Episode Description: James sits down with astrophysicist Brian Keating for a candid, useful tour through three hot zones: how to think about AI (and where it actually helps), what’s broken in higher ed and admissions right now, and why outsourcing your mood to politics is a losing strategy. You’ll hear first-hand stories (from UC San Diego classrooms to New York City politics), specific ways James and Brian really use AI daily, and a simple framework for protecting your attention and happiness—even when everything feels polarized. What You’ll Learn: A practical AI workflow you can copy today (research prompts, personal “style” bots, and where LLMs fail at original insight). A filter for political noise that keeps 99% of your happiness anchored in health, family, friends, and work you control. What the UCSD admissions/placement findings really mean for preparation and standards (and why “remedial” can mask deeper gaps). A simple admissions/common-sense principle: standards matter; “portfolio” evaluation shouldn’t ignore basic skills. How to use AI without losing your own voice —James’ test for “write it in my style” and why generic outputs still fall short. Timestamped Chapters: [02:00] Loft event stories, comedy beats, and setting the tone for a heavy topic. [05:00] NYC politics, leadership, and the “why would they vote for him?” question. [07:32] Slogans vs. reality: chants, charters, and what words actually imply. [09:30] Economics that sound nice vs. incentives that ruin cities. [12:00] “Don’t outsource your happiness to politicians.” A sanity reset. [20:48] Inside UCSD’s placement data: how did calculus passers miss first-grade algebra? [30:02] Standards, SATs, and what “remedial” hides (plus grade inflation). [77:49] How James and Brian actually use AI; “mad-bot disease” and why voice still matters. Additional Resources Brian Keating's "Monday M.A.G.I.C." Newsletter Brian Keating — personal website Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science’s Highest Honor by Brian Keating Into the Impossible: Think Like a Nobel Prize Winner by Brian Keating Into the Impossible Volume 2: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner University of California, San Diego — Brian Keating faculty page Topics & Documents Mentioned UC San Diego Admissions/Placement Working Group report (PDF) . UCSD Senate Coverage of UCSD preparedness findings Hamas charters (1988; 2017 update) & “Intifada” context Matt Wolfe — AI tutorials (site & YouTube) Book.sv - AI book recommendations based on books you've read. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .
