Anything that Moves

Robbie Diamond, Founder and Executive Chairman of SAFE cuts through the ideology of energy. Why did four-star generals and Fortune 500 CEOs team up to pass fuel economy standards? What does "energy independence" mean when commodity prices are global? And could mineral-rich nodules on the seabed do for critical minerals what shale did for oil? A conversation about oil, electrons, minerals, and the freedom that depends on them.

Join Dan Crain, CEO of Robot Toolworx, to discuss the intersection of artificial intelligence and the high-stakes world of heavy industry maintenance and sustainment. From fixing aircraft carriers to repairing excavators, the physical world has long relied on analog processes—whiteboards, paper manuals, and "the guy who knows where to hit it with the hammer." Dan shares how Robot Toolworx digitizes this tribal knowledge to reduce turnaround times and solve the problem of endless maintenance manual errata. We dive deep into why domain expertise in the age of AI is more valuable than ever, why "software" is a dirty word on shop floors, and how that can change.

How did the world's most successful company become completely dependent on a single country for its survival… and how does that story translate across industries? We talk with Patrick McGee of the Financial Times about his book, Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company. The episode explores to what extent the lessons of Apple’s China story translates to Western automakers racing to compete with a new generation of Chinese EV competitors.

Gabe Klein has experience across the worlds of entrepreneurship and policy, including a leadership role at Zipcar and - most recently - as head of the US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation. Gabe explores how policy and infrastructure affect technology adoption. Gabe shares insights from scaling startups like Zipcar and navigating municipal and national government initiatives for EV infrastructure, electric school buses, and more. He also lends a unique perspective to the pace of AV deployment from robotaxis to trucks.

Igino Cafiero of Bear Flag Robotics recounts his entrepreneurial path to autonomous technology for farm tractors, culminating in the company's acquisition by John Deere. Cafiero delves into the pressing issue of labor shortages in agriculture and how autonomy offers a solution without displacing existing labor. He shares the specific technological hurdles involved, such as GPS-denied environments and complex obstacle detection. Finally, Cafiero discusses his current role at John Deere, emphasizing the synergy between startup agility and corporate scale in driving the future of farming, and articulates a vision for autonomy and AI to unlock unprecedented levels of agricultural productivity.

Blake Scholl of Boom Supersonic joins Anything That Moves to discuss the future of supersonic flight: why did it disappear with the last flight of the Concorde? Why is now the time to bring it back? And… despite the name, might supersonic cruise be boomless?

After listening, check out the company’s first supersonic flight here (and here for those itching for the full two hours.)

Ian Arthurs of Circular joins Anything That Moves to discuss why sourcing and procuring new materials is hard. Why has recycled plastic historically cost more than virgin plastic? Is that "green premium" possibly bridgeable with better data?

Gary Ong of Celadyne cuts through the noise to break down the "why" of hydrogen. What it is hydrogen useful for today, and why has so much hope been pinned on it for tomorrow? What needs to be true for it to be a game changer in the energy economy?

Mike Murphy shares insights from his work at EV Politics on how partisan political affiliations influence EV ownership and adoption dynamics. Mike also delves into the economic, infrastructural, and regulatory challenges facing EV adoption, as well as how seriously to take Chinese competition in the EV market. 

If this episode so moves you to buy EV Politics merchandise, Mike has kindly offered listeners a 10% discount at the EV Politics store. Just enter the code MANIV at checkout.