PODCAST · science
The Orthogonal Bet
by Lux Capital
Welcome to The Orthogonal Bet, a podcast by Lux Capital that explores the unconventional ideas and delightful patterns that shape our world. Hosted by Samuel Arbesman Produced by Christopher Gates
Episodes
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Paul Rony on Lessons from Computer History
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Rony. Paul is the founder and CEO of Kosmik, a tech startup based in France. Paul is also deeply knowledgeable about the history of computing and the ideas that animate it, and Samuel wanted to discuss these ideas with him....
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Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock on the Recurse Center
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Nicholas Bergson-Shilcock. Nick is the cofounder and CEO of the Recurse Center, a kind of retreat for programmers and community for people to work at what they term the edge of their abilities. RC has been running these...
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Corey Maley on the philosophy of science and computation
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Corey Maley. Corey is an associate professor of philosophy at Purdue University who explores the philosophy of science and computation, focusing on cognitive science, the nature of computation both digital and analog, and how…
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Joel Simon on "Beyond Slop"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Joel Simon. Joel is a fascinating creator who works at the intersection of art and computational research, particularly in the realm of AI and creativity. He is the creator of Artbreeder, a biologically inspired tool for…
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Stephen Webb on 75 Answers to the Fermi Paradox
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman has the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Webb. Stephen is a physicist and the author of numerous books, including one entitled "If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens… Where is Everybody?", the second edition of which includes 75 solutions to the Fermi Paradox....
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David Edmonds on "Parfit"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman is excited to welcome David Edmonds back to the podcast. Dave is the cohost of the Philosophy Bites podcast as well as the bestselling author of numerous books about philosophy. Last time they spoke about his book Death in a Shallow Pond: A Philosopher, A Drowning...
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Edward Ashton on "After The Fall"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman welcomes back Edward Ashton. Edward is a science fiction writer and the author of numerous novels, including Mickey7, which served as the basis for the film Mickey 17. The two last spoke about Ashton’s novel The Fourth Consort, a compelling first-contact story…
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Lori Emerson on the Media Archaeology Lab
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Lori Emerson, a professor of Media Studies at University of Colorado Boulder and the founding director of the Media Archaeology Lab, where Arbesman serves as an advisor. Emerson’s work sits at the crossroads of media, technology, and history—a...
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Brendan Schlagel on Learning Communities
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Brendan Schlagel, a builder obsessed with learning and community, and the cofounder of Hyperlink and Leaflet—projects devoted to helping people learn together and share knowledge in public. Samuel and Brendan trace the history of Hyperlink and the...
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Gordon Brander on Scenario Planning
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Gordon Brander, a technologist and researcher currently building Deep Future, an AI tool designed to facilitate scenario planning. Gordon has worked in design and engineering at organizations including Mozilla and Google, where he used scenario…
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Florian Jehn on Summarizing Collapse Research
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Florian Jehn, a researcher who studies the nature of societal collapse and the author of the blog Existential Crunch. Existential Crunch examines and summarizes scientific work in this space, serving as a living literature review of research on…
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Dexter Palmer on Writing Literary Fiction with Sci-Fi Tropes
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with novelist Dexter Palmer, the author of three books that deliberately resist easy categorization. As they discuss, Palmer’s work can be thought of as literary fiction infused with science-fictional tropes and textures. His debut, The Dream of Perpetual...
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Stuart Buck on "The Case for Crazy Philanthropy"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Stuart Buck, executive director of the Good Science Project—a think tank devoted to better understanding how science is done and funded. Stuart previously served as a vice president at Arnold Ventures, where he focused (among other things) on…
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Tinkered Thinking on White Mirror
Tinkered Thinking is the pseudonym of the author behind White Mirror, a collection of stories that explore the implications of artificial intelligence and advances in computing—while offering a more optimistic lens than much of contemporary science fiction. In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks...
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Alec Nevala-Lee on Luis Alvarez
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks again with Alec Nevala-Lee. Arbesman previously hosted Nevala-Lee to discuss his biography of Buckminster Fuller; this time, Nevala-Lee returns to talk about his new book, Collisions, a biography of Nobel Prize–winning physicist Luis Alvarez. Alvarez’s…
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Nick Foster on "Could Should Might Don’t"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Nick Foster, a designer and futurist who has worked with numerous major companies imagining a variety of futures—from Nokia and Dyson to Google. Foster is also the author of the new book Could Should Might Don’t, which explores the many ways we do and...
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David Edmonds on Death in a Shallow Pond
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with David Edmonds, cohost of the Philosophy Bites podcast and bestselling author of numerous books on philosophy, including his most recent work, Death in a Shallow Pond: A Philosopher, A Drowning Child, and Strangers in Need. In this delightful book,...
