On the Fringe

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 5: A Crash Course on GPTs and AI (featuring John Otwell) (00:01:03) Background about John and a few caveats (00:05:18) The Technical Part starts (00:17:18) AI Gone Wild (00:25:08) What happens to people who are constantly exposed to AI (00:32:58) Differences in American and Chinese companies when it comes to AI development (00:47:00) We're getting more philosophical (0...

This episode covers a recent “run-in” (of sorts) around the Spratly Islands, some of the most contested (and lonely) islands in the world. In this part of the world, “sharing is caring” has as much bearing as “if wishes were fishes.” Then again, this could be a red herring.  Listen in to get an overview about what happened last week, and potentially what’s to come. If you enjoyed the episode, don’...

Bolivia is at a turning point. Which direction will it go?  Don’t miss this fascinating and educational conversation about a country that doesn’t get enough time in the spotlight. This week, our special guest this week is Joseph Bouchard, a Canadian journalist and academic who specializes in Latin America. Joseph has been covering and researching Bolivia and Latin America for several years and has...

If you have any interest in this most interesting of regions, lying along the historical Silk Road trade route, this episode is well worth a listen. This week we have a special guest, journalist and author Joe Barnes, currently based in Kazakhstan, who chats with us about the significance of Central Asia, it’s geopolitical evolution since the collapse of the USSR and his upcoming book. Joe, who ha...

Hey all! We are kicking off Season 3 with an episode about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, (the DRC) a country that not only is at the heart of Africa, it may be at the heart of our AI future.  Last season, ( Season 2, Episode 38 ) we made a prediction about ongoing events in the DRC involving the Congolese government, the US government, the Rwandan government, and rare earth minerals. We th...

We've got one year under our belt, have learned a lot and still have more to learn, and a lot more waxing to do. Listen to hear a bit of our backstory, what we've covered, and what you can expect from On the Fringe in Season 3. 

Here is a preview of our first episode dropping soon in season 3. We’ve revamped and touched up a few parts of the podcast to make it both more entertaining—and more informative. All content is 100% by us and for you, and don’t forget to pass it on! Dave + Gavin The DRC Map in the corner is by FunafutiTuvalu, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Accessed here . This is a public episode. If you'd l...

Hey all! Before we get into it, we’d like to say thank you to ALL of our listeners, subscribers, and fans in the On the Fringe community on Substack and across the world. We started season 2 with a brand new channel, 0 listens and 0 subscribers; now we’ve had over 2,000 downloads across all Podcasting platforms. Our numbers are going up every single week, and they wouldn’t be without YOUR support....

Hey all! We’ve got a REALLY quick (and unplanned) episode that we weren’t planning on doing—but Ukraine’s recent actions are well worth doing one. Ukraine recently took out several Russian long range bombers and aircraft with coordinated drone attacks thousands of miles from Ukraine. In an instant, the war (and peace process going on in Istanbul) has changed, not only for this conflict but for fut...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com Hey Subbies! We’ve got another episode out about living abroad and going through reverse culture shock. It’s part of the drill; and it’s probably the HARDEST part of going home. This one is subscribers only, click below if you want the full version (and it’s free to subscribe too!) It doesn’t matter if yo...

Hey all! We originally wanted to make this episode subscribers only—but it’s SO IMPORTANT (and since many people are traveling this summer), we’ve made it public for now. Don’t do what I did—and what I’m doing. Learn about what happens when/if you post your boarding pass online. Learn about how to protect yourself from social engineering attacks. This ties into many of the other episodes we’ve tal...

Hey all! We’ve hit the big four-oh (40) in season 2! We've got another episode following up on last week’s pod, Season 2, Episode 39: As Harvard goes, so goes US .International education is BIG business in the United States. We have over 1 million international students in the country now—but in the future, they may not come. Tune in to hear what this means for the country and America’s future (an...

Hey all! If you haven’t yet, please tap that subscribe button below. Gavin and I are both passionate about education—cumulatively we have decades of experience teaching students that have aspired to not only study in the U.S. but at some of America’s best universities. For some, this dream may change on a dime. Listen in to what a lot of U.S. media is missing about the DHS/Harvard fight and what t...

Hello Substack! We’ve got a double episode dropping today. We recorded one last week about the U.S.’s recent efforts to bring peace to the heart of Africa’s Great Lakes Region (Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC) and Burundi).We’ve talked a LOT about these countries on the podcast because they are at the beginning of the supply chain for much of the world’s cobalt and other resources n...

After we recorded this, I had a very random thought…sanctions in Syria have a lot in common with my pants back in middle school…someone would come by and drop them when I’d least expect it. (I admit it’s a cheeky and tasteless comparison!)On a serious note, listen in to how Trump is making waves in the Middle East, and just changed millions of lives through an unscripted play by dropping sanctions...

If you plan to travel abroad, don’t miss this episode. Most people who get in trouble abroad do so because they didn’t do their homework. Before you visit or move to another country, check the local import and export laws, ESPECIALLY if you are bringing or buying something. Listen for our take on Jarred Shaw’s recent arrest in Indonesia for possession and importation/distribution of illegal drugs....

Hey all! We’ve got a new episode piggybacking off our episode last week, “Bamboozled by Bots!” In this episode, Gavin and I talk about how AI is being used as a weapon in the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict. It’s not the AI that came out in 2022; it’s much more cutthroat and cunning—and has already swept up millions. Learn how and why this weapon of war is being used against the masses and how you...

Hey all! We’ve got ANOTHER 100% organic new episode. We’re talking more about AI and some ways you can protect yourself when you’re looking for information online. Here’s a similar video to the one that I saw before (the thumbnail is the same, but the content isn’t as nearly as slick)Many of the mainstream news organizations’ brands have been damaged in the last 10 years and many alternatives are...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com Hey all! We’ve got another subscribers’ only episode out. All you’ve gotta do is click the button below and its yours for the listening! Gavin and I go into depth about who you’re going to meet abroad, how to meet them, and how to MAYBE even get a free drink. We’re sharing stories and insight about how to...

Hey all! We have a new episode today that we didn’t intend to record—it just happened and it’s 100% organic! Leave us some comments and feedback, and don’t forget to like or subscribe. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Hey all! For this episode, we are revisiting Syria after Asaad. We covered this topic back in our first episode from Season 2 . In the last few months, Hayat Tharir al-Sham (HTS, the terrorist group leading Syria) has pushed to consolidate power. Listen in on what has been happening and what we think will likely continue to happen in this unstable part of the world. Leave us a comment or any feedb...

Hey all! America’s big hat has just chosen a new leader to lead the country. About 3 months ago, this election victory would have been a sheer impossibility based on the polling numbers. Listen as we dive into the results and what this means for the future of Canada and the US, Canada and the EU, and well…Canada and every other country. If you got something out of the episode (other than the fact...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com Hey all! We are trying something different today. We started a Subscribers Only podcast a few weeks back about going, living, and studying abroad (in addition to our regular On the Fringe pod, which won’t change)Subscribers get the whole episode—non subscribers get a sample. If you’d like the whole thing,...

Hey all! We’ve got a major story that is not really being talked about in depth in the West— a story that could change our lives very quickly—and be a turning point for future conflicts in the world. Earlier this week, a terrorist attack in the portion of Kashmir administered by India killed 28 innocent civilians. India immediately blamed Pakistan; Pakistan claimed the attack was a false flag; and...

Hey all! We’ve got an episode today on the Land of Smiles. If you’re planning to visit Thailand or want to know more about what not to do while there, this episode is for you. For more travel advice and newsworthy events that SHOULD be making the cut, hit the subscribe button below. Recently an American academic was arrested for violating Thailand’s national security, though he states he had no in...