What kernels of truth are there in sci-fi content today that can maybe predict what our smart technological futures will look like? 

This week, Jess and Joey talk about retrofuturism, the Otis elevator, all things Dymaxian, AI, post-scarcity society and ship names. They don’t talk about our dystopian present. 

references 

• Christmas in Connecticut 
• Otis Elevator 
• Dymaxion 
• Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson 
• Corrections Department: Neuromancer by William Gibson 
• Iain M. Banks' Culture series 
• Post-scarcity 
• Neural Lace 
• Neuralink 
• The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks 
• Humans 
• Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky 

What do we do with Cultural Beige? 

This week, Aaron and Joey talk about cultural homogenization, algorithms, local commerce, international culture, outliers and Charli XCX. They don’t talk about Christian Bale or J. G. Ballard. 

references 

• Empire Of The Sun "Walking On A Dream" 
• Empire Of The Sun "Alive" @ The Hollywood Bowl 11/23/24 
• Sabrina Carpenter "Espresso" 
• terroir 
• Sammy McCormack: "How Janet Jackson Made 'If'" 
• Sammy McCormack: "How Britney Spears Made 'Break The Ice'" 
• Froggy Fresh 
• Timbaland feat. OneRepublic "Apologize" 
• Cam'ron and Mase: It Is What It Is 

Why haven't we figured out hybrid yet? 

This week, Jess and Joey talk about remote working, cost structures, collaborative tools, individual flexibility, speaker microphones, and body language. They don’t talk about sensory processing issues and how they impact in-person productivity. 

references 

• Yegor Denisov-Blanch on software engineering productivity 
• Reddit response to Yegor Denisov-Blanch 
• Entenmann's Donuts 
• Torus 

What varietal of mind wine are your grapes lately? 

This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about pattern breaking, the restorative power of boredom, bird brains, pajama day, the productivity mindset, and seizing rest. They don’t talk about when Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo. 

references 

• Feng Shui Modern by Cliff Tan 
• Boggle 
• Five Senses Exercise 
• How to use 4-7-8 breathing for anxiety 
• Yahtzee 

Why are we so obsessed with trying to live forever? 

This week, special guest Chandler Saunders joins Jess and Joey to talk about adult superlatives, aging, the soul, compounding experience, afterlife FOMO, and aging reversal. They don’t talk about Irene Cara. 

references 

• Piaget's 4 Stages of Cognitive Development Explained 
• Ray Kurzweil 
• Ship of Theseus 
• Fermi paradox 
• Spin by Robert Charles Wilson 
• Kardashev scale 
• Telomere 
• Dr. David Sinclair 

What is it about certain settings that just piss us off? 

This week, Joey and Jess talk about Maggie Rogers, live concerts, the unflustered mom, road rage, cycling, and liminality. They don’t talk about mosh pits. 

references 

• Maggie Rogers 
• The Unflustered Mom: How Understanding the Five Anxiety Styles Transforms the Way We Parent, Partner, Live, and Love by Amber Trueblood 
• This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace 
• liminality 
• Boom 

Bonus episode: A takeover! Kristy shares a recent edition from SYLVAIN’s Progress Report newsletter: The State of Youth: A New Paradigm for Growing Up, written by Chief Strategy Officer Chris Konya.

For more from SYLVAIN's Progress Report, see progressbysylvain.co.

What's the best way to unlock a sense of financial security in all of us? 

This week, Aaron, Joey, and Jess talk about voting, the economy, financial insecurity, the post-scarcity world, unequal distribution, and intergenerational trauma. They don’t talk about A$AP Rocky. 

references 

• Werewolf Bar Mitzvah 
• The Ballad of the Witches' Road (Agatha Through Time Version) 
• Pascal's wager 
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs 
• Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE): How It Works 
• r/Fire 
• Run's House 

What happens when your mind changes? 

This week, Joey and Jess talk about nuclear power, Three Mile Island, solar power, the Overton window, abortion, and tokamaks. They don’t talk about Eddie Kendricks. 

references 

• Hemingway on bankruptcy 
• The Three Mile Island accident 
• Overton window 
• Tokamaks 

What do we do about power distance? 

This week, Joey and Jess talk about organizational hierarchy, Geert Hofstede, authoratative leadership, omakase, decision-making, and Mr. Oizo. They don’t talk about Flat Stanley. 

references 

• IF 
• This is 40 
• Mark Menjívar's "Refrigerators" 
• Geert Hofstede's 6-D model of national culture 
• Mr. Oizo's "Flat Beat" 
• Mr. Oizo aka Quentin Dupieux