Best Molecular Machines Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 158 - INTERCAL RIDES AGAIN - Restoring a Lost Compiler 1:08:22

1d ago1:08:22

1:08:22

In 1973 the world caught it's first glimpse of INTERCAL. It's a wild and wacky language, somewhere between comedy and cutting satire. But the compiler was never circulated. There would be later implementations, but that original compiler remained lost to time. That is, until now. This episode covers how the original source code was found, and my at…

1
What history can teach us about doing better science – Eric Gilliam 1:06:39

5d ago1:06:39

1:06:39

Eric Gilliam studies how organizations like Bell Labs, early MIT, and the Rockefeller Foundation helped drive scientific progress — and what made them unusually effective. In this conversation, we explore how those models worked, why many of them disappeared, and what it would take to bring them back. Eric explains why fast-moving, engineering-driv…

1
Building Scalable and Sustainable AI Infrastructure 36:10

6d ago36:10

36:10

Discover Building Scalable, Sustainable AI Infrastructure with Ray Pang, Senior Vice President of Technology and Business Enablement at Supermicro. Ray unpacks how Supermicro is tackling the challenges of AI infrastructure at scale—combining high-performance computing with a deep commitment to sustainability. Learn how Supermicro approaches green c…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Glen Weyl | Can we use AI to build a fairer society? 26:27

11d ago26:27

26:27

Most AI discussions focus on its risks to democracy – disinformation, surveillance, centralization of power. But what if AI could make governance better? Glen Weyl, political economist at Microsoft Research and founder of RadicalxChange, argues that AI could be used to create more participatory, decentralized, and democratic systems, if we design i…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Ada Palmer | The storytelling tools you need for worldbuilding 43:13

19d ago43:13

43:13

How can storytelling shape our visions of the future? Ada Palmer—historian, science fiction writer, and futurist—brings a unique perspective on how worldbuilding can be a powerful tool for exploring complex ideas. In this conversation with Beatrice Erkers, she shares her perspective on worldbuilding and storytelling, and her recommendations for how…

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Edge AI – The Next Transformation 32:49

20d ago32:49

32:49

Discover AI at the Edge with Dan Rodriguez, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Network and Edge Solutions Group at Intel. Dan shares how Intel is driving innovation at the intersection of AI, 5G, and edge computing—powering intelligent solutions across industries. Explore the opportunities and challenges companies face when deployi…

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Episode 157 - Only S1 Users Will Survive! 1:04:40

23d ago1:04:40

1:04:40

The S1 operating system can do it all! It can run on any computer, read any disk, and execute any software. It can be UNIX compatible, DOS compatible, and so, so much more! But... can S1 ship? Today we are talking about an operating system that sounds too good to be true. Is it another example of vaporware? Or is S1 really the world's most sophisti…

1
Existential Hope Podcast: Anthony Aguirre | Will AI replace us or help us thrive? 26:35

26d ago26:35

26:35

How we develop AI will shape the future of society. In this interview, Anthony Aguirre explores the distinction between Tool AI and Replacement AI, and how this framing can inform AI policy, governance, and strategy. He shares insights on the risks and thresholds of AGI, the role of capability, agency, and autonomy in AI development, and what it me…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Helen Toner | Who gets to decide AI’s future? 20:49

1M ago20:49

20:49

Who makes the rules for AI? Right now, a handful of companies and governments are shaping its trajectory – but what happens behind closed doors? Helen Toner, Director of Strategy at Georgetown’s CSET and former OpenAI board member, has been inside some of the biggest AI governance conversations. In this conversation with Beatrice Erkers, she shares…

1
Reimagining Productivity with AI-Ready Devices 27:00

1M ago27:00

27:00

Explore how AI is transforming work and productivity with Sandra Andrews, Global GM, Surface Go-To-Market at Microsoft. Sandra joined us to unpack what an AI-first device strategy really means for today’s enterprises. From the rising importance of on-device intelligence and NPUs to how Microsoft’s Surface and Copilot are being used to solve real bu…

1
Episode 156 - RPG, a Different Paradigm? 1:04:10

1M ago1:04:10

1:04:10

How do you make a computer act less like a computer? It sounds like some kind of riddle, but in the early 1960s it was an actual problem. As IBM customers transitioned from tabulators to computers they ran into all sorts of practical issues. Programmers became a hot commodity. But how do you find a programmer in 1959? And how can you even afford su…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Aaron Stupple | Raising kids for an unknown future 56:05

1M ago56:05

56:05

What if parenting held the keys to civilization’s long-term flourishing? In this deeply personal and philosophically rich episode of the Existential Hope podcast, we sit down with Dr. Aaron Stupple – physician, thinker, and author of The Sovereign Child. Drawing from the rationalist traditions of David Deutsch and Karl Popper, and grounded in the p…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Hannah Ritchie | Climate Tech & How AI Can Help Solve Big Problems 27:04

2M ago27:04

27:04

The way we talk about the future of the planet often feels like a choice between denial and doomism. But what if we looked at the data? Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor at Our World in Data, has dedicated her work to making complex global challenges—like climate change, energy, and sustainability—more understandable and actionable. In this conversatio…

1
AI’s Healthcare Revolution: From Diagnostics to Personalized Treatment 37:54

2M ago37:54

37:54

Explore how AI is tranforming healthcare with Peter Shen, Head of Digital and Automation at Siemens Healthineers. From improving diagnostics and treatment planning to enhancing patient outcomes with precision medicine, Peter shares insights on multimodal AI, the power of edge computing in imaging and diagnostics, and the growing role of AI-enabled …

1
Episode 155 - LINC 58:21

2M ago58:21

58:21

In the early 1960s a neat little machine came out of MIT. Well, kind of MIT. The machine was called LINC. It was small, flexible, and designed to live in laboratories. Some have called it the first personal computer. But, is that true? Does it have some secret that will unseat my beloved LGP-30? And how does DEC fit into the picture?…

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Existential Hope podcast | Worldbuilding for a Hopeful AI Future 10:08

2M ago10:08

10:08

In this special “minisode” of the Existential Hope podcast, Allison and Beatrice from Foresight Institute sit down to discuss their newly launched, free worldbuilding course on Udemy: The AI Futures Worldbuilding course. This course—created in partnership with the Future of Life Institute—helps participants imagine and shape positive visions for AI…

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Zac Hatfield-Dodds | Anthropic’s Responsible Scaling Policy 10:34

2M ago10:34

10:34

Zac Hatfield-Dodds is a member of the technical staff at Anthropic. In this episode he talks about Anthropic's responsible scaling policy. About Foresight Institute Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding pow…

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The AI-Powered Enterprise: Insights from Lumen Technologies 22:40

2M ago22:40

22:40

In this episode of the Intel on AI podcast, we welcome Ryan Asdourian, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer at Lumen Technologies, to explore how AI is reshaping industries through cutting-edge infrastructure. Ryan discusses how Lumen is enabling businesses to build AI-ready environments with advanced connectivity, edge computing, and secure data movement…

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Episode 154 - ACTing Up 1:20:48

2M ago1:20:48

1:20:48

The LGP-30 is one of my favorite computers. It's small, scrappy, strange, and wonderous. Among its many wonders are two obscure languages: ACT-I and ACT-III. In this episode we are exploring the ACTS, how the LGP-30 was programmed in practice, and why I've been losing sleep for the last few weeks.

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Existential Hope podcast: Clay Routledge | Why Meaning and Agency Matter More Than Ever 1:02:39

2M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, existential psychologist Clay Routledge explores how meaning and agency shape both individual well-being and societal progress. While material conditions have improved, many people—especially younger generations—report growing pessimism and disconnection. Clay argues that a lack of meaning, not just …

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Cate Hall | What Philanthropy Can Do That Others Can’t 10:53

2M ago10:53

10:53

Cate Hall is the CEO of Astera. She’s a former Supreme Court attorney and the ex-No. 1 female poker player in the world. Before joining Astera, she co-founded and served as COO and later co-CEO of Alvea, a pandemic medicine company that set the record for the fastest startup to take a drug candidate to Phase I clinical trial. She received a BS in b…

1
Scaling Enterprise AI: Inference, Infrastructure, and the Future of Intelligence 30:13

3M ago30:13

30:13

Welcome to the first episode in our 2025 season of Intel on AI. We sit down with Luke Norris, founder and CEO of Kamiwaza AI to explore how enterprises can unlock trillions of AI inferences per day with hardware-agnostic, scalable AI infrastructure. We discuss the Fifth Industrial Revolution and the rise of AI-native enterprises, why AI inference—n…

1
Episode 153 - The Keypact Mystery 55:07

3M ago55:07

55:07

When I was down at VCF SoCal I ran into a strange machine: the Keypact Micro-VIP. It's a terminal without a keyboard, covered in dials, with a speaker and a switch labeled "voice". This chance encounter with the unknown sent me down a wild path. It involved the creeping spread of computing, chicken feed, door to door life insurance salesmen, and at…

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Sam Rodriques | AI for Scientific Progress 14:06

3M ago14:06

14:06

Sam Rodriques is an inventor and entrepreneur. In 2023, he launched FutureHouse, a new research lab in San Francisco focused on building an AI Scientist. He previously ran the Applied Biotechnology Lab at the Francis Crick Institute. Before that, he did his PhD at MIT. Sam also proposed the Focused Research Organization model, which is now being us…

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Tom Kalil | Renaissance Philanthropy: Agenda Setting is Underrated 12:07

3M ago12:07

12:07

Tom Kalil is the CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy. Tom served in the White House for two presidents (Obama and Clinton) and in collaboration with his team worked with the Senate to give every federal agency the authority to support incentive prizes for up to $50 million. Tom also designed and launched dozens of White House science and technology ini…

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Episode 152 - LIVE at VCF - Reviving Retro Panel 1:00:06

3M ago1:00:06

1:00:06

A special treat from VCF SoCal. While visiting I had the chance to host a panel on restoration and preservation. I was joined by: David from Usagi Electric (https://www.youtube.com/@UsagiElectric) Rob from Souther Amis (https://www.southernamis.com/) Jim, Former Executive Director Computer Museum of America (https://computerhalloffame.org/home/abou…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Steven Pinker On Why the Future Looks Better Than You Think 39:14

3M ago39:14

39:14

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, cognitive psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker explores why, despite massive gains in human progress, many people remain pessimistic about the future—and why that matters for shaping what comes next. Steven argues that while progress isn’t automatic, it is real. By tracking long-term tre…

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Jennifer Garrison | Healthy Longevity for Women 9:46

3M ago9:46

9:46

Jennifer Garrison, PhD, is Co-Founder and Director of the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (GCRLE) and an Assistant Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. She also holds appointments in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the Leonard…

1
Episode 151 - The Friden Flexowriter 1:00:33

4M ago1:00:33

1:00:33

Have you ever looked at an old computer and seen a weird typewriter thing tacked on? In most cases that's a device called a Flexowriter. It's half electric typewriter, half teleprinter, half tape reader, and all business! This episode we are chronicling the rise, fall, and weird business dealings of the Flexowriter.…

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Existential Hope Special: Ada Palmer | On How Speculative Worlds Can Help Us Demand A Better Future 59:56

4M ago59:56

59:56

"We’ve saved the world so many times throughout history. Now we just have to do it again." What if speculative fiction could do more than entertain—what if it could reshape how we think about governance, technology, and societal progress? In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, historian and sci-fi author Ada Palmer discusses how we can ha…

1
Abhishek Singh | Decentralizing Machine Learning 54:13

4M ago54:13

54:13

Abhishek Singh is a Ph.D. student at MIT Media Lab. His research interests include collective intelligence, self-organization, and decentralized machine learning. The central question guiding his research is --- how can we (algorithmically) engineer adaptive networks to build anti-fragile systems? He has co-authored multiple papers and built system…

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Episode 150 - Starting Windows Up 1:05:06

4M ago1:05:06

1:05:06

In the modern day Windows is a power house, but that wasn't always the case. In this episode we are looking at the fraught development of Windows 1.0. During development it was called vaporware, it was panned in the press, roasted at at least one trade show, and even called... "eclectic". Through it all a vision in lime green would take form.…

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Zach Weinersmith | A City on Mars 52:00

5M ago52:00

52:00

Zach Weinersmith is the cartoonist behind the popular geek webcomic, Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal. He writes popular science books with his wife Kelly, including the recent Hugo award-winning A City on Mars. His work has been featured by The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Forbes, Science Friday, Foreign Policy, PBS, Boingboing, the…

1
Jason Crawford, Roots of Progress | Career Counselling 48:10

5M ago48:10

48:10

Jason Crawford is the founder of The Roots of Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century. He writes and speaks about the history and philosophy of progress, especially in technology and industry. Key Highlights About Foresight Institute Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-pro…

1
Episode 149 - IDRIS Is Not UNIX 58:47

5M ago58:47

58:47

This episode we are taking a trip back to UNIX world. We're looking at IDRIS, the first clone of UNIX. It was supposed to be highly compatible, but use no code from Bell Labs. IDRIS ran on everything from the Intel 8080 up to the IBM System/370. There was even a version that could run MS-DOS programs. Sound too good to be true? Well, that may be th…

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Allison Duettmann & Beatrice Erkers | A Vision of Existential Hope for the New Year 1:02:29

5M ago1:02:29

1:02:29

Beatrice Erkers and Allison Duettmann What if we could reimagine the future from a place of hope instead of fear? In this special episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers turn the tables and interview each other instead of a guest, sharing insights into their journeys, hopes, and visions for humanity. Together,…

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Episode 148 - Is BLISS Ignorance? 1:03:21

5M ago1:03:21

1:03:21

In 1970 a little language called BLISS emerged from Carnegie Mellon University. It was a systems language, meant for operating systems and compilers. It was designed, in part, as a response to Dijkstra's famous Go To Considered Harmful paper. It had no data types. It used the most bizzare form of the pointer I've ever seen. And it was a direct comp…

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Caleb Watney, Institute for Progress | Career Counselling 50:16

6M ago50:16

50:16

Caleb Watney is the co-founder and co-CEO of IFP. He manages the metascience, high-skilled immigration, and emerging technology policy teams at IFP. His research focuses on policy levers the U.S. could use to rebuild state capacity and increase long-term rates of innovation. Previously, Caleb worked as the director of innovation policy at the Progr…

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Episode 147 - Molecular Electronic Computer 54:48

6M ago54:48

54:48

In 1961 Texas Instruments unveiled the Molecular Electronic Computer, aka: Mol-E-Com. It was a machine that fit in the palm of your hand, but had all the power of a much larger computer. This was in an age of hefty machines, which made the achievement all the more marvelous. How was this even possible? It was all thanks to the wonders of molecular …

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Zan Huang | Adapting Neurological Structures to AI 54:49

6M ago54:49

54:49

Zan Huang is a researcher with a passion for alternative computational models in artificial intelligence, mass social patterns, chaotic and emergent systems, and linguistics. Currently focused on scaling deep neural networks through neurologically inspired modularity, he explores critical questions around reducing parameter space, enhancing interpr…

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Building AI Tools to Transform Sales and Marketing, an Inside Look 28:25

6M ago28:25

28:25

Learn about building cutting-edge AI tools, tailored for internal use with Intel experts Boaz Efroni Rotman and Barbara Roos. They dive into the creation of IGPT and VITA, Intel's innovative solutions for secure information sharing and productivity, and share insights on balancing generalized versus specialized AI tools. Whether you're curious abou…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Adam Marblestone | Solving Science’s Biggest Gaps 51:24

6M ago51:24

51:24

Adam Marblestone is the CEO of Convergent Research. He is working with a large and growing network of collaborators and advisors to develop a strategic roadmap for future FROs. Outside of CR, he serves on the boards of several non-profits pursuing new methods of funding and organizing scientific research including Norn Group and New Science, and as…

1
Episode 146 - The Z4 58:00

6M ago58:00

58:00

The Z4, completed by Konrad Zuse in 1945, is a computer with a wild story. It was made from scrounged parts, survived years of bombing raids, moved all around Berlin, and eventually took refuge in basements and stables. In this episode we will follow the Z4's early days, and look at how it fits into the larger picture of Zuse's work. Along the way …

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Michael Levin | Agential Interventions 1:00:32

6M ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Michael Levin is an American developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University, where he is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor. Levin is a director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. Key Highlights Discussion of diverse intelligence in biological systems and …

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Real-world applications driving sustainability and productivity, with Scott Tease 32:03

6M ago32:03

32:03

Explore real-world applications driving sustainability, productivity, and accessibility, from disaster prediction to personalized banking and interactive kiosks. Join Scott Tease, VP and GM of Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group as we discuss cutting-edge innovations like liquid cooling systems, which enhance energy efficiency in data centers a…

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Sam Jardine | The Dawn of Astropolitics? 53:48

7M ago53:48

53:48

Samuel Jardine is a Geopolitical Risk Consultant and Historian specializing in space, polar regions, and seabed security, utilizing Applied History and OSINT. He has lectured for institutions like RUSI and the Royal Navy, with publications by Routledge. Currently, he leads research at London Politica, advises Luminint, and contributes to the Lunar …

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Episode 145 - Zuse's Mysterious Machines 1:00:39

7M ago1:00:39

1:00:39

In 1933 Konrad Zuse, a German civil engineer, caught the computing bug. It would consume the rest of his life. According Zuse he invented the world's first digital computer during WWII, working in near total isolation within the Third Reich. How true is this claim? Today we are looking at Zuse's early machines, the Z1, Z2, and Z3. Selected Sources:…

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Accelerating Enterprise AI Adoption with RAG Solutions 30:57

7M ago30:57

30:57

Dive into the transformative potential of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) with Intel's Bill Pearson and Deloitte's Baris Sarer. In this episode, they discuss how RAG combines enterprise data with large language models to unlock new efficiencies and insights. From tackling data governance and security challenges to exploring cutting-edge soluti…

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Anna Chekovisch | Bitcoin as a Path to Freedom 11:17

7M ago11:17

11:17

Anna Chekhovich is the financial director of Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) from Russia. Targeted by Putin’s regime, the foundation has gradually lost access to financial institutions. FBK has been using Bitcoin since 2015 to help overcome financial repression. At that time the Russian government began blocking the bank accounts …

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Eric Drexler | Advanced Nanotechnology 13:53

7M ago13:53

13:53

Eric Drexler is a visionary scientist and engineer thought of as one of the “Founding fathers of nanotechnology”, the science of engineering on a molecular level. He is most known for being the driving force behind the concept of molecular nanotechnology (MNT) and its potential benefits for humans. His 1981 paper in the Proceedings of the National …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Molecular Machines Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen