Infinite Loops

• John Kennedy — The Hidden Crisis in American Education (EP.253)

  John Kennedy, a director at the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation, is tackling an overlooked crisis in American education: air quality.  With the ingenious use of a simple $60 box fan, he's on a mission to revolutionize the health and learning environments of students nationwide. It's mind-boggling how much low-hanging fruit there is here. The difference that clean air makes to health and brain capacity is enormous, and it's a surprisingly cheap problem to fix. In fact, as you'll hear about halfway through our conversation, I was so convinced by John and the Corsi-Rosenthal team's solution that I committed to offering him a $100k Fellowship on the spot. But our discussion went far beyond air quality. John shared fascinating insights into the future of education—how we can reorganize it from the ground up to produce happy, healthy, and high-agency adults ready for the challenges of the 21st century. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: The Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation John’s LinkedIn John’s Twitter Show Notes: Nobody gets to choose the air they breathe… Why has air quality been overlooked? When Jim got stranded up a mountain How do you scale a K-12 solution? What would it cost to put a Cori-Rosenthal box in every New York classroom? Surprise! Welcome to the O’Shaughnessy Fellowships What would a model 21st-century K-12 system look like? How to overcome systemic inertia Do Charter schools work? Why public schools can’t mimic private school innovations What exciting developments are happening in edtech? What does public school look like in 2044? John as World Emperor MORE! Books Mentioned: The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America; by George Packer

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• Michael Strong — Let’s Get Socratical (EP.252)

  Michael Strong has spent decades quietly revolutionizing education by designing innovative schools and programs built around agency, critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity. He is the founder and CEO of The Socratic Experience, a virtual school that equips students for lifelong happiness and success through Socratic dialogue. Alongside his work in the US, he has educational consulting experience in multiple developing nations. And… he’s a fellow Minnesotan! Michael joins the show to discuss whether Socratic education can scale, the benefits of the Mormon model, why high agency is the default, and MUCH more! I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Michael’s Substack Twitter The Socratic Experience Show Notes: One book a night and mental chess - a Minnesotan childhood. Can Socratic education scale? Are we entrenching a new elite? Why high agency is the default Creating new subcultures & the benefits of the Mormon model Experimenting our way to prosperity Tearing down the citadel, secret censorship & claiming the moral high ground Prediction markets & why we should be betting on our reputation The heroic tradition of reason Michael as World Emperor MORE! Books Mentioned: Dr. Semmelweis vs. the World (Infinite Loops Substack) Ignore. Fight. Ridicule (Infinite Loops Substack) The Habit of Thought: From Socratic Seminars to Socratic Practice; by Michael Strong Be the Solution: How Entrepreneurs and Conscious Capitalists Can Solve All the World's Problems; by Michael Strong and John Mackey The Case Against Adolescence: Rediscovering the Adult in Every Teen; by Robert Epstein The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr The New Inquisition: Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science; by Robert Anton Wilson Hierarchy in the Forest: The Evolution of Egalitarian Behavior; by Christopher Boehm Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions; by Todd Rose Can Gambling Save Science? Encouraging an Honest Consensus; by Robin Hanson Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life; by Nassim Nicholas Taleb Hothouse Earth: An Inhabitant's Guide; by Bill McGuire Think in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts; by Annie Duke The Ultimate Resource; by Julian L. Simon Keep Your Identity Small; by Paul Graham

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• Sahil Bloom — A Multitude of Wealth (EP.251)

  Sahil Bloom, a prolific creator, founder and investor, has mastered the art of translating complex ideas about wealth and success into wisdom that resonates with millions. His newsletter, The Curiosity Chronicle, grew from just 100 readers to over 800,000 subscribers in three years - a testament to his ability to cut through the noise with clarity and insight. His upcoming book, "The 5 Types of Wealth," challenges our conventional understanding of what it means to be truly wealthy, arguing that financial success is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Here's what makes Sahil fascinating - he's built his empire not through traditional paths (he left his high paying private equity job), but by following his curiosity and sharing what he learns along the way. Today, we'll explore the frameworks that have helped him impact millions, why traditional definitions of success might be holding us back, and how Sahil’s relationship with time reshaped the way he thinks about wealth, wisdom, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Sahil’s Website Sahil’s Twitter Sahil’s Blog Show Notes: The Ripple Effect of spreading good ideas Sahil’s Origin Story The Finite Impermanence of Time Would you trade lives with Warren Buffett? The Loneliness Epidemic The Paradox of setting Big Goals and needing Small Steps to get there Why waking up at 5am can rewire your brain Why do people chase the wrong things? Jim and Sahil’s Memento Mori Factoring in the 5 Types of Wealth when making a decision What makes A Wonderful Life? Money As a Byproduct of Pursuing Purpose Sahil’s Message As World Emperor Books Mentioned: Zorba the Greek; by Nikos Kazantzakis Adventures of a Bystander; by Peter Drucker The Anxious Generation; by Jonathan Haidt Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu Collective Illusions; by Todd Rose The Psychology of Money; by Morgan Housel

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  1:09:10
• Seth Stephens-Davidowitz — Who Makes the NBA? (EP.250)

  Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, a data scientist and bestselling author, is known for his brilliant use of data to upend conventional wisdom - often with humorous, surprising, and occasionally shocking results. His latest book, Who Makes the NBA, uses data to interrogate some of basketball’s biggest questions, consistently yielding unexpected insights. Here’s the kicker - he wrote the entire book in just 30 days after discovering Code Interpreter. Unsurprisingly for a former quant, I had a blast chatting to Seth. Topics discussed include why so many NBA players are called Chris, whether basketball is due for a Moneyball moment, and why so many of us misunderstand the rags-to-riches story. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Seth’s Website Twitter Show Notes: Author, data scientist… comedian? Using Code Interpreter to write a book in 30 days The trait that makes it incredibly easy to become an NBA player Why the best NBA player in history isn’t who you think it is Is basketball due a Moneyball moment? Why are so many NBA players named Chris? What people get wrong about the rags-to-riches story The hidden magic of data storytelling Finding your audience The danger of glamour Keep it simple, stupid Why the standard interview sucks Doppelgangers & the power of A/B testing The overdue revolution in health data Why Google should be worried Stated vs revealed preferences The power of enormous data sets Seth as World Emperor Books Mentioned: Who Makes the NBA?: Data-Driven Answers to Basketball's Biggest Questions; by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life; by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are; by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz What Works on Wall Street: A Guide to the Best-Performing Investment Strategies of All Time; by Jim O’Shaughnessy

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• Julian Gough — The Egg and The Rock (EP.249)

  Julian Gough sums up his career as follows: “I just sit in my room and write.” Well, I think being an acclaimed children’s author, novelist, stage playwright, poet and top-ten Irish musician is a little more impressive than he’s letting on… Oh, and I didn’t even mention that he wrote the ending to the computer game Minecraft! His current project, The Egg and The Rock, puts all of this to shame. This book, which Julian is writing in public on Substack, seeks to do no less than redescribe the universe, arguing that is not some random, dead, purposeless sack of chemicals, but instead a living, evolving organism. Julian joins me to discuss why the arc of human evolution bends towards man-made black holes, the hidden catastrophe at the heart of materialist science, the strange life of subterranean ice aliens, and MUCH more! This was such an interesting conversation - I can’t wait for you to hear it. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: Julian’s Website The Egg and The Rock Julian’s Twitter Show Notes: “I just sit in my room and write” Why write a book in public? Materialism & science’s hidden catastrophe “The scientific method is in conflict with human nature” The faulty assumption at the heart of cosmology Big bangs, supermassive black holes & Darwinian evolution: A ~30 minute masterclass in cosmological natural selection “I'm predicting very, very large amounts of life in this universe” The strange life of subterranean ice aliens Could we spot man-made black holes? Bringing consciousness into physics Pulling back the curtain Julian as World Emperor MORE! Books & Articles Mentioned: The New Inquisition: Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science; by Robert Anton Wilson Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge; by Paul Feyerabend What the Tortoise Said to Achilles; by Lewis Carroll The Life of the Cosmos; by Lee Smolin What Is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell; by Erwin Schrödinger Isis Unveiled: A Master-Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology; by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky The Bhagavad Gita Did the Universe evolve?; by Lee Smolin The Great Filter - Are We Almost Past It?; by Robin Hanson

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