Meghan Daum on the New Culture Wars – #32

Stephen Grugett is the co-founder of Manifold Markets, the world's largest prediction market platform where people bet on politics, tech, sports, and more. 

Steve and Stephen discuss:

0:00 Introduction

0:52 Stephen Grugett’s background

5:20 The genesis and mission of Manifold Markets

11:25 The play money advantage: Legalities and user engagement

20:47 Manifold’s user base and the power of calibration

23:35 Simplifying prediction markets for broader engagement

27:31 Revenue streams and future business directions

30:46 Legal challenges in prediction markets

31:47 Dating markets

32:53 The Art of PR

38:32 Global reach and community engagement

39:27 The future of Manifold Markets and user predictions

43:38 Life in the Bay Area; Tech, culture, and crazy stuff

Manifold Markets: https://manifold.markets/

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. 

Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on Twitter @hsu_steve.

Raymond McGovern is a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst, serving from 1963 to 1990. His CIA career began under President John F. Kennedy and lasted through the presidency of George H. W. Bush. McGovern advised Henry Kissinger during the Richard Nixon administration, and during the Ronald Reagan administration he chaired National Intelligence Estimates and prepared the President's Daily Brief.

He received the Intelligence Commendation Medal at his retirement but returned it in 2006 to protest the CIA's involvement in torture.

Steve and Ray discuss:

0:00 Introduction

01:25 Ray McGovern's assessment of the JFK assassination

26:10 Hunter Biden's laptop

30:50 Ukraine and the U.S. intelligence services' role in the deep state

55:20 Strategic implications of the Ukraine war for the U.S.

01:03:38 Are things worse today, versus 1963?

Books referenced in this episode:

JFK and the Unspeakable

https://www.amazon.com/JFK-Unspeakable-Why-Died-Matters/dp/1439193886

Mary's Mosaic: The CIA Conspiracy to Murder John F. Kennedy

https://www.amazon.com/Marys-Mosaic-Conspiracy-Kennedy-Pinchot/dp/1510708928/

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. 

Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on Twitter @hsu_steve.

Steve discusses DNA and the origin of life on Earth, the Fermi Paradox (is there alien life?), AI and its implications for the Simulation Question: could our universe be a simulation? Are we machines, but don't know it?

Slides: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CrWLiKYhLbDLG8yTOBySrsKrzAUbV-FES1toeJL-UWE/edit?usp=sharing

Further discussion of the Simulation Question in light of AGI, and a refinement from quantum mechanics: The Quantum Simulation Question: https://infoproc.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-quantum-simulation-hypothesis-do-we.html

CORRECTION: 31:25 The size of our galaxy is not 100 million light years. I should have said ~100 THOUSAND = 100k light years instead!!!

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.

Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on Twitter @hsu_steve.

Sean Reyes is Utah’s Attorney General and a producer for the movie “Sound of Freedom.” Steve and Sean discuss his personal story, human trafficking, and the role of technology in law enforcement.

More on Reyes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Reyes

NOTE: Reyes has announced that he will not seek re-election as Utah AG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEEj4UgjDL4

00:00 Sean Reyes’ early life and family history

14:21 Sean's personal journey and career

21:28 Political journey and decision to run for AG

24:08 The movie Sound of Freedom

28:45 The reality of human trafficking

31:40 Technology and law enforcement

44:00 The horror of human trafficking: victims, aftercare, and the media

01:05:23 Future plans and aspirations

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.

Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on X @hsu_steve.

TP Huang returns for the third time to discuss the US-China strategic competition in terms of military technology.

Previous episodes with TP include:

• China's EV Market Dominance and the Challenges Facing Tesla — #48: https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/chinas-ev-market-dominance-and-the-challenges-facing-tesla-48
• Huawei and the US-China Chip War — #44: https://www.manifold1.com/episodes/huawei-and-the-us-china-chip-war-44

Steve and TP discuss: 

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:23) - Hypersonic weapons and A2AD
• (08:15) - The evolution of China’s military technology
• (13:30) - Hypersonic missiles: targeting and interception
• (29:52) - Surprise attack on Hawaii or Seattle?
• (33:36) - Japan's role in a U.S.-China military conflict
• (36:15) - Chinese invasion of Taiwan
• (42:44) - Amphibious landing, boots on the ground
• (45:20) - Red lines and Taiwan independence
• (48:38) - PRC nuclear weapons buildup
• (51:17) - PRC-Russia alliance: natural resources, technology; Ukraine strategy disaster
• (59:37) - Future developments of military technology in China
• (01:11:44) - Predictions regarding US-PRC balance of power

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.

Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@gmail.com or Steve on X @hsu_steve.

Louis-Vincent Gave of Gavekal discusses China's economic growth, its focus on education, and the global implications of its economic and political policies.

https://research.gavekal.com/

Steve and Louis discuss:

• (00:00) - Early life - Gave as French infantry officer
• (14:42) - Founding Gavekal
• (23:50) - Understanding China economic growth
• (32:57) - China real estate market
• (42:48) - The impact of China’s economic growth
• (48:19) - Comparing the size of the Chinese and U.S. economies
• (01:07:09) - China’s trade surplus and U.S. debt
• (01:18:11) - Will there be a U.S. debt crisis?

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (Superfocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Follow him on X @hsu_steve. 

Charles Miller is co-founder and CEO of Lynk. He is a serial space entrepreneur with 30 years of experience in the space industry.

Lynk - https://lynk.world/

Steve and Charles discuss:

0:00 Introduction and guest background

1:27 Miller's early passion for space

3:54 Evolution of commercial space

6:42 Impact of Elon Musk and SpaceX

8:01 The challenges of early stage startups

11:26 The birth of Lynk, its technical challenges, and breakthroughs

33:11 Use cases for satellite connectivity

35:20 The plan for Lynk satellites

36:41 Competition with Starlink

39:25 Investment opportunities in Lynk

47:04 Satellite technology and global competition

50:21 Impact of Huawei’s satellite phone features

59:01 Advice for entrepreneurs

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.

TP Huang is a computer scientist and analyst of global technology development. He posts often on X: https://twitter.com/tphuang.

0:00 Introduction

2:21 How TP Huang became interested in electric vehicles

6:30 The perception and reality of Chinese products, future of Chinese auto market

9:24 The impact of Tesla on the Chinese electric vehicle market

14:41 Buying a car in China

27:05 China dominates with electric vehicle batteries

30:44 The challenges facing Tesla in China

40:11 The evolution of smart cars, autonomous vehicles, and self driving

50:48 LIDAR technology and autonomous driving

59:08 BYD, China’s energy independence, and power grid

1:14:04 The downstream impact of China leading in tech and electric vehicles

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.

Taylor Ogan is Chief Executive Officer of Snow Bull Capital, based in Shenzhen, China.

Follow him on X @TaylorOgan.

Steve and Taylor discuss: 

0:00 Introduction
1:02 Taylor's background and why he moved his firm to China
20:43 China post-pandemic and economic dynamism
33:43 China dominance in electric vehicles; LIDAR
56:55 Investment research: factory and site visits
1:06:52 US-China competition - the future of innovation is in China

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.

Bharat Karnad is an Emeritus Professor in National Security Studies at the Center for Policy Research in Delhi. He was a member of India's first National Security Advisory Board and has authored several books on nuclear weapons and Indian security.

Karnad's blog: https://bharatkarnad.com/

Karnad on the death of Homi Bhabha and of other atomic weapons scientists:
https://bharatkarnad.com/2020/12/06/kill-scientists-disrupt-n-weapons-programmes/

An excellent documentary film on the life of Indian theoretical physicist Homi Bhabha:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6GEGOvXh4g&ab_channel=InternationalCentreforTheoreticalSciences

Steve and Bharat discuss:

0:00 Introduction

0:58 Karnad's educational background, nuclear research, journalism career

26:50 Refocusing India's defense posture from Pakistan to China

45:21 Why don't India and China have better relations?

53:33 India's nuclear arsenal

1:04:31 The mysterious death of Homi Bhabha, India's Oppenheimer

1:28:50 Land of subjugation, the caste system, and English as the language of Indian elites

Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure.

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Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SuperFocus.ai, SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU.