implications for Music AI
(17:48) Innovative Solutions for Music Rights Attribution
(18:01) Distinguishing Compositional vs. Recording Contributions
(19:59) The Impact of AI on the Music Industry's Inequities
(23:03) Trust and Technology in Music Attribution
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
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Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
If quantum computers already exist, why canât they do anything useful? The issue isnât quantum mechanics, itâs control. Every qubit must be tuned, stabilized, and kept coherent, and that process collapses long before scale.
Brandon Severin, founder of Conductor Quantum, joins Jeremy and Mark to Think On Paper about spin qubits, AI calibration, Googleâs latest quantum chip, and how his company is using semiconductor-based qubits to build quantum computers at scale.
From his PhD at Oxford (where he crossed paths with Oxford Ionics founder Dr. Chris Ballance) to launching a startup in Silicon Valley, Brandon shares how physics, engineering, and software are finally converging in quantum computing.
In this episode:
âïž How Googleâs new quantum algorithm moves us closer to simulating atoms and molecules.
âïž The difference between trapped ions and spin qubits â and why spin qubits could scale faster.
âïž Inside Conductor Quantumâs work on calibration, fidelity, and error correction.
âïž How AI is redefining quantum control and stability.
âïž The rise of the quantum founder: from lone academics to builders focused on scale.
âïž Why progress in quantum depends on manufacturing, algorithms, and collaboration â not just brainpower.
âïž Why millions of qubits, not a âmagicâ single qubit, are needed for real computation.
Most quantum content sits in a kind of superposition: too technical to follow or too simple to teach you anything new. Thinking On Paper cuts through that noise.
If this conversation made you think differently about quantum computing, follow the show and share it with someone curious.
Keep thinking on paper.
Cheers,
Mark & Jeremy
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
Follow Mark on â LinkedInâ
Follow Jeremy on â LinkedInâ
Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
--
Timestamps
(00:00) Trailer
(01:13) The Google Announcement Explained Simply
(03:47) Trapped Ions vs. Spin Qubits
(06:14) How AI Controls Quantum Computers
(11:06) Inside the Quantum Circus: Managing Errors, Fidelity, and Coherence
(32:59) Building Quantum Computers: Why Scale Depends on Automation
(33:41) The Culture of Quantum Startups vs. the AI Boom
(36:52) Human Nature, Technology, and the Race for Control
(39:43) The Future of Quantum Computing: From Physics to Scalable Systems
Helium-3 is essential for fusion energy, quantum computing, and tracking nuclear weapons. The U.S. has just 29 kilograms, and there may be as little as 100 kilograms on Earth. But aerospace engineer Glen Martin cites NASA data suggesting roughly 1.1 million tons may be trapped on the Moon.
In this episode, Mark and Jeremy Think On Paper with Glen, CEO of the Extraterrestrial Mining Company, about the emerging science and politics of lunar mining and the race now unfolding above us.
Glen explains how solar winds have been seeding the Moon with Helium-3 for billions of years, why AI data centers and quantum computers are already driving global demand, and how private companies are moving into territory once reserved for governments.
What begins as a conversation about mining technology becomes a deeper look at scarcity, competition, and the moral questions that come with abundance.
Will space resources help us build a post-scarcity society, or just extend the same rivalries into orbit?
đș Watch on YouTube
--
The Extraterrestrial Mining Company
--
Timestamps
(00:00) Trailer
(02:45) What is Helium-3, and why are we mining the Moon?
(05:29) Why thereâs almost no Helium-3 on Earth, and a million tons on the Moon
(09:01) How Helium-3 could be harvested from lunar dust
(10:33) Fusion without fallout: the clean-energy promise of Helium-3
(13:01) Space-based solar power and fusion: two paths to future energy.
(17:56) How private companies plan to finance Moon mining
(21:52) The new space race: U.S., China, and the competition for lunar fuel
(25:03) Can treaties prevent conflict over Moon resources?
(27:37) AI, autonomy, and the machines that will mine the Moon
(29:31) NASAâs commercial lunar payloads and the rise of space infrastructure
(31:08) What lunar regolith tells us about Helium-3 reserves
(33:35) The trillion-dollar question: who profits from space resources?
(36:17) Curiosity, wonder, and the future of human exploration
(40:01) Technology, morality, and the choice to be good
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
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Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz--
AI ethics sounds reassuring. Carissa VĂ©liz argues itâs a contradiction: you canât build âethicalâ systems on surveillance. The result isnât accountability, itâs rule by opaque models you canât inspect or appeal. Thatâs not ethics, that's the definition of Kafkaesque.
Joining Mark and Jeremy on Thinking on Paper, Carissa VĂ©liz lays out three hard truths.
- Privacy is both a right and a duty. It allows lawyers, journalists, and citizens to act without intimidation. Remove it and democracy loses its working parts.
- Privacy is collective. The choices you make affect everyone else.
- Governments and Big Tech now co-produce surveillance; data moves in both directions, and history shows companies can rival states in coercive power.
VĂ©liz also gets practical: what can be inferred from âjustâ location, why trading sovereignty for convenience breeds dependence, and how even small shifts â using Signal instead of WhatsApp, Proton instead of Gmail â can matter when 5â10 percent of people change their habits, the power shifts.Â
Surveillance isnât the future. Itâs the business model, and it works because we accept it.
Not on our watch.Â
Please enjoy the show.Â
And subscribe to help us keep telling the human story of technology.
Thanks,
Mark & Jeremy
--
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TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Trailer
(02:26) What Is Privacy
(05:31) Is Democracy At Risk?
(08:34) Government & Big Tech
(10:39) How To Decouple Big Tech & Government
(12:33) Privacy & The Common Human Experience
(16:02) Tools To Protect Your Privacy
(17:18) Cookie Clutter
(19:30) ChatGPT Writes Policy
(20:05) Radical Open Mindedness
(21:52) AI Alignment
(22:56) AI Ethics
(28:09) How To Erase Your Data
(29:27) What Should Humanity Be?
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
In early 2025, Kevin Kelly, one of the great technological philosophers of our time, joined Mark & Jeremy to Think on Paper. Before he left, he asked a question. A question about the future and technology: What should humans be?Â
At the end of every show, we ask every guest this question. And the answers always resonate on an emotional, human level. They land on something universal. The same words, the same ideas, the same wants for humanity come up again and again. Creativity, curiosity, kindness, empathy, discovery, adventure, ambition.Â
This is the first part of our series compiling the answers. A reminder, in the dark days that technology is built by us, for us, and most people are nice, kind and want the best for us all. As you'll see. Yes, it maybe a simple message at times, but we're OK with that. Because on simple ideas are civilizations born.
Please enjoy this special compilation of thoughts and ideas. And tell someone to come Think on Paper with us.
We'd appreciate that.
Be curious, stay disruptive, keep thinking on paper.
Cheers,Â
Mark and Jeremy.
--
Timestamps
(00:00) The Story
(00:58) Kindness (& Books)
(01:55) Meaning
(02:32) Connection
(03:03) Discovery
(03:36) Curiosity
(04:30) Consciousness
(05:00) Ambition
(05:31) Creativity
(06:07) Wisdom
--
Videos appear thanks to:
âDocumentary â The Fourth Industrial Revolutionâ by World Economic Forum, licensed under CC BY 3.0: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Documentary_-_The_Fourth_Industrial_Revolution.webm"Â
"Wikimedia Commons
 "âOut of This World â Prelinger Archives / Public Domain (via Internet Archive)â
--
Guests in this video
Mark Boggett: https://youtu.be/PExunxFL71E?si=XrpkRRmFCjR1VxC7
Rajeev Kapur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWEuQmPcqJ8&t=193s
Rob Locascio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaM8lITXx6Y&t=428s
Andrew Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk4BXeXS9wE&t=50s
Will Alpine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obs2vxp-SP0&t=44s
Katia Moskovitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPwM0dCEYkI&t=185s
Robby Yung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHiSkSEQy-c&t=2010s
Khang Nguyen-Trieu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbnVirwbGBc&t=85s
Martin Soltau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl-z1d6d_as&t=572s
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
The space economy is set to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. Everyone talks about rockets. Almost no one talks about the infrastructure that connects orbit to Earth. This is where billions of dollars of that space investment are being increasingly allocated.Â
Mark Boggett runs Seraphim Investments, a London-based fund that backs the companies building the foundations of the space economy. In this conversation, he explains why the future of space isnât about launch or tourism, but data, defense, and the networks that will define a trillion-dollar market.
We look at how falling launch costs from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Firefly have moved the bottleneck from rockets to downlink infrastructure - the networks that move satellite data back to Earth.Â
Boggett outlines the under-invested opportunities in ground terminals, communications, and cybersecurity that will define the next decade of the space economy.
He also talks about the rise of direct-to-device connectivity through companies like AST SpaceMobile and Globalstar, the coming laser mesh networks led by Amazonâs Kuiper constellation, and the new markets emerging in orbital services: debris removal, refueling, and regulation-driven sustainability through firms like Astroscale and LeoLabs.
This is the quieter side of the space race, the infrastructure and data layer where long-term investors are quietly shaping a trillion-dollar future.
Enjoy the show.Â
And please subscribe so we can continue building the channel, and thinking on Paper.Â
--
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Trailer
(01:56) Disruptors & Curious Minds
(03:08) Mark BoggettÂ
(03:27) The Reality Of A 10-Year Investment Period
(04:07) Predictions On The Space Economy
(04:39) Space Race 2.0: The USA V ChinaÂ
(05:54) Direct to Device Space Communications
(08:05) Public Markets Love Space Tech Investments
(09:35) Space Exits & IPOS
(10:36) Trump & Musk To Dominate Space Agenda
(11:17) The Space Ecosystem 2025
(12:10) Satellite Companies: Hardware & Software
(12:36) Launch Companies: SpaceX, Firefly & Rocket Labs
(13:50) Satellite Constellations
(14:24) HAPS (High Altitude Platforms)
(15:22) Data Collection, Ground Terminals & Cyber Security
(16:46) Downlink: The Growth Area Of Space Investments
(18:50) Satellite Data Companies
(21:08) Space Verticals: Climate Success Stories
(22:20) How Satellites Verify Carbon Credits
(24:37) Space Debris & New Regulations To Clean Up Orbit
(26:38) Getting Old, Rickety Satellites Out Of Orbit
(30:26) Giving Regulators Teeth
(31:15) Geopolitics And Defense Based Space Investment
(36:33) Terraforming Mars
(36:48) Best Sci-Fi Movie
(36:56) Do Kids Look Up? The Accessibility Of Space
(37:20) The Best Reason To Go To The Moon
(39:51) What Should Humans Be?
--
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Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
How is generative AI reshaping classrooms? According to the Alan Turing Instituteâs national report, one in four UK children aged 8 to 12 now use tools like ChatGPT or Snapchat AI at school, while 85 percent of teachers rely on AI for lesson planning or marking.
This episode of Thinking on Paper Mark and Jeremy break down the Alan Turing Instituteâs two-part study on AI in schools, combining survey data and workshops with children. The findings reveal how kids are already using generative AI, what they think about bias and privacy, and how education systems are struggling to keep pace.
Key topics:
- Children using ChatGPT and generative AI in schools
- The growing divide between private and state schools in AI access
- Teachersâ mixed feelings about AI productivity vs. critical thinking
- Why âchild-centered AIâ could reshape the classroom
- What parents and policymakers can learn from the Alan Turing Institute report
Watch if youâre interested in: AI in education, child development, or how technology is shaping the next generation of learners.
Subscribe for more episodes exploring the intersection of technology, ethics, and human development.
And keep Thinking On Paper.Â
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Disruptors And Curious Minds
(02:40) The Alan Turing Research On The Impact Of AI On Children
(03:49) The Most Popular AI Platform For Kids
(04:41) How Are Kids Using AI?
(04:55) Key Statistics From The Research On AI Use In School
(05:33) The Divide: Private vs. Public School AI Usage
(08:08) Are Kids Using AI To Cheat In School?
(09:55) The RITECH Framework: Evaluating AI for Kids
(11:18) Quotes From Kids On AI
(16:13) Child Versions Of ChatGPT
(18:12) Recommendations From The Alan Turing Institute
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
IBM's Lory Thorpe warns that quantum computers could soon crack the encryption protecting our banks, health records, and personal data, enabling "harvest now, decrypt later" attacks that threaten global security.
Through IBM's collaboration with NIST and major institutions, she's racing to develop quantum-resistant algorithms before current encryption systems become obsolete.
Join hosts Mark Fielding and Jeremy Gilbertson to explore how organizations and individuals can prepare for this looming cryptographic crisis, featuring insights from Apple's quantum-safe iMessage initiative.
Please enjoy the show. --
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Intro: Disruptors and Curious Minds
(02:30) Meet Lory Thorpe of IBM Quantum
(03:21) Loryâs Journey: From Telecom to Quantum Security
(07:01) Why Healthcare Needs Post-Quantum Protection
(09:41) "Harvest Now, Decrypt Later": The Quantum Data Risk
(12:00) IBMâs Work with Governments and Regulators
(16:30) Cryptography 101: What You Need to Know
(18:47) The Cost of Quantum and the Threat to Todayâs Encryption
(21:20) IBM & NIST: Setting Quantum Standards Together
(22:08) Inside the 3 Quantum-Resistant Algorithms
(25:17) Apple Adopts Post-Quantum Encryption in iMessage
(25:52) Crypto Agility Explained: A Key to Future-Proof Security
(29:54) The RSA Encryption Debate: Is the Quantum Threat Overblown?
(38:45) Thought Experiment: November 1st, 2031 â The Quantum Deadline
(42:51) Where Cryptography Touches Everyday Life
(46:57) How AI and Quantum Shape IBMâs Strategy
(52:35) Carryover Question for Next Episode--
Follow Thinking On Paper:
Twitter:Â â â â â â â â https://x.com/thinkonpaperpodâ â â â
Instagram:Â â â â â â â â instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/â â â â â â â
YouTube:Â â â â â â â â youtube.com/@thinkingonpaper/videosâ â â â â â â
LinkedIn:Â â â â â â â â linkedin.com/company/thinkingonpaperâ â â â â â â
--
Past guests on The Thinking On Paper Show include: â â â â â â â Ciaran Murrayâ â â â â â â (web3 for journalists), â â â â â â â Torrey Smithâ â â â â â â (Robotics For Medicine), â â â â â â â Jason Lynchâ â â â â â â (Quantum Computing), â â â â â â â Joe Fitzsimonsâ â â â â â â (Quantum Computing), â â â â â â â Dana Sydorenkoâ â â â â â â (Gaming), â â â â â â â Don Normanâ â â â â â â (Humanity Centered Design), â â â â â â â Mercina Tillerman Perezâ â â â â â â (Circle & Crypto), â â â â â â â Tyler Adamsâ â â â â â â (Blockchain), â â â â â â â Todd Haselhorst â â â â â â â (Blockchain for Logistics), â â â â â â â Vince Yangâ â â â â â â (ZK Proofs)
Murray Thom, VP of Quantum Technology Evangelism at D-Wave, joins us to break down how D-Waveâs quantum computing technology (as used by NASA, VW, Lockheed Martin) is tackling complex, high-stakes problems across industries.
Learn how D-Waveâs unique use of quantum annealing helps solve real-world challenges, from logistics optimization to drug discovery and traffic management.
Murray explains how D-Waveâs hybrid quantum-classical systems maximize computational power by leveraging quantum effects alongside classical computing, enabling optimizations that traditional systems simply canât match. Discover why D-Wave is trusted by organizations, including NASA, to handle high-dimensional, multi-variable data, delivering immediate benefits in efficiency, productivity, and operational insight.
From the development of the first quantum computer to real-world applications, Murray explains how businesses are gaining a competitive edge and solving their toughest challenges with quantum technology.
Stay tuned for practical insights, key D-Wave milestones, and a look at whatâs next in quantum computing.
đAnd please subscribe.
--
TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Introduction to Quantum Innovation(01:22) Meet Murray Thom: Quantum Expert from D-Wave(02:30) How Quantum Incentives Drive Industry Collaboration(05:30) Breaking Down Quantum Complexity for the Real World(07:30) Murray Thom on Joining D-Wave 22 Years Ago(09:02) The Role of Quantum Physics in Real-World Solutions(10:07) Major Milestones in D-Waveâs Quantum Journey(12:36) Understanding Quantum Annealing: A Practical Guide(18:47) Key Benefits of D-Waveâs Quantum Annealing Technology(21:40) D-Waveâs Efficient Power Use: 15kW Explained(23:45) Quantum Computing Through a PokĂ©mon Analogy(25:35) Real-World Impact: Workforce Scheduling with Quantum(31:45) Quantum Systems in Sports Team Optimization(33:02) Tackling Complex Industrial Problems with Quantum(34:48) Portfolio Optimization: Quantum vs. Classical Methods(40:53) What Does a D-Wave Quantum Computer Cost?(42:11) Exploring the D-Wave SDK(44:45) Partnering with D-Wave: What to Expect(45:58) Quantum Collaboration with IBM(49:39) A Question for IBM on Post-Quantum Cryptography
--
Follow Thinking On Paper:
Twitter:Â â â â â â https://x.com/thinkonpaperpodâ â
Instagram:Â â â â â â instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/â â â â â
YouTube:Â â â â â â youtube.com/@thinkingonpaper/videosâ â â â â
LinkedIn:Â â â â â â linkedin.com/company/thinkingonpaperâ â â â â
--
Past guests on The Thinking On Paper Show include: â â â â â Ciaran Murrayâ â â â â (web3 for journalists), â â â â â Torrey Smithâ â â â â (Robotics For Medicine), â â â â â Jason Lynchâ â â â â (Quantum Computing), â â â â â Joe Fitzsimonsâ â â â â (Quantum Computing), â â â â â Dana Sydorenkoâ â â â â (Gaming), â â â â â Don Normanâ â â â â (Humanity Centered Design), â â â â â Mercina Tillerman Perezâ â â â â (Circle & Crypto), â â â â â Tyler Adamsâ â â â â (Blockchain), â â â â â Todd Haselhorst â â â â â (Blockchain for Logistics), â â â â â Vince Yangâ â â â â (ZK Proofs)
Twelve metric tons and a SpaceX rocket. Thatâs all it would take to begin building industry on the Moon. Factories would rise. Humanoids would adapt.
Asteroids would be mined. And within decades, the solar system could host an economy millions of times larger than Earthâs today.
The catalyst is a paper by Philip Metzger, Anthony Muscatello, Robert Mueller, and James Mantovani outlining a pathway to scalable off-world industry. Their thesis: with as little as twelve metric tons delivered to the Moon, we could set in motion a self-sustaining system at a fraction of traditional costs.
The upside is clear. Manufacturing shifts away from Earth, easing climate pressure. Humanity secures a new home. Our culture extends beyond the planet, with no end in sight.The risks are equally sharp. Corporations could carve space into their next empire. Billions might remain behind, spectators to humanityâs expansion.This is the blueprint for how we leave Earth.
And the reason we may not all go together.Stay curious. Stay disruptive. Keep Thinking on Paper.Subscribe if you believe the hardest part of leaving Earth isnât the technology. Itâs us.
--
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Trailer
(02:05) The Vision for Humanity's Future in Space
(03:22) Affordable Rapid Bootstrapping of Space Industry
(04:58) The Role of Resources in Space Expansion
(05:06) Technological Advancements and Robotics
(08:12) Generational Development of Lunar Industry
(09:42) The Evolution of AI and Automation in Space
(10:47) The Future of Humanity Beyond Earth
(14:25) Exploring Space-Based Solar Power
(15:23) The Future of Robotics and AI in Space
(17:21) Challenges of Teleoperation in Lunar Environments
(18:05) The Ambitious Vision for Space Manufacturing
(20:25) Terraforming Mars vs. Space-Based Manufacturing
(22:32) Human Nature and the Future of Space Exploration
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
Rajeev Kapur believes weâre standing at the edge of a new enlightenment. One powered not by steam or electricity, but by the democratization of artificial intelligence.
Named by Forbes as one of the leading voices making AI accessible to everyone, Rajeevâs work centers on a simple question: what happens when world-class technology reaches every hand on Earth? From launching the Kapur Parada Center of AI in Arizona to authoring AI Made Simple and Prompting Made Simple, his mission is to turn curiosity into capability.
In this conversation, we look at what true AI democratization might mean. From the favelas of Brazil and the villages of Africa to classrooms in the U.S. If you have a smartphone, you already have access to mentorship, education, and entrepreneurial tools that rival Silicon Valley. But access alone isnât enough.
As Rajeev argues, the future belongs to those who can tell stories with AI. People who use these tools not just to search for answers, but to imagine, create, and build.
Please enjoy the show.
--
đ TIMESTAMPS
Trailer: (00:00)
How Do We Democratize AI: (02:30)
Case Studies: How AI Is Being Used By Business Today: (05:44)
Outsourcing and AI Transform Businesses: (06:31)Â
How To Prompt Better: (08:08)
Using ChatGPT For Mental Health: (09:25)
AIs Manipulation Of Empathy: (13:44)Â
AI Advice For Parents: (14:49)
Deepfakes & Guardrails: (19:45)
Entrepreneur Spikes (26:19)
What Should Humans Be? (28:28)Â
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWEuQmPcqJ8
Kevin Kelly has spent 40 years asking one question: what is technology really?
He is the founding editor of Wired. His books have shaped how we think about innovation, the future of technology, and what works. His voice has been present at every major technological shift, from the early internet to AI today.
His influence has reached all the way to this podcast. His essays and ideas are often places we return to for deep thought and reflection. Kevin Kelly is the ultimate curiosity machine, and it was a pleasure to speak with him at length about his ideas, philosophies, and even his jokes.
In this conversation, Kevin thinks on paper with Mark and Jeremy about technology as the 7th kingdom of life, as real and alive as plants, animals, and fungi.
We get into:
This is a must-watch for anyone who wants to see AI and technology not as hype or fear, but as part of life itself, the 7th kingdom of nature.
Please enjoy the show.
And remember: stay curious, be disruptive, keep thinking on paper.Â
--
Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
Follow Mark on â LinkedInâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
--
Chapters
(00:00) Kevin Kelly On Nature And Technology
(02:59) Why Decentralized Systems Still Need Some Hierarchy
(09:03) Why DAOs Failed: Immutability Was a Bug
(16:46) Is AI Creative? (Yes) & The Coming Emotional Bonds
(21:39) AI Consciousness: A Spectrum of Artificial Aliens
(29:16) "Write to Discover What You Think"
(32:48) Balancing AI Tools & Human Thinking
(33:50) AI as a Skill & Powerful Thinking Partner
(37:50) Hot Buttons: Future, Bitcoin, Jurassic Park, Aliens?
(41:10) How to Cultivate Wonder (Hint: Be a Martian)
(49:10) The Power of Saying "I Don't Know"
(53:54) Kevin Kelly's Question: What Do We Want Humans To Be?
For decades, the idea of harvesting solar energy from orbit belonged to science fiction. The theory was soundâcollect sunlight in space and beam it to Earth as microwave energyâbut the cost of launch, assembly, and control made it impossible to justify.
Today, those constraints have changed. Reusable rockets, autonomous robotics, and modular design have pulled the concept from imagination into prototype. What was once a thought experiment at NASA is now an engineering roadmap at the European Space Agency, Japanâs JAXA, and several private ventures.
Dr. Sanjay Vijendran has spent his career at the center of that transition. As the former solar lead at the European Space Agency and now CEO of Space Energy Insights, he is helping to define what the first space-based utility might look like.The principle is deceptively simple: no cables, no new physicsâjust power transmitted by radio waves, a technology proven since the 1960s.
In 2022, researchers demonstrated the first controlled transmission of two kilowatts over thirty-six meters, enough to light a model city and power an electrolyzer.The question now is scale. Gigawatt-class satellites would require kilometer-wide antennas, in-orbit robotics, and coordination across nations.
Yet the direction of progress is clear. Space-based solar power is no longer a dream of limitless energy; it is a near-term infrastructure program with global implications.The first nation or consortium to master it will not just create clean energy.
It will control a new layer of the worldâs power gridâone that operates above the atmosphere.This conversation with Dr. Vijendran explores how that future is being built, the physics that make it possible, and the geopolitical choices that will determine who turns sunlight into sovereignty.
Please enjoy the show.
đș Watch the full show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53c08ygOFyc&t=1074s
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Timestamps
(00:00) Why Energy Poverty Still Matters
(01:26) How Beaming Power Actually Works
(04:09) The Big Problem: Scaling It Up
(04:56) Can It Ever Be Affordable?
(07:19) Building Solar Farms in Space
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Other ways to connect with us:
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Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
At 88, Don Norman, the godfather of design, issues his final warning: the same mindset that gave us convenience also gave us climate collapse, inequality, and fragile institutions. Design isnât decoration. Itâs power. It built the products we use, the systems we depend on, and the crises that now threaten us.
âHuman-centeredâ design sounds good, but it isnât enough. Norman argues it has blinded us to bigger responsibilities , ecosystems, culture, and the generations who will inherit our mistakes. We need Humanity Centered Design.
In this conversation Don Norman Thinks on Paper with Mark and Jeremy about:
Has human-centered design failed?
Why are climate summits designed to fail before they begin?
How did STEM education strip out wisdom?
Can empathy ever be built into systems at scale?
Can humanity centered design help us survive, or will it keep driving us toward collapse?Please enjoy the interview with Don Norman.
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Timestamps
(00:09) Why Design Shapes the World We Live In
(00:37) How Design Shapes Human Behavior (Often Without Us Noticing)
(06:00) Why Most Solutions Donât Matter â and What Real Design Should Do
(09:10) Humanity-Centered Design: What It Really Means
(22:16) Can Design Help Us Avoid Collapse?
(26:51) Why Communities Hold the Answers, Not Just Experts
(28:49) The Spark That Starts Humanity-Centered Design
(30:18) How Young Designers Can Change the Future
(33:16) Working Together Across Borders
(35:39) Measuring What Matters, Not Just Whatâs Easy
(37:06) Why Empathy Canât Be an Afterthought
(42:05) Thinking Beyond the Next Quarter â Business for the Long Term
(45:02) Rethinking Education for the Next Generation
(46:43) The Hard Questions We Still Need to Answer
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Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
This is a book summary of Empire of AI by karen Hao. The book asks whether Sam Altman and the Open AI gang are sociopaths with no regard for humanity or the planet? Is artificial intelligence and the drive to AGI driven only by ego?
From data farms to global labor networks, the story of AI is ugly. The systems are sustained by unseen humans. Millions of workers labeling data, moderating content, and maintaining the illusion of automation and paid peanuts.
At the top, in their castles in San Francisco, sit the new emperors of technology, CEOs and policymakers navigating a system that no single person can command or fully comprehend. And one man sits at the top of the empire: Sam Altman.
In part two of our Empire of AI book summary, we get a reality check.
Please enjoy the show.
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Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
Follow Mark on â LinkedInâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
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đ°ïž TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Trailer
(02:00) Introduction to Empire of AI & Karen Hao
(03:41)Shifting power dynamics in Silicon Valley
(03:59) Karen Haoâs warnings in Empire of AI
(04:56) Humanity V the relentless race for scale
(06:32) The environmental impact of AI systems
(07:38) Stochastic parrots: Silencing Critics
(09:48) Sam Altman Loves A Military Quote
(10:53) What Cost Humanity?
(15:14) The global race for AI advancement
(18:32) The hidden labor behind ChatGPT
(25:07) The ethical dilemma at the heart of AI development
Quantum computers make mistakes â a lot of them. One in every thousand calculations can be wrong.In this Thinking on Paper Pocket Edition, Mark and Jeremy speak with Oliver Dial, CTO of IBM Quantum, about how researchers are turning unstable prototypes into practical machines.Oliver explains the difference between error mitigation and fault tolerance, how IBMâs new codes make quantum systems ten times more efficient, and why AI now helps optimize the circuits themselves.
He also shares how quantum computing could transform material science, unlocking lighter, stronger, and smarter materials for the next technological age.Please enjoy the show.And remember: Stay curious. Be disruptive. Keep Thinking on Paper.Cheers,Mark & Jeremy
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Other ways to connect with us:
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Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz
Rob LoCascio has spent three decades teaching machines to talk. As the founder of LivePerson, he helped create the first commercial chatbots that shaped online conversation.
Now, with Eternos AI, heâs working on the next phase of personal AI: teaching machines to remember us.Eternos builds personal AI models trained on your voice, memories, and values. These are designed to act as living archives of the self.
The vision is twofold: a digital companion that helps you while youâre alive, and a legacy system that continues to share your guidance after youâre gone.Itâs a project that merges AI ethics, data rights, and philosophy.
If your thoughts can be modeled, who owns them? When your personality becomes software, is that preservation or replication?
In this conversation, Rob discusses the evolution from LivePerson to personal AI, the architecture behind Eternos, and why he believes digital immortality will become one of the defining industries of the 21st century â transforming grief, mentorship, and identity itself.
As AI moves from automation to imitation, we may be entering an era where the most valuable data is no longer what we produce, but who we are.
Please enjoy the show.
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Other ways to connect with us:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
Follow Mark on â LinkedInâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz--
Chapters:
(00:00) The future of AI starts here
(02:11) How AI is changing human connection forever
(05:55) Where AI meets humanity
(11:54) The story that sparked personal AI
(19:50) Why you must own your AI before it owns you
(20:10) The hidden vault of your data
(22:31) Why voice is the next big interface
(25:11) How AI will slip into daily life?
(25:36) Can personal AI be monetized?
(27:14) The fight to regulate AI
(27:52) What AI means for being human
(29:46) Will your knowledge outlive you?
(32:05) How to build your personal AI identity
(33:28) Writing the story of your life with AI
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Peace and Love. Always.
Mark & Jeremy
Seemingly conscious AI is a real threat. The AI Zombies are coming and you're not ready.
A man takes his own life after months of talking to a chatbot. Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI warns that seemingly conscious ai is coming.In this Thinking on Paper Pocket Edition, Mark Fielding and Jeremy Gilbertson Think On Paper about Mustafa Suleymanâs essay âSeemingly Conscious AIâ and what happens when artificial intelligence begins to act alive.They explore Suleymanâs warning that these systems could trigger AI psychosis, emotional dependency, and misplaced empathy and the larger question of how humans will tell the difference between connection and code.The conversation touches on philosophical zombies, consciousness, guardrails, and the story of Adam Raines, whose death ignited the debate over responsibility and design in AI.Please enjoy the show.And remember: Stay curious. Be disruptive. Keep Thinking on Paper.Cheers,Mark & Jeremy
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Timestamps
(00:00) Teaser
(01:17) Adam Raine
(01:28) Who Is Mustafa Suleyman?
(02:36) The Run Up To Superintelligence
(03:57) What Is Seemingly Conscious AI?
(05:04) Philosophical ZombiesÂ
(06:14) ChatGPT Is Just A Word Predictor
(07:01) What Does It Take To Build A Seemingly Conscious AI?
(08:08) The Illusion Of Conscious AI
(09:59) How Different Are You To An AI?
(11:39) Repeating The Covid Dynamic
(13:27) OpenAI's Response To Adam Raine
(15:02) The Dystopian Seemingly Conscious Timeline
(18:18) Generation Text-Over-Talk
(18:52) The Utopian Seemingly Conscious AI Timeline
(21:22) AI Guardrails
(23:43) Adam Raine Chat Log
(26:18) Thinking On Paper
(27:01) We Should Build AI For People, Not To Be A Person
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LINKS:
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Other ways to connect with Thinking On Paper:
Follow us on â Instagramâ
Follow us on â Xâ
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Read our â Substackâ
Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz