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#404: Books I've Loved — Steve Jurvetson

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Dec 30, 2019

Guest

Steve Jurvetson

Steve Jurvetson, an influential early-stage venture capitalist known for his investments in SpaceX and Tesla, shares his favorite transformative books. He discusses insights from 'Scientists in the Crib', revealing the cognitive marvels of babies and the importance of a childlike curiosity. The conversation explores lifelong learning through titles like Kevin Kelly's 'Out of Control', and unpacks Moore's Law, highlighting its impact on technology and innovation. Jurvetson emphasizes how interconnected ideas drive human progress and reshape industries.

25:39

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ADVICE

Lifelong Learning

Embrace lifelong learning and continually try new things.
Mental exercise should be diverse and eclectic, unlike repetitive physical exercise.

insights

INSIGHT

Cognitive Development

Young children have a higher synaptic density than adults, contributing to their learning capacity.
Adults' cognitive decline begins in their mid-30s but can be mitigated by mental exercise.

insights

INSIGHT

Moore's Law Impact

Moore's Law drives progress in diverse fields, from biotech to medical imaging.
As computational power increases, industries shift from experimentation to simulation.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

The Genius of Childhood: Insights from 'Scientists in the Crib'

03:50 • 5min

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Exploring the Interplay of Biology, Technology, and Lifelong Learning

08:52 • 4min

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Unpacking Moore's Law

12:43 • 8min

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The Combinatorial Nature of Human Progress

20:15 • 5min

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Out of Control

Charlotte Lamb

Kevin Kelly's "Out of Control" explores the emerging field of artificial life and its implications for the future. Published in 1994, the book delves into complex systems, artificial intelligence, and the interconnectedness of life. Kelly uses the metaphor of the Library of Babel to illustrate the vastness and complexity of information systems. The book's central theme is the unpredictable nature of complex systems and the potential for emergent behavior. "Out of Control" is a seminal work in the field of technology and its impact on society, offering a blend of scientific insight and philosophical reflection.

The Age of Spiritual Machines

When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence

Ray Kurzweil

In 'The Age of Spiritual Machines,' Ray Kurzweil presents a prophetic blueprint for the future where the capabilities of computers and humans become increasingly intertwined. The book explores the exponential growth of technology, particularly in artificial intelligence, and predicts a future where computers will exceed human intelligence. Kurzweil discusses the blurring of lines between human and machine, the emergence of new forms of intelligence, and the potential for humans to migrate their consciousness into machines. The book is a thought-provoking analysis of human and artificial intelligence and their evolving relationship in the 21st century.

The scientist in the crib

Alison Gopnik

Books I've Loved — Steve Jurvetson | Brought to you by Four Sigmatic.

Welcome to another episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, where it is my job to sit down with world-class performers of all different types—from startup founders and investors to chess champions to Olympic athletes. This episode, however, is an experiment and part of a shorter series I'm doing called "Books I've Loved." I've invited some amazing past guests, close friends, and new faces to share their favorite books — the books that have influenced them, changed them, and transformed them for the better. I hope you pick up one or two new mentors — in the form of books — from this new series and apply the lessons in your own life.

Steve Jurvetson (@jurvetson) is an early-stage venture capitalist with a focus on founder-led, mission-driven companies at the cutting edge of disruptive technology and new industry formation. Steve was the early VC investor in SpaceX, Tesla, Planet, Memphis Meats, Hotmail, and the deep learning companies Mythic and Nervana. He has led founding investments in five companies that went public in successful IPOs and several others that were acquired for a total of over a $100 billion in value creation.

Before founding Future Ventures and DFJ before that, Steve was an R&D engineer at Hewlett Packard and worked in product marketing at Apple and NeXT, and management consulting with Bain & Company. He currently serves on the boards of Tesla, SpaceX, and D-Wave.

Please enjoy!

You can find all books mentioned in this episode in the show notes.

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