Samo Burja: Intellectuals, Culture. and the Technosphere — #70

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Oct 10, 2024

Samo Burja, founder of Bismarck Analysis and senior research fellow at the Foresight Institute, dives into the intersection of technology and culture. He discusses the unique entrepreneurial atmosphere of Silicon Valley versus the finance-centric culture of New York. Burja looks at the transformative role of education in tech advancements and explores global competition in technology, particularly the dynamics between the U.S. and China. He also reflects on cultural shifts like 'lying flat' in China and their implications on urbanization and family structures.

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INSIGHT

Silicon Valley Culture

Silicon Valley prioritizes evaluating ideas, not credentials.
This differs from New York's finance industry, which is heavily credential-driven.

INSIGHT

Founder Status

In Silicon Valley, creating a new company is more prestigious than being an employee.
This pursuit of impact and world-changing ambition drives the culture.

ANECDOTE

Bismarck Analysis Founding

Samo Burja founded Bismarck Analysis to pursue research freedom and apply unique theories.
He saw an opportunity in the market for his approach, distinct from established firms.

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Samo Burja founded Bismarck Analysis, a consulting firm that investigates the political and institutional landscape of society. He is a Senior Research Fellow in Political Science at the Foresight Institute where he advises on how institutions can shape the future of technology. Since 2024, he has chaired the editorial board of Palladium Magazine, a non-partisan publication that explores the future of governance and society through international journalism, long-form analysis, and social philosophy. From 2020 to 2023, he was a Research Fellow at the Long Now Foundation where he studied how institutions can endure for centuries and millennia.

Samo writes and speaks on history, institutions, and strategy with a focus on exceptional leaders that create new social and political forms. Image has systematized this approach as “Great Founder Theory.”

Steve and Samo discuss:

(00:00) - Introduction
(01:38) - Meet Samo Burja: Founder of Bismarck Analysis
(03:17) - Palladium Magazine: A West Coast Publication
(06:37) - The Unique Culture of Silicon Valley
(12:53) - Inside Bismarck Analysis: Services and Clients
(21:35) - The Role of Technology in Global Innovation
(32:13) - The Influence of Rationalists and Effective Altruists
(48:07) - European Tech Policies and Global Competition
(49:28) - The Role of Taiwan and China in Tech Manufacturing
(51:12) - Geopolitical Dynamics and Strategic Alliances
(52:49) - China's Provincial Power and Industrial Strategy
(56:02) - Urbanization and Demography, Ancient Society
(59:41) - Intellectual Pursuits and Cultural Dynamics
(01:04:09) - Intellectuals, SF, and Global Influence
(01:13:45) - Fertility Rates, Urbanization, and Forgotten Migration
(01:22:24) - Interest in Cultural Dynamics and Population Rates
(01:26:03) - Daily Life as an Intellectual

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.

Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on X @hsu_steve.