Tim Ferris and Kevin Rose get into a variety of tech and culture topics from super rare IPA's and coffee to cheap suits, dating in your 40's, the current state of AI, Balaji's big bet on BTC and how awesome Japanese culture is.
The Most Sought-After IPA in the World and the Luxury of Scarcity
Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose are discussing a limited edition beer called Pliny the Younger.
Pliny the Younger is a highly sought-after IPA by Russian River Brewing.
It used to be available only at Russian River Brewing but is now also sold in bottles.
Pliny the Younger is considered one of the most sought-after IPAs in the world.
The beer costs $75 per 16-ounce bottle.
Kevin Rose recommends a website called MyBeerCollectibles.com for finding rare beers.
They discuss the concept of scarcity and high-end products, including the luxury strategy.
Erewhon, a famous and expensive grocery store, is mentioned as an example of a high-end brand.
Erewhon's high prices contribute to its exclusivity and reputation.
The conversation touches on the changing quality of Whole Foods after being acquired by Amazon.
They discuss the different experiences and options available in Los Angeles, from high-end to dive bars.
Erewhon is described as a small but high-quality grocery store.
An Evening at The Magic Castle and Affordable Luxuries
Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose discuss their recent visit to The Magic Castle, a renowned magic venue.
The Magic Castle is considered the mecca of magic and a dream destination for magic enthusiasts.
Attending The Magic Castle requires dressing up in a suit and tie.
Tim and his friend had to buy suits last minute and found affordable options at Hollywood Suits.
They quickly purchased suits, shirts, shoes, belts, etc., for $150-200 each.
They had to get the suits hemmed elsewhere before heading to The Magic Castle.
The suits turned out fitting and received compliments, raising questions about the value of expensive suits.
The conversation shifts to affordable luxuries, such as high-quality chocolate and coffee.
Tim mentions Dick Taylor chocolate and the pleasure of indulging in top-tier chocolate.
Kevin shares his preference for Proud Mary's single-origin, high-end coffee.
They talk about the delicate and elegant experience of drinking Geisha coffee.
They briefly reminisce about the Bulletproof coffee trend and its consequences.
They consider other affordable luxuries like high-end teas and the possibility of taking up pipe smoking in the future.
Kevin recalls his father smoking a pipe and the pleasant aroma of pipe tobacco.
They invite suggestions from listeners for other categories of affordable luxuries.
Skincare, Dating Challenges, and Hangover Remedies
Tim Ferriss and Kevin Rose discuss skincare and personal hygiene.
Tim Ferriss shares his simple rule for soap and shampoo, using Dr. Bronner's baby soap.
They talk about the challenges of dating and the use of dating apps.
Tim mentions his concerns about safety and security when it comes to changing his house for dating purposes.
They discuss the impact of alcohol on recovery and sleep, and Tim shares his experience with alcohol-related sleep issues.
Tim introduces ZBiotics, a pre-alcohol probiotic drink that claims to help metabolize acetaldehyde and potentially mitigate hangover symptoms.
Tim shares the scientific background of ZBiotics and seeks input on its credibility.
Kevin Rose mentions trying ZBiotics but didn't find it effective for preventing hangovers.
They invite listeners to share their own hangover remedies using the hashtag #hangover on Twitter.
They briefly mention the potential risks associated with recreational drug use, specifically mentioning fentanyl being mixed with ketamine.
The coming AI Tsunami
Kevin Rose initially found early versions of AI, like GPT, fun but not very useful.
The release of GPT-4.0 significantly increased Kevin's usage from 30 minutes a week to about five hours a week.
Kevin now uses GPT-4.0 for coding, as it can write code that is 99 percent ready to go based on problem descriptions.
GPT has the potential to revolutionize productivity tools, reimagine applications, and make coding tasks much faster and easier.
AI, specifically GPT, can generate art, write P5JS scripts, and help with data manipulation tasks like pivot tables in Excel or Google Sheets.
Kevin believes AI, specifically GPT, will play a significant role in reshaping software and becoming an integral part of various applications.
GPT has the potential to transform the way we create art, generate content, and solve complex problems.
OpenAI's models can be trained with persistent data to create AI companions with specific personalities and conversational capabilities.
The development of AI companions could have implications for relationships and human interactions in the future.
Other AI-related projects and platforms mentioned include Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, DALL·E, and Replika.
Balaji's BTC Bet
Balaji Srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase, made a bet that Bitcoin would be worth one million dollars per coin within the next 90 days.
Balaji is known for his accurate predictions, including those related to COVID-19.
The bet attracted attention and led Kevin Rose to pay closer attention to Bitcoin.
Bitcoin has a finite supply and undergoes halving events that decrease the number of newly issued coins.
Historical patterns suggest that the price of Bitcoin tends to increase in the year before and after halving events.
Kevin Rose purchased a small position in Bitcoin as a hedge against the devaluing of the dollar and as a store of value.
There are concerns about the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining.
Questions remain about how to establish the value of Bitcoin in the absence of a reliable peg and in times of extreme economic instability.
The rise of Bitcoin may be closely linked to the overall market performance.
China and Russia have been buying gold as a flight to safety, which suggests that gold is still seen as a safe haven asset.
Observational data showed that during the collapse of regional banks, Bitcoin and Ethereum remained in the green while traditional markets suffered losses.
Zen and Japanese Culture
Nintendo was founded in the late 1800s and initially made card games, including the Hanafuda game.
Hanafuda is a Japanese card game known for its beautiful drawings and is still available today.
Kevin Rose's first-born is named Zelda, and he is excited about the release of the new Legend of Zelda game.
Kevin Rose played the original Zelda game on the Nintendo Switch using the original Nintendo controller.
During his trip to Tokyo, Kevin Rose attended a Moonbirds meetup and had a private gathering with the head of his Zen lineage.
Kevin Rose had a profound experience during his meeting with the Zen master, who asked him thought-provoking questions about his intentions in Zen practice.
The Zen master advised Kevin Rose to practice meditation every day, emphasizing the importance of consistency.
Tim Ferriss received a book called "Japanese Death Poems," which contains poems written by Zen monks and haiku poets on the verge of death.
High Fidelity Immersive Sound And Haptic Suits
Tim Ferriss had a high-fidelity immersive sound experience for the first time and recommends it to others.
He visited a place called Common Wave, where they had exceptional sound setups.
The experience was compared to a full-blown psychedelic experience.
Tim realized that he had only listened to music at relatively low bit rates before.
Kevin Rose suggested two options for high-quality sound: a high-fidelity system for the house or high-end headphones with lossless audio codecs.
Tim mentioned that expensive setups can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars, but a $10,000 setup can still provide an amazing experience.
They briefly discussed the possibility of using Replika (AI chatbot) for virtual encounters and the potential for haptic feedback in virtual reality.
They mentioned the movie "Her" as an example of a future scenario where AI facilitates relationships with real humans.
They concluded the conversation on the topic of realistic haptic devices for virtual experiences.