Zengineering: A Philosophy of Science, Technology, Art & Engineering

Summary

In this episode, the hosts reflect on their journey through podcasting, discussing the evolution of their show, the importance of enthusiasm in creativity, and the intersection of technology and personal growth. They explore how everything can be viewed through a technological lens, emphasizing the need for effective communication in entrepreneurship and the creative process. The conversation highlights the significance of maintaining enthusiasm and the role of technology in shaping modern life.

Takeaways

The podcast is back for a new season after a five-year break.
Reflecting on past episodes helps shape future content.
Entrepreneurship and creativity are central themes for the new season.
Enthusiasm is crucial for personal and professional growth.
Everything can be viewed through a technological lens.
The importance of effective communication in business.
Practicing enthusiasm can lead to genuine excitement.
Technology is not just gadgets; it's about techniques and processes.
The evolution of technology changes our perception of it.
Maintaining a balance between personal and professional life is essential.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome Back to the Podcast
03:55 Personal and Professional Updates
09:50 Creative Energy and Purpose
14:47 Celebrating Success and Overcoming Anxiety
20:09 Exploring Science Communication and Enthusiasm
23:21 The Intersection of Hobbies and Business
26:11 Season Two: A New Direction for the Podcast
29:16 The Value of Podcasting in Modern Media
32:09 The Importance of Spontaneity in Conversations
35:04 Understanding Technology and Its Evolution
38:12 Everything is Technology: A Broader Perspective
41:15 The Role of Engineering in Business
44:16 The Philosophy of Technology and Its Impact
47:01 Listener Engagement and Future Topics

Wassup Zengineers!?

It's been a minute. How's stuff?

We'll keep it simple. ChatGPT dropped... and it's cool enough that we had to bring in a guest and do an episode about it. 

That's it. We hope you enjoy it.

✌️ Kerp

More Ramsay here:

https://twitter.com/_ramsaybrown

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramsaybr/

Wassup Zengineers!

I've had this sitting on my desktop for a couple years at this point. Had some time, so I finally processed it. Enjoy. Hope all is well 🚀

✌️Kerp

Howdy, Zengineers!

Did you know everything you do all day runs on software? Yup. It’s true. Everything. Well … I mean, not EVERYTHING, but pretty much everything. Your car. Your electricity. Your phone. Your computer. Your TV. Even our dishwashers and blenders, doorbells and lights, all run on software. There’s no way around it.

Software is powerful and enables the technologies we’ve all become accustomed to. But what’s so unique about it? Well, one of the primary drivers behind software’s viral spread is that once you digitize something, you can share it with everyone at almost no additional cost. The same cannot be said about the tires on my car, or the wood used to make my front door. Since sharing software is virtually free, free-software has come to rule the world. And, that’s Open Source. Software anyone can access, anyone can build upon, and anyone can get the benefit of… often, at no cost.

The engineers and designers behind the software that runs the world realized decades ago that innovation is enabled when these software solutions are shared openly and freely. Business can grow faster. Money can be made more efficiently. Lives can be made better… all because we share with one another, and collaborate on the world’s big problems through Open Source Software.

What a joy, you might say. So smart. So wonderful. I can’t believe it. Well … believe it. Your phone may have software on it that you paid for, but your phone simply would not work and, quite frankly, would not even exist, if it weren’t for people AND BUSINESSES freely sharing critical softwares systems with each other. This revolution is starting to come to other industries, as well, as the marginal cost of other technologies continues to be driven down. What an innovative and functional time to be alive. Who uses those words to express the thrill of life? Nerds, baby. Er… I mean, Zengineers!!

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as you enjoy all the Open Source Software enabled technologies that you’re using right now.

Support the show: http://support.zengineeringpodcast.com

Visit our website for more episodes: http://zengineeringpodcast.com

Cheers,

Adam & Brian

Show Notes

Wikipedia: Open Source Software: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_software

Wired’s Guide to Open Source: https://www.wired.com/story/wired-guide-open-source-software/

Unix v. Linux: https://www.softwaretestinghelp.com/unix-vs-linux/#:~:text=Linux%20refers%20to%20the%20kernel,family%20of%20derived%20operating%20systems

Top 10 Open Source Hall of Famers: https://www.cio.com/article/3404462/top-10-open-source-hall-of-famers.html

Hi, Zengineers!

Show Notes

Hey, Zengineers!!

We’ve got one of those easy to do and easy to listen to nerd bomb episodes this week. SUPERHEROES!! Also comic books. Yay. What fun? Yes, we agree. Stoked, so let’s get after it.

This one is all about why we care, and why we’re interested. We touch on the persistence of mythology throughout history, and how it’s morphed and evolved into modern mythologies. Part of the intrigue and power comes from the media through which comics are presented … a spectrum of words v. pictures. We wrestle with the guilt that is often associated with reading picture books, and address the true value of the graphic novel.

As always, Adam takes us all the way back to cave paintings, which are the first graphic novels. See … it started here! We hit some of the history of comics, modern stories, movies, and media, and drive it all home with the notion of heroes inspiring all media and everything we do in life. What fun!

We hope you enjoy this episode and are inspired to read some old stories, or go pick up some comics and explore them if they are new to you. Go ask for some adult graphic novels … but no, not like ADULT graphic novels, but … for adults. I mean, they make XXX graphic novels, too … which is interesting and for another episode. The point is … the medium is amazing and dynamic and we think you’ll love it if new, or continue to love it if you already do.

Support the show: http://support.zengineeringpodcast.com

Visit our website for more episodes: https://zengineeringpodcast.com

Cheers,

Adam & Brian

Hey, Zengineers!!

This week we’re going deep into the void of the unknown, to unravel the deepest mysteries of our universe. How will we get there? What will we discover? No one knows, and that’s what’s so exciting about it. So, let’s get right to our conversation about A Grand Unified Theory of Physics.

We’re always thinking about this a little bit. After all we’re recliner physicists, but this week we were inspired by a new release from Stephen Wolfram, that wild and wacky entrepreneur, engineer, inventor, philosopher, and all around crazy guy, behind well ... all kinds of weird and interesting shit. Yeah, scope him out and read his new article about his own unified theory of physics (see the show notes).

This is a fun one to bounce around in, because if you’re loose with the topic, it can kind go anywhere. After all, it’s about what makes our universe our universe. We chase some of the physics, some of the philosophy, and lots of the fun as we spiral around the rules of all rules.

We hope you enjoy this episode and all the amazing things you can read and watch and listen to online as you explore this topic more on your own.

Support the show: http://support.zengineeringpodcast.com

Visit our website for more episodes: https://zengineeringpodcast.com

Cheers,

Adam & Brian

Show Notes

Stephen Wolfram’s New Post on his own unified theory of physics: https://writings.stephenwolfram.com/2020/04/finally-we-may-have-a-path-to-the-fundamental-theory-of-physics-and-its-beautiful/

Wikipedia on the theory of everything: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_everything

Wolfram Alpha, the science search engine: https://www.wolframalpha.com/

Howdy, Zengineers!!

Hey there Zengineers,

Cheers,

Adam & Brian

https://twitter.com/dorna_moini

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_v._Wainwright

http://www.lalawlibrary.org/index.php/hidden-classes/178-lawyers-in-the-library.html

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

https://www.justice.gov/archives/atj

Heyo Zengineers,

As you might be able to appreciate, things are a bit nuts out there (and over here) right now. So, we're gonna be shorter on our descriptions for a bit in favor of keeping the episodes coming. But, we know that's what you're here for anyway. So, probably all good, right? 

This one is about Cognitive Bias. Which, like any good Zengineering topic, could be a whole podcast on its own. We run down what it is, what a "hot bias" vs. a "cold bias" is, where they come from and how they impact our ability to think clearly especially when we're fired up. We also run through a couple of specific ones. 

Enjoy, and stay safe out there (by staying inside!)

Here's some links if  you want to chase the rabbit-holes deeper!

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

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-cognitive-bias-2794963

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

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

https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/guides/betting-psychology/avoiding-gamblers-fallacy/

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

https://fs.blog/2019/12/survivorship-bias/

https://twitter.com/manster_mash/status/1202599809141661698