Let's Know Things
421 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 501 ratingsA calm, non-shouty, non-polemical, weekly news analysis podcast for folks of all stripes and leanings who want to know more about what's happening in the world around them. Hosted by analytic journalist Colin Wright since 2016.
letsknowthings.substack.com
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Episodes
Presidential Immunity
April 16, 2024 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBThis week we talk about diplomatic immunity, Trump’s court cases, and the Supreme Court. We also discuss Nixon, Clinton, and the US Constitution. Recommended Book: My upcoming book, How To Turn 39 (https://books2read.com/htt39), which is available for pre-order today :) Transcript There's a concept in international law—diplomatic immunity—that says, in essence, certain government officials should be immune from the laws of foreign countries, including those within which they're operating...
XZ Utils Hack
April 09, 2024 19:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBThis week we talk about Linux, backdoors, and the Open Source community. We also discuss CPU usage, state-backed hackers, and SSH. Recommended Book: The Underworld by Susan Casey Transcript In the world of computers, a "backdoor" is a means of accessing a device or piece of software via an alternative entry point that allows one to bypass typical security measures and often, though not always, to do so in a subtle, undetected and maybe even undetectable manner. While backdoors can be bu...
Cocoa Shortage
April 02, 2024 19:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBThis week we talk about cacao, plantations, and bean-to-bar chocolate. We also discuss black pod disease, swollen shoot virus, and seed pod currency. Recommended Book: The City & The City by China Miéville Transcript The cocoa bean, also called "cacao," is a seed derived from the cocoa tree, which is native to the Amazon Rainforest in South America. More than 5,000 years ago, near present day Ecuador, the Mayo-Chinchipe culture domesticated and cultivated this tree, which then found its...
DRC Conflict
March 26, 2024 19:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBThis week we talk about the Rwandan genocide, the First and Second Congo Wars, and M23. We also discuss civil wars, proxy conflicts, and resource curses. Recommended Book: Everyday Utopia by Kristen R. Ghodsee Transcript The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, was previously known as Zaïre, a name derived from a Portuguese mistranscription of the regional word for "river." It wore that monicker from 1971 until 1997, and this region had a rich history of redesignations before that,...
Bigger Oil
March 19, 2024 19:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBThis week we talk about mergers, acquisitions, and the Shale Oil Revolution. We also discuss liquid natural gas, energy diplomacy, and political hypocrisy. Recommended Book: Eversion by Alastair Reynolds Transcript For the sixth year in a row, the United States is the largest oil producer in the world. As of March 2024, it's producing an average of 12.93 million barrels of oil per day, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and it periodically pops above that average for...
Ukraine War Update (Early 2024)
March 12, 2024 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBThis week we talk about foreign aid, brain drain, and long-term economic consequences. We also discuss the Rasputitsa, counteroffensives, and strategic rethinks. Recommended Book: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi Transcript We've done this a few times before, but it's been a while since I've done a real update on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine—September of last year, I think, was the last one, a bonus episode on the topic—and a fair bit has happened since then, even...
LockBit
March 05, 2024 20:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBThis week we talk about virtual reality, the Meta Quest, and the Apple Vision Pro. We also discuss augmented reality, Magic Leap, and the iPhone. Recommended Book: Daemon by Daniel Suarez Transcript Ransomware is a sub-type of malware, which is malicious software that prevents its victim from accessing their data. So that might mean keeping them from logging into their cloud storage, but it might also mean encrypting their data so that there's no way to access it, ever again, unless the...
Japan's Economy
February 27, 2024 20:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBThis week we talk about the Meiji Revolution, shoguns, and the Lost Decade. We also discuss NVIDIA, economic bubbles, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Recommended Book: The Blue Machine by Helen Czerski Transcript What became known as the Meiji Restoration, but which at the time was generally, locally, called the Honorable Restoration, refers to a period of massive and rapid change in Japan following the restoration of practical powers to the country's Emperor. In 1853, the arrival of Comm...
Spacial Computing
February 20, 2024 20:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBThis week we talk about virtual reality, the Meta Quest, and the Apple Vision Pro. We also discuss augmented reality, Magic Leap, and the iPhone. Recommended Book: Extremely Online by Taylor Lorenz Transcript The term spacial computing seems to have been coined in the mid-1980s within the field of geographic information systems, or GIS, which focuses on using digital technology to mess with geographic data in a variety of hopefully useful ways. So if you were to import a bunch of maps a...
News Media Collapse
February 13, 2024 20:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBThis week we talk about The Messenger, ads, and generative AI. We also discuss search engines, algorithms, and Semafor’s new curation tool. Recommended Book: The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman Transcript There was a piece published on McSweeney's, a humorous, often satirical writing site, recently, entitled "Our Digital Media Platform Will Revolutionize News and Is Also Shutting Down," written by Devin Wallace, that includes gems, ostensibly from an announcement by some kind of new medi...
