Thinking On Paper

In Chapter 6 of Irreducible, by Federico Faggin, Mark and Jeremy get into what makes living cells tick and why machines will never be conscious.What is “live information” and how does it blend matter, energy, and data into life? How can machines be alive if they don't know, if they can't know what it's like to be aware? How can AI be conscious when it can't feel? Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Irreducible

(02:54) Exploring the Nature of Life

(05:54) Biology Vs Information

(09:04) Consciousness and Free Will

(12:10) The Hard Problem of Consciousness

(15:12) The Future of AI and Consciousness

(18:03) Science Fiction and Human Experience

(20:52) Differences Between Cells and Computers

(27:01) Conclusion and Reflections on Consciousness

On the 26th september, 1983, in the midst of the Cold War, the world was saved from nuclear disaster because of a human.

An Ai wouldn't have seen the patterns and World War 3 would have been triggered. We're reading chapters 4 and 5 of Irreducible. And he lays out the groundwork for a new theory of consciousness.

He proposes it's fundamental to the universe. And the repercussions of that are monumental.

Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to the Battle for Attention

(01:01) The Cold War and Stanislav Petrov's Decision

(03:40) The Nature of Information

(16:40) Consciousness vs. Machines

(24:12) Coding DNA and Human Intuition

(26:51) Curiosity and Creativity: The Human Experience

(32:26) Live Information: Energy, Matter, and Consciousness

(34:40) The Nature of Meaning and Consciousness

(38:02) Quantum Computing and Its Mysteries

(44:47) Consciousness and Free Will: A Philosophical Inquiry

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Watch Chapter 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeqTB-q-W10&t=42sWatch Chapter 3 & 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0EynDKlcnE&t=79s&ab_channel=ThinkingOnPaper

Space-based solar power is the focus of this episode with Sanjay Vijendran, former European Space Agency lead on space-based solar power and founder of Space Energy Insights.

We explore whether solar farms in orbit could collect sunlight above the clouds and beam clean energy back to Earth.

The conversation explains why space-based solar power is being reconsidered now, from climate change and energy poverty to reusable rockets, falling launch costs, in-space manufacturing and lunar resources.

You'll learn about wireless power transmission, radio frequency versus laser power beaming, safety, public perception, regulation, and the challenge of turning a 50-year-old idea into a serious clean-energy technology.

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Thinking on Paper is a technology podcast about AI, Space, quantum computing, science, and the systems shaping the future. 

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Chapters

(00:00) Space Based Solar Intro

(01:03) What Is Space-Based Solar Power

(02:41) Energy Poverty

(05:03) The Viability of Space-Based Solar Power

(07:23) Wireless Power Transmission

(10:14) Technical Challenges of Scaling Up

(12:03) Cost Considerations and Economic Viability

(14:27) Future of Manufacturing in Space

(17:15) Hot Takes and Personal Insights

(19:55) Economics of Space-Based Solar Power

(29:21) Understanding Energy Sources

(31:22) Private Companies in Space-Based Solar Power

(33:19) RF vs. Lasers

(35:47) Safety Mechanisms in Space-Based Power Systems

(41:06) Collaboration vs. Competition

(42:37) Political and Cultural Barriers

(46:44) Investing in Space-Based Solar Power   

Jihao Sun, co-founder of Flock.io, joins Mark and Jeremy to Think on Paper about decentralized AI. LLMs that trains locally, protect privacy, and reward users. They get into data ownership, blockchain-based training, and whether federated learning can really compete with centralized giants.

If your data is building the next generation of AI, who’s it building it for? And why aren’t you in control?

Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

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CHAPTERS

(00:08) Introduction to Decentralized AI

(01:33) The Importance of Decentralization in AI

(04:40) Accessibility and Cost of AI Technology

(07:53) Understanding Federated Learning

(11:38) Challenges of Centralized AI Systems

(14:30) Exploring Federated Learning in Banking

(17:10) Blockchain's Role in Decentralized AI

(20:45) Democratizing AI Development with Flock

(26:49) Real-World Use Cases of Flock

(32:56) The Evolution of Parenting and Technology

(35:28) Decentralization vs Centralization in AI

(36:31) Future of Decentralized AI Models

(37:29) Understanding AI Hallucinations

(41:23) The Role of Synthetic Data

(44:59) Getting Involved with Decentralized AI

(45:53) Staying Out of Your Own Way

(47:03) Final Thoughts on Decentralization and AI

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Learn more:www.flock.io

www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

We're reading Chapter 3 of Irreducible by Federico Faggin, and he argues that consciousness is rooted in the quantum nature of life, something potentially inaccessible to classical, deterministic machines. If that's true, AI consciousness is impossible.

Faggin contrasts the symbolic processing of computers with the dynamic, self-organizing behavior of living systems. He suggests that real understanding isn’t just non-algorithmic, it may be inseparable from the quantum coherence found in biological life.

Are we mistaking simulation for sentience?

Please enjoy the show. And share with a conscious friend.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Consciousness and Meditation

(05:00) The Nature of Machines

(09:56)Computers vs. Humans

(15:50) Quantum Consciousness and Its Implications

(20:49) The Evolution of Humanity vs. Machines

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Learn more: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

When Hollywood passed on RZR, David Bianchi chose to build the series independently.

He used NFTs to finance production, retained creative control, and incorporated AI tools such as Midjourney into the development process. The result was an Emmy-nominated science-fiction series created outside the traditional studio system.

In this episode, Bianchi explains how Hollywood uses AI, where those tools are genuinely useful, and what independent creators can gain by controlling their funding, production and intellectual property.

We discuss:

• How NFTs helped fund RZR without surrendering ownership

• How Bianchi used AI tools during production and what they saved

• What final cut means for an independent creator

• The practical limits and advantages of Web3 financing

• Why creative ownership matters as studios and platforms adopt AI

This is a conversation about AI in Hollywood, independent production and the economics of creative control. It examines what becomes possible when filmmakers use new technology without relying on the traditional studio model.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Beyond Hollywood Gates: Funding Film with Web3

(05:28) TikTok to Emmy: Finding New Talent in the Digital Age

(11:07) Own the Story: How NFTs are Changing Fan Engagement (22:42) AI vs. Artist? Democratizing Creativity on Screen

(31:26) Dystopian Visions, Real Tech: Learning from Sci-Fi (37:53) Finding Calm in Chaos: Bianchi's Creative Process

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Learn more: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

Is quantum based panpsychism a valid explanation of our experience? Is the universe made of conscious units know as seities? Does the universe want to know itself? Federico Faggin thinks so.

It's a book club, captain, but not as we know it. Please enjoy the show. And share with a curious friend.

• Why classical physics broke under its own weight

• What quantum mechanics tells us about the nature of reality

• Why observation, not code, might be the missing piece

• What separates comprehension from computation

• And why AGI might be chasing the wrong target

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Timestamps

(00:00) Exploring Consciousness and Reality

(02:14) Federico's Background

(03:15) The Evolution of Scientific Thought

(05:59) The Nature of Quantum Reality

(08:01) Understanding Axioms and Mathematics

(10:41) The Interconnectedness of Existence

(12:20) The Role of Measurement in Reality

(17:44) The Nature of Particles and Consciousness

(21:01 Non-Locality and Quantum Entanglement

(24:39 Consciousness: The Knowing-Existing Loop

(28:46) Machines vs. Conscious Beings

(32:46) The Intersection of Consciousness and Reality

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Learn more and join the book club: ⁠www.thinkingonpaper.xyz⁠

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Catch up on the next episodes of the Irreducible Book Club on YouTube: https://youtu.be/A0Ok3ObtwSk?si=n_pSgA_JIOS-BRKG

Ajay Patel, Head of World ID at Tools for Humanity, joins Mark and Jeremy to discuss digital identity in the age of artificial intelligence.

As AI-generated content spreads across the internet and bots become harder to distinguish from people, existing verification systems are starting to fail. CAPTCHAs are increasingly ineffective, while conventional identity checks often require users to hand over sensitive personal information.

World ID proposes a different model: verifying that someone is a unique human without revealing their identity. The system combines iris biometrics, zero-knowledge proofs and decentralised infrastructure to create what Tools for Humanity describes as a privacy-preserving proof of personhood.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Sam Altman’s World ID system works

• Why World ID uses iris scans to verify unique humans

• What zero-knowledge proofs mean for online privacy

• Whether biometric data can ever be collected safely

• How AI agents and bots are changing digital identity

• What happens when platforms can no longer tell humans from machines

The conversation examines the technical design, privacy concerns and wider implications of World ID. It also asks a more fundamental question: what kind of internet remains when proving you’re human becomes difficult?

Please enjoy the episode and share it with someone interested in AI, digital identity and online privacy.

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Timestamps

(00:00) Intro: Future of Digital Identity & AI Challenges

(01:15) Meet Ajay Patel: Head of World ID at Tools for Humanity

(01:44) WorldID: Why Digital Identity Matters in the Age of AI

(05:40) Global Digital Identity for 8 Billion Humans

(07:38) AI in 2025: How Advanced is AI Really?

(08:17) AI Bypassing CAPTCHA: The Security Crisis

(12:54) ZK Proofs Explained: Privacy-Preserving Tech Behind World ID

(15:20) How World ID’s Iris Scan Works (No Data Stored!)

(18:54) World ID Data Security: Breaking Down Multi-Party Computation

(22:56) Hot Button Q&A: Apple vs Android, AGI Threats, & More

(24:19) World ID Use Cases: Gaming, Voting, & Anti-Bot Systems

(25:13) Exclusive: World ID x Razer to End Gaming Cheats

(30:56) AI Hype vs Reality: Are Bots Just “Yes Men on Servers”?

(35:35) Decentralizing World ID: Open Protocol, No Corporate Control

(38:15) Question for Next Guest: Hollywood’s David Bianchi on AI & Art

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Thank you for Thinking On Paper. Your future self will thank you.   

In the final chapter of Nexus, Yuval Noah Harari argues that artificial intelligence could divide the world into competing digital empires, each built on separate hardware, software, data and political systems.

Mark and Jeremy examine Harari’s idea of a “Silicon Curtain” and what it could mean for the future of AI, geopolitics and the internet. Rather than producing one shared technological future, AI may accelerate the fragmentation of the global information system.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What Harari means by the Silicon Curtain

• How the United States and China are building competing AI ecosystems

• The role of data colonialism in the development of artificial intelligence

• How avatars, deepfakes and digital identities affect our understanding of reality

• Why digital personas may become more influential than physical individuals

• How software, data and computing infrastructure are reshaping geopolitical power

• Whether societies can build more reliable information networks in an increasingly divided world

  
  

This episode isn’t primarily about artificial general intelligence. It’s about who controls AI systems, how those systems shape perception, and whether a shared global information order can survive.

Please enjoy the show.

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Chapters

(00:00) Disruptors and curious minds

(01:54) My AI Epiphany

(02:54) The precondition for cooperation isn't similarity. It's the ability to exchange information

(04:28) AI Pessimism - How many nefarious bad actors do you need

(05:50) The Liverpool Manchester Train moment for AI

(06:48) Google was an AI company in 2002

(08:21) Cats and consciousness

(08:55) ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge

(11:50) The mind-body problem and online identities

(15:26) Veneer theory and realism

(17:22) Data colonialism and digital "cocoons"

(21:58) Epilogue: Create wiser networks

(24:13) How to be wise in the age of AI

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Read books with us: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

In Chapter 10 of Nexus, Yuval Noah Harari examines whether artificial intelligence will strengthen authoritarian regimes or expose weaknesses within them.

Dictatorships rely on fear, loyalty and centralised control. AI feels no fear, has no political allegiance and can process information at a scale no human bureaucracy can match. That could make it an effective tool for surveillance and censorship. It could also create new problems for regimes that depend on controlling what their institutions know and say.

In this episode of the Thinking on Paper Book Club, Mark and Jeremy discuss AI, dictatorship and the structure of authoritarian power.

We cover:

• How authoritarian governments could use AI for surveillance and censorship

• What happens when an AI system identifies contradictions in the ideology it is trained to enforce

• How algorithmic censorship could complicate attempts to erase people and events from history

• Why dictatorships struggle with complexity and accurate feedback

• How information failures weaken totalitarian systems

• What the Russell-Einstein Manifesto can teach us about the risks of AI

• Whether machines could destabilise the political systems they were built to protect

AI could give authoritarian governments more control over citizens, institutions and information. But it could also make their internal contradictions harder to contain.

This episode asks whether AI will become the most powerful instrument of dictatorship yet, or a source of instability that authoritarian leaders cannot fully control.

Please enjoy the book club. 

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CHAPTERS

(00:00) Disruptors and curious minds

(00:21) AI spectrum of doom - utopia

(02:10) Damnatio memoriae

(04:28) The Alignment Problem Russian Style

(06:45) Self correcting mechanisms for totalitarian nut-jobs

(09:05) Super Machiavellian AI

(09:51) The Russell-Einstein Manifesto

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