Best Max Chen Podcasts (2025)

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Bonus Ep: Did the 'Pluribus' Season Finale Stick the Landing? 58:20

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22h ago58:20

58:20

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, Patrick Klepek and David Chen discuss the Pluribus season 1 finale. Was this a satisfying conclusion to this season of television? What are the biggest payoffs from the episode? And what are we looking forward to in season 2? We’ll be back next week with more thoughta on Fallout season 2, plus your reactions/th…

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Ep. 92 - It's Fun to Be Back in the World of 'Fallout' (S2 Premiere) Again. PLUS: Pluribus S1E08 Puts Characters on a Collision Course 1:37:26

8d ago1:37:26

1:37:26

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the eighth episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus and the season 2 premiere of Fallout. The Oscars are moving to YouTube! What does this mean, exactly? Why did our respect for David Zaslav go up this week? And Pluribus is the most-…

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AI Vibe Check: The Actual Bottleneck In Research, SSI’s Mystique, & Spicy 2026 Predictions 1:18:04

9d ago1:18:04

1:18:04

Ari Morcos and Rob Toews return for their spiciest conversation yet. Fresh from NeurIPS, they debate whether models are truly plateauing or if we're just myopically focused on LLMs while breakthroughs happen in other modalities. They reveal why infinite capital at labs may actually constrain innovation, explain the narrow "Goldilocks zone" where RL…

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Ep 80: CEO of Surge AI Edwin Chen on Why Frontier Labs Are Diverging, RL Environments & Developing Model Taste 48:01

12d ago48:01

48:01

Edwin Chen is the founder and CEO of Surge AI, the data infrastructure company behind nearly every major frontier model. Surge works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google, providing the high-quality data and evaluation infrastructure that powers their models. Edwin reveals why optimizing for popular benchmarks like LMArena is "basically optimizi…

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Ep. 91 - 'Pluribus' S1E07 Might Be Its Most Effective Episode Yet 1:43:00

13d ago1:43:00

1:43:00

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the seventh episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus. What is our reaction to the big news that Netflix might acquire Warner Bros? Do we think Paramount can release 30 movies per year? Is David Ellison really just Kendall Roy? Listen…

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“The Unreasonable Effectiveness of the Behavioral Sciences in Developmental Biology and Biomedicine” 46:35

15d ago46:35

46:35

This is a ~46 minute talk by Michael Levin titled “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of the Behavioral Sciences in Developmental Biology and Biomedicine” given at a developmental biology/bioengineering symposium, explaining the connections between the cognitive/behavioral sciences and the study of morphogenesis, from the lens of our framework and new …

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Ep 79: OpenAI's Head of Product on How the Best Teams Build, Ship and Scale AI Products 56:16

17d ago56:16

56:16

This episode features Olivier Godement, Head of Product for Business Products at OpenAI, discussing the current state and future of AI adoption in enterprises, with a particular focus on the recent releases of GPT 5.1 and Codex. The conversation explores how these models are achieving meaningful automation in specific domains like coding, customer …

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Ep 78: Jordan Schneider, Host of China Talk, on AI Race, Key Policy Decisions & Unpacking Geopolitical Chip Tension 1:13:22

21d ago1:13:22

1:13:22

This week on Unsupervised Learning, Jacob Effron is joined by Jordan Schneider, host of China Talk, who challenges widespread assumptions about US-China AI competition. China's AI development is driven by private capital and market competition—not central government planning—with companies like DeepSeek, Alibaba, and ByteDance operating more like S…

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Ep. 90 - What 'Pluribus' S1E06 Has In Common with 'Notting Hill' 1:38:29

20d ago1:38:29

1:38:29

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the sixth episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus. Are we going to try to see the Stranger Things finale in theaters? What does the HBO Max/Mad Men debacle say about the world of streaming entertainment? Will Apple TV ever be able t…

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Ep 77: Anthropic’s Dianne Na Penn on Opus 4.5, Rethinking Model Scaffolding & Safety as a Competitive Advantage 42:03

25d ago42:03

42:03

This episode features Dianne Na Penn, a senior product leader at Anthropic, discussing the launch of Claude Opus 4.5 and the evolution of frontier AI models. The conversation explores how Anthropic approaches model development—balancing ambitious capability roadmaps with user feedback, making strategic bets on areas like agentic coding and computer…

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Bonus Ep: 'Pluribus' S1E05 Makes Us Wonder Where This Show Is Going 59:19

1M ago59:19

59:19

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss the fifth episode of Pluribus on Apple TV, ‘Got Milk.’ We hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving this week! This year, we are grateful for all your support and listenership. Homework for next week: Pluribus Episode 6 (Apple TV) Links: Listen to Patrick’s videogame podcast, Remap …

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Ep. 89 - 'Pluribus' S1E04 Tests the Limits of What's Possible in This World 1:38:00

1M ago1:38:00

1:38:00

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the fourth episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus. Will HBO save Poker Face? Are we excited about a new season of The Chair Company? How many seasons will House of the Dragon end up getting? Who’s the least terrible option to buy W…

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Ep. 88 - 'Pluribus' S1E03 Opens Up Some Dangerous Possibilities 1:40:58

1M ago1:40:58

1:40:58

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the third episode of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus. How do we feel about the imminent return of Alien: Earth, not to mention Shogun? Can Poker Face survive with a new Charlie Cale? And why are we so excited about a new show based off…

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"Unconventional Embodiments: model systems & strategies addressing mind-blindness" by Michael Levin 46:40

2M ago46:40

46:40

This is a ~45 minute talk for an embodied cognition audience, covering my framework for diverse intelligence, our use of morphogenesis as a model system for communicating with unconventional minds, and my views on our new MomBot platform and how it helps understand the symmetries between science and agency, and the novel group minds consisting of t…

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Ep. 87 - The 'Pluribus' Season Premiere Will Go Down in History 1:49:32

2M ago1:49:32

1:49:32

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season premiere of Vince Gilligan’s Pluribus. How do we feel about Apple TV’s vibrant new brand identity? How do we feel about the brewing war between YouTube TV and Disney? And why will people be remembering the Pluribus sea…

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Ep 76: Sora Creators Bill Peebles, Rohan Sahai & Thomas Dimson on Their Unexpected Viral Success 1:03:23

2M ago1:03:23

1:03:23

This episode features the core team behind Sora, OpenAI's groundbreaking video generation platform that became the #1 app in the App Store. Bill Peebles (research lead), Rohan Sahai (product lead), and Thomas Dimson (engineering/product lead with Instagram background) discuss the unexpected viral success of Sora's launch, the product journey that l…

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Bonus Ep: 'Slow Horses' Season 5 Was a Blast 57:22

2M ago57:22

57:22

Dave and @joyonapping are back for another season of Slow Horses! In season 5, the focus is on Roddy Ho as he becomes ensnared in a vast terrorist conspiracy. What were the biggest differences between the books and the show? Is the format of the show inherently in tension with its plotlines? Who were our MVPs this season? Listen to hear us discuss …

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"Platonic Space: brief argument and research agenda" by Michael Levin 17:46

2M ago17:46

17:46

This is a brief (~17 minute) introduction to my argument about Platonic space in biology, using a 1-page simplified argument format and then a quick overview of the research program entailed by it. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Mathematical facts and patterns (01:46) Math explains physical reality (04:28) Physicalism and Platonic space (06:17) Structured space…

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Bonus Ep: 'It: Welcome to Derry' Takes Some Big Swings. Is It Enough? 38:06

2M ago38:06

38:06

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David and Patrick discuss the season premiere of It: Welcome to Derry. What are the ways in which this show expands on the lore of the book? What did we make of the bold decisions at the end of the first episode? If this show starts at a 12, does it have anywhere to go? Listen to hear us discuss all these question…

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Against Mind-Blindness: recognizing and communicating with unconventional beings by Michael Levin 50:08

2M ago50:08

50:08

This ~50 minute talk given at a futurism/AI gathering is a variant of my recent talks on diverse intelligence, focusing on ways to expand our perspective via considerations of non-brain-based intelligence in the body, patterns as agents, synthetic beings as model systems for learning to predict and communicate with agents that do not share our sele…

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Bonus Ep: 'Gen V' Season 2 Was a Mixed Bag. Can This Show Thrive in a Post-'The Boys' Future? 50:08

2M ago50:08

50:08

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David and Patrick are joined by Jessie Earl to discuss the second season of Gen V. Was this show able to overcome some of the clunkiness of the earlier episodes? What did we make of the show’s biggest twists this season? And can this show really survive and thrive in a future without The Boys? Listen to hear us di…

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AI Round Up: Ari Morcos from Datalogy AI and Rob Toews from Radical VC on Karpathy Reactions, OpenAI’s Dealmaking, & Bubble Reality Check 1:16:53

2M ago1:16:53

1:16:53

This episode features Rob Toews from Radical Ventures and Ari Morcos, Head of Research at Datology AI, reacting to Andrej Karpathy's recent statement that AGI is at least a decade away and that current AI capabilities are "slop." The discussion explores whether we're in an AI bubble, with both guests pushing back on overly bearish narratives while …

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Bonus Ep: 'Task' Season 1 Delivered the Goods (with Kit Lazer) 1:09:33

2M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

In this Decoding TV bonus episode, David is joined by Kit Lazer to discuss the season finale of Task. What made us love this show? Is it really too bleak for general audiences? What did the show do best? And what were some of its most memorable moments and characters? Listen to hear us discuss these questions and more. Links: Follow Kit on Tiktok F…

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Playing the Long Game: The Power of Self-Control 34:23

2M ago34:23

34:23

As a special addition to this week's episode, you can see Katy's full sit-down interview with Angela Duckworth, where they also explore the relationship between self-control and grit. Watch or listen to their conversation on YouTube or Spotify. When your emotions flare or temptation calls, what does it take to hold back? Whether it’s resisting the …

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Bonus: A Sit Down With Katy Milkman & Angela Duckworth 33:36

2M ago33:36

33:36

In this bonus addition of Choiceology, Katy Milkman sits down with psychologist and Grit author Dr. Angela Duckworth, a leading expert on self-control. She breaks down what science tells us about managing impulses, why willpower by itself falls short, and how simple environmental tweaks and practical strategies can help anyone delay gratification a…

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Ep. 86 - 'The Chair Company' Reveals The Play-Acting We All Do (Plus: A 'Peacemaker' S2 Post-Mortem) 1:34:05

2M ago1:34:05

1:34:05

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season premiere of The Chair Company. Does Tim Robinson find hidden comedy gold in the cushions of The Chair Company? Will video podcasts be a big thing on Netflix? Will the Apple TV rebrand make sense by the time you downloa…

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Why bioelectricity in morphogenesis matters: an introduction in 3 slides by Michael Levin 8:50

2M ago8:50

8:50

This is an ~8 minute very quick introduction about the context for developmental bioelectricity and some examples of how we use it as an interface to control growth and form. In this very short 3 slide introduction at a discussion forum, I tried to explain that bioelectricity is not just more physics we need to keep track of in morphogenesis, nor i…

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"What the physiological software of life means for patient-specific interventions" by Michael Levin 5:14

2M ago5:14

5:14

This is a very brief (~5 minute) explanation I made at a conference on next generation biomedicine about the topic of physiological learning and reprogrammability. I was commenting on the fact that differences in patient responses to interventions are not only due to genetics and epigenetics, but also to the memories made by cells and tissues of pa…

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"The biology of apparent selves" by Michael Levin 52:08

3M ago52:08

52:08

This is a ~52-minute talk titled "The Biology of Apparent Selves: Bioengineering Model Systems for the Contemplative Sciences" that I have at the CSCSC 25 (Complex Systems and Contemplative Studies Conference) symposium (https://luma.com/3vyrtz4j?utm_source=ep-g2M2JDmWHB). CHAPTERS: (00:01) Embodied Minds And TAME (03:30) Beyond Human-Centric Minds…

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Ep. 85 - Did 'Peacemaker' Season 2 Stick the Landing? 1:40:42

3M ago1:40:42

1:40:42

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the season finale of Peacemaker. Is CBS News doomed or extra-doomed? How on earth are we going to cover the final season of Stranger Things? And does the first trailer for Pluribus get us excited for Vince Gilligan’s newest show …

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"The Embodied Mind of a New Robot Scientist" by Michael Levin 58:34

3M ago58:34

58:34

This is a ~58 minute talk titled "The Embodied Mind of a New Robot Scientist: symmetries between AI and bioengineering the agential material of life and their impact on technology and on our future" which I gave as a closing Keynote to the ALIFE conference in Japan (https://2025.alife.org/). This is a different talk than any I've done before, in th…

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"Bioelectricity: a bridge between physics and cognition, by way of biology" by Michael Levin 22:19

3M ago22:19

22:19

This is a ~22 minute talk that I gave remotely at the Tech For Impact Summit 2025 in Japan (https://tech4impactsummit.com/). It goes very quickly over the idea of bioelectricity as the cognitive glue between different scales of intelligence at the body, allowing top-down control and transduction of high-level goals down to the chemistry. I discuss …

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How Mindset Shapes Success 35:08

3M ago35:08

35:08

Most of us label ourselves early on as academic (or not), athletic (or not), or talented (or not). But even if you feel like you're lacking in natural talent or ability in certain areas, approaching new skills or challenges with openness, effort, and curiosity can take you farther than you might expect. In this episode of Choiceology with Katy Milk…

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Ep. 84 - 'The Lowdown' Is a Fun Neo-Noir That Goes Down Easy (Plus: What 'Peacemaker' Has to Say about Nature vs. Nurture) 1:39:51

3M ago1:39:51

1:39:51

In this episode of the Decoding TV podcast, David and Patrick discuss what’s going on in the world of TV, then dive into the premiere of The Lowdown and the latest episode of Peacemaker. Where was the balance of power in the Jimmy Kimmel situation? What do we think of how Fallon handled the whole thing? And why is there a conservative campaign to c…

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Bonus Ep: Is 'aka Charlie Sheen' a Good Documentary or Just Image Rehab? (with Christie Bosch) 36:51

3M ago36:51

36:51

In this bonus episode of Decoding TV, David chats with Christie Bosch (AKA @thatdocumentarygirl) about the new Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen. What were our biggest takeaways from this documentary? Why was the documentarian seemingly averse to experiencing human emotion? And is the documentary actually insightful or is it just a way for Char…