Let's Know Things

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

This week we talk about Genesis, the Associated Press, and Glorbo. We also discuss Wikipedia, G/O Media, and ChatGPT. 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 WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and AI. We also discuss streaming platforms, residuals, and entertainment industry economics. 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 Threads, Meta, and the Fediverse. We also discuss Instagram, follower migrations, and the social media landscape. 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 IMF, the Paris Club, and Pakistan. We also discuss the international monetary system, sovereign debt, and debt traps. 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 mouse jigglers, bossware, and the WFH revolution. We also discuss blitzscaling, quiet quitting, and return-to-office demands. 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 AI, Reddit, and scraping. We also discuss John Oliver, protests, and LLMs. 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 wildfires, PM 2.5 particles, and globalization. We also discuss PM 10 particles, the health impacts of bad air, and PFAS. 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 Fiscal Responsibility Act, Speaker McCarthy, and the US debt limit. We also discuss President Biden, economic crises, and MAGA Republicans. 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