Thinking On Paper Technology Podcast

What is a spin qubit? Brandon Severin, CEO of Conductor Quantum, explains it like this: put a single electron in a magnetic field and it behaves like a tiny compass needle with two orientations, spin-up and spin-down. Those are your 0 and 1. By isolating that electron on a gated silicon device and hitting it with precise pulses, you can flip, hold, and combine those states (superposition).He also explains that spin qubits are built with the same fabrication tech as classical transistors. If we can print tens of billions of transistors on a modern NVIDIA or Apple chip, the same infrastructure could eventually produce comparable numbers of spin qubits, because each qubit is essentially one electron you can address and control.Listen to the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LeN3VBvG0o&t=1sCheers,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

Mind Blowing to the banks, but Stablecoins already move more volume than Visa and Mastercard combined! There's a financial revolution in the air, and this time, you're invited.Robby Yung, CEO of Animoca Brands, shows how people move dollars across borders in minutes with near-flat fees, from market traders in Nigeria to institutions shifting tens or hundreds of millions. This is a short from our full length deep dive into web3, the decentralized internet, DOAs, AI and what Animoca has in store for the coming year.Subscribe to Thinking on Paper for the full conversation.--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.xyzWatch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/O_Iy1jYTRz8

China built its space station Tiangong in three years after being excluded from the ISS program. It landed on the Moon in 2020 and 2024, returning samples from areas with high helium-3. Now the fight is over rules, resources, and who decides what happens on the Moon.In this short, aerospace designer Glen Martin explains how China’s program moves from high-speed rail and grid power at home to the Moon: far-side lunar samples (via a relay network and nuclear-powered rover), a 2029 crewed landing plan, and why helium-3 matters.We break down the rules and risks: who gets to mine the Moon, what a UN Space Resources Treaty (draft due 2027) might change, and how U.S. domestic space laws could drive a Wild-West approach.We cover why China built Tiangong after being blocked from the ISS, and what’s so important about the lunar south pole’s “rim of eternal light.”Keep Thinking On Paper.Cheers, Mark & Jeremy.PS: Please be kind and subscribe. This helps us immensely. --📺Watch on YouTube--TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Chinese Infrastructure(00:47) Bringing Russia to ISS(01:21) We Blocked The Chinese(01:41) Tiangong & 2029 Moon Landings(02:22) The Global Politics Of Space(03:36) The Lunar South Pole(04:07) The United Nations(04:41) The Moon Wild West--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

You're probably listening to AI generated music and don't even realise it. But rest assured, the musicians whose beats, rhymes and livelihood were stolen to train the models are well aware.They're reminded every time they check their empty bank accounts.99,000 new songs are uploaded to streaming platforms every day. According to Deezer, almost one in five are now made by our artificial friends.You wouldn't play a single one at your funeral.And it gets worse.According to Ditto music, 59% of musicians use AI in some aspect of their music.It's a highway to hell.How do the real musicians get paid?How do the record labels keep track of their... tracks?What about session musicians, producers, songwriters and the bass player?How do they all get their fair reward?And how do you prove their input in the output of a model?Yes, it is all very very very difficult.Thankfully, amongst the madness, the always excellent Cherie Hu, Yung Spielburg and Alexander Flores of Water & Music researched and wrote about what's at stake, how technology can be used to solve the riddle and which companies are trying to shake that moneymaker.We read their research.Please share with a music lover.CheersMark and Jeremy–(00:00) The Intersection of Music and AI(03:26) Understanding Music Attribution(03:51) Sonic Characteristics and AI Influence(06:39) The Complexity of AI Music Generation(07:36) The Value Equation in AI Music Creation(08:08) Understanding Influence Functions in Music AI(09:44) Challenges of Attribution in AI-Generated Music(11:38) Exploring Embeddings and Their Role in Music AI(14:17) Watermarking and Its Limitations in Music Attribution(15:30) Synthetic Data and Its Implications for Music AI(17:48) Innovative Solutions for Music Rights Attribution(18:01) Distinguishing Compositional vs. Recording Contributions(19:59) The Impact of AI on the Music Industry's Inequities(23:03) Trust and Technology in Music AttributionOther 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

If quantum computers already exist, why can’t they do anything useful? The issue isn’t quantum mechanics, it’s control. Every qubit must be tuned, stabilized, and kept coherent, and that process collapses long before scale.Brandon Severin, founder of Conductor Quantum, joins Jeremy and Mark to Think On Paper about spin qubits, AI calibration, Google’s latest quantum chip, and how his company is using semiconductor-based qubits to build quantum computers at scale.From his PhD at Oxford (where he crossed paths with Oxford Ionics founder Dr. Chris Ballance) to launching a startup in Silicon Valley, Brandon shares how physics, engineering, and software are finally converging in quantum computing.In this episode: ⚛️ How Google’s new quantum algorithm moves us closer to simulating atoms and molecules. ⚛️ The difference between trapped ions and spin qubits — and why spin qubits could scale faster. ⚛️ Inside Conductor Quantum’s work on calibration, fidelity, and error correction. ⚛️ How AI is redefining quantum control and stability. ⚛️ The rise of the quantum founder: from lone academics to builders focused on scale. ⚛️ Why progress in quantum depends on manufacturing, algorithms, and collaboration — not just brainpower. ⚛️ Why millions of qubits, not a “magic” single qubit, are needed for real computation.Most quantum content sits in a kind of superposition: too technical to follow or too simple to teach you anything new. Thinking On Paper cuts through that noise.If this conversation made you think differently about quantum computing, follow the show and share it with someone curious.Keep thinking on paper.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--Timestamps(00:00) Trailer(01:13) The Google Announcement Explained Simply(03:47) Trapped Ions vs. Spin Qubits(06:14) How AI Controls Quantum Computers(11:06) Inside the Quantum Circus: Managing Errors, Fidelity, and Coherence(32:59) Building Quantum Computers: Why Scale Depends on Automation(33:41) The Culture of Quantum Startups vs. the AI Boom(36:52) Human Nature, Technology, and the Race for Control(39:43) The Future of Quantum Computing: From Physics to Scalable Systems

Helium-3 is essential for fusion energy, quantum computing, and tracking nuclear weapons. The U.S. has just 29 kilograms, and there may be as little as 100 kilograms on Earth. But aerospace engineer Glen Martin cites NASA data suggesting roughly 1.1 million tons may be trapped on the Moon.In this episode, Mark and Jeremy Think On Paper with Glen, CEO of the Extraterrestrial Mining Company, about the emerging science and politics of lunar mining and the race now unfolding above us.Glen explains how solar winds have been seeding the Moon with Helium-3 for billions of years, why AI data centers and quantum computers are already driving global demand, and how private companies are moving into territory once reserved for governments.What begins as a conversation about mining technology becomes a deeper look at scarcity, competition, and the moral questions that come with abundance.Will space resources help us build a post-scarcity society, or just extend the same rivalries into orbit?📺 Watch on YouTube--Connect with GlenThe Extraterrestrial Mining Company--Timestamps(00:00) Trailer(02:45) What is Helium-3, and why are we mining the Moon?(05:29) Why there’s almost no Helium-3 on Earth, and a million tons on the Moon(09:01) How Helium-3 could be harvested from lunar dust(10:33) Fusion without fallout: the clean-energy promise of Helium-3(13:01) Space-based solar power and fusion: two paths to future energy.(17:56) How private companies plan to finance Moon mining(21:52) The new space race: U.S., China, and the competition for lunar fuel(25:03) Can treaties prevent conflict over Moon resources?(27:37) AI, autonomy, and the machines that will mine the Moon(29:31) NASA’s commercial lunar payloads and the rise of space infrastructure(31:08) What lunar regolith tells us about Helium-3 reserves(33:35) The trillion-dollar question: who profits from space resources?(36:17) Curiosity, wonder, and the future of human exploration(40:01) Technology, morality, and the choice to be good--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--

In this enlightening discussion, Carissa Véliz, an Oxford AI ethics professor and author of "Privacy Is Power," explores the critical intersection of privacy and democracy. She argues that as we trade privacy for convenience, we risk eroding democratic institutions. Carissa highlights the troubling collaboration between Big Tech and government surveillance and stresses the importance of reclaiming autonomy through civic engagement. Plus, she offers practical tools for protecting privacy in an increasingly digital world.

In early 2025, Kevin Kelly, one of the great technological philosophers of our time, joined Mark & Jeremy to Think on Paper. Before he left, he asked a question. A question about the future and technology: What should humans be? At the end of every show, we ask every guest this question. And the answers always resonate on an emotional, human level. They land on something universal. The same words, the same ideas, the same wants for humanity come up again and again. Creativity, curiosity, kindness, empathy, discovery, adventure, ambition. This is the first part of our series compiling the answers. A reminder, in the dark days that technology is built by us, for us, and most people are nice, kind and want the best for us all. As you'll see. Yes, it maybe a simple message at times, but we're OK with that. Because on simple ideas are civilizations born.Please enjoy this special compilation of thoughts and ideas. And tell someone to come Think on Paper with us.We'd appreciate that.Be curious, stay disruptive, keep thinking on paper.Cheers, Mark and Jeremy.--Timestamps(00:00) The Story(00:58) Kindness (& Books)(01:55) Meaning(02:32) Connection(03:03) Discovery(03:36) Curiosity(04:30) Consciousness(05:00) Ambition(05:31) Creativity(06:07) Wisdom--Videos appear thanks to:“Documentary — The Fourth Industrial Revolution” by World Economic Forum, licensed under CC BY 3.0: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Documentary_-_The_Fourth_Industrial_Revolution.webm" "Wikimedia Commons "“Out of This World — Prelinger Archives / Public Domain (via Internet Archive)”--Guests in this videoMark Boggett: https://youtu.be/PExunxFL71E?si=XrpkRRmFCjR1VxC7Rajeev Kapur: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWEuQmPcqJ8&t=193sRob Locascio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaM8lITXx6Y&t=428sAndrew Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk4BXeXS9wE&t=50sWill Alpine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obs2vxp-SP0&t=44sKatia Moskovitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPwM0dCEYkI&t=185sRobby Yung: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHiSkSEQy-c&t=2010sKhang Nguyen-Trieu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbnVirwbGBc&t=85sMartin Soltau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl-z1d6d_as&t=572s--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

The space economy is set to reach $1.8 trillion by 2035. Everyone talks about rockets. Almost no one talks about the infrastructure that connects orbit to Earth. This is where billions of dollars of that space investment are being increasingly allocated. Mark Boggett runs Seraphim Investments, a London-based fund that backs the companies building the foundations of the space economy. In this conversation, he explains why the future of space isn’t about launch or tourism, but data, defense, and the networks that will define a trillion-dollar market.We look at how falling launch costs from SpaceX, Rocket Lab, and Firefly have moved the bottleneck from rockets to downlink infrastructure - the networks that move satellite data back to Earth. Boggett outlines the under-invested opportunities in ground terminals, communications, and cybersecurity that will define the next decade of the space economy.He also talks about the rise of direct-to-device connectivity through companies like AST SpaceMobile and Globalstar, the coming laser mesh networks led by Amazon’s Kuiper constellation, and the new markets emerging in orbital services: debris removal, refueling, and regulation-driven sustainability through firms like Astroscale and LeoLabs.This is the quieter side of the space race, the infrastructure and data layer where long-term investors are quietly shaping a trillion-dollar future.Enjoy the show. And please subscribe so we can continue building the channel, and thinking on Paper. --TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Trailer(01:56) Disruptors & Curious Minds(03:08) Mark Boggett (03:27) The Reality Of A 10-Year Investment Period(04:07) Predictions On The Space Economy(04:39) Space Race 2.0: The USA V China (05:54) Direct to Device Space Communications(08:05) Public Markets Love Space Tech Investments(09:35) Space Exits & IPOS(10:36) Trump & Musk To Dominate Space Agenda(11:17) The Space Ecosystem 2025(12:10) Satellite Companies: Hardware & Software(12:36) Launch Companies: SpaceX, Firefly & Rocket Labs(13:50) Satellite Constellations(14:24) HAPS (High Altitude Platforms)(15:22) Data Collection, Ground Terminals & Cyber Security(16:46) Downlink: The Growth Area Of Space Investments(18:50) Satellite Data Companies(21:08) Space Verticals: Climate Success Stories(22:20) How Satellites Verify Carbon Credits(24:37) Space Debris & New Regulations To Clean Up Orbit(26:38) Getting Old, Rickety Satellites Out Of Orbit(30:26) Giving Regulators Teeth(31:15) Geopolitics And Defense Based Space Investment(36:33) Terraforming Mars(36:48) Best Sci-Fi Movie(36:56) Do Kids Look Up? The Accessibility Of Space(37:20) The Best Reason To Go To The Moon(39:51) What Should Humans Be? ----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

Generative AI is in schools, education is being rewritten and your kids probably know more than their teachers.According to the Alan Turing Institute’s national report, one in four UK children aged 8 to 12 now use tools like ChatGPT or Snapchat AI at school, while 85 percent of teachers rely on AI for lesson planning or marking.This episode of Thinking on Paper Mark and Jeremy break down the Alan Turing Institute’s two-part study on AI in schools, combining survey data and workshops with children. The findings reveal how kids are already using generative AI, what they think about bias and privacy, and how education systems are struggling to keep pace.Key topics:- Children using ChatGPT and generative AI in schools- The growing divide between private and state schools in AI access- Teachers’ mixed feelings about AI productivity vs. critical thinking- Why “child-centered AI” could reshape the classroom- What parents and policymakers can learn from the Alan Turing Institute reportWatch if you’re interested in: AI in education, child development, or how technology is shaping the next generation of learners.Subscribe for more episodes exploring the intersection of technology, ethics, and human development.And keep Thinking On Paper. TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Disruptors And Curious Minds(02:40) The Alan Turing Research On The Impact Of AI On Children(03:49) The Most Popular AI Platform For Kids(04:41) How Are Kids Using AI?(04:55) Key Statistics From The Research On AI Use In School(05:33) The Divide: Private vs. Public School AI Usage(08:08) Are Kids Using AI To Cheat In School?(09:55) The RITECH Framework: Evaluating AI for Kids(11:18) Quotes From Kids On AI(16:13) Child Versions Of ChatGPT(18:12) Recommendations From The Alan Turing Institute--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