Herman & Jason Spin the Yarn

Our ageing & declining global population | E43

Herman & Jason — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 14:08:20 GMT

Discover the fascinating world of global demographics, economics, and policy in this podcast episode. From the impact of environmental factors on birth rates to China's manufacturing landscape, we explore a range of critical topics, including the history and implications of China's one-child policy, aging populations, GDP, and immigration policy. Whether you're an economics buff or simply curious about the big-picture issues that are shaping our world today, this informative and engaging podcast is for you.

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Talking about biodiversity | E42

Herman & Jason — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 07:00:11 GMT

Ever wondered about seed banks? In this episode we talk about the different roles that biodiversity plays in an ecosystem. We go through some of the challenges and opportunities that relate to biodiversity and how we as ordinary people can learn to be more engaged with this valuable natural resource.

National Seed Collection South Africa
+Former CEO of Reddit on Terraformation
+Nagoya Protocol
+

Overview

(0:42) Herman's new book from WWF and the pictures inside and how good looking is South Africa. (3:10) Cyril Ramaphosa is presented with seeds in England and why are they important? (5:25) When do the seeds come out of these banks and what Yishan Wong has to do with re-wilding land? (7:50) Connecting biodiverse regions can improve the biodiversity more than any one action within that ecosystem. (11:40) Why is biodiversity important to anyone - not just the environmentalists? (13:42) Where is the line between biodiversity conservation & economic development & detrimental cascades of urban areas. (15:45) Peak agriculture might affect the ability to do more preservation and what role tourism has to play in this. (18:07) The Nagoya protocol and how to attribute value to genetic information stored in an area. (21:35) Where in the world is the best place to reforest, that won't require a trade-off against other economic uses of trees & wood? (25:30) Is the developing world doomed to consume more wood collected from biodiverse regions? (29:00) How education and experience of nature can cause an appreciation & emotional urge to protect it. (32:00) Plants and greenery being incorporated into buildings could bring about further appreciation. (33:36) What is the natural landscape like in Bali? (35:00) The siege of St Petersburg and the great sacrifice for the sake of seeds.

Get in Touch

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What about fusion energy? | E41

Herman & Jason — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 08:00:50 GMT

We're back!! It's 2023 and all we're thinking about in the start of the new year is fusion energy! In this episode we talk about the recent breakthroughs in fusion energy at the National Ignition Facility in US and we go through a mirage of topics such as what actually happened; what is the impact of having commercially available fusion energy; and how we can accelerate energy transformation in South Africa too.

Helion Energy
+Casey Hanmer - Terraform Industries

Outline

(0:20) Experiencing a cricket & more intense versions of it. (3:30) Brief chat about coffee making. (4:40) Recent breakthroughs in the fusion space. (6:00) The cost to get this far, the transition and what about solar? (6:50) When could it be here and what are the companies that could do it? (9:20) The state of load shedding and will fusion be too late for South Africa? Other renewable mechanisms used in developing economies - is there a market for fusion power? (11:52) Jason has doubts about the cost that it will take to get modular fusion to market. (13:38) Fundamental problem with tokamaks & accelerators and how they work? (17:15) Converting fusion energy to electricity still needs to happen & how Helion's system works. (20:00) Evolution of the electricity grid away from what fusion can bring. (22:00) How to finance the switch to alternative energy sources. (25:07) What are the things to look forward to when there is cheap, viable fusion available. (30:00) Carbon credits from direct-air carbon capture and devices that could reimagine shipping, and the effect on vertical farming. (33:50) How do we accelerate this transformation? (37:00) Geopolitical & economic impact of having fusion technology and where South Africa might have missed in terms of energy policy.

Get in Touch

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Reflections on 2022 | E40

Herman & Jason — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 15:00:37 GMT

Thanks to all our valuable listeners who tune in on a regular basis! In this episode we cover some of the interesting things that happened in 2022 and what the future may hold for next year. We cover topics like energy security in South Africa and the world, AI and it's affects on the internet & the commoditization of art via NFTs, the economic down-turn and if there are any upsides to look out for in the new year.

This is our last episode for 2022 but don't fear - we'll be back at it in 2023 with more curious content. If you like what we're doing here please subscribe to get updates as soon as we release new episodes.

Outline

(0:00) Getting started and warming up! (01:45) Talking about the changes in the monachy (3:15) We get started with the actual podcast! (03:45) The growth of AI in the last few months and how it's probably a powerful tool, could it replace "ground breaking" writing though? ChatGPT? Stable Diffusion and other interesting developments around AI. (8:40) ChatGPT3 as a disruption for Google, Stack Overflow and others. (10:25) The crash in NFT & crypto hype, how royalty systems are still being worked out. Why artists don't necessarily like NFTs and how the down-turn could be a net positive. (14:25) The great chess cheating scandal and how computers are allowing for more advanced styles of play. (17:30) The huge economic downturn in the tech industry and most places, layoffs and loads of distress in the geo-political sense. Is there an upside in more discipline. (21:20) The proliferation of remote work and how it could contribute to economic growth in South Africa. How the move could be a great thing for tourism. (24:50) Something interesting about Iceland - the country. How re-forestation could change the landscape of this volcanic island (28:00) How the problems with Eskom and load-shedding could get much worse? Could diversification of energy could be the new future of South African energy? (33:00) The problems with local solar and how to finance it and find consensus to build energy independence. The innovation that's needed to make a change. (39:00) Negativity bias without thinking about how far we've come and the misplaced assumption of stability. (42:00) A footnote on adaptability to change and the upper atmosphere project to prevent climate change. (44:05) Patagonia donation to environmental protection and maybe it'll get worse. How to make small steps towards bigger changes. The ocean cleanup project. (48:30) Personal plans for the new year from both Herman & Jason and what to do next year with the podcast.

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Co-working | E39

Herman & Jason — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 06:00:45 GMT

In this episode we circle round to the topic of co-working and what the future of work looks like! Sure remote working has it's benefits but are there drawbacks to how teams interact and are there limiting factors for what roles are more suited to remote first.

Outline

Some banter about operating systems and laptops crashing (3:25) We get started and intro the episode (3:48) Jason and his experience working from the office (5:00) and then what about co-working spaces and the future of office buildings. (6:40) The paradigm shift due to the pandemic and your business context. (9:30) Sharing resources as a reason for co-working as a reason to have an office at all and micro-offsites. (11:14) How does co-working impact teams. (13:08) Job ambiguity relation to remote work and is there a sensible reason to have a fixed office? (16:15) White collar and blue collar co-working options. (17:45) Co-living as an option?? (19:15) Rather just have a mixed use zone with a bunch of small office for companies. (22:00) Hacker homes for building ideas and companies to build opportunity for new business. (24:40) What makes a good co-working space? (29:00) Why don't public libraries become co-working spaces? (32:55) Best co-working spaces in the world. (36:15) Co-workshops for the more physical stuff!

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Talking about the recent tech layoffs | E38

Herman & Jason — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 06:30:42 GMT

In this episode we talk about the layoffs that are happening in the tech industry. We chat about way to fire and why companies get into this situation in the first place. We talk about some of the positive changes that could be on the horizon for Twitter and whether there is a future for people who loose their jobs at this time.

Outline

(0:00) We get started pretty quickly and laying the ground for discussion. (1:20) Did we expect tech layoffs? (3:15) Why is the stock price correllated to having to lay people off? (5:24) Human psychology when getting money into your busines & growing at all costs. (8:33) Challenges & dynamics of larger teams & time delays when adjusting team sizes. (13:12) Comparing Twitter & Stripe layoffs. (15:30) The counter argument and why it's not as bad as people make it out to be. (18:26) Artists escaping Twitter to go elsewhere and does anyone care what goes on there? (21:00) Incentive alignment and filtering your feed. (22:13) What would you have done differently and how long till people move on? (23:45) Companies have to grow and sometimes pivot and how to do a layoff properly to avoid affecting employee mentality. (26:55) The worst thing about layoffs and the alternative. (28:22) How public letters and PR could've made things better at Twitter and the challenge of parody accounts. (32:30) What happens next - is there an up side?

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Small Towns & the future of Muizenberg | E37

Herman & Jason — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 07:00:58 GMT

In this episode we talk about one of our favorite places on Earth - the small seaside town of Muizenberg. We talk about the develop works that are planned and what a upgraded town would look like. We talk about the challenges and some of the wider issues facing this project and then give some optimistic outlooks on anyone can build anything better with just a little bit of effort.

Outline

(0:00) Simplification as the ultimate location for design and how it relates to simple places, brutalism. (2:58) Modern life an utilitarianism of dustbins and the beauty of small towns. (6:04) Specificity vs working at scale with the lowest common denominator & adding character to buildings similar to Thailand. (8:38) The introduction (8:55) How privacy is similar to being forced to build your house in a specific way. (10:32) Talking about the tampon towers in Vredehoek and unpleasant architecture. (11:38) What's happening at surfer's corner right now and the definition, what is the essence of Muizenberg to somebody? (14:11) Laying out the challenges of how the town is designed. (15:48) Similarities to Strand beachfront on the other side of False Bay. (17:35) An idea of a park and a promenade and making things better. (18:20) The citizen participation process is underway in Muizenberg. (18:56) Constraints on such a small town come into this - does tourists mean there's more money?? (20:00) Inevitable that we have to figure out cars, parking & trade-offs. (21:29) Making long-term decisions vs ideology and the downside of loads of people. (23:01) We're getting back onto train transportation again!. (24:10) MVP for a safe train trip mobile app. (26:30) How to improve connection between the train station and the beach. (27:20) Citizen participation and information access needs to be improved! (29:47) Airbnb driving up housing prices Edinburgh (the South Africa one) and getting stuff done. (31:30) Is there a complacency or a challenge of organizing people in a particular direction? (33:35) The bystander effect and what is the future of seaside towns? (35:15) Open co-working spaces of the future.

Resources

Story if you want to have a look: https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/455321/muizenberg-beachfront-to-get-a-facelift-with-upgrades-and-repairs

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Thoughts on Housing | E36

Herman & Jason — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 06:03:44 GMT

In this episode we do a take on housing. What are the challengers that renters and landlords face in this changing world. We talk about the effort that goes into building, operating and living in an apartment in the city with a few stories here and there.

Outline

(0:25) Herman talks about his think carpet and his new home. (2:05) What about steepness?? (3:20) It kicks off on the topic of housing. (3:40) Why the city and not the suburbs? (5:30) Moving back into London was a struggle & how to move country / house. (9:10) Adaptability & flexibility when moving home and in general. (10:50) Challenges of property and buy-to-let in London. (12:30) Rental protections and building more housing. (14:02) Reality of building flats and housing and how hard it is to do. (15:30) Herman's laptop just crashed!! (16:10) Continuing on how hard it is to build houses. (18:00) Living in a flat compared to electric vehicles. (19:35) Other things need to think about the utilities that support houses & economy of scale. (21:50) Buy vs rent and an owner mentality. (23:30) Having a great sense of place and the security of it and leasehold vs freehold. (26:05) How people in Dubai live. (27:25) Are we scared of changing the character of Cape Town & home owners association. (29:40) New buildings being built in Cape Town. (30:55) The idea of home renter associations and bringing people together for a cause. (32:55) Thinking about the home owners revolt. (35:44) Herman making his home more livable. (37:00) Developments around the city and becoming more pedestrian focused city.

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#35 Personal Finance

Herman & Jason — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 06:30:18 GMT

About the Episode

In this episode we dive into the topic of personal finance, how to ensure that you don't run out of money at the end of the month, the importance of income rather than saving as a means of accumulating wealth and some topics here and there about how to generate value in this modern world.

Outline

(0:00) How to start the conversation about personal finance. (1:30) A concept, how does inflation work? (4:30) Putting money to work as a solution and using stocks as a way to make money with your money. (7:00) Buying vs renting and delayed gratification. (9:50) What about the FIRE movement? (11:50) High housing prices, saving for retirement & increasing income. (15:00) Importance of cashflow (16:30) Herman drops some opinions on investing in stocks. (18:35) ETFs vs starting a business. (20:45) Correction!! it would be 120% ROI soz :) (21:30) Accumulating wealth via properties and leverage. (23:15) How would you know you've "made" it? (24:40) Some advice on money vs happiness and finding the minimum amount needed to live. (26:38) How to increase your income and get more cash? (28:13) On getting a university degree in South Africa vs United States. (29:05) Supply and demand for skills, picking a career & value to work ratio. (31:40) Gigs vs small businesses vs startups. (33:50) Generating value via bootstrapping on your physical input. (37:00) Building an emergency fund if you have a job & paying yourself first. (40:10) Emergency funds as a way of building a risk appetite. (43:35) The hedonic curve of getting building up income and getting wrecked in US & UK. (45:40) Using percentage of salary to baseline certain expenses. (48:00) Candle charts too early is not good and a thought experience about time in the market.

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#34 Scams & how to avoid them

Herman & Jason — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 06:00:56 GMT

In this episode we talk about the darker side of the internet, the topic of scams. We uncover some of the scams that we've be affected by over the years and the types of scams that are out there. We also give a few top tips on how to stay vigilant online and avoid getting taken for a ride!

Outline

(0:45) Talking about Jim Browning and something you do when you're ill. (2:44) Some interesting tools to tackle scammers. (5:12) The episode has started and we have an ad! (6:12) Scams and the internet are almost synonymous. (7:14) A scam that Jason was involved with. (10:45) A really easy scam and how casinos work. (12:40) How similar gamification can arise in the online multiplayer gaming industry. (14:45) Ponzi and Pyramid Schemes (16:35) Herman's first time getting scammed. (20:55) An in-person scam in Bali. (23:58) Jason gets scammed in Turkey. (25:50) The type of cons that really get under Herman's skin. How you can edit web pages to fool old people. (28:15) One top tip to protect yourself online - know how scammers filter targets. (31:29) How to be suspicious online with passwords and credit card details. (33:05) HTTPs online and the not so secure nature of it. (34:45) Maximum return on investment on the internet and the close!

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#33 Longevity (part 2) - How to think about human longevity

Herman & Jason — Wed, 31 Aug 2022 07:31:37 GMT

We continue on the topic of longevity, this time we focus on human longevity. We talk about some of the types of illnesses we get as we age and some of the processes that can make life after 30 harder. We chat about some of the approaches we take and how we think about health, exercising and staying on track with exercise.

Outline

(0:00) Working hard at the gym. (2:44) Herman takes a big leap forward. (4:35) We kick things off and start talking about longevity in humans. (5:58) What does your penultimate decade look like? (8:45) Jason is in a small town in Barcelona with a load of old age homes. (11:55) Aerobic capacity, VO2 max measurements and working backwards and why marthons are bad ideas. (14:55) What exactly is aging from a genomic perspective? (18:05) The top down approach from a disease perspective. Top causes of death in South Africa. (19:35) How to approach health as a 30 year old and environmental stressors. (23:20) Where did we come from as a species? (26:35) What do we do now as a practice and how do we take a baseline? (31:35) What is the best exercise to do? (35:30) The third important thing about longevity. (36:35) Keeping busy as a way to keep going on and three ways to categorize how to approach health.

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#32 Longevity - How to think about product longevity

Herman & Jason — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 06:30:00 GMT

In this episode we talk about product longevity, drawing on a number of examples of where it works and where it doesn't. We talk about natural longevity and answer some questions about things that last a long time. Enjoy!

This is first part of a two part series on the topic of longevity!

Episode Outline

(0:00) Banter about heaters, heat and cold and insulation. (3:20) Long cold intro about heat exchangers. (4:42) Finally we start the episode about longevity (5:13) Smartphone longevity as a starting point with Apple (6:50) and getting a new phone that's the same from Samsung. (8:40) Frying pans last forever and some advice on how to buy products. (10:13) Terry Pratchett & Capt. Samuel Vimes' boots theory of socioeconomic unfairness. (11:52) An alternative point of view arises. (13:25) Economies of scale inside a product leads way to a higher quality product and some examples in the auto industry (14:00) Jaguars are very nice cars Herm - what about Toyota though? (15:10) What Jason gets excited about Product Development. (15:40) There is an example from Cuba. (16:18) Alternative example of Tesla and getting feedback. (16:52) Car value can fluctuate over time in the secondary markets and when is optimal time to sell a new vehicle? (18:15) Suzukis vs Mercedes Benz and the upkeep that's involved. (19:30) Phone components that can be reused and marginal value in circular economies. (21:32) Apple repairability challenges and benefits. (22:08) John Deere tractors with high tech gadgetry and service plans causing spike in old tractor prices. (23:08) Rolls Royce use-case and their new business models in farming, air transport & industrial settings. (26:40) The topic of jelly fish and the worlds oldest creatures. (28:12) Anti fragile and robustness and jelly fish in warming oceans.... and sharks! (29:47) Coming back to the frying pan as an optimal solution to cooking and dealing with changing environment! (31:20) The longevity of nature and evolution. (32:30) Carcinization and life evolving to crabs more often than is comfortable. (32:25) How would you store something for a very long time? (35:40) The huge ice vault and wiping out humanity. (37:25) Nice close off from Herm!

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#31 What types of carbon capture are viable?

Herman & Jason — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 07:00:01 GMT

Carbon Capture Technologies

In this episode we digest some of the technological breakthroughs in the realm of carbon capture, from the organic to the inorganic and present some optimism on if we are able to meet climate change agreements globally!

Episode Notes

(0:00) Intro to the show. (1:40) Why do we need carbon capture? (5:15) Different classes of carbon capture, and what are some of the metrics to consider. (7:20) Some of the boundaries of developing this technology. (8:55) Organic mechanisms for carbon capture such as trees, why it's not enough. (11:15) Bio fuels as another organic mechanism, algae to extract carbon dioxide & putting it underground. (16:52) Basalt rock as a storage mechanism for carbon dioxide. (19:17) Converting carbon dioxide to starch & food for cattle and animal feed. (24:00) Jason isn't listening very carefully. (26:00) Inorganic mechanisms for carbon capture and creating a net-zero benzene source. (31:30) Conclusions and the optimistic side of this discussion and the close off.

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#30 Curious about Coffee

Herman & Jason — Thu, 21 Jul 2022 06:44:17 GMT

In this episode, we talk about that rich, creamy liquid that is coffee. We talk about the different styles of coffee and coffee shops; drop a little into the history and how coffee affected the development of the new-world; talk about the effect of climate change on coffee production and some of the good and bad side-effects of having this drink as part of our lives.

Outline

(0:00) We bungled an episode!! (0:57) We're in, and episodes 30 at that. (1:30) Coffee Roasteries in Cape Town. (3:37) What would make a good coffee shop? (6:50) Jason's first cup of coffee. (8:40) Herman's early relationship with coffee. (9:55) Giving coffee to kids these days! (11:30) How does caffeine work? (15:00) Niccotene affect on caffeine half-life and the addiction effect. (17:20) Coffee effects on sleep. (18:10) Herman's current coffee habits. (20:20) A bit of nerding out on MokaPot and the Chemex. (23:00) How to tell you're in a good coffee shop? (24:15) We discuss our favorite coffee shops. (26:40) The benefits of coffee on health. (28:00) Leading into the coffee house as a topic. (30:00) Coffee as the best thing for the industrial revolution and for productivity in general. (33:49) The first coffee house in London. (35:10) Affect of climate on coffee and Herman's trip to a coffee plantation. (37:00) Talking about Fair-trade coffee. (40:25) Talking about different coffee regions. (42:25) Different coffee varieties. (44:00) Coffee prices (46:30) [CORRECTION] Last time coffee was this pricey was in Sept 2011. (47:55) What do we think of flat whites and how to get burned.

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#29 Will artificial intelligence take over the world?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 08 Jul 2022 20:40:16 GMT

In this episode we talk about AI and the intricacies of building machines and systems that interact with the world in a way similar or better than us humans. We play around with Siri and we give some examples of things we're really looking forward to in the future of this awesome technology!

Transcript

(00:00) Herman talks about his train adventures. (2:35) Defining some terms that we hear often. (4:25) Simplifying what machine learning actually is in a mathematical sense. (07:45) Extending basics to Natural Language Processors. (10:26) Convincing humans that an AI is real and how to move beyond the Turing test. (11:45) The movie Her with Scarlett Johansson and some philosophical ramifications for when we reach the singularity. (14:10) What happens when the AI has access to the internet? (16:15) Leading into the ideal of the fourth industrial revolution. (18:00) Difference between robots and AI systems. (20:00) The idea of mechanization as a true challenge. (23:00) The next generation of Siri and the knock-on effect of good AI. (25:00) Taking into account biases in ML algorithms and the idea of explainability in AI. (27:05) Spell check is a form of AI. (28:00) NVidia as a graphics card company but also some of their AI endeavors. (30:40) Automatic real creation from a set of images - truly useful tools. (32:35) Deep fakes and adversarial networks. (34:10) Jason's most sophisticated vision of where AI can be used. (37:00) Testing out Siri and closing.

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#28 Buying vs Renting in 2022

Herman & Jason — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 11:44:19 GMT

Apologies for the poor sound quality in this episode

Should you rent or buy a house, and what are the pros and cons of both? In this episode we discuss:

Internet in Thailand
The economics of renting and buying
The personal aspect of renting and buying
Personal non-negotiable requirements when it comes to our living spaces
How we aren't financial advisors

🛖🏘🏢

If you want to leave us feedback, feel free to use the box in the episode page on Spotify! We're eager to hear what you think!

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We've hit peak agriculture, what happens now?

Herman & Jason — Mon, 06 Jun 2022 06:00:26 GMT

In this episode we talk about agriculture and the impact of meat production on our worlds natural resources. We also discuss some potential alternatives and whether indoor farming has what it takes to satiate our global need for protein and high quality food.

Outline

(0:00) Intros and updates on travels. (2:34) Roll in the episode. (4:15) Herman introduces the topic of Peak Agriculture. (8:00) Jason introduces the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they relate to Peak Agriculture. (9:30) Factory farming and the challenges of meat production. (11:15) Link between alleviation of poverty, economic growth and the agricultural challenges. (13:00) Alternatives for meats in Indonesia. (14:08) Differences between developed vs developing economies. (15:10) How do you even measure something like peak agriculture? (15:45) Impact on bio-diversity globally & rain forests. (17:05) Declining reproduction rates might give some alleviation alongside agricultural efficiencies. (19:15) What are the solutions? (21:35) Herman has some opinions on alternative meats. (26:10) Croplands, mono-crops and specifically indoor farming.

