Today's Top Episodes
Iran Deadline, Middle East War Escalation, Artemis II Trip Home
Will Trump's deadline ignite a global crisis, or will humanity's reach for the stars offer a beacon of hope?
How AI Is Bringing Extinct Animals Back (And What Comes Next) | Ben Lamm (Colossal) | EP #245
Imagine woolly mammoths roaming again: Can AI truly bring extinct animals back to life, and what does it mean for our planet?
![[Ep. 26] She drove to the bank with a scammer on the phone… almost lost $15,000](https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/staging/podcast_uploaded_episode/45512116/45512116-1775580862141-0f655b417de0d.jpg)
[Ep. 26] She drove to the bank with a scammer on the phone… almost lost $15,000
A phone call almost cost her $15,000. Learn the red flags to protect yourself from sophisticated scammers.
FULL INTERVIEW: Thomas Laffont’s Journey From Hollywood Assistant to Legendary Tech Investor
From Hollywood mailroom to tech investing legend: Discover the secrets of spotting the next Apple and navigating the AI-driven investment landscape.
Meta Tokenmaxxing, Intel Joins Terafab, Frontier AI vs. China | Diet TBPN
Behind the scenes: How Meta, Intel, and global powers are battling for AI dominance, and what it means for the future of technology.
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994: AI Sucks At CSS
- AI struggles significantly with generating clean, repeatable CSS and design due to its tendency to make local fixes and lack of understanding of global design systems.
- The effectiveness of AI in coding interviews is being questioned, with a proposed "composer one" interview method suggesting using a "perfectly mediocre" AI model to test a candidate's genuine engineering skills.
- Developing a robust and performant application requires a deep understanding of underlying systems, not just the ability to prompt an AI, as demonstrated by the significant performance gains achieved through human-driven optimization.
Trump-Iran Ceasefire, Iran On Trump's Reversal, Markets React To Reopening Of Hormuz
- A two-week ceasefire has been agreed upon, leading to a significant surge in risk assets and a drop in oil prices.
- Uncertainty remains regarding the full reopening and long-term implications of the Strait of Hormuz traffic and potential toll mechanisms.
- Concerns persist about the sustainability of the ceasefire and potential "scorching" of Middle Eastern infrastructure, impacting longer-term oil price expectations.
This 401(k) Trend is ABSOLUTELY DEVASTATING (And Getting Worse)
- A significant portion of 401(k) funds is being prematurely withdrawn, with 40 cents leaving for every dollar contributed.
- Hardship withdrawals from 401(k)s have doubled pre-pandemic levels, reaching 6% of workers last year, a trend that has increased for six consecutive years.
- To avoid desperate financial decisions and premature 401(k) withdrawals, a crucial step is to proactively build and maintain an emergency reserve of 3-6 months of living expenses.
A Cease-Fire in Iran
- The President has agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, conditional upon the immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Over 100 US-based international law experts warn that targeting Iran's civilian energy infrastructure could be considered a war crime.
- The President's rhetoric, including a statement about "a whole civilization will die tonight," is deeply troubling and potentially constitutes incitement to genocide.
Trump Agrees to Temporary Ceasefire with Iran, DOJ Fraud Crackdown, Ye's UK Setback: AM Update 4/8
- A last-minute conditional ceasefire has been reached with Iran, averting immediate military action after weeks of escalating tensions.
- Acting AG Todd Blanch announced a new nationwide fraud fighting unit, forcefully pushing back against claims of politicization within the Department of Justice.
- DHS Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen suggested potentially stripping customs operations from airports in sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
Trump Threatened to End Iranian Civilization — What Comes Next?
- President Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, threatening complete demolition of the country by a specific deadline if no deal is reached.
- Trump's social media posts have been described as unhinged, with comparisons to a magic eight-ball and a reality TV show promo.
- Critics highlight the lack of congressional oversight with lawmakers still on vacation, failing to address Trump's escalating rhetoric.
Jeff Harmon
- Angel Studios uses a unique model where creators raise funds directly from the public to finance their film and television series projects.
- "The Chosen," a series about Jesus, successfully raised over $11 million from 19,000 individuals using a 20-minute short film as a "torch" to demonstrate its potential.
- Successful projects like "Dry Bar Comedy" and "Tuttle Twins" demonstrate a strong appeal to family-friendly content and educational themes, accumulating billions of views and millions of book sales respectively.
[Ep. 26] She drove to the bank with a scammer on the phone… almost lost $15,000
- Scammers create a sense of urgency and impersonate trusted institutions like the FBI and FDIC to manipulate individuals into withdrawing large sums of cash.
- Bank tellers are trained to identify and interrupt potential scams by asking about large cash withdrawals and offering cashier's checks as a deterrent.
- To protect yourself, never click on links in unsolicited texts or emails and always verify information by contacting the institution directly through official channels.
Meta Tokenmaxxing, Intel Joins Terafab, Frontier AI vs. China | Diet TBPN
- Meta employees are reportedly competing in an internal "Claudonomics" leaderboard, sparking debate about the company's substantial AI token usage and spending.
- Intel is joining Elon Musk's Terrafab project to collaborate on designing and fabricating specialized chips for SpaceX, XAI, and Tesla, aiming to scale AI compute.
- Major AI firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google are jointly sharing information to combat "adversarial distillation" by Chinese competitors, highlighting concerns about model copying and national security.
FULL INTERVIEW: Thomas Laffont’s Journey From Hollywood Assistant to Legendary Tech Investor
- The speaker's early career was shaped by a persistent approach to securing an interview at CAA, ultimately leading to a foundational role in their mailroom.
- The podcast highlights the speaker's transition from their Hollywood beginnings to becoming a successful investor, emphasizing the importance of deep analytical modeling and a clear investment thesis, exemplified by early investments in Apple.
- A significant discussion point is the evolving landscape of investing, particularly with the rise of AI and the increasing trend of companies staying private longer, necessitating new analytical tools and strategies.