Podcasts about three body problem

Author Ken Liu was born in China in 1976, and his family emigrated to the U.S. when he was 11. He has published multiple collections of short stories and an epic series of novels. Several of his works have been made into films , including “Good Hunting,” which was part of the Netflix animated anthology series Love, Death and Robots. He's also known for translating the Chinese sci-fi series known as The Three Body Problem. Based in the Boston suburbs, Liu visited Central Illinois back in 2024 for a talk at the Champaign Public Library on art and artificial intelligence. That's when we first aired this conversation, in which he talks about trading a traditional job for writing full time, what's unique about Chinese science fiction, and why he's excited for the possibilities of artificial intelligence.

In this episode of So You're Living in a Simulation, Jo Li expands on her Medium article, The Three Body Problem of Consciousness, and explores one central question:What if you are not just your body, your brain, or even your mind?Jo breaks consciousness into a three-body system: the physical body, the mind, and chi, with the observer at the center. The body reacts before language. The mind explains, narrates, and often arrives late. Chi, drawing from the Igbo concept of a personal spiritual principle tied to destiny and the Socratic daimonion as an inner warning sign, becomes Jo's term for a nonlinear layer of guidance many people dismiss as intuition, coincidence, or instinct.This episode moves through Socrates' daimonion, Benjamin Libet's free will experiments, “free won't,” dreams, creative flow, placebo and nocebo effects, the 4D block universe, retrocausality, and the possibility that some forms of knowing may come from beyond ordinary conscious thought.Jo also connects these ideas to modern work culture, arguing that society benefits when people identify with the slowest, most controllable layer of themselves: the rational mind. From the eight-hour workday to corporate conditioning, she challenges listeners to stop treating themselves as small, mechanical, and powerless.This is an episode about body intelligence, mind intelligence, chi, dreams, intuition, free will, sovereignty, and what happens when you stop negotiating with your own inner systems.Topics explored:The Three Body Problem of ConsciousnessBody, mind, and chiIgbo chi and the Socratic daimonionBenjamin Libet and free won'tDreams as nonlinear processingRetrocausality and the 4D block universePlacebo, nocebo, and beliefThe modern work trapConsciousness, sovereignty, and intuitionRead the foundational essay:The Three-Body Problem of Consciousness on Mediumhttps://medium.com/@joli.artist/the-three-body-problem-of-consciousness-why-i-stopped-negotiating-with-my-own-intelligence-7bb0e302f847Get the guidebook:So You're Living in a Simulation: A Handbook for the Recently Sentienthttps://www.amazon.com/So-Youre-Living-Simulation-Handbook/dp/B0CCCMZXQHJoin the newsletter:https://mailchi.mp/a8152eedd687/joliartist-newsletter#consciousness #simulationtheory #intuition #freewill #socrates #dreams #metaphysics #philosophy #spiritualawakening

In this edit of our live show we examined the property market ructions, caused by the recent budget changes, interest rate rises and political intervention. I was joined by Chris Bates, CEO of Mortgage Brokers Alcove, one of Australia’s most strategically-minded mortgage broking businesses, with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. He’s one of Australia’s … Continue reading "DFA Live Q&A HD Replay: The Australian Property Three Body Problem: With Chris Bates"

Episode: 2598 Henri Poincaré, the three body problem, and chaos.  Today, three bodies.

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252 Bobby and Jon are back for another candid, unscripted Tailoring Talk Magazine catch-up, this time covering Bond First Light, Project Hail Mary, electric cars, Apple rumours, Netflix recommendations, Dune, Bentley track days and the continuing saga of Jon's broken Nissan.Bobby and Jon return with another unscripted Tailoring Talk Magazine ramble, beginning with the upcoming Bond First Light game and somehow ending up with Apple rumours, folding iPads, Bentley track days, Netflix spy dramas and a Nissan dealership fire.This episode starts with a proper Bond and gaming catch-up as Bobby and Jon talk about why gaming has become therapy, why First Light might be the closest thing to new Bond for a while and whether the new 007 game looks more like Hitman, Uncharted or something in between.From there, things move into Project Hail Mary, including Bobby and Carolina's trip to see it at the BFI IMAX in 70mm, why the film has become such a rewatchable favourite and why some stories deserve to be seen on the biggest screen possible.There's also a healthy dose of electric car chat, including Bobby's early verdict on the new MINI, automatic parking, EV range anxiety, Jon's Kia EV3 plans and the truly ridiculous latest chapter in his long-running Nissan saga.Also discussed: Apple Focus Modes, using tech to separate work and home life, the BFI cinema experience, Billie Eilish cinema chaos, Dune, Denis Villeneuve's future Bond film, Netflix recommendations, The Boys, Daredevil Born Again, Bentley track days, Apple racing livery, the rumoured iPhone Fold and whether a folding iPad would actually make more sense.As always, it's candid, chaotic and completely unscripted.Timestamps / chapter markers00:00 - Hello, bonjour and guten tag00:32 - Bond First Light is almost here01:10 - Gaming as therapy and Bobby's Bond fix02:17 - First Light gameplay: Hitman meets Uncharted03:11 - Marathon, Pragmata and Final Fantasy on Switch04:42 - Is the new Bond too chatty?05:39 - Bluff mode, NPCs and Bond problem-solving06:25 - Bond outfits, DLC and the deluxe edition08:31 - The gold Bond controller09:28 - Largale Ray's Bond-style title sequence10:40 - Project Hail Mary at the BFI IMAX12:20 - Why Bobby loves Project Hail Mary so much13:01 - Seeing Project Hail Mary in 70mm15:20 - Blu-rays, streaming and owning films properly16:05 - Speed Racer in 4K17:54 - Carolina's Project Hail Mary obsession19:17 - Jon's Amazon hedge trimmer confession21:01 - What to do when Amazon refunds something that later appears22:45 - Bobby's MINI EV verdict23:53 - Advanced parking and automatic reversing25:58 - Jon's broken Nissan saga continues27:14 - The dealership fire and the Ombudsman case29:21 - MINI software updates, games and ITVX in the car30:30 - Kia EV3 and CarPlay Ultra31:01 - Bobby's MacBook Air and work-life separation31:40 - Apple Focus Modes and separating work from home33:57 - Cinema etiquette and switching phones off35:13 - Why the BFI audience experience is better36:39 - Dune Messiah and Denis Villeneuve39:00 - When will the next Bond film actually arrive?41:37 - Legends on Netflix and spy drama recommendations43:02 - Netflix value, Three Body Problem and Rebel Moon45:22 - Daredevil Born Again, The Boys and Disney Plus46:29 - Bentley track day and factory tour plans47:29 - Phil Schiller's Apple racing livery48:00 - iPhone Fold rumours49:02 - Folding iPads and naked iPad use49:58 - WWDC, Vision Pro and Steam gaming rumours50:52 - Wrapping upJames Bond, Bond First Light, 007, Project Hail Mary, BFI IMAX, electric cars, MINI EV, Kia EV3, Apple, iPhone Fold, WWDC, Dune, Denis Villeneuve, Netflix, The Boys, Daredevil Born Again, gaming, PlayStation, Tailoring Talk Magazine, Roberto Revilla, Jon Evans Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken Liu graces ChinaTalk with his presence. He is the author of the Dandelion Dynasty silkpunk fantasy series and a brilliant short fiction writer — one of his stories was recently adapted into Sam Altman's favorite show, Pantheon. We all know his translation work on the first and third volumes of the Three-Body Problem trilogy, but even better was his absolutely brilliant translation and commentary of the Dao De Jing. As much as I hoped that project would get him fully on the classical Chinese translation train, he followed it up with a very different direction — a techno-AI thriller, All That We See or Seem, released late last year. Irene Zhang of ChinaTalk joins us to co-host. In a wide-ranging conversation, Ken Liu argues that: Technology is the most human thing we do — humans have always externalized our minds into the world and then allowed those creations to reshape who we are. AI “slop” won't stop humans from making art that matters, and the real distinction isn't quality versus slop, but between desire-fulfilling machines and artists who draw from the collective unconscious. The deeper danger of AI isn't machines replacing humans, but systems that train humans to behave like machines. Science fiction isn't prophecy, but mythology — and ideologies are just mythology's cheaper, hack cousins. Orwell, Shelley, Tolkien, and Le Guin endure not because they predicted the future, but because they gave us metaphors powerful enough to think with across generations. Large language models are intelligent, but can't be wise. Drawing on Laozi and Zhuangzi, Ken explains why everything that truly matters lies beyond language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ken Liu graces ChinaTalk with his presence. He is the author of the Dandelion Dynasty silkpunk fantasy series and a brilliant short fiction writer — one of his stories was recently adapted into Sam Altman's favorite show, Pantheon. We all know his translation work on the first and third volumes of the Three-Body Problem trilogy, but even better was his absolutely brilliant translation and commentary of the Dao De Jing. As much as I hoped that project would get him fully on the classical Chinese translation train, he followed it up with a very different direction — a techno-AI thriller, All That We See or Seem, released late last year. Irene Zhang of ChinaTalk joins us to co-host. In a wide-ranging conversation, Ken Liu argues that: Technology is the most human thing we do — humans have always externalized our minds into the world and then allowed those creations to reshape who we are. AI “slop” won't stop humans from making art that matters, and the real distinction isn't quality versus slop, but between desire-fulfilling machines and artists who draw from the collective unconscious. The deeper danger of AI isn't machines replacing humans, but systems that train humans to behave like machines. Science fiction isn't prophecy, but mythology — and ideologies are just mythology's cheaper, hack cousins. Orwell, Shelley, Tolkien, and Le Guin endure not because they predicted the future, but because they gave us metaphors powerful enough to think with across generations. Large language models are intelligent, but can't be wise. Drawing on Laozi and Zhuangzi, Ken explains why everything that truly matters lies beyond language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Burnie and Ashley don't discuss Star Wars, do discuss Spirit Airlines shutting down, Hantavirus, Gamestop bids on eBay, Jeeves resigns, Free Refills on warning, Three Body Problem only gets 2.5 Bodies, Project Hail Mary vs The Martian, and the Spider Noir trailer.

What would you actually do if an alien showed up and asked to be taken to your leader? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Paul Mecurio, and astrophysicist Charles Liu explore fan questions about physics of near-light-speed travel, Dark Forest Theory from The Three Body Problem, and whether the universe itself might be conscious. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here:  https://startalkmedia.com/show/cosmic-queries-take-me-to-your-leader/ Thanks to our Patrons Zach Dixon, Bethanny Rodgers, Alan Albright, Pam J Lockhart, Victor Wu, Finch, Serenity Oh, Nick DiBartolomeo, Christopher Johnson, CodinThorFather, HarleyWayne, Glyn R. Buck, C.Avalos, Christopher Irwin, Andreas, Bob Pflugfelder, Brad Ryan, Michael House, Linda Resch, Bonny Matles, Amagerikaner, Titilebon, Jim Peterson, Charity Durio, James Runyon, Anthony Onofrio, perirocha@outlook.com, Yuriko Coenen, Devon, Kathryn Karl, Toby, Daniel Boring, Lazeez K., Jenayalynn Riojas, M.S., Jim Conyngham, Rachel Miller, Robert Pokorski, Joseph Britto, Steve Lloyd, James, Souvik Biswas, Mtamanika Youngblood, Nirav Umaretiya, Scott Hinkelman, Charles Doaty, Fridthjoff, Nirav Shah, James Orazietti, Dejan Tomic, insigpilot, Michael Bentt, Dakota Rogers, Michael Baca, Michael Stoerzer, Justin Wells, Joshua Zimmer, Christopher Wystup, Patricia Stoll, George Alva, Melih Ozbek, Melih Ozbek, Twnzmama2, Candice Tripp, Gary Landry, Dan Baker, Greg Engelberg, DANIEL DAILY, Fluffybirb, Tamás Mihályi, Jason Vogel, For those who come after - title of my sex tape, Loreto Gonzalez Pizarro, ali, Rolen Yoshinaga, Isak Walther, Gwynn, Steven Roberts, Pete Carpenter, Paul Munn, Erik Martinez, Vishnu Kumar Kalidasan, tshimself, Jacob Tucker, Chasiti, Nick, Priscilla Brogren, Kitalahara, Kerry Gallagher, Frederico Gomes, Shane, Tom Myles, Kurt Geib, Carlos Guillen, Simon Plückebaum, stacyanne77@me.com, Tim Wren, Patrick Kennedy, Chris Herrera, James McClure, and Alita Pappas for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Wei Zhou is the CEO of Coins.ph, the largest crypto-native fintech platform in the Philippines, which he acquired in 2022. A former CFO of Binance and long-time finance executive — Wei has been rebuilding Coins.ph as a fully regulated on-ramp between fiat, crypto and stablecoins for Filipino users and businesses, while extending the playbook globally through Coins.xyz. Why you should listen A real-world stablecoin case study: The Philippines pulls in close to $100 billion a year in foreign inflows — roughly $38 billion in retail remittances from nearly 10 million overseas Filipino workers, plus around $50 billion flowing into the country's huge business process outsourcing sector. Historically almost all of it moved over Swift banking rails at 5–6% in fees, which remittance pioneers like Remitly and MoneyGram dragged down to 2–4%. Wei walks through how stablecoin rails are collapsing those costs further still — Coins.ph has run USDC flows with Circle at just 20–30 basis points — and why, post-Covid, everyday Filipino families and businesses with overseas ties are pivoting into stablecoins on their own. A two-sided marketplace with a stablecoin flywheel: Wei thinks of Coins.ph less as an exchange and more as a stablecoin marketplace, with retail users as net buyers of digital dollars on one side, and businesses and institutions sending money into the country as net sellers on the other — a balance that drives liquidity, tightens pricing and fuels growth. The biggest friction, he argues, isn't crypto; it's fiat. Opening up cheap 24/7 deposits and withdrawals is what pulls users in, and weekend trading volumes on Coins already outstrip weekday volumes simply because traditional banks are closed. He also previews a B2B push launching before the end of May, enabling online and offline Coins merchants to accept USDC and USDT payments, alongside partnerships with Circle, HashKey and other licensed players to build out regional stablecoin corridors. Stablecoins as the new unit of account: Looking three to five years out, Wei sees a world where more and more assets — from Bitcoin pairs to tokenised securities and real-world assets — are denominated in stablecoins rather than fiat. The GENIUS Act in the US, along with parallel regimes in the EU, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and the UAE, is the unlock: traditional financial institutions can finally engage with stablecoins directly, letting platforms like Coins.ph tap deeper pools of liquidity and bring more investment products to Filipino users. In the hot-take round, Wei calls Bitcoin to a million dollars ("and then sats become the new stablecoin"), argues the AI intelligence layer is already quietly embedded in everything we use, and names Asimov's Foundation and Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem as his favourite sci-fi. Supporting links Stabull Finance Coins Andy on Twitter  Brave New Coin on Twitter Brave New Coin   If you enjoyed the show please subscribe to the Crypto Conversation and give us a 5-star rating and a positive review in whatever podcast app you are using.

Adaptations. Sometimes we act like we don't like them. But sometimes we do. And sometimes each new version of a story—book to film or TV show—changes the original but adds something new and amazing. Today we explore the pros and cons of adaptations. Episode sponsors Firebreak by Kathy Tyers Realm Makers 2026 Conference & Expo The Hole-Man by Dan Daetz The Lorehaven Authorship Mission update New at Lorehaven: review of The Star-Blessed Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild 1. When the film was better than the book(?) Zack believes The Lord of the Rings films are better than the books. He also finds The Hunger Games films better than the books. Both Dune films are more accessible than the novels, at least so far. 2. When film versions make changes yet win One Piece condenses/adapts a lot from the original, yet is beloved. The Three Body Problem series wonderfully adapts the book. Next week's Project Hail Mary is being hailed as a faithful version. 3. When remade versions beat earlier versions Avatar: The Last Airbender has flaws yet beats the 2010 film. 12 Monkeys the show is far better than 12 Monkeys the movie. Many of the DC and Marvel new versions beat earlier adaptations. Com station Top question for listeners Which of your favorite film versions beat or match original books? Next on Fantastical Truth “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” That's what the Lord Jesus promised His disciples. How does His word, with support from fantastical fiction, help us prepare for armed conflicts across our real world?

