Episodes
Wednesday Jul 29, 2015
On Cryonics: A Timely Discussion with Christine Gaspar
Wednesday Jul 29, 2015
Wednesday Jul 29, 2015
Christine Gaspar, R.N. is a registered nurse and the president of the Cryonics Society of Canada. Her educational background is a diploma in nursing with an emphasis on emergency and trauma nursing. She has worked in a variety of hospitals in the Greater Los Angeles and the Greater Toronto area, where she currently resides. She has served in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves as a medical assistant in the infantry and artillery.
Her current employment is with William Osler Health System where she provides emergency care in one of Canada's largest and busiest hospitals. Christine has participated in the Alcor Southern California standby team as well and is currently working towards developing greater standby capabilities for cryonics patients in the Toronto region.
She advocates for cryonics in the press, and has published essays and articles on transhumanism and cryonics for Humanity+ magazine, KurzweilAI, and IEET. She is also an entrepreneur who participates in a family-run specialty farming business and cares for her family at home. Her interests lie in developing cryonics in Canada, transhumanism, and subsistence farming. Christine earned her diploma in Nursing at Georgian College in 1998.
Sunday Jul 19, 2015
Death is Wrong: Discussion with Gennady Stolyarov II
Sunday Jul 19, 2015
Sunday Jul 19, 2015
In this podcast Mr. Stolyarov and I discuss the psychology, biology and economics and necessity of unlimited life extension. We also toss around some ideas for an upcoming video game to accompany his children's book, Death is Wrong.
About Gennady Stolyarov II:
Gennady Stolyarov II (G. Stolyarov II) is an actuary, science-fiction novelist, independent philosophical essayist, poet, amateur mathematician, composer, and Editor-in-Chief of The Rational Argumentator, a magazine championing the principles of reason, rights, and progress. Mr. Stolyarov regularly produces YouTube Videos discussing life extension, libertarianism, and related subjects.
In December 2013, Mr. Stolyarov published Death is Wrong, an ambitious children’s book on life extension, illustrated by his wife Wendy Stolyarov. Death is Wrong can be found on Amazon inpaperback and Kindle formats, and can also be freely downloaded in PDF in the English,Russian, and Spanish languages.
Mr. Stolyarov has contributed articles to the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET),The Wave Chronicle, Le Québécois Libre, Brighter Brains Institute, Immortal Life, Enter Stage Right, Rebirth of Reason, The Liberal Institute, and the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Mr. Stolyarov holds the professional insurance designations of Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society (ACAS), Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA), Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), Associate in Regulation and Compliance (ARC), Associate in Personal Insurance (API), Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), Accredited Insurance Examiner (AIE), and Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance (AIAF).
Mr. Stolyarov has written a science fiction novel, Eden against the Colossus, a philosophical treatise, A Rational Cosmology, a play, Implied Consent, and a free self-help treatise, The Best Self-Help is Free.
In an effort to assist the spread of rational ideas, Mr. Stolyarov published his articles on Associated Content (subsequently the Yahoo! Contributor Network and Yahoo! Voices) from 2007 until Yahoo! closed this venue in 2014. Mr. Stolyarov held the highest Clout Level (10) possible on the Yahoo! Contributor Network and was one of its Page View Millionaires, with over 3,191,000 views. Mr. Stolyarov’s selected writings from that era have been preserved on this page.
Mr. Stolyarov can be contacted at gennadystolyarovii@gmail.com.
Tuesday Jun 30, 2015
CRASH, BOOM, POP! Debunking Economics the Fun Way
Tuesday Jun 30, 2015
Tuesday Jun 30, 2015
Synopsis
[View Crash, Boom, Pop! here.]
Economics is full of BS -- but there is an alternative. Bank bailouts, quantitative easing, housing bubbles, austerity, etc. - are all economic policies putting most of us in the poorhouse. You can fight back...but how? Knowledge is power! This series is all about common sense, humor and great illustrations. It's 100% bull free.
Too many of us are living paycheck to paycheck. Income inequality is a worldwide problem. Students are graduating with record debts. Trillion dollar wars are charged to the national credit card of debt. We’re inheriting economies in crisis, with endless money printing, dismal job opportunities, sky high tuition fees and a housing market no one can afford.
These are baffling questions for many...including actual economists. Yes, that’s right. Much of what economists actually believe - and teach in their incredibly boring textbooks - is wrong.
