Podcasts about Hao

"I took my entire severance pay and blew it on a two-month trip to Asia — and that decision changed my life." - Hao TranIn this episode, I felt a strong sense of kindred spirit with Hao. We both came to Vietnam almost exactly nine years ago and ended up building something rooted in storytelling. I loved Hao's honesty about how Vietcetera started from nothing — no business plan, no roadmap — just curiosity and persistence. What stuck with me most was his idea that podcasting and media aren't just about broadcasting, but about representation: Vietnam telling its own story, from the inside out.He reminded me of the importance of long-term vision. When people told him they'd run out of stories, he proved that Vietnam is overflowing with them. This is more than media; it's cultural documentation. And honestly, that's what I hope the Vietnam Podcast becomes as well.Top 5 Takeaways - Hao came to Vietnam with no plans and just $300/month: A leap of faith that would unknowingly launch Vietcetera.- Vietcetera's first-ever feature was rejected by its subject: A lesson in humility, editing, and persistence.- The first paid advertorial turned out to be a voucher, not cash: Business lessons in transparency and expectation-setting.- There was no business model — it was built on energy, value exchange, and curiosity.- Mission to “bring Vietnam to the world” is not only alive — it's overflowing with untold stories.Chapters & Timestamps04:30-From Tech Layoff to Vietnam Leap06:30-Meeting Andrew Frazier & Early Immersions09:30-The First Vietcetera Blog: Rejection & Rewrite19:00-Living on $300 a Month in Vietnam22:00-Language, Culture & Being a Vietnamese-American Boss24:30- Remote Work, Human Connection & Gen Z Trends31:00-Youth Identity, Content Influence & the Monoculture39:00-Mission to Bring Vietnam to the World41:00-Supporting the Next Generation of Vietnamese Talent"Send me a message!"This Season is sponsored by Premier Dental.Discover the potential of a confident and healthy smile with the excellent dental clinic in Ho Chi Minh Support the show

They say love is blind- but not when algorithms are watching.Dating apps are quietly ranking your "attractiveness" using AI and facial recognition tech, deciding who gets seen- and who gets ghosted! In this episode, we uncover the shocking truth about beauty scores, data surveillance, and the invisible code shaping your romantic fate. What if your face is being used against you... without your knowledge?Are. You. Ready?****************Further Reading & ReferencesWilliams, Apryl. “Not My Type: Automating Sexual Racism in Online Dating.” MIT Press, 2024.Korducki, Kelli María. “Tinder's Algorithm Is Changing the Way We Date.” Hao, Karen. “Tinder's Algorithm Doesn't Know What You Want.” MIT Technology Review.BBC. “Tinder Developing AI Matchmaker Based on Facial Recognition.”Parker, Christine. “Qoves Studio and the Ethics of AI Beauty Scoring.” Noble, Safiya Umoja. “Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism.” NYU Press, 2018.Faception. "Our Technology." ****************Leave Us a 5* Rating, it helps the show!Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beauty-unlocked-the-podcast/id1522636282Spotify Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/37MLxC8eRob1D0ZcgcCorA****************Follow Us on Social Media & Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!TikTok:tiktok.com/@beautyunlockedthepodYouTube:@beautyunlockedspodcasthour****************Intro/Outro Music:Music by Savvier from Fugue FAME INC

John is joined by journalist Karen Hao to discuss her new book, “Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI,” and both the promise and the perils of the coming age of artificial intelligence. Hao explains how OpenAI went from being an altruistic nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that A.I. would “benefit all of humanity” to a burgeoning commercial colossus valued at north of $300 billion; how Altman wrested control of the company from his co-founder Elon Musk; why skepticism is warranted regarding the claims that superhuman A.I. is inevitable; and how that narrative, true or not, serves the economic and political interests of the cabal of tech bros who are A.I.'s most fervent boosters. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Karen Hao has been warning us about Sam Altman's OpenAI for a while now. In her bestselling Empire of AI, she argues that the Silicon Valley startup is a classic colonial power, akin to Britain's East India Company. Like those colonial merchants and policy makers who wrapped profit-seeking in civilizing missions, OpenAI cloaks its relentless scaling ambitions behind the noble goal of "ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity." But as Hao reveals, this pursuit comes at enormous cost—environmental devastation, exploited labor, and the extraction of data from communities worldwide. The parallels are striking: a private corporation accumulating unprecedented resources and power, operating with minimal oversight while externalizing the harms of its empire-building to those least able to resist. Five Key Takeaways 1. OpenAI is a Modern Corporate Empire Hao argues OpenAI operates like the British East India Company—a private corporation wrapped in a "civilizing mission" that extracts resources globally while externalizing costs to vulnerable communities. The company's stated goal of "benefiting all humanity" serves as ideological cover for profit-driven expansion.2. AI Development Didn't Have to Be This Destructive Before OpenAI's "scaling at all costs" approach, researchers were developing smaller, more efficient AI models using curated datasets. OpenAI deliberately chose quantity over quality, leading to massive computational requirements and environmental damage that could have been avoided.3. The Climate and Social Costs Are Staggering McKinsey estimates global energy grids need to add 2-6 times California's annual consumption to support AI infrastructure expansion. This means retired coal plants staying online, new methane turbines in working-class communities, and data centers consuming public drinking water in drought-prone areas.4. The Business Model May Be Unsustainable Despite raising $40 billion (Silicon Valley's largest private investment), OpenAI hasn't demonstrated how to monetize at that scale. Subscriptions don't cover operational costs, leading to considerations of thousand-dollar monthly fees or surveillance-based advertising models.5. Resistance is Possible and Already Happening Communities worldwide are successfully pushing back—from Chilean residents stalling Google data centers for five years to artists suing over intellectual property theft. Hao argues collective action across AI's supply chain can force a shift toward more democratic, community-centered development.Karen Hao is an award-winning journalist covering the impacts of artificial intelligence on society. She writes for publications including The Atlantic and leads the Pulitzer Center's AI Spotlight Series, a program training thousands of journalists around the world on how to cover AI. She was formerly a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, covering American and Chinese tech companies, and a senior editor for AI at MIT Technology Review. Her work is regularly taught in universities and cited by governments. She has received numerous accolades for her coverage, including an American Humanist Media Award and American National Magazine Award for Journalists Under 30. She received her Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from MIT.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Do we get the nonfiction we deserve? LATimes book critic Bethanne Patrick wrestles with this question through five new books that both mirror and address our fractured psyche. From Melissa Fibos' choice of celibacy over toxic sexual romance to a lone wolf crossing impossible borders, all these works expose a world grappling with isolation, AI empires, and the collapse of meaningful discourse. Whether it's Thomas Chatterton Williams's critique of wokeness, Damon Young's biting anthology of new black comedy, or Karen Hao's disturbing portrait of OpenAI as our new imperial reality ( Tomorrow's show features a full interview with Hao), each book reflects our deeper crisis: the inability to connect authentically in our age of social isolation and anxiety. The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex - Melissa Fibos. Melissa Fibos, a writer with a history of intense romantic fixations, realizes she's addicted to the chase rather than genuine connection. She embarks on a year-long celibacy experiment, allowing masturbation and fantasies but avoiding all dating and partnered sex. It's a transformative journey of empowerment as Fibos discovers authentic pleasure in solitude, food, and simple experiences, ultimately meeting her future wife before completing the full year.Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and The Demise of Discourse - Thomas Chatterton Williams. This multiracial critic argues that America's obsession with racial categories perpetuates the very divisions we claim to fight, insisting that race is purely a social construct with no biological basis. Writing from his perspective as an American expat in France, Williams contends that woke discourse and "correct" language distract from addressing real structural problems. His book challenges readers to move beyond tired black-versus-white frameworks toward more nuanced conversations about power and identity.That's How They Get You: An Unruly Anthology of Black American Humor - Edited by Damon Young This collection features sharp satirical pieces from top Black American writers who skewer everything from Karen culture to Disney's racial blindness to tech company exploitation. Contributors include Mateo Askaripour (who wrote the acclaimed "Black Buck") offering biting commentary on workplace racism and cultural appropriation. The anthology demonstrates how humor serves as both weapon and shield, allowing writers to expose systemic absurdities while maintaining their sanity in an often hostile world.Lone Wolf: Walking the Line Between Civilization and Wildness - Adam Weymouth In 2011, a wolf named Slavc traveled over 1,000 miles from Slovenia to the Italian Alps, becoming the first wolf in that region for decades and eventually establishing a pack of over 100. Weymouth follows this remarkable journey to explore how artificial barriers—from the Iron Curtain to Trump's border wall—prevent both wildlife and human refugees from reaching safety. The book uses the wolf's migration as a lens to examine what happens when the wild refuses to respect human boundaries and how life persistently seeks ways to thrive despite our attempts to control it.Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI - Karen Hao. Based on 90 interviews with current and former OpenAI executives plus dozens more from competing tech companies. Hao argues that without proper regulation and transparency, AI could evolve into a modern version of the British East India Company—a technological monopoly that serves elite interests while reshaping global power structures. Tomorrow's show features a full interview with Hao. Bethanne Patrick maintains a storied place in the publishing industry as a critic and as @TheBookMaven on Twitter, where she created the popular #FridayReads and regularly comments on books and literary ideas to over 200,000 followers. Her work appears frequently in the Los Angeles Times as well as in The Washington Post, NPR Books, and Literary Hub. She sits on the board of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation and has served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle. She is the host of the Missing Pages podcast.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Trailblazing AI journalist Karen Hao comes all the way from Hong Kong to San Francisco to discuss the issues raised in her new book, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI. Hao tackles the hard-hitting questions many people are afraid to face about the disruptive power of artificial intelligence and the forces driving its rapid ascent. A longtime AI insider with unparalleled access to OpenAI and its key players, Hao has spent years investigating the industry's hidden costs—human, environmental, and geopolitical. As a journalist whose award-winning work has been cited by Congress and featured in leading publications such as The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and MIT Technology Review, she has become one of the most authoritative voices on AI today. Now Hao pulls back the curtain on the tech arms race reshaping our world in real time. From the breakneck rise of OpenAI and its Faustian bargain with Microsoft to the global supply chains powering AI's insatiable appetite for data, energy and human labor, she reveals the staggering scale of the industry's ambitions—and its consequences. With exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, including the dramatic firing and reinstatement of Sam Altman (a highly public corporate drama that began just days after Altman talked AI ethics on the Commonwealth Club stage), Hao will discuss not just a corporate saga but a crucial examination of the future of power, technology and society itself. Join us for this urgent and thought-provoking conversation about the past, present, and future of AI—what's at stake, who stands to gain, and who is being left behind.   Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California is a nonprofit public forum; we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our programming. Commonwealth Club World Affairs is a public forum. Any views expressed in our programs are those of the speakers and not of Commonwealth Club World Affairs.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2019, before most of the world had heard of the company, the technology journalist Karen Hao spent three days embedded in the offices of OpenAI. What she saw, she tells Michael Safi, was a company vastly at odds with its public image: that of a transparent non-profit developing artificial intelligence technology purely for the benefit of humanity. ‘They said that they were transparent. They said that they were collaborative. They were actually very secretive,' she says. Hao spent the next five years following the growth of OpenAI, as it shifted to pursue – in her words – a growth-at-all-costs model. On the one hand, it has been spectacularly successful, with OpenAI now one of the largest companies in the world. On the other, she argues, it has come at a severe cost – to the people whose labour it relies on to operate, and to the planet. In fact, as she describes in her new book, Empire of AI: Inside the reckless race for total domination, it makes sense to think of OpenAI not as a company, but more akin to empires of old

We just got off a call with the technology journalist Karen Hao, the keenest chronicler of the technology that's promising — or threatening — to reshape the world, who has a new book, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI.The book talks not just about artificial intelligence and what it might be, or its most visible spokesperson and what he might believe, but also about the way the tech industry titans resemble more and more the empires of old in their relentless resource extraction and exploitation of labor around the world, their take-no-prisoners competitiveness against supposedly “evil” pretenders, and their religious fervor for progress and even salvation. She also told us about what the future might look like if we get A.I. right, and the people who produce the data, the resources, and control the labor power can reassert their ownership and push back against these new empires to build a more humane and human future.You won't want to miss this, so check out the full conversation above, and click on the image below to get a copy of Hao's essential book.If you appreciate the work that goes into The Ink and haven't already done so, we hope you'll become a supporting subscriber.Your support is how we keep the lights on, pay our writers and editors a fair wage, and build the new media we all deserve. When you subscribe, you help us reach more people.Join us today. Or give a gift or group subscription.More Live conversations this week!Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, May 28, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, when we will meet Live with The Ink Book Club to wrap up our discussion of Abundance, and on Thursday, May 29, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, when we'll be back with messaging guru Anat Shenker-Osorio. We hope you can make it to both conversations!To join and watch, download the Substack app (click on the button below) and turn on notifications — you'll get an alert that we're live, and you can watch from your iOS or Android mobile device. And if you haven't already, subscribe to The Ink to access full videos of past conversations and to join the chat during our live events.. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the.ink/subscribe

OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit meant to conduct artificial intelligence research that would benefit the general public. In the company's early days, reporter Karen Hao arranged to spend time in OpenAI's offices and noticed the culture there was incredibly secretive. That secrecy raised questions for Hao that ultimately resulted in her new book, Empire of AI. The book is an intimate look at the company behind ChatGPT, but also at the industry-wide race to control AI. In today's episode, she speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about early disagreements between founders Sam Altman and Elon Musk, Altman's talents for fundraising and storytelling, and how the AI race is reproducing elements of colonial empire.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

In his New York Times review of the book, Columbia Law School professor and former White House official Tim Wu calls journalist Karen Hao's new book, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI, “a corrective to tech journalism that rarely leaves Silicon Valley.” Hao has appeared on this podcast before, to help us understand how the business model of social media platforms incentivizes the deterioration of information ecosystems, the series of events around OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's abrupt firing in 2023, and the furor around the launch of DeepSeek last year. This week, Justin Hendrix spoke with Hao about the book, and what she imagines for the future.

  Kevin Werbach interviews journalist and author Karen Hao about her new book Empire of AI, which chronicles the rise of OpenAI and the broader implications of generative artificial intelligence. Hao reflects on how the ethical challenges of AI have evolved, noting the shift from concerns like data privacy and algorithmic bias to more complex issues such as intellectual property violations, environmental impact, misleading user experiences, and concentration of power. She emphasizes that while some technical solutions exist, they are rarely implemented by developers, and foundational harms often occur before tools reach end users. Hao argues that OpenAI's trajectory was not inevitable but instead the result of specific ideological beliefs, aggressive scaling decisions, and CEO Sam Altman's singular fundraising prowess. She critiques the “pseudo-religious” ideologies underpinning Silicon Valley's AI push, where utopian and doomer narratives coexist to justify rapid development. Hao outlines a more democratic alternative focused on smaller, task-specific models and stronger regulation to redirect AI's future trajectory. Karen Hao has written about AI for publications such as The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and MIT Tchnology Review. She was the first journalist to ever profile OpenAI, and leads The AI Spotlight Series, a program with the Pulitzer Center that trains thousands of journalists around the world on how to cover AI. She has also been a fellow with the Harvard Technology and Public Purpose program, the MIT Knight Science Journalism program, and the Pulitzer Center's AI Accountability Network. She won an American Humanist Media Award in 2024, and an American National Magazine Award in 2022. Transcript Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI Inside the Chaos at OpenAI (The Atlantic, 2023) Cleaning Up ChatGPT Takes Heavy Toll on Human Workers (Wall St. Journal, 2023) The New AI Panic (The Atlantic, 2023) The Messy, Secretive Reality Behind OpenAI's Bid to Save the World (MIT Technology Review, 2020)

The boys are back! On this week's episode of HAO, Oz and Commish recap an epic day at Augusta on Sunday, then catch up about the current F1 season before looking ahead to the NBA playoffs! Twitter: @aokworldwidePodcast theme music by Transistor.fm. Learn how to start a podcast here.

All fresh back from the latest EPOS meeting in Toulouse! We Welcome listeners back to the 12th EPISODE of the BSCOS Paediatric Orthopaedic Digest (POD)cast with special guest Darius Rad of Southampton Childrens Hospital! Heradling from Transylavania in Romania, he trained at Royal London Hospital, Great Ormond Street and Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales before being appointed as a consultant in Southampton where hei s part of a growing team! His favourite poem is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost: “I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.” We scoured 35 journals & highlighted the most impactful studies that we feel can change practice or improve outcomes in Paediatric Orthopaedics. Also…we play EURO-HOT or EURO-NOT so stay tuned and be educated on 90's European Dance Music!Follow Updates on @BSCOS_UK on X / Instagram!REFERENCES:1.    Autism screening and diagnostic outcomes among toddlers born preterm. Hamner et al. Dev Med Child Neurol. March 2025. PMID: 39165130 2.    The effect of vitamin D on the speed and quality of pediatric fracture healing. Hendrych et al. J Child Orthop. November 2024. PMID: 39563984 3.    Spontaneous recovery in the majority of stable dysplastic hips treated with active surveillance. Theunissen et al. Bone Joint J. February 2025. PMID: 39889762. 4.    Proximal versus distal tenotomy of the iliopsoas tendon in the surgical treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip: a randomized clinical trial. Doski J. Int Orthop. March 2025. PMID: 39853427. 5.     Intraoperative Tranexamic Acid Infusion Reduces Perioperative Blood Loss in Pediatric Limb-Salvage Surgeries: A Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. El Ghoneimy et al. J Bone Joint Surg Am. March 2025.  PMID: 39841811. 6.     Morphological Improvement of the Epiphyseal Plate and Trochlea After Surgical Correction in Skeletally Immature Patients With Patellar Dislocation and Trochlear Dysplasia. Hao et al.  Am J Sports Med. February 2025. PMID: 39743963. 7.     Dexterity assessment of hospital workers: prospective comparative study. Joseph et al. BMJ. December 2024. PMID: 39706594. 8.     Subtalar arthroereisis with metallic implant is a safe and effective treatment for pediatric patients with symptomatic flexible flatfeet. A 10-year clinical and radiographic follow-up. Moraca et al. Foot Ankle Surg. Jan 2025. PMID: 38972783 9.     The risk of refracture and malunion in children treated for diaphyseal forearm fractures: a retrospective cohort study. Husum et al. Acta Orthop. Feburary 2025. PMID: 39993177; 10.  Optimal Timing for Advanced Imaging in Childhood Bone and Joint Infection. Hunter et al. J Pediatr Orthop. Feburary 2025. PMID: 39307981. 11.  Get Over It: Surgical Residents' Responses to Simulated Harassment. A Multi Method Study. Johnson et al. J Surg Educ. March 2025. PMID: 39818080. 12.  Oral Infigratinib Therapy in Children with Achondroplasia. Savarirayan et al. N Engl J Med. February 2025. PMID: 39555818. 13.  From Sheep to Sling: Pediatric Injuries Due to Rodeo Mutton Bustin'. Schultz et al. J Pediatr Orthop.April 2025. PMID: 39831656. Follow Hosts: @AnishPSangh @AlpsKothari @Pranai_BTune in for the next episode in Summer! Have a fantastic Easter!

In this episode, we explore significant price fluctuations in the iron ore market with Hao Pei decoding the impacts of China's crude steel restrictions and market rumours on iron ore prices. Hello, we're Jess and Davide, and we welcome you back to another insightful episode of Freight Up – your go-to podcast for the latest in freight and commodity markets from Freight Investor Services or as some of us know us, FIS. This episode we ask why coking coal prices are being corralled or which forces in the Middle East might unsettle the stabilizing oil market? Hao unravels these subjects and offers insights into potential market trends. Meanwhile, Archie Smith tackles fuel oil market intricacies, detailing price behaviours and geopolitical factors that traders must watch. As the world shifts closer to sustainable energy solutions, our captivating battery metals segment features Abex Commodity Futures Exchange's Joe Raja and Sascha Lefschitz. They share with us the course of innovative futures contracts and how they're reshaping risk management, offering traders more robust tools for the evolving battery landscape.Timestamped summary00:00 China: Deflation, Growth, and Shipping Trends03:30 Iron Ore Market Volatility08:36 Ukraine War Truce and Oil Impact13:33 Rare New Futures Exchange Launch17:02 Launching Nickel and Lithium Contracts20:25 Comprehensive Risk Management Tool21:51 Subscribe for Biweekly Freight PodcastLinks referenced in this episode:abex.comfislive.comfreightinvestorservices.comlinkedin.comThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy

Forget about the original “The Dating Game,” not to mention “The All-New Dating Game” and “The Celebrity Dating Game.” This is director Violet Du Feng's “The Dating Game,” which just had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Of course, this is a documentary not a Chuck Barris game show and, like Violet's previous film, the sublime “Hidden Letters,” which was shortlisted for an Academy Award, her version explores the topic with depth, insight, and humor.   Joining Ken for another of our in-person Sundance Film Festival interviews, along with the film's Academy Award-winning producer, Joanna Natasegara (“The White Helmets”), Violet discusses the similarities and differences between “Hidden Letters” and “The Dating Game.” The film delves into the world of dating for young Chinese men, who face immense challenges in a country where there are 30 million more men than women due to China's former One Child Policy. The film's compelling participants include the highly sought after but somewhat cheesy dating coach Hao and his three clients, as well as Hao's wife, Wen, also a dating coach. When, in one scene, Wen confronts Hao about their own marriage, the plot thickens. No game show can match that drama.   Follow: @violetdufeng and @joanna_film on Instagram and @VioletFilms @topdocspod on Instagram and X    The Presenting Sponsor of "Top Docs" is Netflix.

When the American company OpenAI released ChatGPT, it was the first time that a lot of people had ever interacted with Generative AI. ChatGPT has become so popular that, for many, it's now synonymous with artificial intelligence.But that may be changing. Earlier this year a Chinese startup called DeepSeek launched its own AI chatbot, sending shockwaves across Silicon Valley. According to DeepSeek, their model – DeepSeek-R1 – is just as powerful as ChatGPT but was developed at a fraction of the cost. In other words, this isn't just a new company, it could be an entirely different approach to building artificial intelligence.To try and understand what DeepSeek means for the future of AI, and for American innovation, I wanted to speak with Karen Hao. Hao was the first reporter to ever write a profile on OpenAI and has covered AI for The MIT Tech Review, The Atlantic and the Wall Street Journal. So she's better positioned than almost anyone to try and make sense of this seemingly monumental shift in the landscape of artificial intelligence.Mentioned:“The messy, secretive reality behind OpenAI's bid to save the world,” by Karen HaoFurther Reading:“DeepSeek-R1: Incentivizing Reasoning Capability in LLMs via Reinforcement Learning,” by DeepSeek-AI and others.“A Comparison of DeepSeek and Other LLMs,” by Tianchen Gao, Jiashun Jin, Zheng Tracy Ke, Gabriel Moryoussef“Technical Report: Analyzing DeepSeek-R1′s Impact on AI Development,” by Azizi Othman

This is Freight Up, the place where we unpack the labyrinth that is the freight and commodity markets. I'm Jess, one of your guides on this voyage, alongside my co-host Davide. In this episode, we'll be diving headfirst into the current resurgence of the freight market with Ben Klang, while parsing through the intricacies of iron ore's recent pullback with Hao Pei. To wrap things up, Archie sheds light on the tumultuous happenings in the fuel oil market. First up, the freight market. If you've been watching, you'll know the Capesize market is on an upswing after a spell of lukewarm rates. Ben Klang spills the details on what's driving the surge and whether it's here to stay. As we transition from freight to raw materials with Hao Pei, we dissect the iron ore market, which has seen a significant dip. Hao highlights the high production levels in Australia and Brazil that have weighed on prices and draws out the influence of macroeconomic factors, such as the ongoing trade tensions. We finish up with Archie's view on the fuel oil market as we explore how recent moves in crude prices and geopolitical factors, like OPEC's supply decisions and increasing tariffs, have stirred volatility. Timestamped summary00:00 Geopolitical Tensions and Economic Shifts04:27 Cape Size Market Boosts Dry FFAs 08:52 Capesize Trading Surpasses Panamax12:25 China's Economy: Potential Market Volatility15:26 Iron Ore Market Strategy Awaited16:30 Iron Ore Market Strategy22:35 Fuel Oil Market Dynamics23:47 Subscribe for Freight UpdatesThis podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy

Hao and Jay 来聊现在的健身环境，为什么现在健身房那么难开？环境的门槛是对的吗？ 有空可以去看看虹桥的 Bellula贝露拉健康管理工作室：虹桥万科中心LG2 15A单元

After 25-year-old Niki Hutchinson loses her mother, she uses some of her inheritance to start fresh in California. Not knowing anyone, she does what many people do today and joins a dating app to make connections. She develops a friendship with a man named Hao and, in time, he offers to teach her how to invest in cryptocurrency. With some small successes and lots of encouragement from Hao, she dives in and invests her inheritance, plus some of her dad's money as well. That's when her friend becomes less helpful.

There were many storylines associated with the US Women's National Team heading into the 2015 Women's World Cup. Jill Ellis was early in her tenure as head coach. Emerging young talents were on the ascension. Alex Morgan was a certified star. But above all, the team was looking for its first World Cup win since 1999. A key group of veterans made the trip to Canada with multiple Olympic gold medals on their resume, but yearning to add the World Cup win to their personal list of accomplishments as well. Heather O'Reilly was one of those players. Along with Abby Wambach, Shannon Boxx and others. For O'Reilly, better known as HAO, 2015 presented an opportunity to help the team achieve new heights. She joined Founding Futbol to talk about her career. HAO discusses how the team's performance may have been under appreciated during those Olympic runs, without the World Cup title. She shares the challenges of taking on different roles as the USWNT evolved and so much more. Visit our website for more information: ⁠FoundingFutbol.com. Email us at kent@foundingfutbol.com Subscribe to Founding Futbol on your platform of choice. Host: Kent Malmros Guest: Heather O'Reilly (Former USWNT and NWSL Player) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Chris Kaminski & Hao Dang as they discuss:➡️Predictions from 2024 that were wrong and right➡️Hao's predictions for 2025➡️Chris' predictions for 2025To learn more about us or stay in the loop, visit www.consiliowealth.comDo you work at Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, or Google? Check out our free benefits guidesSubmit a question to team@consiliowealth.comwww.consiliowealth.com/disclosures 

If Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's efficiency and performance achievements stand up to scrutiny, it could have big implications for the AI race. It could call into question the strategic approach that the biggest US firms appear to be taking and the wisdom of the current American policy approach to AI. To discuss these issues, Justin Hendrix spoke to Karen Hao,  a reporter who covers AI. In recent years, she's reported on China and tech for the Wall Street Journal, written about AI for The Atlantic, and run a program for the Pulitzer Center  to teach other journalists how to report on AI. Hao has a book about OpenAI, the AI industry, and its global impacts that will be released later this year.

The Honolulu Fire Department is grieving the death of a 25-year-old firefighter following a three-alarm building fire in McCully Monday night. Fire Chief Sheldon “Kalani” Hao identified the firefighter who died as Jeffrey Fiala. He had been with the department for a year and a half, Hao said.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lovely guest episode with the brilliant Edinburgh Fringe best newcomer nominee, Jin Hao Li! Jin is a brilliant calming presence which is very fun to see play out against Helen's energy...FOLLOW JIN: @Jin.Hao.LiNEW MERCH: trustyhogs.com/merchLEICESTER (15/2): Live Show TicketsThank you so much for listening!Support us at www.patreon.com/TrustyHogs for exclusive bonus content, merch, and more!Trust us with your own problems and questions... TrustyHogs@gmail.comPlease give us a follow @TrustyHogs on all socialsBe sure to subscribe and rate us (unless you don't like these little piggies - 5 Stars only!)All links: https://audioalways.lnk.to/trustyhogsSNThank you to our Patreon supporters...EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Guy Goodman / Simon Moores / Annie Tonner / Stefanie Catracchia / Oliver Jago / Anthony Conway / Neil Redmond / Madeline Quinne / Sadie CashmorePRODUCERS: Elle / Richard Bald / Harald van Dijk / Tim & Dom / David Walker / Rachel R / Claire Owen-Jones / Jess & Nick / Sarah & Molly / Raia Fink / Cordelia / Rachel Page / Helen A / Tina Linsey / Amy O'Riordan / Abbie Worf / Matt Sims / Luke Bright / Leah / Kate / Liz Fort / Taz / Anthony / Klo / Becky Fox / Dean Michael / Sophie Chivers / Carey Seuthe / Charley A / KC / Jam Rainbird / Tamsyne Smith-Harding / Hannah J / Ezra Peregrine / Bryn / Laura Pollock / Leah Overend / Steven ChickenWith Helen Bauer (Daddy Look at Me, Live at the Apollo) & Catherine Bohart (Roast Battle, Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats)FOLLOW HELEN, CATHERINE & ANDREW...@HelenBaBauer@CatherineBohart@StandUpAndrew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leo ni siku ya watoto duniani maudhui mwaka huu yakiwa "Kila mtoto, kila haki"na katika kuhakikisha sauti zao zinasikika kuhusu mustakbali wa utakao, shirika la Umoja wa Maataifa la kuhudumia watoto duniani UNICEF limewapa fursa ya kuandika barua kwenda kwa watu wazima kote duniani ili kutoa madukuduku yao na kutanabaisha wanachokitaka kwa ajili ya mustakbali wao. Hao ni baadhi tu ya makumi ya watoto walioandika barua , hawa ni kutoka Gaza, Tanzania na Jamhuri ya kidemokrasia ya Congo DRC ambao walishika kalamu na karatasi kufikisha ujumbe wao kwa watu wazima wa dunia ya sasa iliyoghubikwa na changamoto lukuki zinazoweka rehani mustakbali wao.Kwa mujibu wa ripoti mpya ya UNICEF ya “Hali ya watoto duniani mwaka 2024: Mustakabali wa Utoto katika Ulimwengu Unaobadilika,” iliyotolewa leo sanjari na maadhimisho ya siku hii kuna masuala matatu makubwa ya kimataifa yatakatoathiri maisha ya watoto ifikapo 2050 na kuendelea. Mosi ni mabadiliko katika idadi ya watu, pili janga la mabadiliko ya tabianchi na migogoro na tatu teknolojiaUNICEF inasema yote haya ni changamoto na fursa ambazo watoto wanaweza kukabiliana nazo katika zama zijazo.Rafif mtoto mkimbizi wa ndani ameandika barua kutoka Palestina ambako vita imetamalaki, anasema“Ninatoka mjini Gaza na sasa nimefurushwa hadi Kusini mwa Gaza. kama watoto Ni haki yetu kuishi kwa usalama na kujenga mustakbali bora”Kutoka mashariki ya Kati hadi Afrika Mashariki kwa Steven akimulika afya“Na nianaandika kwenu kutoka Tanzania. Kwenye jamii yangu watoto wanaugua kila wakati , kwa nini? Huu ndio mustakbali wangu je unasikiliza?”Nako Congo DRC mitihani ni mingi, Andrea anasema“Nataka kushuhudia dunia ambayo kila mtoto anapendwa, dunia ambayo amani inashamiri ni raha na faraja. Napenda kuona hasira zinageuka na kuwa mazungumzo”Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Mataifa Antonio Guterres akiunga mkono suti hizo za watoto katika ujumbe wake amesema Katika Siku ya Watoto Duniani tunasherehekea washiriki wachanga zaidi wa familia yetu ya kibinadamu. Lakini leo pia ni wakati wa kutambua changamoto kubwa zinazowakabili watoto katika ulimwengu wetu uliogawanyika sana, wenye misukosuko na mara nyingi ulioshamiri ukatili.”Ripoti ya UNICEF imetoa wito wa kuwekeza katika elimu, miji endelevu na yenye mnepo kwa watoto, miundombinu inayohimili mabadiliko ya tabianchi, teknolojia, huduma muhimu na mifumo ya msaada wa kijamii na pia teknolojia iliyo salama kwa watoto ili kupambana na mzigo wa changamoto zinazowakabili.

Key Freight Indices and Iron Ore Rebound ExplainedThe key movements and news of the markets followed by us at Freight Investor ServicesHello, and welcome to this week's Freight Up podcast. I'm Jess. Together with Davide, we'll guide you through this episode, packed with insights and analysis. Today, we're covering a lot of info despite Archie Smith missing our segment on fuel oil. We'll kick things off with the latest updates in the freight market, diving into index movements over the last two weeks. From the steady but modest shifts in the Panamax market to the more dramatic fluctuations in Capesize contracts, we'll give you the detailed breakdown you need to understand these currents. Next up, we're diving into the iron ore sector with insights from Hao Pei in Shanghai. As Hao discusses, the iron ore index saw a rise and fall this week. He analyses the geopolitical and economic factors that contributed to these movements. Hao's analysis will equip you with a nuanced understanding of how global events shape this crucial commodity market. We also touch upon the coking coal market.For more detailed analysis and up-to-the-minute insights, make sure you're subscribed to our podcast and following us on LinkedIn. You can also get the Freight Investor Services app, FIS Live, to never miss a beat. Remember, staying informed is key to staying ahead. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of Freight Up. See you in two weeks for our next episode delving into the freight and commodity markets.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podder - https://www.podderapp.com/privacy-policy

How the US Election Impacts Freight and Commodity MarketsWelcome back to Freight Up, the premier podcast from Freight Investor Services where we dissect and explore the major movements and current developments in the freight and bulk commodity markets. We're Jess and Davide, and we'll be your guides today as we delve into a special episode centered on the recent US Elections and their implications for our industry. Joining us are experts Archie Smith, and Hao Pei, who will share their unique insights on how the election results might shift our markets. By listening in today, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how the political landscape influences freight and commodity trading, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve.In this episode, we'll kick things off with a comprehensive freight update. From the latest news in the American job market to the latest index movements, we've got you covered. As we transition to specific commodities, we take a closer look at how the US elections are likely affecting iron ore and fuel oil markets. We learn the potential impacts, particularly focusing on dry bulk markets and how Trump's probable victory might reignite trade tensions with China, affecting grain and steel exports. Hao connects the dots between geopolitical movements and China's proactive fiscal policies. Finally, Archie examines how the election results are already causing ripples in the fuel oil market, shedding light on the immediate bearish impact on crude oil prices following Trump's rise and the longer-term implications of tariff impositions. Links referenced in this episode:FreightInvestorservice.comFIS LiveCompanies mentioned in this episode: Freight Investor Services Kaizen General Service FIS Live

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Meilin's Moonlit Transformation: A Festive Fusion Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/meilins-moonlit-transformation-a-festive-fusion Story Transcript:Zh: 在杭州西湖边，有一家古色古香的茶馆。En: By the side of West Lake in Hangzhou, there is a quaint and elegant teahouse.Zh: 木梁高悬，纸灯笼洒下温暖的光晕，空气中弥漫着茶叶的清香和甜美的月饼味道。En: Wooden beams hang high, paper lanterns cast a warm glow, and the air is filled with the fresh scent of tea leaves and the sweet aroma of mooncakes.Zh: 这是秋天，也是中秋节的时节，氛围恬静而喜庆。En: It is autumn, and also the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time that is peaceful yet festive.Zh: 梅琳坐在一张木桌边，望着窗外的西湖。En: Meilin sat at a wooden table, gazing at West Lake outside the window.Zh: 这是她最喜欢的地方。En: This was her favorite place.Zh: 茶馆里，不少客人正享用香茗，讨论着节日的准备。En: Inside the teahouse, many guests were enjoying their aromatic teas and discussing holiday preparations.Zh: 梅琳安静地坐着，心里盘算着如何装饰家里，让家人惊喜。En: Meilin sat quietly, pondering how to decorate her home to surprise her family.Zh: "我们去挑选一些装饰品和月饼吧！"活泼的郝从她身边经过，提议道。En: "Let's go pick out some decorations and mooncakes!" suggested lively Hao, passing by her side.Zh: 郝是梅琳的表哥，总是充满活力，想把每个节日都过得热热闹闹。En: Hao was Meilin's cousin, always full of energy, wanting every festival to be celebrated with great enthusiasm.Zh: 梅琳点点头，跟着郝走出茶馆。En: Meilin nodded and followed Hao out of the teahouse.Zh: 他们穿过热闹的市场，琳琅满目的装饰让梅琳有些犹豫不决。En: They navigated through the bustling market, where the dazzling array of decorations made Meilin a bit indecisive.Zh: “要选传统的还是现代的呢？”她心里想着。En: "Should I choose traditional or modern?" she wondered.Zh: 但郝却充满信心地挑选着各种色彩鲜艳的饰品和流行样式的月饼。En: But Hao, full of confidence, was selecting colorful decorations and trendy patterned mooncakes.Zh: "试试这些现代风格的吧，很有趣！"郝鼓励道。En: "Try these modern styles; they're really fun!" encouraged Hao.Zh: 梅琳看着摊位上的各种新奇东西，心中不禁感到迷茫。En: Looking at all the novel items at the stalls, Meilin felt a bit lost.Zh: 她喜欢传统的东西，但也知道郝的选择很受欢迎。En: She liked traditional things, but also understood that Hao's choices were quite popular.Zh: 她能否把两者结合，创造出一个独特而美丽的节日装饰呢？En: Could she combine the two and create a uniquely beautiful festival decoration?Zh: 经过一番思考，梅琳决定相信自己的直觉。En: After some thought, Meilin decided to trust her instincts.Zh: 她开始选择一些传统风格的红灯笼和古典纹样的月饼，也选了现代感十足的灯饰和彩色纸艺。En: She began selecting some traditional red lanterns and mooncakes with classical designs, also opting for modern light decorations and colorful paper crafts.Zh: 她小心翼翼地将这些风格不同的元素搭配在一起，希望给大家带来惊喜。En: She carefully matched these different styles together, hoping to surprise everyone.Zh: 中秋节的夜晚到了，家人在院子里赏月，梅琳也忐忑地布置着她的装饰。En: The night of the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, and as the family gathered in the courtyard to admire the moon, Meilin anxiously set up her decorations.Zh: 灯笼高挂，彩色灯光点缀，桌上摆满了各种口味的月饼。En: Lanterns hung high, colorful lights adorned the scene, and the table was filled with mooncakes of various flavors.Zh: 家人们渐渐围过来，目光中流露出惊讶和赞叹。En: Slowly, the family gathered around, their eyes showing surprise and admiration.Zh: "这真是太漂亮了。"妈妈微笑着说。En: "This is truly beautiful," her mother said with a smile.Zh: "非常有创意！"郝竖起大拇指。En: "Very creative!" Hao gave a thumbs-up.Zh: 梅琳的心中充满了喜悦，她知道自己的努力得到了认可。En: Meilin's heart was filled with joy, knowing her efforts were appreciated.Zh: 从那一刻起，梅琳不再害怕表达自己的想法，也开始更加主动地参与家庭的节日准备。En: From that moment on, Meilin was no longer afraid to express her ideas and began taking a more active role in the family's holiday preparations.Zh: 她知道，自己不仅仅是在装饰一个节日，而是用心去感受和庆祝生命中的美好。En: She realized that she wasn't just decorating a festival; she was celebrating the wonderful moments in life with her heart.Zh: 在那一晚的月光下，梅琳与家人共同分享月饼，笑声不断，亲情更加紧密。En: Under that night's moonlight, Meilin shared mooncakes with her family, laughter resounded, and their bond grew stronger.Zh: 这个中秋节，不仅是月亮圆满，也是梅琳勇敢心灵的圆满。En: This Mid-Autumn Festival was not only a celebration of the full moon but also of Meilin's courageous and fulfilled heart. Vocabulary Words:quaint: 古色古香elegant: 优雅beams: 梁lanterns: 灯笼aroma: 香味festive: 喜庆pondering: 盘算surprise: 惊喜lively: 活泼energetic: 充满活力candor: 直言不讳dazzling: 琳琅满目novel: 新奇indecisive: 犹豫不决instincts: 直觉traditional: 传统modern: 现代unique: 独特courtyard: 院子admire: 欣赏surprise: 惊讶admiration: 赞叹creative: 创意appreciated: 认可courageous: 勇敢fulfillment: 圆满bond: 亲情celebration: 庆祝moments: 美好heart: 心灵

– 本节目由阿那亚和深夜谈谈播客网络共同出品，深夜谈谈播客网络制作发行 –本期「遗落的歌」，我们请到了来自北京的双主唱梦幻流行乐队迷心Lost Soul Paradise来做客。由钢筋水泥构筑的城市空间中，都市人群对“自我”的寻找从未停歇，但随着城市生活的快节奏和不断变化，使得人们可能面临着身份和角色的不确定性，因而这种自我探索的过程往往叠加着归属感的缺失。从第一张专辑《都市金阁寺》开始，迷心就在探讨繁华都市里俯拾即是的流浪感受。在那些让人无比想去流浪的时间段，他们畅想着去看山看海，去和不同的人产生真实的互动与连接，也缔造了很多珍贵的音乐创作。本期空岛，迷心Lost Soul Paradise乐队将与我们分享在心灵“流浪”的时刻，那些对他们产生过慰藉的音乐。00:02:09 HAO - 晚安202200:06:51 杜星萤 - Lorry, Lorry00:14:16 Massive Attack - Live With Me00:17:22 Air - Playground Love00:21:53 Bee Gees - Alone00:25:34 陈琳 - 爱就爱了00:28:58 Rufus Wainwright - The Maker Makes (Brokeback Mountain／Soundtrack Version)00:35:03 迷心 - Human Zoo (宫)【嘉宾介绍】迷心Lost Soul Paradise，克制、迷幻，且妖娆，是一支试图在古典音乐底蕴和现代电子音乐逻辑中找寻其独特表达方式的双主唱电子乐队。 迷心于2024年发布第一张全长专辑《都市金阁寺》，由乐队成员独立包办了词曲、编曲、制作、混音的全部内容。“情绪高于技巧，表达即是一切。” 乐队现有成员：主唱/键盘 D娃｜制作人/主唱/贝斯/合成器/萨克斯 HAO｜吉他手/混音 冯帆｜鼓手 康嘉洵【关于空岛】「空岛」是由阿那亚和深夜谈谈播客网络共同出品的一档独立播客。每期节目都会有探险家登陆「空岛」，为我们带来时光的礼物。我们强调智识和感受的分享，试图还原每一位空岛来客当下的片段感悟。微博：@空岛LandingOnAir 【关于阿那亚文化】阿那亚国际文化发展有限公司成立于2020年，承载了阿那亚的文化艺术板块，是基于品牌管理、内容创意和资源整合能力的管理机构，依托阿那亚园区的多元建筑空间和社群环境，自主研发场景化的展演服务、社群服务与公共传播服务，致力于向公众提供最前沿的文化产品和体验。微信公众号：阿那亚小红书：@阿那亚微博：@阿那亚Aranya【关于深夜谈谈播客网络】深夜谈谈播客网络是一个拥有强嘉宾资源，基于声音及声音相关创意，具备策略、创意发想，渠道整合、设计制作、社交矩阵传播等全方位能力的文化厂牌。-旗下播客：大内密谈、枕边风、空岛、随便聪明、淮海333-小红书：@深夜谈谈子-商务合作邮箱：biz@midnightalks.com

9/28に行われたグローバルフェスタJAPAN 2024での公開収録・前半をお届け！ウガンダ在住、ライターやテクノオーガナイザーの活動をしているHaoちゃんをゲストに、ウガンダの暮らしについて聞いてみました

LISTEN: Get ready for valuable takeaways in this conversation with Top Bellevue Washington Agent, Hao Dang. He's literally giving you the scripts. “This is how I start conversations with leads and turn them into clients. These are the texts I schedule to go out. This is how I close.” Hao shares his fascinating story, beginning with his motivation to get into the real estate industry - to buy his mom a house - and soon after grossing $180K in his first 6 months. Fast forward 22 years and Hao has introduced leverage into his world, his team closing $150 Million in volume last year. Talk about growth!

Lisa Carlin and Sandra Herrera went live on YouTube to discuss all the latest in women's football. First up, the results of the PFA Awards which saw Khadija "Bunny" Shaw win Player of the Year and Grace Clinton win Young Player of the Year. Next, Attacking Third's first ever inductee into the A3 "Hall of Legends." Heather O'Reilly a.k.a. HAO receives said honor as our hosts opine on her legendary career. Then, the Women's League Cup Group Stage Draw Results are revealed, can Arsenal repeat as Champions? And finally, ICYMI: News & Notes. All the latest transfers, trades, transactions, injuries, and a recap of Landon Donovan's first match at the helm of the San Diego Wave. Watch USWNT, NWSL and WSL games on P+" with a link to https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ Attacking Third is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Follow the Attacking Third team on Twitter: @AttackingThird, @LisaCarlin32, @SandHerrera_, @Darian_Jenks, and @CCupo. Visit the Attacking Third YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/attackingthird You can listen to Attacking Third on your smart speakers! Simply say "Alexa, play the latest episode of the Attacking Third podcast" or "Hey Google, play the latest episode of the Attacking Third podcast." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hao is a Taiwanese man whose wife just embarrassed him on an international stage. News just broke that Hao's wife Xuan was charging him $15 every time they had sex because she said he became "too fat" and "incompetent." Nice Xuan! Real nice. It's International Cat Day! The boys celebrate by hating cats. Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves checks in with the boys to talk San Gennaro and the bomb threat at the mall. SNL'S Fred Armisen checks in with the show ahead of his upcoming Ridgefield Playhouse gig.

With the Paris Games officially underway, three-time Olympic gold medalist Heather O'Reilly - a.k.a. HAO! - joins Laughter Permitted to talk all things Olympics, including winning gold with Julie at the 2004 Athens Games. Heather and Julie have a lively discussion about Team Canada's use of a drone to spy on opponents - yikes! - and then they dive into analysis of the USWNT's 3-0 win over Zambia. Plus, find out what Heather is manifesting these Olympics. Producer's Note: This episode was recorded before news broke of Canada women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman being removed from the Canadian Olympic team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Multi-mode fiber has been the workhorse for fiber optic communication within a data center for years, as well as the choice for Ethernet backbones in office buildings. It has a rich history that goes all the way back to the first optical fiber standards when 100 megabits per second was a huge data rate. Anybody remember those days? In Episode 58, we conclude our conversation with Hao Dong, market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. We continue with the reach of high speed standards for multi-mode fiber and the impact on data center deployments and then close with chromatic and modal dispersion. – Pat Chou, Cisco Optics Product Manager Hao Dong is a market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. Within this role, he focuses on technology and market trends to identify, evaluate, and develop leading optical network solutions that form the backbone of today's connected world. Hao has over 18 years of industry experience and has held various positions in engineering, development, and marketing within the fields of optical components, fiber lasers, and optical communications. Hao holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Wuhan University and a Ph.D in physics from the University of Connecticut. Related links Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/ Cisco Optics-to-Optics Interoperability Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/iop Cisco Optics Product Information: https://copi.cisco.com/ Additional resources Cisco Optics Podcast: https://optics.podcastpage.io/ Blog: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/ciscoopticsblog Cisco Optics YouTube playlist: http://cs.co/9008BlQen Cisco Optics landing page: cisco.com/go/optics Music credits Sunny Morning by FSM Team | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.html Upbeat by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Multi-mode fiber has been the workhorse for fiber optic communication within a data center for years, as well as the choice for Ethernet backbones in office buildings. It has a rich history that goes all the way back to the first optical fiber standards when 100 megabits per second was a huge data rate. Anybody remember those days? In Episode 57, we continue our conversation with Hao Dong, market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. We get into the reach of future high speed standards for multi-mode fiber. – Pat Chou, Cisco Optics Product Manager Hao Dong is a market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. Within this role, he focuses on technology and market trends to identify, evaluate, and develop leading optical network solutions that form the backbone of today's connected world. Hao has over 18 years of industry experience and has held various positions in engineering, development, and marketing within the fields of optical components, fiber lasers, and optical communications. Hao holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Wuhan University and a Ph.D in physics from the University of Connecticut. One quick note: You'll hear Hao mention a 100m reach fiber that they're working on. Since we recorded this, Corning has launched that fiber. It's their ClearCurve OM3 XT and OM4 XT multimode fiber. Related links Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/ Cisco Optics-to-Optics Interoperability Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/iop Cisco Optics Product Information: https://copi.cisco.com/ Additional resources Cisco Optics Podcast: https://optics.podcastpage.io/ Blog: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/ciscoopticsblog Cisco Optics YouTube playlist: http://cs.co/9008BlQen Cisco Optics landing page: cisco.com/go/optics Music credits Sunny Morning by FSM Team | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.html Upbeat by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Multi-mode fiber has been the workhorse for fiber optic communication within a data center for years, as well as the choice for Ethernet backbones in office buildings. It has a rich history that goes all the way back to the first optical fiber standards when 100 megabits per second was a huge data rate. Anybody remember those days? In Episode 56, we continue our conversation with Hao Dong, market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. We get into the various multi-mode fiber standards, transceiver wavelengths, and future transceivers for multi-mode fiber. – Pat Chou, Cisco Optics Product Manager Hao Dong is a market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. Within this role, he focuses on technology and market trends to identify, evaluate, and develop leading optical network solutions that form the backbone of today's connected world. Hao has over 18 years of industry experience and has held various positions in engineering, development, and marketing within the fields of optical components, fiber lasers, and optical communications. Hao holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Wuhan University and a Ph.D in physics from the University of Connecticut. One quick note: You'll hear Hao mention the need for a 100m reach fiber. Since we recorded this, Corning has released such a fiber. It's their ClearCurve OM4 XT multimode fiber. Related links Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/ Cisco Optics-to-Optics Interoperability Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/iop Cisco Optics Product Information: https://copi.cisco.com/ Additional resources Cisco Optics Podcast: https://optics.podcastpage.io/ Blog: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/ciscoopticsblog Cisco Optics YouTube playlist: http://cs.co/9008BlQen Cisco Optics landing page: cisco.com/go/optics Music credits Sunny Morning by FSM Team | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.html Upbeat by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Multi-mode fiber has been the workhorse for fiber optic communication within a data center for years, as well as the choice for Ethernet backbones in office buildings. It has a rich history that goes all the way back to the first optical fiber standards when 100 megabits per second was a huge data rate. Anybody remember those days? In Episode 55, we continue our conversation with Hao Dong, market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. We get into power consumption considerations, fiber coupling efficiency, and multi-mode fiber standards. – Pat Chou, Cisco Optics Product Manager Hao Dong is a market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. Within this role, he focuses on technology and market trends to identify, evaluate, and develop leading optical network solutions that form the backbone of today's connected world. Hao has over 18 years of industry experience and has held various positions in engineering, development, and marketing within the fields of optical components, fiber lasers, and optical communications. Hao holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Wuhan University and a Ph.D in physics from the University of Connecticut. Related links Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/ Cisco Optics-to-Optics Interoperability Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/iop Cisco Optics Product Information: https://copi.cisco.com/ Additional resources Cisco Optics Podcast: https://optics.podcastpage.io/ Blog: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/ciscoopticsblog Cisco Optics YouTube playlist: http://cs.co/9008BlQen Cisco Optics landing page: cisco.com/go/optics Music credits Sunny Morning by FSM Team | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.html Upbeat by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

In Episode 54, we continue our conversation with Hao Dong, market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. We go into more detail about multi-mode fiber and its overall solution-level cost benefits. – Pat Chou, Cisco Optics Product Manager Hao Dong is a market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. Within this role, he focuses on technology and market trends to identify, evaluate, and develop leading optical network solutions that form the backbone of today's connected world. Hao has over 18 years of industry experience and has held various positions in engineering, development, and marketing within the fields of optical components, fiber lasers, and optical communications. Hao holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Wuhan University and a Ph.D in physics from the University of Connecticut. Related links Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/ Cisco Optics-to-Optics Interoperability Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/iop Cisco Optics Product Information: https://copi.cisco.com/ Additional resources Cisco Optics Podcast: https://optics.podcastpage.io/ Blog: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/ciscoopticsblog Cisco Optics YouTube playlist: http://cs.co/9008BlQen Cisco Optics landing page: cisco.com/go/optics Music credits Sunny Morning by FSM Team | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.html Upbeat by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Multi-mode fiber has been the workhorse for fiber optic communication within a data center for years, as well as the choice for Ethernet backbones in office buildings. It has a rich history that goes all the way back to the first optical fiber standards when 100 megabits per second was a huge data rate. Anybody remember those days? In Episode 53, we continue our conversation with Hao Dong, market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. We get into the difference between single-mode and multi-mode fiber. – Pat Chou, Cisco Optics Product Manager Hao Dong is a market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. Within this role, he focuses on technology and market trends to identify, evaluate, and develop leading optical network solutions that form the backbone of today's connected world. Hao has over 18 years of industry experience and has held various positions in engineering, development, and marketing within the fields of optical components, fiber lasers, and optical communications. Hao holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Wuhan University and a Ph.D in physics from the University of Connecticut. Related links Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/ Cisco Optics-to-Optics Interoperability Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/iop Cisco Optics Product Information: https://copi.cisco.com/ Additional resources Cisco Optics Podcast: https://optics.podcastpage.io/ Blog: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/ciscoopticsblog Cisco Optics YouTube playlist: http://cs.co/9008BlQen Cisco Optics landing page: cisco.com/go/optics Music credits Sunny Morning by FSM Team | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.html Upbeat by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

Multi-mode fiber has been the workhorse for fiber optic communication within a data center for years, as well as the choice for Ethernet backbones in office buildings. It has a rich history that goes all the way back to the first optical fiber standards when 100 megabits per second was a huge data rate. Anybody remember those days? In Episode 52, we begin a new conversation with Hao Dong, market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. We begin with his start in semiconductor lasers for telecom before switching to fiber lasers. – Pat Chou, Cisco Optics Product Manager Hao Dong is a market technology development manager for Corning's optical communications business. Within this role, he focuses on technology and market trends to identify, evaluate, and develop leading optical network solutions that form the backbone of today's connected world. Hao has over 18 years of industry experience and has held various positions in engineering, development, and marketing within the fields of optical components, fiber lasers, and optical communications. Hao holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from Wuhan University and a Ph.D in physics from the University of Connecticut. Related links Cisco Optics-to-Device Compatibility Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/ Cisco Optics-to-Optics Interoperability Matrix: https://tmgmatrix.cisco.com/iop Cisco Optics Product Information: https://copi.cisco.com/ Additional resources Cisco Optics Podcast: https://optics.podcastpage.io/ Blog: https://blogs.cisco.com/tag/ciscoopticsblog Cisco Optics YouTube playlist: http://cs.co/9008BlQen Cisco Optics landing page: cisco.com/go/optics Music credits Sunny Morning by FSM Team | https://www.free-stock-music.com/artist.fsm-team.html Upbeat by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com

OPEC Production Cuts and Iron Ore Market ImpactHello and welcome back to Freight Up, the number 1 commodities and freight markets podcast from FIS. I'm your host, Fernanda and in this episode of Freight Up, we delve deep into the world of commodities and freight, exploring the latest developments and insights that are shaping the markets. Our guest speakers, Hao and Archie, provide valuable analysis and updates on the iron ore and crude oil markets.Archie shares his expert insights on just what's been going down in the crude oil market throughout Q1 so far, discussing the impacts of geopolitical tensions, production levels, and economic data on oil prices. He also sheds light on the high sulphur East-West contract and its significant movements in the current market.Meanwhile, Hao provides a detailed overview of the iron ore market, highlighting the factors contributing to a bearish sentiment and the potential impact of upcoming events such as the Platts iron ore index and the US Womack conference on market dynamics.Listen to this episode for a comprehensive look at the evolving landscape of commodities and freight, as we 'navigate' through the complexities that are shaping the industry.Timestamps00:00 Crude stockpile slump spurs oil price rise.06:36 High sulphur fuel prices driven by market factors.10:46 Market outlook predicts drop due to oversupply.13:35 Exciting year ahead with currency fluctuations. Potential chaos though!

As if being trapped, seeking cover from bombs wasn't scarring enough, just 24 hours later Haw was laid off from his dream job. He found himself across the globe, without a job or a clue what his next step would be. But somehow he'd find opportunity in Vietnam. Today, Hao Tran is the CEO and co-founder of Vietcetera, one of the biggest multimedia digital networks in Vietnam that connects Vietnam with the world, and the world with Vietnam. As a mentor, speaker, and innovative business leader, Hao has paved a new path through the world of business and culture, but it all started with a seemingly peaceful dinner in Paris.

To learn more about the recent leadership crisis at OpenAI and what lessons policymakers should take from it, Justin Hendrix spoke to Karen Hao, a contributing writer at The Atlantic who is currently working on a book about OpenAI. With staff writer Charlie Warzel, Hao wrote a piece for The Atlantic under the headline "Inside the Chaos at OpenAI," drawing on conversations with current and former employees of the company.

This episode is sponsored by ISS, a leading global provider of video intelligence and data awareness solutions. ISS offers a robust portfolio of AI-powered, high-trust video analytics for streamlining security, safety and business operations within a wide range of vertical markets. So, what do you want to know about your environment? To learn more about our video intelligence solutions, visit https://issivs.com/   On episode #155 of Eye on AI, Craig Smith sits down with Karen Hao, who is currently a contributing writer for The Atlantic with an impressive background as a foreign correspondent for The Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong and as a senior artificial intelligence editor at MIT Technology Review. Known for her incisive coverage of AI, including its ethical and societal implications, Hao brings a wealth of knowledge from her experiences in journalism and data science. In this episode, Karen delves into the recent controversies surrounding OpenAI, shedding light on the power struggles, ethical dilemmas, and corporate alliances shaping the future of artificial intelligence. Her unique perspective, gained from her experience as a foreign correspondent and senior AI editor, offers a deep understanding of the complexities that exist in the AI world. We explore the intricate narrative constructed by OpenAI, its relationship with giants like Microsoft, and the broader implications of these partnerships on AI development and ethics. Karen's critical analysis provides an insightful look into the often opaque world of AI and its global impact. If you find this discussion as enlightening as we did, please consider leaving a 5-star rating on Spotify and a review on Apple Podcasts.   Stay Updated: Craig Smith Twitter: https://twitter.com/craigss Eye on A.I. Twitter: https://twitter.com/EyeOn_AI   (00:00) Preview and Introduction (02:28) Karen Hao's Background and Entry into Tech Journalism (09:14) OpenAI's GPT-2 Controversy and Company Evolution (11:35) Nonprofit and For-Profit Structure of OpenAI (15:26) OpenAI Board Dynamics and Power Struggles (18:07) Transparency and Open Source in AI Development (21:27) Future of OpenAI and Tech Industry Speculations (26:22) Microsoft's Investment and Partnership with OpenAI (31:28) Sam Altman's Potential Chip Company Endeavor (33:20) AGI Speculations and Existential Risks (34:38) AGI Definitions and Real-World AI Limitations  

A few days ago, Laszlo sat down with good friend Hao Huang and son, Micah, at Scripps College where Hao is the Bessie and Cecil Frankel Chair in Music. In 2021 they co-produced the Blood on Gold Mountain Podcast. In a pilot episode of a new show dropping Wednesday, July 19 called Iron Horse Road, Hao and Micah explain what the show is about and the trip they took to California's High Sierras that inspired it. They visited locations where more than a century and a half ago railroad workers from Southern Guangdong built these wonders of engineering. This led to a general discussion about these workers and the challenges they faced living far from home and in a land where every day presented a new set of challenges, often life-threatening. The Iron Horse Road Podcast will come out on the Blood on Gold Mountain feed. To subscribe, search for Blood on Gold Mountain or visit their website at https://blood-on-gold-mountain.captivate.fm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few days ago, Laszlo sat down with good friend Hao Huang and son, Micah, at Scripps College where Hao is the Bessie and Cecil Frankel Chair in Music. In 2021 they co-produced the Blood on Gold Mountain Podcast. In a pilot episode of a new show dropping Wednesday, July 19 called Iron Horse Road, Hao and Micah explain what the show is about and the trip they took to California's High Sierras that inspired it. They visited locations where more than a century and a half ago railroad workers from Southern Guangdong built these wonders of engineering. This led to a general discussion about these workers and the challenges they faced living far from home and in a land where every day presented a new set of challenges, often life-threatening. The Iron Horse Road Podcast will come out on the Blood on Gold Mountain feed. To subscribe, search for Blood on Gold Mountain or visit their website at https://blood-on-gold-mountain.captivate.fm/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time we spoke about Shandong province. Yes this one province of China just always seems to be the breeding grounds for trouble, its actual a common saying haha. Historically Shandong was  unique in many ways; geographically its densely populated, almost exclusively with farmers, the majority of whom are quiet impoverished in its western portion. Just about all invading armies have to go through it if coming from the north, leading the province to be very unstable. Bandits roamed its region throughout time, leading local communities to seek protection via what we in the west called Boxers. These martial artists became a big part of western shandong, the strongmen to fight off enemies.  Shandong also birthed numerous sects and when they mingled with the Boxer types, rebels spread continuously. The Qing had a hell of a time with Shandong beginning in the late 18th century, and things would only escalate further by the late 19th.   #57 This episode is the Big Sword Society & the Armor of the Golden Bell   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War.   “My investigations reveal that the Big Sword Society is the heterodox sect, Armor of the Golden Bell (Jin-zhong zhao). Its origins lie in the distant past. Although local officials have proscribed it, its roots have never been cut. Last year the coastal borders were unsettled [because of the SinoJapanese War], and when people heard that this sect could ward off bullets, it spread all the more, so that there was hardly a place without it. The stupid thought that they could protect themselves and their families. The crafty used it to carry out their violent schemes. Then roving bandits (you-fei) came from outside to stir things up and crowds gathered to cause trouble.” This passage was written by the governor of Shandong, Li Bingheng who was trying to explain the origin of what was called the Da-dao hui “Big Sword Society”. This society was mentioned in 1735 in northern Anhui province, though there really is not much known about them, until they re-emerged in the late 19th century. The armor of the golden bell had existed since the late 18th century as a martial arts technique for achieving invulnerability. As I mentioned in the previous episode; the armor of the golden bell was a kungfu technique that employed “Qigong”. Qigong is a system of coordinating body-posturing, like movement, breathing and meditation. Those performing it would perform breathing exercises which they claimed helped protect their bodies against blades and even bullets as if a large bell was covering their body. Several practitioners of this technique were associated with various sectarian societies like the eight trigrams back in 1813. These people usually made charms using red paper, burned and swallowed them, sometimes they cast spells or better said incantations to appeal to various gods for help. The armor of the golden bell sounds like an organization, but I am just trying to hammer the fact it's actually a technique, it just so happens many organizations used it. To give a firmer example, there was a man named Zhang Luojiao who grew up in Guan county of Shandong. He, his father and younger brother were Daoist priests and learned boxing and healing methods from another family member in 1782. The next year a teacher from Henan province taught Zhang the armor of the golden bell technique and gave him two charms. It is said after learning the technique, he took up more boxing and taught disciples for profit. He eventually became associated with the eight trigrams. He later learnt the spell “zhen-kong zhou-yu / true emptiness spell” from a Li Trigram member. Zhang claimed he left the sect because his teacher kept demanding donations and thus did not take part in the rebellion that occurred later. However students of his did take part in that said rebellion. So the armor of the golden bell at least seems to be part of something larger, it was a well established boxing technique in the north china plain region. It was an invulnerability spell against sword or knife attacks and its practitioners were often found to be linked to sects.  Historians argue about the relationship between the Big Sword Society and other sects. Some argue the Big Sword Society was an off branch of the White Lotus, others believe it was nothing more than a martial arts group.  Now the Big Sword Society that re-emerged in the late 19th century had its birthplace in southwest Shandong and the northern part of Xuzhou in Jiangsu province. Now southwest Shandong was an area where bandits flourished. Salt smugglers, opium dealers, all the black market types had activity in this part of Shandong. This all led to a rise in martial artists, the boxers, the region was seen sort of like the wild west of America. German missionaries described the area and its inhabitants as “firm of character, braver, and less cunning than the rest, but on the other hand, also more coarse and rough”. Japanese observers noted “they are feared because of their aggressive disposition and inclination to fight. Quarrels, brawls, and combats are daily occurrences in Shandong, most of all in Chaozhou. In Yanzhou, wherever you go, there is hardly a place where you do not see fights”. Needless to say, this area was particularly difficult to control during the 19th century which was ridden with rebellions. Salt smuggling had been an integral part of the border economy, but by the 1880s and 1890s opium production was on the rise. It began with foreign traded opium, but by the 1880s, native production increased markedly, especially in Xuzhou. In the early 1890s Dangshan opium exploded in Dangshan county and with it so did incidents involving the Big Sword Society. With opium production expanding in this area, men began to bear arms and challenged Qing officials. The Qing dynasty was in a very weak state because of the rebellion, war with Japan, corruption and such, thus banditry exploded. When the Japanese began marching into China proper, it sent refugees and bandits into the Shandong-Jiangsu-Henan border area. Many villages simply became bandit lairs leading to inter village feuds. The missionaries in the area became involved in said feuds as bandits used the church for protection. There were countless french jesuits who were literally lured to said bandit lairs, in Jiangsu to help offer protection. It was in this type of environment that allowed the Big Sword Society to flourish. When the first sino-Japanese war brought an unprecedented wave of banditry and violence, it became time to develop effective means of self-defense, and here the armor of the golden bell shun brightly. A man only known by the name Zhao came to Shan county of southwest Shandong from either Zhili or Hejian. He was described as a wandering Daoist priest and he took up shop in Shan country working as a hired hand in the village of Shaobing Liuzhuang around 1894. It seems to make some money he began teaching martial arts and perhaps even some sectarian rituals, no one knows for sure, but one thing is known, that he taught the armor of the golden bell technique. Here is an in depth passage on how the technique worked “When they study their techniques, the poor need not make an offering, but those who can, offer 6,000 Beijing cash as a gift. In the middle of the night, they kneel and receive instruction. They light lamps and burn incense, draw fresh water from a well and make offerings ofit. They write charms (fu-lu) on white cloth. The words of the charms are vulgar and improper. There are such phrases as "Patriarch, Duke of Zhou; Immortals of the peach blossom; Golden Bell, iron armor protect my body." Those who spread the art can neither read nor write. They have others write for them. They also teach spells (zhou). While chanting spells they burn charms, mixing [the ashes] in water and instructing [the initiate] to kneel and drink. Then [the teacher] breathes in from above the lantern, and blows out over [the initiate's] entire body. Then he beats him with a brick and staff. After chanting the spell for three nights, one can withstand swords. It is said that after chanting for a long time, even firearms cannot harm one. It is much like breathing exercises (yun-qi). Where the "breath" (qi) moves, even a fierce chop cannot penetrate. But if one loses concentration, then the blade will enter. The simple people do not understand, and think it a magical technique.” It fits with other descriptions of the technique, sometimes seeing people recite incantations, swallow charms and hit themselves with swords or bricks, fun times. The Big Sword Society used a variety of invulnerability techniques like the armor of the golden bell, the “tie bu shan / iron cloth shirt” or “wu ying bian / shadowless whip”. All of these stressed the beating of ones body to resist further injury. There were a lot of martial arts groups in the region, but the Big Sword Society distinguished themselves for heavily using incantations and charms. Now Zhao taught many, but his leading pupil was named Liu Shiduan, who was reportedly 43 years old in 1896. Liu Shiduan had a decent education, he attempted the lowest examination, the sheng-yuan degree, but never passed, so he purchased the jian-shen degree which brought him to the lowest fringe of the gentry class. Again going way back to the opium wars, the corruption of the Qing dynasty was simply getting worse and worse. Shi was the head of a fairly important family in his village who held quite a lot of fertile land. Shi learnt the armor of the golden bell from Zhao and began teaching his own disciples in his village and the neighboring villages. His greatest students would become the leaders of the Big Sword Society in their villages. The most well known of these was Cao Deli, a wealthy peasant in this 30s from Shan county in the village of Caolou, whose male population almost all join the Big Sword Society. Cao was the leading household of the village. Next was Peng Guilin from the market town of Daliji, whom Liu saw as a man of great substance, he was indeed a wealthy man from a wealthy family. Another was Zhou Yun-jie in Zhouzhuang in Cao country, known as the stockade lord. The reason for their society was first to defend their people against the bandit scourge. This inherently meant protecting ones land, and thus landlords were quick to join up, but the extremely poor, who did not have land and thus no real home to protect did not. If it is to be believed part of joining meant each member had to burn ten cash worth of incense per day, thus the poor really could not afford to join. There are accounts, many joined because of personal dependency on landlords who drew them into the organization.  According to the son of Liu Shiduan “Both poor and rich joined the Big Sword Society. The poor joined to help their landlords watch their homes and they could get something to eat and drink and some entertainment from their landlords”. Thus Liu Shiduan became the leader of the Big Sword Society with his best disciples as the various leaders within it. In the spring of 1895, the banditry going on in Shandong and Jiangsu became so bad, the Qing government took notice. Many in the court feared the bandits would help the Japanese by stealing ammunition shipments for troops at the frontlines. They began to hear rumors of groups of people utilizing the armor of the golden bell technique to combat these bandits. The invulnerability techniques always led to bad things and the Qing court had made great efforts to censor and dissuade such things. However in the face of the banditry problem, the Qing court sent word to the governor of Shandong Li Bingheng to annihilate the bandits, but to only find ways to disperse the guys using the armor of the golden bell technique, so quite lenient. The key official in the area was Yuxian who was promoted to daotai, given control over south Shandong. Yuxian responded enthusiastically to the order against the bandits. By June that year, Li Bingheng reported back to the court, that Yuxian had arrested hundreds and killed dozens of bandits. There were countless accounts of bandits stuck in wooden cages outside Yuxians yamen who died of exhaustion and starvation. However as Yuxian was trying to seize all the credit, a lot of credit was due to the Big Sword Society who proved themselves a ally to the anti-bandit campaign. As told to us by the daotai of Xuazhou “At this time Caozhou was suffering from banditry, and the officials and people both relied heavily on [the Big Sword Society]. Once a person learned its techniques, the robbers would not dare oppress him. If a theft occurred, the society's members rushed in to search the robbers' nest, and were sure to seize the robber without regard to their own safety. At first they sent their captives to the officials for prosecution. Then because the officials had to treat each according to the facts of the case, and could not kill them all, the people were unhappy. Thus later they seized robbers and just killed them, and no longer sent them to the officials” The Big Swords Society moved from a close collaboration with the Qing authorities to hold an official function. The daotai praised their brave allies, but insisted to the Qing court they never paid them nor gave them any food. One Daotai reported back to the Qing court “in recent years in Heze, Chengwu, Shan, Dingtao and Cao counties, there has not been a single robber. This has all been due to the power of the Big Sword Society”. Thus the Big Sword Society was not only tolerated they were being encouraged. Both Yuxian and Li Bingheng would go on the record to state the Big Sword Society were from “good and wealthy households who also practice techniques to protect their families”. The local officials were benefitting from the Big Sword society and it was growing exponentially.  From 1895 to 1896 the Big Sword Society's activities became more and more open. In the spring of 1896 there was a large celebration for their leaders birthday at the temple near the Shan county seat. For 4 days, extravagant shows were on display, people gathered from all around the region and this offered a opportunity to forge connections amongst the Big Sword society groups. According to a legend, Yuxian personally came,disguised as a fortune teller trying to investigate who popular the society had become. Sometimes this legend has it that he was caught and released. What is true, is that Yuxian did pretty much nothing to stop their society from growing, but as time went on he and others became alarmed. The daotai of Xuzhou reported “As they spread underground and grow in secret, their party becomes steadily more troublesome; but within their own territory, they never steal, rape, or kidnap. People all praise their chivalrous spirit (xia-yi) and hasten to join them. Great households (da-hu) in the villages hire them as guards; and even the army, counties, bureaus, and customs posts recruit them for defense. Thus they spread and proselytize more and more. They are most numerous in Shandong, next Henan, then Anhui. Xuzhou borders on Shandong and recently people [here] have joined the society. In all there are about 20,000 to 30,000.” Some estimate by 1896 the Big Swords Society were 100,000 strong, but that seems an exaggeration. They did not really have a solid chain of command, rather large village groups had a leader who held ties to Shi. But if the bandits came in numbers, these villages would mobilize and though a loose organization, it was still quite powerful. There was another powerful group in Shandong and Jiangsu, the church. Foreign missionaries, notably from Germany were making a lot of noise, complaining to the Qing court about conflicts against them. In late june of 1895 a riot occurred when Bishop Anzer tried to gain a permanent residence in the city of Yanzhou. He and his fellow colleagues were threatened and he complained to the Zongli Yamen "If your esteemed government is unable strenuously to suppress [these disturbances] and give more protection [to Christians], then my government will have no alternative but to devise methods to protect them itself." The Qing court continuously caved in to the foreign missionaries fearing further reprisals. As the Big Sword society grew, so did the Christian converts. That should be no surprise as all, because as the Bandits faced more and more Big Swords they began to run to the church for more protection. Take this example, a report from a official who saw firsthand the problem “In the twentieth year of Guang-xu [1894, but the date should be 1895] the Big Sword Society attacked "Rice-grain Yue the Second." He had 3,000 people with nothing to eat or wear, who stole things from the wealthy. So the Big Sword Society attacked them. After the Big Sword Society had quelled "Rice Grain Yue," Yue's followers, fearing that the rich people would arrest them, all joined the Catholic Church” Now the Big Sword Society could protect the people from violence, but they could not settle lawsuits, this was the Qing governments role, who were basically fleeing from the church during cases. In the face of this situation it is no surprise the Big Sword Society began to shift their attention towards anti-christian activities.  To make matters worse, the Catholics began to openly question the Big Sword Societies invulnerability spells. "When the Catholics did not believe [the Big Swords] could resist spears and swords, and accused them of false claims, the society members became the enemies of the Catholics." Both the Big Swords and Catholics were sort of fighting for the peoples hearts in many ways and the success of the Big Sword Society naturally caused common people to disbelieve in the Catholic message that “they were just pagan gods who were powerless”. Questioning things like the armor of the golden bell brought these two forces into conflict.  Liu Shiduan and Cao Deli would find themselves in a conflict which took place in february of 1896 on the border of Cao, Shan and Chengwu counties. A pharmacist named Hao Hesheng, a Shanxi native was collecting debt from a Christian convert named Lu Dengshi. Lu tried to put him off using his Christian status, causing Hao to accuse him of evading debt obligations. Then a relative of Lu named Lu Cai accused Hao of being a White Lotus member. Hao retorted by accusing Lu Cai of joining the newly established Catholic congregation to cover his past as a bandit. The 3 men screamed and departed, but Lu Cai was greatly aggravated and made his way to the local church where he said Hao had insulted the Christian religion. Zhang Lianzhu who was a leading figure of said church gathered a band of converts who armed themselves who sought to beat up Hao, but could not find him. The next day in Lihaiji of Shan county, Hao was selling medicine when the band found him. Hao fled and hid. The Big Sword society heard about the conflict and their leader Cao Deli came to the market seeking to help Hao. Upon finding Hao, Cao got some Big Swords together to meet the Christian band in front of a medicine shop. The owner of the shop freaked out and dragged the two leaders inside to try and convince them to drop everything, but by this point a large crowd had gathered, its like a high school yard fight haha. Zhang then contacted another Christian group over in the town of Tiangongiao in Chengwu to come help. The Catholics challenged Cao Deli, and he contacted Liu Shiduan who gathered more men. On the way the Big Swords were intercepted by a local garrison who talked them down. Yet at the same time a German missionary happened to be meeting with that commander, was also meeting with the Christian mob to admonish them for their aggression. Both sides were forced to apologize to another, and the entire thing was settled. But the event certainly brought both sides into a major conflict, and nearly a large fight. Now in 1896 French Jesuits were quite active along the border counties of Dangshan and Feng. They had been around for 6 years, and counted 48 parishes in all. In february of 1896 while friction was developing between Christians and the Big swords in Shandong, the Jiangsu Christian were also running into conflict with disgruntled gentry. Red placards began appearing warning “foreigners have come to establish secretly a temple of the white lotus, all the gentry have secretly resolved to put an end to this evil”. The Christians were met with a few mobs threatening to arrest their Chinese convert leaders, but things settled down rather quickly when the local magistrate took actions to prohibit any attacks on Christians. Then in spring things heated up again. A local argument between two families over land rights in Dongtuan brewed up. On one side was Pang, the other Liu. The dispute law in the villages of Pangjialin and Liutitou who traditional had the yellow river running between them. These lands traditional owed no taxes to the Qing government, but instead paid annual tributes of geese and ducks. Since the Nian rebellion, the official landlords claimed tributes were not made. This was likely due to the yellow river shifting its course in the 1850s which resulted in less water fowl. However now their lands had become extraordinarily rich in soil, now they were able to grow a lot of food. Until the 1890s the Pangs were the most powerful in the area, but then in 1892 their family leader died and the new one, Pang Sanjie had issues consolidating his power. He was in his 20s at the time, not well educated and devoted his time to military training. He was powerful, but not overwhelmingly for his task at hand. The Liu clan then found a way to bolster their claim to the land, they joined the catholic church. Pang saw the danger of this and decided to join the Big Sword Society. The Lius came over to claim land rich in wheat, and conflict occurred.  On June 3rd, Pang Sanjie led a band of 60 Big Swords to burn the chapel at Liutitou. As violent as this was, it was considered even by the local french priest who investigated it to be minor, thus alongside the Dangshan magistrate on June 7th they dismissed the issue. The magistrate attempted to visit Pang to settle the looming feud, but failed to find him, so he wrote him a letter which advised him that if his family had an quarrel with the people of Shandong, he should settle it on that side of the border. This was rather bizarre, as the magistrate had to have known the quarrel was between two local families, and Pang chose to go to Shandong, to gather more reinforcements.  Soon there was an influx of petty harassment against Christian churches and residents in Shandong, however for Pang and his family their activities remained in Jiangsu. Pang gathered around 100 Shandong Big Swords in Pangjialin and on June 16th led an attack on the leading missionary residence at Houjiazhuang in Dangshan. The Big Sword mob was joined by other local opportunities who stripped the village and threatened its inhabitants they would see more violence from other forces coming over from Shandong. Pang and his mob set up a base in Houjiazhuang for 5 days using it to loot 15 neighboring Christians villages. Meanwhile the local Qing officials acted quickly to protect foreign missionaries in the Dangshan and Feng counties, evacuating them and their possessions to Maqing. On June 21st, Pang returned to Shandong where his band looted Christian homes in Shan county and burned the Catholic school in Xue-Konglou. A few days later Pang mob was now around a thousand strong and they came back to Dangshan to loot more Christian homes and marched to a missionary residence located in Daitaolou in Feng county. They found the village deserted, and proceeded to burn numerous homes, before returning to Houjiazhuang where they burned many buildings. Pang Sanjie had thus stripped northern Jiangsu Christians nearly everything they had, he was running out of targets. The Jiangsu Qing officials were trying to mobilize a defense. Meanwhile Liu Siduan and Cao Deli began distancing themselves from Pang and placed Peng Guilin in charge of the Shandong contingent aiding his band. Pangs band was running out of food so they went back to Shandong to the large town of Maliangji, but not all were members of the Big Swords. On June 29th, some of the band members began to loot places and this led to a local militia rising alongside regular troops to put up a defense. The Big Swords scattered to Shan county, but Peng Guilin was caught and arrested by troops from Xuzhou. THe Big Swords tried to rescue him but were defeated in battle, seeing 2 casualties and 18 arrests. After this the Big swords hid in their homes as the Qing forces arrested more of them. That was the end of a rather small conflict, but its important to see how things were set into motion. French Jesuits reported two main mission residence at Daitaolou and Houjiazhuang were attacked alongside Christian homes in over 16 villages. The church settled the losses with local Qing officials for only 2000 strings of cash on June 26th, before the final battle had occured. The Germans in Shandong submitted their report which amounted to petty vandalism to chapels in 17 villages and the burning of 119 rooms in Xue-Jonglou. For this they received 12,020 strings of cash. There were no Christian casualties during the entire conflict either Chinese or foreign. The Big Swords got rowdy, targeted the property of the Christians, but made sure not to take lives. If they had wanted to take lives, they easily could have as they demonstrated. The Qing authorities were too busy with another ongoings, there was a large Muslim rebellion raging in Gangsu and Shaanxi seeing General Dong Fuxiang with numerous forces going into the northwest. Thus the trouble of the Big Swords was pretty small in comparison.  In Shandong Yuxian was given the responsibility for pacifying the Big Sword Society. He was appointed judicial commissioner and daotai in Yanzhou. His first order was to apprehend Liu Shiduan and Cao Deli. On July 7th Yuxian arrested Shi and interrogated him and had him beheaded. Cao Deli was also arrested and executed by officials working for Yuxian. The deaths of the two top leaders, who were both easily caught by luring them to banquets, showcased how naive the society was. Likewise an order went out to arrest Pang Sanjie and chop off his head. However the local gentry were afraid to go against Pang Sanjie. Instead in April of 1897 the heads of the Pang family offered another solution. They presented the local French missionary: Father Dore the names of 4000 Pangs willing to convert to Catholicism. The next day Father Dore's church was overflowing with 3-4 hundred Pangs, including the parents and children of Pang Sanjie. The Pang family negotiated a deal with the Church who inturn twisted the Qing officials arms. The deal was simply, let Pang Sanjie live and all would convert. Dore's superior Father Gain talked to the daotai and things smoothed over. It seemed in the end the Catholics had won the day. As noted by a historian in Xuzhou after the event “If people with lawsuits, difficulties with the courts, exaggerated taxes, quarrels over inheritance, or some other menace were afraid they did not have enough money to buy off the judges, there was still the recourse of the Catholic Church, which demanded nothing to uphold justice. But one had to be a member of the Church to claim its help. And they asked admission in groups oftwenty, thirty and forty families, by entire villages and from everywhere at once. In June 1896, when the Big Sword Society set upon Xuzhou, the number of catechumens was 3,550. In June 1897, there were 10,000; 17,000 in 1898, 26,000 the next year and over 20,000 in 1900, the year of the Boxers.” Trouble was averted…this time. It was indeed a peaceful resolution. There was a lot of leniency, take Li Binghang who reported to the court "This is because your imperial majesty's humanity is as [great as] Heaven's, and from the beginning, you did not wish to execute them all indiscriminately” The Daotai of Xuzhou likewise reported "We should only ask if they are outlaws or not, not if they belonged to the society or not." In 1896 this all worked out against the Big Sword Society. Afterall the society was controlled by rural landlord elites with close ties to the Qing officials and local militias. Officials understood such an organization and used the traditional method of arresting leaders and dispersing followers. But what about a group not like this, who might not be so forthcoming to disperse?  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. They chanted incantations, ate charms and smacked another with bricks, the Big Sword Society made some waves in the 1890's, but their story is far from done. Because next time we are speaking about another group, who lets just say loved to box. 

This episode features "Action at a Distance" written by An Hao and translated by Andy Dudak. Published in the May 2023 issue of Clarkesworld Magazine and read by Kate Baker. The text version of this story can be found at: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/an_05_23 Support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/join/clarkesworld?