Autoimmune Disease Therapies
February 06, 2024 20:00 - 18 minutes - 12.4 MBThis week we talk about CAR Ts, lupus, and antigen-presenting cells. We also discuss Hashimoto’s, potential cures, and allergies. Recommended Book: The Avoidable War by Kevin Rudd Transcript Chimeric antigen receptors, usually shorthanded as CARs, are a type of protein structure that receives and transmits signals within biological systems. The term "CAR T cell" refers to chimeric antigen receptors that have been altered so that these structures can give T cells, which are a component o...
AI Impersonation
January 30, 2024 20:01 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBThis week we talk about robo-Biden, fake Swift images, and ElevenLabs. We also discuss copyright, AI George Carlin, and deepfakes. Recommended Book: Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber Transcript The hosts of a podcast called Dudesy are facing a lawsuit after they made a video that seems to show the late comedian George Carlin performing a new routine. The duo claimed they created the video using AI tools, training an algorithm on five decades-worth of Carlin's material in orde...
Middle East Conflicts
January 23, 2024 20:01 - 20 minutes - 14 MBThis week we talk about Operation Iron Swords, October 7, and the International Court of Justice. We also discuss human rights abuses, the Red Sea, and Iran’s influence. Recommended Book: Empire Games by Charles Stross Transcript In the early morning of October 7, 2023, the militant wing of Hamas—which is also a political organization that has governed the Gaza Strip territory since 2007, a few years after Israel withdrew from the area and then blockaded it, leading to accusations from i...
Ecuador State of Emergency
January 16, 2024 20:01 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBThis week we talk about Bukele, Naboa, and the war on gangs. We also discuss emergency powers, authoritarianism, and the cocaine trade. Recommended Book: Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace Transcript Nayib Bukele is the 43rd president of El Salvador, and he's an unusual leader for the country in that he's young—born in 1981, so just 42 years old, as of the day I'm recording this—and in that he's incredibly popular, having maintained an approval rating of around 90% essentially since he st...
Subsidence
January 09, 2024 20:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBThis week we talk about the raising of Chicago, Jakarta, and sea level rise. We also discuss groundwater, flooding, and insurance. Recommended Book: Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire Transcript In the mid-19th century, the city of Chicago, its many sidewalks and buildings and other infrastructure, were hoisted using jackscrews, which are kind of like heavy-duty versions of the jacks you might use to lift your car to replace a tire. The impetus for this undertaking, which was substant...
2024 Elections
January 02, 2024 20:02 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBThis week we talk about Indonesia, South Africa, and geopolitical risks. We also discuss the South China Sea, the US Presidential election, and Potemkin democracy. Recommended Book: The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell Transcript By many metrics, 2023 was a tumultuous year. In the latter-quarter, in early October, the paramilitary group Hamas launched a sneak-attack on Israel which kicked off a new round of turmoil directly, on the ground, in the Gaza Strip, where Israel launche...
Essequibo
December 19, 2023 20:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBNote: I’m taking next week off for the new year and to work on my next book—this month’s More Things bonus episodes has thus been moved to this upcoming Thursday, and you’ll see the next LKT episode on January 2! This week we talk about Venezuelan, Guyana, and the British. We also discuss oil deposits, gold, and the Geneva Agreement. Recommended Book: Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross Transcript In 1581, Dutch colonists arrived in South America,...
Materials Science
December 12, 2023 20:01 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBThis week we talk about stainless steel, DARPA, and GNoME. We also discuss ceramics, DeepMind, and self-driving labs. Recommended Book: Drunk On All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson Transcript In a recent episode, I talked a bit about the bronze and copper ages, and how reaching the level of technological know-how so that it's possible to heat metals so you can blend them with other metals, forge them into useful things, and generally work with them in a more fundamental way than i...
Panama's Copper
December 05, 2023 20:02 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBThis week we talk about renewables, open-pit mines, and the Bronze Age. We also discuss the Cobre mine, First Quantum, and environmentalism. Recommended Book: The Possibility of Life by Jaime Green Transcript Depending on whose numbers you use, and where you choose to place your chronological brackets, the Chalcolithic, or Copper Age, began around 5,000 BCE, around 7,000 years ago, with the smelting of copper at high temperatures. The oldest confirmed and dated site relevant to the begi...
Electric Lawn Care
November 28, 2023 22:01 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBThis week we talk about weeds, lawn mowers, and California’s Air Resources Board. We also discuss ornamental lawns, leaf blowers, and two-stroke engines. Recommended Book: The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant Transcript The concept of the modern lawn—a term that originally referred to a somewhat ecologically varied, short-cropped green space that was used for livestock, in contrast to fields that were used for growing agricultural plants—is derived from a variation of the lawn...
