Discover how bold ideas are born. In each episode, we sit down with trailblazers in science, tech, art, and design to uncover the variant mindsets and views that spark breakthroughs. Tune in for insights into what it takes to upend convention—and create something truly new.
Variance
Claim This Podcastby Arun Rao
5.0(4 reviews)
5 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas Sponsors
Podcast Overview
Discover how bold ideas are born. In each episode, we sit down with trailblazers in science, tech, art, and design to uncover the variant mindsets and views that spark breakthroughs. Tune in for insights into what it takes to upend convention—and create something truly new.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
6/9/2025
2 verified contact emails on file for Variance
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Recent Episodes
April 19, 2026
5 | Exploring Consciousness, Funding Science, and Connecting with People (Niraj Mehta of Kilowatt Capital and Coongie Research Institute) 19 APRIL 2026
<p>What is human consciousness? Is it local and generated from our biology, or non-local and part of a different field? What are other ways of studying and probing it? Where does meaning and purpose come from? Can we more deeply connect with other human beings than what we thought was possible?</p> <p>Join Niraj Mehta, an investor and science funder, probing the nature of consciousness and how it reflects in his personal mission. Niraj ran an investment fund that never had a down year and now focuses on his family office, science institute, and meditation practice. He is pushing the boundaries of science on consciousness and what deep human connection means.</p> <p>"I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness."<br /> Max Planck, The Observer (London, England) (25 January 1931), p. 17</p> <p><strong>Show Notes</strong>:</p> <p><a href="https://www.coongie.org/">Coongie Research Institute</a></p> <p><a href= "https://stories.ehf.org/ehf-fellow-niraj-mehta-37cb5381adfa">EHF Fellow Profile: Niraj Mehta</a></p> <p><a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-is-my-mind/id1470129415"> Mark Gober, Where Is My Mind (Podcast)</a></p> <p><a href= "https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/interviews/a23248/the-prophet/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=mgu_ga_esq_md_pmx_prog_org_us_18717285305&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18710104992&gbraid=0AAAAACq-et0vClgE0JmpTV9NdZQ72029L&gclid=CjwKCAjwhe3OBhABEiwA6392zPDDXnGttaIUmh7QuQe48Oxl_YI0VXerDWYMwDT1FfIPlt0Urm4ZzRoCLL0QAvD_BwE"> Eben Alexander (Esquire Profile)</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.justenjoy.live/">Just Enjoy Meditation</a></p> <p><a href= "https://www.filmindependent.org/sponsored-projects/seekers-the-transcendental-meditation-story/"> Seekers: The Transcendental Meditation Story (Documentary)</a></p> <p><a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-telepathy-tapes/id1766382649"> The Telepathy Tapes (Podcast)</a></p>
February 1, 2026
4 | Teaching AI How to Be Moral (Jared Moore of Stanford) 31 JAN 2026
<p>Can we make moral AI agents? Can these agents get good enough to provide therapy and other personal services to humans, and even if they can, is that a good idea? Are language models sentient and deserving of moral concern - and how would we know? How do we incorporate a pluralistic set of views into AI systems?</p> <p>Join Jared Moore, a computer scientist, AI alignment researcher, and educator probing how large language models understand (and sometimes misunderstand) human minds and values. Now at <span class="whitespace-normal">Stanford University</span>, he investigates social reasoning, theory-of-mind, and the pitfalls of machine deception while co-creating courses like "How to Make a Moral Agent." Jared blends rigorous research with creative outreach—publishing on pluralistic alignment, writing a satirical novel about conscious AI, and building installations that turn code into poetry—to push the question: how can we make AI systems reliably do what we want, for everyone's benefit?</p> <p><strong>Show Notes</strong>:</p> <p><a href="https://jaredmoore.org/">Jared's Personal Website</a></p> <p><a href="https://web.stanford.edu/class/cs186/">How to Make a Moral Agent</a></p> <p><a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3715275.3732039">Why LLMs Won't Replace Therapists Anytime Soon</a></p> <p><a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.02996">Are Large Language Models Consistent over Value-laden Questions?</a></p> <p><a href= "https://jaredmoore.org/the-strength-of-the-illusion">The Strength of the Illusion</a>: a satirical novel about AI</p>
September 30, 2025
3 | Algorithmic movies, AI Dogs, and the Afterlife (Miguel Novelo of Stanford) - 29 SEPT 2025
<p><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>How valuable are inanimate material objects, and can we have relationships with them - from computers to art? Why do we have dogs in our lives, which our laws treat as objects, when dogs have no say in the "relationship"? Will our new synthetic beings, our AI and robotic mind children, be more like our pets, or will we be their pets?</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p>Join Miguel Novelo, an artist, researcher, and community organizer currently working on algorithmic movies on geological change, game engine storytelling based on dogs-human-technology afterlife, technoshamanisms, technology displacement, and technophobias. He is currently an independent artist and Lecturer at Stanford's Art and Art History Department and San Jose State University.</p> <p><!-- /wp:paragraph --><!-- wp:paragraph --></p> <p><strong>Show Notes</strong>:<br /> <a href="http://www.angelopoulos.ai">Miguel's Personal Website</a><br /> <a href="https://miguelnovelo.com/chupafl0r">Interactive Installation: "Ｃｈｕｐａｆｌｏｒ： Ｗｈｉｓｔｌｉｎｇ； Ｄｏｇ Ｓｐｉｒｉｔ， Ａｑｕｉ" (2023)</a><br /> <a href="https://miguelnovelo.com/pelican-judgement">Sonic Sculpture: Judgment Pelicano: Impact (2022)<br /></a><a href= "https://miguelnovelo.com/film">Experimental Films: Super 8 and 16mm (2020s?)</a></p> <p> </p>
5 total episodes available
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