Infinite Loops

Jim O'Shaughnessy
  • 4.6 (169)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Every Thursday, join Jim O'Shaughnessy and his favorite people as they arm you with the tools & fresh perspectives required to upgrade your HumanOS and thrive in our messy, probabilistic world. Visit our Substack at newsletter.osv.llc for full transcripts, highlights, weekly doses of timeless wisdom, and a bounty of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm that's interesting!"

  1. 21H AGO

    Alex Petkas - What Ancient Greece Can Teach Us About AI and the Future (Ep. 310)

    What can Aristotle, Plato, Prometheus, and the Greek city-states teach us about AI, innovation, and the future of human flourishing? Alex Petkas joins the show to explore how old myths still matter in a world shaped by technology. We talk about Prometheus as the foundational myth of tech, Plato's fear that writing would become a tool for forgetting, the real lesson of Icarus, why decentralization creates cultural power, and what it means to remain fully human in the age of AI. Important Links: Learn More about The Cost of Glory: www.costofglory.com Check out Alex's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@costofglory Alex's Twitter: https://x.com/costofglory The Cost of Glory Substack: https://costofglory.substack.com/

    1h 37m

  2. APR 9

    Sam Arbesman - Why Future Belongs to Curious People (Ep. 309)

    Scientist and writer Sam Arbesman joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on AI, optimism, science, education, archives, science fiction, and why the history of computing still has so much to teach us.   We talk about why pessimism is often mistaken for sophistication, why AI may reward open-mindedness more than intelligence, why science works even though scientists are imperfect, and why the future may depend on revisiting forgotten ideas from the past. Important Links: Learn more about Sam here: https://arbesman.net/ Read Sam's latest book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/samuel-arbesman/the-magic-of-code Sam's Substack: https://arbesman.substack.com/about Neal Stephenson's Innovation Starvation: https://www.wired.com/2011/10/stephenson-innovation-starvation/ David Deutsch's The Beginning of Infinity: https://www.thebeginningofinfinity.com/

    1h 46m

  3. APR 2

    Johnathan Bi - Why the Best Founders Might Need a Little Delusion (Ep. 308)

    Johnathan Bi returns to Infinite Loops for a conversation about founders, delusion, America, religion, mysticism, and the strange tension between truth and action. We explore why some of the most effective builders may be the least introspective, why societies often run on useful fictions, how America encourages megalomania, what happens when materialism starts to feel incomplete, and why the "seeker" may matter even more in the age of AI. The episode moves from Plato and Caesar to founders, mystics, near-death experiences, and the future of human creativity. Important Links: Johnathan's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@bi.johnathan Johnathan's Substack: https://substack.com/@johnathanbi

    1h 40m

  4. MAR 26

    Polina Pompliano - What Truly Drives Successful People (Ep. 307)

    Polina Pompliano studies some of the most successful people in the world—and what she's found challenges how we think about success, creativity, and human behavior. In this episode of Infinite Loops, we explore the mental models behind high performers, why we misunderstand people (including ourselves), and what it really takes to see the world differently. From creativity and rationality to identity, media bias, and the hidden motivations driving success, this conversation is a deep dive into how great thinkers actually operate. Important Links: Check out Polina's new book:  https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Genius-Thinking-Successful-People/dp/0593715604 More from Polina Pompliano — The Profile: https://theprofile.substack.com

    1h 7m
  5. Adam Mastroianni - Why Creativity Feels Like It's Dying (Ep. 306)

    MAR 19

    Adam Mastroianni - Why Creativity Feels Like It's Dying (Ep. 306)

    In this episode of Infinite Loops, we speak with Adam Mastroianni—experimental psychologist and sharp critic of modern culture and science. We ask, why does creativity feel like it's fading? From endless remakes to cultural sameness, Adam argues that as society becomes more stable and risk-averse, we may be unintentionally reducing the "deviance" that drives originality and breakthrough thinking. We also discuss why science should get weirder, how to fight credentialism, and the dangers of professionalization. Important Links: To learn more about Adam Mastroianni: https://www.adammastroianni.com/ Adam's Piece on the Decline of Deviance: https://www.experimental-history.com/p/the-decline-of-deviance Slime Mold Time Mold: https://slimemoldtimemold.com/ Our Conversation with Julian Gough: https://newsletter.osv.llc/p/the-egg-and-the-rock-ep-249

    1h 33m

  6. MAR 12

    Arkady Kulik - The Psychology of Self-Deception (Ep. 305)

    In this episode of Infinite Loops, we sit down with venture capitalist and physicist Arkady Kulikov to explore the psychology behind founders, responsibility, and self-deception. Kulik discusses why the hardest problems in business are almost always human problems, how great founders deal with stress, and why the biggest lie entrepreneurs tell is often to themselves. He also explains how investors evaluate founder psychology, why difficult conversations are essential in business, and why resilience is more about adaptability than stubbornness. Important Links: Listen to our last conversation with Arkady here: https://www.infiniteloopspodcast.com/arkady-kulik-bridging-science-entrepreneurship-ep193/ Arkady's deep tech venture fund, rpv global: https://rpv.global/

    1h 31m

  7. MAR 5

    Angus Fletcher - The Biggest Mistake We Made About Intelligence (Ep. 304)

    In this episode of Infinite Loops, Jim O'Shaughnessy sits down with Angus Fletcher, Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University's Project Narrative and author of multiple books at the intersection of narrative theory, psychology, and brain science.  Angus' research challenges one of the most widely accepted ideas in modern culture: that the human brain works like a computer. Drawing on his work with U.S. Army Special Operations, he argues that humans think not in equations, but in actions and stories — and that modern education systems are failing to cultivate the kinds of intelligence needed to navigate the real world. Jim and Angus explore the difference between probability thinking and possibility thinking, why standardized education may be suppressing creativity, how stories shape strategy and leadership, and why the most successful innovators think like explorers rather than optimizers. Important Links: Read Angus' book — Primal Intelligence: The New Science of How We Think: https://www.amazon.com/Primal-Intelligence-New-Science-Think/dp/0593712974 Angus' Harvard Business Review Article — Your Brain Doesn't Work the Way You Think It Does: https://hbr.org/2025/01/your-brain-doesnt-work-the-way-you-think-it-does Learn more about Angus here: https://www.angusfletcher.co/

    1h 36m

  8. FEB 26

    Jonathan Tepper - Growing Up in the Heroin Capital of Europe (Ep. 303)

    In this episode of Infinite Loops, we sit down with author Jonathan Tepper to discuss his extraordinary childhood. In 1985, when Jonathan was seven, his missionary parents moved the family to San Blas — then the heroin capital of Europe — to start a drug rehabilitation center. Jonathan and his brothers grew up alongside former bank robbers, prison survivors, and people living through the AIDS epidemic. These recovering addicts became like older siblings to them. What began with one man in a small apartment grew into a global movement operating in 20 countries. Jonathan's memoir, Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Addiction, is out now and published in the US by Infinite Books and in the UK by Little, Brown Book Group. Important Links Buy Shooting Up: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Addiction: https://www.infinitebooks.com/books/products/shooting-up Read the first chapter for free: https://infiniteloops.substack.com/p/give-them-to-anyone-who-looks-like Learn more about Jonathan here: https://jonathan-tepper.com/

    1h 12m
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Hosts & Guests

4.6
out of 5
169 Ratings

About

Every Thursday, join Jim O'Shaughnessy and his favorite people as they arm you with the tools & fresh perspectives required to upgrade your HumanOS and thrive in our messy, probabilistic world. Visit our Substack at newsletter.osv.llc for full transcripts, highlights, weekly doses of timeless wisdom, and a bounty of other goodies designed to make you go, "Hmm that's interesting!"

Information

  • Creator
    Jim O'Shaughnessy
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    317
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Infinite Loops

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