Podcast
Zhens'
Hosted by Zhen Rong Yap and Zhen Wei Yap · EN
Two brothers into science, technology, and entrepreneurship
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Finding Truth in Atoms and Bits
Apr 2, 202301:10:59Tap to summarizeEito Miyamura (Twitter: @Eito_Miyamura) is the President of the Oxford University Blockchain Society and is exploring the intersection of AI and Blockchain. In this 1hr+ session, we discuss web3 and geopolitics, chips and AI, noise and truth. Tune in for a great session!Time stamps:00:27 Hackathons all over the world02:28 Oxford Blockchain Society and web318:44 Web3 - Geopolitics and War24:37 Bits and Atoms - Long Live TSMC31:26 What are universities? + Learning programming40:02 Finding truth in a world of complexity46:00 More AI content than content made by humans?50:02 Misinformation - premise, argument and conclusion58:48 Eclectic Eito, Japanese Nationalism, Masayoshi Son of Softbank01:04:46 Inspirations - Doug Leone01:07:25 HomeDAO / Oxford Crypto Village01:009:59 Where to reach out?
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The Intersection: Art of Podcasting, Immunology and Technology
Feb 5, 202300:47:47Tap to summarizeTechnology has not only advanced the field of science through new methods and inventions, but it has also made podcasting a more accessible and diverse platform for exploring a wide range of subjects. PhD candidate at University College London, Ursule Demael shares her love for biosciences. She topped her year at Oxford in biomedical science and runs the HOLOBIONT podcast. We discuss about T-cells in immunotherapy, biotech and her interests in podcasting.Links of interest:https://twitter.com/HOLOBIONT_https://sites.google.com/view/www-holobiont-com/homeTimestamps:00:31 The New Year01:08 Background05:56 Direction of COVID-1912:19 T-cells and Immunology17:30 Holobiont Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/3nGItqmYzJaostOe6imR2A22:47 Computation and Biology26:15 Interdisciplinary Research and Nucleate - Empowering Biotech Leadershttps://www.nucleate.xyz/35:04 Why did you start the Holobiont Podcasthttps://anchor.fm/holobiont39:57 Any other podcasters you listen to?42:24 Who inspires you?
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Impossible Materials for Impossible Missions
Sep 21, 202201:41:43Tap to summarizeHow to do the impossible!? Dr. Scott Roberts is a materials technologist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Materials Development and Manufacturing Technology Group. He develops new materials, processing techniques, and technologies for the use in the aerospace field. He is as close to an inventor as it gets! Listen to a world class expert in bulk metallic glass, porous metal 3D printing and living life! Tune in for a great session!NASA JPL page: https://scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov/scott-robertsLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottroberts4/Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LRw8nicAAAAJ&hl=enConsulting: http://metallicglassconsulting.com/about_us/scott_roberts/Timestamps:01:10 Love for cats05:03 Working at JPL - inventing for space!10:53 Inventing within the Materials Development and Manufacturing Technology Group (Impossible design specifications)Metallurgy Facility: https://scienceandtechnology.jpl.nasa.gov/metallurgy-facility18:11 What is a technologist at JPL?25:09 Can a metal also be a glass?Bulk Metallic Glass for robots: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161129103309.htmScott’s PhD: https://thesis.library.caltech.edu/8049/45:54 Flying your technology on space missionsBulk Metallic Glass Gears for Lunar Night Capable Actuators: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/survivethenight2018/pdf/7019.pdf50:49 NASA 2022 Spinoff - ultrasonic + additive manufacturing?Article: https://fabrisonic.com/fabrisonic-featured-in-nasa-spinoff-magazine/55:59 The impossible again! - Porous metal 3D printingArticle: https://www.3dprintingmedia.network/nasa-jpl-team-shows-results-of-porous-metal-printing-pbf-process/01:05:35 The molecular replicator01:07:30 Technology vs Climate Change01:14:55 Science is sales01:22:05 Love of national parksUtah National Parks: https://www.nps.gov/state/ut/index.htm01:29:40 Exploring and appreciating cities01:32:17 Best advice received01:36:12 Next steps01:39:44 To find Scott’s work and reach out
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Design, Technology and Ukiyo-e
Jun 6, 202201:33:34Tap to summarize‘Reaching back through space and time to Ukiyo-e masters of the past.’Bram Tan is an artist with an industrial design background. He enjoys thinking broadly about the world and how everything technological works. He also believes that artistic pursuit is an affirmation to oneself that the future WILL be positive and good. He makes Ukiyo-e prints with a 3D printer. Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries.https://www.bramtan.com/Timestamps00:52 Summer in ParisAndrew Huberman on dopamine and the brainhttps://youtu.be/LG53Vxum0as03:37 Design work - Ukiyo-e - Japanese Art11:29 Connecting people to artists through space and time19:20 Science nerd, art, and technology28:02 What is industrial design? Original Apple computers38:34 Designing the designerGrasshopperhttps://www.grasshopper3d.com/page/download-1Algorithms for grasshopperhttps://www.food4rhino.com/en52:16 Contact by Carl Sagan54:48 Imagining the future!01:04:43 Difference in living in Malaysia vs UK vs France01:09:02 Bunker club trip to Poland for Ukraine01:14:41 Truly realising the war01:20:22 Discussion around power01:25:20 War and Art01:27:35 The Settlers of Catan01:32:30 Where can people find your work?
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Reinforcement Learning for medicine and life
May 28, 202202:12:43Tap to summarizePaul Festor is a PhD candidate in computer science at Imperial college, London working on applying reinforcement learning to sepsis. He is passionate about bringing AI and machine learning to the healthcare industry and helping to save lives. In this session, we discuss many topics from ancient civilisations to the pursuit of science to his experience doing a PhD, digging deep during the COVID-19 pandemic, and finding perspective. He also talks about his experience about how we are just a few key actions away from amazing experiences. Tune in for a great session!Research Group: https://faisallab.org/members/paul-festorLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-festor/?originalSubdomain=ukTimestamps:00:55 PhD Project1:34 Sepsis3:38 Reinforcement learning on data from ICU beds and sensors5:06 Framing the reinforcement learning problem and difference with other machine learning methods10:16 Gamification in healthcare16:34 Sifting through ICU data18:42 Motivation for the PhD21:04 Pure and applied researchImperial College Professor Eric Laithwaite on superconductors: Magnetic River 1975https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI_HFnNTfyU&ab_channel=ImperialCollegeLondonProfessor Richard Feynman’s nanotechnology lecture: "There's P lenty of Room at the Bottom”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eRCygdW--c&ab_channel=MuonRay25:04 Other technologies27:47 Most difficult part of a PhD / low income SWE?33:03 Trends in machine learning academia38:19 Bringing value to the world through data science, AI, and software engineering39:51 French Tertiary Education system48:33 Learning Reinforcement Learning by reinforcement49:32 Thoughts about ancient and modern civilisations55:32 Nihilism and appreciation of the adventure of life01:01:57 Doing a PhD, getting stuck, and finding perspective01:15:58 AI news - Oxford Union debates ethics of AI with an AIhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-5968723601:24:14 Deepmind co-founder Mustafa Süleyman and Inflection AI on conversational AIhttps://techcrunch.com/2022/05/13/inflection-ai-led-by-linkedin-and-deepmind-co-founders-raises-225m-to-transform-computer-human-interactions/01:27:58 AI on mobile devices, productivity, app development01:37:05 Impact in science communication and making AI and data science more accessible to doctors01:51:47 Quantifying uncertainty01:56:02 Piano in stations worldwide and planting seedshttps://www.ted.com/talks/dotan_negrin_searching_for_the_key_of_life02:05:48 Next steps02:10:35 Where can people find your work and reach out to you?
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Materials, Energy, and Consciousness
Apr 4, 202202:18:29Tap to summarizeSahasrajit Ramesh is a freelance consultant in business strategy and finance in the power sector, previously working at Aurora Energy Research. He topped his year in materials science at the University of Oxford and did his 4th year at MIT in computational materials. He writes a blog on personal growth and spirituality. He is also looking to launch a coaching business and online products related to spirituality and psychotherapy. He is a deep thinker that is not afraid to share his emotional experiences to help others. Tune in for a great session!00:45 Working and living in London02:09 Working at Aurora Energy Research07:14 How do you think the energy market is going to change?10:30 Thoughts on COP2614:29 For purpose businesses e.g Olio15:35 What is the future of energy? Hardware or software?19:11 Web3, energy, and infrastructure22:57 Materials Science at Oxford30:00 Academics, research and culture at MIT vs Oxford37:34 How did you top your year at Oxford?40:21 What is your favourite material?43:31 Spirituality coaching and psychotherapy01:13:36 E-book on spirituality and the thoughts of benefitting financially from helpingothers01:32:00 Self-doubt and world views01:41:00 The myth of the specialist?01:42:40 Navigating imposter syndrome and introspection02:00:33 Blog on spirituality, consciousness, and introspection02:04:17 5 day plan instead of 5 year plan02:12:12 My journey into consciousness02:15:02 Where can people find your work or reach out to you?
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From Acting to Venture Capital
Feb 28, 202201:50:11Tap to summarizeMichelangelo Valtancoli is an early stage VC investor at Stride.VC and previously the podcast host of Almost Founders, where he provided high quality, straight to the point information on being a founder, raising, and building. He placed top 10 in Bayes Business School and was an avid actor in Italy and Michigan, USA during his year abroad. In this 1hr+ session, we discuss acting entrepreneurship, venture capital, AI in the entertainment industry and approaches to acting. Tune in for a great session!Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelangelovaltancoliAre you raising pre-seed to series A? Send me your Pitch Deck: michelangelo@stride.vcVC and Founders1:15 Early stage VC as a first jobhttps://stride.vc/5:29 How would you describe VC (Venture Capital)?8:04 Building vs VC - the contagious enthusiasm of founders13:14 Working with and learning from big names in VC19:31 Why go to VC after talking about entrepreneurship on Almost Founders?25:15 Almost Founders podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/6EMNZGQ0jbyMJdAQRyFn4030:44 Getting information - using twitter and finding ecosystems34:41 Team interactions in EF and VC - how is VC and the startups ecosystem changing?https://www.joinef.com/42:49 Keeping on top of new changes and information + generalist vs specialist fund52:52 Starting another podcast?1:00:25 Gen Z vs previous generations1:03:50 What motivates you to help out and work with students?1:09:25 London vs Europe VC ecosystem1:11:45 I am a VC t-shirt! Loving VC!Acting and the Entertainment Industry1:12:46 Acting experience - does it make it easier to do podcasting?1:16:58 Stepping into a character, body language, and most difficult character to play1:27:35 Dissertation on AI affecting the entertainment industry1:31:48 AI in collaborative storytelling, comedy and non-standard patterns of thinking (Deepmind)https://computationalcreativity.net/iccc21/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ICCC_2021_paper_118.pdf1:40:31 Getting back into the entertainment industry... but as a VC!Impact and motivations1:42:48 Curiosity as motivation for creating impact1:45:23 Michelangelo’s inspirations: Dad >> Matthew McConaughey (What is a son without his father? - Dune)1:47:54 What are the next steps?1:49:12 Where can people find your work?
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Concept Engineer, Community Engineer, and Token Engineer
Feb 22, 202201:05:33Tap to summarizeJack Chong is the President of OX1 Incubator, the only ideation-to-seed stage incubator in Oxford which awards £50,000+ equity-free grants, and is a PPEist at Christ Church, Oxford. In this 1hr+ session, we discuss the entrepreneurial space in Oxford, London and Stanford, philosophy of technology, and the RICH brunch club. He's a builder and thinker at heart fashioning himself as a concept engineer, community engineering, and a token engineer. Tune in for a great session!Blog: https://www.jack-chong.com/0:55 Background on how we met1:50 Jack’s journey from aspiring diplomat to tech founder and the hacker househttps://www.jack-chong.com/aboutme/7:00 Tech scene in Jordan7:46 On the FBI candidates in Jordan9:01 Currently building in web3 and crypto!10:26 Where do you see yourself in the ecosystem of deeptech, biotech and crypto scientists and engineers?12:09 What is your theory of ideas people vs objects people vs people people?13:48 What are the problems with stablecoin and building in it?17:11 Mental models in tech and how to reduce noise to signal ratio19:04 Signal to noise ratio on YouTube and Twitter21:17 Researching topics for the blog - Pret Subscription, Great Man to Great Founder Theoryhttps://www.jack-chong.com/blog/why-prets-subscription-model-is-great-consumers-but-terrible-for-business/https://www.jack-chong.com/blog/the-great-founder-theory-musk-bezos-and-instagram/25:09 On the philosophy of technology. What does it mean?29:07 Going to a deeper layer of abstraction31:30 On a new Moore’s law? Improvements in space travel, software and biology36:56 On Meta/Facebook and being quite meta40:30 Corporate sector vs startups - why is everyone doing investment banking, consulting etc?https://www.jack-chong.com/blog/adventurers-imperialism-hongkong/47:09 What is it about startups and building that gets you excited? How do you think about money?50:50 A Tale of Two Worlds: Stanford vs Oxford52:55 Act against entropy: London RICH brunch club and OX1 Incubatorhttps://www.ox1incubator.com/1:00:33 What is the RICH house in Oxford?https://www.jack-chong.com/blog/a-manifesto-to-build-the-rich-house/https://cherwell.org/2021/11/17/oxfords-first-hacker-house-for-the-rich-by-the-rich/1:03:47 Next steps - concepts engineer, community engineer and token engineer1:04:51 Where can people find your work and reach out to you?
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Malaria Vaccines, Public Health, and Fencing
Feb 20, 202201:40:29Tap to summarizeWhy are malaria vaccines so hard to make?Lawrence Wang is an MD-DPhil candidate in vaccine research at Oxford, a medical school student at UC San Diego, and a NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholar at National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Intramural Research Program (IRP). In this 1hr+ session, Lawrence and I discuss everything from malaria vaccines to cytokine storms to benefits of doing an MD-PhD. He has written many articles on med school insider, has a public health paper out on the private sector drug shops and anti-malarials in Uganda, and fences foil on the Oxford blues fencing team. Tune in for an exciting session!2:20 Malaria Vaccine and DPhil work4:16 Monoclonal antibodies8:53 How do you isolate antibodies?13:02 £30,000 experiment - Berkeley Lights machine23:23 Cytokine Storm!35:53 Malaria vs Immune System45:52 Current Malaria Vaccines50:48 Chicken Pox and Dengue51:42 Malaria trials on children52:37 Scaling vaccine production56:40 Recent thoughts on COVID-19 - other variants...58:59 Benefit of doing an MD-PhD1:01:05 Cost of £30,000 experiment - Berkeley Lights machine1:02:14 Public health research on privately owned anti-malaria drug shops in Uganda - https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-018-2454-71:08:18 Perceptions of vaccines in rural Uganda1:10:33 Malaria and economics - https://www.abpi.org.uk/value-and-access/vaccines/economic-and-societal-impacts-of-vaccines/1:12:36 Med Insider Blogshttps://medschoolinsiders.com/author/lawrencewang/1:15:21 Reflections on an MD-PhD1:17:15 Year abroad at UCL - Infection and Immunity1:21:31 Lawrence’s inspirations and role models - Bill Gates and Anthony Bourdain (Chef)1:24:45 Fencing vs medical training + nutrition and injuries1:36:37 Next steps1:39:36 Where can people reach out to you?lawrencetwang@gmail.com
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Feather, Transformers, and AI
Dec 14, 202101:23:15Tap to summarizeIn this 1hr+ session, Nihir Vedd, founder of feather-ai and a PhD candidate in Natural Language Processing at Imperial College London, and I discuss everything from transformers in machine learning to NLP in stand-up comedy to AI model marketplaces. Tune in for a great session!0:46 RICH Brunch - https://cherwell.org/2021/11/17/oxfords-first-hacker-house-for-the-rich-by-the-rich/3:31 London PhD life - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nvedd/4:39 Natural Language Processing PhD project6:26 Vision for Feature-ai and AI model marketplaces - https://www.feather-ai.com/15:10 AI model marketplaces and benefit to businesses and ads agencies18:13 Inspiration for the feather name22:04 Value of industry software engineering experience31:36 Inspiration for the PhD project - child’s dream of a decision making machine34:40 Discussion on natural language processing as a route to artificial general intelligence41:27 Transformers - the machine learning type and the robot type!47:55 Problems with Transformers52:23 Problems with small datasets and machine learning56:49 Research vs industry on machine learning model implementations and pipelines1:01:58 Goals of OpenAI vs Deepmind1:07:30 Deepmind effects on science - AlphaGo1:08:07 Deepmind using NLP for collaborative storytelling and comedy and non-standard patterns of thinkinghttps://computationalcreativity.net/iccc21/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/ICCC_2021_paper_118.pdf1:14:21 Areas in deep learning1:16:45 Why start a YouTube channel? - Transformers, Traction & Feather-aihttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzzXdsl0U4E-pfMzG9oYKwg1:20:08 Next steps and how to get in touch?
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