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Sarah Cook is an independent researcher and writer who has spent over 20 years working on China, human rights, foreign influence, and media freedom. We cover the full spectrum of Beijing's foreign influence operations: research findings suggesting some Chinese AI models that are exploding in popularity generate less secure code when prompted in certain ways, as well as the traditional, overt state media, covert paid placements, disinformation and bot networks, and, increasingly, control over the information infrastructure itself.. We also cover transnational repression cases prosecuted by the DOJ, and what Sarah thinks Trump should actually raise when meeting with Xi Jinping. Checkout Sarah's article in the Diplomat that was the basis for the chat, and her substack for more. For more context like this, and for how I found this article in the first place, check out bandwidth.today. Chapters: (00:00) - Statecraft, realpolitik, and the "Corporate Party" test (03:44) - Fake police stations, captured newsrooms, and meeting Sarah Cook (05:41) - 20 years inside China's influence machine (08:07) - Five buckets of Beijing's foreign influence (10:32) - The Huawei op-ed nobody knew was paid for (13:32) - WeChat and TikTok: owning the pipes, not just the message (18:01) - AI enters the playbook (19:32) - A smeared dissident, and the audio clip that almost swung Taiwan (21:13) - The ChatGPT irony: spies using AI to write their own reports (23:58) - Deep Zhang: a Tibetan AI that won't say "Tibet" (27:07) - From 4.5% to 58%: Chinese models take over OpenRouter (29:22) - Type in English, get worse code (35:38) - Catching the manipulation — Estonia, and gaming Hugging Face (43:16) - Taiwan's playbook, and when influence turns physical (48:16) - What Trump should actually say to Xi (54:55) - Where this goes next — and how to fix it

Originally recorded in 2020 and re-released for the 25th anniversary of September 11th. A ground-level, hour-and-a-half account from my good friend Rowan, who lived four blocks from the World Trade Center in 2001. He talks through the ordinary morning that preceded it, watching the towers from his office roof, the days of no internet and no cell service that followed, and the years he's spent since dividing his life into before and after. In July of 2001, his digital agency was days from being acquired by a firm with offices on the 40th floor of Tower One. He talks about what almost was, what actually happened, and why — in his words — it felt too big to panic. For more context like this, and for how I continue to stay informed, check out bandwidth.today No ads. No clutter. More context. Chapters (00:00) - Cold open: revisiting 9/11 during a pandemic (02:33) - Setting the scene: 9/11 as an overlooked paradigm shift (05:49) - Watching parents' faces at school — an echo of COVID panic (07:32) - Life in Lower Manhattan before 9/11: bagels, Napster, and a dot-com job (28:53) - The sound that woke him up (31:47) - Turning the corner: the sky opens and he sees the plane (34:00) - The jolt of adrenaline — realizing it wasn't an accident (35:49) - New York, New York, a flag salute, and "drop a bunch of eggs" (37:36) - On the roof, watching the second tower (40:16) - The collapse: running for the door (44:53) - Tanks on the corner, and a city with no internet (48:42) - Spontaneous first-aid tables and neighbors helping neighbors (55:23) - The smell that kept him up all night (58:55) - Stopped by police, right next to a tank (1:00:54) - Three weeks to feel normal again (1:02:06) - He was about to move into the 40th floor of the World Trade Center (1:04:24) - Why he left New York for Hawaii (1:10:05) - Returning to New York today (1:15:19) - Dividing life into before and after

Humans are amazing at adapting, it may be our most defining trait, and something that's going to be all the more important starting now. The environment around us that has been fixed and stable, is now shifting drastically. Wildfires are becoming more common, as is flooding and drought. Things that in the summer of 2026, have become all the more apparent, and are only just the start. When comparing the two elephants on the global stage, China and the US are taking very different courses. China is speaking, and starting to act, in ways to specifically call out how to adapt to this changing dynamic. While the US has no national adaptation plan and has stripped climate change from its major strategic documents. Alice Hill is the David Rubinstein Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at the Council on Foreign Relations, where her work focuses on catastrophic risk, including climate change. She joins this episode to talk about her article, Extreme Weather Will Upend U.S.-China Competition, and explain how the two super powers are approaching what's here, and what's to come. For more context like this, and for how I found this article in the first place, check out bandwidth.today. No ads. No clutter. More context. 📖 Chapters 📖 (00:00) - Intro essay: adaptation as humanity's greatest feature (02:38) - Why "surviving" isn't the goal — thriving, and introducing Alice Hill (06:07) - Meet Alice Hill: catastrophic risk and climate at CFR (08:10) - China's self-washing solar panels vs. wildfire soot (11:37) - Trump exits climate policy while China runs a 15-year plan (13:48) - $55B in Chinese losses, ~$250B combined US-China damage (15:33) - Sponge cities and moving water south to north (20:01) - JR's storm, passive house design, and building for changing risk (26:53) - Climate resilience as a strategic advantage (29:47) - Gross Ecosystem Product: putting a price on nature (35:39) - Why humans discount catastrophic risk (38:12) - The six-minute storm and early warning systems (43:07) - The Arctic hit 95°F (44:56) - Three wishes, data centers, and the next "Rachel Carson moment" (52:19) - Prioritizing investment and managing climate migration

Can the work outlive the man enough to forgive him? Frank Lloyd Wright designed the homes that quietly shaped how millions of Americans live — and he was, by nearly every account, a genuinely difficult person to love. David (Black Sheep Makery, Big Dudu, Dudetunes) joins me to trace Wright's life from a childhood box of wooden blocks to Fallingwater, the Guggenheim, and a tragedy at his own home that killed seven people. We use his story to ask a bigger question: when the art is this good, does the artist's life even matter — and where do we draw that line today? Drawings from Frank Lloyd Wright, the early period mentioned throughout the episode. (00:00) - Intro Essay: The Artist's Canvas Is How You Feel (05:53) - Show Open & Guest Welcome (09:32) - Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright? (10:50) - Born in Wisconsin, Died the Year Before Kennedy (14:03) - Fired From Adler & Sullivan for Moonlighting (16:32) - The German Book That Made Him Famous (18:29) - Organic Architecture, Prairie Style, and Designing Every Doorknob (22:53) - Japan, Zen, and the Tokyo Imperial Hotel (29:07) - Concrete, Steel, and Fallingwater (31:03) - The Affair, the Refused Divorce, and Taliesin (34:04) - The 1914 Taliesin Murders (41:45) - How Wright Invented the American Split-Level (48:16) - Beautiful but Leaky: Art vs. Function (53:50) - Picasso, Van Gogh, and the Myth of the Difficult Artist (58:17) - Where Is the Paris of Today?

Andrew Michler is a Santa Fe-based architect and author of Hyperlocalization of Architecture, and one of the leading practitioners of passive house design in the United States, including the first certified passive house in Colorado, which he built himself. Also checkout a great YouTube video ( and excellent channel ) walking through Andrew's Colorado Passive home. Passive house isn't a style. It's a methodology rooted in physics: rather than prescribing materials or following minimum code, it models the entire building. The insulation, airtightness, window placement, how the sun effects the warmth, even body heat from occupants, and targets aggressive performance outcomes. The result is a home that stays comfortable with a fraction of the energy a conventional house requires. In here we cover the basics of passive house from the ground up, including what separates it from traditional high efficiency build certification and passive solar design, why the "boxy German building" reputation is mostly coincidence, and how a house in Colorado stayed in the mid-60s for a week at -9°F with the heating system off. We also dig into surprising economics of passive house construction (spoiler: it's closer to conventional than you'd think), and whether you can retrofit an existing home ~ a process Andrew is actively doing on a house in Oakland. Chapters (00:00) - Revolutionizing Home Building with Physics (02:44) - Understanding Passive House Design (05:29) - The Role of Physics in Architecture (08:04) - Passive House vs. Traditional Construction (10:43) - The Benefits of Passive Design (13:32) - Real-World Applications of Passive House (16:19) - Innovative Heating Solutions in Passive Houses (19:01) - The Importance of Ventilation and Air Quality (21:34) - Cost Considerations for Passive Houses (34:33) - The Cost of Building and Energy Efficiency (36:58) - The Value of Passive Homes (41:12) - Survivability in Extreme Weather Conditions (48:32) - Retrofitting Existing Homes for Energy Efficiency (53:54) - Opportunities in Passive House Design (57:23) - Insights from Japanese Architecture (01:02:45) - The Importance of Design in Architecture

We can't prove you're conscious either — and that's kind of the point. Istanbul-based researcher Mesut Bilgili joins to reframe the AI consciousness debate around what we can actually measure. Plus: what your dog, a forest, and ChatGPT have in common, and why curiosity might be the only thing that saves us from ourselves. Check out Mesut's paper on Functional Awareness, and follow along for more of his work. Chapters (00:00) - Introduction: Philosophy and Bias in Observation (00:49) - Applying Philosophy to AI and Technology (01:57) - The Relevance of Consciousness in AI Use (02:57) - Guest Introduction: Basut Bidjuli and AI Research (04:01) - Defining Intelligence vs. Consciousness (06:00) - The Difference Between First-Person Experience and Functionality (09:04) - Debate on Panpsychism and Consciousness in Nature (11:48) - The Shaky Foundations of Consciousness and Observation (16:43) - What is Functional Awareness in AI? (19:56) - Ecosystems as Functionally Aware Systems (24:34) - The Primary Role of Consciousness in Reality (30:43) - Testing and Measuring Functional Awareness in AI (37:55) - AI Dreaming and Self-Modification Experiments (40:49) - The Fascination with AI Prediction and Potential (48:27) - The Impact of Technology on Society and Culture (54:38) - Cultivating Curiosity and Human Potential (55:34) - Final Thoughts: Humanity and AI Co-evolution

In part two of this episode, In this episode, Thom Van De Meer shares his journey from academic background to applying StrongFirst principles in training athletes, including the women’s rowing team he trained to prepare for the 2020 Olympics— Project2020. We explore the principles of strength training, the science of energy systems, and how targeted, sustainable training can enhance performance and health. Check out Thom's breathwork tracks on Spotify and his website to check out from him. Chapters (00:00) - Introduction to Knowledge vs. Wisdom (01:52) - The Impact of Mental Work on Physical Performance (05:29) - Strength Training Methodologies and Their Applications (06:42) - Transforming Athletes from Novices to Competitors (11:16) - Training Protocols and Recovery Strategies (17:53) - The Role of Energy Systems in Training (30:36) - Integrating Strength and Rowing Training (40:26) - Practical Strength Training Insights (43:18) - The Role of Neurology in Strength (44:45) - Understanding Strength Beyond Muscle Size (49:36) - Neurological Drive and Strength Training (57:28) - Complex Adaptive Systems in Training (01:03:54) - The Importance of Slow Changes in Training (01:12:14) - Vitality and Lifelong Strength Training

In this episode, In this episode, Thom Van De Meer shares his journey from academic background to applying StrongFirst principles in training athletes, including the women’s rowing team he trained to prepare for the 2020 Olympics— Project2020. We explore the principles of strength training, the science of energy systems, and how targeted, sustainable training can enhance performance and health. Check out Thom's breathwork tracks on Spotify and his website to check out from him. Chapters (00:00) - Knowledge vs. Wisdom: Understanding the Difference (02:52) - The Impact of Mental Work on Physical Performance (05:40) - Introducing Tom van de Meer and His Background (08:09) - The Role of Nature in Wellbeing (10:55) - Strong First Methodology: Training for Rowing Success (13:31) - The Journey to Becoming a Strength Coach (16:33) - The Influence of Pavel Tsatsouline and Strong First (19:14) - Building a Competitive Rowing Team from Scratch (23:19) - The Influence of Titans in Training (24:00) - Understanding Strong First Methodology (26:23) - Glycolytic vs Anti-Glycolytic Training (29:51) - The Science Behind Strength Training (34:19) - The Benefits of Anti-Glycolytic Training (38:18) - Sustainable Strength and Performance (40:58) - Cognitive Load and Physical Training

Where you live doesn't just shape your commute — it shapes your culture, your politics, and your relationship with everything alive around you. Paul Robbins, Dean of Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, joins to unpack how the places we inhabit are never just backdrop. They're active participants in the story of civilization. We get into cultural geography and why culture varies so dramatically across space, the science of ecology and what a wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone can tell us about everything, and political ecology — what happens when power, money, and ecosystems collide. We also dig into why bureaucracies keep repeating the same environmental mistakes (spoiler: it goes back to colonial France), why environmental determinism is a seductive but broken idea, and why gene banking in the Great Lakes might be one of the most important and underappreciated projects happening right now. Before Paul closing with a cautiously optimistic take on what the next century could hold — if we can figure out the right levers to pull. 📖 Chapters 📖 (00:00) - Geography: The water we swim in (06:08) - What is cultural geography? (08:53) - What is political ecology and how do they differ? (10:58) - Ecology defined: The Indiana Dunes as a starting point (13:56) - Yellowstone: Wolves, elk, beavers, and cascading effects (19:10) - Human hunters vs. natural predators — and why it matters (21:42) - The Columbian Exchange and ecological imperialism (25:24) - Does geography determine culture? Environmental determinism (31:54) - What political ecology has taught us about human nature (39:17) - Bureaucracies and the 33% forest rule that won't die (49:15) - The next century: degrowth, externalities, and structural change (56:53) - Gene banking the Great Lakes — and why indigenous sovereignty comes first

The dip in global population is something that's been gaining attention as of late, but mostly in the abstract. Something concrete in that dip is about to come due this fall, a staggering drop in the number of available 18+ year olds for the traditional college path. The first bellwether in what my guest for this episode labeled in a piece that, America is about to go over the ‘demographic cliff’. Journalist Jon Marcus, joins for this episode to explore the intersection of demographic shifts, higher education, and the implications for the workforce. The conversation highlights the decline in birth rates, the resulting impact on college enrollment, and the broader economic consequences of college closures. We also get into the cultural perceptions of the value of a college degree and the challenges faced by institutions in adapting to these changes. Before ending on potential strategies for colleges to navigate the impending demographic cliff and its effects on education and the economy. 📖 Chapters 📖 (00:00) -The Future We Ignore: Human Behavior and Climate Change (03:00) - Demographic Shifts: The Decline in Birth Rates (06:02) -Higher Education in Crisis: The Impact of Enrollment Declines (09:07) - The Workforce Pipeline: Implications of Fewer Graduates (12:13) - Cultural Perceptions: The Value of a College Degree (15:05) - Economic Impacts: The Closure of Colleges and Community Effects (18:07) - Solutions and Strategies: What Can Colleges Do? (27:22) - The Impact of the Pandemic on Higher Education (30:14) - Exploring Alternative Markets for Universities (32:50) - The Economic Burden of Student Debt (34:48) - The Changing Landscape of College Admissions (38:19) - The Future of Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges (41:12) - Reconceptualizing Higher Education for the Future

An update on what's happening with expert in the region from UCLA James Gelvin. He's joining us 5 years on from his last episode to give an update on what's occurred, and what's to come. We delve into the complexities of global conflicts, particularly focusing on the Israel-Palestine situation, by exploring the historical context of U.S.-Israel relations, the implications of arms sales, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza following the October 7th attack. Professor Gelvin emphasizes the challenges and uncertainties facing the region, with a sobering outlook for the future. 📖 Chapters 📖 (00:00) - Global Conflicts and Their Complexity (05:02) - Understanding the Israel-Palestine Conflict (10:11) - U.S.-Israel Relations: A Historical Perspective (15:00) - The Role of Arms Sales in Middle Eastern Politics (19:52) - The October 7th Attack: A Turning Point (25:10) - The Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza (29:48) - The Future of Gaza and the Role of Hamas (36:51) - Israel's Strategy in Gaza (40:04) - Public Sentiment and Media Control in Israel (43:38) - US Support and International Relations (47:48) - The Situation in Syria (55:24) - Kurdish Democratic Experiment (59:09) - Food Security in the Middle East (01:02:00) - US Policy Towards Israel (01:04:47) - Future of the Middle East (01:09:20) - Saudi Arabia's NEOM Project

With only raw materials, could you recreate a toaster? Now could you do it considering the source of your materials, the effect extracting them has on the world, along with the use and inevitable destruction of it. This episode's guest did just that. Starting with the extraction of the materials, including learning 15th century techniques for smelting, created a toaster. Reflecting upon that project in today's world, is the topic of this episode. Where we dive into the philosophy of design needing a refresh in todays world in order to live in better harmony with our reality. Thomas Thwaites, Artist and Designer, joins me for this conversation. Check out his website for all of his projects, his TED talk and the project he's currently working on, a harmless car. 📖 Chapters 📖 (00:00) - The Essence of Design: Function Meets Aesthetics (05:50) - Sustainability and the Complexity of Modern Design (12:04) - The Toaster Project: A Journey into Design and Dependency (24:00) - Fragility of Modern Society: Understanding Interdependence (36:06) - Philosophical Reflections on Self-Reliance and Community (41:05) - Designing for Sustainability: Challenges and Considerations (46:22) - The Complexity of Consumer Power and Market Trends (51:44) - Regulation vs. Art: The Role of Influence in Sustainability (57:30) - The Harmless Car: A Thought Experiment in Design (01:03:08) - Ethics in Design: Choosing Who to Harm

Here we unpack the legacies of Julius Caesar and Augustus, exploring the complexities of the two, the nature of historical narratives, and the challenges of leadership in ancient Rome. My guest, Adrian Goldsworthy, emphasizes the importance of context in understanding these historical figures and reflects on the lessons that can be drawn from their lives and governance. We also chat about the inevitability of Rome's transition from a republic to an empire, the cultural shock of experiencing ancient Rome, and the lasting impact of Roman civilization on modern society. Before chatting about the importance of personality in leadership, the efficiency of Roman administration, and the enduring legacy of Roman culture and language. Check out Adrian's YouTube channel, or to find his books and what he's been up to. 📖Chapters📖 (00:00) - The Rise of Rome: From Republic to Empire (05:03) - Julius Caesar: The Man Behind the Legend (10:01) - Augustus: The Unsung Hero of Rome (14:49) - The Legacy of Leadership: Caesar vs. Augustus (19:53) - The Nature of Power: Context and Character (24:52) - Lessons from History: What We Can Learn Today (34:48) - The Art of Learning and Succession Planning (40:47) - The Influence of Personalities in Leadership (44:37) - The Inevitable Shift Towards Empire (50:36) - The Administrative Genius of Augustus (57:30) - Cultural Shock: Experiencing Ancient Rome (01:01:40) - The Lasting Legacy of Ancient Rome (01:02:23) - The Fascination with Ancient History

When you think of sharks, do you think Jaws? Or a creature with enough understanding to seek help from a person? Would you be surprised to know, that someone has been working with sharks for years to the point, that they allow her to take out hooks lodged in their skin? Given our misconceptions of the creatures, I'd imagine you would be. Cristina Zenato is that person, who's a master diver and expert on sharks. She's built an amazing relationship with the sharks around the Bahamas, creating a deep connection with them, to a degree I can only understand through bonds we build with more familiar animals. In this interview Cristina gives us a deeper understanding of sharks, her ability to work with them, the virtue in knowing a single place deeply, the reality of the marine environment that's facing environmental destruction, and some wisdom from the sharks. Credit to Kewin Lorenzen as videographer and Cristina Zenato for the image and videos accompanying this episode. (00:00) - Understanding Fear and the Unknown (03:14) - Building Trust with Sharks (10:51) - Establishing Relationships with Marine Life (18:06) - The Reality of Shark Encounters (25:07) - The Role of Humans in Shark Behavior (32:36) - Sharks in the Anthropocene (34:11) - Sharks and Human Interaction (37:22) - Shark Population Decline (42:30) - Conservation Efforts and Education (45:30) - Lessons from Sharks (54:22) - Living in Symbiosis with Nature

A reality of our contemporary time, is the American President is increasingly acting as an Emperor. This interview explores the evolution of the imperial presidency, the implications of increased executive power, and a look behind the scenes of the West Wing in how it plays out in the day to day. We also get tangible examples of what can be done to improve the structural gaps existing in the constitution to stop an increased scope of the Executive. Yale Law Professor & Author Harold Koh joins the podcast to give us the context from his book highlighting the state of the Executive, "The National Security Constitution in the Twenty-First Century" With Harold we get into, the role of Congress and the courts, and the systemic dysfunction that has led to a concentration of power in the executive branch, ethical considerations of governance and the future of executive power in the United States. We also get into the evolution of executive power in the United States, examining how historical events have shaped the current political landscape. (0:00) - America as an Empire: Historical Context (3:24) - The Imperial Presidency: Evolution of Power (6:26) - The Role of Congress and the Courts (9:41) - Crisis and the Shift of Power (12:28) - The Synergistic Dysfunction of Government (16:57) - The Consequences of Centralized Power (21:02) - The National Security Constitution: A Historical Perspective (26:44) - The Future of Executive Power (30:08) - The Ethics of Power and Governance (36:19) - Shifting Standards in Politics (38:23) - Historical Context of Executive Power (41:14) - The Pendulum of Presidential Authority (43:44) - The Guantanamo Dilemma (45:12) - The Threat Landscape: Terrorism vs. Pandemics (46:41) - Concerns Over Unilateral Executive Powers (51:31) - The Need for Structural Reforms (54:48) - Checks and Balances in the Executive Branch (1:00:23) - Learning from Global Examples (1:05:36) - The Role of Citizens in Democracy (1:10:52) - Activism and Resilience Against Authoritarianism