Didn't get proper notes because I was on the move. Interview was constructed as a series of elaborations on articles Flo has written. Made me want to read his blog.
Some random quotes I remember:
- "I’m bullish on the White collar gig economy"
- “Radical egalitarianism is eating the world?”
- "Peter Zeihan - no matter what American does in the next 20 to 30 years, they’re fine. We’re subsidising the global order."
- Thinking in public - People massively overestimate the downside and underestimate the upside.

• "Diagnostic signs" for emotions don't exist
• "We all think we know what emotions are but no-one can define them"
• "There's no one co-ordinated package for "anger" that looks the same every time"
• Often a certain emotion incents withdrawal, but sometimes the same emotion incents approaching it. See rollercoasters, scary movies, haunted houses, "disgust parties".
• I would define emotion how I define thinking - your brain is "conjuring" emotions in the exact same way
• "Anything which is learned is wired"
• "An infant brain is not a miniature adult brain". It's awaiting wiring instructions from the world.
  • The Muller Lyer illusion (where your brain perceives one line as longer than another because of the edges) doesn't work in some cultures, because their brains weren't exposed to the same shapes as those in the western world.

• Ani is impressively well-read and polymathic.

• Highlights

  • Money and code are isomorphic forms of free speech.
  • Black elephant - huge monstrous problem staring us in the face but no one acknowledges it.
  • What’s lacking in biotech is "What is our mission?"
  • Population is the biggest engine of growth of technology and progress.
  • Crypto is the fastest growing antithesis to the cultural apathy we have. People are seeing you either own your own methods of production or no one will even look at you.
  • Bones of contention: Rise of social impact courses in Stanford tells us people hate atheism?

• Show Notes

  • Why people don’t crave scientific advancement.
  • What the postmodern solution to the desire to be part of religion might look like.
  • What “the iPhone moment for cities” might look like.
  • His thoughts on stagnation.
  • His analysis of Thiel’s idea that “every bubble is a commentary on capitalism.”
  • The state of biotech and the future of the FDA post-COVID.
  • Why COVID will be an accelerant for crypto.
  • His thoughts on the space industry.
  • Why he thinks that moreso than “it’s time to build,” it’s time to tinker.

• Slow start & slow speakers. Listen at 1.7x
• Didn't have notes out while listening, but from memory:
  • Covers the basics of how sleep works.
  • Affects of alcohol on sleep.
  • Authors thoughts on Covid-19 vaccine - when it'll come available and how it'll be rolled out.
  • Impact of sleep on vaccine uptake.
  • 5 tips for good sleep hygiene
  • Then covers issues with the book (Alexey Guzey wrote a long blog post on this)
  • 17 factual errors
  • Doubling of cancer risk claim is true of certain types of cancer (ovarian) but not true as a blanket statement.
  • Seemed to rescind the claim that there aren't any biological functions that do not benefit by a good night’s sleep, citing studies on depression.
  • 2nd edition coming out soon.

• One of the best podcasts I listened to this week - good example of how to talk about important things without having the conversation devolve or get heated.
• Vincent seems smart but overly cynical. One of those people who has important insights but whose disdain dampens the credibility of his claims. He can be irritatingly condescending.
• Courtland and Vincent clearly have very different opinions on the Tech vs Media debate, and you can tell neither is holding back. But because there's trust between them, the conversation remains a conversation.

One of my favourite podcast episodes. A lot of gems about communication within teams, many of which are as applicable to interpersonal relationships outside the workplace.