Standing on the Shoulders of Giants with David McKay

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants with David McKay

Breaking down science, technology, engineering and math in a way that the rest of us can comprehend and utilize in our daily lives. Imagine a Lex Fridman for the everyman, translating the complex thoughts of the worlds greatest thinkers like Lee Cronin, Razib Khan and the CTO of Signal, preeminent encrypted messaging app. This podcast is inspired by Andrew Huberman, Lex Fridman, Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, David Friedberg, Jocko Willink, Tim Ferris, Balaji Srinivasan.

Episodes

July 17, 2023 29 mins

In this episode I discuss hackers, hacking and computer security. We dive into past, present and future of the trade. We discuss events that have occurred, and things that I have direct connections with as well. We talk through motivations and how those have also evolved throughout the life of the Internet.


PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠⁠⁠ Spotify...

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In this episode I discuss the burning question you've been afraid to ask, What is the Cloud? What is this technology all about? What does it mean when someone says something's in the cloud?


PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: ⁠⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠⁠ Spotify: ⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3L9QhFz⁠⁠ RSS: ⁠⁠https://anchor.fm/s/db01549c/podcast/rss ⁠⁠ SOCIAL: - Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter...

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Amanda Vondras, PhD is a molecular biologist who's currently working with Genrait as Head of Science. Amanda has also worked extensively in cancer and grape research. Amanda and I discuss molecular biology, wine, grapes, melanoma, the Beatles, personalized medicine, GMOs, and the nature of reality, among other topics.


https://www.genrait.com/


PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Appl...

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Professor Reiner is a political scientist and is currently Professor of Technology Policy at Cambridge University Judge Business School. David has advised government, industry and non-governmental organizations on energy and environmental policy. David and I discuss technology policy, energy policy, life and experiences at Cambridge University, physics, AI, GPT, and education among other topics.


https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/facul...

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Whurley is the CEO and Co-founder of Strangeworks, a Venture Capitalist, an IEEE senior member, quantum computing pioneer and an awesome human. We chat about quantum computing, AI, ChatGPT, physics, cryptography, telecommunications, and mental health among other things. https://whurley.com/

https://strangeworks.com/

https://ecliptic.capital/

@whurley PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podca...

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Grace Rachmany is a prolific blockchain white paper author with over 100 white papers written, and Co-Founder of the PricelessDAO. Grace and I talk through blockchain, DAOs, Initial Coin Offerings, privacy, the Panama Papers, democracy, voting, shared economies, payments and biodiversity among other topics.


https://gracerachmany.com/


PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠htt...

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Joseph Menn is a technology reporter specializing in hacking, privacy and surveillance. Joe has been integral in the hacking and information security scene for decades authoring several books including All the Rave: The Rise and Fall of Shawn Fanning's Napster, Fatal System Error, and Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World. Joe and I discuss hacking, privacy, cyber warfare, journalis...

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April 16, 2023 90 mins

Brian Ahuja, MD is a neurologist specializing in intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring, which is monitoring brain activity in patients during surgery.  Brian and I talk through AI in medicine, brainwaves, automation, aphasia, cold headaches, dopamine, serotonin, and education, among other topics.


@brianahuja



PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: ⁠⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠...

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Scott Longheyer has a sensational career in technology spanning over 25 years. Originally with Hotmail, and staying on at Microsoft after the acquisition of Hotmail, serving in a number of roles and presently as Microsoft's industrial counter-hacker. Scott and I worked at Hotmail and Microsoft together all those years ago. Scott and I talk through hackers, hacker culture, industrial networks, DEF CON, Sri Lankan aid, C.O.L.O.R....

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Jose Maria Barrera is a computer scientist with the AI company Elemental Cognition, interested in the way everything is interconnected, the impact of technology, languages and symbology. Jose and I discuss AI, ethics, Pablo Escobar, programming languages, measurements, the manhattan project, among other topics.


https://josemariabarrera.com/


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts...

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Hannah Frankman is an education entrepreneur and writer. Hannah has spoken and written about the state of education for years. Hannah and I discuss the education system, how to improve it, how to make it student first, how technology has been both a bane and boon to education, among other topics. NOTE: There was an audio issue for the last 4 minutes at the studio, however the conversation is still intelligible.

@rebelEducator

@Han...

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March 22, 2023 32 mins

In this episode I discuss and break down OpenAI's ChatGPT.  ChatGPT's technology is the single most talked about piece of technology in the past decade.  We learn some history, the high-level technical details, practical applications and most important how to use and how not to use it.


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://sp...

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March 19, 2023 106 mins

Dr. Leon Vanstone is a rocket scientist, startup founder and curious human. Leon and I discuss, aliens, Ironman suits, the military industrial complex, warp drive and space, among other topics.


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://spoti.fi/3L9QhFz⁠
RSS: ⁠https://anchor.fm/s/db01549c/podcast/rss

SOCIAL:
- Twitter: ⁠...

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In this episode I discuss and break down Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning.  Every single interaction you've had with a computer is governed by some type of algorithm.  We learn some history, practical application and how they've shaped our world today.


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://spoti.fi/3...

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March 12, 2023 96 mins

Molly Curran, PharmD with training in critical care and emergency medicine is a pharmacist who focuses on personalized medicine for patients in her hospital.  Molly and I discuss drugs, Covid-19, medicine among other topics.


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://spoti.fi/3L9QhFz⁠
RSS: ⁠https://anchor.fm/s/db01549c/podcast/rss
...

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March 6, 2023 99 mins

Ehren Kret is the CTO of Signal Messenger, the private messaging app.  Ehren has a distinguished tech career having worked for Google, Facebook, AdMob and WhatsApp. We discuss censorship, the Overton window, software, Signal, WhatsApp, Google, tech organizations among other topics.

https://signal.org


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠
Spotify: ⁠htt...

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February 27, 2023 97 mins

Drea Burbank, MD is a former forest firefighter, surgical resident, and current CEO of a fair trade carbon credit company.  We discuss the climate, medicine, firefighting, lightning, and other eclectic topics.

https://www.savimbo.com/

https://twitter.com/savimbos



PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://spoti.fi/3L9QhFz⁠
RSS: ⁠...

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February 27, 2023 112 mins

Razib Khan is a geneticist well known for his contributions to population genetics and consumer genomics.  He's worked for National Geographic, Family Tree DNA, Sema4, GenomeLink and is the current Co-Founder of GenRAIT.  We discuss genetics, genomics, CRISPR, gene editing, intelligence, and the origins of humans.

https://razib.substack.com/

https://www.razib.com/


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay....

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February 27, 2023 110 mins

Professor Lee Cronin holds the Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow.  Lee is well known for his Ted talks, the Chemputer, and Assembly theory.  We discuss these and other topics, including the nature of space and time. 

https://www.chemify.io/

https://www.chem.gla.ac.uk/cronin/


PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: ⁠https://www.davidmckay.com⁠
Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://apple.co/3F9pqWn⁠
Spotify: ⁠https://...

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