How Could Calculus Passers Miss Basic Algebra?

Episode Description:

James sits down with astrophysicist Brian Keating for a candid, useful tour through three hot zones: how to think about AI (and where it actually helps), what’s broken in higher ed and admissions right now, and why outsourcing your mood to politics is a losing strategy. You’ll hear first-hand stories (from UC San Diego classrooms to New York City politics), specific ways James and Brian really use AI daily, and a simple framework for protecting your attention and happiness—even when everything feels polarized.

What You’ll Learn:

• A practical AI workflow you can copy today (research prompts, personal “style” bots, and where LLMs fail at original insight).
• A filter for political noise that keeps 99% of your happiness anchored in health, family, friends, and work you control.
• What the UCSD admissions/placement findings really mean for preparation and standards (and why “remedial” can mask deeper gaps).
• A simple admissions/common-sense principle: standards matter; “portfolio” evaluation shouldn’t ignore basic skills.
• How to use AI without losing your own voice—James’ test for “write it in my style” and why generic outputs still fall short.

Timestamped Chapters:

• [02:00] Loft event stories, comedy beats, and setting the tone for a heavy topic.
• [05:00] NYC politics, leadership, and the “why would they vote for him?” question.
• [07:32] Slogans vs. reality: chants, charters, and what words actually imply.
• [09:30] Economics that sound nice vs. incentives that ruin cities.
• [12:00] “Don’t outsource your happiness to politicians.” A sanity reset.
• [20:48] Inside UCSD’s placement data: how did calculus passers miss first-grade algebra?
• [30:02] Standards, SATs, and what “remedial” hides (plus grade inflation).
• [77:49] How James and Brian actually use AI; “mad-bot disease” and why voice still matters.

Additional Resources

• Brian Keating's "Monday M.A.G.I.C." Newsletter
• Brian Keating — personal website
• Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science’s Highest Honor by Brian Keating
• Into the Impossible: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner by Brian Keating
• Into the Impossible Volume 2: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner
• University of California, San Diego — Brian Keating faculty page

Topics & Documents Mentioned

• UC San Diego Admissions/Placement Working Group report (PDF). UCSD Senate
• Coverage of UCSD preparedness findings
• Hamas charters (1988; 2017 update) & “Intifada” context
• Matt Wolfe — AI tutorials (site & YouTube)
• Book.sv - AI book recommendations based on books you've read.

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