Lex Fridman Podcast

<p>Jeff Kaplan is a legendary Blizzard game designer of World of Warcraft and Overwatch, now preparing to launch a new game, The Legend of California, from his new studio Kintsugiyama &#8211; available to wishlist on Steam today, with alpha later in March.<br /> Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep493-sc">https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep493-sc</a><br /> See below for timestamps, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.</p> <p><b>CONTACT LEX:</b><br /> <b>Feedback</b> &#8211; give feedback to Lex: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/survey">https://lexfridman.com/survey</a><br /> <b>AMA</b> &#8211; submit questions, videos or call-in: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/ama">https://lexfridman.com/ama</a><br /> <b>Hiring</b> &#8211; join our team: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/hiring">https://lexfridman.com/hiring</a><br /> <b>Other</b> &#8211; other ways to get in touch: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/contact">https://lexfridman.com/contact</a></p> <p><b>EPISODE LINKS:</b><br /> The Legend of California (Steam Page): <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/2550530/The_Legend_of_California">https://store.steampowered.com/app/2550530/The_Legend_of_California</a><br /> Jeff&#8217;s Game Studio: <a href="https://www.kintsugiyama.com/">https://www.kintsugiyama.com/</a></p> <p><b>SPONSORS:</b><br /> To support this podcast, check out our sponsors &#038; get discounts:<br /> <b>Fin:</b> AI agent for customer service.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/fin-ep493-sc">https://fin.ai/lex</a><br /> <b>Blitzy:</b> AI agent for large enterprise codebases.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/blitzy-ep493-sc">https://blitzy.com/lex</a><br /> <b>BetterHelp:</b> Online therapy and counseling.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/betterhelp-ep493-sc">https://betterhelp.com/lex</a><br /> <b>Shopify:</b> Sell stuff online.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/shopify-ep493-sc">https://shopify.com/lex</a><br /> <b>CodeRabbit:</b> AI-powered code reviews.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/coderabbit-ep493-sc">https://coderabbit.ai/lex</a><br /> <b>Perplexity:</b> AI-powered answer engine.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/perplexity-ep493-sc">https://perplexity.ai/</a></p> <p><b>OUTLINE:</b><br /> (00:00) &#8211; Introduction<br /> (02:24) &#8211; Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections<br /> (10:47) &#8211; Early games: Pac-Man, Zork, Doom, Quake<br /> (25:12) &#8211; Writing career &#8211; 170 rejection letters<br /> (40:45) &#8211; EverQuest obsession<br /> (53:43) &#8211; Getting hired at Blizzard<br /> (1:09:11) &#8211; Lowest point in Jeff&#8217;s life<br /> (1:15:16) &#8211; One of Us<br /> (1:19:33) &#8211; Early Blizzard culture<br /> (1:39:15) &#8211; Building World of Warcraft<br /> (1:56:59) &#8211; How WoW changed video games<br /> (2:14:21) &#8211; Single-player vs Multi-player<br /> (2:35:15) &#8211; How Blizzard made great video games<br /> (3:01:04) &#8211; Online toxicity<br /> (3:08:38) &#8211; Why Titan failed<br /> (3:25:48) &#8211; Overwatch in six weeks<br /> (3:52:46) &#8211; Best Overwatch heroes<br /> (4:01:16) &#8211; The challenge of matchmaking<br /> (4:04:40) &#8211; Rust<br /> (4:15:01) &#8211; Why Jeff left Blizzard<br /> (4:37:14) &#8211; Diablo IV<br /> (4:38:42) &#8211; Getting back to making video games<br /> (4:47:38) &#8211; The Legend of California<br /> (5:01:23) &#8211; Greatest video game of all time<br /> (5:09:30) &#8211; AI and future of video games</p> <p><b>PODCAST LINKS:</b><br /> &#8211; Podcast Website: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/podcast">https://lexfridman.com/podcast</a><br /> &#8211; Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://apple.co/2lwqZIr">https://apple.co/2lwqZIr</a><br /> &#8211; Spotify: <a href="https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8">https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8</a><br /> &#8211; RSS: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/">https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/</a><br /> &#8211; Podcast Playlist: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4</a><br /> &#8211; Clips Channel: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/lexclips">https://www.youtube.com/lexclips</a></p>