As a team with a background in finance, education and economics, we read a copious amount of books that cut through the confusion: Steve Keen’s “Debunking Economics”, Ann Pettifor’s "Just Money - How to Break the Despotic Power of Finance" and Ha-Joon Chang's "23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism", just to name a few. With the help of our advisor and friend Steve Keen, we can now share what we’ve learned.
About Suzie and Miguel:
Miguel Guerra
An obscenely talented artist and writer whose dedication and ability to get [expletive] done on time warps the boundaries of time and space. It’s his art that you see on every page. Miguel was born in Spain, but his family later moved around the U.S. and settled in Canada. He speaks fluent English and Spanish. Miguel has worked on projects for various small and large organizations, including the National Book Foundation and Heavy Metal:
Together with his co-writer Suzy, they published the following short stories in Heavy Metal:
• Bedbugs (July 2007)
• Insomnia (January 2010)
• A Lonely Cry in Space (May 2010)
Miguel also creates original t-shirt designs and commissioned art (including book covers, comic covers, illustrations, avatars, web art, clip art, etc...). Have a special request? Let us know and he'll design something personal just for you. Click here to contact Miguel directly. You can also see his portfolio at www.MiguelGuerra.com.
Suzy Dias
A nose to the grindstone writer, Suzy works on comics, graphic novels, children's books, short stories, and novellas (usually comedy, sci-fi, and action). She also works as a webmaster, graphic designer, letterer, and a cartoonist. Suzy was born in Canada, speaks fluent Portuguese, advanced Spanish, and can order a meal in French. She started her career in finance and worked her way out of the pits and into the media industry, including the Globe and Mail in Toronto and Bloomberg in New York City, where she worked as a writer and editor for the better part of 10 years.
Kindred Spirits
Miguel and Suzy found they were kindred spirits and perfect co-creators and writing partners. They decided to tie the knot and have been writing and creating new worlds ever since. Together and individually, they've written comics, graphic novels, movie scripts, TV episodes, and novellas.
Thursday May 28, 2015
InSilico Medicine and the Quest for Immortality: A Podcast with Dr. Alex Zhavoronkov
Thursday May 28, 2015
Thursday May 28, 2015
Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, is a head of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at the Federal Clinical Research Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology in and the adjunct professor of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. He is also a director and trustee of the Biogerontology Research Foundation, a UK-based registered charity supporting aging research worldwide and a director of the International Aging Research Portfolio (IARP) knowledge management project. He is the CEO or Insilico Medicine, Inc, a Baltimore-based company with research facility on the campus of the Johns Hopkins University Emerging Technology Centers. The company is focusing on signaling pathway activation analysis, drug discovery and drug repurposing for aging and age-related diseases. He also heads NeuroG, a neuroinformatics project intended to assist the elderly suffering from dementia. His primary research interests include systems biology of aging, regenerative medicine, next-generation sequencing, molecular diagnostics and pathway analysis. He is the author of "The Ageless Generation: How advances in biomedicine will transform the global economy" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013).
He holds two Bachelor Degrees from Queen’ s University, a Masters in Biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in Biophysics from the Moscow State University.
Saturday May 16, 2015
The Immortality Project: A Podcast with Dr. Janni Lloyd
Saturday May 16, 2015
Saturday May 16, 2015
Janni Lloyd's interest in health formally began in 1973 when she commenced her medical degree at the University of Western Australia. She spent many years in General Practice with a special interest in the psychological and emotional aspects of health maintenance and disease creation. In 1994 Janni moved into Alternative / Complimentary medicine via Aura Soma Colour Therapy. In 1992 she began studying and living Healthy Life Extension and the philosophy of Physical Immortality from many different perspectives – spirituality, alternative medicine, psychology, medical science and quantum physics. She has written a book The Fun Way of Physical Immortality Philosophy' and recently submitted an essay to the Immortality Project at the University of California.
Physical Immortality - the mass possibility blog link - https://physicalimmortalitythemasspossibility.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/submission-to-the-immortality-project-at-university-of-california-uc-riverside-dr-janni-lloyd/
Friday May 08, 2015
The Insider's Guide to Autism and Aspergers: A Podcast with Dr. Ian Hale
Friday May 08, 2015
Friday May 08, 2015
From Amazon.com
It is a comprehensive, yet simply written Guide, avoiding jargon, to all areas, treatment, theories, background and day-to-day practical tips covering the entire subject of Autism including Asperger’s. It uncovers its hidden history and includes many famous examples of Autistic and Asperger’s people. It is also full of anecdotes and feelings from the author’s professional and deeply personal experiences as an Autistic himself. This is the easy-to-read, yet deeply inquiring pocket book for anyone affected by, giving care to or diagnosed with an Autism condition, more, than that…..It is not another dry, long, boring academic drudge, it’s a cracking good read. Being a writer and practitioner specializing in Autism is one thing, only someone who lives it truly knows what it’s like- this isn't academic theory or clinical observation- this is how it lives!
About the author:
I am from the historic City and County of Bristol, England, a member of British Mensa, the Accademia Costantiniana and a graduate of Portsmouth, Bristol and Bath Spa Universities. My professional background is Further and Higher education, Special Education Needs, organization and genetics.
Being from a family with a history of Autism meant it has always been a part of my “normal” life and brings a radical new voice to its understanding and implication while lending a uniquely powerful and sharply different perspective to assessing and providing a high quality of educational and life experience for affected people, whether children, adults in the workplace or seniors- each group has their own particular viewpoint and needs. Autism is for life-and is seldom understood that way by society.
Wednesday Apr 22, 2015
The Value of Economic Pluralism: A Talk with Professor John Harvey
Wednesday Apr 22, 2015
Wednesday Apr 22, 2015
John T. Harvey has been a Professor of Economics at Texas Christian University since 1987, after earning his Ph.D. in Economics that year from the University of Tennessee. He specializes in international economics (particularly exchange rates), macroeconomics, history of economics, and contemporary schools of thought. Dr. Harvey's work combines analyses rooted in the scholarly traditions of John Maynard Keynes and Thorstein Veblen with that of modern psychology to produce a set of new theories to explain international monetary economics, including not only exchange rates but also world financial crises.
Dr. Harvey has published over thirty refereed publications, edited two volumes, and received a number of teaching awards. In 2010, Dr. Harvey published a book titled Currencies, Capital Flows and Crises (Routledge), which presented a Post-Keynesian explanation of exchange rate determination based on the premise that it is financial capital flows and not international trade that represents the driving force behind currency movements.
Dr. Harvey has previously served as chair of the TCU Department of Economics, as well as Executive Director of the International Confederation of Associations for Pluralism in Economics. He is Co-editor of the World Economic Review and a member of the board of directors of the Association for Evolutionary Economics, as well as the editorial boards of the American Review of Political Economy, the Critique of Political Economy, the Encyclopedia of Political Economy, the Journal of Economics Issues, and the Social Science Journal.
Dr. Harvey currently writes an economics blog for Forbes called Pragmatic Economics, which offers economic commentary in a manner understandable to the general public, and can also be followed on Twitter. He has been married to Melanie Harvey for over twenty-five years and has twin daughters and a dog named Rommel.
Monday Apr 20, 2015
Top Secret Science of Esoteric Mysticism Revealed
Monday Apr 20, 2015
Monday Apr 20, 2015
Reverend Krall's biography and mission statement from his website:
Reverand Brian Krall, also known by his Shaman Name "Isantis Tao" is a Taoist Shaman, a Tantric Upasaka of Sri Vidya Tantra and the Daksinamurti lineage, A Sorcerer, Metaphysicist, Alchemist, Author, Holistic Healer, Personal Development Specialist, Neuro Linguistic Programmer, Sex Teacher and a Musician. He has been practicing spirituality and studying spiritual science and philosophy for 17 years, and was initiated as a shaman 10 years ago. He teaches an eclectic system of spirituality which pulls from many great sources including Asian, South and Central american, Pacific island, African, and European shamanic traditions. His personal development company True Life Development offers many free resources and paid products and services for your holistic personal development at www.TrueLifeDevelopment.com and will have a purely spiritual division launching next year.
Sunday Feb 22, 2015
Adam Alonzi Reads Death is Wrong by Gennady Stolyarov II
Sunday Feb 22, 2015
Sunday Feb 22, 2015
In this podcast I read Death is Wrong by Gennady Stolyarov II. A number of people have recommend or requested I record myself reading. Enjoy.
From the book's Amazon page:
If you have ever asked, "Why do people have to die?" then this book is for you. The answer is that no, death is not necessary, inevitable, or good. In fact, death is wrong. Death is the enemy of us all, to be fought with medicine, science, and technology. This book introduces you to the greatest, most challenging, most revolutionary movement to radically extend human lifespans so that you might not have to die at all. You will learn about some amazingly long-lived plants and animals, recent scientific discoveries that point the way toward lengthening lifespans in humans, and simple, powerful arguments that can overcome the common excuses for death. If you have ever thought that death is unjust and should be defeated, you are not alone. Read this book, and become part of the most important quest in human history. This book was written by the philosopher and futurist Gennady Stolyarov II and illustrated by the artist Wendy Stolyarov. It is here to show you that, no matter who you are and what you can do, there is always a way for you to help in humanity’s struggle against death. "I thought the book was fun to read and important in what it tries to accomplish." - Zoltan Istvan, Psychology Today
About Gennady Stolyarov II:
Gennady Stolyarov II (G. Stolyarov II) is an actuary, science-fiction novelist, independent philosophical essayist, poet, amateur mathematician, composer, and Editor-in-Chief of The Rational Argumentator, a magazine championing the principles of reason, rights, and progress. Mr. Stolyarov regularly produces YouTube Videos discussing life extension, libertarianism, and related subjects.
In December 2013, Mr. Stolyarov published Death is Wrong, an ambitious children’s book on life extension, illustrated by his wife Wendy Stolyarov. Death is Wrong can be found on Amazon inpaperback and Kindle formats, and can also be freely downloaded in PDF in the English,Russian, and Spanish languages.
Mr. Stolyarov has contributed articles to the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (IEET),The Wave Chronicle, Le Québécois Libre, Brighter Brains Institute, Immortal Life, Enter Stage Right, Rebirth of Reason, The Liberal Institute, and the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Mr. Stolyarov holds the professional insurance designations of Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA), Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society (ACAS), Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA), Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), Associate in Regulation and Compliance (ARC), Associate in Personal Insurance (API), Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), Accredited Insurance Examiner (AIE), and Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance (AIAF).
Mr. Stolyarov has written a science fiction novel, Eden against the Colossus, a philosophical treatise, A Rational Cosmology, a play, Implied Consent, and a free self-help treatise, The Best Self-Help is Free.
In an effort to assist the spread of rational ideas, Mr. Stolyarov published his articles on Associated Content (subsequently the Yahoo! Contributor Network and Yahoo! Voices) from 2007 until Yahoo! closed this venue in 2014. Mr. Stolyarov held the highest Clout Level (10) possible on the Yahoo! Contributor Network and was one of its Page View Millionaires, with over 3,191,000 views. Mr. Stolyarov’s selected writings from that era have been preserved on this page.
Mr. Stolyarov can be contacted at gennadystolyarovii@gmail.com.
Friday Feb 20, 2015
A Model of Learning: A Talk with Barry Kort
Friday Feb 20, 2015
Friday Feb 20, 2015
A link to the model discussed in the podcast.
Barry Kort's biography:
I am a (now retired) Visiting Scientist at the MIT Media Lab in the Affective Computing Research Group . My long-term field of research is the Role of Emotions in Learning . I am currently working on the role of StoryCraft as a traditional method of learning.
I am also a (now retired) volunteer science educator in the Discovery Spaces at the Boston Museum of Science .
My other affiliations include the Institute for Intelligent Systems at the University of Memphis and the School of Communication and Journalism at Utah State University where I assist in the curriculum in Online Journalism .
I was formerly a Visiting Scientist in the Educational Technology Research Group at BBN Systems and Technologies. Additional professional background information can be found here .
Some of my other research interests include puzzlecraft, building online communities, and the functional characteristics of rule-driven systems.
Curriculum Vita:
BSEE With High Distinction, University of Nebraska at Lincoln, 1968
MSEE Stanford University, 1969
Ph.D. Systems Theory, Stanford University, 1976
Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in the Network Planning Division of AT&T Bell Labs 1968-1987
Lead Scientist in the Network Center of MITRE, 1987-1990
Visiting Scientist in Educational Technology Research, BBN Systems and Technologies, 1990-1999
Visiting Scientist in the Affective Computing Research Group at the MIT Media Lab, 1999-2008
Volunteer Science Educator at Boston Museum of Science, 1987-2013
Retired, 2014-Present