Simple Evolution

Time Magazine's person of the year is quite the polarizing character. Some people love him. Some people hate him. But, few don't know his name. He has revolutionized the way we travel to the grocery store, and, one day, the way we travel through the cosmos. Electric cars and reusable rockets, previously viewed as unsexy or impossible, are now mainstream. Tesla cars dominate the freeways and SpaceX launches dominate social media. Faster cars, bigger rockets, 66 million Twitter followers (which is likely to grow) and a personal brand that may, arguably, fly higher than the rockets carrying satellites into space. Elon Musk has changed the world. A South African boy with Asperger's is now valued at more than $275 billion. 

While some view Musk as somewhat of a technical messiah, others see a dark side. The ability to manipulate markets and troll individuals and organizations from a "porcelain throne" may have some questioning whether he deserves 2021 person of the year. Ultimately, a society should consider whether it wants innovation or maturity and conformity. Intellectual rebels like Musk will not be loved by all, but the inventions may be used by all. If one uses a product or service influenced by Musk, is it fair to criticize him? Final thought: is it better to be liked or build something that changes the world?

In this episode we reflect on today's Tony Stark. We hope you enjoy.

On a global stage, absence is the message. The upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics has received significant media attention, and little of it pertains to athletics. An olympic boycott is likely to take place in Beijing, which considering the history of the olympic games is nothing new. The main question that follows is what type of boycott is to be expected come February 2022. Will the United States spearhead a diplomatic or full boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics? The former case means athletes, but not government officials, will travel to Beijing. The latter case means olympic events may be in jeopardy due to potential lack of athletes. The bottom line, the 2022 Winter Olympics will be more than just gold medals. 

In this episode we discuss the current countries backing the United States in agreeing to the boycott. We reflect on the history of olympic boycotts, especially those of 1980 and 1984, and discuss what recent events are leading countries to consider nonviolent protests. If a diplomatic boycott stands, this olympics will be characterized as: political power + athletic performance = national superiority. 

We hope you enjoy!

Not Left. Not Right. Forward. This is the direction Andrew Yang is headed. 

The Forward Party was officially recognized as a political action committee on October 5, 2021, with goal to become a United States political party.  Given the growing partisan polarization between Democrats and Republicans, Andrew Yang hopes to offer a political solution. In this episode we discuss the Forward Party's mission and how the emergence of a strong independent party may redefine the political landscape and improve future outlook for the United States over the coming decades.

We hope you enjoy!

Enough Web 3.0, let's get a bit more personal!

We are back with another guest episode! 

Here is part one of our two-part discussion with Troy, focusing on Web 3.0. For those interested in more Web 3.0 content check out the podcast and article recommendations below:

[Podcast]

Tim Ferriss ft. Naval Ravikant & Chris Dixon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlNDYMNJ5zQ&t=1598s

[Blog posts]

Why Web3 matters: https://future.a16z.com/why-web3-matters/

Tim's show notes from the Web 3.0 podcast: https://tim.blog/2021/10/28/chris-dixon-naval-ravikant/

Artificial intelligence (AI) in drug discovery is where computer scientists meet chemists. Machine learning algorithms filter large libraries of chemical compounds down to a few potential candidates worth testing in the lab. The computer scientist runs the first leg of the track meet before handing off the baton to the chemist for further investigation of identified hit compounds. This process, while not perfect, may reduce the timeline from drug discovery to drug approval by 4-5 years. If time is money, this approach will save biotech and pharmaceutical companies millions, if not billions of dollars. The goal for athletics is: bigger, stronger, faster. The goal for drug development is: cheaper, faster, safer. In this episode we highlight some of the pros and cons for using AI to meet the challenging demands of bringing therapeutics to market. The current FDA is well prepared to handle new drug applications, but how about regulating algorithms? In our changing world I find myself asking which is more valuable, the drug or the algorithm? 

You're in for an exciting episode. We hope you enjoy!

Since the departure of US forces from Afghanistan much has changed. Foreign aid, which for years has kept the economy afloat, is now drying up. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund have recently halted aid into the country since the Taliban occupation, effectively shutting the tap for millions of Afghanistan residents who call this aid-dependent nation home. Food and water scarcity is becoming a more prevalent problem, with public healthcare on the verge of collapse. Some families are resorting to extreme measures, selling family members to buy essentials that will last only a few short months. From what we read on this topic, the stories are harrowing.

In addition to discussing the current suffering within the country, we highlight the potential relationships and allegiances that may form between Afghanistan and its surrounding neighbours. Both economic and religious interests are at play here, with new bonds being formed against a common enemy. Ultimately, the political vacuum in the Middle East is likely to be filled. The question is which country will benefit the most from the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan?

