The Hope Axis by Anna Gát

Anna Gát
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May 17, 2025 • 59min

Rohit Krishnan: Hope for India, Hope for the AGI Era

Author, builder and friend — Rohit Krishan joins me in a wide ranging conversation about Indian and American culture. We discuss the Get Shit Done mentality of Indian entrepreneurs, predictions for the Indian diaspora, Rohit’s experiences with LLMs, and the surprising ways his children use AI.For the full transcript of our conversation, click here.Important Links:Rohit’s Substack: Strange Loop CanonX / TwitterShow Notes:00:00 Guest introduction 02:36 How Are India and America Similar? 09:06 Live Players vs. Dead Players 10:34 How American Policy Experiments Echo 18th-century scientists' Wacky Ideas 12:03 What Shapes The Indian Mindset? 14:13 Hyphenated Identities and Assimilation 18:00 The Business Culture of India: Get Shit Done 23:39 The Indian Diaspora in 2040… 28:20 What Most Surprised Rohit? 36:03 Technology Isn’t Magic…Yet 41:35 Dealing with LLMs: A Story of ‘Fuck Around and Find Out’ 43:55 What is Vibe Coding? 49:11 Will A.I. Prompting Make Us Sharper? 53:08 How Rohit’s Kids Use AI 57:17 What Rohit is Hopeful AboutAssorted Links:Samo Burja: Live versus Dead PlayersAlison GopnickDiana FleischmanDouglas Adams
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Apr 17, 2025 • 51min

Replit Co-founder Haya Odeh: Hope for the Bravest Founders

The brilliant and always candid Haya Odeh - co-founder and design lead of Replit - and I talked about her company (and her husband and co-founder Amjad Masad), entrepreneurship, and hope — immigration, motherhood, resilience, being your best self, and the great power of not having a plan B.https://x.com/HayaOdehhttps://x.com/Replit
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Mar 31, 2025 • 1h 9min

Max Meyer: Hope for America

Max Meyer, founder and editor of Arena Magazine, dives into intriguing discussions about American culture and innovation. He highlights the contrasts between rural and urban values, and how migration shapes identity. Topics like the rise of Dogecoin as a governance model reveal the quest for agility in leadership. Meyer emphasizes the importance of transparency in media, especially in today's TikTok era. He also foreshadows an exploration of warfare and technology in an upcoming magazine issue, all while infusing messages of hope and resilience.
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Mar 22, 2025 • 1h 19min

Richard Hanania: A Golden Age of Satire

#satire #newsletters #DOGE #elonmusk #politics #liberalism #trolls #feminismThis was our 21st episode, and I celebrated its coming of drinking age by inviting my scandal hero mutual Richard Hanania. We talked about the art of satire (and a little trolling). Writing independently and without filter. Why Neoliberalism was, according to Richard, right. Why Liberals must make a comeback. Why women’s intuition should be taken seriously. Why romance is a pillar of social order. Why men and women - and generations, political sides - need to talk to each other. The social value of Classical Liberalism. Why Conservatism, according to Richard, is turning into a movement of the dunces. Why normie journalists are actually indispensable for a healthy democracy. Why Richard thinks I’m a too high level thinker. Why Tyler Cowen is the intellectual that gives him the most hope. And much more!Links: https://www.richardhanania.com/https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/book-review-the-origins-of-woke
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Mar 18, 2025 • 48min

Kyla Scanlon: Hope for GenZ

Join Kyla Scanlon, an economics creator and author known for her sharp analysis of Gen Z, as she dives into the challenges and aspirations of her generation. She discusses the three types of Gen Z and their responses to economic instability. The conversation covers topics like digital isolation, the influence of sentiment on economic perceptions, and the impact of technology on communication. Kyla also reflects on the importance of genuine connection and hope amidst societal fragmentation and how these themes shape our future.
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Mar 4, 2025 • 1h 37min

Henry Oliver: How to Build a Literary Canon?

In this engaging conversation, Henry Oliver, a writer and literary critic known for The Common Reader blog, passionately discusses the intricacies of literature. They tackle the politics of culture wars and how these shape literary debates. A playful segment explores a whimsical literary canon for visiting aliens, highlighting classics from 'The King James Bible' to 'The Lord of the Rings.' The discussion also delves into romanticism's impact on narratives, the legacy of authors like Jonathan Swift, and the ongoing evolution of the literary canon.
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Feb 22, 2025 • 1h 43min

Jim O'Shaughnessy: Life on Wall Street and Beyond

Investor and writer Jim O'Shaughnessy came on The Hope Axis and shared his Theory of Life. We talked about…probably everything? The 80s on Wall Street, reputation and norms, patterns and emotions, financial markets and family, Shakespeare sonnets and journaling, Cold War and conformism, Girard and Jung, reality and instincts, 911 and altruism, the Internet and belief systems, books and obsessions, innovation and investment, culture and hope. And so much more…https://x.com/jposhaughnessyhttps://www.osv.llc/https://www.infiniteloopspodcast.com/https://www.infinitebooks.com/
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Feb 14, 2025 • 1h 14min

Zena Hitz: The Purpose of an Intellectual Life

The one and only Zena Hitz — Tutor at St. John's College and author of one of my favourite books 'Lost in Thought — joined me to talk about Plato and Christ, contemplation and service, wisdom and being lost, morality and dignity, end goals and anxieties — Agnes Callard and Irina Dumitrescu — Aquinas and Hildegard of Bingen, and happiness!Links:https://www.zenahitz.net/https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691178714/lost-in-thought
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Feb 6, 2025 • 1h 2min

Irina Dumitrescu: Can We Understand the People of the Past?

Medieval scholar Irina Dumitrescu and I talk about the medieval mindset, faith, doubt, sex, and suicide. And also Margery Kempe and fame, heretics and wives, Strauss and Glück, Girard and Hamlet, pilgrims, saints, madness, vegetarianism, secrets, the Inquisition, and much more. Oh and Monty Python, of course! Irina: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/authors/irina-dumitrescu https://x.com/irinibus https://irinadumitrescu.com/about-me/
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Jan 4, 2025 • 1h 13min

Sarah Haider: Neo-Religion, New Atheists, Ex-Muslims, and Spiritual Quests

Writer, podcaster, and activist Sarah Haider joined me to discuss New Atheism, neo-religion, spiritual journeys, Cultural Islam. We reminisced about the Four Horsemen era and explored vibe shifts, trads, fanatics, immigration, woke taboos, the lack of constructive dialogue. Can democracy function without religion? What do people do with their big feelings like love, hate, or fear in the age of secularism? Why do so many people return to faith these days — are their motivations valid? Follow Sarah: https://newsletter.sarahhaider.com/ Follow Anna: https://x.com/TheAnnaGat Follow The Hope Axis: https://x.com/thehopeaxis

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