Everything is Somewhere Podcast

In this episode, Angus sits down with Tony Bauer and Ofri Lehmann of Exodigo to reveal how cutting-edge AI and geophysical sensors are transforming subsurface utility location. Instead of traditional, manual detection, Exodigo utilizes systemized data collection and advanced algorithms to map underground utilities with inches of precision, dramatically reducing accidents, delays, and costs. Ultima...

In the century past, I was a committed and even a fanatical player of Dungeons and Dragons, and spent much of my time, especially classroom time, drawing dungeon level maps on graph paper, creating characters, I favored paladins, and memorizing arcane rule books, all so that I and friends could gather together around a table in some basement and roll dice together for a few hours. And why did I de...

Uncover the astonishing story of the last missing female pilot of World War II, Gertrude "Tommy" Tompkins, and how cutting-edge underwater technology might finally bring her home. In this episode, Angus and returning guest Pete Kelsey discuss how modern multi-beam sonar and autonomous underwater vehicles are transforming underwater archaeology and search-and-rescue efforts. They also address the f...

It is sometimes said that the only perfect circles available for the contemplation of early humans were the sun, the full moon, and the iris of the eye. I think this is overstated. The ripples formed by a pebble falling in still water come to mind as do the circles formed in the center of sunflowers, such as sunflowers. But still, the point stands. Perfect circles were unusual in the life of early...

Most bridges are designed to be functional—this one was crafted to be a striking work of art that blends seamlessly with its natural surroundings. In this episode, Frank Artmont, PE, PhD a senior engineer at Modjeski and Masters, reveals the innovative design secrets behind the award-winning Hawk Falls Bridge in Pennsylvania's scenic state park. From the strategic use of weathering steel to comple...

Anna Riling is a seasoned geologist and award-winning cartographer based in Durango, Colorado. She's recognized for her stunning, purpose-driven maps that blend aesthetics with environmental advocacy and cultural storytelling. If you've ever wondered what goes into making a map that's both exquisite and meaningful — or how maps can serve as powerful tools for activism and education — this episode...

The late and mostly unlamented anarchist philosopher, Peter Lamborn Wilson, under the pseudonym Hakim Bey, wrote extensively about the pirate utopias of the 18th century and from them derived the concept that he labeled temporary autonomous zones. If you were at the Solstice party at my place a few summers back, you were in a rather excellent temporary autonomous zone or TAZ. The party was tempora...

In this episode Angus talks with Petersen Products' Phil Lundman and design engineer Henri Kinson about the strange, high‑stakes world of inflatable plugs and custom mechanical solutions for pipelines and critical infrastructure. We start with the company's roots in a Danish immigrant's drain‑cleaning tool and follow its evolution into a design‑build shop that routinely solves one‑off problems for...

689 years ago, in April, the Italian poet now known as Petrarch climbed Mont Ventoux in Provence. By the standards of recreational hikers in my home state, Colorado, it wasn't much of a climb—Mont Ventoux is just a little over 6,200 feet, and Petrarch was done with his climb well before dinner. But by the standards of his day, the climb was apparently sensational. In a widely-published letter he w...

In this episode, Angus talks with Nate Dang of Accurate Surveying & Mapping and Kevin Grover, Head of Customer Success at Looq AI, about pushing reality capture into everyday surveying. They walk through an award‑winning project on a historic opera house in Soldier, Idaho, where Nate deliberately skipped the total station and combined Looq's handheld QCAM imagery with GNSS and drone data to delive...

At the conclusion of a long series of curious circumstances—which is to say, my life—I found myself stuck in traffic, for hours, in Houston, on my way to a conference devoted to high-tech land surveying equipment. Such conferences are more exciting than they sound—they'd almost have to be wouldn't they?—and I find them inspiring; the speakers at these events look around at our crumbling world, at...

In this wide-ranging conversation, Angus talks with geographer and phenomenologist David Seamon about the life, work, and legacy of architect and thinker Christopher Alexander. Seamon, editor of the long-running journal Environmental and Architectural Phenomenology , explains what phenomenology is, why "lifeworld" and "natural attitude" matter, and how these ideas illuminate Alexander's quests for...

In this epsiode, Angus enjoys a wide-ranging conversation with writer and cultural critic Walker Larson. The two discuss Walker's journey from teaching literature and history at a classical academy to becoming a full-time freelance writer, novelist, and author of the Substack newsletter  The Hazelnut . From there, the discussion dives into Walker's article "A Case for Beauty in Our Cities," explor...

In this conversation, Michael Daoud and Aleksandar Jevremovic discuss the significant digital transformation of the Santa Barbara County Surveyor's Office. They explore the challenges faced with paper-based processes and the innovative solutions implemented to streamline operations. The discussion highlights the impact of technology on efficiency, customer service, and the future of surveying in t...

The Four Corners Monument, marking the common corner of four southwestern states, can seem perverse and arbitrary, memorializing nothing more than 4 invisible lines coming to a point in desolate country. There is little to do: no rides, no museums, just a few booths selling food and trinkets and the monument itself, a metal disk encased in a massive wheel of imported granite. And yet we do come, b...

In this episode, Angus talks with returning guest Yodan Rofe about Christopher Alexander's four‑volume magnum opus, The Nature of Order , and its impact on architecture, teaching, and daily life. Rofe, who studied and worked closely with Alexander, explains how early work on pattern language led to the deeper geometric and experiential insights developed in The Nature of Order . The conversation e...

In this episode, Angus welcomes Seattle architect and Building Beauty faculty member Susan Ingham for a deep, practical conversation about the living structure at the heart of Christopher Alexander's work. Susan recounts the serendipitous lecture that drew her back to Berkeley to study with Alexander and Hajo Neis, and how those methods now guide her residential practice—from one-to-one site mock-...

This episode of Everything is Somewhere pairs hands-on geospatial craft with imaginative worldbuilding across two in-depth conversations. In the first half, Texas surveyor Aaron Burrell walks listeners through the Odessa Stonehenge recreation, from community arts origins and university partnership to site topo, engineered slabs, and crane logistics, culminating in precise summer solstice and 18.6-...

In this episode, Angus talks with Pete Kelsey—AEC veteran, reality-capture leader, and founder of VCTO Labs—about building survey-grade, photorealistic models that turn complex places into actionable narratives for conservation, planning, and prime-time storytelling. From the Air Force Academy Chapel and Glen Canyon Dam to the Moai and USS Arizona, Pete explains why "story first, tools second" bec...

In this expansive episode of  Everything is Somewhere , Angus speaks with architect James Maguire, currently Campus Architect and Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning at Boise State University and the University of North Texas System. Maguire studied under Christopher Alexander at UC Berkeley and worked with him at the Center for Environmental Structure. Together they explore Alexander's philoso...

In this episode, Angus sits down with Anna Rios, a trailblazer in the world of land surveying. Anna's journey began as an administrative assistant for Texas' first female licensed surveyor and, inspired by that pioneering mentor, she dedicated herself to the profession—overcoming industry barriers to become licensed in 2018. Anna shares candid reflections on what it was like entering a field long...

In this episode of Everything is Somewhere, Angus welcomes Maggie Moore Alexander and Yodan Rofe—both close colleagues and friends of the late Christopher Alexander, the visionary architect and philosopher renowned for his influential theories on the built environment. Together, they discuss Alexander's enduring ideas, how they continue to shape thinking about architecture and infrastructure, and...

In this episode, Angus interviews Jenny Quillien about anthropogeography, a branch of geography that studies the spatial relationships between human communities and their environments. They discuss the work of Ellen Churchill Semple, a pioneering geographer whose insights into how geography shapes culture and civilization are often overlooked. The conversation explores various examples, including...

In this episode, Angus interviews Colin Sellers, a land surveyor and expert in catastrophism. They explore the concept of catastrophism, which posits that Earth's history is marked by significant, rapid changes due to catastrophic events, contrasting it with the gradualism of conventional scientific views. The discussion delves into historical evidence, the work of Randall Carlson, and the implica...

In this episode, Angus interviews Jenny Quillien, a scholar and consultant known for her work with Christopher Alexander. They discuss architecture, anthropology, and organizational culture, focusing on Alexander's ideas about living structures and the importance of land surveying in urban planning. The conversation delves into the spiritual aspects of building, the fundamental processes in design...