Although this was a tough episode to record, we hope you take away something of value. 

Transactions have come a long way. In earlier times, transactions involved exchanging physical items present in nature (e.g. sea shells, tulips and the stone wheels of Yap). However, these initial forms of value were not always recognized across boundaries, and some proved to be inferior currencies based on ease of transport and fragility. Over time, standardized currencies, in the form of paper money and coins, began gaining popularity as items of value for transactions. Banks provided a means of safe storage, a step above hiding one's life savings under their mattress. A bank account serve as a unique identifier, linking an individual to their monetary assets where future transactions can be performed through use of a bank card or smartphone. However, this link has gone one step further. Your body, or more specifically your face, is now a unique identifier directly tied to your finances. Introduce Face Pay, a newly installed facial recognition payment system that allows Russian commuters to pay via making eye contact with a camera. Instead of swipe, the new method is stare. Improving payment time reduces time spent at the turnstile, but at what cost. Take your pick: privacy or convenience? Depending on where you live, it might not be that simple. In this episode we discuss Face Pay and what it means for future societies where our physical and digital lives are becoming more interconnected. Humans have evolved from paying with stones and shells, to chip cards, to phones, to one day making daily payments with their eyes and fingerprints. No need for a wallet or a phone. The body may become the ultimate, unique payment machine. 

Dust off your bookshelf and find that used copy of 1984. It's time to listen and learn.

We're back! 

No more conversing over the Atlantic on two continents. No more battling connection issues and saving two audio files for each recording. This marks the first in-person podcast - one mic, one table. To kick things off we begin by discussing a recently written chapter in Eliot's book of life, the European Chapter - old cities, new memories. Eliot answers the question of: "If you could study abroad, where would you go?" with Salzburg, Austria. He highlights his experiences over the last two years, concluding that the new friends he met "across the pond" have become lifelong friends. While a broke, likely hungover individual reluctantly boarded his plane back to Canada, I'm sure he was all smiles. Partly because saying yes to an overseas Master's program led to exploring new countries, learning new cultures and forging lifelong relationships. To me it sounds like money well spent, living a two-year dream rich with experiences. Now that he's home, and somehow still in one piece, it's time to cast!

In this episode we focus on the recent news surrounding Instagram delaying the release of a version tailored towards children. The evolving landscape of companies redesigned their products to match an age-specific market is just beginning. TikTok and YouTube have already unveiled versions catered towards the youth, and other major players are likely to follow suit. We discuss some of the pros and cons of technology, especially when it gets involved earlier on in our neurological and social development. Given the emerging trends regarding social media use and negative mental health effects, is being hyperconnected in today's world actually beneficial? While this is an interesting area, and hot topic for debate, we navigate this space through discussion. We don't have it figured out, we just want to learn. 

With that said, we hope you enjoy!

Graduate school is a roller coaster full of ups and downs. Just when one thinks they are getting a grasp on their project, the unthinkable happens. Experiments fail, again, and again, and again. Hearing the sentences "Run it again" or "When do you expect to graduate?" are enough to induce severe vertigo or, at the very least, mild abdominal pain. The good news, graduate school provides one with an opportunity to succeed at something creative, when all academic pursuits fail. While having the crazy idea to start either a podcast or YouTube channel in grad school is not a prerequisite for any program, the experience of getting a side project off the ground is well worth the hassle. One thing that helps is knowing you are not alone in this matter. Introduce Anne Nguyen, senior PhD candidate at UBC, who pays incredible attention to detail in both her experiments and YouTube videos. When Anne isn't performing "click chemistry", or training for a marathon (no...seriously), she is putting her creative talent to good use building her brand and growing her audience on YouTube. Although her videos look effortless, nothing comes easy. Some of our proudest accomplishments, whether academic or creative, involve nonlinear projects where the effort input does not match the resulting output (e.g. 5 hours of quality work may produce only a 3 minute video). 

In this podcast we discuss the creative process, building a personal brand and the compound interest that comes from consistency. I learned amazing things from Anne in this conversation and I hope you do too! At the end of the day, creative pursuits can provide an escape from negativity. If hearing "When do you expect to graduate?" previously led to a frown, listening to "When is your next video/podcast coming out?" should only elicit a smile. Science and art are not mutually exclusive, but rather deeply intertwined! 

It's time to listen and learn!

Show Notes:

1.) Anne's YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/c/anniochan

2.) Anne's book recommendation - Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb