Dream Machines: Physical AI, Robotics, Being Human

We’re closing out the year with a special one…As most of you know, part of the Medium Energy mission is to explore what it means to be human in the age of exponential technology.If that question interests you, this conversation absolutely delivers.We’re peeling back the layers of the human psyche and exploring the future of emotional and psychological well-being. At the heart of the conversation is the power of curiosity.We’ve all felt curiosity. But let’s be honest—how many of us truly know how to harness it as a tool to improve our lives?To help us do exactly that, we're speaking with Todd Kashdan, a renowned psychologist and one of the world’s top authorities on not just curiosity, but also on the psychology of well-being, psychological strength, mental agility, and social relationships.Todd is also one of my favorite authors, with numerous books that have reached millions of people. What sets his work apart is that he doesn’t just study human behavior; he dissects it, challenges it, and rebuilds it from the ground up. In doing so, he’s developed some rather contrarian takes, all of which I think are spot on. And I’m not the only one… his research is starting to blow up. He's been featured in major outlets like Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, and the Hidden Brain podcast. And if that’s not impressive enough, Todd ranks in the top 1% of cited scientists worldwide, with over 225 published articles and more than 48,000 citations.So buckle up—this is a special episode with a special thinker. And spoiler alert—I’m already looking forward to doing a Part II, as we uncovered so many more ideas to unpackWith that…. enjoy this first conversation with Todd Kashdan. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Alright folks, we're taking a different tack with this episode.We’re diving into some more… soulful topics, while also getting rather personal and vulnerable.Part of our core thesis at Medium Energy is that exponential technologies like Spatial Computing and AI… these are democratizing tools. They’re going to help more people climb the proverbial ladder that is Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, all the way to that top rung, i.e. the mystical notion of self-actualization, or the idea of becoming who we're meant to be, finding our purpose, and fulfilling potential...Now I know sometimes the pursuit of these things can get a bit woo woo. But in this episode, we keep it practical and tactical.To do so, we're talking to Tommy Sobel, an impressive entrepreneur with a business and a coaching practice focused on digital wellness, digital habits, and most recently personal & career development.Tommy’s created a great formula for uncovering what many people call their 'zone of genius’, and upon hearing about it, we went a bit off script. I couldn’t help but ask Tommy do a live coaching session with me right there on the spot, just like he does for his clients. So you're welcome, you're effectively getting a free session here of immense value yourself ;-)So perk up and get ready to take some notes. This one is full of all kinds of golden nuggets that I'm going to certainly put into practice, and that I think you will find useful as well.So without further adieu, I bring you Tommy Sobel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Apple Podcast LinkSpotify Podcast LinkIf you're interested in how to build a more immersive and experiential internet (aka the spatial web), than this is your episodeWe're interviewing an old friend and old colleague, Felix HerbstFelix the CEO and co-founder of Needle, which has the most impressive suite of tools I've seen to date for building web-native, spatial applications.For years now, the web has been highly sought after by the 3D and XR developers. But its been difficult to build web apps that are as compelling as their client side counterparts, which are built with powerful game engines like Unity and Unreal. These game engines have historically produced much better levels of animation, rendering, simulation, and interaction.But with Needle, that's starting to change...Felix and I know each other from the OG Meta days (the AR startup, not Facebook 2.0). When he left, I told myself, that’s a guy I need to stay in touch with. He’s going to go on and do something special.I failed to stay in touch, but lo and behold, I recently bumped into Felix at aconference. And to no surprise, he’s on to something big… attacking one of the most important problem spaces within our domain; making it easy to build compelling 3D & spatial websites. The long term vision? The Squarespace or Wix for 3D.In my opinion, until something like this exists, this notion of the metaverse will remain hypothetical.With all that said… whether you’re a business leader looking to build a more engaging website, or a 3D developer looking for better ways to build for the web, I think you're gonna really enjoy this oneSo strap in, get ready to take some notes, and enjoy this episode with Felix Herbst. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Despite being around for a while now, bitcoin remains woefully misunderstood.It’s alarming to me how many people still roll their eyes at the topic. Yet, more often than not, these same people haven’t made any effort to understand why Bitcoin exists, what problems it solves, and why its useful.This is especially alarming considering the current fiscal and economic environment we're in (as I discussed in this essay here: Why Bitcoin (Really) Matters)So, to tackle said marketing problem, there's few people in the world more qualified than our guest, Marty Bent. He's one the most renowned thinkers, investors, and creators in the Bitcoin space, and he has quite the pedigree...Throughout this conversation, we package up all this knowledge into what we believe are the necessary steps, or ‘phases of knowledge’, required to fully appreciate Bitcoin's purpose and potential. Perhaps I’ll call these phases the path, or at least a path, to ‘Bitcoin Enlightenment’.We broke this convo into a two-parter. Here in Part I, we cover steps 1-5 (out of 7) towards enlightenment. This includes:1/ Understanding the Problem (aka the water we swim in, which I cover in depth in this essay here)2/ Recognizing that we're being deceived3/ Grasping what sound money is and isn’t4/ Seeing the financial incentive & game theory at play, and5/ Understanding the role of energy in both bitcoin and the wider energy gridSo if you're new bitcoin, prepare to expand your mind and start thinking a bit different. And if you're a bitcoin veteran, sit back and enjoy the unique musings of no other than Marty Bent. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Welcome back to our mini-series on spatial computing in the enterprise with Sven Brunner, CEO of Sphere: one of the top apps for enterprise grade collaboration/communication.If you missed Part I, highly suggest you back and take a listen. Lots of important context around the state of enterprise adoption today, along with where & how companies are having success with AR, VR, and 3D more broadly.Here in Part II, we cover:* The convergence of Spatial Computing and AI* How & why they're really a marriage made in heaven* Where there's some real utility now, where this combo is heading.We also hit on the impact of the Apple Vision Pro, and of course, in classic Medium Energy fashion, we end on a philosophical note, exploring why this future will be a good thing for humanityPer usual, let know what you think of this one, and if you have 30 seconds to spare, would greatly appreciate a share with one friend, and if feeling generous, perhaps review on your favorite podcast player! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

Alright folks, we’re launching a new addition to the content lineup: ‘The Quarterly Market Update’Typically, we cover the more philosophical and practical sides of AI, Spatial Computing and Crypto.Today, we’re exploring how to make money and grow wealth from these innovations.Towards that end, this new segment will explore the most important things happening in financial markets and in the economy, with the goal of helping you better invest and plan for the future.The plan is to do this right on the tails of earnings season... after all the most important companies show their financial cards.To kick off this new series, we're leaning on a good friend and my go-to person for navigating the complexity of today’s market... and that's Hatem Dhiab.Hatem is a Managing Partner at Gerber Kawasaki: one of the more renowned wealth management firms here in LA area.Gerber Kawasaki well known for being more on the cutting edge of investing, particularly for being early bulls on Tesla and NVIDIA, placing heavy bets before the consensus rush. They've also trail blazed in giving clients early access to crypto.So put on your money making cap, and enjoy this wide ranging chat on all things investing & current market conditions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai

This is a live recording of a panel with Artist & the Machine during a 'Spatial Computing Salon' in LA.Artist & The Machine is an awesome new event series put on by my friend Dani Van De Sande. She's pulling together an amazing community of builders, brands, and investors to connect in-real life to share ideas, co-create, and meld minds; all with a similar focus as Medium Energy: to champion the elements of tech that make us more human, not less.This panel featured a very diverse and awesome line up of entrepreneurs within spatial computing.We had Neha Singh, the founder & CEO of ObsessAR. Obsess is building the future of e-commerce via immersive, virtual retail environments. They’re effectively giving brands a digital 'come inside' button, helping customers better interact with and understand products.We also had Reza Ali, CEO and Founder of Valence 3D: a 3D modeling app for iPhone, iPad, and eventually VisionPro. Check it out… it’s a really slick 3D creation tool for non-3D experts.And lastly, Don Allen Stevenson, a prominent influence & creator in this space, educating people on all the ways to use AI and spatial. He also has one of the best nick names I've heard in the content creation realm — “the Bob Ross of the metaverse’...If you don't know who Bob Ross is, your probably a Gen Z’er… *sigh- Just look him up on YouTube. A true gem of the 80's and 90's public TV era..During the panel, we hit on all kinds of juicy topics at the heart of Spatial Computing and AI, including:* How to address people’s fear & skeptcisim about this brave new world* The impact we’re all seeing from this tech on both business & creativity* And of course, we wax poetic and get philosophical about the long term implications of this interface for society writ large...Alright enough preamble, let's dive into the show, and if you enjoy, please do subsribe, give us a rating on Apple/Spotify, and perhaps share with a friend or two! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dreammachines.ai