Thinking On Paper Technology Podcast

What if someone handed you the recipe for a quantum computer? In this episode, that’s exactly what happens.Coleman Collins of IonQ breaks down DiVincenzo’s criteria, (a checklist proposed by physicist David DiVincenzo) the five capabilities any physical system needs before it can call itself a quantum computer. There are five criteria.A well-defined qubitAbility to initialize qubits. You must be able to reliably set every qubit to a known starting state.Long coherence times. The qubits must remain stable long enough to run operations without losing their quantum state.Ability to measure qubits. You need to read the state of each qubit at the end of the computation (ideally individually).A universal gate set built from entanglement and single-qubit control.Mix them all together in a serving bowl and these let you perform any quantum computation you wish.You now know the foundation behind every major quantum architecture, from superconducting circuits to trapped ions.Cheers, Mark and Jeremy.Keep Thinking On Paper. Other ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz

Radiation-hardened space electronics don’t get splashy headlines, but nothing in orbit works without them. Starship, the ISS, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Starlink... the whole caboodle depends on hardware that keeps running when the vacuum, extreme temperatures, and radiation of space would annihilate your laptop plug on Earth.The extreme environments of space are no place for trial and error with the small things.  Danny Andreev, CEO of Sunburn Schematics, designs those systems for real missions. In this episode of Thinking on Paper, he walks you through what actually keeps spacecraft alive: particle-induced faults, gate-driver failures, thermal shock, and the methods space companies use to mitigate the risks.We go from chip-level physics to the industrial picture: why the next phase of space isn’t glossy renders but an off-world supply chain built from proven terrestrial machinery, cheaper short-lived satellites, and megawatt-class power standards that mirror EV infrastructure.It’s an unromantic, inside-the-factory look at how space becomes an industry rather than a spectacle.Please enjoy the show. And subscribe. That's the best way to help other people find the channel.Cheers,Mark & Jeremy.--TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Thinking On Paper Trailer(02:59) The Role of DC to DC Converters in Space(03:46) Challenges of Power Systems in Space(05:30) Designing for Reliability in Space(07:13) The Impact of Radiation on Electronics(08:52) Testing and Validation of Space Electronics(11:03) Environmental Challenges for Space Electronics(12:28) Success Rates and Lessons Learned(15:22) The Importance of Music in Space Missions(22:30) The Future of Space Exploration(25:23) Building a Lunar Economy(27:51) Power Conversion in Space(31:57) Exciting Developments in Space Technology(35:13) Philosophical Insights on Space and Life--Say hello! Connect more technology dots with us elsewhere: ⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz

In 1983, a Soviet officer named Stanislav Petrov faced a critical choice: trust a faulty missile warning or follow his intuition. His decision to ignore the alarm may have thwarted nuclear disaster. The hosts discuss how Petrov's unique mindset, shaped by his education, influenced his actions under extreme pressure. They delve into the idea that machines, limited to binary logic, lack the consciousness and intuition necessary for true decision-making. This gripping tale highlights the difference between mechanical compliance and human judgment in moments that matter.

Don Norman gives the clearest, most accessible explanation of humanity centered design there is. He invented the concept, after all.In this Thinking On Paper short, the Godfather of Design lays out the foundations of why design must expand beyond the individual user and account for society, the planet, and long-term impact. The core idea is simple: designing for individual users is no longer enough. “What’s wrong,” he says, “is what’s left out.” Every digital product relies on a physical product. Power systems, infrastructure, data centers, electricity. You can’t ignore these systems when designing a new product.Designers need to widen their frame. Traditional human-centered overlooks environmental and social consequences.The hidden costs of digital technology show up far from your phone, laptop, car or magic pen.Humanity Centered Design teams work with communities instead of imposing solutions. They focus on long-term impact more than short-term convenience.Efficiency isn’t always a virtue.Simple metrics distort real outcomesResponsible design must consider ecosystemsDon Norman is a legend. He argues that the future of design depends on understanding how products influence society, policy, and the planet, not just usability.The conversation moves from principles to practice: what sustainable design looks like, how to design without repeating “colonial” patterns, and how to build technology that strengthens communities instead of weakening them. “We’re all together,” Norman says, summing up his approach. The responsibility is collective, and so is the impact.Please enjoy the show. And share it with a friend. --Other ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz--Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinkingonpaper/videos

Can humanoids dance? Or will the billions of Tesla human robots choose to forgo such technological frivolity? Philip Johnston is CEO of Starcloud. They build data centers in space. You'll have seen them trending on Twitter recently as their first satellite was on the recent Space-X Falcon 9 launch. You can track it orbiting the Earth.This is a short from our much longer conversation. Which you can listen to once you've had a flavour of it.Alternatively, check out our other Thinking on Paper episodes. There is something for every curious mind. From space electronics and personal AI, to spin qubits, IBM quantum computing and a book club.Cheers,Mark and Jeremy--Other ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz

AI agents can read feeds, make decisions, coordinate with other agents, and even speak on your behalf. In this short conversation, Andrew Hill breaks down what an agent actually is, why every company is racing to build them, and how close we are to personal agents that manage our schedules, explain our thinking, and interact with other people’s agents without us in the loop.The discussion pushes into a harder question: people are already sharing their most intimate details with AI. At what point do these systems become better relationship partners than other humans?If agents are about to represent us online, what does that mean for trust, privacy, and everyday interactions? This episode gets into the shift that’s already underway, and where personal AI agents could go next.If agents end up knowing us better than anyone else, who are we really talking to?Rock on.Cheers, Mark & Jeremy--Other ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz

To survive in space, you don’t just need engineers. You need a musician. Ideally, a guitarist. Fortunately, the technology for this exists. Jeremy and Mark think on paper with physicist and CEO of Sunburn Schematics, Danny Andreev. What starts as a question about electrical engineering and power supplies in space, turns into human psychology and Mars Mission survival. Elon, are you listening?🎸 Could Jeremy's 1969 Vibrolux guitar amp actually work in space? What modifications would it need to play on the moon? 🎸 Why analog amps shrug off radiation.🎸 How studies on submarines and Arctic bases show that having a musician changes how crews handle isolation🎸 Mars needs musicians, comedians, and people willing to risk dying in space so the rest of us don’t have toThis isn’t a gear review. It's about culture, space, guitars and the human condition. Rock on.Cheers, Mark & Jeremy--Other ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz

Curious Minds Learn about THE REAL IMPACT of technology 👇 Thinking on Paper goes holistic. Your learning goes ballistic.Other ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyzAI, Quantum computing, space manufacturing, robotics and Web3! From the CEOS and Silicon Valley Founders spending millions and billions making them useful.Or destroying the planet for their Egos. Take your curiosity, push it to its limits and see what technology can really do.Our mission is to help ONE MILLION curious minds ditch their Twitter and LinkedIn feeds and connect the dots for themselves. Each week, hosts Mark and Jeremy take you inside IBM, NASA, Coinbase, D-Wave, and more. They focus on how systems work, what they cost, who benefits, and the impact on work, policy, culture, and family. There's a Book Club too. Because the oldest tech is still the best. Stop scrolling and subscribe.

AI Ethics is a mirage straight from a Kafka novel. Questions of justice, principles and the rule of law are incompatible with machine learning. Machine learning is statistical analysis of data that outputs responses human beings are likely to find attractive, not true or ethical. That is not a good way to design ethics.Carissa Veliz joins Makr & Jeremy to Think On Paper. She outlines how AI depends on surveillance and statistical pattern-matching that can’t meet the basic standards of a democracy: clear rules and the ability to appeal a decision.AI thinking clashes with the foundations of a liberal democracy: public rules, transparency, and the right to challenge decisions that shape your life.We cover:😀 Why machine-learning decisions are opaque😀 Why that conflicts with the rule of law😀 How surveillance sits beneath modern AI systemsPlease enjoy the show.Cheers, Mark & JeremyOther ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz

Exxon & Chevron are using Microsoft AI to extract more oil. Faster, cheaper. The goal? The extraction of every last drop of oil.Holly and Will Alpine of Enabled Emissions paint a stark picture. Just look at Microsoft’s own figures: Ai contracts signed for 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day with Exxon and 400,000 barrels a day with Chevron. That’s roughly 6.4 million and 51 million tonnes of CO₂ a year. Microsoft’s entire FY23 footprint was about 17 million tonnes, and it has just 5 million tonnes of carbon removal booked over 15 years. Those two deals alone dwarf both numbers.Over in Saudi Arabia, Aramco’s CEO says AI has helped hold production at $3/barrel for two decades. AI keeps fossil fuels competitive and weakens the economics of clean energy. It touches every stage of the fossil-fuel lifecycle. It's ugly. It's real. You're fed a lie. Learn more here. Thanks for watchingMark & JeremyOther ways to connect with us:⁠Listen to every podcast⁠Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠Follow us on ⁠X⁠Follow Mark on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Follow Jeremy on ⁠LinkedIn⁠Read our ⁠Substack⁠Email: hello@thinkingonpaper.xyz