S8 Ep278: THE FINAL ASHES TEST IN SYDNEY AND THE FUTURE OF TEST CRICKET Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Jeremy Zakis discusses the final Ashes test in Sydney, noting that heavy storms threaten to wash out the match, potentially handing England a "moral victory" if they per
THE FINAL ASHES TEST IN SYDNEY AND THE FUTURE OF TEST CRICKET Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Jeremy Zakis discusses the final Ashes test in Sydney, noting that heavy storms threaten to wash out the match, potentially handing England a "moral victory" if they perform well before the rain hits. He observes that Englandsurprised him by employing a hybrid strategy—mixing conservative play with their aggre...
8m Jan 04
8m
S8 Ep278: EASTERN BROWN SNAKE ATTACKS AND CRITICAL FIRST AID Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Zakis details two recent attacks by venomous Eastern Brown snakes seeking shelter from the heat. He describes an incident in Morton National Park where a hiker stepped on a snake t
EASTERN BROWN SNAKE ATTACKS AND CRITICAL FIRST AID Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Zakis details two recent attacks by venomous Eastern Brown snakes seeking shelter from the heat. He describes an incident in Morton National Park where a hiker stepped on a snake that subsequently lunged and bit his wife, requiring a helicopter rescue. A second incident involved a professional snake catcher bitten at hom...
14m Jan 04
14m
S8 Ep278: AUSTRALIA'S EXTREME HEATWAVE AND THE SOLAR PANEL REVOLUTION Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Zakis reports on Australia's extreme weather, describing a heatwave moving east with temperatures exceeding 110°F, exacerbated by winds acting like a "fan-forced oven." He
AUSTRALIA'S EXTREME HEATWAVE AND THE SOLAR PANEL REVOLUTION Colleague Jeremy Zakis. Zakis reports on Australia's extreme weather, describing a heatwave moving east with temperatures exceeding 110°F, exacerbated by winds acting like a "fan-forced oven." He warns that recent rains fueled vegetation growth that will quickly dry into kindling, creating a "tinderbox" risk for wildfires within a week...
8m Jan 04
8m
S8 Ep277: JEFFERSON'S DEFENSE OF AMERICA AND THE MCGUFFEY READER Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Thomas Jefferson discovered Logan's Lament in 1774 and later used it in his Notes on the State of Virginia to refute French claims that everything in America w
JEFFERSON'S DEFENSE OF AMERICA AND THE MCGUFFEY READER Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Thomas Jefferson discovered Logan's Lament in 1774 and later used it in his Notes on the State of Virginia to refute French claims that everything in America was "degenerate." Jefferson presented Logan as proof of Native American intellectual equality, effectively cementing the story of Cresap's guil...
10m Jan 04
10m
S8 Ep277: JEFFERSON'S DEFENSE OF AMERICA AND THE MCGUFFEY READER Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Thomas Jefferson discovered Logan's Lament in 1774 and later used it in his Notes on the State of Virginia to refute French claims that everything in America w
JEFFERSON'S DEFENSE OF AMERICA AND THE MCGUFFEY READER Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Thomas Jefferson discovered Logan's Lament in 1774 and later used it in his Notes on the State of Virginia to refute French claims that everything in America was "degenerate." Jefferson presented Logan as proof of Native American intellectual equality, effectively cementing the story of Cresap's guil...
10m Jan 04
10m
S8 Ep277: THE MURDER OF LOGAN AND THE PERSISTENCE OF VIOLENCE Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Twenty years after the lament, a surveyor encountered a weeping Native man in the woods who revealed he was Logan's nephew. The nephew confessed to killing his un
THE MURDER OF LOGAN AND THE PERSISTENCE OF VIOLENCE Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Twenty years after the lament, a surveyor encountered a weeping Native man in the woods who revealed he was Logan's nephew. The nephew confessed to killing his uncle near Lake Erie around 1780. Logan had become a "dangerous" free agent and powerful orator whose influence threatened the political stabili...
6m Jan 04
6m
S8 Ep277: THE DEATH OF A RANGER AND THE CREATION OF A HERO Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Michael Cresap marched his riflemen from the frontier to Boston in 1775, where the press hailed them as "secret weapons" against the British. However, these troops p
THE DEATH OF A RANGER AND THE CREATION OF A HERO Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Michael Cresap marched his riflemen from the frontier to Boston in 1775, where the press hailed them as "secret weapons" against the British. However, these troops proved undisciplined, and Washington privately wished they had not come. Suffering likely from malaria, Cresap fell ill and died in a New York ...
11m Jan 04
11m
S8 Ep277: REVENGE, REVOLUTION, AND THE BIRTH OF A PATRIOT Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. In 1774, a grief-stricken Logan launched a brutal revenge campaign, killing nearly 20 people to "glut his vengeance." This violence occurred as the Continental Congre
REVENGE, REVOLUTION, AND THE BIRTH OF A PATRIOT Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. In 1774, a grief-stricken Logan launched a brutal revenge campaign, killing nearly 20 people to "glut his vengeance." This violence occurred as the Continental Congress began forming an army, calling for rifle companies from the frontier. Ironically, Michael Cresap, the man Logan blamed for the murders, was...
7m Jan 04
7m
S8 Ep277: THE MASSACRE AT YELLOW CREEK AND THE POWER VACUUM Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Following the British withdrawal from Fort Pitt, a power vacuum triggered a border civil war and increased tension with Native peoples. On April 30, 1774, Logan's f
THE MASSACRE AT YELLOW CREEK AND THE POWER VACUUM Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. Following the British withdrawal from Fort Pitt, a power vacuum triggered a border civil war and increased tension with Native peoples. On April 30, 1774, Logan's family—including his mother, brother, and sister—were lured into a tavern at Baker's Bottom on the Ohio River under the guise of diplomacy. Whi...
12m Jan 04
12m
S8 Ep277: HEART OF DARKNESS AND THE OHIO COMPANY LAND GRAB Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. The book's title draws on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to describe the bewilderment and horror inherent in the 18th-century American backcountry. In 1754, GeorR
HEART OF DARKNESS AND THE OHIO COMPANY LAND GRAB Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. The book's title draws on Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to describe the bewilderment and horror inherent in the 18th-century American backcountry. In 1754, George Washington retreated through Oldtown, Maryland, the home of the Cresap family, following a failed expedition against the French. Washington ...
7m Jan 04
7m
S8 Ep277: THE ORIGINS OF A FRONTIER FEUD AND LOGAN'S LAMENT Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. In February 1775, the Pennsylvania Journal published a famous document known as Logan's Lament. This speech, delivered by the Mingo leader James Logan Shikellamy, a
THE ORIGINS OF A FRONTIER FEUD AND LOGAN'S LAMENT Colleague Professor Robert G. Parkinson. In February 1775, the Pennsylvania Journal published a famous document known as Logan's Lament. This speech, delivered by the Mingo leader James Logan Shikellamy, accuses Colonel Cresap of the cold-blooded murder of his family relations. However, this accusation contained significant errors: Logan misiden...
10m Jan 04
10m
S8 Ep276: FORGERIES, THE MAINE PENNY, AND ALT-RIGHT APPROPRIATION Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock dismisses American rune stones like the Kensington Stone as 19th-century forgeries made to claim land rights, though he accepts the "Maine Penny" as genuine eviden
FORGERIES, THE MAINE PENNY, AND ALT-RIGHT APPROPRIATION Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock dismisses American rune stones like the Kensington Stone as 19th-century forgeries made to claim land rights, though he accepts the "Maine Penny" as genuine evidence of trade. He concludes by warning against the modern "alt-right" appropriating Viking history to justify racial prejudice and white suprema...
7m Jan 04
7m
S8 Ep276: L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS AND THE SAGA OF FREYDIS Colleague Martyn Whittock. The guest identifies L'Anse aux Meadows as a temporary base camp for exploration rather than a permanent settlement, scientifically dated to 1021 AD. He describes complex, often violent
L'ANSE AUX MEADOWS AND THE SAGA OF FREYDIS Colleague Martyn Whittock. The guest identifies L'Anse aux Meadows as a temporary base camp for exploration rather than a permanent settlement, scientifically dated to 1021 AD. He describes complex, often violent interactions with indigenous peoples, highlighting the saga account of Freydis, Eric the Red's daughter, who committed murders to secure her ...
13m Jan 04
13m
S8 Ep276: LEIF ERIKSON AND THE DISCOVERY OF VINLAND Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock details how Norse explorers like Leif Erikson moved west from Greenland, discovering Helluland, Markland, and Vinland around 1000 AD. Citing sagas, he argues that while physical
LEIF ERIKSON AND THE DISCOVERY OF VINLAND Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock details how Norseexplorers like Leif Erikson moved west from Greenland, discovering Helluland, Markland, and Vinland around 1000 AD. Citing sagas, he argues that while physical evidence stops at Newfoundland, descriptions of wild grapes suggest they reached further south, potentially to New Brunswick or Maine. NUMBER 2
7m Jan 04
7m
S8 Ep276: VIKING AS ACTIVITY: THE NORSE EXPANSION WESTWARD Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock defines "Viking" as an activity of enterprise and raiding, not just an ethnicity. He explains that disruptions in the Islamic silver trade and population growth drove Nor
 VIKING AS ACTIVITY: THE NORSE EXPANSION WESTWARD Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock defines "Viking" as an activity of enterprise and raiding, not just an ethnicity. He explains that disruptions in the Islamic silver trade and population growth drove Norse expansion westward. This movement eventually reached the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland, setting the stage for voyages to North Ame...
11m Jan 04
11m
S8 Ep268: XI ZHONGXUN'S DEATH AND XI JINPING'S PHOBIA OF CHAOS Colleague Joseph Torigian. This final segment covers Xi Zhongxun's death and Xi Jinping's admiration for his father's unwavering faith in the party despite persecution. Torigian analyzes a conversation
XI ZHONGXUN'S DEATH AND XI JINPING'S PHOBIA OF CHAOS Colleague Joseph Torigian. This final segment covers Xi Zhongxun's death and Xi Jinping's admiration for his father's unwavering faith in the party despite persecution. Torigian analyzes a conversation where Xi told Shinzo Abe he might have joined American political parties if born there, suggesting he is a realist nationalist. Ultimately, Xi...
7m Jan 04
7m
S8 Ep275: DEFOE THE MASTER SPY AND AVERY THE STRATEGIST Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The group discusses the irony of Defoe and Avery attending a play about Avery's life, which Defoe secretly wrote under a pseudonym. Kingsley emphasizes
 DEFOE THE MASTER SPY AND AVERY THE STRATEGIST Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The group discusses the irony of Defoe and Avery attending a play about Avery's life, which Defoe secretly wrote under a pseudonym. Kingsley emphasizes Defoe's role as a master spy using multiple aliases. They conclude that Avery was a strategist who defied the simple "swashbuckling" pirate s...
6m Jan 04
6m
S8 Ep275: SECRET AGENTS IN FALMOUTH: ESPIONAGE AND UNDECIPHERED CODES Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. By 1700, Defoe and Avery work as secret agents in Falmouth, influencing elections and intercepting mail for the Crown. Kingsley explains t
SECRET AGENTS IN FALMOUTH: ESPIONAGE AND UNDECIPHERED CODES Colleagues Sean Kingsleyand Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. By 1700, Defoe and Avery work as secret agents in Falmouth, influencing elections and intercepting mail for the Crown. Kingsley explains that Defoe later employed Avery as his enforcer while manipulating public opinion in Scotland. The segment also discusses an undeciphered code f...
14m Jan 04
14m
S8 Ep275: DANIEL DEFOE ENCOUNTERS THE GENTLEMAN PIRATE Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The conversation shifts to Daniel Defoe, a debt-ridden merchant and dissenter seeking financial redemption. Defoe encounters Avery in disguise, who is fl
 DANIEL DEFOE ENCOUNTERS THE GENTLEMAN PIRATE Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. The conversation shifts to Daniel Defoe, a debt-ridden merchant and dissenter seeking financial redemption. Defoe encounters Avery in disguise, who is fleeing a manhunt but evolving into a political operative. Cowan describes Avery as a "gentleman pirate" whose intelligence allowed him to surv...
8m Jan 04
8m
S8 Ep275: HENRY AVERY: THE COMPLICATED GENIUS WHO SPARKED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY Colleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. Host John Batchelor introduces the authors of The Pirate King to discuss Henry Avery, a "complicated genius" who raided a Mug
HENRY AVERY: THE COMPLICATED GENIUS WHO SPARKED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACYColleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. Host John Batchelor introduces the authors of The Pirate King to discuss Henry Avery, a "complicated genius" who raided a Mughal treasure ship in 1695. While this heist sparked the Golden Age of Piracy, the authors reveal that Avery did not merely vanish but entered a...
9m Jan 04
9m
S8 Ep274: PICKETT'S CHARGE AND THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCausland details Lee's risky decision to attack the Union center, contrasting it with Meade's data-driven defense. Despite the failure of Pickett's Charge, unit cohesion drov
 PICKETT'S CHARGE AND THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCauslanddetails Lee's risky decision to attack the Union center, contrasting it with Meade's data-driven defense. Despite the failure of Pickett's Charge, unit cohesion drove the soldiers forward. Finally, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address utilized the victory to expand the war's purpose toward a "new birth of freedom....
9m Jan 04
9m
S8 Ep274: DAY TWO: LONGSTREET'S ADVICE AND LITTLE ROUND TOP Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. On day two, Lee rejected Longstreet's advice to maneuver, leading to delayed Confederate attacks. Conversely, Union Colonel Strong Vincent displayed initiative by disobey
DAY TWO: LONGSTREET'S ADVICE AND LITTLE ROUND TOP Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. On day two, Lee rejected Longstreet's advice to maneuver, leading to delayed Confederate attacks. Conversely, Union Colonel Strong Vincent displayed initiative by disobeying orders to successfully secure Little Round Top. Unlike Lee, UnionGeneral George Meade utilized a council of war to build consensus for rem...
12m Jan 04
12m
S8 Ep274: REYNOLDS' DEATH AND LEE'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCausland analyzes General John Reynolds' death while leading forward elements, highlighting frontline leadership risks. He explains Robert E. Lee's strategic goal was winnin
REYNOLDS' DEATH AND LEE'S MISSED OPPORTUNITY Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. McCauslandanalyzes General John Reynolds' death while leading forward elements, highlighting frontline leadership risks. He explains Robert E. Lee's strategic goal was winning the war through decisive victory. Additionally, Lee's discretionary orders to new commander Richard Ewell resulted in a missed opportunity to...
10m Jan 04
10m
S8 Ep274: GENERAL BUFORD'S CRUCIAL DECISIONS ON JULY 1ST Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses Union General John Buford's crucial decisions on July 1st. Buford identified key ridge terrain and chose to delay superior Confederate infa
GENERAL BUFORD'S CRUCIAL DECISIONS ON JULY 1ST Colleague Colonel Jeff McCausland. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses Union General John Buford's crucial decisions on July 1st. Buford identified key ridge terrain and chose to delay superior Confederate infantry using dismounted cavalry. By trading space for time, Buford screened the arriving Union army and secured advantageous ground for the comi...
9m Jan 04
9m
S8 Ep273: THE RETREAT FROM WOKE CAPITALISM AND RETURN TO THE BOTTOM LINE Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino describes a current retreat from "woke capitalism" as firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs face financial losses and consumer pushback. Citing Home Dep
 THE RETREAT FROM WOKE CAPITALISM AND RETURN TO THE BOTTOM LINE Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino describes a current retreat from "woke capitalism" as firms like BlackRock and Goldman Sachsface financial losses and consumer pushback. Citing Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, he concludes that prioritizing political activism over shareholder returns is counterproductive, asserting that b...
6m Jan 04
6m
S8 Ep273: DISNEY'S POLITICAL MISSTEPS AND ESPN'S IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Focusing on Disney, Gasparino details how CEOs Bob Iger and Bob Chapek mishandled political conflicts with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, damaging the company's finances
DISNEY'S POLITICAL MISSTEPS AND ESPN'S IDEOLOGICAL SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Focusing on Disney, Gasparino details how CEOs Bob Iger and Bob Chapek mishandled political conflicts with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, damaging the company's finances. He also discusses ESPN's political shift, highlighting the departure of Sage Steele, who faced backlash for expressing views contrary to the...
13m Jan 04
13m
S8 Ep273: CORPORATE GROUPTHINK AND THE SEC'S PROGRESSIVE SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino argues that corporate adoption of progressive policies was a defensive reaction to populism like Occupy Wall Street and fostered by "groupthink" at elite summits l
CORPORATE GROUPTHINK AND THE SEC'S PROGRESSIVE SHIFT Colleague Charles Gasparino. Gasparino argues that corporate adoption of progressive policies was a defensive reaction to populism like Occupy Wall Street and fostered by "groupthink" at elite summits like Davos. He further contends that the SEC has shifted from investor protection to enforcing "woke" environmental and social agendas under th...
7m Jan 04
7m
S8 Ep273: THE ORIGINS OF CORPORATE RADICALIZATION AND STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM Colleague Charles Gasparino, Fox Business correspondent and author of Go Woke, Go Broke. Gasparino discusses his book Go Woke, Go Broke, tracing the origins of corporate radicalization to
THE ORIGINS OF CORPORATE RADICALIZATION AND STAKEHOLDER CAPITALISM Colleague Charles Gasparino, Fox Business correspondent and author of Go Woke, Go Broke. Gasparino discusses his book Go Woke, Go Broke, tracing the origins of corporate radicalization to the 2008 financial crisis and the rise of ESG and DEIinitiatives. He explains how asset managers like BlackRock's Larry Fink embraced "stakeho...
11m Jan 04
11m
S8 Ep272: THE FATAL 1930 LAUNCH AND INEVITABLE TRAGEDY Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne argues that the fatal 1930 launch was rushed so Thompson could arrive in India as the new Viceroy and return for an imperial conference. Despite warnings about the rotting cover an
THE FATAL 1930 LAUNCH AND INEVITABLE TRAGEDY Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne argues that the fatal 1930 launch was rushed so Thompson could arrive in India as the new Viceroy and return for an imperial conference. Despite warnings about the rotting cover and storms, the ship flew too low, leading to a tragedy Gwynne characterizes as inevitable. NUMBER 4
6m Jan 03
6m
S8 Ep272: THE R101: AN OVER-ENGINEERED SOCIALIST PROJECT Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne describes the R101 as an over-engineered "socialist" government project filled with unproven technology, including heavy locomotive engines and fragile gas bags made from cattle
THE R101: AN OVER-ENGINEERED SOCIALIST PROJECT Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne describes the R101 as an over-engineered "socialist" government project filled with unproven technology, including heavy locomotive engines and fragile gas bags made from cattle intestines. He also highlights the danger posed by the flight program's leader, "Scotty," who was suffering from severe alcoholism during the ...
13m Jan 03
13m
S8 Ep272: KIT THOMPSON AND THE IMPERIAL AIRSHIP SCHEME Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne introduces Christopher "Kit" Thompson, an aristocratic Air Secretary obsessed with Romanian Princess Marta Bibesco. Thompson championed the "Imperial Airship Scheme" to link the Br
KIT THOMPSON AND THE IMPERIAL AIRSHIP SCHEME Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne introduces Christopher "Kit" Thompson, an aristocratic Air Secretary obsessed with Romanian Princess Marta Bibesco. Thompson championed the "Imperial Airship Scheme" to link the British Empire technologically; Gwynne suggests this ambition was driven partly by a desire to impress Bibesco and facilitate travel between imp...
9m Jan 03
9m
S8 Ep272: THE 1921 DISASTER OF THE R38 AND THE HELIUM PROBLEM Colleague S.C. Gwynne. S.C. Gwynne details the 1921 disaster of the R38, a British rigid airship that broke apart due to inadequate testing and structural weakness. He explains that Britain was forced to
THE 1921 DISASTER OF THE R38 AND THE HELIUM PROBLEM Colleague S.C. Gwynne. S.C. Gwynnedetails the 1921 disaster of the R38, a British rigid airship that broke apart due to inadequate testing and structural weakness. He explains that Britain was forced to use explosive hydrogen because the United States controlled the world's limited supply of non-flammable helium at that time. NUMBER 1
9m Jan 03
9m
S8 Ep271: SHOW 12-2-2026 THE SHOW BEGIJS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT AI -- a useful invetion that can match the excitement of the first decades of Photography. November 1955 NADAR'S BALLOON AND THE BIRTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. In 18
SHOW 12-2-2026 THE SHOW BEGIJS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT AI --  a useful invetion that can match the excitement of the first decades of Photography. November 1955 NADAR'S BALLOON AND THE BIRTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. In 1863, the photographer Nadar undertook a perilous ascent in a giant balloon to fund experiments for heavier-than-air flight, illustrating the adv...
6m Jan 03
6m
S8 Ep270: THE BLIP AND THE FUTURE Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. The viral success of ChatGPT shifted OpenAI's focus from safety to commercialization, despite early internal warnings about the existential risks of AGI. Tensions over safety and Altman's manage
THE BLIP AND THE FUTURE Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. The viral success of ChatGPT shifted OpenAI's focus from safety to commercialization, despite early internal warnings about the existential risks of AGI. Tensions over safety and Altman's management style led to a "blip" where the nonprofit board fired him, only for him to be quickly reinstated due to employee loyalty. Elon Musk, havi...
5m Jan 03
5m
S8 Ep270: SILICON VALLEY KINGMAKER Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. At Stanford, Altman co-founded Loopt, a location-sharing app that won him a meeting with Steve Jobs and a spot in the App Store launch. While Loopt was not a commercial success, the experience
SILICON VALLEY KINGMAKER Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. At Stanford, Altman co-founded Loopt, a location-sharing app that won him a meeting with Steve Jobs and a spot in the App Store launch. While Loopt was not a commercial success, the experience taught Altman that his true talent lay in investing and spotting future trends rather than coding. He eventually succeeded Paul Graham as pres...
15m Jan 03
15m
S8 Ep270: THE ROOTS OF AMBITION Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. Sam Altman grew up in St. Louis, the son of an idealistic developer and a driven dermatologist mother who instilled ambition and resilience in her children. Altman attended the progressive John Bu
THE ROOTS OF AMBITION Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. Sam Altman grew up in St. Louis, the son of an idealistic developer and a driven dermatologist mother who instilled ambition and resilience in her children. Altmanattended the progressive John Burroughs School, where his intellect and charisma flourished, allowing him to connect with people on any topic. Though he was a tech enthusiast,...
7m Jan 03
7m
S8 Ep270: FOUNDING OPENAI Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. In 2016, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and Ilya Sutskever founded OpenAI as a nonprofit research lab to develop safe artificial general intelligence (AGI). Backed by investors like Elon Musk and Peter Thie
FOUNDING OPENAI Colleague Keach Hagey, The Optimist. In 2016, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and Ilya Sutskever founded OpenAI as a nonprofit research lab to develop safe artificial general intelligence (AGI). Backed by investors like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, the organization aimed to be a counterweight to Google's DeepMind, which was driven by profit. The team relied on massive computing power p...
10m Jan 03
10m
S8 Ep270: PRISON AND LAWFARE Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. Following the 2020 National Security Law, authorities raided Apple Daily, froze its assets, and arrested Lai, forcing the newspaper to close. Despite having the means to flee, Lai chose to stay
PRISON AND LAWFARE Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. Following the 2020 National Security Law, authorities raided Apple Daily, froze its assets, and arrested Lai, forcing the newspaper to close. Despite having the means to flee, Lai chose to stay and face imprisonment as a testament to his principles. Now held in solitary confinement, he is subjected to "lawfare"—sham legal proceedings...
9m Jan 03
9m
S8 Ep270: CONSCIENCE AND CONVERSION Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. The 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre radicalized Lai, who transitioned from textiles to media, founding Next magazine and Apple Daily to champion democracy. Realizing the brutality of the
CONSCIENCE AND CONVERSION Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. The 1989 Tiananmen Squaremassacre radicalized Lai, who transitioned from textiles to media, founding Next magazine and Apple Daily to champion democracy. Realizing the brutality of the Chinese Communist Party, he used his wealth to support the student movement and expose regime corruption. As the 1997 handover approached, Lai ...
10m Jan 03
10m
S8 Ep270: THE FACTORY GUY Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. By 1975, Jimmy Lai had risen from a child laborer to a factory owner, purchasing a bankrupt garment facility using stock market profits. Despite being a primary school dropout who learned English
THE FACTORY GUY Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. By 1975, Jimmy Lai had risen from a child laborer to a factory owner, purchasing a bankrupt garment facility using stock market profits. Despite being a primary school dropout who learned English from a dictionary, Lai succeeded through relentless work and charm. He capitalized on the boom in American retail sourcing, winning orders fro...
8m Jan 03
8m
S8 Ep270: FAMINE AND FLIGHT TO FREEDOM Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. Jimmy Lai was born into a wealthy family that lost everything to the Communist revolution, forcing his father to flee to Hong Kong while his mother endured labor camps. Left behind, L
FAMINE AND FLIGHT TO FREEDOM Colleague Mark Clifford, The Troublemaker. Jimmy Lai was born into a wealthy family that lost everything to the Communist revolution, forcing his father to flee to Hong Kong while his mother endured labor camps. Left behind, Lai survived as a child laborer during a devastating famine where he was perpetually hungry. A chance encounter with a traveler who gave him a ...
10m Jan 03
10m
S8 Ep270: STAGNATION UNDER SURVEILLANCE Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang, Wild Ride. The severe lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic shattered consumer confidence, leaving citizens insecure and unwilling to spend, which stalled economic recovery. Local governments, cut
1941 SHANGHAI
6m Jan 03
6m
S8 Ep270: GHOST CITIES AND THE STIMULUS TRAP Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang, Wild Ride. China's growth model shifted toward massive infrastructure spending, resulting in "ghost cities" and replica Western towns built to inflate GDP rather than house people. This "Po
GHOST CITIES AND THE STIMULUS TRAP Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang, Wild Ride. China's growth model shifted toward massive infrastructure spending, resulting in "ghost cities" and replica Western towns built to inflate GDP rather than house people. This "Potemkin culture" peaked during the 2008 Olympics, where facades were painted to impress foreigners. To counter the global financial crisis, Bei...
14m Jan 03
14m
S8 Ep270: RED CAPITALISTS AND SMUGGLERS Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang, Wild Ride. Following the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, China reopened to investment in 1992, giving rise to "red capitalists"—often the children of party officials who traded political access for eq
RED CAPITALISTS AND SMUGGLERS Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang, Wild Ride. Following the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, China reopened to investment in 1992, giving rise to "red capitalists"—often the children of party officials who traded political access for equity. As the central government lost control over local corruption and smuggling rings, it launched "Golden Projects" to digitize and centrali...
8m Jan 03
8m
S8 Ep270: THE AWAKENING OF CHINA'S ECONOMY Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang, Wild Ride. Returning to China in 1994, the author witnessed a transformation from the destitute, Maoist uniformity of 1985 to a budding export economy. In the earlier era, workers slept on de
THE AWAKENING OF CHINA'S ECONOMY Colleague Anne Stevenson-Yang, Wild Ride. Returning to China in 1994, the author witnessed a transformation from the destitute, Maoist uniformity of 1985 to a budding export economy. In the earlier era, workers slept on desks and lacked basic goods, but Deng Xiaoping's realization that the state needed hard currency prompted reforms. Deng established Special Eco...
10m Jan 03
10m
S8 Ep270: X-RAYS, SURVEILLANCE, AND MOTION Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. The discovery of X-rays in 1895 sparked a "new photography" craze, though the radiation caused severe injuries to early practitioners and subjects. Photography also entered t
X-RAYS, SURVEILLANCE, AND MOTION Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. The discovery of X-rays in 1895 sparked a "new photography" craze, though the radiation caused severe injuries to early practitioners and subjects. Photography also entered the realm of surveillance; British authorities used hidden cameras to photograph suffragettes, while doctors documented asylum patients without...
8m Jan 03
8m
S8 Ep270: X-RAYS, SURVEILLANCE, AND MOTION Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. The discovery of X-rays in 1895 sparked a "new photography" craze, though the radiation caused severe injuries to early practitioners and subjects. Photography also entered t
X-RAYS, SURVEILLANCE, AND MOTION Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. The discovery of X-rays in 1895 sparked a "new photography" craze, though the radiation caused severe injuries to early practitioners and subjects. Photography also entered the realm of surveillance; British authorities used hidden cameras to photograph suffragettes, while doctors documented asylum patients without...
12m Jan 03
12m
S8 Ep270: PHOTOGRAPHING THE MOON AND SEA Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. Early photography expanded scientific understanding, allowing humanity to visualize the inaccessible. James Nasmyth produced realistic images of the moon by photographing plast
PHOTOGRAPHING THE MOON AND SEA Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. Early photography expanded scientific understanding, allowing humanity to visualize the inaccessible. James Nasmyth produced realistic images of the moon by photographing plaster models based on telescope observations, aiming to prove its volcanic nature. Simultaneously, Louis Boutan spent a decade perfecting underwa...
6m Jan 03
6m
S8 Ep270: NADAR'S BALLOON AND THE BIRTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. In 1863, the photographer Nadar undertook a perilous ascent in a giant balloon to fund experiments for heavier-than-air flight, illustrating the adventurous spiri
NADAR'S BALLOON AND THE BIRTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY Colleague Anika Burgess, Flashes of Brilliance. In 1863, the photographer Nadar undertook a perilous ascent in a giant balloon to fund experiments for heavier-than-air flight, illustrating the adventurous spirit required of early photographers. This era began with Daguerre's 1839 introduction of the daguerreotype, a process involving highly dangerous...
12m Jan 03
12m
S8 Ep269: PREVIEW THE ORIGINS OF THE DAGUERREOTYPE Colleague Anika Burgess. Author Anika Burgess discusses the 1839 unveiling of the daguerreotype by Louis Daguerre. Originally a scene painter, Daguerre negotiated with the French government while the public marvele
PREVIEW THE ORIGINS OF THE DAGUERREOTYPE Colleague Anika Burgess. Author Anika Burgessdiscusses the 1839 unveiling of the daguerreotype by Louis Daguerre. Originally a scene painter, Daguerre negotiated with the French government while the public marveled at the "baffle belief" realism of this early photographic method, created in partnership with Nicéphore Niépce. 1913 FRANCE
3m Jan 02
3m