Hence The Future

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 113 - The Silurian Hypothesis Sep 22, 2020

Show notes

Are we the first advanced civilization on earth? 🧐

In this episode, Mattimore explores a thought experiment known as the Silurian Hypothesis. The Silurian Hypothesis seeks to answer a seemingly obvious question: Are we the first advanced civilization on earth? How do we know?

Topics Discussed:

What is the Silurian Hypothesis?
Why this thought experiment is useful
Defining “advanced civilization”
Looking back through earth’s history
The development of hominid species
Pre-hominid boom and bust cycles
The 6 mass extinction events
Limitations to seeing into the past
Traces of civilization that survive longest
The archaeological method
Plate tectonics, weather, entropy
Conditions needed for fossilization
What makes PETM especially interesting
Assessing the Silurian hypothesis
References in ancient history
The search for exoplanets

Future Scenarios:

Worst cast scenario
Best case scenario
Most likely scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #silurianhypothesis

Ep. 112 - Quantum Mechanics and The Many Worlds Interpretation Sep 15, 2020

Show notes

Into the Quantum Multiverse 🌌

In this episode, Mattimore explores the various interpretations of quantum mechanics, including The Copenhagen Interpretation, The Many Worlds Interpretation, Hidden Variable Theory, Quantum Field Theory, The Simulation Hypothesis, and Hilbert Space

Topics Discussed:

The #1 question in all of quantum mechanics
Contrasting classical and quantum realities
The double slit experiment and wave-particle duality
Schrödinger equation, technology, and modeling reality
Arguments for and against the Copenhagen interpretation
Arguments for and against the Many Worlds interpretation
The narrow scope of our own perception
Mental models for conceiving of reality

Rapid Fire Concepts:

The Simulation Hypothesis
Hidden Variable Theory
Quantum Field Theory
Hilbert Space

Future Scenarios:

Worst Case Scenario
Best Case Scenario
Most Likely Scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #quantummechanics #manyworldsinterpretation #manyworldstheory #copenhageninterpretation #hiddenvariabletheory #quantumfieldtheory #simulationhypothesis #hilbertspace #multiverse #quantumphysics

Ep. 111 - The Rise of Solopreneurship with Zuby Sep 08, 2020

Show notes

Rise of the Solopreneur 👨‍💻🚀

In this episode, Mattimore sits down with renowned rapper, podcaster, and creative entrepreneur, Zuby, to discuss why more and more people are choosing solopreneurship, and what that means for the future...

Broad Topics:

Why so many are choosing solopreneurship
Working for yourself vs working for/with someone else
How to maximize your potential and achieve freedom
The hard work it takes to become an “overnight success”
How to get started on the path of solopreneurship
Power of building something that compounds in value
Authenticity and attracting the right audience
Phenomenon of “bullsh*t jobs” and inefficiencies
Time management tactics as a solopreneur

Rapid Fire Questions:

Predictions on unemployability and automation
By what year, if ever, will we machines become smarter than humans?
Will consciousness arise in machines that have sufficient intelligence?
What do you perceive as the biggest threat to human civilization?
What new technology or innovation are you most excited about?

Future Scenarios:

Worst case scenario
Best case scenario
Most likely scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #solopreneurship #riseofthesolopreneur

Ep. 110 - What They Don’t Teach Teens with Jonathan Cristall, Esq. Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

Life safety skills that aren’t taught in schools ⚠️

In this episode, Mattimore sits down with Jonathan Cristall, veteran LA prosecutor and author of the forthcoming book “What They Don’t Teach Teens,” to discuss how to navigate the various “land mines” of adolescence.

Broad Topics:

JC’s perspective as a prosecutor, father, and former troubled teen
Knowing your rights during police interactions
How to improve the criminal justice system
What to do when you’re pulled over at a traffic stop
Do you have to answer police officer’s questions?
Is it lawful to film the police? New iOS feature
Do you have to comply with a police search?
Knowing your 4th and 5th amendment rights
The myth that (undercover) cops cannot lie to you
How to end police interactions: “Am I free to go or am I being detained?”
Situational awareness and “keeping your head on a swivel”
How to protect yourself in a robbery scenario
How to protect yourself in a kidnapping scenario
Sextortion and what to do if it happens to you
The 80/60/50 rule and misconceptions around sexual assault
Your digital footprint, and staying safe online
Active vs passive digital footprint
Negative vs positive digital footprint
How to clean up a troublesome past
Predictions for the future

Future Scenarios:

Worst case scenario
Best case scenario
Most likely scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #wtdtt #lifesafetyskills

Ep. 109 - The Future of Being a Kid with Coach Steve Morris Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

Being a Kid in the Digital Age 👾

In this episode, Mattimore sits down with Steve Morris, author of the best-selling book: “What Size Balls Do I Need?” to explore how the essence of what it means to be a kid is changing…

Broad Topics:

What has changed about being a kid in 2020?
The importance of sports for childhood development
At what age kids should be allowed unregulated screen time
At what age kids should be allowed to have social media accounts
How to balance the pros and cons of being a “digital native”
The natural progression of humans already being cyborgs
Kids being able to “fact check” parents and teachers
The future of education, college, and learning
The future of jobs, income, and automation
Policies for improving childhood wellbeing

Rapid Fire Questions:

Does college still make sense from a cost-benefit perspective?
By what year will machines become smarter than humans?
Will sufficiently intelligent machines also have consciousness?
What will be the average lifespan of kids born in the year 2020?
What will the most sought-after job be for kids growing up in 2030?
One piece of advice you could give to every kid in America right now?

Future Scenarios:

Worst case scenario
Best case scenario
Most likely scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #futureofbeingakid

Ep. 108 - The Future of Cybernetics Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

The art of steering reality 𐃏

In this episode, Mattimore explores the future of cybernetics.

The inspiration for this episode is a quote from Elon Musk: "We're all plugged in like nodes on the network, like leaves on a big tree. We're all feeding this network with our questions and answers. We're all collectively programming the AI. We are all one giant cybernetic collective.”

Broad Topics:

What is cybernetics?
Cybernetics in the plant and animal world
Cybernetics in the human world
Psycho-cybernetics
Cybernetics in the machine world
Human-machine cybernetic collectives

Future Scenarios:

Worst Case Scenario
Best Case Scenario
Most Likely Scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #cybernetics

Ep. 107 - How to Survive a Cataclysm and Reboot Civilization Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

Surviving the apocalypse 🔥⛈🌋💣👾🪓

In this episode, Mattimore explores a thought experiment… What if civilization ended tomorrow?

What would you do if your devices stopped working, your water stopped running, and chaos broke out in the streets? Do you have a plan? Do you have the supplies needed to survive? Do you have the skills necessary to provide the basics - water, food, and shelter - for yourself and for those you love? Let’s say you and I are able to survive the apocalypse… how might we go about rebuilding civilization from scratch? Another way of asking the same question is: If civilization were started today, how might it progress differently than it did in our own history? And even if civilization doesn’t end anytime soon, what can we learn through this thought experiment about how best to colonize Mars and how improve life here on Earth?

The inspiration for this episode comes from a Richard Feynman quote…

When asked what sentence holds the most information in the fewest words, Richard Feynman said, “It is the atomic hypothesis… that all things are made of atoms - little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another.”

In the spirit of Richard Feynman, we’ve packed as much useful survival information as possible into this 37 minute episode. Enjoy!

Broad Topics:

Possible ways that civilization could end
How to go about getting the essentials?
Rule of 3’s: 3 mins no air, 3 days no water, 3 weeks no food
How to find, purify, and store water
How to think about food security
How to start growing your own
Key principles of farming
Four crop rotation
How to preserve food
Where to go for shelter
Urban vs rural living
Creating an ecosystem
Surviving the elements
How to generate charcoal
Harnessing a power supply
How civilization may progress differently
Leapfrogging the industrial revolution
The future is sustainable
Rebuilding from first principles
The scientific method
Collaboration as a superpower
Forming a system of governance
How best to colonize Mars
How to improve life on earth

Future Scenarios:

Worst case scenario
Best case scenario
Most likely scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #survivaltips

Ep. 106 - The Future of the Tech Titans with Alex Kantrowitz Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

How big technology companies - Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google - plan to stay on top forever 👾

In this episode, Alex Kantrowitz joins Mattimore to discuss his best-selling book, “Always Day One: How the Tech Titans Plan to Stay on Top Forever.”

Broad Topics:

The “Always Day One” mindset
How Apple’s minset is different
Google and the future of artificial intelligence
Amazon’s “hands off the wheel” culture
The future of automation, jobs, and innovation
Facebook’s feedback culture and rapid development pace
How to minimize disinformation while preserving free speech
Google’s collaborative culture and potential for AI dominance
The shift from a “gig economy” to a “hustle economy”
How changing US-China relations will impact big tech
Congress’ antitrust hearing

Rapid Fire Questions:

By what year do you predict we will achieve artificial super-intelligence?
Will consciousness eventually arise within AI systems?
What is the single greatest threat to human civilization right now?
What new tech development are you most excited about?
Should the US government ban Tik-Tok?

Future Scenarios:

Worst case scenario
Best case scenario
Most likely scenario

Thanks for tuning in 🔭

Website: hencethefuture.com/
Instagram: instagram.com/hencethefuture/
Twitter: twitter.com/hencethefuture
YouTube: youtube.com/c/HenceTheFuturePodcast
Hashtags: #HTF #hencethefuture #techtitans #bigtech #alexkantrowitz #alwaysdayone

Ep. 105 - GPT-3 and The Future of A.I. Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

What if you could write in plain English instead of code, and the computer would just… understand you? 🤔

In this episode, Mattimore explores the impact that GPT-3, and natural language processing algorithms at large, will have on our economy, our society, our workforce, and our collective future.

Broad Questions:

What is GPT-3?
Why is GPT-3 game changing?
What does the future look like?

GPT-3 Applications:

Debuild.co - Build any app. Simply describe what you want your app to do in plain English, and you can start using the app within seconds
Figma plugin - Describe any design in plain English, and GPT-3 will build the design assets for you in seconds
Email composer - Generate an email response in your personal style
Machine learning models - Generate code for a machine learning model by simply saying what you want the model to do in plain English
Jokes, Stories, Essays - Write stories, jokes, and insightful essays that people will *not* realize were written by an algorithm
Simplify the complex - Translate any complex information, such as quantum computing into something that a second grader can understand
Legal work - Translate any legal doc into plain English (or vice versa)
Chat bots and Smart Assistants - Why hire a personal assistant?
How GPT-3 works, and what makes it superior to GPT-2
Does GPT-3 pass the Turing test?

How NLP algorithms will transform: