From language and writing to the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, computers and Adobe Photoshop, our species has a history of inventing tools for augmenting our own intelligence. But what comes next?

Andy Matuschak is a developer and designer. He helped build iOS at Apple, founded and led Khan Academy's R&D lab, and now works as an independent researcher investigating 'tools for thought' — that is, technologies that can transform human cognition and creativity.

Full episode transcript available at: thejspod.com

From language and writing to the Hindu-Arabic numeral system, computers and Adobe Photoshop, our species has a history of inventing tools for augmenting our own intelligence. But what comes next?
Andy Matuschak is a developer and designer. He helped build iOS at Apple, founded and led Khan Academy's R&amp;D lab, and now works as an independent researcher investigating 'tools for thought' — that is, technologies that can transform human cognition and creativity.
Full episode transcript available at: <a href="https://josephnoelwalker.com/141-intellectual-exoskeletons-andy-matuschak/">thejspod.com</a>

Joe Walker hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations with founders, scientists, scholars, economists, and public intellectuals.

(Formerly 'The Jolly Swagman Podcast'.)

Joe Walker hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations with founders, scientists, scholars, economists, and public intellectuals.
(Formerly 'The Jolly Swagman Podcast'.)

Joe Walker hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations with founders, scientists, scholars, economists, and public intellectuals.

The Joe Walker Podcast

The JSP is a weekly exploration of questions that are both important and overlooked. Joe Walker, a former political speechwriter helping to build a Y Combinator-backed startup, hosts refreshingly in-depth conversations. Topics cover capitalism, science, business, culture and politics. Guests include Nobel laureates, former prime ministers, authors, entrepreneurs, investors and thought-leaders. Australia's best long-form podcast. A space for curious contrarians.

The Jolly Swagman Podcast

Intellectual Exoskeletons — Andy Matuschak

This episode is the fifth instalment of my Australian policy series, recorded live in Sydney on February 12, 2025.

I speak with Peter Tulip—Chief Economist at the Centre for Independent Studies, and a former senior researcher at both the Reserve Bank of Australia and the US Federal Reserve.

We go deep into what's driving Australia's housing crisis, the problems with heritage rules and height restrictions, critiques of both NIMBY and YIMBY thinking, the sobering 10–20-year timeframe that even an “extremely ambitious” supply plan might require, and the cultural shift needed to reach a new equilibrium where housing is truly abundant.

This episode is the fifth instalment of my Australian policy series, recorded live in Sydney on February 12, 2025.
I speak with Peter Tulip&mdash;Chief Economist at the Centre for Independent Studies, and a former senior researcher at both the Reserve Bank of Australia and the US Federal Reserve.
We go deep into what's driving Australia's housing crisis, the problems with heritage rules and height restrictions, critiques of both NIMBY and YIMBY thinking, the sobering 10&ndash;20-year timeframe that even an &ldquo;extremely ambitious&rdquo; supply plan might require, and the cultural shift needed to reach a new equilibrium where housing is truly abundant.

Peter Tulip — What Will It Actually Take to Solve the Housing Crisis? [Aus. Policy Series - LIVE]

Australia stands alone among English-speaking democracies with its compulsory, preferential voting system. But why?

This episode is the fourth instalment of my Australian policy series. It was recorded in Melbourne on March 6, 2025.

I speak with Judith Brett—Emeritus Professor of Politics at La Trobe University and author of the canonical history of Australia's electoral system, From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage—about how Australia became an electoral trailblazer.

We trace the accidental adoption of near-universal manhood suffrage in the 1850s, the political calculations that led to compulsory voting and preferential voting, and why bureaucratic efficiency is so deeply woven into our electoral culture.

Along the way, we explore how Benthamite thinking and low taxation in the colonial era combined to create a voting system that is unique among English-speaking democracies.

Australia stands alone among English-speaking democracies with its compulsory, preferential voting system. But why?
This episode is the fourth instalment of my Australian policy series. It was recorded in Melbourne on March 6, 2025.
I speak with Judith Brett&mdash;Emeritus Professor of Politics at La Trobe University and author of the canonical history of Australia's electoral system, <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Secret-Ballot-Democracy-Sausage-Compulsory-ebook/dp/B07HP8VH1F">From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage</a>&mdash;about how Australia became an electoral trailblazer.
We trace the accidental adoption of near-universal manhood suffrage in the 1850s, the political calculations that led to compulsory voting and preferential voting, and why bureaucratic efficiency is so deeply woven into our electoral culture.
Along the way, we explore how Benthamite thinking and low taxation in the colonial era combined to create a voting system that is unique among English-speaking democracies.

Judith Brett — How a Benthamite Political Culture Shaped Australia's Electoral System [Aus. Policy Series - LIVE]

This episode is the third of my live policy salons. It was recorded in Sydney on February 5, 2025.

We explore the concept of state capacity—the ability of governments to achieve their policy goals—and ask why Australia outperforms almost every other country in the world in this domain.

For the conversation, I'm joined by two of Australia's great public policy economists.

Richard Holden is professor of economics at UNSW Business School and president of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

Steven Hamilton is assistant professor of economics at The George Washington University in Washington DC, and a former Australian Treasury official.

If you’d like to attend an upcoming salon, you can get tickets here.

This episode is the third of my live policy salons. It was recorded in Sydney on February 5, 2025.
We explore the concept of state capacity&mdash;the ability of governments to achieve their policy goals&mdash;and ask why Australia outperforms almost every other country in the world in this domain.
For the conversation, I'm joined by two of Australia's great public policy economists.
Richard Holden is professor of economics at UNSW Business School and president of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
Steven Hamilton is assistant professor of economics at The George Washington University in Washington DC, and a former Australian Treasury official.
If you&rsquo;d like to attend an upcoming salon, you can get tickets <a href="https://josephnoelwalker.com/events/">here</a>.

Intellectual Exoskeletons — Andy Matuschak

The Jolly Swagman Podcast

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