COP28
November 21, 2023 22:02 - 18 minutes - 13 MBThis week we talk about methane, the UAE, and organizational capture. We also discuss climate change, broken governmental promises, and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. Recommended Book: Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus Transcript The United Nations Climate Change Conferences, often referred to as COP meetings, short for "Conference of the Parties," are formal, annual meetings where issues related to climate change are discussed by attendees. These meetings have been occurring at their yearly cadence ...
The US Deficit
November 14, 2023 20:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBThis week we talk about Rubinomics, government spending, and US federal debt. We also discuss the Government-Household analogy, the House of Representatives, and the looming government shutdown. Recommended Book: Quantum Supremacy by Michio Kaku Transcript Early in November 2023, the credit firm Moody's lowered its outlook on the US government's credit rating from "stable" to "negative," pointing at a huge decline in debt affordability—the government's ability to borrow money cheaply, ba...
Regulating AI
November 07, 2023 20:04 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBThis week we talk about regulatory capture, Open AI, and Biden’s executive order. We also discuss the UK’s AI safety summit, open source AI models, and flogging fear. Recommended Book: The Resisters by Gish Jen Transcript Regulatory capture refers to the corruption of a regulatory body by entities to which the regulations that body creates and enforces, apply. So an organization that wants to see less funding for public schools and more for private and home schooling options getting on...
Argentine Election
October 31, 2023 19:02 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBThis week we talk about Peronists, Milei, and Argentina’s inflation rate. We also discuss Justicialism, Bullrich, and military coups. Recommended Book: Future Starts Here by John Higgs Transcript Peronism, sometimes called Justicialism, after the Justicialist party, whose name is derived from the concept of social justice, and which is the main Peronist party in Argentina, has been the dominant political force in the country since the mid-20th century. The word Peronism comes from the l...
SB 253
October 24, 2023 19:03 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBThis week we talk about fuel efficiency, the California EPA, and Scope 3. We also discuss the EU’s emission reporting efforts, regulations, and business incentives. Recommended Book: Undue Hate by Daniel F. Stone Transcript The California Air Resources Board, or CARB, is a California government agency that resulted from the 1967 merging of the state's Bureau of Air Sanitation and its Motor Vehicle Pollution Control Board. It's part of California's larger Environmental Protection Agency, ...
Israel-Hamas War
October 17, 2023 19:00 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBThis week we talk about the Gaza Strip, the Yom Kippur War, and Egypt. We also discuss 9/11, charged topics, and sneak-attacks. Recommended Book: Pinpoint by Greg Milner Transcript In 1972, the Egyptian military started building up its offense-capable forces, buying things like MiG fighter jets and T-62 tanks from the Soviet Union, while also gutting its swathe of generals—many of whom attained the rank for political, not experiential reasons—replacing them with more capable versions of ...
Nvidia
October 10, 2023 19:05 - 15 minutes - 10.6 MBThis week we talk about AMD, graphics processing units, and AI. We also discuss crypto mining, video games, and parallel processing. Recommended Book: The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel Transcript Founded in 1993 by an engineer who previously designed microprocessors for semiconductor company AMD, an engineer from Sun Microsystems, and a graphics chip designer and senior engineer from Sun and IBM, NVIDIA was focused on producing graphics-optimized hardware because of a theory he...
Methane
October 03, 2023 19:00 - 17 minutes - 12 MBThis week we talk about natural gas, plumes, and satellites. We also discuss firedamp, AI detection, and emission numbers. Recommended Book: Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier by Kevin Kelly Transcript Methane, the name for a chemical made up of one part carbon, four parts hydrogen, is incredibly abundant on earth as it's formed by both geological and biological processes—the former when organic materials are heated up and have massive amounts of pressure applie...
Video Game Engines
September 26, 2023 19:00 - 22 minutes - 15.1 MBThis week we talk about Unity, Unreal, and Godot. We also discuss fee structures, user revolts, and indie game-makers. Recommended Book: How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner Show Notes * https://www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-media/video-games/worldwide * https://www.billboard.com/pro/ifpi-global-report-2023-music-business-revenue-market-share/ * https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/07/video-game-industry-not-recession-proof-sales-set-to-fall-in-2022.html * https://...
Antiretroviral Therapies
September 19, 2023 19:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBThis week we talk about HIV, AIDS, and ART. We also discuss HAART, the Berlin Patient, and potential future cures. Recommended Book: Allergic by Theresa MacPhail Show Notes * https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/fact-sheet * https://hivinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv/fact-sheets/hiv-treatment-basics * https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/glossary/antiretroviral-therapy-art * https://www.paho.org/en/topics/antiretroviral-therapy * https://journals.lww.com/jaids/fulltext/2010/01010/declines_i...
China Standard Map
September 12, 2023 19:00 - 17 minutes - 11.7 MBThis week we talk about China’s standard map, the nine-dash line, and shoals. We also discuss WWIII, undersea minerals, and realities on the ground. Recommended Book: Outlive by Peter Attia Show Notes * https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202308/28/WS64ec91c2a31035260b81ea5b.html * https://www.uscc.gov/research/south-china-sea-arbitration-ruling-what-happened-and-whats-next * https://amti.csis.org/island-tracker/china/ * https://globalvoices.org/2023/09/05/the-chinese-2023-map-has-nothing...
Gerontocracy
September 05, 2023 19:00 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBThis week we talk about Jimmy Buffett, Boomers, and the Soviet Union. We also discuss Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden, and the 2024 US Presidential Election. Show Notes (Notes on show notes: for Wikipedia or other reference articles, please follow source links as they tend to tell you which bits of data are legit and which are less so—these are excellent starting points for info, but ideally not the end-points.) Some Relevant Links https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/01/health/mitch-mcconnell-he...
BRICS
August 29, 2023 19:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBThis week we talk about BRIC, BRICs, and BRICS+. We also discuss the USD, sanctions, and alternative global financial systems. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Coup Belt
August 22, 2023 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBThis week we talk about ECOWAS, Niger, and proxy conflicts. We also discuss military dictatorships, Wagner, and colonies. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Bidenomics
August 15, 2023 19:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBThis week we talk about the Inflation Reduction Act, October Surprises, and Hunter Biden's laptop. We also discuss the 2024 US Presidential election, Trump's legal woes, and inflation. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Room-Temperature Superconductors
August 08, 2023 19:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBThis week we talk about LK-99, mercury, and resistance. We also discuss online citizen science, physics, and replication issues. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Extreme Heat
August 01, 2023 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBThis week we talk about Phoenix, Death Valley, and heat pumps. We also discuss the greenhouse effect, cascading systems, and energy-related power. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Automated Journalism
July 25, 2023 19:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBThis week we talk about Genesis, the Associated Press, and Glorbo. We also discuss Wikipedia, G/O Media, and ChatGPT. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Entertainment Strikes
July 18, 2023 19:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBThis week we talk about the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and AI. We also discuss streaming platforms, residuals, and entertainment industry economics. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Social Graph
July 11, 2023 19:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBThis week we talk about Threads, Meta, and the Fediverse. We also discuss Instagram, follower migrations, and the social media landscape. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
International Monetary Fund
July 04, 2023 19:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBThis week we talk about the IMF, the Paris Club, and Pakistan. We also discuss the international monetary system, sovereign debt, and debt traps. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Work From Home
June 27, 2023 19:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBThis week we talk about mouse jigglers, bossware, and the WFH revolution. We also discuss blitzscaling, quiet quitting, and return-to-office demands. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Reddit Blackout
June 20, 2023 19:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MBThis week we talk about AI, Reddit, and scraping. We also discuss John Oliver, protests, and LLMs. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Particulates
June 13, 2023 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBThis week we talk about wildfires, PM 2.5 particles, and globalization. We also discuss PM 10 particles, the health impacts of bad air, and PFAS. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Debt Ceiling Deal
June 06, 2023 19:00 - 21 minutes - 15.2 MBThis week we talk about the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Speaker McCarthy, and the US debt limit. We also discuss President Biden, economic crises, and MAGA Republicans. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Debt Ceiling Dealing
June 06, 2023 19:00 - 22 minutes - 31.7 MBThis week we talk about the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Speaker McCarthy, and the US debt limit. We also discuss President Biden, economic crises, and MAGA Republicans. Support the show: patreon.com/letsknowthings / letsknowthings.com/support / understandary.com Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Tactical Nukes
May 30, 2023 19:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBThis week we talk about the Tsar Bomba, the Davy Crockett, and hypersonic missiles. We also discuss Kyiv, mutually assured destruction, and Cold War thinking. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
New Offensive in Ukraine
May 23, 2023 19:00 - 18 minutes - 13.1 MBThis week we talk about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the grand realignment, and tanks. We also discuss F-15s, spheres of influence, and Zelenskyy. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
AVOD and FAST
May 16, 2023 19:00 - 24 minutes - 17.3 MBThis week we talk about Tucker Carlson, Disney Plus, and free ad-supported TV. We also discuss ad-supported video-on-demand, the new streaming wars, and the pivot to video. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe
Debt Crises
May 09, 2023 19:00 - 20 minutes - 14.5 MBThis week we talk about student debt, real estate, and local government financing vehicles. We also discuss credit cards, the Belt and Road Initiative, and frontier markets. Show notes/transcript: letsknowthings.com This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe