The Local Maximum

Max interviews Melissa Luvisi from tab32 as they dissect the intersection of dentistry and technology. They explore the software deficits plaguing the medical field, how dentistry is lagging, and how it can take a quantum leap forward. Luvisi shares her insights on harnessing health data, addressing security and privacy issues, and the promising future of dental tech. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/289

Max and Aaron discuss the arguments put forth by Eliezer Yudkowsky and some AI researchers about "existential threats" posed by the technology. They end with some predictions on the subject. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/288-is-artificial-intelligence-a-threat-to-humanity

Today's guest is Peter C. Earle, economist at AIER. The topic is ESG: Environment, Social, and Governance regulations, and the theory behind it that says corporations should be run for the benefit of interests outside the shareholders. They explore the rise of ESG criteria in a low interest rate environment, and ask whether ESG on its way out. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/287-the-rise-and-fall-of-esg-with-peter-earle

Max talks about a bet that two academics made 25 years ago about the nature of consciousness that has recently been settled. He also talk about the idea of a "reverse Turing Test". We also get an update on the latest display tech, with reviews on foldable phones and color e-ink making a comeback.

Max talks to author and software engineer David Auerbach about his new book Meganets: How Digital Forces Beyond Our Control Commandeer Our Daily Lives and Inner Realities. localmaxradio.com/282

Aaron talks to Max about his move to Connecticut. They review Columbia University's data science day. A touch of Twitter news and a tweet we thought was interesting on rationality. Probability Distribution of the Week: Multivariate Gaussian Distribution (or Normal Distribution) https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/275-connecticut-chronicles-columbia-conferences-questioning-bots

Max talks to Homebrew creator Max Howell about open source software, package managers, and his new project tea.xyz. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/277-open-source-sagas-with-max-howell

Max and Aaron discuss and provide commentary for their 2002 high school film, The Dictator of Easton.

Chris Wiggins and Matthew Jones dive into a new book called "How Data Happened: A History from the Age of Reason to the Age of Algorithms" with Max. We learn that we can reach back into data history and find stories that experienced scientists and engineers are will find surprising at present. Chris Wiggins is an associate professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University and the Chief Data Scientist at The New York Times. Matthew is the James R. Barker Professor of Contemporary Civilization at Columbia University. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/272-data-science-history-with-chris-wiggins-and-matthew-jones

Max interviews Adam Kane of ASML about the industrial processes which make hardware innovation possible. They cover extreme UV lithography, the law of accelerating returns, and implications for software engineers. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/271-semiconductors-lithography-and-moores-law-with-adam-kane-of-asml

Todays news update starts on the lighter side with an article from the New York Times that seeks to denigrate podcasters by branding them as the "podcast bro". Then we get into the release of GPT4 just months after chatGPT shook the world of AI and tech, and the bank runs at Silicon Valley Bank and elsewhere. Probability distribution of the week: Exponential Distribution https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/270-exciting-and-terrifying-nyt-podcast-trashing-gpt4-and-bank-runs

Could the crisis in modern science be a result of fallacious probabilistic thinking? Mathematical researcher and writer Aubrey Clayton joins the Local Maximum to discuss his book Bernoulli’s Fallacy: Statistical Illogic and the Crisis of Modern Science. localmaxradio.com/267

We are joined by Software Engineer, Data Scientist, and Author Joel Grus for a discussion that ranges from the latest NLP techniques to thoughts on how to think about complexity costs. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/266-simplicity-complexity-and-text-classification-with-joel-grus

Max talks to Adam Kovacevich, the Founder and CEO of Chamber of Progress in DC, to talk about several issues that have caught to attention of policymakers. We discuss the concerns of the rise of Tik Tok as a potential arm of the Chinese government, and whether similar concerns about domestic services are warranted. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/264-talking-tik-tok-privacy-and-propaganda-with-adam-kovacevich

Aaron talks to Max about his new pamphlet entitled "Relative Probability on Finite Outcome Spaces". Arxiv: Relative Probability on Finite Outcome Spaces: A Systematic Examination of its Axiomatization, Properties, and Applications https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/263-relative-probability

Gene Epstein, founder of the Soho Forum monthly debate series, comes on The Local Maximum to discuss and critique Max's recent debate performance on Democracy vs Monarchy. Max also shared the 9 Things he learned from the Debate, Gene's debate with Binyamin Appelbaum of the New York Times. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/257-lessons-from-the-debate-with-gene-epstein

Max and Aaron start off the New Year with a predictions show for the short, medium, and long-term outlook for technical advances. Today's episode focuses on generative AI and self-driving cars. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/260-new-year-predictions-generative-ai-self-driving-cars-and-web3

Max interviews SportsVisio CEO Jason Syversen about how artificial intelligence can be applied to sports video, including automated highlights, scoring, and refereeing. Jason also shares details about his startup's innovative product for basketball. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/258-sports-and-ai-jason-syversen-changing-the-game-with-sportsvisio

Gene Epstein, founder of the Soho Forum monthly debate series, comes on The Local Maximum to discuss and critique Max's recent debate performance on Democracy vs Monarchy. Max also shared the 9 Things he learned from the Debate, Gene's debate with Binyamin Appelbaum of the New York Times. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/257-lessons-from-the-debate-with-gene-epstein

Max and Aaron discuss the launch of the chatGPT product demo taking the internet by storm and the potential applications of this technology. The title of this episode doesn't make sense 100% - but it was generated by chatGPT when asked for an amusing title. Probability distribution of the week: Poisson Distribution https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/255-ais-got-chat-the-rise-of-chatgpt

Max talks about the developments surrounding Amazon's Alexa, where it's been revealed that layoffs are coming and the initiative has been costing an eye-popping 10 Billion per year. Max believes there is a future for these devices, and discusses where that might be. Max also adds some details that he missed from the discussion on hurricane Sandy, and his experience in a Tesla self-driving car. https://brass-violet-346y.squarespace.com/config/pages/5ba162cb88251b605ca4eb2c

Max talks to guests Helen and Dave Edwards about the human side of decision making, and how we can use research in behavioral and cognitive science to practice better decision making. https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/253-make-better-decisions-with-helen-and-dave-edwards

Max recalls to Aaron his experiences in New York in 2012, and the hurricane (Superstorm Sandy / Frankenstorm) that cut power in Manhattan for days during Halloween and devastated the coastal areas. localmaxradio.com/252

Max defends representative democracy in an October 26th public debate for the Live Free and Debate series in New Hampshire. The resolution was "Monarchy is better than representative democracy" with Alu Axelman arguing in the affirmative and Max arguing in the negative. It's a long one, but it was a good time with expanded perspectives all around! https://www.localmaxradio.com/episode/251-debate-monarchy-vs-democracy

As the keys to Twitter get turned over to Elon Musk, Max talks about how the development of the open internet is proceeding. He traces back to previous predictions about the upcoming fallout from short-sighted content politics of the previous social media management, and how the dream of a decentralized communication network is progressing.