Today’s discussion is on Cellular Automata by looking at Conway’s Game of Life, William Poundstone’s “The Recursive Universe” and Stephen Wolframs “A New Kind of Science”. We run into concepts like artificial life, Von Neumann probes, and more! Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe…

Max reflects back on his podcast and radio show as he turns forty, and discusses the non-stop news events of this month of a seemingly epoch-defining nature, from the earthquake to the eclipse, to the Bitcoin halving. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Fresh off of his trip to the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation for the Yale Alumni Service Corps, Max talks to Aaron about his trip. They then get into some of the ideas of Cal Newport and Digital Minimalism, as well as a recent warning from Jonathan’s Haidt’s research on children and mobile technology. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmax…

Max talks about the intensifying AI trends in 2024, including video creation and context windows, as well as Google's misstep with their image generation in Gemini. Will we be replaced by AI? Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Michael Callahan, host of "Where We Go Next" (wherewegonext.com) comes onto the Local Maximum to share what he's learned about hosting open conversations about Identity and Ideas. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max appears on the podcast Where We Go Next with Michael Callahan to talk about technology’s effects on the health of society.https://wherewegonext.com/episodes/max-sklar Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max and Aaron welcome 2024 by talking about the most interesting episodes of 2023, and possible areas for exploration in the New Year. Their conversation runs the gamut from copyright to crypto to digital habits and to international politics. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe…

Max and Aaron finished their discussion on "The Fourth Turning is Here" and talk about what may be in store for the rest of the Fourth Turning Crisis and what the next several decades might look like as a result. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max just finished reading the 450-page book "The Fourth Turning is Here" by Neil Howe, so he has a new discussion with Aaron about Generational Theory and its relationship to cultural trends. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max's talks about the constitution and shifts in the language with Christopher Nesbitt of citizensacademy.us. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

In today's December news update, Max talks about industry events like the layoffs at Spotify and the recent turmoil with OpenAI's management. He also talks about the NYU/Meta collaboration on household robot technology called DobbE. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe…

Today's guest is Ilana Yurkiewicz, author of Fragmented: A Doctor's Quest to Piece Together American Health Care. The conversation starts with our health data, but goes into practical advice for patients and doctors. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max covers the dramatic conflict between the board of directors of OpenAI, and former CEO Sam Altman who they voted to remove over the weekend. Is this about AI Alignment? Personality clashes? Or oddball Corporate governance? localmaxradio.com/304 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe…

Max talks to Alexander Hool, author of Pharaoh: Biblical History, Egypt, and the Missing Millennium about alternative theories on the chronology of ancient Egypt as it relates to the Exodus and other biblical narratives. Max also talks about his further dives into ancient Egypt and what he's learned. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmax…

Max and Aaron talk about this year's retreat at Sturbridge Village, MA. They go over the best and worst of their predictions from previous retreats, and what predictions they make for the future. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max and Aaron continue their conversation last week, this time covering the reaction to world events in Universities and cultural institutions; as well as the contradictions around calls for free speech. Max also reviews the movie "Dumb Money" which covers the Game Stop short squeeze and is an early narrative builder on the handling of the Covid pa…

Max and Aaron react to the terror attack in Israel earlier this month, and discuss both its geopolitical significance and dealing with the shock and grief. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max talks to investor, founder, and podcaster Sam Kamani about Web 3.0, Crypto, AI, and Podcasting. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max and Aaron discuss recent works at Local Maximum Labs, including feedback on the new Great Compromise constitution, and the programming language for newmap.ai Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max talks to Stephan Kinsella, a libertarian intellectual property lawyer who ardently challenges the very foundations of IP. Kinsella delves deep into the core arguments underpinning intellectual property and the inherent fallacies. They also discuss the impact of generative AI on the copyright landscape. Get full access to The Local Maximum at lo…

Todays guest is Adam Kovacevich of Chamber of Progress who brings us the latest in the suits that federal government agencies are bringing against Google and Amazon. Who is behind this, what is being alleged, why now, and what might be the consequences? localmaxradio.com/296 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscrib…

Max and Aaron talk about Max's newly-released research paper, Toward a New Great Compromise, which includes a refresh of the US Constitutional structure. Max shares what he learned about the founders of the country and why some of our institutions have been failing as of late. localmaxradio.com/295 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaxim…

Max describes "state chain" technology, which he believes could solve some of the problems associated with the previous crypto collapse. He also gives an update on the court cases around copyright infringement and whether you can copyright an AI-generated work that are currently make their way through the American judicial system. Get full access t…

Max and Aaron have a little fun in a late night record, and examine Twitter rants about the rise of late night snark comedy, and scrum. They talk about the nature of corporate fads, and end on going down a rabbit hole of continued fractions. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe…

Max and Aaron do an August news update with discussion about the closure of Prosecraft, a small site dedicated to literary analysis which was shut down due to copyright and ownership concerns. Will these types of internet mobs and legal actions bring a chilling effect on innovation? Probability Distribution of the Week: Max's First Idea on Rational…

Max discusses the legal troubles of the Internet Archive as it get pummeled by publishers and copyright lawyers. A new paper on Bertrand's Paradox claims to resolve it. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max talks about how Strauss-Howe generational theory and the turnings interact with technology as he reviews the book "The First Turning: A Vision of America and a World at Peace" by Carol Engler. Distribution of the Week: The Wishart Distribution Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe…

Max interviews Melissa Luvisi from tab32 as they dissect the intersection of dentistry and technology. They explore the software deficits plaguing the medical field, how dentistry is lagging, and how it can take a quantum leap forward. Luvisi shares her insights on harnessing health data, addressing security and privacy issues, and the promising fu…

Max and Aaron discuss the arguments put forth by Eliezer Yudkowsky and some AI researchers about "existential threats" posed by the technology. They end with some predictions on the subject. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Today's guest is Peter C. Earle, economist at AIER. The topic is ESG: Environment, Social, and Governance regulations, and the theory behind it that says corporations should be run for the benefit of interests outside the shareholders. They explore the rise of ESG criteria in a low interest rate environment, and ask whether ESG on its way out. Get …

Max talks about a bet that two academics made 25 years ago about the nature of consciousness that has recently been settled. He also talk about the idea of a "reverse Turing Test". We also get an update on the latest display tech, with reviews on foldable phones and color e-ink making a comeback. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum…

Max and Aaron complete their discussion on Max's constitutional proposals, now focusing on the representative-ness of the house and electoral college as a counterbalance to the senate and executive council. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max and Aaron continue their discussion on Max's constitutional proposals, this time focusing on the function of the senate and the possibility of an executive council. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max woke up one day and decided to do a rewrite of the US constitution with a long amendment. Aaron discusses this with him over drinks outdoors in the dead of night. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max talks to author and software engineer David Auerbach about his new book Meganets: How Digital Forces Beyond Our Control Commandeer Our Daily Lives and Inner Realities. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max and Aaron discuss Apple's announcement of the Vision Pro at WWDC, and what it means for mixed reality, the metaverse, and emerging technology. Probability Distribution of the Week: Student's T-Distribution Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max responds to a recent account of high school debate judges and how the process of truth seeking is under attack. Probability Distribution of the Week: Cauchy Distribution Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max and Aaron discuss Neil Gorsuch's statement in a supreme court decision that emergency measures during Covid may have been the greatest peacetime intrusion on American civil liberties in history. Probability Distribution of the Week: Von Mises-Fisher Distribution and Circular Distributions in General Get full access to The Local Maximum at local…

Max talks about Ethereum's move to proof of stake and what tradeoffs it brings to the crypto markets. He also discusses Google's plan to upgrade maps at their IO conference, and their new product Bard in relation to chatGPT. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max talks to Homebrew creator Max Howell about open source software, package managers, and his new project tea.xyz. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max and Aaron discuss and provide commentary for their 2002 high school film, The Dictator of Easton. Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Aaron talks to Max about his move to Connecticut. They review Columbia University's data science day. A touch of Twitter news and a tweet we thought was interesting on rationality. Probability Distribution of the Week: Multivariate Gaussian Distribution (or Normal Distribution) Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subsc…

Today's discussion is all about Quantum Physics and Quantum Computing as Max talks to Ian who has a PhD in Physics and is actually a practitioner when it comes to quantum computing. localmaxradio.com/274 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribeتوسط Max Sklar

Max grumbles about the corporate and dry nature of MLConf and the talks from top companies, even as the world of AI and ML explodes in controversy, breakthroughs and new applications. - Should AI research be Paused for 6 months? - Are "X for Good" talks always evil? - Are engineers afraid to share any perspective slightly outside the mainstream? Ge…

Chris Wiggins and Matthew Jones dive into a new book called "How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms" with Max. We learn that we can reach back into data history and find stories that experienced scientists and engineers are will find surprising at present. Chris Wiggins is an associate professor of applied math…

Max interview's Adam Kane of ASML about the industrial processes which make hardware innovation possible. They cover extreme UV lithography, the law of accelerating returns, and implications for software engineers. www.localmaxradio.com/271 Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subscribe…

Todays news update starts on the lighter side with an article from the New York Times that seeks to denigrate podcasters by branding them as the "podcast bro". Then we get into the release of GPT4 just months after chatGPT shook the world of AI and tech, and the bank runs at Silicon Valley Bank and elsewhere. Probability distribution of the week: E…

Today's guest is Susan Conover, cofounder and CEO of Piction Health, which brings Image Recognition AI technology to the practice of dermatology. This Boston-based company has started to launch their product throughout New England. Susan talks to Max about how the technology could be used to help patience more effectively, and the challenges of bri…

Max discovers Pascal's Mugging, the counterpoint to Pascal's Wager. He speculates about the category of errors (and sometimes scams) made by doomsayers in every field including most recently general artificial intellgence. Probability Distribution of the Week: Gamma Distribution Get full access to The Local Maximum at localmaximum.substack.com/subs…