#309 – John Carmack: Doom, Quake, VR, AGI, Programming, Video Games, and Rockets

1033 snips

Aug 4, 2022

In this engaging conversation, John Carmack, the legendary programmer behind iconic games like Doom and Quake, shares his insights on video game development and virtual reality. He dives into the evolution of programming and the challenges of creating immersive gaming experiences. Carmack humorously reflects on health choices while discussing the balance between discipline and spontaneity in life. He also explores artificial general intelligence, the future of Mars colonization, and the integral role of engineers in fostering innovation.

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ANECDOTE

Work Habits

John Carmack maintained consistent 60-hour work weeks.
He prioritized 8 hours of sleep and generally avoided all-nighters, unlike some colleagues.

ADVICE

Hard Work Ethic

Working hard is crucial for achieving goals.
While work-life balance is important, dedication can lead to more accomplishments.

ANECDOTE

Pizza and Diet Coke

John Carmack ate a pizza daily, delivered by the same person, who never raised the price.
His main indulgence was Diet Coke, still consuming a significant amount daily.

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John Carmack is a legendary programmer, co-founder of id Software, and lead programmer of many revolutionary video games including Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake, and the Commander Keen series. He is also the founder of Armadillo Aerospace, and for many years the CTO of Oculus VR. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
John’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/ID_AA_Carmack
Books mentioned:
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution: https://amzn.to/3SkNZER
Game Engine Black Book Wolfenstein 3D: https://amzn.to/3QlOqg8

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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(09:49) – Programming languages
(40:53) – Modern programming
(50:55) – Day in the life
(58:45) – Hard work
(1:01:58) – Pizza and Diet Coke
(1:04:43) – Setup
(1:30:01) – id Software
(2:02:50) – Commander Keen
(2:09:36) – Hacker ethic
(2:17:16) – Wolfenstein 3D
(2:37:14) – Doom
(2:51:34) – Quake
(3:15:55) – John Romero
(3:23:42) – Metaverse
(3:52:04) – Elon Musk
(3:57:59) – Mars
(4:07:01) – Nuclear energy
(4:10:39) – AGI
(4:57:51) – Andrej Karpathy
(5:00:50) – Martial arts
(5:09:49) – Advice for young people
(5:18:49) – Meaning of life