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Rohit Krishnan on Training AI to Write Better
n this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Rohit Krishnan, one of the most playful and insightful thinkers in the world of ideas. Rohit writes Strange Loop Canon, a newsletter devoted to exploring delightfully wide-ranging concepts—including artificial intelligence. He also recently collaborated...
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Linda Liukas on Teaching Kids to Code Through Play
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Linda Liukas, author of the beloved Hello Ruby children’s book series about computers, as well as a new Finnish-language book for adults on computing. Liukas also recently designed a playground in Helsinki that introduces children to foundational ideas...
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Molly Mielke on What Makes a Founder Worth Betting On
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Molly Mielke. Despite her youth, Molly has already built a fascinating career across tech—spending time at Notion, Figma, Stripe, and the Browser Company—before launching her own venture fund, Moth Fund. Along the way, she’s learned a great deal about...
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Daniel Temkin on Esoteric Programming Languages
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Daniel Temkin, a writer and artist working in the digital art space who has been creating strange and provocative programming languages for years. These “esoteric languages” or “esolangs” [esso] explore the limits and breadth of what programming and…
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Parker Owens on Parker's Brick Builds
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Parker Owens, whose passion for Lego has grown into something remarkable. In addition to working as an attorney, Parker runs Parker’s Brick Builds, a company where he designs and sells custom Lego creations. His sets range from vehicles and a siege…
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Kristoffer Tjalve on The Internet Phone Book
Samuel Arbesman is joined once again by Kristoffer Tjalve. The two previously spoke about the poetic web and the delightful aspects of the internet. This time, Kristoffer shares his new project: the Internet Phone Book—a physical book that lists personal websites alongside essays about the...
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Edward Ashton on The Fourth Consort
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Edward Ashton. Edward Ashton is a science fiction writer and the author of numerous novels, including Mickey7, which became the basis for the movie Mickey 17. His most recent novel is The Fourth Consort, a fascinating first contact story that touches...
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Neal Agarwal on neal.fun
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Neal Agarwal. Neal has been building online playthings for most of his life. He runs neal.fun, which many listeners may already be familiar with, home to such games and internet toys as Infinite Craft and Internet Roadtrip. For example, Infinite Craft...
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Julian Gough on the Evolution of Universes
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Julian Gough — a writer, musician, and now researcher in cosmology. Julian was part of Toasted Heretic, an Irish rock group, has written novels for both children and adults, and even composed Minecraft’s end poem. More recently, he has turned his...
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Étienne Fortier-Dubois on Tech Trees
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Étienne Fortier-Dubois, a writer and programmer whose work has appeared in publications such as Asterisk Magazine and Works in Progress. He also authors the newsletter Hopeful Monsters. With a vast and eclectic set of interests—from the intricate…
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Chris Ferrie on Writing "Quantum Physics for Babies"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Chris Ferrie, an associate professor of quantum information at the University of Technology Sydney and the author of an impressive range of books for audiences of all ages — from adults and children to even babies. Ferrie is best known for Quantum...
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Evan Armstrong on Launching The Leverage and Rethinking Tech Media
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Evan Armstrong, the writer behind The Leverage, a newsletter devoted to exploring and explaining the rapid changes in technology markets. Before launching his own publication, Evan was the lead writer at Every, where he helped grow the platform to over...
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Gabe Henry on "Enough is Enuf"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with writer Gabe Henry, whose latest book Enough is Enuf delves into the long-running crusade to simplify English spelling (note the purposeful “ENUF” in the title). Everyone senses that English orthography can feel downright irrational, yet...
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Daryl Gregory on Simulation Theory and the Great American Glitch Tour
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman sits down with novelist Daryl Gregory, celebrated author of numerous science-fiction and fantasy works—including the newly released When We Were Real. Set seven years after humanity discovers that reality is a vast computer simulation, Gregory’s novel follows…
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Kenneth Stanley on the Disruptive Power of Open-Endedness
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Kenneth Stanley, a renowned computer scientist and AI researcher whose career spans academia, industry, and startup innovation. Stanley has been a professor, a cofounder of multiple companies, and a researcher at both OpenAI and Uber. He currently…
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Clive Thompson on the Ramifications of “Vibe Coding”
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with journalist and author Clive Thompson. Known for his thoughtful writing on science and technology—particularly in the realms of computing and programming—Clive contributes to Wired, The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian, and more. He is also the…
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Alec Nevala-Lee on Buckminster Fuller
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with Alec Nevala-Lee, author of numerous books, including Inventor of the Future, a definitive biography of Buckminster Fuller. Buckminster Fuller was an architect, designer, and public intellectual whose influence stretched far beyond blueprints and...
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Eliot Peper on developing lore around AI agents
In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman welcomes back return guest Eliot Peper. Eliot is a science fiction writer and the author of numerous books, and is currently collaborating with the tech company Portola, which is developing Tolans — AI friends and companions that blur…
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Anna Gat on Building Interintellect’s Global Agora
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Anna Gat, founder and CEO of Interintellect. Described as “a curated marketplace of high-quality events hosted by intellectual seekers from all walks of life,” Interintellect is reimagining the salon for the digital age. Arbesman and Gat discuss…
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Samuel Arbesman on The Magic of Code
It’s not every day that we get to fete the launch of a new book by one of our colleagues at Lux Capital, so today is a very special day. Lux’s scientist-in-residence, Samuel Arbesman, just published his new book, “The Magic of Code: How Digital Language Created and Connects Our World―and…
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Michael Rosen on Golems, Dybbuks & the Four Quadrants of AI
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Michael Rosen, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a lawyer focused on technology and intellectual property. Rosen is the author of Like Silicon From Clay: What Ancient Jewish Wisdom Can Teach Us About AI, a...
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Nick Bowden on Building a Real World SimCity
In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Nick Bowden, CEO of Replica—a company that models mobility in urban environments through a blend of data and simulation. Think of it as a real-world version of SimCity. Arbesman and Bowden explore Nick’s journey from urban...
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Lu Wilson on Art of Creative Coding
In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Lu Wilson, a programmer and creative coder who also works as a software engineer at tldraw, a Lux Capital portfolio company. Lu’s creative work is broad, strange, and delightful in all the best ways—perhaps best exemplified…
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Sara Walker on "Life As No One Knows It"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Sara Imari Walker, a theoretical physicist and astrobiologist at Arizona State University. Walker is the author of Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life’s Emergence, a book that explores the nature of life through the lens of physics and...
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Peter Bebergal on the Roots of Dungeons & Dragons
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Peter Bebergal. Peter is a writer and the author of numerous books, and the editor, most recently, of Appendix N: Weird Tales From the Roots of Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons was created by Gary Gygax and draws from numerous sources, which...
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Samantha John on Hopscotch the easy bake oven of code
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Samantha John, co-founder of Hopscotch—a delightful programming environment designed for children. Samuel wanted to explore the origins of Hopscotch, its underlying philosophy, and how we might think more broadly about teaching programming to young...
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Torie Bosch on the 26 Lines of Code That Changed the World
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with Torie Bosch—now an editor at STAT News and formerly a longtime editor at Slate Magazine. Building on a groundbreaking Slate project, Bosch edited the acclaimed anthology You Are Not Expected to Understand This: How 26 Lines of Code Changed the…
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Jason Crawford on The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Jason Crawford, a writer and thinker who explores the idea of progress in modern society. Jason is the founder and president of the Roots of Progress Institute, an organization dedicated to developing a modern philosophy of progress. As part of this...
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John Hendrix on "The Mythmakers"
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with John Hendrix. John is a writer and illustrator whose work appears widely across books and publications. His most recent book is the graphic novel The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. This compelling work delves…
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Nadia Asparouhova on ANTIMEMETICS
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Nadia Asparouhova. Nadia is a writer and thinker who explores the ideas that suffuse the tech world. She is the author of Working in Public, a book about the culture of open source software, as well as the forthcoming Antimemetics: Why Some Ideas…
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Alex Soojung-Kim Pang on REST & SHORTER
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Alex Pang, author of several influential books on rethinking work—particularly how we rest and why spending less time in the office can lead to greater productivity. Pang’s most recent works include REST: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less and...
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Lawrence Lundy-Bryan on how data-driven VC is over
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Lawrence Lundy-Bryan, a partner at the venture capital firm Lunar Ventures who specializes in researching the landscape of cutting-edge technological advances. Lawrence has been examining technologies as part of a project called the State of the…
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Nadia Drake on The Arecibo Message our "Selfie of Humanity"
On November 16, 1974, the first message meant for the stars was broadcast into space, using a series of zeros and ones to encode an image. This image was designed by Frank Drake, an astronomer who helped develop the modern field of SETI as well as the Drake Equation, a formula which helps...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to The Orthogonal Bet, a podcast by Lux Capital that explores the unconventional ideas and delightful patterns that shape our world. Hosted by Samuel Arbesman Produced by Christopher Gates
HOSTED BY
Lux Capital
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Orthogonal Bet have?
The Orthogonal Bet currently has 77 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Orthogonal Bet about?
Welcome to The Orthogonal Bet, a podcast by Lux Capital that explores the unconventional ideas and delightful patterns that shape our world. Hosted by Samuel Arbesman Produced by Christopher Gates
How often does The Orthogonal Bet release new episodes?
The Orthogonal Bet has 77 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Orthogonal Bet?
You can listen to The Orthogonal Bet on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Orthogonal Bet?
The Orthogonal Bet is created and hosted by Lux Capital.
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