The Local Maximum with Max Sklar

Returning after a Hiatus* Today is just going to be a hangout with me and Aaron if you’re into that.. And later, we’ll return to more specific topics* Give a little personal history & history of the showFull Move to NYCTeaching* Less timeHopscotch Labs* Working on that* Beebot - coming SOON!!* Internship ProgramHope for The Local MaximumReading Habits and Strategies (for the busy)* Is it still worth reading books in the AI era?* What do I do if I get stuck on a book?* How do I know I’m stuck?* Can you read 2 books at once?* How do I deal with these enormous tomes in my bookshelf* What about textbooks?* Local Maximum examples* AJ Jacobs - easy to read! I didn’t think I’d be interested in the topic* Jeffrey Tucker - fun to read!* Sweet spot: 100-200 pages with SHORT CHAPTERS* Books with 50-page chapters - WHY* Topics: Current affairs vs History, philosophy, self-help, fiction?* Examples* Revisiting The Singularity is Nearer (Ep. 323 - The Technological Singularity Part I & Ep. 324 - The Technological Singularity Part II)* Tracking toolshttps://app.thestorygraph.com/* (pause feature and journal feature)* Take notes during or after; don’t wait!Upcoming Topics for The Local Maximum* Pull up the sheet* Will we have a schedule? I plan on doing this differently Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Graham Morehead, an AI professor and author of "The Shape of Thought," discusses the intersection of artificial intelligence and human cognition. He dispels myths about AI and job loss, highlighting its potential for creating new opportunities. Morehead delves into complex concepts like homeomorphism and Wernicke's aphasia, relating them to AI's understanding capabilities. He emphasizes the importance of dependency trees in NLP and predicts a future where AI enhances rather than replaces human skills, particularly in industries like healthcare.

The Local Maximum returns from a hiatus with today’s interview of James Barnes, founder of Autobiographer, and AI-based app developed at Betaworks that helps you tell your own story. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s guest is Eric Daimler, co-founder and CEO of Conexus (conexus.com). Max talks to Eric about the enormous shift in focus in the industry since his last appearance in 2022, and gets his perspective on the promise and pitfalls of the latest generation of AI. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Dive into the mind-bending world of the technological singularity! Discover how nanotechnology and longevity escape velocity could redefine aging and life expectancy. Explore the intriguing potential of nanobots in medicine and the ethical challenges they bring. Unpack the mysteries of the Riemann Hypothesis and machine learning's role in mathematical discovery. Additionally, contemplate the relationship between consciousness and advanced technology as computronium emerges as a groundbreaking concept. It's a thrilling look at science's future!

Dive into the futuristic world with discussions on Ray Kurzweil’s insights about a technological singularity by 2045. The hosts explore the 'law of accelerating returns' and its implications for innovation. Frustrations with smart assistants showcase the gap between expectation and reality. The conversation shifts to language models' evolution and the fascinating idea of cryonics. Solar energy and vertical farming take center stage as solutions to future challenges. Lastly, ethical discussions on AGI and brain-computer interfaces hint at a transformative technological landscape.

On Freund, co-founder and CEO of Wilco, talks to Max to explore the future of software development in a post-AI world. Learn about the evolving roles of developers, the significance of real-world problem-solving, and the continuous journey of upskilling and reskilling. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Max talks to Codium.ai Founder Itamar Friedman about the rise of LLMs, the evolution of AI as practiced, and the philosophical ideas that will help us get the most out of it.https://codium.ai/ Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Max and Aaron discuss Max's new initiatives in startups and academia, his concerns about the current direction of Foursquare, and the structure and evolution of computer science courses. Max talks about his role next semester as the data structures course instructor at NYU, and all that might entail. They shared their personal experiences in being students at Yale and MIT. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe

Max talks to Tiffany Grossman, a blogger, marketing specialist, and co-host of the 'Spill the T' podcast. Tiffany shares her journey into the podcasting world. We delve into the importance of networking, the challenges of starting a podcast, and choosing topics that resonate personally while providing value to listeners.  Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe