Brian Klaas

When I talk to people about the ideas that I'm grappling with, I often will say, you know, all of you sort of have these moments where you know that something could have been different, where you could have turned left rather than right when you got into a car accident, or you could have gone to the bar or not gone to the bar. And that's when you met your spouse.

When I talk to people about the ideas that I'm grappling with, I often will say, you know, all of you sort of have these moments where you know that something could have been different, where you could have turned left rather than right when you got into a car accident, or you could have gone to the bar or not gone to the bar. And that's when you met your spouse.

When I talk to people about the ideas that I'm grappling with, I often will say, you know, all of you sort of have these moments where you know that something could have been different, where you could have turned left rather than right when you got into a car accident, or you could have gone to the bar or not gone to the bar. And that's when you met your spouse.

The problem is that those are not the sliding doors moments. The sliding doors moments are the ones that we don't know that our life has diverged. That every moment you have, every little quip you make in conversation diverts the conversation.

The problem is that those are not the sliding doors moments. The sliding doors moments are the ones that we don't know that our life has diverged. That every moment you have, every little quip you make in conversation diverts the conversation.

The problem is that those are not the sliding doors moments. The sliding doors moments are the ones that we don't know that our life has diverged. That every moment you have, every little quip you make in conversation diverts the conversation.

Every little decision you make, whether to leave the house now or in five minutes, changes the kinds of people you'll meet that day, the conversations you'll have. And those ripple effects emanate throughout our lives. And so one of the biggest mistakes I think we make is that only big things matter and only things we're aware of matter. And those are both completely wrong.

Every little decision you make, whether to leave the house now or in five minutes, changes the kinds of people you'll meet that day, the conversations you'll have. And those ripple effects emanate throughout our lives. And so one of the biggest mistakes I think we make is that only big things matter and only things we're aware of matter. And those are both completely wrong.

Every little decision you make, whether to leave the house now or in five minutes, changes the kinds of people you'll meet that day, the conversations you'll have. And those ripple effects emanate throughout our lives. And so one of the biggest mistakes I think we make is that only big things matter and only things we're aware of matter. And those are both completely wrong.

So all of the time, every single moment of our lives is reshaping our futures. And we intuitively understand this whenever we encounter science fiction that involves time travel. Because if you're going to go back in time, everyone gives you the same warning, right? Don't touch anything. Don't squish a bug a million years ago because you'll delete humans from the future.

So all of the time, every single moment of our lives is reshaping our futures. And we intuitively understand this whenever we encounter science fiction that involves time travel. Because if you're going to go back in time, everyone gives you the same warning, right? Don't touch anything. Don't squish a bug a million years ago because you'll delete humans from the future.

So all of the time, every single moment of our lives is reshaping our futures. And we intuitively understand this whenever we encounter science fiction that involves time travel. Because if you're going to go back in time, everyone gives you the same warning, right? Don't touch anything. Don't squish a bug a million years ago because you'll delete humans from the future.

Or don't talk to your parents because you'll never get born. So they understand in that logic that every little detail matters. Cause and effect happens the same whether it's in the past, the present, or the future. So if squishing a bug a million years ago can reshape the world, squishing a bug today can reshape the world.

Or don't talk to your parents because you'll never get born. So they understand in that logic that every little detail matters. Cause and effect happens the same whether it's in the past, the present, or the future. So if squishing a bug a million years ago can reshape the world, squishing a bug today can reshape the world.

Or don't talk to your parents because you'll never get born. So they understand in that logic that every little detail matters. Cause and effect happens the same whether it's in the past, the present, or the future. So if squishing a bug a million years ago can reshape the world, squishing a bug today can reshape the world.

If talking to someone 50 years ago can reshape who's born, talking to someone today can reshape who's born in 50 years. And that is a bewildering thought, but in my view, it is scientifically accurate and completely true as well.

If talking to someone 50 years ago can reshape who's born, talking to someone today can reshape who's born in 50 years. And that is a bewildering thought, but in my view, it is scientifically accurate and completely true as well.

If talking to someone 50 years ago can reshape who's born, talking to someone today can reshape who's born in 50 years. And that is a bewildering thought, but in my view, it is scientifically accurate and completely true as well.

So the effects of randomness are produced by interconnectivity and we have created a hyper-connected world. And so one of my favorite examples of this is the thing where many of you will remember a couple of years ago in 2021, this little gust of wind tips this boat sideways in the Suez Canal and it blocks global trade and it caused something like $50 billion of economic damage.

So the effects of randomness are produced by interconnectivity and we have created a hyper-connected world. And so one of my favorite examples of this is the thing where many of you will remember a couple of years ago in 2021, this little gust of wind tips this boat sideways in the Suez Canal and it blocks global trade and it caused something like $50 billion of economic damage.