Solutions From The Multiverse

Can AI Help Us Reach Net Zero Faster?

Check out the Net Zero ASAP Project:
https://www.autofracture.com/netzeroasap

Guest Shannon Fiume joins Adam Braus and Scot Maupin to discuss Net Zero ASAP, a climate plan exploring how better coordination could speed up the path to net zero. Fiume describes using AI to research current evidence and identify ways to move electrification, clean-energy deployment, grid expansion and ecosystem restoration forward in parallel.

The conversation looks at whether this approach could work without relying on unproven breakthroughs or requiring deeper economic contraction. Fiume says the report needs peer review before its recommendations can be adopted. The hosts also discuss AI’s risks, carbon removal, geoengineering, solar power and ways research can translate into practical climate action.

And here's the link to the really long report: 2030s Net Zero Playbook
https://www.autofracture.com/netzeroasap/NZpbk

Shannon's looking for reviewers and feedback. Feel free to email: [email protected]

Chapters

0:25 Meet guest Shannon Fiume

0:40 A plan to reach net zero faster

2:32 What does net zero mean?

4:34 How AI could help coordinate climate action

8:13 Finding the key levers across energy infrastructure

9:04 Why do the work in parallel?

11:44 The 1.5°C target and net-zero timelines

12:53 Efficiency without relying on degrowth

14:12 What it would take to put the plan into practice

15:04 Peer review and AI’s limitations

16:41 Ethical guardrails and climate justice

19:13 Which sectors emit the most?

20:05 What the pandemic-era emissions dip showed

21:39 Why the plan doesn’t depend on future breakthroughs

23:20 Geoengineering—and why it’s outside the plan

27:11 The hosts discuss the plan’s potential timeline impact

30:14 Tree planting, Ecosia and carbon removal

32:50 What could change the climate outlook?

34:25 Solar costs and scaling clean energy

37:28 Finding the Net Zero ASAP project

38:38 A more hopeful conversation about AI and climate

40:03 Closing thoughts

Adam Braus proposes a new word for what most people mean when they say "democracy," Heterarchy:

, a society where many different powers compete, cooperate and keep each other in check. Adam argues that fascism, oligarchy, dictatorship and a pure-referendum democracy are all failures to preserve that balance. He says the left and the right both want heterarchy, and a fresh term could build common ground. Scot Maupin pushes back and asks the practical questions along the way.

• 0:07 Intro and today's solution
• 1:58 Introducing "heterarchy"
• 4:17 Why people who say "democracy" mean heterarchy
• 6:41 Why "democracy" is a confusing term
• 10:03 New ways to wield power, such as tech
• 14:15 Oligarchy and the wealthy aligning
• 18:48 Building and balancing a heterarchy
• 21:43 What happens when heterarchy is lost
• 23:27 Why tyranny hurts even those in power
• 26:38 Elite overproduction
• 31:04 The elevator pitch for heterarchy
• 32:41 Neo-monarchism and Curtis Yarvin
• 36:44 Machiavelli and il tumulto
• 38:01 The Constitution as heterarchy
• 40:13 Heterarchist heroes, flags and merch
• 43:03 Sign-off
• 43:51 Bonus Clip

Solutions from the Multiverse: A Better Way to Police Riots

Episode summary

Adam Braus and Scot Maupin take on the French protests and ask why France keeps seeing violent riots. Adam argues the cause isn't French culture. He says it's how France polices them. He makes the case for the "gold standard" of riot policing: the consent-based model the UK invented and Sweden refined. The episode isn't about brand-new ideas, but Adam says this solution isn't getting any media coverage.

What we cover

Policing by consent vs. statist force: The UK sees police as "citizens in uniform." France treats disorder as a challenge to the state.

How French riot police work: They find agitators, rush the crowd, arrest them, and move crowds out by force.

Dialogue police: The UK's police liaison teams and Sweden's "Dialogue Police" wear visible vests, talk with crowd leaders before, during and after protests, and explain what police are doing and why.

After the riot: Debriefs with protest leaders help prevent the next riot. Adam says the seeds of the next riot are planted at the end of the last one.

Case studies: Sweden's reforms after the 2001 Gothenburg riots, and Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics, where police mingled with crowds and the games saw virtually no major public order incidents.

Why France hasn't changed: The state refuses to negotiate with rioters, there's little trusted local policing, and police unions resist.

Not just a French problem: Adam compares it to US polarization and first-past-the-post voting. Scot ties it back to the "us vs. them" dynamic.

America's patchwork: The US has no national police force, so protest policing varies by place.

Mentioned in the episode

The Dialogue Police, a 2025 documentary directed by Susanna Edwards. It follows a Swedish police unit in Stockholm. Adam says it rents on Amazon Prime for about $4.

Timestamps

0:07 Intro and today's solution

3:32 Policing by consent vs. statist force

6:51 How French riot police operate

11:27 Dialogue and communication strategies

15:01 UK liaison teams and Sweden's Dialogue Police

20:40 Why the police, not the culture, are the issue

26:14 Post-riot debriefs

29:19 Why France hasn't adopted this

36:58 Sweden's reform after 2001

37:58 Vancouver Olympics case study

41:03 The Dialogue Police documentary

42:15 Culture vs. systems, and voting

45:21 Wrap-up

Stay-at-home parent childcare subsidies could change family economics

Adam Braus and Scot Maupin discuss a proposed child care subsidy that would pay stay-at-home parents directly, rather than limiting support to outside caregivers. The conversation starts with California’s family, friend, and neighbor care model, then explores how a federal version could help working families, support more flexible parenting arrangements, and ease household pressures.

They also consider what influences birth rates—from housing and neighborhood safety to multigenerational living and the role of grandparents. Along the way, they debate whether the proposal counts as “MAGA communism,” whether it should be called a “tradwife provision,” and why child care support may matter more than simple cash incentives.

Timestamps

00:00 — Introducing Solutions from the Multiverse
00:26 — The hook: a Trump proposal Adam supports
01:47 — California’s family, friend, and neighbor child care subsidy
02:45 — How the existing program works and who may qualify
03:40 — Why Adam thinks parents should be eligible too
04:16 — The proposed federal subsidy for stay-at-home parents
07:05 — The proposal’s political roots and traditional family roles
08:02 — How direct payments could empower the caregiving parent
09:59 — What Adam means by “MAGA communism”
11:55 — The case for including families with part-time work arrangements
12:25 — The proposed benefit: nearly $9,000 per child per year
13:54 — Why birth rates may be difficult to change through subsidies alone
14:23 — Comparing family policy approaches in Hungary and Scandinavia
15:48 — The role of social conditions in family decisions
16:16 — Child-safe neighborhoods and car-free streets
17:16 — Grandparents, multigenerational living, and housing costs
18:29 — Scot on optimism, economics, and family planning
19:40 — Women’s education and fertility rates
20:10 — Artificial wombs, with a “goo tube” detour
21:07 — Why Adam sees traffic safety as a family issue
22:33 — Expanding child care support to parents and informal caregivers
23:02 — A possible bipartisan pitch for the policy
24:21 — Comparing family care with professional child care systems
25:06 — A joke about extending the idea to health care
26:16 — Revisiting California’s existing program
27:27 — Housing affordability and family formation
28:48 — The politics of keeping housing expensive
30:31 — A detour into deflation and price stability
31:32 — Closing thoughts on child care and family support
32:16 — The dinner roller coaster restaurant idea

Psychopaths, Gender, and Why a Female Test Might Matter

Adam Braus and Scot Maupin explore the idea of a gender-specific psychopathy test. Adam argues that because the classic Hare-based test was developed from male prison populations, it may not capture how psychopathic traits could present differently in women. They also discuss the challenges of distinguishing those traits from other conditions, and whether some traits may be rewarded in high-pressure roles.

Timestamps

00:00 - Show intro and the episode’s premise
04:04 - Why the current psychopathy test may be male-centered
05:02 - ADHD and autism as examples of differences in presentation
07:41 - The possibility that some forms of psychopathy go underrecognized
09:09 - Traits a future test might examine
10:37 - Psychopathic traits and high-pressure professions
12:09 - Utilitarian thinking and emotional distance
13:01 - Psychopathy as a spectrum
14:10 - The proposed test as a public-awareness tool
15:52 - Where research could begin
17:11 - Possible changes to the test’s criteria
18:59 - Social awareness and masking
20:04 - Debating whether separate tests are needed
21:20 - The challenge of distinguishing psychopathy from borderline personality disorder
24:44 - What identification might be used for
25:04 - How narcissism entered everyday conversation
27:11 - Questions about women in business and leadership
29:57 - Nonviolent expressions of extreme traits
31:55 - Reviewing examples of psychopathy criteria
34:17 - Psychopathy versus narcissism
35:35 - Public figures as debated examples
37:53 - Beauty pageants and other possible research questions
39:28 - Prevalence estimates and the challenge of setting a cutoff
40:42 - Treatment, coping, and awareness
43:48 - Recognizing traits and choosing environments
45:43 - Recapping the episode’s main idea
47:11 - Possible book titles and a debate about a provocative clip
50:09 - Closing remarks

Connect with our Guest:
https://mishabonaventura.com/

https://www.soulplay.co/

This episode is a lively, idea-driven conversation about how consent-focused sex parties could function as more than entertainment and instead become a tool for education, connection, and cultural change. Adam Braus and Scot Maupin are joined by sex and relationship coach and consent culture pioneer Misha Bonaventura, who argues that these spaces can help people practice consent, reduce loneliness, and unlearn shame around pleasure.

We discuss what a consent-forward sex party actually looks like, why Misha sees it as a response to toxic sex culture, and how smaller entry points like cuddle parties and PG-13 events can help more people participate safely. The conversation also touches on jealousy, non-monogamy, community norms, and why learning how to say yes and no clearly matters far beyond sex.

Misha Bonaventura (mishabonaventura.com) is a sex & relationship coach (bonaventura-coaching.shinepages.com), consent culture pioneer and producer of transformational play spaces. She's been a leader in the sex positive scene of the Bay Area for over a decade.

Now leading SoulPlay Festival (soulplay.co) as Executive Producer, she is deeply passionate about helping people and communities build a pleasure based life through deeper understandings of consent, trusting that conflict is a path to intimacy, and leading the way to pleasure based living.

She brings years of experience producing sexy parties, Somatica Coaching, Co-Active Coaching, Light Dark Institute, and Nonviolent Communication to helping you love, connect and repair with more courage and less armor.

Timestamps

00:00 — Misha’s big idea: sex parties could save the world
01:10 — What a consent-forward space looks like
02:27 — Why toxic sex culture makes this conversation necessary
04:59 — Consent as explicit, collaborative communication
06:08 — Curation, boundaries, and who attends
08:30 — Bodies, beauty, and why anonymity isn’t the point
09:26 — Community-based relating at Bonobo Network
11:01 — Festivals and colleges as spaces with unspoken sexual dynamics
12:31 — Relationship styles and who attends
14:27 — From small gatherings to 200-person parties
15:03 — PG-13 parties as a more accessible entry point
20:04 — Cuddle parties, Soul Play Festival, and consent education
22:18 — Consent, choice, and resisting authoritarian habits
23:48 — How safer spaces can support sexual expression
24:46 — Why “don’t be creepy” needs clearer guidance
26:18 — A consent scene from The Night of the Iguana
27:55 — The Invite and the ethics of group sexual dynamics
29:40 — What happens at a PG-13 party
31:37 — Foucault, sexual repression, and cultural norms
33:29 — Jealousy, admiration, and connection
36:48 — De-escalation and staying in community after breakups
38:47 — A compatibility framework: fantasy, chemistry, availability, and core expression
40:35 — Designing accessible entry points—and acknowledging potential downsides
43:45 — Balancing security, freedom, and novelty in relationships
46:49 — Where to find Misha

Thanks to Jonah Burns for the SFM music.

This week Adam Braus is away, so we are sharing 'Gradient Puzzle Summer,' a cross-publication of Scot's solo podcast - The Perfect Show.

We will return on 10/8 with the next regular episode of Solutions From the Multiverse.

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Webpage with Transcript, Pictures, Videos, and more: https://perfectshowpodcast.com/23-gradient-puzzle-summer/

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TPS023 Gradient Puzzle Summer NOTES

Is there a type of jigsaw puzzle you’ve never heard of but might be really into?

This episode Scot talks all about his love for and fascination with gradient jigsaw puzzles, a thing new to many people. He goes into his love of puzzling, and where it probably originated, as well as connecting with other puzzlers through Assemble Puzzlery and their events.

Scot searches for another puzzler who will have the same experience with gradient puzzles that he had, and manages to stir up a little drama with inadvertently picking the worst gradient puzzles there are at a crucial point.

So grab a puzzle, pour yourself a drink, and sit back for a story told, piece by piece.

Assemble Puzzlery: AssemblePuzzlery.com

Thank you to Jen Thompson, Erica Elms, Vicki Davis, Brian Earle, Sarah Busing, Norah Molina, Vera, Stephanie, Ben Reburn, Peggy Lervold, Lois Lervold, and Amelia Maupin for helping me with this quest. 

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Chapter Timestamps:

(00:00) Solutions From the Multiverse Intro

(02:00) Pre-Introduction

(02:27) Introduction

(02:58) History with Puzzles

(04:54) First Gradient Puzzle

(08:35) My Wrong Prediction

(13:15) The Episode Quest

(14:55) Jen and Erica

(20:19) Assemble Puzzlery Event

(21:57) Sarah

(24:02) Brian

(26:57) Who is Karen Puzzles?

(32:35) My Big Mistake

(37:24) Brian - Blue Kazoo

(39:52) Vicki - Ravensburger Krypt

(42:48) Vicki - MasterPieces

(48:36) Puzzling All Summer Long

(56:38) Lois and Peggy - Kansas

(1:04:26) Sandra Maupin Tribute

(1:05:25) Perfectorium Entry

(1:06:08) Pictures

(1:07:20) Thank Yous

(1:08:20) Solutions From the Multiverse

(1:09:40) Ending

You can reach Owen Raisch on X (nee Twitter) here:
https://twitter.com/owenraisch

Right to Park: Reclaiming unused curb cuts for public parking

Adam Braus and guest Owen Raisch discuss a San Francisco specific urbanist proposal that would charge homeowners to reserve driveway curb cuts for car access, while returning unused driveway frontage to the public as street parking. The idea is framed as a practical way to add parking, reduce congestion, and reset how cities think about public right of way.They also dig into the broader implications for density, transit funding, bike infrastructure, and how self-driving cars may change the parking equation over time.

Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Adam: @ajbraus (https://twitter.com/ajbraus) - [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Scot: @scotmaupin (https://www.twitter.com/@scotmaupin)

adambraus.com (https://www.adambraus.com) (Link to Adam's projects and books)
The Perfect Show (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-perfect-show/id1579838291) (Scot's solo podcast)
The Numey (https://www.paywithnumey.com) (inflation-free currency)

Thanks to Jonah Burns for the SFM music.

Key topics

• In this episode, Adam Braus presents a “right to park” proposal for San Francisco: if a homeowner wants their driveway curb cut protected for car access, they pay an annual fee.
• Owen Raisch helps test the idea from an urbanist angle, emphasizing how the built environment shapes quality of life and transportation choices.
• Adam argues the policy would convert unused curb cuts into public street parking, potentially adding about 90,000 spaces in San Francisco.
• The discussion centers on the idea that the default should be public access to the curb unless someone pays for the private exemption.
• Adam says the proposal is less about raising revenue and more about efficiency, since many curb cuts are unused much of the time.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro and Owen’s return as guest
03:05 - The core idea: pay to protect a driveway curb cut
04:23 - How much parking this could add
05:09 - The parking problem this solves
06:18 - Why curb cuts are effectively private use of public space
07:11 - What homeowners already pay versus what the curb cut would cost
11:17 - Comparing the fee to existing street and commercial parking costs
12:39 - Why this creates car-on-car incentives, not just anti-car politics
13:31 - The stat about cars circulating while looking for parking
15:22 - The real yearly cost of car ownership
17:01 - What else that money could be used for instead
18:10 - Why this is not anti-car, but pro-efficiency
19:38 - Where the revenue could go
20:20 - Why San Francisco already considered a similar idea
22:08 - Existing red curb protections and how this could scale them
24:13 - Self-driving cars and whether they change the parking calculus
26:11 - How car ownership changes how people think about transportation
28:00 - This is a driveway tax, not a car tax
29:08 - Why the proposal matches the city that actually exists today
31:24 - Why San Francisco is different from other cities
34:52 - How more parking could unlock more housing density
39:24 - The bike highway idea and removing some parking for protected corridors
41:33 - Why car drivers may benefit from fewer cars overall
44:41 - Bikes, danger, and the asymmetry with cars
46:23 - Naming the proposal “Right to Park”
48:52 - Why the reform is a paradigm shift, not a total fix
51:34 - Wrap-up and closing

Video of episode:

https://youtu.be/nDhTnWu7RGo

Begs the Question: Bring Back the Real Meaning
Adam Braus and Scot Maupin unpack one of the most misused phrases in modern argument, explaining what “begs the question” actually means and why getting it right matters. This episode is a lively defense of logic, careful language, and evidence-based thinking, with plenty of examples from politics, culture, parenting, and current tech hype.
In this episode, Adam and Scot focus on restoring “begs the question” to its original meaning: circular reasoning. They also trace how the phrase gets misused as “invites the question,” and why that confusion weakens everyday arguments.
Key topics
Adam defines “begs the question” as circular reasoning, not “raises a question”
Examples of the fallacy from stealing, religion, politics, and everyday speech
Why logical fallacies are ways of sounding reasonable while actually being irrational
The difference between saying something is “circular” versus simply “invites the question”
How people misuse the phrase constantly, often without realizing it
Why clearer logic terms can help identify weak arguments and bad beliefs faster
How circular reasoning shows up in anti-vaccine claims, flat-earth reasoning, and nationalism


Timestamps
(00:00) - Opening banter and the setup for today’s solution

(00:49) - Adam introduces the case for restoring “begs the question”

(02:12) - The actual definition: a logical fallacy and circular reasoning

(03:58) - Ad hominem as an example of a logical fallacy

(04:36) - Straw man arguments and why distortion replaces real rebuttal

(05:06) - Slippery slope reasoning and exaggerated consequences

(05:22) - “Begs the question” explained as circular proof

(06:18) - Familiar examples: stealing, the Bible, and self-justifying beliefs

(06:55) - More circular examples, including free speech and trustworthiness

(07:40) - Defining a word with itself and why that fails as reasoning

(08:00) - Why people keep using the phrase wrong

(09:29) - The modern misuse: “invites the question”

(10:35) - How to correctly use the phrase in conversation

(11:25) - Flat-earth reasoning as a circular argument

(12:19) - “America is the greatest” and other self-referential claims

(13:11) - Why calling out a fallacy can instantly lower trust in a claim

(14:03) - “Invites the question” versus “begs the question”

(15:35) - Alternative facts and why Adam sees circular reasoning underneath them

(16:33) - Real facts versus claims that collapse into self-reference

(17:17) - Scot’s point about evidence-based thinking versus vibes

(18:01) - Feelings are valid, but false objectivity is the problem

(19:17) - Why people should be more honest about discomfort and bias

(19:40) - Crypto, Bitcoin, and other bubble logic

(22:21) - AI hype, apocalyptic claims, and circular reasoning around innovation

(25:26) - The “if we don’t do it, China will” argument

(28:29) - Parenting, sleep deprivation, and a brief equipment detour

(31:02) - How to insert the phrase into pop culture and social media

(33:50) - Teaching logic in school and saving people time and frustration

(35:06) - Bringing “begs the question” back as a cultural correction

(36:15) - Technically correct people and the idea of an “International Begs the Question Day”

(37:12) - White supremacy as a circular argument

(39:20) - Left-wing examples: rent, housing scarcity, and vague explanations

(40:33) - Final tech check and wrap-up

Send us Fan Mail

Video of our full episode:

https://youtu.be/lXcLIrSqddY

In this episode, Adam Braus and Scot Maupin explore the concept of market socialism, its misconceptions, and how it can be a practical and appealing alternative to traditional socialism and capitalism. They discuss how branding, policy, and public perception can shape the future of socialist ideas.

keywordsmarket socialism, socialism, capitalism, public policy, branding, economic reform, social safety nets, free markets, Scandinavian countries, political strategy

key topics

* The difference between socialism and market socialism
* Why branding matters in political ideology
* How Scandinavian countries implement market socialism
* The role of regulation in a socialist economy
* The misconception of central planning in socialism
* The impact of poverty and homelessness on society
* The importance of safety nets and social programs
* The potential for market socialism to enhance freedom and innovation



Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to the episode

(00:22) The need to rebrand socialism as market socialism

(01:09) Differences between democratic socialism and market socialism

(02:43) The misconception of central planning in socialism

(04:17) Modern socialists and their beliefs in free markets

(06:29) Branding and political strategy in socialism

(08:34) The role of regulation and competition in market socialism

(12:07) The impact of inheritance and billionaires in capitalism

(15:23) The importance of safety nets and social safety programs

(19:17) Examples from Scandinavian countries

(23:23) Barriers to starting businesses in Scandinavian countries

(28:32) The concept of sewer socialism and its benefits

(33:23) The Peter tax and taxing the wealthy fairly

(36:36) The evolution of socialist ideas post-Cold War

(40:33) The moral and fiscal benefits of eliminating poverty

(44:09) The rise of market socialism and its acceptance

(49:29) How to promote market socialism effectively

(50:54) Closing remarks and call to action

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Comments? Feedback? Questions? Solutions? Message us! We will do a mailbag episode.

Email: [email protected]
Adam: @ajbraus - [email protected]
Scot: @scotmaupin

adambraus.com (Link to Adam's projects and books)
The Perfect Show (Scot's solo podcast)

Thanks to Jonah Burns for the SFM music.