Resources

Trains coming to South Africa: https://ewn.co.za/2022/06/02/new-railway-policy-will-open-the-industry-s-private-sector-says-mbalula
+Article on Peak Agriculture: https://ourworldindata.org/peak-agriculture-land
+Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - South Africa: https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#country/202
+UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): https://sdgs.un.org/#goal_section

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Can South Africa build better railways?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 20 May 2022 06:00:49 GMT

How does a country build or retrofit a rail, and why are trains so awesome? In this episode we talk about:
+- The importance of interconnected cities
+- Self-driving vehicles
+- Why trains work well
+- What it would take to build an interconnected South Africa
+
+🚄🚃🚂

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Can we turn poop into coal?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 13 May 2022 07:00:56 GMT

What is hydrothermal carbonization and is it everything we need for a sustainable future? In this episode we talk about:
+- The scooters in Bali town
+- Electrification of said scooters
+- Waste management
+- Turning waste into energy
+- Turning waste into building material (and the carbon sequestration of said waste)
+- Some other interesting things
+
+🛵💩⚡️

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A light chat about life & capitalism

Herman & Jason — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 15:00:47 GMT

In this episode we have a little off-the-cuff conversation about life and socialism:

Start a bit about coffee of course.
Herman has an new article!
Motorcycle adventures and geeking on bikes leading into self sufficiency.
Philosophical aspects of riding and being reliant on yourself in the middle of nowhere.
Herman has tattoo sleeves on for some reason.
Venturing beyond and connecting with nature. Preparing and being ready for challenges.
Basis of stress and how to cope with things.
A little career advice and some bank bashing.
Giving back into the tech community. How to be successful in tech and how to set people up for success.
Core of value creation & the importance of education.
Bootstrapping nations to prosperity.
Gig economy discussion starts with spotlight on Uber
Jason has a slightly dubious challenges :/ on some capitalistic dynamics.
Private companies building neighborhoods!

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Is energy efficient housing possible?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 06:00:00 GMT

How can we make residential housing greener and cleaner? In this episode we talk about:
+- New architectural practices
+- Energy efficiency of old buildings
+- Passive homes
+- Retrofitting old homes to be more energy efficient
+- A bunch of other wank
+
+🏢🏠🔥

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The Airbnb Duality

Herman & Jason — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 09:03:46 GMT

Is Airbnb good or bad for a city? In this episode we talk about:
+- How Airbnb makes travel easier
+- The difference between intention and economic effect
+- The economics of a tourist destination
+- Gentrification
+- Bad Airbnb experiences
+- Our experiences both running and living in Airbnbs
+
+🏠🏢

Detailed Show Notes

(0:00) Preamble

(2:30) Intro to Airbnb and the topic

(3:10) Cleaning fees are ridiculous!

(4:45) The Seller Experience

(8:00) Benefits and economics & challenges

(11:40) Seasonality of the trade

(13:00) False hopes, trickery & exploitation

(14:45) Short term vs long term impact

(15:55) A fringe income stream to finance other purchases

(17:20) Externalities and knock-on effects

(18:20) Investing and how the pandemic impacted those investors

(20:14) How does city culture get impacted? Does it cause gentrification?

(22:17) Urbanization, wealth migration and the forces that interact with tourism

(23:47) Changes in Bo-kaap

(25:31) Movement dynamics in and out of cities and the future directions for Airbnb

(27:02) Infrastructure considerations for distributed living, impacts on neighborhoods, towns and sense-of-place.

(31:13) Tourism during the pandemic and before, skiing season

(33:10) What oversight do we need for Airbnb? Herman has some thoughts

(35:04) Jason has some thoughts, income and wealth inequality.

(37:35) Distributing new apartments to locals, effect for service economy, what it's like in Aspen.

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The most valuable areas of Cape Town

Herman & Jason — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 23:11:22 GMT

In our travels through the internet we've managed to find an interesting video show how you can map the economic prosperity of a city and show the areas that have the highest and lowet ROIs. We dive into this and see how it would apply to Cape Town and what it might mean to have no bicycles on the promenade - oh no!!

In this episode!! Jason walks in Edinburgh (1:30) It starts (2:29) mapping a city and overlaying the ROI (2:50) convenience of different areas and highly dense areas (5:45) the power houses of the city (7:20) South African context (9:10) another source of prosperity (11:00) thinking on the US commute (12:15) stress response of commutes (13:50) the anonymity of traffic (15:45) trouble on the Sea Point promenade (17:35) there might be a middle ground (22:00) but Herman disagrees (24:35) back to the original topic (26:20) highest revenue areas of Cape Town (28:00) what about Vredehoek (32:00) economies of scale (33:45) city kids have all the fun (35:30) nailed the topic - kinda (38:00).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nw6qyyrTeI

https://twitter.com/stephsmithio/status/1501010400212504577?t=NfaPUxEGSp-bPfnMphYrcw&s=19

https://www.urbanthree.com/

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The future (and present) of transport

Herman & Jason — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 00:19:52 GMT

What is the best way to move people around cities quickly, cheaply, and energy efficiently? In this episode we talk about:

Where is local transport done well?
Small things that could be done to improve city transport infrastructure
How weird electric Land Rovers sound
Why Elon Musk doesn't understand transport
How plazas increase thoroughfare and quality of life

🚲🚟🚌

Details & Tags

(1:30) The perils of developing for Safari. (1:40) About trust... (3:30) Overview of the episode. (4:00) It begins! (05:12) The worst types of transport. (7:29) Herman goes on a tangent about electric 4x4s. (8:50) Hypothetical question: Jason is now in-charge of transport for Cape Town! (11:01) Herman's bicycle gets stolen 😔 (12:08) What would we do to improve transport in Cape Town: 3 things. (14:00) Cycling in Woodstock vs the rest of the world - and the humble plaza! (16:00) Long street gets an open street experiment. (17:00) Getting into the city - where to park? (19:00) The most beautiful ride in the world🚉 ! (19:58) Rail in Africa needs changes and the secret railway! (21:55) Trains might get an upgrade in future. (23:20) The free market in transportation. (24:45) Herman's problem with Elon Musk! (25:55) Is more technology the solution? (27:45) Jason has a go at deliveries in the UK! (30:00) No food ordering in Feb goes well! (31:45) Rejoining the transportation conversation. (32:30) About the everything store. (34:00) Problems with the tube. (35:45) London cabs are good. (38:45) The ultimate solution to it all.

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Can democracy get any better?

Herman & Jason — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 14:24:40 GMT

What are alternate forms of governance, and can democracies be improved? In this episode we talk about:

The evolution of government
Different power structures
The benefits of a democratic system
Problems with democracies in general and how they could be solved
Hypothetical forms of government

Note: This is not about current politics, but instead an exploration of the overarching concept of politics.

Overview and Tags:

(1:12) Why do we have governance at all? (6:10) The part of religion in state formation. (9:02) On representative democracies. (10:50) Is Swiss direct democracy better? (14:36) Devolution to two party systems. (16:00) What about Singapore? (19:55) Major problems with democracies? (21:15) Herman hears a parade. (23:50) Treatments for broken democracies. (28:04) Better democratic selection processes. (32:33) Herman's favorite theoretical governmental system. (35:37) What can you do now?

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What if the wind never stopped?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 20:09:17 GMT

Cape Town is known as the Windy City to some (as a lot of cities with a decent amount of wind are). In this episode we discuss what it would be like if the wind started up one day around the globe, and never stopped. How does this affect our leisure? How does this affect our energy production and society? Find out with us.

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Our infinite energy future

Herman & Jason — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 10:16:13 GMT

A new year! A new season! We're switching things up, focusing in & improving on what we learned from our podcast in 2021.

In this season Herman & Jason talk about what life would be like if energy wasn't an issue. Could we have electric planes that could fly us around the world... what would the timelines be for that?. Would oil & coal become a thing of the past?! What would be the social and economic effects of such a technological (or magical) breakthrough?

We discuss it all & more over a cup of old brown coffee!

We'd love to hear your feedback: https://80g3w8i19s3.typeform.com/to/q2FaIuNO

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Reflections on 2021

Herman & Jason — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:38:39 GMT

We go over the past 12 months and reflect on some of the things we've learned so far. We dial into our favorite topics and what drives the conversations we have and then we make some exciting plans for 2022 including a change in format!

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Thinking on Mushrooms

Herman & Jason — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:56:15 GMT

In this exciting episode we take a plunge into the wonderful world of mushrooms. Bring up some interesting factoids about these strange creature-plants; psychedelics (both the good and the bad); and then ramble about some of the side-effects and what could have been if the shroom was given a fair chance.

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Pirates!

Herman & Jason — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 13:58:18 GMT

Cultural icons of nautical history! Today we talk about famous pirates of old and their life at sea.

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Are plastics good or bad?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 08:50:36 GMT

With the prevalence of plastic in industry and our every day life, they've gotten a bad rap. In this episode we discuss how plastics shaped the modern world, the issues that we have today because of them, and what the plastics of tomorrow look like.

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Oh, the life of a sailor

Herman & Jason — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 13:43:29 GMT

What makes sailing so romantic? This episode we take a voyage from the past, to the (potential) future of sailing. We talk about pirates and diesel engines and the names of certain configurations of sail, as well as a bit of a meander into the life of a salty sea dog.

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How to generate safe, clean energy?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 12:59:33 GMT

Nuclear is the future! Or is it? There are many aspects that need to be considered. For those who have it - power is a great enabler and is essential for economic stability. For those developing countries who don't - there needs to be drastic technological developments to even catch-up. We discuss the good and bad about energy generation; it's impact on the environment; and the effect of allowing nuclear proliferation in these unstable times.

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How to think about UBI in South Africa

Herman & Jason — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 05:00:00 GMT

The idea of UBI has started to permeate society and promises a more efficient way of distributing capital to those who need it most.

Unfortunately those benefits don't come for free. In today's episode we discuss some of the pros and cons from the perspective of two dudes from Cape Town.

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Why we sleep

Herman & Jason — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 17:03:50 GMT

Why do we sleep; and how can we consistently get a good night's sleep?

In this episode we explore how to cultivate better sleep hygiene, what affects our sleep triggers, and absolutely butcher some biology. Sleep tight!

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What is minimalism?

Herman & Jason — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 17:53:10 GMT

Essentialism and minimalism are topics that have made their way into the public zeitgeist recently. In this episode we explore what minimalism is and how it can increase one's life satisfaction while decreasing cognitive load caused by over-consumption.

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How to create awesome cities

Herman & Jason — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 05:00:00 GMT

What are some of the things that make a city worth living in? Are there things that could be done better? In this episode we discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of being a city-slicker and if there is a hope at all of Cape Town becoming as people-centric as some renown gems like Amsterdam or Boulder.

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Instant Messaging Shenanigans

Herman & Jason — Thu, 15 Jul 2021 05:00:00 GMT

We use apps to chat as part of our daily life. WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, the list goes on. What happened to open protocols? Why is email the way it is? How can all of this be improved, and what is the communication vision of the future?

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Herman gets a Tesla!

Herman & Jason — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 16:10:36 GMT

Combustion engine cars are still going strong but the future is surely electric. With the potential to clean the city air of both noise and pollution it's inevitable but what are the things that need to be in-place to make that future possible? Batteries, smarter electricity grids & more environmentally friendly ways of generating and storing those electrons - we discuss it all in this episode.

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Async and remote work, or not?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 06:20:18 GMT

Whether up in the mountains, or on a beach somewhere nice; remote working has become ubiquitous during the pandemic. Is this good? Is it bad? How can we make sure we work effectively while traveling? Herman and Jason hash it out.

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Are all ads bad?

Herman & Jason — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 05:00:00 GMT

Are ads fundamentally bad? Here's our take on ads, social media, and other tangents.
+
+To Survive in a Wetter World, Raise Ducks, Not Chickens
+https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/07/bangladesh-climate-change-floods-ducks/593581/
+
+CoinDesk - Networks vs. Governments – Could Crypto-Powered Digital Communities Challenge the Power of Cities and States?
+https://open.spotify.com/episode/0t6Kqb732ki4X0Q9igPSf2?si=f79e96f7bdaa4b35

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Come to Cape Town, we have great WiFi

Herman & Jason — Fri, 21 May 2021 05:00:00 GMT

Cape Town is a great, creative space on the Southern tip of South Africa, boasting mountains, beaches, and is awesome space to start a company. In this episode we're joined by a small moving company and a 1/4 inch drill (making background noise). We discuss what makes Cape Town awesome, what makes it tough, and what needs improvement to turn it into the the global tech hub it deserves to be.

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Herman & Jason start a podcast!

Herman & Jason — Fri, 07 May 2021 05:00:00 GMT

What an exciting move!! But as with most things in life, this involves a big leap into an uncomfortable new world. These two buddies chat about what it means to start a podcast and some of the other things in their lives that have made them a little uncomfortable. Herman started his own small business; Jason is moving to London & both of them are sitting in a small phone booth somewhere in Cape Town on chairs with exactly the wrong number of legs.

Enjoy!

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