<p>Michael Levin is a biologist at Tufts University working on novel ways to understand and control complex pattern formation in biological systems.<br /> Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep486-sc">https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep486-sc</a><br /> See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.</p> <p><b>Transcript:</b><br /> <a href="https://lexfridman.com/michael-levin-2-transcript">https://lexfridman.com/michael-levin-2-transcript</a></p> <p><b>CONTACT LEX:</b><br /> <b>Feedback</b> &#8211; give feedback to Lex: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/survey">https://lexfridman.com/survey</a><br /> <b>AMA</b> &#8211; submit questions, videos or call-in: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/ama">https://lexfridman.com/ama</a><br /> <b>Hiring</b> &#8211; join our team: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/hiring">https://lexfridman.com/hiring</a><br /> <b>Other</b> &#8211; other ways to get in touch: <a href="https://lexfridman.com/contact">https://lexfridman.com/contact</a></p> <p><b>EPISODE LINKS:</b><br /> Michael Levin&#8217;s X: <a href="https://x.com/drmichaellevin">https://x.com/drmichaellevin</a><br /> Michael Levin&#8217;s Website: <a href="https://drmichaellevin.org">https://drmichaellevin.org</a><br /> Michael Levin&#8217;s Papers: <a href="https://drmichaellevin.org/publications/">https://drmichaellevin.org/publications/</a><br /> &#8211; Biological Robots: <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.00880">https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.00880</a><br /> &#8211; Classical Sorting Algorithms: <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.05375">https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.05375</a><br /> &#8211; Aging as a Morphostasis Defect: <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38636560/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38636560/</a><br /> &#8211; TAME: <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.10346">https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.10346</a><br /> &#8211; Synthetic Living Machines: <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abf1571">https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abf1571</a></p> <p><b>SPONSORS:</b><br /> To support this podcast, check out our sponsors &amp; get discounts:<br /> <b>Shopify:</b> Sell stuff online.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/shopify-ep486-sc">https://shopify.com/lex</a><br /> <b>CodeRabbit:</b> AI-powered code reviews.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/coderabbit-ep486-sc">https://coderabbit.ai/lex</a><br /> <b>LMNT:</b> Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep486-sc">https://drinkLMNT.com/lex</a><br /> <b>UPLIFT Desk:</b> Standing desks and office ergonomics.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/uplift_desk-ep486-sc">https://upliftdesk.com/lex</a><br /> <b>Miro:</b> Online collaborative whiteboard platform.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/miro-ep486-sc">https://miro.com/</a><br /> <b>MasterClass:</b> Online classes from world-class experts.<br /> Go to <a href="https://lexfridman.com/s/masterclass-ep486-sc">https://masterclass.com/lexpod</a></p> <p><b>OUTLINE:</b><br /> (00:00) &#8211; Introduction<br /> (00:29) &#8211; Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections<br /> (10:09) &#8211; Biological intelligence<br /> (18:42) &#8211; Living vs non-living organisms<br /> (23:55) &#8211; Origin of life<br /> (27:40) &#8211; The search for alien life (on Earth)<br /> (1:00:44) &#8211; Creating life in the lab &#8211; Xenobots and Anthrobots<br /> (1:13:46) &#8211; Memories and ideas are living organisms<br /> (1:27:26) &#8211; Reality is an illusion: The brain is an interface to a hidden reality<br /> (2:13:13) &#8211; Unexpected Intelligence in sorting algorithms<br /> (2:38:51) &#8211; Can aging be reversed?<br /> (2:42:41) &#8211; Mind uploading<br /> (3:01:22) &#8211; Alien intelligence<br /> (3:16:17) &#8211; Advice for young people<br /> (3:22:46) &#8211; Questions for AGI</p>

David Kirtley is a nuclear fusion engineer and CEO of Helion Energy, a company working on building the world's first commercial fusion power plant by 2028.<br /> Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep485-sc<br /> See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.<br /> <br /> Transcript:<br /> https://lexfridman.com/david-kirtley-transcript<br /> <br /> CONTACT LEX:<br /> Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey<br /> AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama<br /> Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring<br /> Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact<br /> <br /> EPISODE LINKS:<br /> David's X: https://x.com/dekirtley<br /> David's LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4qX0KXp<br /> Helion: https://www.helionenergy.com/<br /> Helion's YouTube: https://youtube.com/HelionEnergy<br /> <br /> SPONSORS:<br /> To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:<br /> UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics.<br /> Go to https://upliftdesk.com/lex<br /> Fin: AI agent for customer service.<br /> Go to https://fin.ai/lex<br /> Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform.<br /> Go to https://miro.com/<br /> LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.<br /> Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex<br /> BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling.<br /> Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex<br /> Shopify: Sell stuff online.<br /> Go to https://shopify.com/lex<br /> <br /> OUTLINE:<br /> (00:00) - Introduction<br /> (03:00) - Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections<br /> (11:35) - Nuclear fission vs fusion<br /> (21:35) - Physics of E=mc^2<br /> (26:50) - Is nuclear fusion safe?<br /> (32:11) - Chernobyl<br /> (38:38) - Geopolitics<br /> (40:33) - Extreme scenarios<br /> (47:28) - How nuclear fusion works<br /> (1:20:20) - Extreme temperatures<br /> (1:25:21) - Fusion control and simulation<br /> (1:37:15) - Electricity from fusion<br /> (2:11:20) - First fusion power plant in 2028<br /> (2:18:13) - Energy needs of GPU clusters<br /> (2:28:38) - Kardashev scale<br /> (2:36:33) - Fermi Paradox<br /> <br /> PODCAST LINKS:<br /> - Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast<br /> - Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr<br /> - Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8<br /> - RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/<br /> - Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4<br /> - Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

Dan Houser is co-founder of Rockstar Games and is a legendary creative mind behind Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption series of video games.<br /> Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep484-sc<br /> See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.<br /> <br /> Transcript:<br /> https://lexfridman.com/dan-houser-transcript<br /> <br /> CONTACT LEX:<br /> Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey<br /> AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama<br /> Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring<br /> Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact<br /> <br /> EPISODE LINKS:<br /> Absurd Adventures: https://absurdventures.com<br /> A Better Paradise: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0FCYSK8VD<br /> American Caper: https://absurdventures.com/americancaper<br /> <br /> SPONSORS:<br /> To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:<br /> Box: Intelligent content management platform.<br /> Go to https://box.com/ai<br /> UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics.<br /> Go to https://upliftdesk.com/lex<br /> CodeRabbit: AI-powered code reviews.<br /> Go to https://coderabbit.ai/lex<br /> Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform.<br /> Go to https://miro.com/<br /> Lindy: No-code AI agent builder.<br /> Go to https://go.lindy.ai/lex<br /> Shopify: Sell stuff online.<br /> Go to https://shopify.com/lex<br /> LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.<br /> Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex<br /> <br /> OUTLINE:<br /> (00:00) - Introduction<br /> (01:29) - Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections<br /> (11:32) - Greatest films of all time<br /> (23:45) - Making video games<br /> (26:36) - GTA 3<br /> (29:55) - Open world video games<br /> (32:42) - Character creation<br /> (36:09) - Superintelligent AI in A Better Paradise<br /> (45:21) - Can LLMs write video games?<br /> (49:41) - Creating GTA 4 and GTA 5<br /> (1:01:16) - Hard work and Rockstar's culture of excellence<br /> (1:04:56) - GTA 6<br /> (1:21:46) - Red Dead Redemption 2<br /> (2:01:39) - DLCs for GTA and Red Dead Redemption<br /> (2:07:58) - Leaving Rockstar Games<br /> (2:17:22) - Greatest game of all time<br /> (2:22:10) - Life lessons from father<br /> (2:24:29) - Mortality<br /> (2:41:47) - Advice for young people<br /> (2:47:49) - Future of video games<br /> <br /> PODCAST LINKS:<br /> - Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast<br /> - Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr<br /> - Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8<br /> - RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/<br /> - Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4<br /> - Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

Pavel Durov is the founder and CEO of Telegram.<br /> Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep482-sc<br /> See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.<br /> <br /> Transcript:<br /> https://lexfridman.com/pavel-durov-transcript<br /> <br /> CONTACT LEX:<br /> Feedback - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey<br /> AMA - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama<br /> Hiring - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring<br /> Other - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact<br /> <br /> EPISODE LINKS:<br /> Pavel's Telegram: https://t.me/durov<br /> Pavel's X: https://x.com/durov<br /> Telegram: https://telegram.org/<br /> Telegram Contests: https://contest.com/<br /> <br /> SPONSORS:<br /> To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:<br /> Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform.<br /> Go to https://miro.com/<br /> UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics.<br /> Go to https://upliftdesk.com/lex<br /> Fin: AI agent for customer service.<br /> Go to https://fin.ai/lex<br /> LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.<br /> Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex<br /> Shopify: Sell stuff online.<br /> Go to https://shopify.com/lex<br /> <br /> OUTLINE:<br /> (00:00) - Introduction<br /> (02:46) - Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections<br /> (11:29) - Philosophy of freedom<br /> (14:37) - No alcohol<br /> (22:42) - No phone<br /> (28:38) - Discipline<br /> (49:50) - Telegram: Lean philosophy, privacy, and geopolitics<br /> (1:05:12) - Arrest in France<br /> (1:21:23) - Romanian elections<br /> (1:32:18) - Power and corruption<br /> (1:41:50) - Intense education<br /> (1:53:51) - Nikolai Durov<br /> (1:58:19) - Programming and video games<br /> (2:02:33) - VK origins & engineering<br /> (2:19:46) - Hiring a great team<br /> (2:29:02) - Telegram engineering & design<br /> (2:48:04) - Encryption<br /> (2:53:01) - Open source<br /> (2:57:48) - Edward Snowden<br /> (3:00:20) - Intelligence agencies<br /> (3:01:32) - Iran and Russia government pressure<br /> (3:04:41) - Apple<br /> (3:11:38) - Poisoning<br /> (3:43:53) - Money<br /> (3:52:45) - TON<br /> (4:02:35) - Bitcoin<br /> (4:05:34) - Two chairs dilemma<br /> (4:12:14) - Children<br /> (4:23:24) - Father<br /> (4:27:55) - Quantum immortality<br /> (4:34:27) - Kafka<br /> <br /> PODCAST LINKS:<br /> - Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast<br /> - Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr<br /> - Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8<br /> - RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/<br /> - Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4<br /> - Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips