Most people think optimism means believing the future will work out. But neuroscience tells a different story. According to Professor Angus Fletcher, optimism actually comes from looking at the past — remembering all the times you faced uncertainty, made mistakes, and figured things out anyway.
Most people exploring AI are making the same mistake: they stop doing the human part. Professor Angus Fletcher explains why technology should amplify human imagination rather than replace it. Humans can move between probability and possibility, optimization and innovation — something machines alone cannot do. The real future isn’t AI…
In this episode of Infinite Loops, Jim O’Shaughnessy sits down with Angus Fletcher, Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University's Project Narrative and author of multiple books at the intersection of narrative theory, psychology, and brain science. Angus’ research challenges one of the most widely accepted ideas in modern…
We don’t share the same facts. We don’t share the same vocabulary. And we stop seeing each other’s humanity. #news #politics #humanity
During the height of the AIDS epidemic, fear and stigma isolated millions. Families were afraid to touch their own children. This wasn’t just a medical crisis — it was a human one. #Health #history #epidemic
One addict earned the nickname “Crazy” after grabbing a gun barrel and daring a dealer to shoot. It wasn’t a safe place to grow up. But somehow, these men and women became like older siblings to us. #truestory #History #shorts
They moved into one of the most drug-ridden neighborhoods in Madrid — on purpose. What started with one addict is now one of the largest recovery programs in the world. #infiniteloops #Health #humanity
In this episode of Infinite Loops, we sit down with author Jonathan Tepper to discuss his extraordinary childhood. In 1985, when Jonathan was seven, his missionary parents moved the family to San Blas — then the heroin capital of Europe — to start a drug rehabilitation center. Jonathan and his…
Paul Millerd: "We're competing against TikTok and Netflix. We're not competing against other books." ~ Jimmy and Paul discuss the positive sum nature of the book business, and why having more readers is beneficial to everyone Links, highlights and transcript: https://newsletter.osv.llc/p/the-creative-opportunities-of-a-boring
Paul Millerd: "I literally approached my first book as a Taoist." What happens when you let the universe take over? When you let the work speak for itself? ~ Paul describes his experience 'selling' his book — by not selling it at all. Links, highlights and transcript: https://newsletter.osv.llc/p/the-creative-opportunities-of-a-boring
"If you're going to parties every night, you're going to be exhausted..." ~ Jimmy Soni talks about the realities of a writer's life, and how it forces discipline and makes the writing itself so much more memorable. Links, highlights and transcript: https://newsletter.osv.llc/p/the-creative-opportunities-of-a-boring
Somebody like Van Gogh, who died in despair, didn't get to share his work with the world. Imagine if he had access to the Internet... ~ Paul Millerd talks about the ease of creation, and why most creatives need to be courageous and just post. Links, highlights and transcript: https://newsletter.osv.llc/p/the-creative-opportunities-of-a-boring
Fresh off releasing one of the most beautiful hardcover books we’ve ever seen, Paul Millerd returns alongside Infinite Books CEO Jimmy Soni for a deep dive into the broken incentives of traditional publishing, why the industry breeds “cynicism at scale,” and how the internet is powering a second Renaissance for…
Every innovation follows the same script. First it gets attacked. Then it gets monetized. Then it becomes normal. #innovation #technology #AI #history #startups
Writing things out has killed more bad ideas than anything else. If you can’t write it clearly, you probably don’t understand it. #writing #business #notboring
Gutenberg didn’t invent the printing press to change the world. He wanted to get rich. The Catholic Church was selling “heaven tickets,” and he saw a supply-demand mismatch. History is weirder than you think. #history #renaissance
Most of the internet is pessimistic. Most of the people actually building things aren’t. Packy McCormick explains why spending time with founders makes it hard to be too pessimistic about the future. #tech #future #business
Packy McCormick is one of the most thoughtful writers in tech and investing. In this episode of Infinite Loops, we talk about why writing is still the most powerful way to think clearly, how optimism becomes rational when you spend time with people actually building things, and what happens when…
Shakespeare. Moby-Dick. Cormac McCarthy. The Bible. All of them have mediocre ratings on Goodreads. It's a freeing lesson for creators — if the greatest works ever written get bad reviews, you have nothing to be afraid of.
What if farming didn’t mean endless monocrops, pesticides, and soil depletion? Jean-Marc Decius explains how humanoid robots and AI could transform industrial agriculture into diverse “food forests” — running millions of experiments, rebuilding topsoil, and eliminating the need for pesticides. This is what farming looks like after AI.
When you slip into a monoculture, bad sh*t happens." Jean-Marc Daecius (COS at O'Shaughnessy Ventures) shares the historical story of Chairman Mao and the Great Sparrow Campaign. Discover why trying to eliminate a "pest" without understanding the ecosystem led to a national catastrophe and what we can learn from it…
"I will be your last human Chief of Staff." Jean-Marc Daecius (COS at O'Shaughnessy Ventures) explains why the modern workplace is "nuking" our ability to concentrate and how AI is changing the game. #AI #Business #financ
What happens when you design a company assuming AI should do everything it possibly can? Jean-Marc Daecius, OSV's Chief of Staff, joins Infinite Loops to explain what it means to be “AI first” — and why he believes he may be the company's last human chief of staff. The conversation…
John Wang explains why the Queens Night Market has what he calls “the worst business model ever” — and why it somehow still works. #food #newyorkcity #urbanlife