The Infinite Loops

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I'm sure you've heard the quote by the famous computer scientist, Brian Kernigan, where he says that computer programs are written by humans for other humans to read and only incidentally for computers to execute. That's kind of the attitude I try to bring towards my podcast where this conversation is between a host and a guest for the pleasure of the people participating in the conversation but only incidentally for the audience. You know far more about this field now than I do, given your centrality in it now. There's these stories about how in the 90s and the thousands computer science professors would force students to write out their programs. And we don't do that nowadays because we realize that why not

Dwarkesh Patel is the host of The Lunar Society podcast, where he interviews scientists, historians, economists, intellectuals, & founders about their ideas. He also writes about tech, progress, talent, science, and the long-term over at his Substack. Dwarkesh has been described as “one of the best young podcasters alive”, and his Substack has been praised by the likes of Jeff Bezos, Paul Graham and Tyler Cowen. Important Links:

Show Notes:

How to become a better podcaster
The importance of curiosity
Disagreement & problem solving
“Computer programs are written by humans for other humans to read, and only incidentally for computers to execute”
The difference between podcasting & essay writing
Investing in public and private companies; human OS
Premeditation & decision-making
The mystery of the miracle year
How much innovation is baked into the cake?
How to cultivate young talent
AI & education
The importance of intellectual market makers
Scouting talent as buying options
Interviewing Sam Bankman-Fried
Effective altruism & virtue signalling
If you do everything, you will win

Books Mentioned:

The Years of Lyndon Johnson; by Robert Caro
What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O’Shaughnessy
Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve; by Lenora Chu
Outliers: The Story of Success; by Malcolm Gladwell
One Summer: America, 1927; by Bill Bryson
The Lessons of History; by Will & Ariel Durant
The Story of Civilization; by Will & Ariel Durant
Fallen Leaves: Last Words on Life, Love, War, and God; by Will Durant