The Orthogonal Bet

Corey Maley, associate professor of philosophy at Purdue who studies philosophy of science and computation. He unpacks what analog computation really is and why neurons behave more like analog devices than digital ones. He contrasts analog and digital histories, explores implications for AI and consciousness, and highlights open philosophical questions at the intersection of computation and neuroscience.

Joel Simon, creator of Artbreeder and researcher mixing art with computational experiments, discusses evolutionary algorithms and why smooth latent spaces matter. He recounts Artbreeder’s origins, making generative tools playful and communal. He also outlines his essay Beyond Slop and argues for tools that reveal craft and expand self-expression.

Stephen Webb, physicist and author of If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens…Where is Everybody?, talks about the Fermi paradox and its many proposed solutions. He explores science fiction as a testing ground for ideas. Stephen outlines a three-category taxonomy, discusses how exoplanets, SETI and AI reshape the puzzle, and shares quirky speculative answers like Moon roles and cyclic cosmologies.

David Edmonds, bestselling author and Philosophy Bites cohost, reflects on Derek Parfit in a lively conversation. He recounts how the biography began and his personal ties to Parfit and Janet Radcliffe Richards. They discuss Parfit’s views on personal identity, the teletransporter thought experiment, self-defeating moral theories, the non-identity problem, the repugnant conclusion, and life at All Souls College.

Edward Ashton, science fiction novelist (author of Mickey7 and After the Fall), talks about his new post-apocalyptic tale where aliens domesticate humans. He explores domestication as co-evolution, the goofy yet unsettling Grays and their trait “absenting,” and why the story leaves the apocalypse ambiguous. Short, character-driven reflections on power, human mediocrity, and strange alien minds.

Lori Emerson, a media studies professor and founding director of the Media Archaeology Lab, explores hands-on preservation of old technologies and their surprising network histories. She discusses pneumatic tubes, pagers, radio, memex ideas, and how artists and students revive, repair, and reimagine connectivity through tactile, experimental practices.

Brendan Schlagel, builder and maker behind Hyperlink and Leaflet, creates tools for collaborative learning and effortless publishing. He talks about the birth of peer-led learning gardens, evolving online schools into lightweight publishing tools, the power of lists and personal canons, and why tiny local groups or two-person book clubs can spark deep connection.

Gordon Brander, technologist building Deep Future who previously applied scenario methods at Mozilla and Google. He traces scenario planning’s history, explains how it differs from prediction, and maps tools like STEEP and scenario matrices. He also discusses automating research with AI, running scenario sprints for products, and the common misuses that turn scenarios into self-deception.

Florian Jehn, researcher who runs the Existential Crunch literature review on societal collapse and global catastrophic risk. He talks about how collapse studies span history, economics, environment and statistics. He explains definitions like collapse versus catastrophe, debates whether our era is unique, and explores resilience, recovery, and how research can inform policy and preparedness.

Dexter Palmer, a unique novelist blending literary fiction with sci-fi tropes, discusses his novels, including the steampunk-inspired The Dream of Perpetual Motion. He explores the challenges of avoiding genre pigeonholing and the balance of realism in near-future settings. Palmer dives into the art of crafting relatable alternate histories, the uncanny nature of AI, and the intricacies of writing characters in unfamiliar worlds. He also shares insights on the narrative power of ordinary experiences amid extraordinary circumstances.