003 — The Cage Around the Researcher

What this episode covers

Bloomberg reported overnight that China has begun restricting overseas travel for top AI researchers at Alibaba and DeepSeek. Founders, senior researchers, and executives working on advanced AI now need government approval before leaving the country.It's the first time these controls — previously reserved for nuclear scientists and defence engineers — have reached into the private sector. The message from Beijing is clear: AI is no longer a product. It's infrastructure.Which raises a question I don't have a clean answer to: if you build something the state considers too important to let it walk away from you — are you still its inventor, or are you its hostage?Plus — what to do with last night's leftover rice that isn't fried rice. And a poem about coming home to something quieter.— TODAY'S RECIPE —Curd rice with tadka. Cold cooked rice broken up, mixed with fresh curd and a splash of milk. Salt. Tadka: mustard seeds, one slit green chilli, grated ginger, curry leaves in hot oil. Pomegranate or mango pickle to finish.— TODAY'S POEM —"Sanctuary" — from Fifty Rooms of Silence by Linu Conil, published by Romanson, with an endorsement from Dr. Shashi Tharoor.📖 Get the book on Amazon:https://www.amazon.in/Fifty-Rooms-Silence-Linu-Conil/dp/9348314556—Six Minutes of Silence is hosted by Linu Conil and produced by The Bandrum Circuit in Trivandrum, Kerala. New episodes every weekday at 7 AM IST.Got a thought? Write to [email protected]© 2026 The Bandrum Circuit

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