Hidden Forces

Sources of Financial Instability: Challenges for Monetary and Fiscal Policy | Claudio Borio

In Episode 99, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Claudio Borio about outstanding sources of financial instability and some of the challenges facing Central Banks as the economy and markets begin to show signs of weakness heading towards the end of 2019. ...

Hong Kong Revolution: Geopolitical & Financial Implications for China and the World | David Webb

In Episode 98, Demetri Kofinas speaks with famed Hong Kong investor David Webb, an outspoken critic of China’s authoritarian grip over the coastal territory. The first part of their conversation concerns Hong Kong’s political and economic future as an independent ...

Matt Taibbi | Democratic Contenders, Election 2020, and the Goldman 1MDB Scandal

In this week’s episode of Hidden Forces, I make available the overtime to my episode with journalist Matt Taibbi that aired on February 18th, 2019. In this overtime, Matt Taibbi shares his experience on the campaign trail with Donald Trump ...

Ben Hunt | The Narrative Machine: Investing in a World of Tall Tales, Big Games, and Giant Cons

In Episode 95, Demetri Kofinas speaks with investor and author of Epsilon Theory, Ben Hunt, about the power of narrative and how it is used to shape and control our behavior as investors. This episode also includes a series of ...

This is a service announcement for regular listeners of Hidden Forces. I have released a nearly 2-hour long recording of my conversation with Leemon Baird and Mance Harmon of Hedera Hashgraph to my Hidden Forces Patreon subscribers that will be ...

Joshua Wong on the Struggle for Hong Kong and the Future of 'Greater China'

In this timely Interview, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Hong Kong activist and politician Joshua Wong, who is often referred to by media outlets and the international press as the “leader of the Hong Kong protests.” Joshua shares information about the ...

David Rosenberg | Betting Against the ‘Powell Put’ and the Return of the 'Risk-Off' Trade

In Episode 91, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Chief Economist and Strategist at Gluskin Sheff, David Rosenberg, about the latest Fed rate decision and his outlook for the global economy. In the overtime to this week’s episode, David provides listeners with ...

Jamie Metzl | Genetic Engineering, Biohacking, and the Future of the Human Species

In Episode 89, Demetri Kofinas speaks with technology futurist and geopolitical expert Jamie Metzl about innovations happening at the cutting edge of genomic science, synthetic biology, and big data. The two also discuss US-China relations, North Korea’s nuclear program, post-Soviet ...

David Weinberger | Complex Systems, Inexplicable Models, and the Future of Prediction

In Episode 87, Demetri Kofinas speaks with philosopher David Weinberger about the science of prediction, its evolution, and its implications for a future where machines may provide better predictions than those generated by traditional models, but which may not be ...

The End of "The Everything Bubble” | Kevin Smith and Otavio Costa

In this Special Episode of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Kevin Smith and Otavio Costa of Crescat Capital about their case for an imminent bear market, a stagflationary economy, and the prospects for gold, stocks, and more.

Johann Hari | Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression and Anxiety

In Episode 84, Demetri Kofinas speaks with celebrated author Johann Hari about his book “Lost Connections” and the silent epidemic of depression and anxiety that is pervading our society and burdening the lives of so many people.

Nicholas Christakis on the Evolutionary Origins of Ethics, Morality, and a Good Society

In Episode 82, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Dr. Nicholas Christakis about the evolutionary origins of ethics, morality, and a good society. This is an episode full of fascinating stories that weave together insights from the fields of evolutionary psychology, moral ...

Tesla Financial and Legal Woes as SEC Seeks to Hold Elon Musk in Contempt | Ed McCabe

In this special episode, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Ed McCabe about the latest woes plaguing Tesla after the SEC recently alleged in a federal filing that its CEO Elon Musk, violated a settlement with the agency when he tweeted in ...

Surveillance Capitalism in the Age of the Unprecedented | Shoshana Zuboff

In Episode 79, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Shoshana Zuboff, about the rise of “Surveillance Capitalism,” a pernicious new economic logic, which robs us of our experiences, dispossess us of our sanctuaries and makes our lives increasingly unlivable.

Cal Newport | Digital Minimalism: Choosing Life in a Hyperconnected World

In Episode 77, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Cal Newport about Digital Minimalism and the act of “choosing life” in a hyper-connected, surveillance economy governed by algorithms that have been scientifically engineered for addiction, supervision, and control. Learn more at HiddenForces.io

MAGA Hat Kid and a Modern Morality Play Gone Wrong | Robby Soave

In Episode 76, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Robby Soave, the journalist at the center of what has become the biggest national news story in America, and which concerns a group of Catholic school students from Kentucky who were thrust into ...

Forward Guidance: Investor Concerns and Market Trends for 2019 | Peter Boockvar

In Episode 74, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Peter Boockvar. Peter is Chief Investment Officer for Bleakly Advisory Group and a regular on CNBC. The two discuss recent comments by Fed chairman Powell, the prospect and performance of financial stocks, concerns ...

Quantifying Uncertainty: A History of Financial Theory and its Implications | Daniel Peris

In Episode 73, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Daniel Peris about the history of financial theory, how certain theories like MPT, CAPM, efficient markets, etc., became the dominant paradigm by which investors have come to understand risk, and what happens when ...

Bob Kerrey | a Contemporary Political History of Policy and War

In Episode 72, Demetri speaks with US Senator Bob Kerrey, about the economic, cultural, and political transformations that have overtaken American society throughout the course of his life. Senator Kerrey also served as one of the ten members of the ...

Chinese Commercial Espionage and the Arrest of Huawei’s CFO | James Mulvenon

In Episode 71, Demetri Kofinas speaks with speaks with James Mulvenon, an expert on Chinese military affairs, cyber issues, and matters of commercial espionage. James has been investigating and writing about Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, for years, which makes him ...

Rebecca Goldstein | Why Philosophy Isn’t Going Away: a Conversation on What Matters Most

In Episode 69, Demetri Kofinas speaks with renowned philosopher and novelist Rebecca Goldstein, about the philosophy of mattering and what makes human life worth living. This is a question that human beings have been grappling with since time immemorial. Perhaps, ...

American Zeitgeist | Commentary on Politics, Culture, and the Winds of Change

In this week's episode, Demetri Kofinas conducts an impromptu monologue after a last-minute rescheduling of his interview with a prominent, former US senator, governor, and member of the 9-11 commission. He reflects on some of the subjects he intended to ...

Brian McCullough | How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone

In Episode 66, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Brian McCullough about the history of the World Wide Web. The conversation spans the earliest days of the web beginning with the browser and Netscape’s historic IPO that kicked off the greatest stock ...

Hannah Fry | Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms

In Episode 64, Demetri Kofinas speaks with mathematician and public educator, Hannah Fry, about our often uncomfortable partnership with machines. It is a discussion meant not only to help further our understanding of how algorithms function, but also to give ...

Elon Musk and the Fall of the Church of Tesla | Montana Skeptic

In Episode 62 of Hidden Forces, Demetri Kofinas speaks with Lawrence Fossi, known by his pen name as Montana Skeptic. Fossi started writing about Tesla three years ago under the pseudonym Montana Skeptic. He developed a reputation as one of ...