Living On The Edge of Chaos

About Living On The Edge of Chaos

“Living On The Edge of Chaos,” hosted by Aaron Maurer, is a podcast that takes listeners on an intellectual journey through various facets of education and technology. The show features conversations with experts and innovators like Kevin Eastman, former assistant coach for the Boston Celtics to Lori Mazor, who enlightens on the fusion of Artificial Intelligence and creativity, Brittany Blackwell, who discusses educator burnout and mental health, and Laura McBain, exploring the intersections of design and learning. Through these dialogues, listeners are provoked to ponder on the unfolding narrative of education, making it a unique platform for those curious about the evolving educational landscape. Grab your cup of coffee and join the convo!

Publisher

Aaron Maurer

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 May 2011

Latest episode

7 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

232 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Sept 2026

   225: The Season Where I Stop Describing It(AI) And Start Showing

   After 200-plus episodes and a long stretch of silence, I'm back and the format has changed. I've spent the last few years standing in front of rooms in K-12, higher ed, business, and industry, saying more or less the same thing: co-pilot, not autopilot(at least to start). Humans in or on or out of the loop. And somewhere in the hundreds of sessions I started to wonder whether I'd gotten really good at saying the things without actually doing them. Whether I'd become the guy with the metaphor(I feel like I have plenty of proof but imposter syndrome is real y'all). So this season I'm going to stop describing it and show it. Every episode, I sit down with the tool I actually use and treat it as the guest in audio and video. You'll hear where it helps and where it gets things wrong, and where it tells me something about my own work I'd rather not hear.

2. 

   16 Dec 2025

   224: Stop Using AI to Do More with Victoria Mensch

   In this conversation, I speak with Victoria Mensch to explore what “AI transformation” actually requires in real organizations (including schools): a human-centered strategy grounded in process redesign, experimentation, and leadership behaviors that is not hype, tools, or compliance. Victoria shares how Silicon Valley approaches learning through immersion and “experience-based knowledge transfer,” and why that mindset matters now as AI reshapes knowledge work and professional identity. Dr. Mensch, a psychologist and Silicon Valley executive, spent decades working with founders, innovators, and senior teams navigating rapid transformation. She noticed that while many organizations tried to copy Silicon Valley's tools and tactics, few understood its deeper truth: innovation is a mindset and it begins with the leader. A consistent throughline throughout this episode: if we simply use AI to crank out more output, we’ll intensify burnout rather than relieve it. The opportunity is to rebuild workflows and expectations so educators and leaders can reinvest in what’s most human relationships, judgment, creativity, and community. Topics Discussed Victoria’s work leading executive teams through AI-era change and innovation Why AI adoption fails: people + process misalignment (not “the model wasn’t good enough”) No-code acceleration and what it means for training, governance, and equity of access “Champions,” experimentation, and building momentum without waiting for permission Burnout, identity, and the emotional side of change Concrete “everyday AI” examples: landing pages, personal models, and rapid iteration

3. 

   2 Dec 2025

   223: Media Minimalism, Primary Sources, and Reclaiming Attention with Kira Shishkin

   We are living in a noise economy. With the rise of AI and the speed of digital media, our attention is constantly being hijacked by clickbait, solicitation, and outrage. But what if we treated our news consumption like a healthy diet? What if we stripped away the commentary and went straight to the primary source? In this episode, I sit down with Kira Shishkin, the founder and CEO of informed, a news concierge service designed to beat misinformation overload. We discuss the philosophy of "media minimalism" and why protecting your attention is the most critical investment you can make as an adult. We also get into the weeds of  the creative and entrepreneurial mindset. Kira shares his personal frameworks for "leveling up" quality of thought from writing to speaking to publishing and offers advice on why "perfect is the enemy of done." Whether you are an educator, a student, or just someone looking to quiet the noise, this conversation offers a blueprint for staying curious and reclaiming your mental space.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

63

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

85