Ep. 98: How humans came to see (and shape) the future. | Byron Reese

08/09/22 • 80 min

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Whether it's pondering the mysteries of life while watching a sunrise or reasoning in great detail about how a new technology will change the world, there is something unique about the human capacity to imagine the future. But where does this capacity come from, what does it mean for us, and how can we use it more effectively? Tonight's guest has just written a book exploring these themes. Byron Reese is an Austin-based entrepreneur with a quarter-century of experience building and running technology companies. He is a recognized authority on AI and holds a number of technology patents. In addition, he is a futurist with a strong conviction that technology will help bring about a new golden age of humanity. He gives talks around the world about how technology is changing work, education, and culture.

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Ep. 97: Could bitcoin mining fix climate change? | Troy Cross

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It's become commonplace to hear politicians and commentators bemoaning the energy expenditure of bitcoin mining, noting that it consumes more power than certain industries or countries and confidently proclaiming that the bitcoin network performs no useful work. But recently, an emerging group of scholars has pushed back on this narrative, arguing that in fact bitcoin mining has certain special properties that make it ideal for subsidizing renewable energies. If this is true, it could become an important part of mitigating the effects of climate change. Tonight we're joined by one of the original scholars advancing this thesis. Troy Cross is a professor of philosophy at Reed University, where he focuses on questions of knowledge and reality. In addition, he is a fellow at the Bitcoin Policy Institute, where you can find his work on energy economics, bitcoin mining, and the environment.

#climatechange #crypto #bitcoin

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Next Episode

Ep. 99: What is the future of money? | Kirk Hutchison

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Money has a long history, beginning with barter and leading all the way to your credit card. Kirk Hutchison founded Volt Protocol because he believes the next era of money is deflationary and disintermediated. He studied history at UC San Diego and arrived at a libertarian bent after seeing the similarities between market processes and equilibria in nature. Inspired by the rich theoretical work on free money systems by economists such as George Selgin, Friedrich Hayek, and Milton Friedman, Kirk is working to put this theory into practice using smart contracts.

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