The Functionally Imperative Podcast is dedicated to exploring play, creativity, and autotelic pursuits.

In this episode, I sit down with Robert Kelley Ayala on the Functionally Imperative Podcast to explore the emerging philosophical system of metamodernism. This episode navigates through various topics such as societal challenges, personal growth, the intricacies of modernism and postmodernism, and how to engage in a polarized world. Robert elaborates on metamodernism's foundations, its oscillation between opposing viewpoints, and its relevance to today's societal and individual development stages. Tune in for a deep dive into thought-provoking discussions around the evolution of society and individual self-determination. You should also check out Robert's Substack:

Nathan's Substack:

And check out my other podcast, Book Overflow, where I discusses software engineer books and occasionally interviews the authors ‪@BookOverflowPod‬

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00:00 Introduction to Growth and Change 00:34 Welcome to the Functionally Imperative Podcast 00:37 Introducing Metamodernism with Robert Kelley 02:54 Diving into Metamodernism 09:32 Phases of Personal and Societal Development 14:12 The Role of Metamodernism in Society 19:37 Political Polarization and Metamodernism 29:02 Personal Reflections and Global Perspectives 37:10 The Concept of Humanity Bath 46:37 Embracing Play and Openness 53:11 Seagulls from Another Dimension 54:05 The Playful Dolphin Concept 54:17 Claude Shannon: The Father of Information Theory 56:42 The Absurd Machine and Playfulness 57:27 The Importance of Play in Life 58:27 The Fascinating Behavior of Cats 01:01:22 Toxoplasmosis and Human Behavior 01:05:05 The Role of Viruses in Human Evolution 01:08:32 Metamodernism and Organizational Psychology 01:10:29 The Complexity of Human Relationships 01:11:40 The Dangers of Purity Tests 01:25:05 The Need for Free Speech and Understanding 01:39:39 The Future of Metamodern Consulting 01:43:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit functionallyimperative.com

In episode three, I have the pleasure of speaking with Thomas Burns ‪@ThomasBurns‬ .

I first came across his work when his YouTube video “The coolest robot I’ve ever built” (link below) went viral in the summer of 2023. Thomas is a Senior Hardware Engineer on staff at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences at UMass Amherst. I really enjoyed his perspectives on creativity, wandering, and finding your own path, and I think you will, too. We explore a wide array of topics, from allowing yourself to wander, charting your own path, taking risks, the intersection of creative and technical work and much more. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you do as well.

The Coolest Robot I've ever built - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO-DW...

I also have a substack where I send out a weekly newsletter. You can find that here: https://functionallyimperative.com/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit functionallyimperative.com

In the second episode, I have a conversation with @henryseg.

We explore a wide array of topics, from his creative process on and off YouTube, aphantasia, second life, to the intriguing past, present, and future of the internet. Henry Segerman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_S...

https://math.okstate.edu/people/seger...

You can find his book here: https://www.amazon.com/Visualizing-Ma... If you are curious, here is more information on Aphantasia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphantasia

Some of the other YouTube channels mentioned in the podcast are:

@vihartvihart @SteveMould @standupmaths @numberphile

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit functionallyimperative.com

In the first episode I have the pleasure of speaking with Dave Ackley. He is the creator of the T2 Tile Project and an advocate for robust-first and best-effort computing.

Dave Ackley@DaveAckley https://www.cs.unm.edu/~ackley/ T2 Tile Project@T2TileProject Other Links to stuff mentioned in this episode: Wintergatan (Marble Machine / Marble Machine X) @Wintergatan The Science of Can and Can't by Chiara Marletto (recommended by Nathan) https://www.amazon.com/Science-Can-Ca... Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse (Recommended by Dave) https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinit... I also make these episodes available on youtube, and you can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrVfzfVb_lii3hc7CiZUDyieH2QXIl4VZ I run a weekly newsletter called Functionally Imperative I'd love for you to check it out and subscribe

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit functionallyimperative.com