Join us on The Rhys Show as we delve into the captivating realm of spatial cognition with renowned psychologist Barbara Tversky. In her groundbreaking book "Mind in Motion: How Action Shapes Thought," Barbara challenges conventional wisdom by revealing the profound influence of movement on human cognition. Discover the intricate relationship between our physical surroundings, actions, and the way we think, create, and communicate. Explore the power of gestures, diagrams, and non-verbal communication in shaping our understanding and creativity. Uncover the implications of spatial cognition for design, collaboration, and effective reasoning. Don't miss this enlightening episode that will expand your perspective and deepen your understanding of the world.

In this episode, Jennifer Pahlka, a businesswoman and political advisor, joins us to delve into the failures of government in the digital age and how we can drive meaningful change. Her book "Recoding America" provides valuable insights into why government struggles with technology and offers solutions for improvement. Discover the complexities of government computer systems, the gap between policy intentions and outcomes, and strategies for enhancing service delivery. Join us as we explore the need for fundamental changes in the American government. Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation with Jennifer Pahlka!

Join renowned economist Dr. Daron Acemoglu as he explores the intricate relationship between technology, power, and prosperity in this eye-opening episode. Discover why technological progress is not translating into widespread gains, delve into the history of technological advancements, and uncover the potential impact of AI on shared prosperity. Gain valuable insights on innovative approaches to create a more equitable distribution of benefits and learn about the key role of incentives, regulations, and government in shaping a brighter future. Don't miss this engaging conversation that will challenge your perspective on technology's impact on society.

Join renowned astrophysicist and bestselling author Avi Loeb as he takes us on a mind-bending journey through the cosmos in this captivating episode. Discover the fascinating possibilities of advanced technology created by distant alien civilizations and its potential impact on our growth as a species. Delve into the Galileo project, an ambitious endeavor to track mysterious objects in our solar system, and unravel the profound questions surrounding the existence of aliens and their relationship to concepts like God. Prepare to expand your horizons and explore the frontiers of our universe in this thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Avi Loeb.

In this thought-provoking episode, moral philosopher Peter Singer discusses the state of the modern animal rights movement, the urgent need to oppose factory farming, and the ethical obligations we have towards animals and the planet. Join the conversation as we delve into the harsh realities of factory farming, the environmental impact, the power of education, and exciting advancements in cell-based alternatives. Don't miss this eye-opening discussion on creating a more compassionate world.

In this episode, Claire Hughes Johnson, the corporate officer and advisor at Stripe, shares invaluable insights from her latest book "Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building." Join the conversation as Claire talks about her four operating principles, how to respond to inbound demands and manage hypergrowth, and advice for founders focusing on trusting instincts and moving faster. Learn the importance of building self-awareness, improving internal communications, and the difference between management and leadership. Discover how to replicate success, why vulnerability is key, and how to say things that are hard to say, like saying no. Tune in for a deep dive into company building and scaling, led by one of the tech industry's most experienced leaders.

In this episode, Freada Kapor Klein shares her expertise on investing in seed-stage tech startups that aim to close gaps of access, opportunity, and outcome for low-income communities and communities of color. As a venture capitalist, philanthropist, and author of "Closing the Equity Gap," Freada offers a comprehensive approach to making the tech industry more diverse and inclusive. She also discusses how investing in these gap-closing startups can lead to a more equitable future while generating profits. Tune in to learn about dispelling myths around investing and marginalized groups and the importance of "distance traveled" entrepreneurs. Don't miss out on this insightful conversation on how to make money by doing good.

In this episode, Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired and acclaimed author, joins The Rhys Show to discuss his latest book, Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier. Kelly shares his insights on how to become better ancestors and create a better world for ourselves and future generations. His pocket-book with 450 mantras is filled with wisdom snippets he began to write down for his young adult children. Kelly offers guidance on living life the right way, setting ambitious goals, optimizing generosity, cultivating empathy, and creating family traditions and rites of passage. He also talks about memetic refactoring and AI, encouraging listeners to become experts in the field. Join us for this insightful conversation on how to live a better life by incorporating Kelly's snippets of wisdom into your mind.

In this episode, Saffron Huang, technologist and researcher, discusses how to leverage collective intelligence to govern and benefit from transformative technologies such as AI. As the Co-Director at Collective Intelligence Project, Saffron explains how their organization is developing decision-making technologies and processes that expand a group’s capacity to construct and cooperate towards shared goals. She shares insights on value elicitation, how to aggregate conflicting values of groups, and how AI can help represent diverse groups. Join us as we explore the transformative technology trilemma and how collective intelligence can help build new institutions that keep up with rapidly evolving technologies.

In this episode, Elizabeth Weil, investor, advisor, entrepreneur, super-connector, ultra-marathon runner, and mother of three, talks about her more than two decade experience in the venture capital business and technology companies. We dive deep into her early stages in Twitter as it grew from 50 to 3000 employees, the importance of human elements to scale a business, and her path to venture capital. Elizabeth also discusses her own firm, Scribble Ventures, and how she started it during the tough times of Covid. Listeners can expect to learn how to grow technology startups and venture capital firms, connect startups with fortune 500 companies, the importance of the human component when scaling a business, how founders stand out, and much more.

Join investigative reporter and author Christopher Leonard in this thought-provoking episode as he uncovers the dark side of the US Federal Reserve and its policies. Discover how the Fed's massive borrowing through quantitative easing policy has contributed to inflation, widened the wealth gap, and increased the risk system since the Great Recession of 2008. Leonard contextualizes the Fed's history and connects the dots between the easy money environment, the state of capitalism, and the reserve currencies. As the American easy money party comes to an end, get ready to explore the implications of the Fed's actions and what individuals can do in response. Tune in now to discover how the Fed's impact on the economy has jeopardized economic stability and accelerated income inequality.

Join us as Konrad Kording, a renowned neuroscientist and professor, shares his insights on the history and evolution of machine learning. Konrad delves into the intersection of AI, causality, and the brain, and explains the biological evolution perspective in deep learning. He also discusses the concept of deconstraints and how it is being applied to machine learning to speed up progress. Listen to this thought-provoking episode and gain insights into the current state of LLMs and their differences from humans.

In this episode, Minn Kim shares her thoughts on supporting technological talent that drives step changes in human agency. She discusses the importance of community building and entrepreneurship, as well as her platform Stealth, which connects startups with top-tier talent. The conversation also touches on the current state of US immigration and how Minn's platform, Plymouth, is working to improve the system. Join us for an insightful discussion on innovation and community building.

Have you ever wondered what consciousness really is, and where we are headed in understanding it? In this episode, we explore the mysteries of consciousness with Andrés Gómez Emilsson, President and Director of Research at Qualia Research Institute. From the blinding problem to AI consciousness, psychedelics, and more, Andrés discusses how his work is helping to unveil the secrets of consciousness. Find out how QRI is using psychedelics to inform their research, how AI can become positively conscious, and what the future holds for valence realism. Don't miss this thought-provoking conversation on 'Unveiling Consciousness's Secrets'.

Mallun Yen, founder of Operator Collective, joins the show to discuss the future of startups, venture capital, and the importance of operators in scaling successful tech companies. We explore the concept of collectives, the role of operators, and how they differ from traditional venture capitalists. Additionally, we touch on the significance of diversity and gender in operations, and the future of startups as they continue to evolve. Lastly, we tackle the question of whether tech and diversity are overrated or underrated.