This week, Eric and Josh are joined by Emily in honour of International Women's Day (or, possibly a coincidence that we recorded with her on that specific day). They discuss: the extinct Westgate Mall, $2 movie tickets, MotoPhoto, Psycho & Psycho II, the state of comic books, Hoopla, The Three-Body Problem, newspaper movie ads, the Freddy vs Jason vs Ash comic, Catherine O'Hara, and more! They also mention the movies screening the week of Friday March 13 - Thursday March 19: Freddy Vs Jason, THX 1138, Nash The Slash Rises Again!, Sinners, Marty Supereme, Saturday Night Sinema, and the 98th Annual Academy Awards! They neglect to mention Sirāt, and encore screenings of One Battle After Another, which were booked after the recording. You can always keep up to date on screenings at mayfairtheatre.ca

**This livestream was recorded on Tuesday 27th January 2026**We discuss the book Breakneck by Dan Wang. A huge hit towards the end of 2025, we talk about whether the hype is merited, the strengths and weaknesses of his narrative, and whether or not his ideas stand up to scrutiny. At the end, we (and by we, I mean I) ramble about the Three Body Problem trilogy for 10 minutes.Buy book club books here: https://www.sinobabble.com/bookclub             Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/sinobabblepodLatest Substack post: https://substack.com/@sinobabble/p-184645581Links to everything: https://linktree.com/sinobabbleSupport the showSign up for Buzzsprout to launch your podcasting journey: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=162442Subscribe to the Sinobabble Newsletter: https://sinobabble.substack.com/Support Sinobabble on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Sinobabblepod

A conversation with author Peter McChesney about his upcoming debut science fiction novel Quinto's Challenge, which asks the question, “What if science and religion collided and resurrection became a reality?” Websitepetermcchesney.com Facebook@PeterMcChesneyAuthor X@peteramcchesney LinkedIn@peter-mcchesney Amazon.com | Amazon.ca About Quinto's Challenge For fans of Andy Weir, Blake Crouch, and The Three-Body Problem comes a bold, futuristic, … Continue reading "Episode 208: Peter McChesney – Quinto's Challenge" Source

This week we keep things intentionally low-effort and high-chaos by drafting the Billboard year-end #1 songs from 1980 through 1999. We each build a ten-song playlist from a shared pool, knowing that once a song is picked, it's gone forever. Along the way we uncover timeless masterpieces, generational blind spots, slow-dance trauma, and more than a few baffling chart decisions. By the end, it's less about “best songs of all time” and more about what pop culture we survived — and what it says about the decades that made us.Cold Open & Life UpdatesEden survives Iowa weather whiplash, including snowmelt, wind advisories, and dogs who refuse to come inside.We check in on end-of-year fatigue, weddings on the horizon, and the general desire to just get to January.What We've Been Checking OutEden scores a surprise manga haul via Reddit, including:Kase-san and… — a quiet, funny, wholesome romance that desperately wants its characters to communicate.Chainsmoker Cat — gross, chaotic, and deeply committed to depicting the world's worst anthropomorphic cat girl.Continued time in Where Winds Meet, including discovering that joining the “hot evil people” sect requires in-game marriage… followed by divorce.Peter continues slowly working through The Three-Body Problem and Gödel, Escher, Bach.A brief dive into habit-building via the new Atomic Habits workbook.Music check-in includes Archspire's new single “Carrion Ladder” and the eternal joy of Apple Music Replay actually getting things right.Gaming includes Ball Pit, Megabonk, and the looming temptation of finally committing to Baldur's Gate 3.The Main Event: Billboard #1 Draft (1980–1999)We draft songs snake-style, locking each other out as we go.Early rounds are stacked with undeniable classics:Whitney Houston's “I Will Always Love You”Prince's “When Doves Cry”Blondie's “Call Me”Cher's “Believe”George Michael emerges as an '80s powerhouse with multiple entries.The generational divide shows up fast:Peter leans heavily '80s.Eden lives firmly in the '90s (for better and worse).We acknowledge slow-dance staples that were emotionally formative whether we liked them or not.The middle rounds reveal just how strange pop history can be when viewed year-by-year.By the later picks, we're openly throwing ourselves on grenades:The Macarena is drafted out of mercy.Multiple songs are chosen purely because something has to be.We question how certain cultural touchstones (My Heart Will Go On, Aaliyah, Bone Thugs) somehow missed the top spot in their years.Big TakeawaysBillboard #1 does not mean “best song.”The '80s age better than the '90s in pop memory (and fashion).Nostalgia is selective, and pop charts are cruel.Drafting music is a great way to discover what you genuinely love — and what you merely survived.

This week, we come in hot — starting with wuxia vibes, holiday chaos, and cursed Christmas remixes of “September” — before diving into music stats, Taskmaster binges, Eden's Wuxia/Baihe adventures, and Peter's latest reading spree (including Gödel, Escher, Bach). Eventually, we embark on the Most Important Cultural Work of Our Time: a fast-food and fast-casual tier list. Along the way, we crown unexpected champions, bury some long-held myths (looking directly at you, In-N-Out), and declare Waffle House the beating heart of American civilization. It's unhinged, joyful, occasionally shameful, and fully definitive.Opening ShenanigansEden opens with an incredible wuxia monologue introducing Beauty's Blade, the Baihe novel they've been reading.Peter tries (and fails) to match the energy.Thanksgiving recaps: delayed flights, Target wandering, and the absolute war crime that is “Do You Remember…the 21st Night of December” playing over store speakers.Life Updates & MediaEnd-of-year malaise, work overload, and winter dread.Apple Music Replay breakdowns:Peter: another year, another Slow Forever domination.Eden: a deeply chaotic top-albums list featuring Rebecca Black, Japanese jazz fusion, KPM library music, and Tron: Legacy.Taskmaster binges continue.Peter's current reading includes Three-Body Problem and the 900-page Gödel, Escher, Bach.Eden is deep into Where Winds Meet (“What if Assassin's Creed but Wuxia and optionally an MMO?”), and fully living in Jianghu.Manga corner: Kaiju Girl Caramelise is adorable and unhinged in equal measure.

Help us keep the conversations going in 2026. Donate to Conversations with Tyler today. Dan Wang argues that China is a nation of engineers while America is a nation of lawyers, and this distinction explains everything from subway construction to pandemic response to why Chinese citizens will never have yards with dogs. His prescription: America should become 20% more engineering-minded to fix its broken infrastructure, while China needs to be 50% more lawyerly so the Communist Party can stop strangling individual rights and the creative impulses of its people. But would a more lawyerly China constrain state power, or just create new tools for oppression? And aren't the American suburbs actually sterling achievements where the infrastructure works quite well? Tyler and Dan debate whether American infrastructure is actually broken or just differently optimized, why health care spending should reach 35% of GDP, how lawyerly influences shaped East Asian development differently than China, China's lack of a liberal tradition and why it won't democratize like South Korea or Taiwan did, its economic dysfunction despite its manufacturing superstars, Chinese pragmatism and bureaucratic incentives, a 10-day itinerary for Yunnan,  James C. Scott's work on Zomia, whether Beijing or Shanghai is the better city, Liu Cixin and why volume one of The Three-Body Problem is the best, why contemporary Chinese music and film have declined under Xi, Chinese marriage markets and what it's like to be elderly in China, the Dan Wang production function, why Stendhal is his favorite novelist and Rossini's Comte Ory moves him, what Dan wants to learn next, whether LLMs will make Tyler's hyper-specific podcast questions obsolete, what flavor of drama their conversation turned out to be, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video on the new dedicated Conversations with Tyler channel. Recorded October 31st, 2025. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Dan on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Timestamps 00:00:00 - American infrastructure and suburban life 00:05:18 - American vs. Chinese infrastructure buildouts... 00:12:25 - And health care investment 00:17:52 - Chinese suburbs 00:20:10 - The existing lawyerly influence in East Asia  00:25:12 - China's lack of a liberal tradition 00:29:35 - Why China's won't democratize 00:33:49 - China's economic disfunction  00:38:44 - China's expansionism  00:41:55 - Chinese pragmatism and bureaucratic incentives 00:46:50 - Chinese cities and regional culture 00:59:44 - James C. Scott, Zomia, and elite culture 01:06:27 - A 10-day Yunnan itinerary 01:11:57 - On Chinese arts, literature, and cultural expression 01:18:23 - The Dan Wang production function 01:30:34 - Tyler's grand strategy, or lack thereof  

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BONUS: Organizations as Ecosystems — Understanding Complexity, Innovation, and the Three-Body Problem at Work In this fascinating conversation about complex adaptive systems, Simon Holzapfel helps us understand why traditional planning and control methods fail in knowledge work — and what we can do instead. Understanding Ecosystems vs. Systems "Complex adaptive systems are complex in nature and adaptive in that they evolve over time. That's different from a static system." — Simon Holzapfel   Simon introduces the crucial distinction between mechanical systems and ecosystems. While mechanical systems are predictable and static, ecosystems — like teams and organizations — are complex, adaptive, and constantly evolving. The key difference lies in the interactions among team members, which create emergent properties that cannot be predicted by analyzing individuals separately. Managers often fall into the trap of focusing on individuals rather than the interactions between them, missing where the real magic happens. This is why understanding your organization as an ecosystem, not a machine, fundamentally changes how you lead. In this segment, we refer to the Stella systems modeling application. The Journey from Planning to Emergence "I used to come into class with a lesson plan — doop, doop, doop, minute by minute agenda. And then what I realized is that I would just completely squash those questions that would often emerge from the class." — Simon Holzapfel   Simon shares his transformation from rigid classroom planning to embracing emergence. As a history and economics teacher for 10 years, he learned that over-planning kills the spontaneous insights that make learning powerful. The same principle applies to leadership: planning is essential, but over-planning wastes time and prevents novelty from emerging. The key is separating strategic planning (the "where" and "why") from tactical execution (the "how"), letting teams make local decisions while leaders focus on alignment with the bigger picture. "Innovation Arrives Stochastically" "Simply by noticing the locations where you've had your best ideas, we notice the stochasticness of arrival. Might be the shower, might be on a bike ride, might be sitting in traffic, might be at your desk — but often not." — Simon Holzapfel   Simon unpacks the concept of stochastic emergence — the idea that innovation cannot be scheduled or predicted in advance. Stochastic means something is predictable over large datasets but not in any given moment. You know you'll have ideas if you give yourself time and space, but you can't predict when or where they'll arrive. This has profound implications for managers who try to control when and how innovation happens. Knowledge work is about creating things that haven't existed before, so emergence is what we rely on. Try to squash it with too much control, and it simply won't happen. In this segment, we refer to the Systems Innovation YouTube channel. The Three-Body Problem: A Metaphor for Teams "When you have three nonlinear functions working at the same time within a system, you have almost no ability to predict its future state beyond just some of the shortest time series data." — Simon Holzapfel   Simon uses the three-body problem from physics as a powerful metaphor for organizational complexity. In physics, when you have three bodies (like planets) influencing each other, prediction becomes nearly impossible. The same is true in business — think of R&D, manufacturing, and sales as three interacting forces. The lesson: don't think you can master this complexity. Work with it. Understand it's a system. Most variability comes from the system itself, not from any individual person. This allows us to depersonalize problems — people aren't good or bad, systems can be improved. When teams understand this, they can relax and stop treating every unpredictable moment as an emergency. Coaching Leaders to Embrace Uncertainty "I'll start by trying to read their comfort level. I'll ask about their favorite teachers, their most hated teachers, and I'll really try to bring them back to moments in time that were pivotal in their own development." — Simon Holzapfel   How do you help analytical, control-oriented leaders embrace complexity and emergence? Simon's approach is to build rapport first, then gently introduce concepts based on each leader's background. For technical people who prefer math, he'll discuss narrow tail distributions and fat tails. For humanities-oriented leaders, he uses narrative and storytelling. The goal is to get leaders to open up to possibilities without feeling diminished. He might suggest small experiments: "Hold your tongue once in a meeting" or "Ask questions instead of making statements." These incremental changes help managers realize they don't have to be superhuman problem-solvers who control everything. Giving the Board a Number: The Paradox of Prediction "Managers say we want scientific management, but they don't actually want that. They want predictive management." — Simon Holzapfel   Simon addresses one of the biggest tensions in agile adoption: leaders who say "I just need to give the board a number" while also wanting innovation and adaptability. The paradox is clear — you cannot simultaneously be open to innovation and emergent possibilities while executing a predetermined plan with perfect accuracy. This is an artifact of management literature that promoted the "philosopher king" manager who knows everything. But markets are too movable, consumer tastes vary too much, and knowledge work is too complex for any single person to control. The burnout we see in leaders often comes from trying to achieve an impossible standard. In this segment, we refer to the episodes with David Marquet.  Resources for Understanding Complexity "Eric Beinhocker's book called 'The Origin of Wealth' is wonderful. It's a very approachable and well-researched piece that shows where we've been and where we're going in this area." — Simon Holzapfel   Simon recommends two key resources for anyone wanting to understand complexity and ecosystems. First, Eric Beinhocker's "The Origin of Wealth" explains how we developed flawed economic assumptions based on 19th-century Newtonian physics, and why we need to evolve our understanding. Second, the Systems Innovation YouTube channel offers brilliant short videos perfect for curious, open-minded managers. Simon suggests a practical approach: have someone on your team watch a video and share what they learned. This creates shared language around complexity and makes the concepts less personal and less threatening. The Path Forward: Systems Over Individuals "As a manager, our goal is to constantly evaluate the performance of the system, not the people. We can always put better systems in place. We can always improve existing systems. But you can't tell people what to do — it's not possible." — Simon Holzapfel   The conversation concludes with a powerful insight from Deming's work: about 95% of a system's productivity is linked to the system itself, not individual performance. This reframes the manager's role entirely. Instead of trying to control people, focus on improving systems. Instead of treating burnout as individual failure, see it as information that something in the system isn't working. Organizations are ever-changing ecosystems with dynamic properties that can only be observed, never fully predicted. This requires a completely different way of thinking about management — one that embraces uncertainty, values emergence, and trusts teams to figure things out within clear strategic boundaries. Recommended Resources As recommended resources for further reading, Simon suggests:  The Origin of Wealth, by Eric Beinhocker The Systems Innovation YouTube channel   About Simon Holzapfel   Simon Holzapfel is an educator, coach, and learning innovator who helps teams work with greater clarity, speed, and purpose. He specializes in separating strategy from tactics, enabling short-cycle decision-making and higher-value workflows. Simon has spent his career coaching individuals and teams to achieve performance with deeper meaning and joy. Simon is also the author of the Equonomist newsletter on Substack, where he explores the intersection of economics, equality, and equanimity in the workplace.   You can link with Simon Holzapfel on LinkedIn.

As we cover our final Glee episode, Season 6's "Child Star", we break down our final therapy feelings about the New Directions, what happens when nostalgia comes for us, and the rich history of tentacle porn.

Summary for The Space Show presents Dean Cheng Friday, 9-19-25Summary by Zoom, edited.AN IMPORTANT NOTE: The Space Show website, www.thespaceshow.com, is undergoing a denial of service attack. Our hosting company and website manager are working to stop it but I suspect it might continue for a few more days until it can be controlled through various means we are using. In the meantime, you do have sporadic access so keep trying. Otherwise, it is important to note that all our information, our archived programs such as this one, newsletter and information on guests can be found on our Substack page, doctorspace.substack.com. In addition, are posting the Zoom videos to most of our Zoom program on this Substack page along with the audio version of the show. As for podcasting, that will be delayed because it needs for our program mp3 to be posted to The Space Show website. If I am unable to access the site due to the ongoing attack, it means I am unable to upload to our podcast server. We do have podcasting engaged on our Substack page so you might check that out and subscribe as an alternative way to get the programs via podcasting Thank you.We began this Space Show program with our guest, Dean Cheng, with a discussion about U.S.-China space relations and the Wolf Amendment's restrictions on NASA interactions with China, followed by an exploration of space exploration priorities and strategic considerations regarding lunar and Martian missions. The conversation then shifted to examining China's approach to space exploration and its historical context, including cultural motivations and diplomatic strategies, while also discussing the potential implications of directed energy weapons in space. The conversation ended with technical discussions about the Space Show's live caller participation system and its limitations, along with a brief discussion about tax-deductible donations. Detail follows. Space Show participants included John Hunt, Dr. Charles Lurio, Marshall Martin, Michael Listner, Atty, and Dr. Ajay Kothari.David and Dean discussed the Wolf Amendment and its implications for U.S.-China relations in space. Dean clarified that while Congress is not prohibited from talking to the Chinese, NASA, OSTP, and the National Space Council are restricted. They also briefly touched on the contrast between U.S. engagement with China in areas like business and education versus space policy. The conversation ended with David mentioning recent shows featuring security experts and potential future discussions on China-related topics. In addition, Dean outlined the Wolf amendment's specifics and his position on maintaining it plus he did explain why he holds the position he has on this item.Our Space Show group discussed perspectives on space exploration priorities, with David mentioning a debate between focusing on the moon versus Mars among his listeners. Dean shared his view that both the moon and Mars are strategically important for competition with China, particularly regarding cislunar space governance and the potential for China to be first to bring back Mars samples. The conversation highlighted differing opinions on space exploration approaches, including concerns about the Artemis program and alternative methods using SpaceX's Starship technology.Per the Wolf Amendment, Dean went on to discuss the challenges and risks of engaging with Chinese companies in the space and technology sectors, particularly regarding national security concerns and data protection. Dean explained that while private industry and government have different equities and vulnerabilities, the Wolf Amendment restricts certain government interactions with China, though its potential repeal is uncertain. They debated whether commercial competition with China should take precedence over national security concerns, with Dean arguing that China's state-controlled economy and access to sensitive information present significant risks that should not be underestimated.Dean explained why getting to the moon before China is important, highlighting concerns about U.S. capabilities and China's plans for a sustained lunar presence. He noted that China's competitive approach, including their "dual circulation" strategy, could give them an edge in space. Dean acknowledged that the U.S. has fallen behind its 2024 moon landing commitment and expressed concerns about our ability to sustain a lunar program at $4 billion per launch. Michael discussed how China approaches space strategy differently from the West, comparing it to a "game of go" rather than chess, and suggested that China's actions in the South China Sea could be a model for their space activities.Dean talked about the importance of understanding different negotiation styles, particularly comparing business and diplomatic approaches, and emphasized that China's actions are driven by a desire to restore its historical greatness rather than just financial gain. Dr. Kothari highlighted the cultural and civilizational pride underlying China and India's ambitious space programs, noting how these initiatives resonate with historical and divine identifications for their people. The discussion touched on how leaders like Xi Jinping tie national ambitions to reviving past glory, with China's space program being a key component of this broader vision.Our guest brought up the historical evolution of space exploration, comparing it to three distinct eras: Space 1.0 during the Cold War, Space 2.0 from the end of the Cold War to the early 2000s, and current Space 3.0 with China's increased involvement. He emphasized that China's approach to space engagement differs from cooperation, noting their strategic relationships and the absence of American involvement in the Chinese space station. Dean also highlighted the importance of understanding the historical context of space diplomacy and the role of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Chinese space initiatives.Dean continued to discuss the potential implications of the Trump administration's Golden Dome concept, emphasizing that while it presents interesting opportunities with advances in directed energy and other technologies, it also raises strategic stability concerns similar to those in the 1960s and 70s. He noted that the significant reduction in cost to orbit and increased launch cadence could impact feasibility and affect China's strategic calculations. Ajay raised questions about the legality and effectiveness of deploying directed energy weapons in space, to which Dean clarified that, under the Outer Space Treaty, nuclear weapons are prohibited, but other forms of directed energy weapons are legal.Our continued discussion focused on cultural and civilizational perspectives in space exploration, with Charles and Ajay highlighting how China's space ambitions are tied to its historical narrative of "century of humiliation" and India's interest in mythological stories. Dean shared historical perspectives on Manifest Destiny, noting how other countries viewed the United States' expansion in the 19th century, particularly the concerns in European capitals about America's battle-hardened military. The conversation concluded with a discussion about how different countries' historical expansions were viewed, with Dean pointing out that while Manifest Destiny had a specific term, other countries' expansions were similarly motivated by available technology and historical context.Moving on, we focused on cultural and historical perspectives on space exploration, particularly comparing Chinese and Indian approaches. Dean explained how Chinese science fiction like "The Three-Body Problem" presents different approaches to alien contact than Western narratives, reflecting China's historical experiences and cultural context. The conversation also explored China's long-term planning capabilities through its 5-year plans and Project 921, which has provided stability for the Chinese Human Space Flight Program over decades. Ajay shared a unique perspective on India's historical relationship with the West, noting that while India has civilizational pride dating back to before 1000 AD, the country's more recent history of damage came from Islamic invasions rather than Western influence, making India more open to cooperation with the United States.Dean discussed China's competitive approach to commercial space development, highlighting their deployment of multiple PEO constellations and the strategic implications for military surveillance. He explained that China views the West, particularly the US and its entrepreneurs, as a threat, and noted that China's private sector aerospace investment began in 2014-2015 in response to Western commercial companies like SpaceX. The discussion also covered China's lunar program, which aims to establish an International Lunar Research Station, and potential human missions to Mars, with Dean suggesting that if China were first to put humans on Mars, it could significantly enhance CCP legitimacy. Charles and Ajay contributed insights about America's historical challenges with space program funding and China's development of thorium nuclear power technology.We did a bit of Space Show business at the end of the program. I discussed the current format and challenges with the Space Show's live caller participation system. I explained that while listeners can still call in via Zoom phone lines, most prefer to participate through email rather than phone calls, leading to limited live audience engagement during Zoom shows. The group discussed technical limitations preventing the integration of the toll-free line with Zoom due to audio quality concerns, and David emphasized that while he encourages caller participation, he won't compromise audio quality to accommodate it. The discussion also touched on the need to continue to donate to The Space Show which is a nonprofit 501C3. See the PayPal button on the right side of our home page or in the Substack program summaries in the sponsor and upcoming program section.Thank you.Dr. SpaceSpecial thanks to our sponsors:Northrup Grumman, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.comThe Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4435: ZOOM Dr. Ajay Kothari | Tuesday 23 Sep 2025 1230PM PTGuests: Dr. Ajay KothariAjay shows us his art exhibit via Zoom live from the Fairfax GalleryBroadcast 4436 Hotel Mars with Ben Roberts | Wednesday 24 Sep 2025 930AM PTGuests: John Batchelor, Dr. David Livingston, Ben RobertsHotel Mars discusses microgravity medicine with Ben RobertsBroadcast 4437 Zoom: OPEN LINES DISCUSSION | Sunday 28 Sep 2025 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonZOOM Open Lines Discussion. Listen/participate w/Zoom phone numbers to be published on our blog for this program Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

In 1985, a group of powerful "Washington Wives" led by Tipper Gore formed the PMRC to clean up rock and roll, sparking a culture war that culminated in a dramatic Senate hearing. This episode of Rock N Roll Archaeology, "The Three-Body Problem," performs a forensic autopsy on that manufactured moral panic. We explore how the unlikely, chaotic alliance of John Denver, Dee Snider, and Frank Zappa dismantled the PMRC's case piece by piece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With vengeful alien civilizations, virtual realities and hologram wives, Chinese science fiction is in its heyday — not just in China but around the globe. Renowned author Cixin Liu is at the forefront of the movement. His book, The Three-Body Problem is a Netflix's series. IDEAS explores what we can learn about China through it's science fiction.

Howie Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Airtable, the no-code platform valued at around $12 billion. After a viral tweet declared “Airtable is dead” based on incorrect data, Howie led a radical transformation: reorganizing the entire company around AI, becoming an “IC CEO” who codes daily, and achieving over $100 million in free cash flow.What you'll learn:1. The “fast thinking” vs. “slow thinking” team structure that lets Airtable ship AI features weekly (inspired by Daniel Kahneman)2. Why Howie uses AI hourly (not daily) and is Airtable's #1 inference-cost user globally3. Why CEOs must become ICs again in the AI era (and how to restructure your calendar to make it possible)4. Why “playing” with AI tools should be mandatory—Howie tells employees to cancel all meetings for a week to experiment5. The specific skills product managers, engineers, and designers need to develop to succeed in the AI era6. Why evals can kill innovation (and when to use “vibes” instead)—Brought to you by:LucidLink—Real-time cloud storage for teamsDX—The developer intelligence platform designed by leading researchersClaude.ai—The AI for problem solvers and enterprise—Where to find Howie Liu• X: https://x.com/howietl• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howieliu/• Email: howie@airtable.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Howie Liu and Airtable(04:05) The “Airtable is dead” viral tweet controversy(08:07) The rise of IC CEOs(10:57) AI's paradigm shift in product development(16:27) Specific changes Airtable has made(21:38) Fast- and slow-thinking teams(32:57) The emergence of new form factors in AI models(34:48) Airtable's vision and philosophy(40:20) Empowering teams with AI tools(46:50) Encouraging experimentation and play(50:55) Cross-functional skills in product teams(01:03:35) The importance of evals and open-ended testing(01:08:06) Key strategies for AI-driven success(01:12:43) Counterintuitive startup wisdom(01:22:21) Don't step away from the details that you love(01:25:50) Advice for aspiring engineers and designers(01:30:00) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Airtable: https://www.airtable.com/• All In podcast: https://allin.com/• Nikita Bier on X: https://x.com/nikitabier• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• The AI-native startup: 5 products, 7-figure revenue, 100% AI-written code | Dan Shipper (co-founder and CEO of Every): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-every-dan-shipper• Every: https://every.to/• Cursor: https://cursor.com/• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/• Building a magical AI code editor used by over 1 million developers in four months: The untold story of Windsurf | Varun Mohan (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-untold-story-of-windsurf-varun-mohan• Rippling: https://www.rippling.com/• Omni: https://www.airtable.com/lp/ai-psu-plp• How ChatGPT accidentally became the fastest-growing product in history | Nick Turley (Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-chatgpt-nick-turley• Palantir: https://www.palantir.com/• Harvey: https://www.harvey.ai/• v0: https://v0.dev/• Everyone's an engineer now: Inside v0's mission to create a hundred million builders | Guillermo Rauch (founder and CEO of Vercel, creators of v0 and Next.js): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyones-an-engineer-now-guillermo-rauch• Replit: https://replit.com/• Behind the product: Replit | Amjad Masad (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-product-replit-amjad-masad• Lovable: https://lovable.dev/• Building Lovable: $10M ARR in 60 days with 15 people | Anton Osika (CEO and co-founder): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-lovable-anton-osika• Runway Game Worlds: https://play.runwayml.com/login• Sesame: https://www.sesame.com• NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com• Andrew Ofstad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aofstad/• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• Eames chair: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eames_Lounge_Chair• OpenAI's CPO on how AI changes must-have skills, moats, coding, startup playbooks, more | Kevin Weil (CPO at OpenAI, ex-Instagram, Twitter): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kevin-weil-open-ai• Anthropic's CPO on what comes next | Mike Krieger (co-founder of Instagram): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/anthropics-cpo-heres-what-comes-next• IDEO design thinking: https://designthinking.ideo.com/• Brian Chesky's new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach• The Studio on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-studio/umc.cmc.7518algxc4lsoobtsx30dqb52• Silicon Valley on HBOMax: https://www.hbomax.com/shows/silicon-valley/b4583939-e39f-4b5c-822d-5b6cc186172d• Self Edge: https://www.selfedge.com/• Studio D'Artisan: https://www.selfedge.com/studio-dartisan• Whitesville T-shirt: https://store.toyo-enterprise.co.jp/shopbrand/ct48/• Guest Series | Dr. Paul Conti: How to Understand & Assess Your Mental Health: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/guest-series-dr-paul-conti-how-to-understand-and-assess-your-mental-health—Recommended books:• Thinking, Fast and Slow: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555• The Three-Body Problem: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Body-Problem-Cixin-Liu/dp/0765382032• Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic: How Trauma Works and How We Can Heal From It: https://us.amazon.com/Trauma-Invisible-Epidemic-Works-Heal/dp/1683647351/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

Send us a textWhat if we find Norse myth or Greco-Roman myth more aesthetically pleasing than Christianity? Should we believe in the pagan gods instead? Is the Bible actually good art? Is Christian theology beautiful? Do Christians find their religion beautiful just because they believe it is true? In a 1944 lecture before Oxford's Socratic Club, C.S. Lewis asks and answers these questions - and more. Jonathan and Ryan follow along as Lewis asks, and answers, the question the Socratic Club put before him: "Is theology poetry?"C.S. Lewis's Is Theology Poetry? https://www.samizdat.qc.ca/arts/lit/Theology=Poetry_CSL.pdfC.S. Lewis's The Weight of Glory: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780060653200James Frey's A Million Little Pieces: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780307276902Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780143038252Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780765382030C.S. Lewis's Surprised by Joy: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780062565433C.S. Lewis's Miracles: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780060653019Charles Taylor's A Secular Age: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780674986916New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Cristina Gomez takes a deep dive into the latest information regarding Interstellar Object 3I/Atlas and the possibility it is an artificial spacecraft from another civilization as postulated by Professor Avi Loeb, as well as the author of the Three Body Problem comments on the Dark Forest theory, and scientist Beatriz Villarroel on why stars are disappearing, plus other news updates.00:00 - 3i/Atlas: Manhattan-Sized Mystery03:18 - Alien Probe or Natural Comet?05:05 - Dark Forest Theory Explained07:00 - Perfect Timing for Reconnaissance08:34 - Artificial Object Implications09:57 - First Contact or False Alarm?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/strange-and-unexplained--5235662/support.

More Space Opera! We're back it with the Three Body Problem series, talking about the second book in the series. For part one, we're covering the nature of the wallfacer project and how to approach a threat that's 400 years away. Part two will be all about cosmic sociology and the dark forest theory! The Dark Forest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Forest Support us at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/0G Join our Facebook discussion group (make sure to answer the questions to join): https://www.facebook.com/groups/985828008244018/ Email us at: philosophersinspace@gmail.com If you have time, please write us a review on iTunes. It really really helps. Please and thank you! Music by Thomas Smith: https://seriouspod.com/ Sibling shows: Embrace the Void: https://voidpod.com/ Content Preview: The Dark Forest pt.2 and cosmic sociology

Utopia Utopia~ A new world was the mission. A secret civilization no one knew about changed everything.When Dr. Delilah Dweck, a decorated physician, boards the first manned mission to Mars, she's chasing the dream of discovery. Alongside her is an astrobiologist, Dr. Jacob Stern, and a handpicked team of elite scientists, each prepared to leave Earth behind forever. Their mission: to build a permanent colony and turn the barren red planet into humanity's next home.Mars holds secrets far older—and far stranger—than anyone could have imagined. Beneath the dust lies a thriving ancient civilization: the Xan'tains. Not only are they alive, they claimed to have seeded Earth millions of years ago—and now, they're ready to reclaim their descendants.The price of survival? Reproduction. Each astronaut must help populate the colony, either biologically or through artificial means. Their children, born of Mars and Earth, exhibit extraordinary abilities—abilities the Xan'tains see as the next evolution.As the colony expands beyond Mars and into the stars, the crew discovers a powerful galactic federation balancing diplomacy and domination. But when Delilah uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to shatter this fragile peace, the true test begins. Can Delilah protect both her people and the future they're building—or will Utopia collapse under the weight of its own creation?A sweeping saga of interstellar discovery, ancient power, and the fragile hope of unity. Utopia is perfect for fans of The Expanse and The Three-Body Problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blast off with us as we dive into Netflix's Three Body Problem—where cosmic mysteries and existential dread meet alien civilizations in the terrifying Dark Forest theory. From the show's mind-bending rabbit holes, thought-provoking journey through humanity's place in the universe, and what happens when the universe finally answers back. Whether you're a sci-fi nerd, an alien skeptic, or just looking for the next binge-worthy show, this discussion will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about life among the stars.What to expect from the episode:A deep dive into Netflix's Three Body Problem, including its core sci-fi theories (the Fermi Paradox, Dark Forest Theory, and the titular three-body problem) and how these concepts are dramatized for TVHonest reactions to the show's origins, adaptation choices, and characters—with comparisons to the book trilogy and candid takes on Game of Thrones creators' involvementSpirited tangents about alien media, first contact scenarios, and philosophical musings on humanity, science, and what real-life alien disclosure could mean for our worldEpisode Chapters:00:00:00 – Introduction and Why Three Body Problem Surprised Us00:04:21 – Cosmic Silence: The Fermi Paradox & Dark Forest Theory00:07:59 – The San-Ti Signal: Synopsis and First Contact00:10:25 – Ye Wenjie's Journey: Trauma, SETI, and Defiance00:17:59 – Alien Threat: Sofons, Sabotage, and the Race to Respond00:20:32 – The VR Game and Solving the Unsolvable00:23:44 – Can We Coexist? The San-Ti's Shift Toward War00:26:19 – Judgment Day: Nanowires and Scientific Warfare00:28:25 – Humanity Fights Back: Wallfacers and Secret Plans00:31:03 – What Are the San-Ti? AI, Collective Minds, and Spores00:36:58 – Aftermath and Season One's Endgame00:48:05 – Will's Fate00:53:25 – Book vs. Show: What's Changed?00:57:43 – Spoiler Zone: Darker Cosmic Forces and Galactic Peril01:04:25 – Looking Ahead: Season Two, Themes, and Questions01:09:42 – Alien Disclosure and Real-World Reactions01:14:47 – Should We Be Sending Signals?01:27:55 – Who Is Three Body Problem For?01:29:30 – Final Reflections on Contact and Survival----------The Cinedicate on InstagramThe Cinedicate's Discord Community Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if reality is not what it seems? In this mind-expanding episode of Impact Theory, Tom Bilyeu sits down with entrepreneur, MIT grad, investor, and bestselling author Rizwan Virk, known for his work on simulation theory and the intersection of technology, consciousness, and spirituality. Together, they explore profound questions about the nature of existence, consciousness, and whether our universe might be a sophisticated simulation. Virk shares insights from his personal experiences and research, referencing everything from quantum mechanics and near-death experiences to religious metaphors and the immersive power of video games. Tom and Rizwan navigate the philosophical and scientific landscape—debating the nature of the soul, the mysterious coherence of near-death accounts, and the possibility that ancient wisdom might have been trying to communicate truths later echoed by modern technology. SHOWNOTES 04:56 The Nature of the Soul: Debate or Dialogue?13:49 Religious Metaphors: Book of Deeds, Karma, & the Golden Rule22:58 Why Do We Forget Past Lessons? Immersion and the “River of Forgetfulness”37:04 Psychedelics, Altered States, and Perception—Without the Trip49:46 The Three-Body Problem, Sci-Fi as Philosophy, and the Concept of “Sophon”55:19 Multiple Histories, Quantum Physics, and Branching Paths https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/774523/the-simulation-hypothesis-by-rizwan-virk/ FOLLOW RIZWAN VIRK: Website: https://zenentrepreneur.comTwitter (X): https://twitter.com/RizStanfordInstagram: https://instagram.com/RizCambridge CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Allio Capital: Macro investing for people who want to understand the big picture. Download their app in the App Store or at Google Play, or text my name “TOM” to 511511. ButcherBox: New users that sign up for ButcherBox will receive their choice between steak tips, salmon, or chicken breast in every box for a year + $20 off their first box at https://butcherbox.com/impact Monarch Money: Use code THEORY at https://monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year! CashApp: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/v6nymgjl #CashAppPod iRestore:Give yourself the gift of hair confidence this year. For a limited time only, our community is getting a HUGE discount on the iRestore Elite when you use code IMPACT at https://irestore.com iTrust Capital: Use code IMPACTGO when you sign up and fund your account to get a $100 bonus at https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu  Jerry: Stop needlessly overpaying for car insurance - download the Jerry app or head to https://jerry.ai/impact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if reality is not what it seems? In this mind-expanding episode of Impact Theory, Tom Bilyeu sits down with entrepreneur, MIT grad, investor, and bestselling author Rizwan Virk, known for his work on simulation theory and the intersection of technology, consciousness, and spirituality. Together, they explore profound questions about the nature of existence, consciousness, and whether our universe might be a sophisticated simulation. Virk shares insights from his personal experiences and research, referencing everything from quantum mechanics and near-death experiences to religious metaphors and the immersive power of video games. Tom and Rizwan navigate the philosophical and scientific landscape—debating the nature of the soul, the mysterious coherence of near-death accounts, and the possibility that ancient wisdom might have been trying to communicate truths later echoed by modern technology. SHOWNOTES 04:56 The Nature of the Soul: Debate or Dialogue?13:49 Religious Metaphors: Book of Deeds, Karma, & the Golden Rule22:58 Why Do We Forget Past Lessons? Immersion and the “River of Forgetfulness”37:04 Psychedelics, Altered States, and Perception—Without the Trip49:46 The Three-Body Problem, Sci-Fi as Philosophy, and the Concept of “Sophon”55:19 Multiple Histories, Quantum Physics, and Branching Paths FOLLOW RIZWAN VIRK:Website: https://zenentrepreneur.comTwitter (X): https://twitter.com/RizStanfordInstagram: https://instagram.com/RizCambridge CHECK OUT OUR SPONSORS Vital Proteins: Get 20% off by going to https://www.vitalproteins.com and entering promo code IMPACT at check out Allio Capital: Macro investing for people who want to understand the big picture. Download their app in the App Store or at Google Play, or text my name “TOM” to 511511. ButcherBox: New users that sign up for ButcherBox will receive their choice between steak tips, salmon, or chicken breast in every box for a year + $20 off their first box at https://butcherbox.com/impact Monarch Money: Use code THEORY at https://monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year! CashApp: Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/v6nymgjl #CashAppPod iRestore:Give yourself the gift of hair confidence this year. For a limited time only, our community is getting a HUGE discount on the iRestore Elite when you use code IMPACT at https://irestore.com iTrust Capital: Use code IMPACTGO when you sign up and fund your account to get a $100 bonus at https://www.itrustcapital.com/tombilyeu  Jerry: Stop needlessly overpaying for car insurance - download the Jerry app or head to https://jerry.ai/impact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Story Archives, hosts Mario Busto and Zachary Newton dive into the current must-watch TV shows and movies, discussing their personal high-level reviews and what they're excited about on the horizon. They cover 'Foundation' Season 3, teasers from Apple TV including 'Invasion' Season 3 and 'The Bear' on Hulu, and Netflix releases like 'Wednesday' and 'Stranger Things.' They also talk about the significance of popular ongoing series, including the potential impact of Netflix's new episodic release strategy. The episode touches on notable TV shows they've been watching like 'Murderbot,' 'Sirens,' 'Stick,' and 'Slow Horses,' and movies such as 'Ford v Ferrari' and 'Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning.' The hosts share insights on the state of streaming services, the challenges in the industry, and the broader landscape of original content creation.00:00 Introduction and Hosts00:54 Current TV and Film Landscape01:32 Netflix's Upcoming Releases04:17 Three Body Problem and Netflix's New Studio06:42 AI and Job Replacement in the Film Industry08:01 Recent Watches and Recommendations14:02 Stick: A New Show to Watch23:01 Apple's Dominance in Original Content24:51 Discussing Upcoming TV Shows26:15 Recent Movie Watches29:03 Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning Review35:12 Family-Friendly Movie Recommendations36:30 Books and Reading Habits39:18 Exciting New TV Shows41:12 Speculations on the Next James Bond43:11 Upcoming Movie Releases46:09 Wrapping Up and Listener Engagement

On the 186th episode of the SKIDS PODCAST; We discuss the pure insanity of the riots in Los Angeles; What is a Black Swan event; Three Body Problem; Trump VS. Musk comes to a conclusion; The Big Beautiful Bill is almost here; Science Orthodoxy narratives in question; Egypt, land of lies and secrets; No Kings Day. Coffee Brand Coffee -https://coffeebrandcoffee.com/Use the coupon code: gps1 to get 5% off your purchase.  You will be supporting an independent, growing company, as well as our show in the process!!#skids #skidspodcast #garbagepailskids #gps #podcast #comedy #discussion #commentary #riots #lariots #losangeles #politics #blackswan #ai #video #threebodyproblem #lastofus #trump #musk #bigbeautifulbill #egypt #kingslist #orthodoxy #mainstreamscience #archaeology #nokingsday #protests #samtripoli #joerogan #california

What is The Three Body Problem? It's a sprawling and brutalist sci-fi saga that's as much an ideological stress test as it is a story. It was also the obsession of a tech guru cum filmmaker Lin Qi that would ultimately end in one of the most bizarre and chilling murders in modern entertainment history.--Written by Adam SmithEdited by Lewis Poggie--Join our Discord server!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/deepcutsdiscord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--Pick up some Deep Cuts T-Shirts and other merch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/deepcutsmerch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--Get the official Deep Cuts shoulder patch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/deepcuts_patch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠--Listen to our album, a 9 song rock opera about the rise and fall of Napster!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/album/63C5uu1tkzZ2FhfsrSSf5s?si=q4WItoNmRUeM159TxKLWew

Today MindMatters welcomes back John Carter to talk Cixin Liu's Three-Body Problem, science fiction in general, and to compare NHI theories. Do UAP represent extraterrestrials putting on a show to appear more advanced than actually are? Or super-advanced ultraterrestrials who may have their own weaknesses? What is the possible connection between tech and psi? And would humanity actually unite in the case of an ET threat, as Ronald Reagan so endearingly believed? 

Following our Kicks of the Week (11:10), we review Marvel's Thunderbolts* (17:24), Ben Affleck's The Accountant 2 (36:35) & Tina Fey's The Four Seasons (44:55). We end with an unhinged discussion on the past, present and future of the Final Destination franchise (57:12). Sorry for the funky audio this week!

In this episode, Sarper lives out his Baywatch dream, Mahdi reveals that he'd stay in the US if he and Stevi broke up, Alliya confronts Shawn about being monogamous, The throuple establishes new rules for their relationship, Joan meets Greg's friends, and much more! If you like the show Consider supporting us Click the links below! Join our livestreams on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/420dayfiance Join our Discord server https://discord.gg/pr6wE9sK64 Gain access to The Vault and more https://open.acast.com/public/patreon/fanSubscribe/6354533 Buy our merch! https://www.420dayfiance.com/merch Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate two decades of Under the Influence, Terry O'Reilly shares the five most influential books in his life; former news anchor Elysia Bryan-Baynes recommends three books about leaving your home country to live and work abroad; Montreal musician Lubalin on aliens, existentialism and song-writing fuel; and what makes iconic television personality Jeanne Beker feel the most Canadian on this episode of The Next Chapter.Books discussed on this week's show include:To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper LeeFifth Business by Robertson DaviesTaken at the Flood by John GuntherTicket To Ride by Larry KaneCreativity, Inc. by Ed CatmullThe Three-Body Problem by Liu CixinWe Meant Well by Erum Shazia HasanTo Tell the Truth: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent by Lewis M. SimonsThe War We Won Apart by Nahlah AyedHeart on my Sleeve by Jeanne BekerYoko by David Sheff

Terrence Howard says he solved the three-body problem, so why does nobody seem to care? Also this week, the Trump administration suffers perhaps the dumbest leak ever after a journalist was looped in on a group thread about attacks in Yemen (before the bombs fell). We discuss that, whether Biden's pardons will be recognized, Sam's dad's pioneer status in the realm of autism, Hawk Tuah's apology, why Snow White is flopping at the box office, the return of Sam Tripoli's Traffic Court, and so much more.Go to www.get.stash.com/broken to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase and to view important disclosures!$THC is the official crypto of Broken Simulation! They're paying us to talk about them (we have to say this, obviously) but we really like the project and the community around it. Don't put in any money you can't afford to lose, and check them out at www.tinhatcat.com!More stuff: Get episodes early, and unedited, plus bonus episodes: www.rokfin.com/brokensimulation or www.patreon.com/brokensimulationWatch Broken Simulation: https://www.youtube.com/samtripoliSocial media: Twitter: @samtripoli, @johnnywoodard Instagram: @samtripoli, @johnnyawoodardWant to see Sam live? Visit www.samtripoli.com for tickets!Broken Simulation Hosts: Sam Tripoli, Johnny Woodard

It's a bit surprising to hear a writer known for building worlds that incorporate deep historical research and elaborate technological details extol the virtues of play, but Ken Liu tells critic Rose Casey and host Sarah Wasserman that if “your idea of heaven doesn't include play, then I'm not sure it's a heaven people want to go to.” It turns out that Ken—acclaimed translator and author of the “silkpunk” epic fantasy series Dandelion Dynasty and the award-winning short story collection The Paper Menagerie—is deeply serious about play. Speaking about play as the key to technological progress, Ken and Rose discuss the importance of whimsy and the inextricable relationship between imagination and usefulness. For Ken, whose Dandelion Dynasty makes heroes of engineers instead of wizards or knights, precise machinery and innovative gadgets are born, like novels, of imagination. Ken himself might be best described as a meticulous, dedicated tinkerer—a writer playing with the materials and stories of the past to help us encounter new worlds in the present. So even if trying to explain his craft is “like asking fish how they swim,” Ken jumps in and discusses how he writes at such different lengths (hint: the longer the book, the more elephantine) and what he makes of different genre labels, from fantasy to historical fiction. We also learn why Ken is a fan of Brat Summer and still thinking about the Roman Empire. Mentioned in this episode: Ken Liu, Speaking Bones (2022), The Veiled Throne (2021), The Wall of Storms (2017), The Grace of Kings (2016), The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories (2016) Cixin Liu, The Three-Body Problem (2014) Rose Casey, Jessica Wilkerson, Johanna Winant, “An Open Letter from Faculty at West Virginia University” (2023) Rose Casey, “In Defense of Higher Education” (2024) Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973) Homer, The Odyssey Virgil, The Aeneid John Milton, Paradise Lost A.M. Turing, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” (1950) Brat Summer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

It's a bit surprising to hear a writer known for building worlds that incorporate deep historical research and elaborate technological details extol the virtues of play, but Ken Liu tells critic Rose Casey and host Sarah Wasserman that if “your idea of heaven doesn't include play, then I'm not sure it's a heaven people want to go to.” It turns out that Ken—acclaimed translator and author of the “silkpunk” epic fantasy series Dandelion Dynasty and the award-winning short story collection The Paper Menagerie—is deeply serious about play. Speaking about play as the key to technological progress, Ken and Rose discuss the importance of whimsy and the inextricable relationship between imagination and usefulness. For Ken, whose Dandelion Dynasty makes heroes of engineers instead of wizards or knights, precise machinery and innovative gadgets are born, like novels, of imagination. Ken himself might be best described as a meticulous, dedicated tinkerer—a writer playing with the materials and stories of the past to help us encounter new worlds in the present. So even if trying to explain his craft is “like asking fish how they swim,” Ken jumps in and discusses how he writes at such different lengths (hint: the longer the book, the more elephantine) and what he makes of different genre labels, from fantasy to historical fiction. We also learn why Ken is a fan of Brat Summer and still thinking about the Roman Empire. Mentioned in this episode: Ken Liu, Speaking Bones (2022), The Veiled Throne (2021), The Wall of Storms (2017), The Grace of Kings (2016), The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories (2016) Cixin Liu, The Three-Body Problem (2014) Rose Casey, Jessica Wilkerson, Johanna Winant, “An Open Letter from Faculty at West Virginia University” (2023) Rose Casey, “In Defense of Higher Education” (2024) Ursula K. LeGuin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (1973) Homer, The Odyssey Virgil, The Aeneid John Milton, Paradise Lost A.M. Turing, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” (1950) Brat Summer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

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Do you want to know the key to the Narnian universe? Today, on Mythmakers, Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker take a quick tour around the seven heavens as they discuss C.S. Lewis's book The Discarded Image, as well as the Medieval model, Michael Ward's groundbreaking study, Planet Narnia, and so much more. What other scientific model inspirations have writers found, and where would it be best to live within a Medieval universe? Join the conversation as we find out! Among the books mentioned is Ted Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and Others, available at: https://www.panmacmillan.com/authors/ted-chiang/stories-of-your-life-and-others/9781035038596 as well as Cixin Liu’s Three Body Problem: https://torpublishinggroup.com/the-three-body-problem/    (00:05) CS Lewis and the Discarded Image(16:51) CS Lewis and Science(25:22) Planetary Imagery in Narnia(37:07) Lewis(53:30) Fantasy Reimaginings of Medieval Worlds(58:41) Rethinking the Discarded Image   For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok

The guys discuss the new Apple M4 chip, The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin, and Luke's experience at a Five Iron Frenzy concert. We're back and playing the hits on this episode! Enjoy!

What is the three body problem? How will the universe end? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break down the case of Planet X, why the three body problem is unsolvable, and prevailing theories on how the universe will come to an end. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.Thanks to our Patrons Micheal Brown, Naburos, Teresa Fiorenza, Afshin Odabaee, Liz Freedman, Grace Sakoda, Dean Klunk, Alex Deters, Craig Maier, and Jack Cater for supporting us this week.

Xu Yao's career potential seemed limitless. The Chinese lawyer and entertainment executive was in charge of all business related to the best selling Chinese science fiction trilogy, and soon to be hit Netflix show, “The Three Body Problem.” But then, overnight, the entire franchise, and all of the life changing wealth that came with it, was all taken from Xu Yao. He had been demoted. Xu Yao's demotion set in motion a revenge plot ripped from the pages of a Hollywood script.

Chinese science fiction has gone from a niche, underground genre to the country's hottest new export. On Saturday, at the 8th China Science Fiction Conference hosted in Beijing, an animated presenter unveiled graphs detailing the meteoric rise of the genre, claiming that China had raked in nearly $16 billion in revenue from its sci-fi industry in 2023. And in late March, an adaptation of one of China's  biggest cultural exports, 'The Three Body Problem,' premiered on Netflix. The show, based on a book by Liu Cixin, follows a group of modern-day scientists battling an alien invasion, triggered by one cataclysmic decision made by an aggrieved physicist during the Cultural Revolution in China. The show garnered roughly 15.6 million views in its first week. But the seed of this science fiction craze was first planted in 2008, with the publication of the book, which quickly became an unexpected global phenomenon. The book and its two sequels have exceeded the total sales of all literary works exported by China so far — thus piquing the interest of the Chinese government. For the midweek podcast, host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Jing Tsu, professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures & Comparative Literature at Yale, about the rise of science fiction in China as a soft power tool, the genre's complicated relationship with the Chinese government, and its evolution through the twentieth century. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.