We could soon be living more of our lives in immersive virtual worlds, but what will that look like and how will it affect us? New York University professor of philosophy and neural science David Chalmers joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what the metaverse might offer us, the moral quandaries it could pose, and what our rights there might look like. They also address: What the consequences of wrongdoing in the metaverse might be. How governance and society could develop in virtual worlds. The philosophical precedents for virtual worlds. @Azeem @exponentialview David Chalmers Further resources: Azeem’s 2022 Trends: Web 3.0, Sci-Fi Tech, and the Metaverse – Exponential View podcast, 2022 What Studying Consciousness Can Reveal about AI and the Metaverse (with Anil Seth) – Exponential View podcast, 2022 Reality+, by David Chalmers

General Sir Richard Barrons, the former commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command — whose remit included military intelligence, special forces, and cyber, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss how technology is changing the definition of warfare and why our society’s resilience in the face of threats to peace must be founded on education. As war returns to Europe, General Barrons’ warning about how technology is transforming conflict is more prescient than ever. They also address: The nature of Russia’s offensive capabilities and how they have previously deployed cyber and disinformation strategies. What societal resilience is and how it can ensure democracy’s survival. What better leadership looks like in the exponential age. This episode was originally broadcast on October 23, 2019. @Azeem @exponentialview Further resources: When the Pieces Land (Exponential View 2022) How The Russia-Ukraine Conflict Will Change Cyber War (Exponential View Podcast 2022) How to Stay Informed on the Future of War  (Tim Fernholz, 2019) The Future of War is Already Here  (P. W. Singer, 2019)

Many experts expected Russia’s war with Ukraine to be accompanied by a large-scale cyberattack, but that hasn’t yet materialized. Azeem Azhar speaks to Robert Hannigan, the former director of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) – the UK’s equivalent to America’s NSA, to find out how the conflict is playing out in cyberspace and what might happen next. @Azeem @exponentialview Blue Voyant Further resources: ‘AI and the Future of Warfare’ – Exponential View Podcast, 2019 ‘Cybersecurity in the Age of AI’ – Exponential View Podcast, 2019 ‘AI, Warfare and Global Security’ – Exponential View Podcast, 2018

Technology is making traditional agriculture more efficient, but farming still has its problems. It takes a huge amount of land and can be energy- and water-intensive. In addition, produce needs to be transported to customers, often over great distances. Daniele Modesto, CEO of ZERO Farms, tells Azeem Azhar how building upward will be part of the solution for the future of farming and why his technology could be used to produce more than just food. @Azeem @exponentialview Further resources: How AI and Genomics are Reshaping Farming – Exponential View Podcast, 2020 Zero Farms

Science is getting better at re-engineering micro-organisms for all kinds of uses, from better medical treatments to more durable materials. But there are still hurdles to overcome, including scaling the process. Boston-based Ginkgo Bioworks was one of the first billion-dollar companies in the synthetic biology space. The NYSE-listed company uses machine learning and automation to coax biology to work at industrial scale. COO Reshma Shetty talks to Azeem Azhar about the company’s technology, business model, and how big she thinks synthetic biology could become. @Azeem @exponentialview @reshmapshetty Further resources: The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies, and our lives – McKinsey, May 2020 Engineering Biology: The Next Frontier – Exponential View Podcast ft. Vijay Pande, June 2020 The Next Trillion-Dollar Market – Exponential View Podcast ft. Deep Nishar, April 2020

Eighty percent of urban trips are less than two miles long. So why do so many of us make them in big, inefficient, and expensive vehicles? Tech analyst Horace Dediu, who coined the term “micromobility,” joins Azeem Azhar to discuss why the future of cities lies in “looking up,” rather than “looking down,” and what that tells us about a new era of consumer behavior both on- and offline. They also discuss how the micromobility industry has grown so fast, how an urbanizing population will further boost the market, and how big tech firms like Apple and Alphabet might claim a piece of the pie. @Azeem @exponentialview @asymco Further resources: ‘The Impermanence of Modes,’ Horace Dediu, ‘The 10 Micromobility Commandments,’ Micromobility Industries/Horace Dediu Free EV briefing today: Micromobility with Horace Dediu

Seventy-five percent of the total value of US companies that have floated since 1995 has been created by venture-backed firms, including Alphabet, Facebook, and countless others. But how did an obscure investment strategy become the engine of modern innovation and where might it go next? Sebastian Mallaby, author of an excellent new book, The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future, joins Azeem Azhar to discuss the history (and future) of venture capital. They also discuss: What sets the most successful VCs apart from the pack. How an unknown Russian investing in Facebook changed the VC game forever. Why venture capital is here to stay. @Azeem @exponentialview @scmallaby Related resource: The Power Law: Venture Capital and the Making of the New Future – Sebastian Mallaby

Nutritional science has long been one-size-fits-all. Advice on a healthier diet has been generic, failing to consider the huge variance of our bodies. ZOE is trying to change that by combining new research about our microbiomes with AI and machine learning. The healthtech startup offers dietary advice tailored to an individual’s microbiomes – the unique makeup of microorganisms present in  our human gut – to change the way we  eat for the better. ZOE co-founder and CEO Jonathan Wolf joins Azeem Azhar to discuss what the ZOE process looks like, the growth of the company, and the importance of the microbiome to our health. They also discuss: How ZOE has been able to speed up health research. What an individual’s genome cannot account for when it comes to health. Whether eating doughnuts can ever improve your health outcomes. @Azeem @exponentialview @jwolf @join_zoe Further resources: ‘Human postprandial responses to food and potential for precision nutrition’ – Berry et al., Nature Medicine, 2020 ‘Microbiome connections with host metabolism and habitual diet from 1,098 deeply phenotyped individuals’ – F. Asnicar, S. Berry, N. Segata, Nature Medicine, 2021

The workings of the brain have long puzzled scientists and philosophers, but the last twenty years have been a golden age for consciousness research. Cognitive and computational neuroscience professor Anil Seth is at the cutting edge of that work. He and Azeem Azhar discuss theories on how and why our brains work the way they do and explore how learning more about those questions could lead to new discoveries in medicine, AI, and virtual reality. They also address: How is it possible to scientifically study a subjective experience? What is the difference between consciousness and intelligence, and can you have one without the other? If a computer becomes conscious, but it doesn’t want to share its self-awareness, would we ever know? @Azeem @exponentialview @anilkseth Further resources: ‘What Is It Like to Be a Bat?’ – Thomas Nagel (1974) Being You, Anil Seth – Penguin Random House

Companies of all sizes and sectors have committed to net-zero emissions targets, but getting there is not straightforward. Measuring carbon dioxide output is tricky, carbon markets are fragmented, and the quality of offsets varies hugely. Michelle You, co-founder and CEO of Supercritical, is on a mission to help companies better measure, reduce, and remove carbon emissions – and her first target is the tech sector. Tech doesn’t attract as much criticism regarding emissions as some other sectors, but Michelle argues that tech companies emit more than the airline industry. She and Azeem Azhar discuss Supercritical’s approach and methods. They also explore: What product specialists, like Michelle, can add to the climate fight. Why carbon removal is the only viable path to net-zero. Why early-adopters of carbon removal technology are especially crucial to saving the planet. @Azeem @exponentialview @wreckingball37 Further resources: Decarbonization by the Numbers (with Michele Della Vigna)  – Exponential View Podcast, 2021 Funding Innovation to Fight Climate Change – Exponential View Podcast, 2021 Building a Trustworthy Market for Carbon Offsets (PART 1) — Exponential View Podcast, 2021