The "What is Money?" Show
WiM002 - The Saylor Series | Episode 2 | The Rise of Man through the Dark and Steel Ages
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Money is considered the highest form of energy that humans can channel and plays a crucial role in advancing human ingenuity.
- Steel and aluminum ages revolutionized civilization, enabling the construction of cities and playing a pivotal role in aviation.
- The discovery of antibiotics and advancements in sterilization and sanitation significantly improved human life expectancy and overall quality of life.
Deep dives
The Importance of Technology in Advancing Society
Technologies that deliver force faster, harder, stronger, and smarter dominate society. Money is considered the highest form of energy that humans can channel, and it plays a crucial role in advancing human ingenuity. The significance of standardization and protocols is explored, along with their economic benefits. Violence, monopolization, and the influence of gatekeepers are discussed as factors shaping history. The introduction of packaged foods and the eradication of infectious diseases contribute significantly to increasing life expectancy and improving overall quality of life. These insights lay the foundation to understand the potential impact that Bitcoin can have.
The Role of Networks and Energy in Advancing Civilization
The steel and aluminum ages revolutionized civilization, with steel enabling the construction of cities and aluminum playing a pivotal role in aviation. Steel, being a strong and affordable material, transformed civil engineering and allowed the creation of towering structures and bridges. The importance of steel is highlighted by the fact that without it, cities as we know them would not exist. Aluminum became essential for aviation due to its lightweight properties and flexibility. These breakthroughs in materials played a crucial role in advancing society and shaping modern commerce.
The Impact of Technology on Health and Well-being
The discovery of antibiotics and advancements in sterilization and sanitation made significant contributions to human life expectancy, reducing the impact of infectious diseases. These breakthroughs provided extraordinary improvements in overall health and quality of life within a relatively short period. The significance of these medical advancements far surpasses any political or ideological events of the twentieth century. They enabled the control of tuberculosis, saving millions of lives, and continue to provide unparalleled benefits to humanity.
Lessons on Progress and Regress in Civilization
The history of missed opportunities and missteps demonstrates the delicate nature of progress and civilization. From the failure to commercialize important inventions like the printing press to cultures not realizing the spherical nature of the Earth, these examples underscore the need to continually push forward and maintain a spirit of innovation. It is crucial to embrace technological advancements and avoid regression in order to ensure the continued growth and prosperity of society.
The Importance of Fixing the Broken Monetary System
The podcast discusses how important it is to fix the broken monetary system. Many people sense that something is deeply wrong in the world today, but few understand the extent to which the broken money system contributes to social and economic problems. The solution to many problems lies in fixing the money system.
The Significance of Standardization and Monopolies
The podcast explores the significance of standardization and monopolies in various sectors. Gatekeepers throughout history have used their monopoly on violence to extract value from those conducting business. Monopolies can establish standards, which leads to commoditization and frees up economic surplus. However, in the long run, free market competition becomes more beneficial. The discussion also highlights the breakthroughs in raw materials, such as steel and aluminum, which have had a profound impact on civilization and innovation.
Michael Saylor joins me to discuss anthropology, energy, and technology from first principles as we build an intellectual foundation for grasping the historic significance of Bitcoin.
00:00:00 - Robert's Intro
00:04:19 - Humanity’s missteps – 1000 years wasted
00:06:19 - Struggles inventing the Printing Press
00:07:35 - Trajan’s Column & forgetting that the world is round
00:10:03 - Native Americans & Failure to Grasp the Wheel
00:12:19 - Starting a Fire in Cyberspace with the Bitcoin Network
00:13:39 - Guns, Germs & Steel – Stressors makes us Harder & Stronger
00:15:19 - Formation of Great Cities at the Center of Empires
00:17:19 - The Logic of Empire – Economics, Customs, Taxation
00:19:03 - Carthago Delenda Est
00:19:50 - The Battle of Lepanto
00:20:36 - Venetian Catholics
00:21:40 - Channeling & capturing energy via Religion
00:22:40 - Manhattan – Nexus of the Bond Market
00:24:05 - Amsterdam – Nautical Distribution Center
00:24:48 - Martin Luther & the Economic Impetus for the Reformation
“It’s useful to have God on your side”
00:26:53 - Failed Cities are at the center of Failed Empires
00:27:10 - Paris & Cathedral of Notre Dame
Living Off the Vestiges of an Empire Long Passed
00:28:10 - The Steel Age. “Technology reshapes business, politics, life, & the human condition”
00:28:41 - Constructing an energy efficient shipping network
00:30:49 - Empires produce security Mongolian Security
00:32:05 - Bitcoin primary value proposition is security in the virtual domain
00:33:20 - Money is power, control of virtual money can provide physical security
00:33:30 - Plight of the German Jews in the 30s – Economic Refugees
00:35:30 - Rail Networks – Impact on Economics, Politics, & War
00:36:40 - The River War – Winston Churchill
00:38:40 - Railroads in the United States (Manifest Destiny)
Railroads are 1000x faster, stronger
00:39:37 - Standard Oil (Storing & Channeling Energy via Petroleum)
00:41:14 - Importance of creating scarcity in oil & standardizing components & quality
00:42:49 - 1000x more energy. “Some people can’t do a nickel worth of work”
00:44:22 - Food Energy Networks
00:44:53 - Stabilizing Food Energy at Room Temperature
00:45:45 - Origin of CPG Branding
00:46:17 - Marjorie Merriweather Post
00:47:20 - Challenges of moving energy thru time & space
00:48:10 - Manufacturing Food Products as a Store of Value
00:48:30 - Hershey PA Factory as Clean Room Facility
00:50:54 - Bitcoin as “The best branded asset in the history of the world”
00:51:12 - Great growth companies are powered by technology
00:53:00 - Non-technology strategies to grow a business
00:54:18 - John D. Rockefeller success
00:54:51 - Steel & Aluminum – Elemental Forces
00:55:20 - Steel – Elemental to all Civil Engineering & Modern Architecture
00:56:25 - Challenges of refining steel
00:57:33 - Challenges of explosives
00:58:10 - Attributes of Steel that make it ideal for Civil Engineering
00:59:06 - Aluminum – Elemental to the Aerospace Industry
01:01:20 - Energy Networks – Rail, Air, Food, Oil
01:02:08 - Impact of Technology on Life Expectancy (1900 to 1950)
01:03:13 - Antibiotics & Conquest of Infectious Disease
01:06:30 - Innovation thru trial and error
01:07:00 - “The future is already with us, it’s just not evenly distributed”
01:07:07 - Robert's Outro
01:42:40 - The End
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