Andrew Mayne, Brian Brushwood, and Justin Robert Young (eventually) take us on a journey from the depths of space to the mysteries of our ancient past. They kick off with space news, discussing the return path for astronauts via SpaceX, not Boeing’s Starliner, and delve into the grounding of SpaceX launches due to a mishap. The conversation then shifts to a natural phenomenon where butterflies harness static electricity, and ancient shark attack victims, suggesting our long history with these marine predators. The aquatic ape theory is skeptically revisited, pondering human evolution’s ties to water. The episode wraps up with a dive into the MCU, specifically the Secret Invasion series, contrasting its comic book origins with its MCU portrayal, and reflecting on the MCU’s evolution and future.
Picks:
Brian Brushwood: Secret Invasion (comic book)
Andrew Mayne: Foundation (novel series by Isaac Asimov)
In Andrew’s absence, Justin Robert Young and Brian Brushwood tackle the recent SpaceX launch hiccup, where a ‘very rare glitch’ led to an unscheduled disassembly mid-mission, potentially jeopardizing the Starlink satellites’ deployment. The duo then shifts gears to a speculative debate on the future of human genetic modification for space travel, pondering the ethical implications and societal acceptance of such advancements. Amidst these discussions, they touch on AI’s role in music creation, sharing anecdotes and opinions on its evolving presence in the arts.
In this episode of Weird Things, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood embark on a journey through the evolving landscape of aviation technology. They discuss the myriad of companies attempting to develop next-generation aerial vehicles, including those adding excessive propellers to electric helicopters in hopes of making flying cars a reality. The trio delves into alternative aviation technologies, such as gyrocopters and other innovative designs that aim to improve safety and efficiency in air travel. Despite some companies’ unfortunate mishaps, including founders dying during testing, the hosts remain optimistic about the future of aviation, predicting the use of human-rated flying vehicles in cities by the end of the decade.
Andrew Mayne and Justin Robert Young dissect Apple’s approach to integrating AI into its ecosystem with a strong emphasis on privacy. They speculate on the implications of Apple’s strategy to handle AI processing on-device as much as possible, while also offering cloud processing with user permission. The trio discusses the technical hurdles, Apple’s historical stance on privacy, and how these factors influence the development of Siri and other Apple services. They ponder the future of AI in Apple products, including the potential for Siri to become smarter and more useful, and the integration of third-party AI models.
Andrew Mayne, Brian Brushwood, and Justin Robert Young embark on a technological odyssey, starting with Andrew’s recent acquisition of a Bamboo A1 3D printer. The excitement is palpable as Andrew shares his adventures in 3D printing everything from knives to whirligigs, showcasing the printer’s impressive capabilities. The conversation then shifts to AI, with the trio exploring Claude 3.5 and its ability to generate games and video content on the fly. From creating simple games with just a few prompts to discussing the future of 3D printing and AI in creative industries, the episode is a deep dive into how these technologies are reshaping our world.
Picks:
Brian Brushwood: The Dark Tower movie
Justin Robert Young: Audio AI for generating music
In this episode, Andrew Mayne and Justin Robert Young dive deep into the world of artificial intelligence, focusing on the recent announcements and developments from OpenAI and Google. They discuss the significance of OpenAI’s GPT-4.0, its capabilities, and how it was presented to the public through a live demonstration, contrasting it with Google’s approach of showing pre-recorded demos of their AI technology, Astra. The hosts explore the strategic timing of these announcements, the competitive nature of the AI industry, and the implications of these advancements for the future of technology. They also touch upon the broader landscape of AI research, including the contributions of other companies and the importance of management in driving innovation.
In this episode of Weird Things, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood tackle a range of topics from AI ethics and controversies surrounding celebrity voices in AI models, to the future of space exploration and the intriguing possibility of communicating with whales. Andrew shares insights from his time at OpenAI, debunking rumors about the misuse of Scarlett Johansson’s voice and discussing the advancements in AI technology. The trio also delves into the progress and challenges faced by space companies like Blue Origin and SpaceX, and the potential for humanity’s future in space. Additionally, they explore the fascinating idea of communicating with extraterrestrial life and the ethical considerations of advanced technologies.
Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood embark on a philosophical journey, starting with a tribute to the late Daniel Dennett, whose work on consciousness and thought experiments left a profound impact on Andrew. The conversation then shifts to AI, with Facebook’s new Llama 3 model stirring the pot in the open-source community, and robotics, where Boston Dynamics’ new Atlas robot demonstrates terrifying agility. The episode wraps up with the discovery of a potentially record-breaking fossilized snake, sparking a mix of awe and existential dread among the hosts.
Picks:
Andrew Mayne: Consciousness Explained by Daniel Dennett
Brian Brushwood: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Justin Robert Young: House of the Dragon (HBO series)
In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood explore the fascinating frontier of AI-generated music. They kick things off with a nod to AI’s role in creating a musical version of Doom, then pivot to discussing various AI music platforms like Sun AI and Audio, comparing their capabilities and outputs. The trio marvels at the potential for AI to revolutionize everything from personalized songs about daily itineraries to educational tunes about complex subjects like Broca’s area in the brain. Throughout, they maintain a blend of awe and skepticism, pondering the implications of AI’s rapid development on creativity, education, and personal expression.
Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood embark on a comprehensive exploration of artificial intelligence, discussing its current capabilities, future potential, and ethical considerations. From AI’s role in personal training and spam evolution to its application in coding and art generation, the hosts cover a broad spectrum. They highlight the efficiency and affordability of AI in creating content, including music and images, and ponder its impact on the creative industry. The conversation also touches on the regulatory landscape, with a particular focus on the EU’s approach to AI governance.
Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood embark on a journey through a variety of topics, starting with a real-world disaster involving a boat crash and a collapsed bridge. They speculate on the implications of tainted fuel and the role of the National Transportation Safety Board in such incidents. The conversation then shifts to the potential for economic and infrastructural disasters, including the hypothetical use of nuclear weapons to disrupt GPS systems. The hosts also discuss the fragility of modern infrastructure and the importance of disaster preparedness. The conversation takes a turn into the realm of technology and security, with a focus on the challenges posed by AI and deepfakes in authenticating identity. They explore the idea of a secure, emergency communication system to verify callers during crises. Finally, the hosts share their picks, including a book recommendation and thoughts on the Netflix adaptation of ‘The Three-Body Problem’, noting its strengths and weaknesses.
In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood dive into a variety of topics starting with Boom’s attempt to bring back supersonic flight, despite the historical and regulatory hurdles. They also touch on the story of a toxic cat in Japan that fell into a vat of chemicals, raising concerns about its whereabouts. The conversation shifts to the rapid advancements in AI, including its use in automating mundane tasks and its potential impact on various industries. The hosts share their excitement and concerns about the future of AI, emphasizing its role as a powerful tool rather than a wish-granting entity. The episode wraps up with discussions on the economic implications of AI and the importance of understanding its capabilities.
Picks:
Brian Brushwood: The Good Place
Justin Robert Young: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood dive into a whirlwind of topics, starting with a unique birthday greeting from an internet celebrity to Justin, courtesy of Andrew. The conversation quickly shifts to the latest achievements in space exploration with SpaceX’s Starship making headlines. However, the meat of the discussion lies in the advancements in AI and robotics, particularly with a company integrating ChatGPT with robots to perform household tasks. The trio marvels at the rapid pace of technological advancements and speculates on the future implications for society, labor, and even off-world colonization. Amidst the awe, there’s a touch of concern about the societal adjustments required to embrace this new era.
In this episode, Andrew Mayne, Justin Robert Young, and Brian Brushwood kick things off with a chat about SpaceX’s upcoming Starship launch and the company’s approach to failure as a step towards innovation. They delve into the history of space travel, highlighting the Space Shuttle’s design compromises and the importance of testing. The conversation shifts to Apple’s VR headset, with Brian sharing his mixed feelings about its practicality and Apple’s missed opportunity to create compelling content for spatial computing. The trio then explores the ambitious project of resurrecting woolly mammoths by Colossal Biosciences, discussing the scientific and ethical implications. Lastly, they touch upon the intriguing possibility of naturally occurring hydrogen production within Earth, which could revolutionize energy sources.
In an episode that could be mistaken for a cryptic message left by time travelers, Andrew offers a brief apology to the Weird Things audience for the recent lack of episodes. He assures listeners that while the episodes have been recorded, changes in the backend process have led to a temporary blackout. The episode ends with a promise of a return to normalcy, leaving listeners to ponder the mysteries of what these ‘backend changes’ could entail.
