Thinking On Paper: AI, Quantum, Robotics, Web3 & The Impact of Technology | Startups

Oliver Dial, CTO of IBM Quantum, delves into the groundbreaking advancements of the Starling quantum chip. With a rich background in condensed matter physics, he explains how IBM's focus on fault-tolerance is set to revolutionize quantum computing. The conversation highlights the shift from raw qubit counts to scalable reliability, aiming for a 1:1000 logical-to-physical qubit ratio by 2029. Dial also discusses the synergy between quantum and classical computing, making complex ideas accessible and exciting for everyone curious about the future of technology.

Katia Moskvitch was European Science Writer of the year. She wrote for WIRED, Nature, and the BBC, then walked away from it all to research Neutron Stars. She joins Mark and Jeremy to Think On Paper about her book Neutron Stars: The Quest to Understand the Zombies of the Cosmos. From her background in science writing and working for the World Economic Forum on quantum computers, to her time at CERN and speaking with Jocelyn Bell and her new book where she aims to bring together quantum gravity and Einstein's theory of general relativity, we cover a lot of space bases. We get into the reeds of:What neutron stars are.- Why Jocelyn Bell Burnell didn't win a Nobel Prize, but should have.-What makes a great science writer.-Why surface-level tech writing is a betrayal of the reader- How women are treated in science.And much more.Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend. --LinksKatia: https://www.quantamagazine.org/authors/katiamoskvitch/Neutron Stars: The Quest for the Zombies of The Cosmos: https://www.amazon.com/Neutron-Stars-Understand-Zombies-Cosmos/dp/0674919351Follow Thinking On PaperThinking On Paper: www.thinkingonpaper.xyzInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/--Former Guests:IBM, D-Wave, Kevin Kelly, Don Norman, Coinbase, Starcloud, David Bianchi, IONQ--Chapters(00:09) Why Curiosity Still Matters in Science Communication  (01:52) What Makes a Great Science Journalist  (04:56) Katia’s Journey from BBC to Nature to Wired  (09:20) Reporting Science from the Field (and Under Solar Panels)  (11:26) When Awards Don’t Mean Understanding  (14:42) Quantum Computing Without the Hype  (17:31) What Most People Misunderstand About Qubits  (21:21) The Women Erased from Scientific Discovery  (22:23) Neutron Stars: Why One Spoon Weighs More Than Earth  (26:33) Jocelyn Bell Burnell and the Pulsar That Changed Everything  (30:28) Astrophysics, Gender, and the Fight for Recognition  (32:09) Quantum Weirdness and the Future of Technology  (40:13) Space, AI, and What Comes After Us

Did consciousness exist before life itself? Is it fundamental to the universe? Mark and Jeremy continue their book club exploration of Irreducible, by Federico Faggin.In Chapter 8 of Irreducible, Federico Faggin redefines physics, maths and what it means to be human: consciousness isn’t just a byproduct of your brain, but a fundamental feature of the universe. Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend. --Chapters(00:00) Consciousness and The Big Questions(01:24) The Shift in Understanding Consciousness(02:38) Consciousness: Quantum vs Classical(06:14) What Is Panpsychism and Quantum Information?(09:03) Qualia and Conscious Experience(11:23) What Is Seity?(19:26) Free Will and Quantum Entanglement(21:21) Unsolved Problems of Existence--Read more: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

If the hype vanished tomorrow, what would Web3 still need?”Animoca Brands backs almost every household name in Web3—from The Sandbox to Dapper Labs, Polygon, and OpenSea.But CEO Robby Yung isn’t here to flex a portfolio; he’s here to explain why they’re still building when the market cycles out of euphoria.In this Thinking on Paper conversation, Robby, Mark, and Jeremy dig into:Digital property rights that survive chain upgrades and token crashes.A chain-agnostic identity layer—why you won’t need twelve wallets in five years.The unsexy piece missing in most roadmaps: decentralised infrastructure that scales.“Speculation comes and goes, but permissionless ownership is the unlock that never leaves.” Skip the buzzwords. No vaporware. Just a candid look at what Web3 must get right before the next cycle begins.Please enjoy the show. And share with the friend who keeps asking, “What’s next after NFTs?”--Chapters(00:00) Introduction Disruptors & Curious Minds(01:06) Hello Robby And Animoca Brands(01:24) Lesson From 30 Years In Technology(06:25) Stablecoin Transaction Volume V Visa(11:18) Audience Infrastructure and Bi-Directional Value Exchange(15:56) The Evolution of Web3 Gaming(22:13) Investment Strategies in the Web3 Landscape(24:08) The Zed Run Case Study(27:21) User Acquisition in Web3: The Ongoing Struggle(31:19) Sustaining Attention in DAOs(32:10) What Is The Mocha Network and Mocha ID(45:34) Decentralized Identity--LinksThinking On Paper: www.thinkingonpaper.xyzInstagram: /https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/Animoca - https://www.animocabrands.com/

Would you read a book written by an AI? We did. And it wasn’t just text prediction. It was story. Pacing. Theme. Character arcs. No human prompts, no edits, no intervention. But what does that mean for art, culture, copyright law and IP?Brian Naughton asked Claude 3.5 Sonnet to write a novel from scratch. What he got back was The Echo Chamber, the first full-length novel written, planned, and revised entirely by AI. The result raises real questions. Can a machine tell a story that moves you? Does authorship still matter when intent disappears?This week on Thinking on Paper, Mark and Jeremy sit down with Brian to talk about the process, the limits, and what this might mean for writing, meaning, and the future of art.Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend. --Links:Thinking On Paper: ⁠www.thinkingonpaper.xyz⁠Read The Echo Chamber: ⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8N4S64Q/⁠Read the Echo Chamber Github: ⁠https://github.com/brian-naughton/the-echo-chamber⁠--(00:00) Introduction to AI-Authored Literature(00:46) The Role of AI in Creative Writing(02:41) The Echo Chamber: The First AI Written Book(06:06) Managing the Writing Process with AI(09:30) AI Master Prompts(10:51) Character Development and AI's Choices(13:51) The Human Element in AI Writing(17:03) Reflections on the Writing Experience(20:24) The Future of AI in Literature(24:12) AI Art: What Happens Next?

Would you let your children have an AI boyfriend or girlfriend? We're reading Irreducible, by Federico Faggin. It's Chapter 7 and Mark and Jeremy think on paper about the hard problem of consciousness, qualia, ai awareness and the inner semantic space that creates your experience.There are 4 types of qualia: physical sensations and feelings, emotions, thoughts and spiritual feelings. From there they go back in time to Aldous Huxley and the Dharma Bums and how the modern take on consciousness isn't new. None of this is really new. Now, if AI can't feel qualia you'll end up with quasi-humanity emerging from the tech dream. But does that matter? If it looks real and feels real, it might as well be real.. But what if it slowly erodes what it means for us to be human.If you're thinking about the impact of technology on culture, you should listen to Thinking On Paper.Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend. Listen to chapter 1-6: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2EteMXVv-8&t=357s&ab_channel=ThinkingOnPaper--Chapters(00:00) Introduction to Consciousness and AI(02:32) The Nature of Consciousness(05:12) Qualia and Human Experience(07:27) The Distinction Between Humans and Machines(09:23) The Hard Problem of Consciousness(11:27) AI, Empathy, and Human Connection(13:40) Cultural Norms and AI Integration(16:10) Interiority and Quantum Consciousness(17:54) True Intelligence vs. Machine Intelligence(19:46) Comprehension and Perception(22:20) The Future of Consciousness and AI--Join the free thinkers - www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

Is technology for good anything more than a marketing strategy?Technology shapes everything. From how you work and connect to how you make decisions. But is humanity using it to solve the right problems? And when millions of people rely on boring, repetitive jobs to survive, what happens when AI takes them away?On Victory in Europe Day, Khang Nguyen-Trieu joins Mark and Jeremy to Think on Paper about what ethical technology actually looks like in the real world. With decades of experience building large-scale systems, he brings grounded strategies for setting boundaries, listening to people, and turning complexity into advantage.If tech is meant to serve people, why does it so often forget they're there?Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend. --Join a community of disruptors and curious minds: ⁠www.thinkingonpaper.xyz⁠--Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Technology for Good (02:01) The Impact of Technology on Society (04:07) Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword (05:35) AI and Human Relationships (09:57) Shifting the Focus: Profit vs. Purpose (12:10) Rethinking Technology's Role (16:22) The Need for Ethical Considerations (20:52) Cultural Perspectives on Society and Individualism (22:45) Empathy in Technology and Human Interaction (24:45) The Role of Technology in Hospitality (28:38) Balancing Automation and Human Connection (34:16) Philosophical Reflections on Humanity and Wisdom   

A podcast for people who refuse to let algorithms, headlines, or influencers do their thinking for them.What happens when technology moves faster than meaning? When AI writes code, raises your kids, and reshapes your job, but no one asks what it’s doing to your values?Thinking on Paper is a podcast for people who want to think clearly about the future. Created by curious minds, strategists, and builders, this show explores the deep structures behind AI, blockchain, quantum computing, digital ethics, and platform power.It is not a hype machine. It is not a founder showcase. And it is definitely not a TED Talk.Each episode starts with a central question. Can machines be conscious? Is quantum computing a revolution or just an expensive metaphor? What happens when design prioritizes engagement over agency?We talk to technologists, ethicists, designers, researchers, and people who are trying to build or resist the future. Not to promote. To pressure test.Artificial intelligence and consciousnessQuantum computing and human complexitySurveillance, digital identity, and data ownershipThe design of platforms, products, and valuesHow children and families are shaped by emerging technologyWhat progress actually looks like, and who gets to define itThis trailer is the starting point. Subscribe to build your own framework for what comes next.Think slower. Question harder. Use your mind like it matters.Learn more: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz#AIpodcast #technologyandethics #futureoftechnologyTopics we cover:

Shopify. Duolingo. Box. Meta. One by one, they’ve all issued the same order: Don’t give it to a human until you’ve asked the machine.This isn’t disruption. This is displacement. And if you’re not ready, you’re next.Ajay Malik helped run Google’s data centers. Now he’s building AI agents that kill the corporate time-suck at its source. Emails? Scanned. Contracts? Summarized. Cameras? Watching. Support tickets? Prioritized before you’ve had your coffee.Forget the whitepapers. This is what it looks like when someone actually builds the machine that replaces middle management.The question isn’t should your company use AI.It’s how many people will you need once it does.--LinksStudio X: https://www.studiox-ai.com/Ajay Insta: https://www.instagram.com/ajay.malik.official/Thinking On Paper: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz--Timestamps (00:00) Disruptors and curious minds (00:45) Introduction to AI and Its Impact (03:47) Ajay Malik's Journey with AI (06:59) Core Capabilities of AI (09:58) AI as a Partner in Decision Making (14:20) Trusting AI in Business (15:32) Practical Applications of AI in Business (18:47) The Role of AI in Enhancing Productivity (21:49) Creative Potential and AI Hallucinations (24:35) Engaging with AI for Business Growth (29:27) The Emotional Aspect of AI Communication (30:06) Studio X: No Code AI Solutions(31:49) Connecting Knowledge for AI Utilization (34:48) Integrating AI into Daily Workflows (36:05) Managing AI Agents Like Interns (40:09) The Responsibility of AI Management (43:17) AI Applications in Business Operations (45:37) Navigating IT Concerns with AI Implementation (48:56) Maximizing Impact with AI Tools (51:39) Knowledge Transfer and Employee Concerns (54:49) Preparing Future Generations for AI 

In Chapter 6 of Irreducible, by Federico Faggin, Mark and Jeremy get into what makes living cells tick and why machines will never be conscious.What is “live information” and how does it blend matter, energy, and data into life? How can machines be alive if they don't know, if they can't know what it's like to be aware? How can AI be conscious when it can't feel? Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend. --Join the book club: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz-- Chapters(00:00) Introduction to Irreducible (02:54) Exploring the Nature of Life(05:54) Biology Vs Information(09:04) Consciousness and Free Will(12:10) The Hard Problem of Consciousness(15:12) The Future of AI and Consciousness(18:03) Science Fiction and Human Experience(20:52) Differences Between Cells and Computers(27:01) Conclusion and Reflections on Consciousness