Let's Know Things

This week we talk about Operation Iron Swords, October 7, and the International Court of Justice. We also discuss human rights abuses, the Red Sea, and Iran’s influence. Recommended Book: Empire Games by Charles Stross Transcript In the early morning of October 7, 2023, the militant wing of Hamas—which is also a political organization that has governed the Gaza Strip territory since 2007, a few ye...

This week we talk about Bukele, Naboa, and the war on gangs. We also discuss emergency powers, authoritarianism, and the cocaine trade. Recommended Book: Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace Transcript Nayib Bukele is the 43rd president of El Salvador, and he's an unusual leader for the country in that he's young—born in 1981, so just 42 years old, as of the day I'm recording this—and in that he's in...

This week we talk about the raising of Chicago, Jakarta, and sea level rise. We also discuss groundwater, flooding, and insurance. Recommended Book: Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire Transcript In the mid-19th century, the city of Chicago, its many sidewalks and buildings and other infrastructure, were hoisted using jackscrews, which are kind of like heavy-duty versions of the jacks you might u...

This week we talk about Indonesia, South Africa, and geopolitical risks. We also discuss the South China Sea, the US Presidential election, and Potemkin democracy. Recommended Book: The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell Transcript By many metrics, 2023 was a tumultuous year. In the latter-quarter, in early October, the paramilitary group Hamas launched a sneak-attack on Israel which kicked...

Note: I’m taking next week off for the new year and to work on my next book—this month’s More Things bonus episodes has thus been moved to this upcoming Thursday, and you’ll see the next LKT episode on January 2! This week we talk about Venezuelan, Guyana, and the British. We also discuss oil deposits, gold, and the Geneva Agreement. Recommended Book: Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us b...

This week we talk about stainless steel, DARPA, and GNoME. We also discuss ceramics, DeepMind, and self-driving labs. Recommended Book: Drunk On All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson Transcript In a recent episode, I talked a bit about the bronze and copper ages, and how reaching the level of technological know-how so that it's possible to heat metals so you can blend them with other metals,...

This week we talk about renewables, open-pit mines, and the Bronze Age. We also discuss the Cobre mine, First Quantum, and environmentalism. Recommended Book: The Possibility of Life by Jaime Green Transcript Depending on whose numbers you use, and where you choose to place your chronological brackets, the Chalcolithic, or Copper Age, began around 5,000 BCE, around 7,000 years ago, with the smelti...

This week we talk about weeds, lawn mowers, and California’s Air Resources Board. We also discuss ornamental lawns, leaf blowers, and two-stroke engines. Recommended Book: The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant Transcript The concept of the modern lawn—a term that originally referred to a somewhat ecologically varied, short-cropped green space that was used for livestock, in contrast to f...

This week we talk about methane, the UAE, and organizational capture. We also discuss climate change, broken governmental promises, and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. Recommended Book: Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus Transcript The United Nations Climate Change Conferences, often referred to as COP meetings, short for "Conference of the Parties," are formal, annual meetings where issues related to climate cha...

This week we talk about Rubinomics, government spending, and US federal debt. We also discuss the Government-Household analogy, the House of Representatives, and the looming government shutdown. Recommended Book: Quantum Supremacy by Michio Kaku Transcript Early in November 2023, the credit firm Moody's lowered its outlook on the US government's credit rating from "stable" to "negative," pointing...

This week we talk about regulatory capture, Open AI, and Biden’s executive order. We also discuss the UK’s AI safety summit, open source AI models, and flogging fear. Recommended Book: The Resisters by Gish Jen Transcript Regulatory capture refers to the corruption of a regulatory body by entities to which the regulations that body creates and enforces, apply. So an organization that wants to see...

This week we talk about Peronists, Milei, and Argentina’s inflation rate. We also discuss Justicialism, Bullrich, and military coups. Recommended Book: Future Starts Here by John Higgs Transcript Peronism, sometimes called Justicialism, after the Justicialist party, whose name is derived from the concept of social justice, and which is the main Peronist party in Argentina, has been the dominant po...

This week we talk about fuel efficiency, the California EPA, and Scope 3. We also discuss the EU’s emission reporting efforts, regulations, and business incentives. Recommended Book: Undue Hate by Daniel F. Stone Transcript The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, is a California government agency that resulted from the 1967 merging of the state's Bureau of Air Sanitation and its Motor Vehicle...

This week we talk about the Gaza Strip, the Yom Kippur War, and Egypt. We also discuss 9/11, charged topics, and sneak-attacks. Recommended Book: Pinpoint by Greg Milner Transcript In 1972, the Egyptian military started building up its offense-capable forces, buying things like MiG fighter jets and T-62 tanks from the Soviet Union, while also gutting its swathe of generals—many of whom attained th...

This week we talk about AMD, graphics processing units, and AI. We also discuss crypto mining, video games, and parallel processing. Recommended Book: The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel Transcript Founded in 1993 by an engineer who previously designed microprocessors for semiconductor company AMD, an engineer from Sun Microsystems, and a graphics chip designer and senior engineer from Sun...

This week we talk about natural gas, plumes, and satellites. We also discuss firedamp, AI detection, and emission numbers. Recommended Book: Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier by Kevin Kelly Transcript Methane, the name for a chemical made up of one part carbon, four parts hydrogen, is incredibly abundant on earth as it's formed by both geological and biological processes...

This week we talk about Unity, Unreal, and Godot. We also discuss fee structures, user revolts, and indie game-makers. Recommended Book: How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner Show Notes * https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-media/video-games/worldwide * https://www.billboard.com/pro/ifpi-global-report-2023-music-business-revenue-market-share/ * https://www.cnbc.com/202...

This week we talk about HIV, AIDS, and ART. We also discuss HAART, the Berlin Patient, and potential future cures. Recommended Book: Allergic by Theresa MacPhail Show Notes * https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet * https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/hiv-treatment-basics * https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/glossary/antiretroviral-therapy-art * https://www.paho.org/en/topic...

This week we talk about China’s standard map, the nine-dash line, and shoals. We also discuss WWIII, undersea minerals, and realities on the ground. Recommended Book: Outlive by Peter Attia Show Notes * https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202308/28/WS64ec91c2a31035260b81ea5b.html * https://www.uscc.gov/research/south-china-sea-arbitration-ruling-what-happened-and-whats-next * https://amti.csis.org/isl...

This week we talk about Jimmy Buffett, Boomers, and the Soviet Union. We also discuss Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden, and the 2024 US Presidential Election. Show Notes (Notes on show notes: for Wikipedia or other reference articles, please follow source links as they tend to tell you which bits of data are legit and which are less so—these are excellent starting points for info, but ideally not the en...

This week we talk about BRIC, BRICs, and BRICS+. We also discuss the USD, sanctions, and alternative global financial systems. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

This week we talk about ECOWAS, Niger, and proxy conflicts. We also discuss military dictatorships, Wagner, and colonies. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

This week we talk about the Inflation Reduction Act, October Surprises, and Hunter Biden's laptop. We also discuss the 2024 US Presidential election, Trump's legal woes, and inflation. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

This week we talk about LK-99, mercury, and resistance. We also discuss online citizen science, physics, and replication issues. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

This week we talk about Phoenix, Death Valley, and heat pumps. We also discuss the greenhouse effect, cascading systems, and energy-related power. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe