Education
Who is Lex Fridman
Lex Fridman is a Russian-American AI researcher, MIT professor, and podcast host known for his deep dives into science, philosophy, technology, and the human experience. Born in Moscow in 1986, Fridman moved to the United States as a teenager and later earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Drexel University. His academic work focuses on machine learning, autonomous vehicles, and human-robot interaction.
At MIT, Fridman has been involved in cutting-edge research on autonomous vehicles, particularly in the field of deep learning for driver assistance systems. His work has attracted attention not just for its technical contributions but also for its ethical considerations surrounding AI and its impact on society.
Fridman is perhaps best known as the host of the Lex Fridman Podcast, where he engages in long-form, in-depth discussions with a wide range of guests, including scientists, technologists, philosophers, athletes, and public intellectuals. The podcast has become a hub for intellectually curious listeners, offering insights into topics like artificial intelligence, space exploration, human consciousness, and the future of humanity. Notable guests have included Elon Musk, Ray Dalio, and Joe Rogan, among others.
What sets Fridman apart is his ability to blend technical expertise with philosophical inquiry. He often explores not just how technology works, but its broader implications for human life, ethics, and the future. His calm demeanor and genuine curiosity have earned him a loyal following, with millions tuning in to hear him unpack complex topics.
In addition to his podcast and research, Fridman is active on social media, where he shares his thoughts on AI, philosophy, and personal growth. His presence in the tech community, combined with his philosophical approach to the big questions of life, has made him one of the most influential voices in the discussion around AI and the future of humanity.
Fridman’s career reflects a unique blend of technical mastery and philosophical exploration, making him a thought leader in both academic and public spheres. Whether through his podcast, his research, or his writings, Fridman continues to inspire curiosity about the intersection of technology and the human experience.
Peter Zeihan & The Geopolitics of Goods
If you can get past the “China Will Fall” sensational headline of this video, there is some good meat as it relates to technology. I can spare you the time in case you can’t listen to the whole thing. Peter Zeihan is a geopolitics expert and looks at the world from the perspective of demographics, populations and economic forces.
He ends up telling Grant Cardone at the end that the biggest opportunity of this century is going to be “Technical Experts Who Speak Spanish and English”.
This was not what I was expecting the answer to be. Long story short – the why of this -as it turns out the only group of people that are in a position to take over some of the production of goods and technology that currently takes place in China – is Mexico.
Apparently, China’s population of eligible workers is dwindling and thus the pending shift and Mexico is one of the only countries equipped to take on some of that technical production.
Fun Command Line Lessons for Beginner Programmers (Windows)
It’s an eye opening thing to understand how the command line works. Much of modern development especially that involving Linux – uses the command line. Hard core developers should be on a Linux (or Apple) computer but there are also plenty of exercises you can do with younger students to show them the basics – or to learn yourself if you are just starting out.
Every Windows computer comes pre-installed with a Command Line tool.
1. In the Windows search bar type ‘cmd’. This will bring up the command line application to run.
2. In the prompt type ping domain.com. Your computer will attempt to send that website a ping and show the results.
3. In the prompt type tracert robauto.ai. Your computer will display the network hops and time at each hop.
These 2 quick demos get students (9 years and older generally) thinking about how computers and networks connect and serve as a basis for additional learning and exploration.
Can you use an Arduino with an industrial motor?
If you connected the Arduino to the proper motor controller, you could certainly power a motor of any size, assuming you understood how to power both the Arduino and the motor.
The issue is, however, Arduino’s are not compliant, fast enough or run on the right power to be actually included in a secure industrial system. So the real answer – start learning about control systems and put those Arduino’s away for now.
The Concept of a Tugboat Computer by Caleb Eastman
Caleb Eastman is a friend and colleague. His LinkedIn profile says he’s ‘always worried about time and timing’. He is busy, but it’s also a play on words that only control engineers get.
Simply put Caleb spends a lot of time getting data from different types of hardware and software to talk on time, in a way that everyone, including the machines, understands.
It can be frustrating and tedious – yet data acquisition is also the limiting factor in organizations truly harnessing the power of data (See: Data is the New Oil).
Which is why he’s busy.
I was coming back from a refresh in the wilds and got a text from him with a link from his Medium blog.
He has a great analogy about computers and tugboats. It’s not actually what you think – but worth the read.
(Oh and Tom originated it.)
If you are interested in the future of A.I. and distributed computing you are going to want to check out the full article here.
7 Things Every Future Engineer Needs to Know
1. “Why am I even doing this?”
Help solve world’s challenges
Live a prosperous life of purpose
Challenge yourself to be better
Secure Internet, Energy & A.I. are all massive areas for innovation
Fun new jobs and a better world
2. Agile Development
Able to install a program from the command line
Clear concept of IPs, Hostnames and Devices on a network
Can programmatically store and retrieve data
Can spin up a LAMP Stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, Python)
Google Docs from your phone on a chairlift
Slack updates as if you were there
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
3. Communication & Cooperation
Communication is as important as the innovation
A team is an awesome thing
Email and phone etiquette
Personal branding
4. Programming & Logic
Production Hello World software on 2 different devices in 2 different languages by 12th grade graduation (everyone)
Bonus if you can put it on your own hardware or make a robot
You can explain big data and machine learning
5. Art & Design
You design for the customer need
Band is as important as AP Calculus
You know how to brand and market
Character development vs software
6. Innovation is Engineering
The Full Path: Idea to Revenue
Zero limits.
Assume everyone is currently asking the wrong questions
7. Become a Balanced Human
Fierce execution and passion not busy or stressed
It’s a marathon not a series of reactions to life and career
Mental and physical health is paramount
Leverage the power of the phone but have self-control
Have fun!