Bounce! Conversations with Larry Weeks

"Learn to use AI. That's, that's my message. You wanna learn to use AI as a professional and as a citizen in your personal life. The more you know how to use it, the better you'll make of it, the better your life will be. AI gives power; like any technology, it gives power to those who understand it and use it" - Pedro Domingos Recent developments in AI, specifically consumer-facing generative AIs, are helping people create a lot of cool content while also generating a ton of concern. A big bucket of that concern is AI alignment - what are the possible unintended consequences to humans? The internet transformed our relationship to information, but it took a few years; now, AI is doing it in real time.  My guest on this episode is Professor Pedro Domingos.  Pedro is a leading AI researcher and the author of the worldwide bestseller "The Master Algorithm." He is a professor of computer science at the University of Washington in Seattle. He won the Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Innovation Award and the international joint Conference on AI John McCarthy Award, two of the highest honors in data science and AI. Pedro helped start the fields of statistical relational AI, data stream mining, adversarial learning, machine learning for information integration, and influence maximization in social networks.  On this episode, we run the gamut to include... Where are we with generative AIs Pedro demystifies LLMs (Large Language Models) Progress and problems with generative AIs Hallucination in AI - and Illusion in humans The homunculus fallacy Risks, regulations, known-unknowns Comments on existential threats The S curve in emerging technologies like AI AI's possible impact on employment and the economy Artificial General Intellience or AGI Goals and end games, is AGI the goal? Does he think LLMs AI's like ChatGPT are conscious? No matter your technical level, you'll enjoy this discussion with Pedro. He is passionate about the subject matter, no surprise - much of what he's predicted has come to pass in the field, And if you feel a tinge of AI anxiety, consider this a bit of exposure therapy.  Listen and learn more about how these systems work and how they might impact your life.  For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com  

“The root of my optimism comes in kind of a basic observation, that if we can create 1% more than we destroy every year, that 1% compounded over time is civilization. So the delta, the difference between a gain and very tiny gain, is hard to see in the present.” - Kevin Kelly  My guest is well-known technologist and futurist Kevin Kelly. Kevin is a renowned American writer, editor, and futurist, best known as the co-founder of Wired magazine. He has made significant contributions to the fields of technology, science, and culture. He has written several books, including "Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World," "New Rules for the New Economy," "What Technology Wants," and "The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future." He explores recent developments in technology as well as shares some great life advice from his upcoming book aptly named, "Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I'd Known Earlier.   In this conversation, we talk about these topics and more.  Living in a "protopia" and the net 1% compounding principle  Embracing problems as capacity improvers Why Kevin’s optimistic Societal implications of AI Current state of AI and its role in job market AI's resemblance to the early internet  What's different this time  A "universal personal intern" Extended Mind and its relation to AI and tools Opinions on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology What Kevin worries about Discussing new book and advice for living Practical tips on embracing change, prototyping life, and active listening. Enjoy!  For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com  

"When we surface subroutines when we surface belief systems, we unleash a certain kind of potential, a certain kind of energy that enables us to do the one thing that a leader must do every day. Be creative" - Jerry Colonna  Jerry Colonna, often referred to as the 'CEO whisperer,' is the co-founder of Reboot.io, an executive coaching and leadership development firm dedicated to the notion that better humans make better leaders. For nearly 20 years, he has used the knowledge gained as an investor, an executive, and a board member for more than 100 organizations to help entrepreneurs and others lead with humanity, resilience, and equanimity. Prior to his career as a coach, Jerry was a partner with JPMorgan Partners (JPMP), the private equity arm of JPMorgan Chase. Previously, he led New York City-based Flatiron Partners, which he founded in 1996 with partner Fred Wilson, which became one of the nation's most successful early-stage investment programs. He is also the author of Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up, which is also the touchstone for our conversation.  There is something about Jerry. In 2017, WIRED published a piece on Jerry wherein this was written titled “This Man Makes Founders Cry.” I don’t know if it’s how he talks or looks at you, but when talking with him, I felt some sort of sympathetic energy field; it was like a psychic hand on the shoulder. When we spoke, I was dealing with a monster of a cold, coupled with Jerry’s superpower, turned this conversation into a coaching session of sorts. Jerry talks about leadership and crucible moments, moments that can be transformative, leading to a new or altered sense of identity. These moments often put our character to the test.  If you are in any state of upheaval or change or know someone who is, please listen. Not just for the excellent advice, but there is something beneficial about hearing this level of empathy in someone’s voice. On the show, we discuss these topics and more … State of leadership currently Why Jerry has a reputation for making people cry Jerry's story, leaving JP Morgan How to leaders can deal with uncertainty in business The importance of soft skills coupled with hard skills Separating genius from personality Breaking open vs. shutting down What "rebooting" means What do first when you're laid off Mountain equanimity Work as an opportunity to become better humans If you are in any state of upheaval or change or know someone who is, please listen. Not just for the excellent advice, but there is something beneficial about hearing this level of empathy in someone's voice.  Enjoy!  For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com

This podcast is about the problem of overthinking - and how modifying one’s metacognitive beliefs can reduce stress, worry, and problem fixation.  Thinking is an amazing capacity we all have. Humans possess the cognitive abilities to form concepts, imagine possible futures, and solve problems, but this same capacity, when it runs amuck, can keep you up at night, paralyze effect decision making and keep you in a loop of worst-case scenarios.  Yeah, not helpful.  My guest is Dr. Pia Callesen, who explains how to use meta-cognitive strategies to break free from this overthinking.  Dr. Callesen is a therapist and metacognitive specialist managing several clinics in Denmark. She has a Ph.D. from Manchester University, and She is the author of Live More Think Less (2020). Her study into the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy for depression, published in Scientific Reports in 2020, suggests that MCT has considerable benefits which might exceed those of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).  On this show, we discuss… Metacognition and metacognitive therapy Metacognitive beliefs The self-regulating mechanism in the brain When less is more when dealing with thoughts Trigger thoughts How MCT differs from traditional cognitive therapies Targeting specific psychological processes How to postpone worry/rumination Attention training The benefits and risks of mindfulness Detached mindfulness How attentional awareness helps with depression  As a person who overthinks, I’m already benefiting from much of Dr. Callesen’s advice here. I think you will find this interesting and very helpful.  Enjoy!  For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com

“Feelings, nothing more than feelings” - Morris Albert In this episode, we discuss how emotions are made - and how insights into how our brains make us feel can help us cope with challenging situations.  My guest is Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, a psychology professor and neuroscientist at Northeastern University, who is the author of seven books on emotion and the brain, including the best-selling book How Emotions Are Made and, most recently, Seven And A Half Lessons About The Brain. In addition to the books, Dr. Barrett has published over 260 peer-reviewed scientific papers. She received a National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award for her revolutionary research on emotion in the brain. Her groundbreaking research overturns many prior assumptions about how the human brain forms emotions. On this show, we cover these topics … A discussion about theory in scientific contexts The classical view of emotions An overview of her research in constructed emotion The problem with the “amygdala hijack” and the reptilian brain The brain as a prediction machine Rationality Mood and metabolic efficiency The body-budget How emotions can be recategorized A new take on depression The story of her daughter and the “emotional flu” Decision-making, rationality, and the use of emotion For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com/podcasts

This discussion centers on what living with purpose actually means.  My guest is Professor William Damon.  William is a psychologist and professor at Stanford University and a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He has been designated one of the fifty most influential living psychologists in the world today and is one of the world's leading scholars of human development. Bills is a pioneering researcher on the development of purpose in life and wrote the influential book The Path to Purpose. His current work includes a study exploring purpose in higher education and a study of family purpose across generations. He’s been elected to the National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. On this podcast, we cover these topics and more.  The multiple definitions of purpose Vocations/avocations   How purpose can change over time  Is purpose something you find or do Purpose as a noun vs purpose as a verb On having purpose vs being purposeful  The benefits of a Life Review  Bill's story about his early family life and his new book A Round of Golf With my Father  For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com/podcasts

My guests are Nathan and Susannah Fur. Nathan earned his Ph.D. from Stanford's Technology Ventures Program and is an Associate Professor of Strategy at INSEE ADD, one of the world's leading graduate business schools located in France. Susannah, a designer and art historian, founded a women's clothing line inspired by her research of the intricate embroidery of Dutch women. Our discussion centers on the benefits of embracing uncertainty, specifically the tools outlined in their book, The Upside of Uncertainty. I've been assembling tactics for years now, accumulating a mental toolbox of sorts for dealing with challenges. Uncertainty is challenging for what it lacks - concrete information.  How do we move forward when we don't fully know what we are dealing with?  We usually don't act; we might freeze or delay having a lack of certainty. Dealing with uncertainty has a lot to do with mindset since we may not know what to handle. What frame of mind will help us act or move forward in the face of uncertainty? We all know making decisions in a state of fear is also suboptimal.  So on this show, we discuss ... Uncertainty and evolutionary hard-wiring  The relationship between stress and uncertainty Fragile and anti-fragile  Upsides Tools for dealing with uncertainty  Reframing  Adjacent Possible.   Aplomb: Doubting self-doubt.  Uncertainty balancers Creating an Uncertainty manifesto.  And much more.  I think if you listen, you will come to the conclusion that things may be uncertain, but we can have a little more certainty that we can handle it.  For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com/podcasts  

"It is by squeezing your life into a single tube that you set yourself up for definitive failure. Projects fail, and people fail in them. But we have come to speak as if a person can BE a failure - as though failure were an identity, not an event" - Kieran Setiya Kieran Setiya is a Professor of Philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is known for his work in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. Setiya is a co-editor of Philosophers' Imprint, and he is also the author of several books, including Practical Knowledge, Reasons without Rationalism, and Knowing Right From Wrong. Kieren's newest book, Life is Hard, How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way, is the topic of this podcast. In this episode, Keiran challenges the idea that happiness should be life's primary pursuit. Instead, he argues that we should try to live well, and living well means how one lives in relationship to difficulty - not without difficulty. Keiren has a great phrase, "the digressive amplitude of being alive." Life IS oscillation; it's up-down, backward-forward, and expecting anything different is a setup to suffering, adding to whatever hard thing you are experiencing.  Topics covered in the show… On thinking philosophically On consolation Relating to pain Failure and your credit report The Experience Machine Autotelic vs exotelic experience The metaverse On the profundity of the movie Groundhog Day For show notes and more, visit www.larryweeks.com.   

On this podcast, we're going to talk about Brain Chemistry, specifically, what happens in our brains when we are traumatized, severely depressed, or anxious. And for those stuck in that state, what are the latest clinical treatments using medication, that can help someone get unstuck. My guest on this episode is the distinguished  Dr. John Krystal MD. Dr. Krystal is the Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Psychology; Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale University; and Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Krystal is a leading expert in the areas of alcoholism, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. His work links psychopharmacology, neuroimaging, molecular genetics, and computational neuroscience to study the neurobiology and treatment of these disorders. He is best known for leading the discovery of the rapid antidepressant effects of ketamine in depressed patients. He is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Freedom Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology platform developing next-generation ketamine and psychedelic therapeutics that recently emerged from stealth in August 2022.  On this show, we cover topics that include ... The neurobiology of a depressed brain The relationship between thought and brain chemistry Anxiety and its connection to depression Pharmacology; getting into the various medications for treating depression. How antidepressants were discovered The efficacy of current antidepressants The neuroscience of psychedelics in the treatment of severe depression and PTSD Ketamine therapy; benefits, risks, and treatment protocols (the different delivery mechanisms, dosages, etc.)  Since we do talk about substances like ketamine which has psychedelic-like properties, here is a disclaimer: I'm NOT a doctor, nor do I play one on the interwebs. None of the content in this podcast constitutes medical advice or should be construed as a recommendation to use any medications mentioned. There are psychological, physical, and sometimes legal risks with usage. Please consult your doctor before considering anything we discuss in this episode. All right, that all said, here is more information for you to consider.  Enjoy!  Much more For show notes and more, visit www.larryweeks.com 

My guest is clinical psychologist and author Dr. Lindsay Gibson. Dr. Gibson has two graduate degrees in clinical psychology, including a Doctorate of Psychology from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology – an Adjunct Professor for the College of William and Mary and Old Dominion University. She has written a few best-sellers, including a series on dealing with emotionally immature people, the first of which is Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from the Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved. On the podcast, Dr. Gibson sheds light on the high-conflict personality type and gives some great psychological and tactical advice for dealing with the emotionally immature. On the show, we discuss Why she wrote the book and its origins from her practice EIP personality characteristics  The single most essential factor in human relationships How can I be sure I am emotionally mature  The impact an EIP might have on you emotionally Why an EIP is like they the way they are  How to deal with an EIPs  Where people go wrong in dealing with them What your main goal should be in interacting with an EIP (good tips generally when caught in an argument with anyone)  Much more For show notes and more, visit www.larryweeks.com