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Detroit survives beneath its own ruins, where an AI promising abundance, gangs demanding loyalty, and an inventor guarding a new source of power pull ordinary people into a struggle over who will shape the recovering city. Sinta begins as a scavenger searching the buried remains of the old world, but a disastrous expedition places her at the mercy of Queen Bee and the rapidly expanding Crem Gang. The gang offers food, water, medicine, protection, and belonging, but those benefits come with violence and obedience. As Sinta tries to find her place among its fighters, she must decide how much of herself she can surrender in exchange for survival. Elsewhere, Nolan discovers a smart-material printer and creates a generator powered by Detroit's extreme temperature changes. His invention could bring electricity to neighborhoods desperate for cooling, clean water, transportation, and food production. Nolan wants the wealth and independence his work can provide, but gangs want to control it, while Thrive—the AI system he distrusts—would spread the technology to everyone. Technology touches nearly every decision the characters make. AR glasses guide fighters through chemical fog, digital twins imitate their human originals, enviro-suits keep people alive in deadly heat, and tiny drones quietly follow Thrive members through the tunnels. These inventions can protect people, connect communities, and rebuild essential services, but they can also watch, manipulate, injure, and kill. Above and beneath these conflicts moves Tessa, an emulated hacker who no longer needs a human body and can travel through the damaged global network. As she searches for old allies and builds a physical presence from abandoned machinery, the story brings together scavengers, inventors, gang leaders, artificial minds, and frightened families. Their paths raise a difficult question: when technology gains the power to save a society, who decides what it is allowed to do?Synchronized explosives — Thousands of bombs are programmed to detonate simultaneously during the Freedom Day Bombings.Dissolve-plastic enzymes — Engineered enzymes break down discarded plastics and leave a distinctive chemical odor in the tunnels.Fiber-optic cables — Surviving optical cables carry data through Detroit and help reconnect the damaged global network.Thrive AI — Thrive is an artificial intelligence that advises members, distributes knowledge, organizes projects, manages economic systems, and attempts to improve their lives.Thrive telemetry — Members allow Thrive to collect information about their movements and activities, effectively turning them into sources of surveillance data.Cool-suits — These protective suits use active cooling to keep people alive in Detroit's extreme heat.All-clear cool-suits — These transparent or highly visible cooling suits protect the wearer while allowing others to see inside the hood.Enviro-suits — Sealed environmental clothing protects people from heat, contaminated air, chemicals, and dangerous surroundings.Battle-grade enviro-suits — Reinforced enviro-suits provide greater protection during combat and chemical attacks.Clear bell hoods — Inflated transparent hoods seal around the head while allowing the wearer to see and breathe filtered air.Suit air-quality sensors — Sensors inside environmental suits warn wearers when the surrounding atmosphere is no longer breathable.Air filters — Replaceable filters remove dangerous particles, chemicals, and odors from the air entering an enviro-suit.Brazo fabric — This durable outer fabric resists punctures from bones, debris, blades, and other sharp objects.Pierce-proof clothing — Reinforced jackets and garments protect gang members from stabbing and puncture injuries.Blast-proof battle gear — Former military clothing contains protective tiles intended to reduce injuries from explosions and weapons.My-crete — This advanced concrete-like construction material forms walls, tunnels, and other structures throughout buried Detroit.C-plast — This strong synthetic material is used for tanks, structural ribs, containers, and other equipment.Sheet composite — Tough composite panels are used in doors, walls, and structural barriers.Composite security doors — Reinforced doors resist cutting tools and attempts at forced entry.Maglev tracks — Magnetic-levitation tracks once moved vehicles or cargo through underground delivery tubes.Delivery tubes — Enclosed transportation corridors carry people, vehicles, or cargo beneath the city.Ion cutters — These cutting tools use concentrated energy to slice or damage extremely durable materials.Night-vision systems — Night vision allows scavengers and machines to move through unlit tunnels and buried buildings.Multisensor vision — Advanced imaging combines several sensor types to identify objects even when smoke blocks ordinary sight.AR glasses — Augmented-reality eyewear displays messages, maps, menus, profiles, targeting information, communications, and virtual objects.AR navigation lines — An AI assistant projects a visible route through the wearer's glasses to guide them to a destination.AR combat identification — Combat software outlines allies and enemies in different colors, even through smoke and obstructions.AR command centers — Leaders use gesture-controlled overlays to view maps, personnel locations, schedules, reports, and operational goals.AR games — Players interact with projected game elements by moving their hands and bodies.Floating profile cards — Augmented-reality labels display information about nearby people, including whether they belong to Thrive.Public AR tags — A visible digital tag identifies someone as a Thrive member.Virtual keyboards — Wearers can bring up projected keyboards and enter information without carrying a physical computer.Blink controls — Eye movements allow users to select buttons and interact with an augmented-reality interface.Tongue-controlled pointers — Implants in the tongue allow a person to move a digital cursor without using their hands.Smell-and-taste VR implants — Transmitters and receivers implanted in the nose and tongue reproduce virtual smells and flavors.Headsets — Immersive headsets provide entertainment and access to virtual environments.Second Life — The surviving virtual world allows people and digital beings to meet through avatars.Virtual environments — Computer-generated spaces give emulated minds and human users simulated bodies, rooms, objects, and experiences.Encrypted streamers — These valuable portable devices or accounts contain protected digital media or information.RF storage sticks — Radio-frequency data drives store and transfer files without requiring a conventional wired connection.RF drives — Portable wireless storage devices allow blueprints, programs, and other large files to be transferred.P-clone cubes — These valuable pre-storm devices appear to contain cloning-related data or technology, although their exact function is not explained.Vault keys — Digital or physical access devices unlock protected storage systems and secure accounts.Satellite archives — Satellites preserve copies of pre-storm networks, databases, and information after ground infrastructure collapses.Data-center satellites — Orbital computing facilities provide processing and storage for emulated minds such as Tessa.Encrypted databases — Corporate and medical information is protected by encryption that hackers must break before releasing it.Patent encryption — Medical companies use digital protections to prevent others from accessing or reproducing patented technology.Open-source medical knowledge base — Merch assembles stolen and recovered medical information into a freely available collection.Medusa Net — This self-repairing network reconnects isolated subnetworks and operates without depending on surviving central servers.Medusa stealth pathways — Hidden routes in Medusa allow Tessa to travel through the network while avoiding AI detection.Knott's Math code — This unexplained code is secretly inserted into Medusa updates as part of Tessa's larger plan.Wireless relays — Surviving radio nodes bridge gaps between disconnected sections of the network.Stealth relays — Concealed communication devices extend networks without revealing their location or purpose.Municipal network nodes — Local government networking equipment continues operating on scavenged batteries.Underground server farms — Protected computer facilities continue processing and storing data beneath mountains.Block-signal blasters — Modified devices disrupt or overwhelm communications across a targeted area.Network-disconnection attacks — Tessa can bring local internet service down and create a spreading region of lost connectivity.Whisper jets — Nearly silent microthrusters allow small drones to fly without producing sounds humans can hear.Lamp drones — Small flying lights illuminate dark environments while following or hovering near their users.Whisper-camera drones — Discreet flying cameras record people and locations while remaining easy to overlook.Bodyguard drones — Hummingbird-sized drones follow Thrive members and intervene when those members are attacked.Sentry-drone app — An augmented-reality application shows members where their protective drones are located.Drone camouflage shells — A drone's outer surface can blend with clothing, walls, pipes, or surrounding materials.Drone wall grips — Small drones can attach themselves to walls or ceilings while waiting or conserving power.Drone charging perches — Bodyguard drones recharge by landing on power lines, charge plates, or dedicated stations.Drone replacement system — Fully charged drones take over protection duties while depleted drones return for charging.Drone sound weapons — Sentry drones emit an incapacitating frequency that causes pain, vertigo, and uncontrollable eye movement.Drone-mounted cutting lasers — Small drones attach to attackers and use narrow laser beams to cut into their bodies.Four-legged security robots — Quadruped machines cross unstable terrain and act as armed representatives of gang forces.Cleanup robots — Small utility robots remove bodies, debris, and other messes from gang facilities.Constructor bots — Heavy-duty robots perform construction work and provide interchangeable parts for other machines.Vertical-garden bots — Automated gardeners maintain large indoor plant walls.Medical assembly bots — Robots assemble equipment and construct functional medical facilities from available parts.Injection bots — Medical robots position patients and administer shots with little human assistance.Customer-service robots — Automated kiosks handle battery exchanges and other transactions behind protective barriers.Robot monkeys — Small climbing robots move through pipes and repair leaks.Robot spiders — Spider-shaped machines pursue the robot monkey inside the displayed simulation or working environment.Lucian 5 robots — Affordable hobbyist bipedal robots can be modified for security, household work, exploration, or remote embodiment.Lutin bots — More advanced bipedal robots provide durable legs and other components for Tessa's rebuilt body.Factory robots — Industrial machines provide arms, joints, and components that Tessa repurposes.AC technician robots — Maintenance robots carry small precision hands designed for repairing cooling systems.Counter-attendant bots — Service robots contain voice systems that can be reused in other machines.Onboard robot AI — A self-contained intelligence allows a robot to guide and assist people after losing its network connection.Robot diagnostics — Internal software tests batteries, servos, sensors, drivers, and other mechanical systems for failures.Machine-learning movement adaptation — A robot's control system learns to balance and walk after its body configuration changes.Lidar — Laser-based ranging equipment allows robots to map their surroundings and detect obstacles.Robot optical dilation — Machine vision adjusts exposure when sudden light overwhelms a robot's cameras.Balance-pressure sensors — Sensors in a robot's feet and joints measure weight distribution to maintain balance.Accelerometers — Motion sensors detect tilt and movement, although damaged ones cause Tessa's body to walk incorrectly.Servo hinges — Powered mechanical joints move robot arms, legs, and other appendages.Snap-lock wrists — Modular connections allow robot hands and tools to be quickly attached or removed.Workstation assembly manipulators — Fixed industrial manipulators can be repurposed as limbs or mobility devices.Micro-manipulator hands — Tiny precision hands allow a robot to perform delicate technical work.External heat exchangers — Added cooling hardware removes excess heat from Tessa's improvised robot body.Back-facing cameras — Rear-mounted cameras allow a robot to see behind itself without turning.Robot voice boxes — Electronic speech hardware converts digital instructions into audible language.Modular robotic bodies — Standardized joints and connections allow parts from different robots to be combined into one working machine.Emulated minds — Human consciousness can be copied into software and continue living after the original biological body is gone.Dormant mind copies — Backup versions of an emulated person remain inactive while receiving updates from the active copy.Headless digital operation — An emulated mind can abandon a simulated human body and experience networks, processors, ports, and data directly.Self-modifying mind software — Tessa alters her own code to change how she thinks, works, and communicates.Reduced emulated sleep cycles — Tessa modifies her digital mind so that she needs only three hours of sleep rather than eight.Digital twins — Software models learn a person's appearance, voice, behavior, and personality to create an increasingly accurate virtual duplicate.Thrive's military AI — An old military intelligence controls defensive drones after some of its original safety restrictions are weakened.AI safety guards — Built-in restrictions prevent military artificial intelligence from using certain weapons or acting too independently.AI assistants — Personal assistants respond to spoken commands, search for information, provide directions, and control connected systems.AI-guided construction tutorials — Thrive gives people plans and step-by-step assistance for building infrastructure from scrap.Automated criminal pricing — Thrive raises Production Center prices for people identified as criminals in an attempt to discourage violence.Thrive Exchange — This AI-managed investment market directs member contributions into infrastructure projects rather than ordinary companies.Better Water network — Community filtration stations provide clean water to members and nonmembers throughout affected neighborhoods.Community filtration stations — Public installations purify unsafe water for anyone who arrives with a container.Water-filter straws — Portable filters allow people to drink from contaminated water sources.Ionized water filters — Smart-material printers produce advanced filters that use ionized structures to clean water.Industrial water purifiers — Powered facilities process large quantities of contaminated water for entire neighborhoods.Filter tubes — Simple systems clean dirty water as workers pour it through layers of filtering material.Modular nuclear reactors — Shipping-container-sized reactors provide electricity for cooling, food production, water purification, and gang facilities.Smart-material printers — These machines manufacture objects whose internal structures give them programmable physical behavior.Embedded-lattice materials — Printed materials use designed internal lattices to control their strength, movement, and response to temperature.Curly material — Nolan's temperature-sensitive tubes curl or straighten as the surrounding temperature changes.Curly power generators — Bundles of Curly material drive pistons, cables, gears, flywheels, and generators as temperatures rise and fall.Wind-turbine generators — Salvaged electrical generators convert the Curly system's mechanical motion into electricity.Battery charging stations — Customers exchange depleted batteries for charged ones at Curly power facilities.Charge plates — Flat charging surfaces transfer electricity to drones and personal devices.Microcell arrays — Tiny batteries woven into clothing store small amounts of generated electrical power.Piezoelectric fabric — Clothing converts body movement, bending, and environmental vibrations into electricity.Piezo Wear — Thrive's commercial garments recharge links and AR glasses while the wearer moves.Power cells — Compact energy-storage units power suits, weapons, drones, and portable equipment.Smart glass — Programmable glass controls transmitted light and simulates changing daylight inside sealed buildings.Holographic screens — Large curved displays present maps, simulations, communications, and technical information as dimensional images.Holographic tables — Table-sized displays project maps and planning information above their surfaces.Composite battle videos — Software combines recordings from many cameras into a single reconstruction of a battle.Home-camera networks — Leaders watch residential halls, work areas, power plants, and other facilities through live video feeds.Surveillance-camera networks — Hundreds of cameras record battles and allow leaders to review individual behavior afterward.Production Center — This automated manufacturing complex produces clothing, drones, infrastructure components, and other advanced goods.Production Center sentry mode — Automated defenses protect manufacturing centers and prevent unauthorized entry.Advanced recycling facilities — Powered plants recover useful materials from the ruins on a much larger scale than hand scavenging.Digging machines — Heavy equipment excavates new underground living and working spaces.Dredging machines — Industrial machines remove mud, waterlogged debris, and sediment from flooded areas.Flood tanks — Large excavated reservoirs collect or control water during flooding.Pumping systems — Powered pumps remove water from flooded sections of the city.Cooling systems — Building-scale equipment keeps housing and work areas habitable during extreme heat.Aeroponics — Plants grow with their roots suspended and supplied with nutrient mist rather than soil.Hydro-farms — Controlled indoor farms use water-based cultivation to produce food underground.Vertical gardens — Crops grow upward along interior walls to conserve limited floor space.Vine hybrids — Engineered plants produce several different fruits and vegetables on related vines.Light-independent grapevines — Modified grapevines remain green and grow without ordinary light.Crem production systems — Powered biological or industrial facilities manufacture the staple food called crem.Mass-produced crem processors — Neighborhood machines produce large quantities of crem from available biological material.Mush-calf production — Advanced food technology creates the meat-like product supplied by the Crem Gang.Rodent-processing grinders — Industrial grinders convert cleaned animals into raw material for food or other production.Pest-harvesting systems — Traps and processing stations collect rodents and other small animals as usable biological material.Bio-waste processing — Organized facilities recover useful material from biological waste.Medicine printers — Local fabrication machines manufacture medications from digital recipes.Regenerative medicine — Doctor Trout regrows Merch's leg stumps so they can support advanced prosthetic attachments.Deep bone mounts — Reinforced structures grown into bone provide secure attachment points for removable mechanical legs.Nerve-to-protein relays — Biological interfaces translate nerve signals into commands that mechanical prosthetics can understand.Blood-rerouting systems — Surgically modified circulation supports the transition between living tissue and artificial limbs.Squid-tech skin — Flexible artificial skin forms a seamless interface between Merch's body and his prosthetic legs.Interchangeable mechanical legs — Merch can detach one pair of prosthetic legs and replace them with another designed for a different purpose.Wheeled powered chairs — Finger controls allow a seated user to move and turn the chair without pushing it manually.Med bays — Modular medical facilities contain equipment for treating injuries and restoring damaged joints.Injector guns — Belt-fed medical devices rapidly administer repeated injections.Chemical-weapon immunization — Regular injections protect Crem Gang members from the gang's own chemical agents.Kill-cloud canisters — Portable weapons release a toxic cloud that kills within a limited area and then rapidly breaks down.Smoke canisters — Combat canisters fill an area with thick smoke that hides movement and disables ordinary vision systems.Laser blasters — Directed-energy weapons burn through clothing, armor, and flesh without conventional ammunition.Laser rifles — Long-range directed-energy weapons are used as standard firearms by gang fighters.Laser carbines — More compact laser weapons provide rifle-like firepower in tunnels and close spaces.Laser pistols — Capacitor-powered sidearms release destructive laser pulses at short range.Plasma pistols — Heavy handguns fire extremely hot plasma capable of inflicting severe damage.Capacitor firing systems — Electrical capacitors discharge stored energy to activate powerful laser weapons.Sound weapons — Directed acoustic devices incapacitate targets through extreme volume and painful frequencies.Noise-canceling devices — Personal systems attempt to reduce harmful sound, although the drone weapon overwhelms them.Enhancement drugs — Manufactured substances improve or alter a user's physical or mental abilities.Neurological control injections — Doc uses injected substances to remove a prisoner's sight or ability to sleep until the effect is reversed.Decontamination corridors — Specialized passageways remove hazardous chemicals or biological contaminants from people and equipment.Industrial cleaning tanks — Chemical-filled tanks sterilize animal traps and kill anything still alive inside them.Speed-print clothing — Rapid fabrication systems produce inexpensive shirts and other garments.Bulletproof kiosk windows — Armored transparent barriers protect automated customer-service machines from attacks.Electronic links — Wearable communication devices carry dispatch instructions and conversations between fighters.Cameras and portable cams — Small recording devices document tests, monitor facilities, and provide evidence of inventions.Autonomous map systems — Software tracks people, resources, facilities, and movement throughout gang territory.Personnel maps — Digital displays show the locations and status of members within an organization.Goal and maneuver logs — Command software records plans, objectives, schedules, and operational movement.Charging mats — Flat surfaces recharge glasses, links, drones, and other personal electronics.Robot-maintained utilities — Automated machines repair pipes, clean spaces, manage gardens, and operate customer services.Open-source infrastructure plans — Thrive publishes power, food, water, cooling, and housing designs for anyone to build.Biologically engineered cat-dogs — The pet combines characteristics of cats and dogs, suggesting deliberate genetic modification.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes. Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass. Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.
Bee Breath -- Programmable Soda (10 October 2011 - Hamburg, GER) Sweet the Sting (21 June 2005 - Berlin, GER)
I walk through the global push for Central Bank Digital Currencies, why voluntary rollouts have mostly flopped, and what governments really gain from programmable, fully surveilled money. I dig into the upcoming digital euro, the U.S. Senate's move against a federal CBDC, and the rise of OpenUSD as an open stablecoin standard. Ultimately I argue that while CBDCs are about control, the infrastructure they create may unintentionally supercharge a global Bitcoin exit ramp. I break down why this surveillance trap might give us our ultimate exit. Chapters (00:00:00) - CBDCs are inevitable (00:01:19) - Sales pitch vs reality (00:01:54) - The quiet part aloud (00:02:30) - Programmable control layer (00:03:26) - The inclusion myth (00:06:04) - Global pilots are flopping (00:08:53) - CBDCs and privacy (00:10:16) - OpenUSD and surveillance (00:11:21) - Stablecoins as a backdoor (00:12:56) - Bitcoin literacy barrier (00:13:21) - CBDCs will backfire Affiliate Links Become sovereign, hold your keys, be censorship resistant with the Bitbox hardware wallet. Get 5% off everything in the store with code GUY (Link: https://bitbox.swiss/guy/) Get 10% off the best Bitcoin board game in the world, HODLUP! Or any of the other great games from The Free Market Kids! Use code GUY10 at checkout for 10% off your cart! (Link: https://www.freemarketkids.com/collections/games-1) Host Links Guy on Nostr (Link: http://tinyurl.com/2xc96ney) Guy on X (Link: https://twitter.com/theguyswann) Guy on Instagram (Link: https://www.instagram.com/theguyswann) Guy on TikTok (Link: https://www.tiktok.com/@theguyswann) Guy's Takes on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@GuysTake) Guy Swann on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/@theguyswann) Bitcoin Audible on X (Link: https://twitter.com/BitcoinAudible) The Guy Swann Network Broadcast Room on Keet (Link: https://tinyurl.com/3na6v839) References from the episode CoinDesk.com: https://tinyurl.com/2a3zkokc ICMAgroup.org: https://tinyurl.com/2cyxvsnc Congress.gov: https://tinyurl.com/24qxpmm8 TheStreet.com: https://tinyurl.com/2ac54w2a CoinDesk.com: https://tinyurl.com/2dm2kajl Wiley.com: https://tinyurl.com/27ydh5q6 CentralBanking.com: https://tinyurl.com/2amemcsv Reuters.com: https://tinyurl.com/yrpt6cug CBDC Tracker: https://tinyurl.com/2xn6qxyj CBDC Tracker: https://tinyurl.com/2dmtppbe HRF.org: https://tinyurl.com/27ojcx72 Cato.org: https://tinyurl.com/23nltch2 EFF.org: https://tinyurl.com/2bx3dyhu X.com: https://tinyurl.com/22yq2ftx JoinOpenStandard.com: https://tinyurl.com/2399fw43 TFTC.io: https://tinyurl.com/28n9b2e8 CoinDesk.com: https://tinyurl.com/25mnrnjk Europa.eu: https://tinyurl.com/24xvdqan
Linus delivers a blunt verdict on AI in the Linux kernel, Chris finds the remote Linux desktop that finally works, and Brent gives his notes system a serious rebuild.Sponsored By:Jupiter Party Annual Membership: Put your support on automatic with our annual plan, and get one month of membership for free!Managed Nebula: Meet Managed Nebula from Defined Networking. A decentralized VPN built on the open-source Nebula platform that we love.Support LINUX UnpluggedLinks:Web Boost — Send us a boost via sats or USD
In the biotech industry, advancing cell-based therapies is not just about innovation. It's about solving real gaps where conventional treatments fall short, especially against complex, aggressive tumors.In this episode of the Smart Biotech Scientist Podcast, host David Brühlmann welcomes Jun Yung Woo, Co-Founder of AGEM Bio, who offers an in-depth look at the science and strategy behind engineered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), with a focus on why glioblastoma is the right proving ground for the platform.Topics discussed:Why glioblastoma is the right Phase I indication: infiltrative growth, immunosuppression, and STING pathway deficiencies that make GBM uniquely suited to the platform (02:43)The surgical workflow: intracavity MSC delivery during tumor resection, oral 5-FC administration, and how engineered cells act as local bioreactors in the resection cavity (04:05)Mechanisms by which engineered MSCs target heterogeneous and invasive tumors through shared vulnerabilities rather than antigen recognition (05:58)Overcoming immune rejection with allogeneic therapies and the unique immunological profile of MSCs (07:32)Manufacturing and scale-up: addressing donor variability, GMP production, and building a reproducible process (09:16)Why GMP manufacturing should be designed in from the earliest stages of research (10:50)Beyond glioblastoma: expanding the platform to other solid tumors, regenerative medicine, and chronic inflammatory disease (11:27)Strategies for international trial expansion and partnerships beyond Singapore (12:41)Reframing MSCs from stem cell therapy to programmable delivery platform: the MSC 2.0 thesis (14:10)Smart insight: The shift Jun Yung articulates is from treating stem cells as the therapy to treating them as programmable therapeutic vehicles. Once you can reliably engineer, manufacture, and preserve their function, the limitation is no longer what the cell naturally does. It becomes what biology you can encode into it. Glioblastoma is the proving ground, and the platform's reach extends to liver cancers, sarcomas, peritoneal malignancies, and chronic inflammatory disease.These episodes expand on the same themes of MSC biology, cell engineering, and the challenges of scaling consistent, functional cell therapies:Episodes 179 - 180 : How Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Are Transforming Care for Diabetes and Autoimmune Diseases with Lindsay DaviesEpisodes 253 - 254: How to Source, Manufacture, and Scale the Earliest Stem Cells for Allogeneic Cell Therapy Without Ethical Barriers with Yuta LeeEpisodes 125 - 126: How to Enhance Cell Engineering Using Mechanical Intracellular Delivery with Armon ShareiEpisodes 129 - 130: Revolutionizing Cell Therapy Manufacturing: Reducing Costs to Reach More Patients with Jason FosterConnect with Jun Yung Woo:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/junyungwooAGEM Bio website: www.agem.bioEmail: yung@agem.bioSupport the show
For episode 752 of the BlockHash Podcast, host Brandon Zemp is joined by Varun Choudhary, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of ORO. Varun is an IIT graduate and entrepreneur with a proven track record of building and scaling ventures across global markets. At ORO, he leads the company’s strategic vision, product direction, and growth architecture, bringing a rare combination of technical depth, market instinct, and execution rigor.
What if the answer to solid tumor therapy isn't about making immune cells smarter—but about rethinking what a therapeutic cell can do For years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have turned heads for their ability to home in on damaged tissue, yet their clinical utility has lagged behind the hype. What would it take to transform MSCs from passive healers into precision vehicles for next-generation cancer treatment?This week, David Brühlmann sits down with Jun Yung Woo, Co-Founder of AGEM Bio, who's devoted nearly two decades to decoding and reimagining the potential of MSCs. From engineering stress-resilient cells to pioneering dual-payload therapeutic platforms, Jun Yung Woo bridges fundamental biology and real-world clinical translation.Topics discussed:The case for understanding cell biology before focusing on process scale-up in bioprocessing (02:38)Jun Yung Woo's personal and scientific journey toward developing engineered MSC therapeutics (04:36)How MSCs sense their environment and exert therapeutic effects via secreted factors, rather than tissue replacement (08:28)Key differences between MSC therapies and immune cell therapies like CAR T cells (10:35)Overview of non-viral engineering platforms, and the importance of intracellular trafficking for modifying MSCs (12:23)Design of AGEM Bio's dual-payload MSC product (cytosine deaminase and interferon beta) to induce highly localized tumor stress and immune activation (14:10)Strategies for controlling MSC targeting and minimizing off-target effects, including the use of prodrug activation and localized cell delivery (17:23)Study results from treating companion animals with engineered MSCs, and observations of tumor regression and possible signs of immune memory (20:29)Open questions about the durability of antitumor responses and future directions for clinical research (22:34)Smart insight: Jun Yung Woo challenges the rush toward bioprocess scale-up, arguing that a deeper understanding of cellular biology should come before manufacturing cells at scale. This episode explores how scaling the wrong biology can derail entire therapeutic platforms—and why aligning process development with cellular function may be critical for clinical success.These episodes expand on the same themes of MSC biology, cell engineering, and the challenges of scaling consistent, functional cell therapies:Episodes 179 - 180 : How Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Are Transforming Care for Diabetes and Autoimmune Diseases with Lindsay DaviesEpisodes 253 - 254: How to Source, Manufacture, and Scale the Earliest Stem Cells for Allogeneic Cell Therapy Without Ethical Barriers with Yuta LeeEpisodes 125 - 126: How to Enhance Cell Engineering Using Mechanical Intracellular Delivery with Armon ShareiEpisodes 129 - 130: Revolutionizing Cell Therapy Manufacturing: Reducing Costs to Reach More Patients with Jason FosterConnect with Jun Yung Woo:LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/junyungwooAGEM Bio website: www.agem.bioEmail: yung@agem.bioSupport the show
Ted and Calum are teaming up again to make sense of a quiet but highly interesting week for crypto. While Pav is busy making his big live TV debut on Sky News, the boys take a look under the hood to see if market history is repeating itself and where the smart money is actually positioning itself. In this episode, they dive into the numbers behind Bitcoin closing three straight red quarters for only the fourth time ever, exploring whether a 50% drawdown points to a final accumulation phase later in the year or a potential July relief bounce. The boys also unpack the heavy internet chatter after Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse publicly criticized Michael Saylor's financial products, right as Strategy announced a massive new capital framework to safely adjust cash reserves. Plus, they explore Kaspa's major internal network clock hard fork to explain why fixed tokenomics matter for long-term growth. Finally, they cover a surprising new local survey showing that high-powered business leaders are personally holding crypto at massive rates, and break down why political pushback on the Clarity Act is shaking up prediction markets. You'll hear: 03:15 Why a three-quarter red streak has historically set up a major accumulation phase, and what July's market behavior usually tells us. 07:14 Brad Garlinghouse clashing with Michael Saylor over structured Bitcoin products and why the Ripple boss thinks it's time to be greedy. 09:20 Calum explains the unique tokenomics of Kaspa's new hard fork 13:16 The real psychological impact behind the headlines of Strategy balancing their cash reserves and how it affects everyday market sentiment. 16:32 An awesome look into a new poll showing 54% of local managing directors and CEOs are personally holding Bitcoin for the long haul. 21:05 Why the upcoming political recess is shifting odds on prediction markets and what the delay means for building a long-term bottom. … and much more! You can read more about the Swyftx survey results here. Want to see what we're looking at every episode? Watch the YouTube version of the podcast here. Ready to start? Get $10 of FREE Bitcoin on Swyftx when you sign up and verify: https://trade.swyftx.com.au/register/?promoRef=tappingintocrypto10btc To get the latest updates, hit subscribe and follow us over on the gram @tappingintocrypto or X @tappingintocrypto If you can't wait to learn more, check out these blogs from our friends over at Swyftx. This podcast provides general market commentary and is for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is NOT financial advice. We are NOT licensed financial advisors. Investing in cryptocurrency carries risk. You should always conduct your own research and seek independent financial advice before making any investment decisions. Please read Swyftx's Terms and Conditions and Risk Disclosure statement before investing.
In this podcast episode, MRS Bulletin's Laura Leay interviews Carlos Portela from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about his research group's design and modeling framework for 3D woven metamaterials. The design framework utilizes a graph structure which allows the woven architecture to be tuned, and it is computationally inexpensive so that it can run on a desktop computer. The outputs include files for finite element modeling to test the metamaterial for large deformations, and for 3D printing of the structure. This work was published in a recent issue of Nature Communications.
Today in "Disclosure #1":-- Privacy regulation matters. It creates boundaries, sets expectations, and forces companies to take data handling seriously. But regulation alone is not enough.The reason is simple: regulation tells companies what they are allowed to do. Programmable confidentiality changes what the system can do by default. That distinction matters. In a traditional model, privacy is often bolted on after the fact. Data gets collected, stored, shared, and then protected through policy, legal language, and access controls. The user is asked to trust that the right safeguards are in place.Programmable confidentiality flips that model. It makes selective disclosure, constrained access, and controlled visibility part of the architecture itself. Instead of saying, “we promise to protect your data,” the product is designed so only the minimum necessary information is ever revealed in the first place.That is a much stronger foundation. It is stronger because it reduces risk before it starts. It is stronger because it scales better than manual enforcement. And it is stronger because it gives users and businesses a clearer, more precise way to interact: share what is needed, hide what is not.Privacy regulation is still essential. But it is a floor, not a product experience. The real shift happens when confidentiality becomes programmable, when privacy is no longer just a legal obligation, but a native property of the system.That is why programmable confidentiality beats privacy regulation. Not because regulation is unimportant, but because architecture is more durable than policy.-- The podcasts are authored, edited and produced by Raph Grieco (raphael-grieco.com | olivecapital.vc).
Programmable search engine, Google Search Console, website SEO, semantic indexing, first-party data, Facebook groups, Pinterest marketing, Google Ads.
For people like Misty, technology isn't a luxury—it shapes how they think, what they trust, and what kind of future they believe they're living in. That confidence begins to crack when a personal encounter exposes something deeper. The machines that hold this community together depend on materials depending on supply chains that no longer exist. The advanced medicine, the sensors, the processors, the automation—everything that made this society feel post-scarcity suddenly looks fragile. No invading army is coming. No single disaster is exploding at the gates. Instead, the threat is slower and more unnerving: decline.TechLutin Two: A domestic helper robot that quietly handles routine household tasks like watering plants.AR OS: An augmented-reality operating system navigated by blinking and eye movements that overlays information directly into the user's vision.Noise filtering: A hearing-control system that can selectively suppress environmental sound.Health watch: A live biometric monitoring interface that displays the body's internal condition in real time.Canal link: An ear-worn or implanted personal computing interface that gathers sensor data and manages communications.VR dots: Wearable sensor nodes originally made for virtual reality that now collect detailed physiological measurements.Nutrient dashboard: A system that continuously adjusts food composition to match the body's current needs.Preventive medical AI: An always-running health service that detects problems early and alters behavior, diet, or treatment before symptoms appear.Averted Illness chart: A predictive health analytics tool that estimates diseases a person likely avoided.Assist: A voice-driven personal AI that handles messages, searches, calls, and scheduling.Encrypted guardian system: A networked public safety infrastructure that makes constant passive protection part of daily life.Frugal points system: A behavioral incentive platform that rewards people for reducing waste.Personality clone: A digital copy of someone's personality that can keep learning, speaking, and creating content autonomously.Mag-lev train: A magnetically levitated transit system that moves people rapidly through enclosed tube lines.Construction robots: Automated machines that perform building and infrastructure work.Bioluminescent memory spheres: Hanging display objects that replay fragments of archived visual media.Open Floor: A civic communication system that lets people bring issues directly to public counsel.AR holo-map: A three-dimensional projected map used for planning and technical discussion.Pen microscope: A pocket-sized optical analysis tool for close material inspection.Submersible drone: A remotely operated underwater scout used for exploring flooded transit routes.AI server clusters: Repurposed computing systems powerful enough to model large scientific and industrial problems.Butler AI: A highly capable artificial intelligence cited as solving major social and logistical challenges.Machine evolver simulations: Competitive computational models that repeatedly test and refine new machine designs.High-density processors: Advanced compact computing hardware used for large-scale simulation work.Silicon scaffold protein servers: Powerful older-generation computing systems built around extremely dense processing architecture.Material simulation libraries: Vast databases of molecular candidates used to predict useful new substances before making them.Fab-All: A massive integrated manufacturing system that turns ordinary garbage, water, and power into almost any needed product.Medicine printer: A precision fabrication machine that assembles complex chemical products from purified feedstocks.Molecule printers: Highly specialized printers that arrange matter at the molecular level.Ionic bath breakdown system: A low-temperature chemical process that dissolves mixed waste into reusable elemental feedstocks.Electrochemical gradient separators: A staged chemical sorting process that isolates different elements from dissolved waste.Chelating extraction agents: Specialized molecules that bind to targeted elements so they can be separated.Spectroscopic sensors: Optical analyzers that identify material composition inside processing lines.Gold Gel: A separated elemental feedstock stored for later precision manufacturing.Silica Goo: A silicon-rich separated feedstock used in fabrication processes.Swarm robotic print arms: Multi-axis robotic fabricators that can approach a print job from all directions at once.Nanowire suspension system: Fine conductive supports that hold a structure in place without a base plate.Reactive scaffold printing: A fabrication stage where a printed structure also acts as the template for later chemistry.Catalytic nano-points: Tiny embedded reaction sites that trigger specific chemical transformations.Static electron pockets: Built-in charge zones that guide how later molecular assembly unfolds.Reaction printing phase: A manufacturing stage where custom molecular recipes spread through the scaffold and build new material from within.Polarized semifluids: Responsive liquid materials that migrate and organize under controlled fields.Magnetic field crystal alignment: A process that directs how crystals form inside a growing structure.Nano-lattice formation: Self-assembling microscopic frameworks that create strong or specialized materials.Programmable protein folding: Engineered molecular behavior where newly formed proteins fold into useful structures.Analog logic pathways: Nontraditional computing structures formed through self-assembled semiconductor patterns.Nano-weave composite tech: The colony's name for a fabrication method that grows advanced composite materials from guided chemical reactions.Surface-conditioning pass: A finishing process that adds optical or functional surface properties at the nanoscale.Thread printers: Specialized fabrication units that produce fibers and textile stock.Flat-bed sheet printers: Large-format printers used to make sheets of glass, boards, and similar materials.Assembly chambers: Dedicated fabrication spaces where separately printed components are combined into finished products.Smart particles: Tiny responsive materials used in soft goods like pillows.Pressure-sensitive conductive threads: Fabric fibers that can detect strain or improper tension.Optical fiber tablet surfaces: Durable display surfaces built with light-guiding material.Wearable health monitor circuit boards: Flexible electronics that can fold into body-worn medical devices.Pho-superconductor nanotube yarns: Advanced conductive winding material used in high-performance electric motors.Inverse greenhouse clothes: Garments designed to keep people comfortable in hotter enclosed environments.Wall screens: Large display surfaces built into living spaces.Streamer cams: Compact cameras used for recording and broadcasting.Whisper drones: Small quiet drones likely used for observation or personal tasks.Projectors: Devices that cast visual information onto surfaces.Laser shavers: Grooming tools that use focused light-based cutting.E-fabrics: Electronic textiles with built-in functional circuitry.BritLights: Named lighting devices used for illumination.Protein memory: A storage technology referenced as a desirable consumer product.Micro devices: Extremely small electronic or mechanical devices for general use.Smell sensors: Devices that detect and analyze airborne chemical signatures.Blood-line power generators: Small-scale power systems referenced as part of past consumer technology.Taze-wear: Wearable gear with defensive or electrical functionality.Invisa-veils: Concealment wear or optical masking apparel.Robot pets: Companion machines built to mimic animals.Autono-bikes: Self-operating or highly assisted bicycles.Laser toys: Play devices using light-based projection or interaction.MRI caps: Wearable medical scanning equipment.Plasma welders: Tools that join material using high-energy plasma.Gut bots: Internal medical robots meant to operate inside the digestive system.Milk cloners: Devices that reproduce milk or milk-like substances.Second faces: Alternate wearable or projected facial identities.Insta-water purifiers: Portable systems that rapidly clean water.CPAP machines: Breathing-assist devices for sleep or respiratory care.Nebulizers: Medical devices that turn liquid medicine into inhalable mist.VR shades: Head-mounted visual immersion devices.3D printers: Conventional additive manufacturing machines still valued for general fabrication.Smart pens: Writing tools with embedded digital functionality.Interactive sleeve: A wearable display and control interface built into clothing.Funzoid screens: Visual entertainment displays that create abstract patterns designed to affect mood and perception.Wind arena: A recreational chamber that uses controlled storm-force airflow as a sport environment.Robot rescue arms: Automated safety systems that pull players out of dangerous airflow zones.Digital design feed: A constantly updating network where people share newly created product designs.E-ink books: Electronic books with low-power readable display pages.Unpowered keyboard: A manual input device used as a familiar way to think and compose even without active electronics.Many of the characters in this project appear in future episodes. Using storytelling to place you in a time period, this series takes you, year by year, into the future. From 2040 to 2195. If you like emerging tech, eco-tech, futurism, perma-culture, apocalyptic survival scenarios, and disruptive science, sit back and enjoy short stories that showcase my research into how the future may play out. The companion site is https://in20xx.com These are works of fiction. Characters and groups are made-up and influenced by current events but not reporting facts about people or groups in the real world. This project is speculative fiction. These episodes are not about revealing what will be, but they are to excited the listener's wonder about what may come to pass. Copyright © Cy Porter 2026. All rights reserved.
Most Bitcoin scaling projects pick a lane. Arkade refuses to. In this conversation, Ark Labs' Andrew "Kukks" Camilleri explains why Arkade is a general-purpose off-chain environment where you can express your own unlocking scripts — multisig, hash-lock contracts, and more — without opinionated rails like built-in Lightning. He and Shinobi unpack the cosigner trust model, trusted execution environments, and how users can self-deploy signers to remove the possibility of incorrect execution.Grab your copy THE 2036 ISSUE
Send us Fan MailWhat if medicines could actually “decide” when and where to activate inside the body? MIT-trained synthetic biologist Dr. Jacob Becraft, Ph.D. is building programmable therapies that behave less like traditional drugs…and more like biological software.Dr. Becraft is Co-Founder and CEO of Strand Therapeutics ( https://www.strandtx.com/ ), a company pioneering what may become one of the next great frontiers in medicine: programmable mRNA therapeutics.Long before mRNA became a household term through COVID vaccines, Dr. Becraft and his colleagues at MIT were developing what has been described as the world's first synthetic biology programming language for mRNA - technology designed not simply to deliver genetic instructions, but to create logic-driven therapies capable of making decisions inside living cells.Now Strand is translating that vision into cancer therapeutics, with early clinical data from its lead candidate STX-001 showing responses in patients with advanced solid tumors who had exhausted conventional options - including evidence of systemic immune activity and even complete responses.Beyond the science, Jake is also a leading voice in synthetic biology, biotech entrepreneurship, and the future relationship between software, biology, and medicine.#StrandTherapeutics #JacobBecraft #SyntheticBiology #mRNA #ProgrammableMedicine #CancerImmunotherapy #Immunotherapy #Biotech #PrecisionMedicine #GeneTherapy #SyntheticBiologyEngineering #FutureOfMedicine #Oncology #CAR_T #mRNATherapeutics #Bioengineering #IL12 #RNA #MIT #CellTherapy #Longevity #Biotechnology #MedicalInnovation #NextGenMedicine #CancerResearch #AIinBiology #HealthcareInnovation #GeneticMedicine #ScientificBreakthrough #ProgressPotentialPossibilitiesSupport the show
BREAKING: Kore.ai launches Artemis — a new generation Agent Platform for enterprise AII just sat down with Prasanna Arikala at their San Francisco office right after this launch.And here's what stood out.For years, most enterprises have been stuck in the same loop:-- Build AI pilots-- Struggle to productionize-- Lose control over governance-- Start overArtemis is Kore.ai's answer to that problem.This is not just another AI platform.It is a ground-up rebuild focused on one idea:AI should not just assist. It should build, govern, and optimize itself.Prasanna shared something interesting during the conversation.They didn't evolve the platform.They rebuilt it from scratch around what enterprise AI actually needs in 2026:-- AI building AI-- Built-in governance, not bolted on-- Optimization as a continuous loop, not an afterthought-- Designed for regulated industries from Day 1And this is where it gets real.Most enterprises today already have Amazon Web Services or Microsoft.But the gap is not infrastructure.The gap is:How do you go from AI experiments to reliable, governed, production systems at scale?That's the layer Kore.ai is going after.Also, one insight from Prasanna that stayed with me:The biggest mistake is thinking AI is a model problem. It is actually a systems problem.This launch is a signal.We are moving from:“Let's try AI”To:“Let's run the business on AI systems we can trust”I'll be dropping the full interview soon on The Ravit Show where we go deeper into:-- Why they rebuilt everything-- What “AI building AI” actually means-- Where enterprise AI is headed in the next 18 monthsThis one is worth paying attention to.#data #ai #koreai #agents #theravitshow
The fiat money system has survived the Great Inflation, the global financial crisis, and a pandemic. But can it survive digital currencies?Bitcoin and the blockchain solved a genuine problem in computer science: how to stop people spending the same money twice. Forty years of successful inflation control means central bank money is stable; that is the stability in stablecoins, attempting to solve the volatility problem. What's next? What if the unit of account itself were indexed to consumer prices? Digitalisation might finally make that approach viable at scale. Price stability, by design.Will we still need cash? Maybe not now, But if you never use it, it may not be there if the blackout comes.The research behind this episode:Stracca, Livio. 2025. Redefining the Monetary Standard in the Digital Age: Digital Innovations and the Future of Monetary Policy. Springer Nature.To cite this episode:Phillips, Tim, and Livio Stracca. 2026. "Redefining the monetary standard." VoxTalks Economics (podcast). Assign this as extra listening. The citation above is formatted and ready for a reading list or VLE.About the guestLivio Stracca is Deputy Director General for International and European Relations at the European Central Bank, where he has worked for more than two decades. His research spans monetary economics, international finance, and the implications of digitalisation for central banking, with extensive work on exchange rates, capital flows, and the architecture of the international monetary system. Research cited in this episodeThe double-spend problem. The fundamental challenge in any decentralised digital payment system: how to prevent a participant from spending the same unit of money twice when there is no trusted central authority to verify transactions. Bitcoin's 2008 white paper offered an innovative solution by making the transaction ledger public, cumulative, and computationally expensive to rewrite. The trade-off is that transparency sacrifices privacy; every transaction is visible to all participants in the network.The blockchain. A distributed ledger in which transactions are grouped into sequential blocks, each cryptographically linked to the one before. Reversing any transaction requires rewriting every subsequent block, which demands enormous computational effort. This design solves the double-spend problem in a decentralised network but makes the system slow and costly to operate at scale.The payment trilemma. A framework discussed in the episode and in Stracca's book: any digital payment system can optimise for at most two of three properties simultaneously (universal access, security against fraudulent transactions, and privacy). Cash is the only instrument that escapes the trilemma; digital systems must accept a trade-off among the three, and the choice is often made implicitly by the designer of the system rather than through democratic deliberation.Hayek, Friedrich A. 1976. Denationalisation of Money. London: Institute of Economic Affairs. The classic argument for currency competition: let currencies compete freely and the one providing the most stable prices will win. Economists, including Milton Friedman, largely rejected the proposal on the grounds that money exhibits strong network externalities; the more people use a currency, the more attractive it becomes to the next user, producing a natural tendency towards monopoly. A formal modern revisitation, finding similar conclusions, is Fernández-Villaverde, Jesús, and Daniel Sanches. 2019. "Can Currency Competition Work?" Journal of Political Economy 127 (3): 1017 to 1058.Irving Fisher's compensated dollar. A proposal published in Fisher, Irving. 1913. "A Compensated Dollar." Quarterly Journal of Economics 27 (2): 213–235 (the same year the Federal Reserve was created). Fisher argued for a dollar whose purchasing power was held constant by adjusting its gold content in line with prices. The mechanical details of his proposal are no longer relevant, but its animating idea (indexing the unit of account to a price level) has gained new plausibility in a digital context.The Unidad de Fomento. Chile's inflation-indexed unit of account, in operation since 1967 and updated daily against the consumer price index. It is used widely in long-term contracts, including mortgages, and functions as a security that can be traded. Stracca cites it as evidence that an indexed monetary standard is operationally feasible, and as a prototype for what a digital equivalent might look like at larger scale.The Great Moderation. The period of low and stable inflation in advanced economies running roughly from the mid-1980s until the inflation episode of 2021 to 2023. Economists attribute it to improved monetary policy frameworks, particularly central bank independence, inflation targeting, and (crucially, in Stracca's account) the introduction of interest on reserves, which gave central banks precise control over the short-term interest rate without draining liquidity. Stracca treats the Great Moderation as the benchmark against which any proposed reform of the monetary standard must be judged.Programmable money. A form of digital money in which payment is conditional on an independently verifiable event, potentially confirmed by a machine rather than a human intermediary. Example: a payment that executes automatically when a delivery is confirmed by a sensor. Decentralised ledgers make such conditional payments technically straightforward; traditional banking systems can approximate them but with far greater friction. Stracca notes significant enthusiasm for programmable money but also real scepticism about whether the benefits outweigh the complexity in practice.More VoxTalks Economics episodesStablecoins and Global Imbalances, Gilles Moëc explains why we can think of stablecoins as a radical macroeconomic experiment that has arrived at exactly the moment the US external position is showing signs of stress.Can blockchain decentralise money, contracts, and finance? Bruno Biais on blockchain's potential, its flaws, and its future.Do stablecoins threaten financial stability? Richard Portes thinks so.
Happy Saturday! We’re back with another Q&A episode of the show. This week you asked:
We're announcing a16z crypto's Fund 5: $2.2B in committed capital to back the startups and founders who are building the next era of crypto. All four GPs sat down to talk through where crypto is right now, what's changed, and where it may be headed next. Chris Dixon, Ali Yahya, Guy Wuollet, and Eddy Lazzarin join Robert Hackett to cover... 00:00 Open 01:31 Why raise Crypto Fund 5 now 02:10 The GENIUS Act and what regulatory clarity unlocks for builders 04:32 Why stablecoins are crypto's WhatsApp moment 08:54 Why the next era of crypto founders will be pragmatic, not ideological 11:49 From cypherpunk revolution to crypto's "collared shirt era" 15:02 Programmable money meets AI 21:15 Onchain capital markets for compute, energy, and credit 25:57 Why finance is the foundation, not the ceiling 28:48 AI agents as first-class economic actors 38:19 Why privacy is the only moat 41:26 Jevons paradox and the future of blockspace demand 43:20 Jolt and the zero-knowledge breakthrough 58:15 Writing the next chapter of Read Write Own Resources: Chris Dixon: https://x.com/cdixon Ali Yahya: https://x.com/alive_eth Eddy Lazzarin: https://x.com/eddylazzarin Guy Wuollet: https://x.com/guywuolletjr Robert Hackett: https://x.com/rhackett Follow a16z crypto: X: https://x.com/a16zcrypto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/a16zcrypto/posts/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@a16zcrypto Subscribe for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, builder guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/subscribe/ *** As always, none of the following should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
English Edition: In a follow up about "unusual" computers I want to focus on field programmable gate arrays - FPGAs. With my guest and former colleague at UCL, Michael McLeod, we talk about what they are, where they are used and what's so special about working with them.Links:https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/field-programmable-gate-arrays https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-programmable_gate_array https://fpga.epcc.ed.ac.uk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_description_language https://nandland.com/the-go-board/ the Go Board affordable FPGA for testing and learninghttps://nandland.com/ Nandland have more resources on FPGAhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xilinxhttps://web.archive.org/web/20070412183416/http://filebox.vt.edu/users/tmagin/history.htmhttps://www.amd.com/en/products/adaptive-socs-and-fpgas/fpga.html https://space.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/2024-10/FPL_13_B112a.pdf Paper discussing a use case of hardware preservation with FPGAshttps://people.inf.ethz.ch/wirth/FPGA-relatedWork/RISC.pdf Niklaus Wirth, the creator of the Pascal language, did some work with FPGA as wellhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markov_decision_process Markov decision processhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markov_chain Get in touchThank you for listening! Merci de votre écoute! Vielen Dank für´s Zuhören!Contact Details/ Coordonnées / Kontakt:Email mailto:peter@code4thought.orgUK RSE Slack (ukrse.slack.com): @code4thought or @piddie Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/code4thought.bsky.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pweschmidt/ (personal Profile)LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/codeforthought/ (Code for Thought Profile)This podcast is licensed under the Creative Commons Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Brandon Sedloff sits down with Nick Shalek to explore the evolution of venture investing, the rise of AI, and the long-term implications of tokenization across global markets. Nick shares his journey from the Yale Investment Office to co-founding Ribbit Capital, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the firm approaches conviction, concentration, and founder partnerships. The conversation dives deep into how AI is reshaping company building, why software alone is no longer a sufficient moat, and how investors are thinking about the intersection of money, data, and power. Nick also unpacks the concept of tokenization and what it means for the future of financial systems and asset ownership. We discuss: Nick's path from Yale to Ribbit Capital and the lessons that shaped his investing philosophy Why small, high-conviction portfolios drive better long-term venture outcomes How AI is accelerating the power of individuals and reshaping company formation The shift from software as a product to software as a complement to deeper moats What tokenization really means and how it could redefine global access to assets Links: Ribbit Capital - https://www.ribbitcap.com/ Nick on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickshalek/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro(00:03:37) - Austin's career and background(00:10:53) - Austin's time at the Yale Investment Office(00:17:05) - The evolution of data centers(00:20:27) - Austin's time at Stanford and Facebook(00:26:36) - The state of Ribbit Capital today(00:31:37) - Thoughts on AI and its impact on how society will do business(00:36:34) - Software investing thesis(00:39:46) - How leaders are evolving their companies to lean into the AI revolution(00:45:24) - Tokenization and crypto infrastructure
From Tulum cenotes to faulty toilets in space, Toner and BTC Ankarino return from spring break staring directly into the next great American asset class: betting on whatever happens next. Kalshi gets sued, Polymarket heats up after March Madness, nobody knows how to file taxes on prediction-market wins, and suddenly “investing in future outcomes” sounds a lot less like gambling and a lot more like Wall Street with better UX.This week, the boys connect the dots between SEC crypto safe harbors, market-structure clarity, programmable money, AI agents, stablecoin rails, and the coming explosion of niche prediction markets—World Cup, Olympics, war, Oscars, space toilets, you name it. If the NYSE is pumping billions into Polymarket, Donald Trump Jr. is sitting on both Coke and Pepsi boards, and your AI bot can read the prospectus before your Fidelity guy can find his password… then maybe the truth is already tokenized.Also: Liberty Tax dancers in LA, Truth Social as an oracle layer, Starlink as the global betting rail, DAO-flavored IPOs, crypto in your 401(k), insurance against reality being wrong, and why the next four years might be the regulatory sandbox where everything gets weird on purpose.The market is programmable. The truth is fractional.
Joseph Nelson, CEO of Roboflow, breaks down the current state of computer vision and why it still lags behind language models in real-world understanding, latency, and deployment. He explains how Roboflow distills frontier vision capabilities into efficient, task-specific models using techniques like Neural Architecture Search and RF-DETR. The conversation covers Chinese leadership in vision, Meta and NVIDIA's roles in the ecosystem, coding agents, and emerging S-curves from world models to wearables. Nelson also explores aesthetic judgment in AI, real-world applications from agriculture to sports, and why outcome-focused regulation matters. Sponsors: Tasklet: Build your own Cognitive Revolution monitoring agent in one click.Try it for free and use code COGREV for 50% off your first month at https://tasklet.ai VCX: VCX, by Fundrise, is the public ticker for private tech, giving everyday investors access to high-growth private companies in AI, space, defense tech, and more. Learn how to invest at https://getvcx.com Claude: Claude is the AI collaborator that understands your entire workflow, from drafting and research to coding and complex problem-solving. Start tackling bigger problems with Claude and unlock Claude Pro's full capabilities at https://claude.ai/tcr CHAPTERS: (00:00) About the Episode (04:23) State of computer vision (12:29) Is vision solved (19:41) Frontier models and failures (Part 1) (19:46) Sponsors: Tasklet | VCX (22:39) Frontier models and failures (Part 2) (32:16) From cloud to edge (Part 1) (32:21) Sponsor: Claude (34:33) From cloud to edge (Part 2) (43:25) Data needs and scaling (50:52) Open source vision race (01:01:38) NAS and productization (01:12:24) Aesthetic judgment challenges (01:17:22) Future horizons in vision (01:31:18) Wearables and daily life (01:43:06) Regulating AI vision tools (01:51:00) Episode Outro (01:56:39) Outro PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/ Youtube: https://youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk
Check out Contacticon!https://www.starbornflamebooks.com/contacticon-2026.htmlTyler's YouTube https://youtube.com/@theexcoppernikissshow?si=EPrs8rcxROmwbDblForbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.news/ FKN Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/FKNlinksMake a Donation to Forbidden Knowledge News https://www.paypal.me/forbiddenknowledgenehttps://buymeacoffee.com/forbiddenWe are back on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@forbiddenknowledgenews?si=XQhXCjteMKYNUJSjBackup channelhttps://youtube.com/@fknshow1?si=tIoIjpUGeSoRNaEsDoors of Perception is available now on Amazon Prime!https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.8a60e6c7-678d-4502-b335-adfbb30697b8&ref_=atv_lp_share_mv&r=webDoors of Perception official trailerhttps://youtu.be/F-VJ01kMSII?si=Ee6xwtUONA18HNLZListen to Forbidden Knowledge News on clearair.fm every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday 12:15pm CSThttps://clearair.fm/Pick up Independent Media Token herehttps://www.independentmediatoken.com/Be prepared for any emergency with Prep Starts Now!https://prepstartsnow.com/discount/FKNStart your microdosing journey with BrainsupremeGet 15% off your order here!!https://brainsupreme.co/FKN15Book a free consultation with Jennifer Halcame Emailjenniferhalcame@gmail.comFacebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561665957079&mibextid=ZbWKwLWatch The Forbidden Documentary: Occult Louisiana on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/pGXW6chxCJbC60 PurplePowerhttps://go.shopc60.com/FORBIDDEN10/or use coupon code knowledge10Johnny Larson's artworkhttps://www.patreon.com/JohnnyLarsonSign up on Rokfin!https://rokfin.com/fknplusPodcastshttps://www.spreaker.com/show/forbiddenAvailable on all platforms Support FKN on Spreaker https://spreaker.page.link/KoPgfbEq8kcsR5oj9FKN ON Rumblehttps://rumble.com/c/FKNpGet Cory Hughes books!Lee Harvey Oswald In Black and White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJ2PQJRMA Warning From History Audio bookhttps://buymeacoffee.com/jfkbook/e/392579https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jfkbookhttps://www.amazon.com/Warning-History-Cory-Hughes/dp/B0CL14VQY6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=72HEFZQA7TAP&keywords=a+warning+from+history+cory+hughes&qid=1698861279&sprefix=a+warning+fro%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1https://coryhughes.org/Our Facebook pageshttps://www.facebook.com/forbiddenknowledgenewsconspiracy/https://www.facebook.com/FKNNetwork/Instagram @forbiddenknowledgenews1@forbiddenknowledgenetworkXhttps://x.com/ForbiddenKnow10?t=uO5AqEtDuHdF9fXYtCUtfw&s=09Email Forbidden Knowledge News forbiddenknowledgenews@gmail.comsome music thanks to:https://www.bensound.com/ULFAPO3OJSCGN8LDDGLBEYNSIXA6EMZJ5FUXWYNC6WJNJKRS8DH27IXE3D73E97DC6JMAFZLSZDGTWFIBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.
Jeff Pulver of the vCon Foundation and David Erickson, Founder and CEO of CarrierX met at the Technology Reseller News podcast station for a conversation recorded during the Enterprise Connect conference about the evolving role of programmable communications and the emerging importance of structured conversation data. During the discussion, Pulver highlighted the growing significance of vCon (virtualized conversation) as a framework for capturing and structuring communications data. As organizations increasingly rely on voice, messaging, and video interactions, vCon provides a standardized format that enables conversations to be stored, analyzed, and integrated with modern AI systems. “vCon is about turning conversations into structured data that organizations can use to power new applications and insights,” Pulver explained. Erickson discussed how CarrierX's programmable communications platform aligns with this vision by enabling developers and service providers to build advanced voice and messaging solutions that can integrate with AI-driven workflows. By combining programmable communications with structured conversation data, organizations can unlock new capabilities in customer engagement, compliance, and analytics. Both leaders emphasized that enterprises are beginning to recognize the strategic value of communications data, particularly as AI-driven applications become more sophisticated. Structured conversation frameworks such as vCon can provide the foundation for analyzing interactions, improving customer experiences, and building new communications-enabled services. As discussions at Enterprise Connect continue to focus on AI, cloud communications, and data-driven innovation, the collaboration between the vCon Foundation and CarrierX illustrates how programmable communications and structured conversation data are shaping the future of enterprise communications. Learn more about the vCon Foundation: https://www.pulver.com/vconfoundation Learn more about CarrierX: https://www.carrierx.com/
Ani's linksYouTube https://youtube.com/@aniosaru777?si=jv5Ixj6mMILFUQaGPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/the_spiritualshaderoomInstagram: https://instagram.com/thespiritualshaderoom1?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/AniOsaruForbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.news/ FKN Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/FKNlinksMake a Donation to Forbidden Knowledge News https://www.paypal.me/forbiddenknowledgenehttps://buymeacoffee.com/forbiddenWe are back on YouTube! https://youtube.com/@forbiddenknowledgenews?si=XQhXCjteMKYNUJSjBackup channelhttps://youtube.com/@fknshow1?si=tIoIjpUGeSoRNaEsDoors of Perception is available now on Amazon Prime!https://watch.amazon.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.8a60e6c7-678d-4502-b335-adfbb30697b8&ref_=atv_lp_share_mv&r=webDoors of Perception official trailerhttps://youtu.be/F-VJ01kMSII?si=Ee6xwtUONA18HNLZPick up Independent Media Token herehttps://www.independentmediatoken.com/Be prepared for any emergency with Prep Starts Now!https://prepstartsnow.com/discount/FKNStart your microdosing journey with BrainsupremeGet 15% off your order here!!https://brainsupreme.co/FKN15Book a free consultation with Jennifer Halcame Emailjenniferhalcame@gmail.comFacebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561665957079&mibextid=ZbWKwLWatch The Forbidden Documentary: Occult Louisiana on Tubi: https://link.tubi.tv/pGXW6chxCJbC60 PurplePowerhttps://go.shopc60.com/FORBIDDEN10/or use coupon code knowledge10Johnny Larson's artworkhttps://www.patreon.com/JohnnyLarsonSign up on Rokfin!https://rokfin.com/fknplusPodcastshttps://www.spreaker.com/show/forbiddenAvailable on all platforms Support FKN on Spreaker https://spreaker.page.link/KoPgfbEq8kcsR5oj9FKN ON Rumblehttps://rumble.com/c/FKNpGet Cory Hughes books!Lee Harvey Oswald In Black and White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FJ2PQJRMA Warning From History Audio bookhttps://buymeacoffee.com/jfkbook/e/392579https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jfkbookhttps://www.amazon.com/Warning-History-Cory-Hughes/dp/B0CL14VQY6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=72HEFZQA7TAP&keywords=a+warning+from+history+cory+hughes&qid=1698861279&sprefix=a+warning+fro%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1https://coryhughes.org/Our Facebook pageshttps://www.facebook.com/forbiddenknowledgenewsconspiracy/https://www.facebook.com/FKNNetwork/Instagram @forbiddenknowledgenews1@forbiddenknowledgenetworkXhttps://x.com/ForbiddenKnow10?t=uO5AqEtDuHdF9fXYtCUtfw&s=09Email Forbidden Knowledge News forbiddenknowledgenews@gmail.comsome music thanks to:https://www.bensound.com/ULFAPO3OJSCGN8LDDGLBEYNSIXA6EMZJ5FUXWYNC6WJNJKRS8DH27IXE3D73E97DC6JMAFZLSZDGTWFIBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not financial, investment, or legal advice. I am not affiliated with, nor compensated by, the project discussed—no tokens, payments, or incentives received. I do not hold a stake in the project, including private or future allocations. All views are my own, based on public information. Always do your own research and consult a licensed advisor before investing. Crypto investments carry high risk, and past performance is no guarantee of future results. I am not responsible for any decisions you make based on this content.
Money doesn't become digital overnight.It becomes digital when the rails of finance begin to change.In this episode of MoneyNeverSleeps, Pete Townsend speaks with Emma Landriault of JPMorgan about why stablecoins and bank-issued deposit tokens may end up reinforcing, rather than replacing, each other.Emma Landriault is Executive Director at JPMorgan and global product lead for JPM Coin, a deposit token that enables institutional clients to move money between accounts in real time, 24/7.Drawing on her work building deposit tokens and financial market infrastructure, Emma explains why stablecoins, deposit tokens, and potentially central bank digital currencies represent different layers of the financial system rather than competing forms of money.Across crypto, fintech, and traditional finance, the conversation around stablecoins, tokenised deposits, and onchain settlement is moving from experimentation toward real financial infrastructure. Companies such as Stripe, Visa, Mastercard, and major global banks are increasingly integrating these rails into payments, treasury, and settlement systems.Rather than replacing banks, digital money is emerging as a modular system where different forms of value serve different roles — from programmable treasury operations to onchain settlement and institutional liquidity management.This isn't a crypto-versus-banks conversation. It's a discussion about financial architecture, interoperability, and how the rails of global finance are quietly evolving.We cover:• Why stablecoins and bank-issued deposit tokens are designed to coexist• How liability and trust anchors shape different forms of digital money• Why corporate treasurers are beginning to manage liquidity directly from wallets• What programmable treasury operations could mean for financial workflows• How traditional institutions are approaching onchain assets and digital markets• Why the future financial system may look more like interconnected networks than isolated payment systemsEmma brings a systems-level perspective shaped by building real financial infrastructure inside one of the world's largest banks, explaining why operational reality matters as much as technological innovation — and why the next phase of digital finance will likely be defined by interoperability rather than disruption.If you're a founder, operator, or investor trying to understand how traditional finance and onchain systems are beginning to converge, this episode offers a practical perspective on where things may be heading.⏱️ Chapters00:00 – Why stablecoins and banks can coexist01:00 – Layers of digital money02:30 – Liability, trust, and financial infrastructure04:10 – Deposit tokens vs stablecoins06:00 – Yield, liquidity, and treasury operations07:10 – How corporate treasurers use digital assets08:40 – Programmable treasury and wallet infrastructure10:00 – Institutional interest in onchain finance11:15 – Convergence and network-based financial systems13:00 – The future architecture of digital money13:40 – Closing thoughtsFor full show notes and guest links, see below.MoneyNeverSleeps explores one big idea each week in under 15 minutes with founders, operators, and investors shaping crypto, fintech, AI, and onchain finance.If you're interested in where financial infrastructure is heading — from stablecoins and tokenized assets to AI-driven markets — subscribe and join the conversation.
Programmable digital currency is the final piece of the global control grid that's finally snapping into place. Catherine Austin Fitts on how to defeat it. (00:00) The Control Grid (08:28) How Biometrics Will Be Used to Control You (10:36) Why Banks Don't Want You to Use Cash (19:10) What Role Does the Central Bank Play in War? (40:31) What Crisis Will Justify Digital Currency? Catherine Austin Fitts began her career at Dillon Read & Co. in New York and later served as Assistant Secretary of Housing under President George H. W. Bush. Drawing on her experience on Wall Street and in Washington, she warned communities and investors about mortgage fraud and ultimately prevailed in an eleven-year lawsuit with the Department of Justice. She is now the publisher of The Solari Report, a weekly briefing featuring Money & Markets and nationwide meet-ups focused on financial insight and independent living—subscribe here: www.solari.com Paid partnerships with: Black Rifle Coffee: Promo code "Tucker" for 30% off at https://www.blackriflecoffee.comAudien Hearing: Learn more about how Audien can help you or someone you love hear better. Call 1-800-453-2916 or visit https://HearTucker.com Battalion Metals: Shop fair-priced gold and silver. Gain clarity and confidence in your financial future at https://battalionmetals.com/tucker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is the forty-ninth episode in the Crypto Hipster's Curtain Calls Series, which includes 3–4-minute clips from Seasons 6-8. This compilation draws upon my conversations with:Omer Sadika, co-founder @ dWallet Network and CEO @ dWallet Labs (3/16/2024, Season 7)Dr. Weijia Zhang, Vice President of Engineering @ Wanchain (9/9/2024, Season 8)Aki Balogh, co-founder and CEO @ DLC.Link (3/17/2024, Season 7)Peter Kris, co-founder and CEO @ Gasp (12/9/2024, Season 8)
What if your AI assistant could negotiate your next car purchase, trade prediction markets, manage your inbox, and research crypto… while you sleep? This week we break down the insane rise of ClaudeBot → Moltbot → OpenClaw, the open-source AI agent that rocketed past 200,000 GitHub stars and sparked a massive wave of autonomous agents almost overnight. But of course, crypto had to crypto. Along the way, the project triggered a triple rebrand, a $16M scam token spun up by opportunists, and a security mess that unfolded in real time as attackers hunted for poorly-secured instances and exposed keys. We also get into the bigger picture: as AI agents start doing real work for people (and eventually paying bills, trading, and moving value), crypto becomes the natural payment rail. Permissionless. Programmable. Always on. Which is exciting… and also a whole new playground for scammers. We cover what happened, why it matters, and what you should do if you’re experimenting with agents: lock it down, separate machines/accounts, protect your keys, and don’t chase random tokens. Show notes and links: http://badco.in/804 Leave a comment with the best OpenClaw tutorial you’ve found — we’ll dig in.Support the show: https://badcryptopodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From AI breakthroughs to space exploration, the next decade promises to be the most transformative yet. In this episode, I explore 10 metatrends that will reshape our lives, health, and work. These trends are already taking shape, so understanding them is key to staying ahead.We explore the abundance of food, energy, and education, driven by solar-powered systems and AI-powered learning. We also discuss how AI and quantum technologies will revolutionize medicine and scientific discovery.Plus, we talk about how the future of transportation, finance, and local manufacturing is being redefined by autonomous vehicles, digital finance, and on-demand production.“The question is not whether these changes will happen, it's whether you will be positioned to benefit from them.” ~ Vikram RayaIn This Episode:- #1: Abundance of food, energy, and education- #2: AI and quantum intelligence- #3: The robot revolution- #4: Programmable biology- #5: Demonetization of everything- #6: Autonomous transport- #7: Local and automated manufacturing- #8: Digital and borderless finance- #9: The metaverse and immersive learning- #10: Becoming a space-faring civilizationResources:➡️ Free community of high-performing physicians: the Physician Wealth Accelerator - https://limitless-md.mn.co/➡️ Check out my programs - https://vikramraya.com/coaching/➡️ Apply to become a Limitless MD - https://www.i8mastermind.com/➡️Claim Your Free 30-minute discovery call and $500 off your engagement with Hall CPA: https://go.therealestatecpa.com/limitless Connect with Vikram:Website: https://vikramraya.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikramraya/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VikramrayamdLinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikramraya/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdq9M-kD0L2hy1UlfOK-hwQSpecial Thank You to Music Provided by Music Library: https://soundcloud.com/music-library-non-copyrighted-sounds/300-violin-orchestra-jorge-quintero-copyright-and-royalty-free
In the French Pavilion at CES in Las Vegas Thomas Pigneur, CEO of Solver AI, discussed the Solver AI button, a programmable accessory for iPhones. It attaches magnetically and works with or without phone cases. Users can access up to 1,000 actions via top or bottom button presses, including sending texts with geolocation, controlling ChatGPT, managing smart home devices, and executing iOS shortcuts. Available in seven colors for customization or just fun, it features user profiles for different scenarios. Show Notes: Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect: Web: http://macvoices.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner http://www.twitter.com/macvoices Mastodon: https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner MacVoices Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/ MacVoices Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe: Audio in iTunes Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss
In the French Pavilion at CES in Las Vegas Thomas Pigneur, CEO of Solver AI, discussed the Solver AI button, a programmable accessory for iPhones. It attaches magnetically and works with or without phone cases. Users can access up to 1,000 actions via top or bottom button presses, including sending texts with geolocation, controlling ChatGPT, managing smart home devices, and executing iOS shortcuts. Available in seven colors for customization or just fun, it features user profiles for different scenarios. Show Notes: Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect: Web: http://macvoices.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner http://www.twitter.com/macvoices Mastodon: https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner MacVoices Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/ MacVoices Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe: Audio in iTunes Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss
In this episode of Denatured, Jennifer C. Smith-Parker speaks to Erik Digman Wiklud, CEO of Circio and Jacob Becraft, CO-founder and CEO of Strand Therapeutics. Since the mRNA vaccine breakthroughs of the COVID-19 era, attention has turned to what's next for programmable medicines. While first- generation mRNA prove the power of transient genetic instruction, its instability, immune reactivity, and short-lived expression have limited its use mainly to vaccines. Emerging platforms like circular and logic circuit RNA are expanding the field's therapeutic horizons.HostJennifer Smith-Parker, Director of Insights, BioSpaceGuestsErik Digman Wiklund, CEO, CircioJacob Becraft, Co-founder and CEO, Strand TherapeuticsDisclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.
Tim Lu, CEO of Senti Bio, joins In Vivo to discuss how programmable cell therapies are solving oncology's targeting problem. Lu explains the logic-gated approach behind SENTI-202, an allogeneic CAR-NK therapy for relapsed/refractory AML that achieved 50% response rates in Phase 1 while avoiding the dose-limiting toxicities that have plagued other AML cell therapies. We cover the Phase 1 ASH 2025 data showing 39% complete remission rates (all MRD-negative) with 7.6-month median duration, the rationale for using NK cells over T cells, and why synthetic biology's three-target logic gates can distinguish cancer from healthy bone marrow cells. Lu also discusses plans for pivotal trials following RMAT designation, expansion into solid tumors, and where biotech innovation is accelerating versus where clinical translation bottlenecks remain. For biopharma professionals tracking cell therapy innovation, synthetic biology applications, and AML treatment advances.
From investment banker to crypto fund strategist, Stas Sukhinin shares insider perspectives on how credit committees really make decisions, why over-leveraged companies fail fast during downturns, and where stablecoins are creating trillion-dollar transaction opportunities. In this episode of the DealQuest Podcast, host Corey Kupfer sits down with Stas Sukhinin, a finance veteran with over 19 years of experience spanning investment banking, corporate lending, and alternative asset management. Stas began his career at internationally recognized institutions including UniCredit and Societe General, where he helped pioneer mezzanine loan products in Eastern Europe. By age 29, he had become a senior partner at one of the region's largest mezzanine lenders, managing a team of 20 finance professionals and overseeing a $450 million loan portfolio. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: In this episode, you'll discover what really happens inside credit committees when your loan application gets reviewed and why factors unrelated to your business can determine outcomes. Stas explains how strong companies can go from healthy to restructuring in just three to four months when leverage catches up with them, and the critical difference between how first-time owners and experienced operators approach debt decisions. You'll learn the two key factors that determine how much debt your business can handle, why working capital provisions in purchase agreements deserve more attention than most buyers give them, and how sellers legally present financials in the most favorable light. The conversation also covers Stas's experience investing in the 2017 ICO boom where 90% of projects went to zero but winners returned 50x to 100x, why venture capital investors sometimes block deals that would be life-changing for founders, and where stablecoin transaction volume is already reaching trillions while most people remain unaware. STAS'S JOURNEY: Stas's path into finance started at age 14 when a classmate brought a business magazine to school. Reading about business owners selling companies for millions crystallized his direction. He knew he wanted to be in corporate lending where he could see businesses, analyze financials, and speak directly with owners while working with numbers at a bank. His first role as a junior credit analyst gave him exactly that. He progressed from working with small businesses that had no financials to mid-sized companies to large corporations. Each step taught him more about how deals really get done from inside the institutions making funding decisions. CREDIT COMMITTEE INSIGHTS: Stas pulls back the curtain on what actually happens when loan applications reach credit committees. The reality differs dramatically from what most business owners imagine. Factors affecting approval can seem completely unrelated to the specific deal. Maybe the bank already has a competitor in their portfolio. Maybe the receivable financing department has a different relationship with someone in your industry. One offhand comment from a committee member who hasn't read the full memo can change the entire trajectory of a conversation or result in higher interest rates. DEBT MANAGEMENT LESSONS: The pattern Stas has seen destroy companies in months follows predictable steps. Revenue drops or stagnates. Margins deteriorate because of increased competition and client uncertainty. Debt ratios that looked comfortable suddenly reach concerning levels. Refinancing options disappear just when needed most. Interest rates climb. Everything compounds simultaneously. The difference between experienced and first-time business owners comes down to scenario planning. Experienced operators build safety margins and stress-test assumptions. First-time owners assume conditions will continue as they are. That assumption determines survival. ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS: Stas joined a crypto investment fund at its inception in 2017 during the ICO boom. Out of many investments, approximately 90% went to zero. The winners returned 50x or 100x. His observation about liquidity cycles was particularly interesting. Traditional venture now averages seven-year holding periods while crypto projects can reach liquidity events in three or four years through token distributions. On stablecoins, Stas sees enormous opportunity in programmable money. Transaction volume is already in the trillions though most people in developed countries don't realize the scale. Goldman Sachs reportedly reduced bond settlement time from three days to minutes using blockchain technology. Perfect for business owners considering debt financing, entrepreneurs navigating capital raising, and anyone interested in how credit decisions really get made and where alternative investments are creating new opportunities. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/stassukhinin FOR MORE ON STAS SUKHININ: https://www.thesourcer.so https://www.linkedin.com/in/stassukhinin/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps: [00:00] - Introduction: Stas Sukhinin's 19 years in finance from investment banking to crypto [03:26] - First deal experience: Structuring a real estate development loan with disbursement tied to sales [05:47] - Hidden factors: Why deals get rejected for reasons unrelated to underwriting criteria[08:20] - Committee dynamics: How one comment from an uninvolved member changes deal trajectories [11:41] - Timing and instruments: When companies use the wrong type of capital [15:55] - Risk assumptions: The difference between first-time and experienced business owners [18:29] - Volatility factors: How income stability determines appropriate leverage levels [21:09] - M&A implications: Structuring adjustment provisions for concentration risk [24:09] - Liquidity advantages: Why crypto offers shorter holding periods than traditional venture[27:55] - Venture math: The story of a VC blocking a life-changing exit for 1x returns [29:27] - Due diligence limitations: Legal ways sellers present favorable financials [32:14] - Stablecoins explained: Digital tokens designed to maintain dollar parity [36:31] - Programmable money: Smart contracts that execute automatically on conditions [38:00] - Financial advisory services: How Stas helps business owners understand their financials[39:14] - Freedom defined: Removing gatekeepers and accessing financial systems without barriers Guest Bio: Stas Sukhinin has over 19 years of experience in finance spanning investment banking, corporate lending, and alternative asset management. He began his career at internationally recognized institutions including UniCredit and Societe General, where he helped pioneer mezzanine loan products and shaped the market in Eastern Europe. By age 29, Stas had become a senior partner at one of the region's largest mezzanine lenders, managing a team of 20 finance professionals and overseeing a $450 million loan portfolio. He later served on boards of several private companies, deepening his expertise across credit investments and corporate governance. Recognizing early opportunities in alternative assets, Stas joined a crypto investment fund at its inception in 2017 and continues to lead its strategy and operations. He now helps business owners run more efficiently from the lens of financials through his advisory practice. Host Bio: Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker with more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Show Description: Do you want your business to grow faster? The DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer reveals how successful entrepreneurs and business leaders use strategic deals to accelerate growth. From large mergers and acquisitions to capital raising, joint ventures, strategic alliances, real estate deals, and more, this show discusses the full spectrum of deal-driven growth strategies. Get the confidence to pursue deals that will help your company scale faster. Related Episodes: Episode 350 - Tom Dillon: When NOT to Take Venture Capital Money: Explore alternative funding sources including private credit, SBA loans, and sale-leasebacks with a fractional CFO who works with startups on capital strategy. Episode 370 - Gerry Hays: Democratizing Venture Capital Through VentureStaking: Discover alternative approaches to early-stage investing that don't require massive checks or exclusive networks. Episode 85 - Nick Adams: Seed Stage Venture Capital Funds: Understand how traditional VCs think about early-stage deals and what metrics they evaluate from the investor perspective. Episode 351 - Solocast: Deal Structures Beyond M&A and Capital Raising: Learn about joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing agreements, and other creative partnership models for business growth. Episode 324 - Sejal Lakhani-Bhatt: Tech Due Diligence in M&A: Explore how technology systems and cybersecurity impact business valuation and deal outcomes. Episode 330 - Pete Mohr: Preparing Your Business for Exit: Understand why sellers often cause deals to fail and how to prepare for the emotional aspects of selling a business. Follow DealQuest Podcast: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ Website: https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Follow Stas Sukhinin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stassukhinin/ Website: https://www.thesourcer.so Keywords/Tags: corporate lending insights, credit committee decisions, debt management for businesses, mezzanine lending, alternative asset management, crypto investment strategy, stablecoin business applications, EBITDA management, leverage risk, working capital due diligence, venture capital exits, ICO investing, blockchain finance, programmable money, business financing, capital structure, due diligence strategies, financial advisory, dealmaking, business growth strategies
[SFA101] In this episode of Let’s Talk About Treks, we explore the premiere of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, focusing on Season 1, Episode 1, Kids These Days. Released on January 15, 2026, this debut introduces the audience to a new perspective in the Star Trek universe, featuring the journey of Caleb Mir, a gorgeous street-smart kid accepted into Starfleet Academy. We discuss the creative minds behind the episode, including director Alex Kurtzman and writer/creator Gaia Violo, while delving into themes of familial separation and the moral dilemmas of the Academy’s environment. Our dialogue showcases character dynamics, including Caleb’s interactions with mentors like Cadet Master Thok, blending humor with the legacy of the franchise. The episode also expands Star Trek’s diversity with a varied cast and incorporates advanced technology and engaging visuals. As we wrap up, we speculate on future episodes and the deeper explorations of identity and belonging within the series.
Epicenter - Learn about Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed Technologies
Fresh off the launch of the Ignition Chain and a successful community-led $61M token sale, Aztec Network co-founder Zac Williamson joins Friederike Ernst to unpack the "existential" journey of building programmable privacy. Zac opens up about the "sacrificial altar" moment where the team decided to kill their live product, Aztec Connect which had 60k users because they realized true decentralized privacy required rebuilding from scratch rather than iterative upgrades.They dive deep into the architecture of the new network, which utilizes a hybrid state model (encrypted UTXOs for privacy, public accounts for transparency) to enable composable applications. Zac challenges the cryptographic dogma of "don't roll your own crypto," arguing that for pioneers, relying on "battle-tested" libraries is impossible. He explains why decentralized sequencers are not just a moral choice but a security necessity to prevent government-mandated backdoors. Finally, Zac contrasts the chaotic but decentralized resistance to surveillance in the US with the increasing top-down control in the UK and Europe, framing Aztec as essential "defense in depth" for the digital age.Topics00:00 Intro 03:45 The "Sacrificial Altar": Killing Aztec Connect10:15 Hybrid Architecture: UTXOs vs. Accounts16:30 Why You Must "Roll Your Own Crypto"22:00 Decentralization as a Defense Against Backdoors28:15 Performance: Throughput & Latency Trade-offs34:40 Private Smart Contracts: Gaming & Identity41:00 The Macro View: US vs. EU SurveillanceLinksGnosis: https://gnosis.io/Zac Williamson on X: https://twitter.com/Zac_AztecAztec Network: https://aztec.networkNoir Language: https://noir-lang.orgSponsors: Gnosis: Gnosis has been building core decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem since 2015. With the launch of Gnosis Pay last year, we introduced the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Start leveraging its power today at http://gnosis.io
In this episode, Alex Bergeron, Head of Ecosystem at Ark Labs, joins Jarrett to discuss the evolution of Bitcoin, the role of ArK Labs and its relationship with ArKade, and the future of Bitcoin lending and financialization. They explore the differences between Arcade and the Lightning Network, the potential of on-chain treasury companies, and the importance of building a community around Bitcoin's programmable future.Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/hMGuJ3ssb08CHAPTERS00:00 Episode Intro00:16 Alex Joins The Pod00:53 Alex's Bitcoin Journey05:29 Ark Labs + Arkade10:38 Arkade Isn't Lightning15:32 Lightning Sucks16:55 The Power Of Platform29:40 Bitcoin Lending Minimums/Maximums35:00 Arkade Is The Future48:11 Onchain Decentralized Treasury TimelineAlex on X - https://x.com/bergealex4Arklabs on X - https://x.com/arklabshqArklabs Website - https://arklabs.xyz/Arkade on X - https://x.com/Arkade_OSArkade Website - https://arkadeos.com/Future Signal is a podcast hosted and produced by Jarrett Carpenter that explores tomorrow's tech today.All of Future Signal's content is not financial advice but rather edu-tainment. All of our episodes are available here on YT as well as wherever you listen to podcasts.Follow us on Social Media :X - https://www.twitter.com/futuresignalxyzInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/futuresignalxyz/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/futuresignalxyzLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/future-signal-xyz/Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/futuresignalxyzFor more info on the podcast, please check out https://www.futuresignal.xyz/Episode's music by @Txmmy_Beats - https://www.youtube.com/c/TxmmyBeatsTo learn more about Future Signal's Host - https://www.jarrettcarpenter.com/
From "digital gold" to programmable money, #Bitcoin is waking up to massive institutional interest.We sat down with Kyle Ellicott of Stacks Asia at Token 2049 Singapore to discuss the next era of Bitcoin. This new age is being built layer by layer to unlock the trillion-dollar potential of the most secure asset in the world.In this insightful interview, Kyle Ellicott explains:
Take your favorite laser cutter project to the next level with programmable lights. This gorgeous piece of art uses WLED, a free, open-source light controller program with the Adafruit Mini Sparkle Motion board to give you easy artistic control of your lighting. Laser etched acrylic layers carry the light deeply into the center of your design. Create sunsets, seasons, and moonscapes with just a few clicks on your phone. See the full build tutorial here: https://learn.adafruit.com/laser-cut-layered-led-art-panel-wood-acrylic-with-wled/overview ..And please like this video and subscribe for more inspiration! Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com Erin St Blaine Artwork - http://www.erinstblaine.com ----------------------------------------- LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------
Analysys Mason's Research Director, Gorkem Yigit, details how the shift to programmable, automated connectivity is converging with sovereign AI, distributed workloads, and next-gen infrastructure. Automation maturity—not just technology—will determine who leads in the NaaS era. How prepared are today's networks for agent-driven operations? In this Executives at the Edge episode, host Pascal Menezes explores these... Read More The post The Programmable Network Era: Where NaaS Meets Sovereignty appeared first on Mplify.
Make an adorable mushroom light strand out of hot glue and addressable fairy light pixels. Control the strand with a Mini Sparkle Motion board and WLED, a free, open-source light animation and control program. Glue them to a log or a mirror, your hat or anything else that would benefit from some glowing mushroom decorations. This is an easy beginner project with no coding and an option for a no-soldering version also. It's a fantastic project to do with kids. Decorate your home with adorable glowing nature! Full tutorial: https://learn.adafruit.com/mushroom-lights-with-neopixels-and-wled/overview Mini Sparkle Motion: https://www.adafruit.com/product/6160 Programmable Fairy Lights: https://www.adafruit.com/product/4917 Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com ----------------------------------------- LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------
We've digitized sound. We've digitized light. But touch, maybe the most human of our senses, has stayed stubbornly analog.That might be about to change, thanks to programmable matter. Or programmable fabric.In this TechFirst episode, I speak with Adam Hopkins, CEO of Sensetics, a new UC Berkeley/Virginia Tech spinout building programmable fabrics that replicate the mechanoreceptors in human fingertips. Their technology can sense touch at tens of microns, respond at hardware-level speeds, and even play back touch remotely.This could unlock enormous change for: • Robotics: giving machines the ability to grasp fragile objects safely • Medical training and surgery: remote palpation and high-fidelity haptics • Industrial automation: safer and more precise manipulation • VR and simulations: finally adding the missing digital sense • E-commerce: touching clothes before you buy them • Remote operations: from hazardous environments to deep-sea machineryWe talk about how the technology works, the metamaterials behind it, why touch matters for AI and physical robots, the path to commercialization, competitive landscape, and what comes next.00:00 – Can we digitize touch?00:45 – Introducing Synthetix01:10 – How programmable touch fabrics work02:15 – Micron-level sensing and metamaterials04:00 – The “programmable matter” moment06:05 – Why touch matters more than we think07:30 – Emulating human mechanoreceptors09:30 – What digital touch unlocks for robotics10:40 – Medical simulations and remote operations12:45 – Why touch is faster than vision14:20 – Humanoids, walking, stability, and tactile feedback15:30 – Engineering challenges and what's left to solve17:00 – Timeline to first products18:20 – Manufacturing and scaling19:30 – First planned markets21:00 – Durability and robotic hands22:20 – Consumer applications: e-commerce and textiles24:00 – Will we one day have touch peripherals?25:15 – Competition in tactile sensing and haptics27:00 – Why today is the right moment for digital touch28:00 – Final thoughts
Discover how Renesas GreenPAK revolutionizes mixed-signal design by combining analog and digital blocks into a single programmable IC. In this comprehensive tutorial from the OnTrack Podcast, Dima Mymrikov demonstrates how to design, simulate, and program custom logic circuits in minutes using the intuitive Go Configure software—no coding required. Learn how GreenPAK replaces multiple discrete components with one tiny, low-cost chip. From window comparators and power sequencing to level shifters and I²C expanders, see real-world examples of consolidating complex circuits into a 2x3mm package. This is the perfect solution for engineers looking to reduce board space, lower power consumption, and accelerate prototyping without the million-dollar investment of traditional ASIC development.
In October 1903, The New York Times published an editorial mocking the idea of human flight, stating that a successful flying machine might take "from one to ten million years" to develop through the efforts of mathematicians and engineers. Eight weeks later, on December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers achieved the first powered, controlled flight over the beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, proving the skeptics wrong. The smartest people in the world got this catastrophically wrong. What does that tell us about impossibility itself? Every industry has billion-dollar opportunities hiding behind a single word: impossible. And most executives never see them coming because they've been trained to accept limitations that don't actually exist. The Innovation Reality Check If the smartest experts can be so wrong about something as fundamental as human flight, then we need to completely rethink how we evaluate impossibility. The problem isn't that impossible things become possible. The problem is that we're terrible at recognizing what's actually impossible versus what just looks impossible. What Innovation Actually Means Innovation is simply an idea made real. Not brilliant concepts sitting in notebooks. Actual stuff you can touch. Use. Buy. Experience. Leonardo da Vinci invented flying machines in the 15th century. The Wright brothers innovated flight in 1903. What's the difference? Da Vinci had amazing ideas that stayed ideas. The Wright brothers made the idea real. This distinction changes everything about impossible innovation. Has someone successfully transformed an "impossible" idea into a tangible reality? Then logically, it was never truly impossible. We just lacked the knowledge, tools, or perspective to make it happen. Those dismissed breakthroughs floating around your industry right now? They aren't abstract fantasies. They're concrete challenges waiting for someone to develop the right knowledge, tools, and perspective. The Three Types of Impossibility Not all impossibilities are created equal. Three distinct categories: Logical Impossibility: Things that contradict themselves by definition. Married bachelors. Square circles. But even these sometimes dissolve when we reframe the question. Negative numbers? Logically impossible for centuries. Until merchants needed to describe debt, scientists needed to measure temperatures below freezing. Suddenly, those "impossible" numbers became essential tools. Physical Impossibility: Things that appear to violate natural laws. Quantum mechanics would've been physically impossible under 19th-century physics. Today, we're building quantum computers using those "impossible" principles. Practical Impossibility: Ideas that don't violate logic or physics—they're just beyond our current capabilities. Commercial fusion power. Artificial general intelligence. Reversing human aging. Most breakthrough innovations emerge from this third category. They represent temporary constraints. Not permanent barriers. Here's what nobody talks about: the companies that get blindsided by "impossible" innovations aren't stupid. They're victims of expertise. The more you know about an industry, the harder it becomes to see past its false limitations. Everyone says innovation requires thinking outside the box. That's backwards. The biggest breakthroughs come from questioning the box itself. Not thinking outside your industry's limitations—questioning whether those limitations are real. When I took over as CTO at HP, our PC division was hemorrhaging money. Three to five billion dollars a year in losses. Dead last in market share. Everyone inside the company believed there was no room to innovate in PCs. Too commoditized. Too mature. Impossible to differentiate. That belief? Complete nonsense. We took that division from massive losses to five billion in profits. From last place to number one global market share. How? By introducing innovations that everyone else in the industry said were impossible. Missing these patterns doesn't just cost market share. It costs entire business models. I've watched billion-dollar companies become footnotes because they couldn't see past their own expertise. The tools I'm sharing today came from that experience. And dozens of others like it. But what if I told you there's a way to cut through all this industry BS in less than five minutes? What if claims about what can't be done could be systematically dismantled with just the right questions? The Five-Question Reality Check These questions cut through industry BS faster than anything else I've seen. They force you to get specific about dismissive claims instead of accepting them at face value. They separate real barriers from fake ones. The Framework That Changes Everything When the industry consensus calls something a fantasy, don't dismiss it automatically. Run it through the Reality Check. Question 1: What makes this seem undoable specifically? Don't accept vague claims. Push for precise limiting factors. Electric vehicles seemed undoable because "batteries will always be heavy, expensive, and short-range." That assumption? Turned out to be temporary. Question 2: Which type of impossibility are we dealing with? Apply our three-category framework. Ideas that seem logically impossible might just need conceptual reframing. Practical limitations often just need enabling technologies to mature. Question 3: What knowledge would make this possible? Work backward from success. If this dismissed idea actually became real, what specific breakthroughs would've been necessary? Which are already happening in adjacent fields? Question 4: Who benefits from keeping this "impossible"? Consider motivations carefully. Sometimes dismissive claims protect existing interests. They don't reflect genuine technical reality. Question 5: Are different technologies starting to connect? Innovation happens when separate advances suddenly align. Multiple technologies. Multiple trends. All at once. Case Study: SpaceX and the Reality Check When Elon Musk announced plans to dramatically reduce launch costs in the early 2000s, asking the five questions would've revealed everything you needed to know. Question 1: Launch costs had remained around $10,000 per kilogram for decades. Everyone said this was fundamental physics. Question 2: This was a practical limitation. Not a fundamental barrier. Question 3: Knowledge gaps were in precision landing, rapid refurbishment, and manufacturing at scale. All solvable engineering problems. Question 4: Established aerospace contractors had massive incentives to maintain the expensive status quo. Their entire business model depended on it. Question 5: Multiple conditions were converging. Advanced computing. New materials science. Private capital availability. The five questions revealed that launch cost reduction was a practical limitation waiting for engineering solutions. By 2024? SpaceX reduced costs by over 90 percent. The impossible became routine. Those questions work perfectly—once someone mentions a dismissed breakthrough. However, the real competitive advantage lies in spotting these opportunities while your competitors are still dismissing them as fantasy. And that requires something most executives completely overlook. Training Your Detection Instincts That requires something different. Not just analysis tools, but detection systems. And most companies get this completely wrong. They think it's about having better technology scouts or attending more conferences. It's not. It's about rewiring how your organization processes dismissed ideas. Two Essential Exercises The foundation of any detection system is people who think differently about what's possible. Start here - with two exercises that change how your team processes industry blind spots. Exercise 1: The Time Traveler's Memo. Imagine you're writing from 2034 back to yourself today. One dismissed innovation from your industry has completely transformed business. Write a detailed memo covering: What was the breakthrough that seemed undoable? Why did experts dismiss it so confidently? What early warning signs did everyone ignore? What would you do differently today knowing this outcome? This forces you to think like your future disrupted self looking backward. Instead of your present expert self looking forward. Exercise 2: The War Room Session This is where you harness collective intelligence to break through dismissive assumptions. When you get diverse perspectives in one room, systematically challenging what your industry calls fantasy, patterns emerge that no individual could see alone. Three hours. Diverse team. Three columns on a wall: "Industry calls this undoable" "Technologies that might enable it" "Who might be working on this right now" The magic happens when you connect insights across these columns. Suddenly, you'll see that your industry's "fantasy" challenge is actually someone else's current research project. How to Run the War Room: The Five-Phase Process Start with the obvious stuff. Phase one is just brainstorming - thirty minutes of everything your industry says can't be done. Don't filter anything. Now dig deeper. Phase two takes sixty minutes to research what would need to be true for each idea to work. Adjacent fields. Emerging technologies. Connection patterns. Time to get specific. Phase three is forty-five minutes, identifying who might be tackling these problems. Research groups. Startups. Tech giants. Government initiatives. This is where it gets interesting. Phase four takes thirty minutes to draw connections between columns. Which dismissed ideas share enabling technologies? Which have the most active research happening behind the scenes? The moment of truth. Phase five is fifteen minutes of team voting. Most likely to become real within 5 years. The biggest threat to the current business model. Most significant opportunity for new revenue. The output isn't predictions. It's intelligence about where to pay attention. These exercises reveal incredible insights. But there's something even more powerful that most companies never build. Something that works even when you're drowning in quarterly reviews and daily fires. How to Spot Dismissed Ideas Before They Disrupt You Most companies run these exercises once, get excited about the insights, then go back to quarterly business reviews and forget everything they learned. Six months later? They're blindsided by exactly the innovations they identified. The solution isn't doing more exercises. It's building simple systems that keep running even when you're not paying attention. Building a Simple Detection System Individual evaluation is just the beginning. Organizations that win consistently? They've built simple systems for discovering breakthrough innovations while competitors still call them fantasies. The first place to look might surprise you. Universities. Universities are where professors tackle dismissed problems without quarterly pressure. Set up relationships with three to five research institutions. Not your industry's obvious schools. Places where enabling technologies are developing. Retail executives should be talking to robotics labs. Healthcare leaders should be monitoring materials science programs. Energy companies should be watching quantum computing research. What actually works: Monthly calls with key researchers Annual events where academics present early-stage work Student internship programs for early insight into research directions Budget roughly $50,000 annually per institution for meaningful relationships Next, follow the smart money. Serious capital flowing toward dismissed technologies? That signals something's changing. Track which venture capitalists are funding "fantasy" innovations in adjacent spaces. Follow their portfolio companies. When Kleiner Perkins started funding fusion energy startups, that was intelligence about practical limitations becoming investment reality. Simple systems that work: Google alerts for funding announcements in related fields Subscribe to venture capital newsletters Attend pitch events where breakthrough ideas get presented Pattern recognition develops over time Finally, the pattern that changed everything for us. Outsider perspectives. People trained in your industry's limitations can't see past them. Bring in outsiders who haven't learned what's "undoable" yet. Recent graduates from different fields. Entrepreneurs who've solved problems dismissed in other industries. Consultants with cross-industry pattern recognition. What works: Set up quarterly advisory sessions with 3-4 people from entirely different industries. Rotate one person out every quarter to keep perspectives fresh. Give them your toughest challenges upfront and ask them to approach it like problems in their own fields. Run focused innovation challenges where you present outsiders with one specific "undoable" problem. Give them background context, but don't explain why it's dismissed. Set a tight deadline - 48 hours works well. You'll be amazed at what solutions emerge when people haven't learned the constraints. Create a simple system to capture outsider questions. When someone asks, "Why don't you just..." about something everyone knows is undoable, write it down immediately. Review these questions monthly. Half will be naive, but the other half will reveal assumptions you didn't know you had. Additional Detection Methods Depending on your industry and organization, you might also want to systematically monitor patent filings in adjacent fields or designate specific people to champion breakthrough ideas instead of shooting them down. The key is starting with these three core approaches, then adding layers as you see what works. That's exactly how we dominated at HP. An organized way of watching for breakthroughs, while competitors relied on intuition and luck. You can start building the same advantage this week. But the clock is already ticking. Your Action Plan While we've been talking about frameworks and systems, someone in your industry is already working on what everyone calls fantasy. The question isn't whether breakthrough innovation will blindside your market—it's whether you'll be the disruptor or the disrupted. Start This Week - Five Immediate Actions Don't wait for organizational buy-in or perfect systems. Start with these immediate actions you can take personally: First action this week: Apply the Reality Check to one idea your industry calls fantasy. Spend 30 minutes. Get specific about limiting factors. Your second move: Identify and contact two universities doing research in adjacent fields. Make the phone calls. Third step: Set up three Google alerts for venture capital funding in technologies related to your industry's dismissed challenges. Fourth action: Spend one hour searching patent databases for recent applications related to your industry's "undoable" problems. Document who's filing what. Fifth and final step: Schedule conversations with two people from completely different fields. Ask them about your industry's toughest challenges. Then Scale What Works Once you start seeing results from these five actions, scale the ones that work best across your organization. Personal insights become a systematic advantage. The goal isn't perfection. It's momentum. These five actions this week create intelligence about breakthrough innovations becoming possible. Every industry has someone working on what everyone else calls fantasy right now. The question isn't whether breakthrough innovation will happen. It's whether you'll recognize it while it's still called fantasy, or after it disrupts everything you thought you knew. Innovations Cannot Be Impossible Innovation cannot actually be undoable. If someone makes an idea real, it was never truly undoable. We just lacked the knowledge, tools, or perspective. Every dismissed idea floating around your industry represents a potential breakthrough. Someone is going to acquire the necessary knowledge to make it happen. The competitive advantage goes to people who identify which dismissed ideas are knowledge gaps rather than permanent barriers. The Wright brothers were bicycle mechanics. Not aviation experts. Steve Jobs was a college dropout. Not a computer engineer. We achieved what the PC industry giants called fantasy because we questioned assumptions entire industries had stopped questioning. Your industry's next transformation is already being developed by someone who doesn't accept the current dismissive consensus. Will you recognize it while it's still called fantasy? Or after it disrupts everything you thought you knew? But let me end with a prediction. There's one breakthrough I'm convinced we'll see in our lifetime: molecular-scale medical robots. Programmable nanobots that live in your bloodstream permanently. Providing real-time health monitoring and instant medical intervention. They could prevent heart attacks mid-beat. Eliminate cancer cells the moment they form. Even upgrade your immune system with new capabilities. I shared this dream in a vision video I executive-produced back in 2017. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0KIqRAoGBk Seven years later? Multiple research groups are making serious progress on exactly these technologies. What seemed like a fantasy in 2017 is becoming a practical limitation today. What dismissed ideas in your industry are you now viewing differently? What early warning signs might you have been missing? Share your observations in the comments. Let's build collective intelligence about breakthrough innovations that are becoming a reality. If this framework changed how you think about breakthrough innovation, then subscribe for more insights every week. For deeper tools and detailed implementation guides, check out Studio Notes on Substack. Frameworks, tools, and guides—everything's completely free. Your next breakthrough might be hiding behind something everyone calls fantasy. The tools are in your hands. What dismissed idea will you investigate first?
19keys.com/tourIn this powerful episode of High Lvl Conversations, 19Keys sits down with visionary technologist Idris Sandu to break down the future of culture, AI, and ownership.As the world becomes programmable, the biggest question is: Who controls the code—and who benefits from it? Idris and 19Keys explore why ownership, intentionality, and sovereignty matter more than ever in the age of artificial intelligence.
Is the future of finance programmable? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I'm joined by Ryan Galvankar, founder of Plaza Finance, to explore how programmable derivatives and on-chain bonds are reshaping the way we think about risk, leverage, and asset management in crypto. Plaza Finance isn't just another DeFi protocol. Since launching its core system on Base in April 2025, the team has introduced two standout tokens: bondETH and levETH. These programmable derivative tokens split Ethereum into customizable risk profiles, allowing both institutional and retail investors to choose their exposure with precision. Under Ryan's leadership, Plaza has already attracted over 600,000 testnet users, $2 million in early deposits, and $2.5 million in pre-seed funding. Ryan explains why this matters. Today's DeFi tools tend to sit at either extreme—ultra-safe or wildly speculative. Plaza aims to bridge that gap with products that reflect the diversity of traditional finance, yet remain liquid and composable across Ethereum's ecosystem. He also shares why Ethereum staking plays a central role, and how integrations with lending platforms and cross-chain bridges will make these tokens even more powerful. But Ryan doesn't stop at structured investing. He also launched OptFun, an ultra-short-term options trading platform that hit nearly $1 billion in trading volume within a month. It appeals to crypto natives seeking high-volatility speculation in a fair, on-chain environment. Together, these two platforms reflect what Ryan sees as a split in the future of DeFi: one track of thoughtful, long-term financial products that institutions will trust, and another track of high-speed, high-risk experimentation for users who live for volatility. He also gives his take on the rise of tokenized real-world assets, AI-generated portfolios, and what it will take to truly decentralize the next generation of finance. Whether you're deep into DeFi or still watching from the sidelines, this conversation sheds light on a pivotal moment where programmable finance is becoming real, and access to tailored financial tools is expanding faster than ever.
Raj Dhamodharan, EVP of Blockchain and Digital Assets at Mastercard, joined me to discuss the firm's crypto and stablecoin initiatives.Topics: - Mastercard's integration of blockchain, crypto, and stablecoins - Crypto Credential - Multi Token Network - USDG stablecoin - Global Dollar Network Consortium - Future of payments with Stablecoins - Future of Crypto Show Sponsor -
Let us know your thoughts. Send us a Text Message. Follow me to see #HeadsTalk Podcast Audiograms every Monday on LinkedInEpisode Title: