Samo Burja on the Technology That Can Create New Superpowers

02/08/25 • 67 min

Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja examine how advancing desalination technology could reshape geopolitics and transform landscapes. They discuss how affordable desalination ($0.3 cents per liter) makes large-scale terraforming feasible, potentially enabling countries like Saudi Arabia or Australia to create vast green spaces and support larger populations. The technology's implications extend beyond water security to national development and climate resilience. The essay on desalination originally appeared in The Bismarck Brief - subscribe here: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Untapped Potential of Desalination: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/p/the-untapped-potential-of-desalination

1957, 1978, 2005 Chicken Sizes diagram: https://compote.slate.com/images/4e407854-6360-4172-a85e-d7b8c64fd365.jpg?width=1200

Growth, efficiency, and yield of commercial broilers from 1957, 1978, and 2005: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119385505

Live Players: Can China Power Its Rise?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOei7kZjuZU

Live Players: The Possibility of Human Extinction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEQEMpxLnGA&t=42s

Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Check out Modern Relationships, where Erik Torenberg interviews tech power couples and leading thinkers to explore how ambitious people actually make partnerships work. This season's guests include: Delian Asparouhov & Nadia Asparouhova, Kristen Berman & Phil Levin, Rob Henderson, and Liv Boeree & Igor Kurganov.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Technology Status

Highly efficient: 2.3 kWh per cubic meter
Low production cost: 0.3 cents/liter
Main costs: infrastructure, not energy

Current Usage

Gulf states lead adoption (UAE: 42% of water from desalination)
Viable for moderately developed nations

Transformative Potential

$32B could match Nile River's annual flow
Enables desert terraforming
Could transform Saudi Arabia, Australia, US regions

National Opportunities

Saudi Arabia: $300B for national parks
Australia: Support larger population
Regional development: Turkey, Spain

Strategic Impact

Eliminates water scarcity concerns
Enhances climate resilience

—

📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess

🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse

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SPONSOR: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | SQUAD

Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

—

RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Untapped Potential of Desalination: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/p/the-untapped-potential-of-desalination

1957, 1978, 2005 Chicken Sizes diagram: https://compote.slate.com/images/4e407854-6360-4172-a85e-d7b8c64fd365.jpg?width=1200

Growth, efficiency, and yield of commercial broilers from 1957, 1978, and 2005: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119385505

Live Players: Can China Power Its Rise?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOei7kZjuZU

Live Players: The Possibility of Human Extinction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEQEMpxLnGA&t=42s

Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

—

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Technology Status

Highly efficient: 2.3 kWh per cubic meter
Low production cost: 0.3 cents/liter
Main costs: infrastructure, not energy

Current Usage

Gulf states lead adoption (UAE: 42% of water from desalination)
Viable for moderately developed nations

Transformative Potential

$32B could match Nile River's annual flow
Enables desert terraforming
Could transform Saudi Arabia, Australia, US regions

National Opportunities

Saudi Arabia: $300B for national parks
Australia: Support larger population
Regional development: Turkey, Spain

Strategic Impact

Eliminates water scarcity concerns
Enhances climate resilience

Previous Episode

Curtis Yarvin is now in the Overton Window w/ Samo Burja

Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja analyze Curtis Yarvin's arguments about government inefficiency, comparing corporate and state governance structures. The conversation covers how bureaucracies decay over time, China's approach to governance, and Yarvin's influence in shifting Silicon Valley libertarians toward more right-wing positions. They also examine his evolution from a cancelled figure to a mainstream intellectual voice.

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🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse

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SPONSOR: NOTION | NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | SQUAD

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Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Curtis Yarvin's influence on tech-right thinking challenged conventional political discourse through digital platforms.
Corporate efficiency doesn't follow natural selection principles - institutional success requires active leadership rather than market forces alone.
Government accountability and innovation are stifled by bureaucratic gridlock, with catastrophic potential costs to society (exemplified by China's one-child policy).
Mainstream political ideologies (left & right) are more aligned than they appear, suggesting democracy isn't the final stage of political evolution.
Engaging with controversial thinkers like Yarvin reveals important critiques of current systems, even when disagreeing with their proposed solutions.
Societal progress requires harnessing collective energy and maintaining efficient governance structures.

Next Episode

Delian Asparouhov and Nadia Asparouhova on Building a Relationship, Family, and Legacy

This Valentine's Day weekend, we're airing the debut episode of Modern Relationships featuring Varda space founder Delian Asparouhov and repeat M.O.Z. guest Nadia Asparouhova. Delian and Nadia talk about how they make their relationship work, dating in San Francisco, and why overcommunication might do more harm than good.

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📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess

🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse

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SPONSOR: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | INCOGNI | SQUAD

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Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE:

Nadia's writing: https://nadia.xyz/

Delian's site: https://delian.io/

Erik's substack: https://eriktorenberg.substack.com/

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1786227593

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5hJzs0gDg6lRT6r10mdpVg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ModernRelationshipsPod

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Delian and Nadia met in San Francisco, where Delian quickly pushed for commitment while Nadia was initially intrigued but uncertain about his intense personality.
They built their relationship on minimal but direct communication, believing that over-communication can create problems where none exist.
Their careers grew alongside their relationship, with both valuing some shared context in tech while pursuing different interests.
Having their first child changed their dynamic from independence to necessary schedule coordination, though they work to maintain their individual pursuits.
Delian advocates for men having children younger to grow alongside their careers, while Nadia emphasizes women should have time to find themselves first.
The couple balances ambitious careers with family life, seeing their domestic world as an expanding universe rather than a limitation.
They approach conflicts with a "short memory" philosophy, choosing not to overanalyze small issues and accepting that some days will have tension.