AI S3 E1: What Alberta’s Rat War Can Teach Us About AI Regulation
The Accessible Intelligence crew kicks off Season 3 with a new theme: progress. We unpack two Works in Progress (https://substack.com/profile/15759190-works-in-progress) articles: one about how the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) governs engineered microbes (https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/all-the-microbes-you-cant-have), and another about how Alberta keeps rat populations from taking hold (https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/why-alberta-doesnt-have-rats).
Some questions we wrestle with:
When does regulation protect us, and when does it block useful innovation? Are business incentives a convincing argument for technological progress? And does Alberta’s success offer a repeatable lesson in prevention and maintenance. Or depend on unusually favorable geography and a common enemy?
Plus: our “unforced errors” segment, featuring a regrettable bike purchase, a coffee casualty, a missed interview, and a rain-soaked tennis outing.
📖Read along
* The 1970s law holding back modern biotechnology — Works in Progress (https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/all-the-microbes-you-cant-have)
* Why Alberta doesn’t have rats — Works in Progress (https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/why-alberta-doesnt-have-rats)
🤝Meet us in person: Sam’s Book Club Tour
Keep the conversation going over coffee and Stripe Press (https://substack.com/profile/103079050-stripe-press) books on progress. Small groups, real conversation, no lecture. You’re welcome whether or not you’ve finished a Stripe Press book!
* San Francisco — @October 9, 2026: RSVP on Luma (https://luma.com/t9tt883y)
* Columbus — @October 16, 2026: RSVP on Luma (https://luma.com/ygnuu82w)
* Boston — @October 23, 2026: RSVP on Luma (https://luma.com/cwncsiw1)
* New York City — @October 30, 2026: RSVP on Luma (https://luma.com/s4gngpug)
* Washington, DC — @November 6, 2026: RSVP on Luma (https://luma.com/p90ynx53)
Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe (https://samhli.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
21 Sept 2026
We made AI talk accessible...now what?
One year into Accessible Intelligence, we’re reflecting on how our lives—and our relationships with AI—have shifted since launching the podcast.
The Accessible Intelligence crew is BACK (https://samlicitiesdecoded.substack.com/p/ep-0-how-gen-z-has-experienced-tech) to discuss:
My move to New York (https://samhli.substack.com/p/ok-now-i-feel-like-i-live-in-new), work at Notion (https://samhli.substack.com/p/im-moving-to-new-york-and-joining), and growing a Stripe Press progress book club (https://samhli.substack.com/p/im-starting-a-book-club)
Hill’s first weeks at Harvard Law School (https://hillzn8.substack.com/p/end-of-the-first-full-week) and progress on Scaffold (https://hillzn8.substack.com/p/20260912-changing-our-approach-to), a critical-thinking tool
Austin Nellessen’s transition into academic research and why he now uses AI less in his daily work.
We also explore who actually is shaping the direction of AI, the value of a shared reading community of curious thinkers, and why thinking broadly about progress may be more useful than thinking about AI alone.
Subscribe now (https://app.notion.com/p/samhli/%25%25checkout_url%25%25)
Want to get involved? Come meet me on my first book club tour (https://samhli.substack.com/p/im-going-on-tour)!
🌉 10/9/26: SF: https://luma.com/t9tt883y (https://luma.com/t9tt883y)
⭕️ 10/16/26 CBUS:3 (https://substack.com/@samhli/p-214973117#footnote-3) https://luma.com/ygnuu82w (https://luma.com/ygnuu82w)
🦞 10/23/26 BOS: https://luma.com/cwncsiw1 (https://luma.com/cwncsiw1)
🗽 10/30/26 NY: https://luma.com/s4gngpug (https://luma.com/s4gngpug)
🏛️ 11/6/26 DC: https://luma.com/p90ynx53 (https://luma.com/p90ynx53)
Share (https://app.notion.com/p/samhli/%25%25share_url%25%25)
Accessible Intelligence is our podcast about AI, progress, and figuring out life from a young, non-expert perspective. To learn more about our work, visit our parent page (https://app.notion.com/p/Welcome-to-LAUNCH-2d2a4afc00e78024a8a4f2ea875bf840?pvs=21).
Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe (https://samhli.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
14 May 2026
AI S2 E7: what do china and london look like in may 2026?
Sam’s London piece (https://samhli.substack.com/p/why-london-won-me-over-this-time?r=1j7re0):
Hill’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hillzn8 (https://www.tiktok.com/@hillzn8)
Get full access to Mindful Notions by Sam H Li at samhli.substack.com/subscribe (https://samhli.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
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