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First Principles Daily
First Principles Daily episodes
- Ep 3: Desalinated water sells for several dollars per cubic meter, yet the thermodynamic minimum energy needed to separate the salt is worth only a few cents — the rest is everything except the membranes.Desalinated water sells for several dollars per cubic meter, yet the thermodynamic minimum energy needed to separate the salt is worth only a few cents — the rest is everything except the membranes.Segment 1 — The Cold OpenSeawater contains roughly 35 kilograms of salt per cubic meter. Pulling that salt out to leave usable fresh water carries a hard physical price set by entropy and the free energy of mixing. ...AI Disclosure: This podcast is curated by Patrick but uses AI-generated voice synthesis for audio production.📝 Full show notes, transcript & sources: read the episode page🌐 Part of the Nerra Network — explore every show at nerranetwork.com.9 min
- Ep 1: A rocket engine once priced in the millions now approaches a fraction of that cost because its designers began with the raw metals and the physics of combustion instead of copying legacy engines.A rocket engine once priced in the millions now approaches a fraction of that cost because its designers began with the raw metals and the physics of combustion instead of copying legacy engines.Segment 1 — The Cold OpenWelcome to First Principles Daily, a show that examines how the biggest cost and performance leaps come from rebuilding problems from the ground up rather than tweaking what already exists. ...AI Disclosure: This podcast is curated by Patrick but uses AI-generated voice synthesis for audio production.📝 Full show notes, transcript & sources: read the episode page🌐 Part of the Nerra Network — explore every show at nerranetwork.com.10 min
- Ep 2: Before Ford, a car cost a skilled worker years of wages; he cut the price by treating it as atoms in motion rather than a fitted craft object.Before Ford, a car cost a skilled worker years of wages; he cut the price by treating it as atoms in motion rather than a fitted craft object.Segment 1 — The Cold OpenIn 1908 a new Model T left the factory priced near $850. By the mid-1920s the same basic car sold for roughly $260. ...AI Disclosure: This podcast is curated by Patrick but uses AI-generated voice synthesis for audio production.📝 Full show notes, transcript & sources: read the episode page🌐 Part of the Nerra Network — explore every show at nerranetwork.com.7 min
About First Principles Daily
From the publisher's feed
A daily narrative podcast that reasons about the world from first principles — the 'magic wand number' and the 'Idiot Index'. Episodes alternate between a concrete example of first-principles thinking in action (historical and modern — Ford, Bessemer, the shipping container, solar, batteries, and sometimes Musk's teams) and a deep exposé on an industry ripe for the same treatment.
AI Disclosure: This podcast is curated by Patrick but uses AI-generated voice synthesis for audio production.