The Orthogonal Bet
Episodes
Corey Maley on the philosophy of science and computation
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Corey Maley. Corey is an associate professor of philosophy at Purdue University who...
Joel Simon on "Beyond Slop"
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman had the pleasure of speaking with Joel Simon. Joel is a fascinating creator who works at the intersection of art and ...
Stephen Webb on 75 Answers to the Fermi Paradox
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman has the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Webb. Stephen is a physicist and the author of numerous books, including on...
David Edmonds on "Parfit"
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman is excited to welcome David Edmonds back to the podcast. Dave is the cohost of the Philosophy Bites podcast as well a...
Edward Ashton on "After The Fall"
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman welcomes back Edward Ashton. Edward is a science fiction writer and the author of numerous novels, including Mickey7,...
Lori Emerson on the Media Archaeology Lab
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Lori Emerson, a professor of Media Studies at University of Colorado Boulder and the founding director of...
Brendan Schlagel on Learning Communities
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Brendan Schlagel, a builder obsessed with learning and community, and the cofounder of Hyperlink and Leaf...
Gordon Brander on Scenario Planning
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Gordon Brander, a technologist and researcher currently building Deep Future, an AI tool designed to faci...
Florian Jehn on Summarizing Collapse Research
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Florian Jehn, a researcher who studies the nature of societal collapse and the author of the blog Existen...
Dexter Palmer on Writing Literary Fiction with Sci-Fi Tropes
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with novelist Dexter Palmer, the author of three books that deliberately resist easy categorization. As they d...
Stuart Buck on "The Case for Crazy Philanthropy"
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Stuart Buck, executive director of the Good Science Project—a think tank devoted to better understandin...
Tinkered Thinking on White Mirror
14 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tinkered Thinking is the pseudonym of the author behind White Mirror, a collection of stories that explore the implications of artificial intelligence...
Alec Nevala-Lee on Luis Alvarez
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks again with Alec Nevala-Lee. Arbesman previously hosted Nevala-Lee to discuss his biography of Buckminster Full...
Nick Foster on "Could Should Might Don’t"
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Nick Foster, a designer and futurist who has worked with numerous major companies imagining a variety of ...
David Edmonds on Death in a Shallow Pond
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with David Edmonds, cohost of the Philosophy Bites podcast and bestselling author of numerous books on philoso...
Rohit Krishnan on Training AI to Write Better
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
n this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Rohit Krishnan, one of the most playful and insightful thinkers in the world of ideas. Rohit writes Strang...
Linda Liukas on Teaching Kids to Code Through Play
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Linda Liukas, author of the beloved Hello Ruby children’s book series about computers, as well as a new...
Molly Mielke on What Makes a Founder Worth Betting On
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Molly Mielke. Despite her youth, Molly has already built a fascinating career across tech—spending time...
Daniel Temkin on Esoteric Programming Languages
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Daniel Temkin, a writer and artist working in the digital art space who has been creating strange and pro...
Parker Owens on Parker's Brick Builds
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Parker Owens, whose passion for Lego has grown into something remarkable. In addition to working as an at...
Kristoffer Tjalve on The Internet Phone Book
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Samuel Arbesman is joined once again by Kristoffer Tjalve. The two previously spoke about the poetic web and the delightful aspects of the internet. T...
Edward Ashton on The Fourth Consort
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Edward Ashton. Edward Ashton is a science fiction writer and the author of numerous novels, including Mic...
Neal Agarwal on neal.fun
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Neal Agarwal. Neal has been building online playthings for most of his life. He runs neal.fun, which many...
Julian Gough on the Evolution of Universes
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Julian Gough — a writer, musician, and now researcher in cosmology. Julian was part of Toasted Heretic,...
Étienne Fortier-Dubois on Tech Trees
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Étienne Fortier-Dubois, a writer and programmer whose work has appeared in publications such as Asterisk...
Chris Ferrie on Writing "Quantum Physics for Babies"
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Chris Ferrie, an associate professor of quantum information at the University of Technology Sydney and th...
Evan Armstrong on Launching The Leverage and Rethinking Tech Media
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Evan Armstrong, the writer behind The Leverage, a newsletter devoted to exploring and explaining the rapi...
Gabe Henry on "Enough is Enuf"
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with writer Gabe Henry, whose latest book Enough is Enuf delves into the long-running crusade to simplify E...
Daryl Gregory on Simulation Theory and the Great American Glitch Tour
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman sits down with novelist Daryl Gregory, celebrated author of numerous science-fiction and fantasy works—includ...
Kenneth Stanley on the Disruptive Power of Open-Endedness
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Kenneth Stanley, a renowned computer scientist and AI researcher whose career spans academia, industry, a...
Clive Thompson on the Ramifications of “Vibe Coding”
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with journalist and author Clive Thompson. Known for his thoughtful writing on science and technology—partic...
Alec Nevala-Lee on Buckminster Fuller
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with Alec Nevala-Lee, author of numerous books, including Inventor of the Future, a definitive biography of...
Eliot Peper on developing lore around AI agents
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman welcomes back return guest Eliot Peper. Eliot is a science fiction writer and the author o...
Anna Gat on Building Interintellect’s Global Agora
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Anna Gat, founder and CEO of Interintellect. Described as “a curated marketplace of high-quality e...
Samuel Arbesman on The Magic of Code
10 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s not every day that we get to fete the launch of a new book by one of our colleagues at Lux Capital, so today is a very special day. Lux’s sci...
Michael Rosen on Golems, Dybbuks & the Four Quadrants of AI
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Michael Rosen, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a lawyer focused...
Nick Bowden on Building a Real World SimCity
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Nick Bowden, CEO of Replica—a company that models mobility in urban environm...
Lu Wilson on Art of Creative Coding
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Lu Wilson, a programmer and creative coder who also works as a software engine...
Sara Walker on "Life As No One Knows It"
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Sara Imari Walker, a theoretical physicist and astrobiologist at Arizona State University. Walker is the ...
Peter Bebergal on the Roots of Dungeons & Dragons
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Peter Bebergal. Peter is a writer and the author of numerous books, and the editor, most recently, of App...
Samantha John on Hopscotch the easy bake oven of code
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Samantha John, co-founder of Hopscotch—a delightful programming environment designed for children. Samu...
Torie Bosch on the 26 Lines of Code That Changed the World
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman sits down with Torie Bosch—now an editor at STAT News and formerly a longtime editor at Slate Magazine. Building on...
Jason Crawford on The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Jason Crawford, a writer and thinker who explores the idea of progress in modern society. Jason is the fo...
John Hendrix on "The Mythmakers"
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with John Hendrix. John is a writer and illustrator whose work appears widely across books and publications. H...
Nadia Asparouhova on ANTIMEMETICS
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Nadia Asparouhova. Nadia is a writer and thinker who explores the ideas that suffuse the tech world. She ...
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang on REST & SHORTER
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Alex Pang, author of several influential books on rethinking work—particularly how we rest and why spen...
Lawrence Lundy-Bryan on how data-driven VC is over
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Lawrence Lundy-Bryan, a partner at the venture capital firm Lunar Ventures who specializes in researching...
Nadia Drake on The Arecibo Message our "Selfie of Humanity"
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On November 16, 1974, the first message meant for the stars was broadcast into space, using a series of zeros and ones to encode an image. This image ...
Niko McCarty on Building Asimov Press and Writing for Ambitious Readers
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of The Orthogonal Bet, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Niko McCarty, the founding editor of Asimov Press. With a background in biolog...
Dave Jilk on AI, Poetry, and the Future of AGI
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Dave Jilk. Dave is a tech entrepreneur and writer. He’s done a ton: started multiple compani...
Henry Oliver on Embracing Second Acts
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with the writer Henry Oliver. Henry is the author of the fantastic new book Second Act. This ...
Dominic Falcao on How Deep Science Ventures Redefines Deep Tech Innovation
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Dominic Falcao, a founding director of Deep Science Ventures (DSV), which he created in 2016 after l...
Max Bennett on A Brief History of Intelligence
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with writer, researcher, and entrepreneur Max Bennett. Max is the cofounder of multiple AI companie...
Lev Grossman on The Role of Complexity in World-Building
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with novelist Lev Grossman. A longtime fan of Lev’s novels, the host delves into his works, inclu...
Alex Miller on The Wonders of Graph Paper and Algorithmic Art
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Alex Miller, a software developer and artist known for his work on a project called Space...
J. Doyne Farmer on Complexity Economics
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with J. Doyne Farmer, a physicist, complexity scientist, and economist. Doyne is currently the Dire...
Tarin Ziyaee on Artificial Life and Robotic Evolution
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Tarin Ziyaee, a technologist and founder, about the world of artificial life. The field of art...
Omar Rizwan on Connecting Online Communities to In-Person Programming
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Omar Rizwan, a programmer currently working on Folk Computer. Omar has a longstandi...
Eli Altman on The Art of Naming
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman Sam speaks with Eli Altman, the managing director of A Hundred Monkeys, a company that specializes in the ...
Alex Komoroske on How to Navigate Complexity Within a Large Organizations
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman Sam speaks with Alex Komoroske, a master of systems thinking. Alex is the CEO and co-founder of a st...
Adrian Tchaikovsky on Bio Trajectories and the Importance of Long-Term Thinking
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Adrian Tchaikovsky, the celebrated novelist of numerous science fiction and fantasy books, inc...
John Strausbaugh on The Harsh Realities of the Soviet Space Program
15 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with John Strausbaugh, a former editor of New York Press and the author of numerous history books. John’...
Michael Levin on Understanding Embodied Intelligence
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Michael Levin, a biologist and the Vannevar Bush Professor at Tufts University. Michael’s work en...
Laurel Schwulst on The Quest to Build the Fruitful Web
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Laurel Schwulst. Laurel operates within many roles: designer, artist, educator, and technologist. S...
Eliot Peper on The Art of Cultivating Curiosity
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Eliot Peper. Eliot is a science fiction novelist and all-around delightful thinker. Eliot’s bo...
Hilary Mason on Building a Fractal Combinatorial Trope Machine
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Hilary Mason, co-founder and CEO of Hidden Door, a startup creating a platform for interactive storytelli...
Amy Kuceyeski on Using Computational Biology to Understand How the Brain Works
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Amy Kuceyeski, a mathematician and biologist who is a professor at Cornell University in compu...
What the Microsoft Outage Reveals about Complex Systems
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman delves into the recent CrowdStrike/Microsoft outage, providing insights on how to understand this event through ...
Kristoffer Tjalve on The Poetic Web
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Kristoffer Tjalve. Kristoffer is hard to categorize, and in the best possible way. However, if one h...
Alice Albrecht on What AI Can Learn from Human Cognition
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Samuel Arbesman speaks with Alice Albrecht, the founder and CEO of Recollect, a startup in the AI and tools for thou...
Philip Ball on ‘How Life Works'
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Philip Ball, a science writer, and formerly a longtime editor at the science journal Nature. Philip...
Ben Reinhardt on How to fund R&D that is for the public good?
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Samuel Arbesman speaks with Ben Reinhardt, an engineer, scientist, and the founder of a new research organization called Spe...
Chaim Gingold on SimCity, Maxis and the ambitious modeling of everything
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Sam speaks with game designer and researcher Chaim Gingold, the author of the fantastic new book Building SimCity: How to Pu...
Robin Sloan on His Epic Sci-Fi Novel Moonbound, Worldbuilding, and AI
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episodeSam Arbesman speaks with Robin Sloan, novelist and writer and all-around fun thinker. Robin is the author of the previous novels, Mr Pe...
Introducing: The Orthogonal Bet
11 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My name is Samuel Arbesman and this is my personal philosophy: The world is combinatorially weird and fractally interesting. And therefore, omnivorous...