I chat with good friend and prominent internet writer David Perell on online writing as a new media platform: what this medium is uniquely suited to do, whether the truth-seeking ends of online writing is in contradiction with the performative means, and the psychological dangers of publishing one’s work online.

I chat with Francis Pedraza, CEO of Invisible technologies, about what it means to live the heroic life in the 21st century and its many pitfalls.

I chat with Thimo Heisenberg, Philosophy PHD @ Columbia, about a pressing contemporary issue: “which direction to take the market economy?” In his research, Thimo has taken a historical-philosophical approach to this problem by examining the arguments offered by prominent thinkers in 19th-century Germany when this system of production began to proliferate. We discuss the relevance of such a historical approach, dive into a defense offered by Hegel, before circling back to the contemporary debate.

17 year old Marion Deal sits across me with a half shaved head. She grew up in a renaissance fair, travelled to China to study Kungfu, has already published her first book, is starting her career as a neuroscience researcher, and is one of the most well-read people I know. Today, I chat with Marion about her fascinating upbringing, the importance of creating spaces for weirdos, and her relentless drive for artistic and academic achievement. I must warn you, Marion speaks in a dense, academic manner that is hard to decipher, but if you slug it through, I promise that you will be just as intrigued by how this brilliant 17-year-old sees reality as I am.

Marguerite has seen shit. The London/New York it-girl lifestyle, Columbia grad, prestigious Kristy’s, California hippies, marijuana plantations, an indian farm, Asian nunneries, and a deep engagement with Buddhism — she is one of the few who have went off the well-trodden road and fearlessly pursued her own values. And she managed to do so while cultivating a deep love for the world. I chat with Marguerite about her journey, and try to figure out how she pursues her own values without being alienated.