All right, welcome everyone to Not Related episode number zero. In fact, I don’t really think this is actually gonna constitute a real episode, but I wanted to put out a little informational. Now, it’s just for the people who already know who I am and might be subscribed to my YouTube channel, but just for anyone who wants to know what this podcast is about. Long story short, it’s gonna be about a lot of different things, a lot of different topics, a lot of big-brained topics, as the logo of the podcast suggests. That’s a little bit satirical, in case you guys have no sense of irony.
But in this podcast, well actually, actually get the background why I’m actually doing this. People have been nagging me for a couple of months now to do a podcast for a lot of different reasons, and I finally decided that might actually be a good idea. Now, for the past two years, I’ve been putting out YouTube videos. Most of that, the content of those are on things relevant to technology, system administration, system configuration on, you know, Unix-based systems, which is frankly not the kind of topic I mean, you know, if anyone knows me, that is not even in my top 20 things that I like. It’s something I do for YouTube. I do enjoy it; I do enjoy putting content like that out, but I always wanted to branch out on YouTube.
But the thing about it, and the thing about me, not just the YouTube but the general medium of video, is that it’s very hard to do video editing. Lotzie, you probably know this. And there were a lot of topics I wanted to do videos on that, or at least put out content on, that I realized that making a video on it would require a lot of effort. Like, if I have something that is 30 minutes long, if I record this informational thing that’s 30 minutes long, and now it’s not a screencast, mind you, I would have to do 30 minutes of video editing, which actually takes, you know, for me, takes about three days of working non-stop. Yeah, I would probably say, I’d say for about ten minutes of video, it takes me like a whole day to do it. So I’m not the best video editor; it’s not something I enjoy. It’s not just something I do slow, so I really wanted to just be able to put out ten easier.
And I realized there’s this crazy idea called podcasting, which everyone was telling me to do, that I should probably actually look into. So I actually have show notes for the first couple of episodes already planned out, but I wanted to just tell you guys what exactly I have in store, what the idea is behind the whole thing. Now, as I said, it’s gonna be, you know, big brain topics. I think it’s not really, well, I should say my view. You want a lot of podcasts, and this isn’t meaning anyone who does podcasts, but a lot of podcasts out there, I suppose, you know, the thing about people now is that nowadays is that you have to have this constant stream of information going into your head or your mental silence would just drive you crazy. That’s how people are nowadays, and that’s why people like podcasts. A lot of times, they just want to hear someone talking in their ear. It doesn’t even matter what about; sometimes they just want to hear someone talking in their ear, and that’s what they need to survive.
And I’m sort of giving in to that, but I want it to be a little more content-full than I think a lot of this stuff out there. And I don’t mean this in a condescending way at all, but I guess my perspective is I sure a lot of you guys who are listening to this, especially on YouTube, know me already. You’re already my YouTube subscriber, but there’s a very small portion of my life that I actually put on YouTube. Not very much about it. People, I guess, would have a skewed view of who I actually am and what I actually do. Some people might know that, for example, I am in a linguistics Ph.D. program. Fewer still people would know about that. That doesn’t even matter to me that much.
I should give everyone, I guess, a little background before I explain what precise topics we’re going to be talking about in the first couple of episodes. My name is Luke Smith, if you can’t already tell that wherever you’re seeing this video or audio, I should say. You know, I guess when I first started getting into academic things or things that I guess were a little irregular was in high school. In high school, somehow I got into my head that I wanted to learn classical languages. I wanted to learn Latin and Greek and Sanskrit, which I know sort of in that order. I know Latin best and Sanskrit at least. So I started studying ancient languages. I wanted to learn about the reconstruction of early human history. I wanted to learn about languages in themselves. I wanted to learn about, I guess, sort of human society at the boundaries of our awareness and early human cultures and things like that.
So that’s an interest I had in high school, and I’d skip sociology class too. You know, where would I go? I wouldn’t go behind the high school and smoke weed; I’d go into the library and I’d read this exhaustive biblical commentary with, you know, the original language and stuff like that because that’s the kind of stuff I was interested in at the time. Now, don’t get in your head that I’m a linguistics person given that I’ve said that and given that I am actually in a linguistics Ph.D. program right now. When I went off to college, my degree was actually in international economics and modern languages, and I focused on various topics. I got concentrations in international trade, economic history. Those are the things like I was more interested in economic history, and I also got minors in Chinese and Spanish. I was in, yeah, trying to think if there is anything else. I had an interesting undergraduate life, I’ll just say that.
And I went off, and once I got my degree, I had this, there was a fork between me, a fork in my life. It was a three-way fork, and I had the decision: do I want to go into economics for graduate school? Do I want to go into linguistics for graduate school? Or do I want to have a real job and actually contribute to society? And of course, I didn’t use that. I actually regret, you know, don’t go to graduate school. Don’t even go to college. Everyone, all my subscribers should know that I am very much against going to college. It’s all seriously a waste of your time, even if you’re like me and you, you know, got to go to college for free with the HOPE scholarship.
Anyway, so I went actually to a linguistics program, and I went to the University of Georgia. There, they have a very powerful historical linguistics program. It’s actually just one man, one man, Jared Klein, a very interesting fellow, but that’s enough to have a good historical linguistics program. I studied Gothic, a little bit of Sanskrit. I didn’t actually take the Sanskrit classes, but Indo-European kind of stuff, that’s what I did. But I actually, all the time in the time I was there, I actually got interested more in, I don’t want to use the term modern, but more contemporary approaches to linguistics, which when I say contemporary, I mean it in the bad sense. I took classes in syntax, and I’ve sort of had this terrible idea that everything in the field was horribly wrong, and I naively got into my head that I wanted to go into syntax or formal linguistics generally just to right wrongs and get things right. I thought of it sort of as buying low and selling high. I thought the field had a lot of obvious errors, and I think I had the naive idea that those could be fixed as if there’s no academic ego behind them.
But that’s what I ended up going into. I wrote a dissertation, say a master’s thesis on external possession. It’s just the kind of linguistic construction, but the arguments of my thesis aren’t particularly important. Maybe I’ll go and do it later. But then I went to a Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona, which I’m not going to talk too much about that, to be honest. But I will say my interests changed in that period, and I became more interested in the evolution of language in the human species as a biological entity, as in having, you know, the actual biological architecture behind how we can process and understand and produce language, but also more generally how languages have, or how language affected human evolution. And that’s something that I’ve also been interested in, and I think I have my own theories that, you know, totally rewrite the field, as every academic has, of course, or at least all the remotely interesting ones. Not to mean anyone out there, but I have my own ideas, and that’s not necessarily gonna be the content of the podcast.
But I just want to give that background just for those guys who don’t know, I guess, about my academic background. Now, what am I going to cover in the podcast generally? Now, in my time, I’ve read a bunch of books. I’ve mulled over a bunch of concepts, either in economics or cognitive science or psychology or linguistics or whatever, or just general history, general whatever. And a lot of them have been sitting in my brain for a couple of years now, and I’m not the kind of person who reviews a book or reviews an idea and then makes pronouncements immediately and makes, yeah, goes with whatever my first reflexes are. But I think it’s about time where there are some books or ideas that I think have been influential but also unsung in a lot of fields, and I want to give them voices.
So for the first couple episodes of this podcast, I actually want to talk about some of those ideas and some of those books that I think are extremely important. Now, this podcast is not going to be a book review podcast, although a lot of the episodes are going to be sort of like that. Not really in book, you know, about nonfiction books specifically, as books. I don’t really care about the book itself, but the idea behind it and in the greater context of it. So for the first couple of episodes, that’s what I’m gonna focus on.
Now, for episode one, if you’ve kept up on my blog, I think I’ve mentioned this a couple of times, but for episode one, I want to talk about a very fascinating book that I think is very fascinating, and it’s something I’d like to hear a lot more, you know, from different cognitive scientists because it’s an idea that I think is very fascinating. Well, let’s just say this really pleasurable in how bizarre it is, but also very defensible on scientific grounds, and that is the idea of the bicameral mind. It’s an idea popularized by Julian Jaynes. Well, he invented it; he didn’t just popularize it, but he wrote a book called “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind,” and that’s going to be the topic of the first podcast episode.
I’ll go ahead and say that what this is on, what the general idea of the book is, that consciousness, as it appears to us, the internal world that we have or we perceive things, is not something inherent to our brains, but it’s something that we learn. It’s something that’s almost cultural, and it’s something that actually didn’t exist in not just early humans but early literate humans. One of his claims of the book and the idea is that early Greeks, early Hebrews, early Sumerians were not in fact conscious, and a lot of their social structure actually reflects this. So stay tuned for that in the first episode, and that I think is going to set the stage, set the tone for some of the episodes later on.
Now, as I said, there are going to be other topics. For example, I want to talk about some books in economics. For example, one of my favorite books in economics is Joseph Schumpeter’s “Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy.” That’s a topic I want to have pretty early on. I’m gonna have books on history and other things, just to get that out there. Now, again, I’m not going to keep myself just to the books. I might actually have guests on who might be academics in a particular area, or I might just even potentially in the future have a co-host if some such worthy person presents himself. But that’s all in the future.
I’ll just say for now, I’m gonna be putting out these podcasts, and I don’t know how regularly. I think I’ll either do weekly or bi-weekly, you know, every other week, but really whatever time schedule I can work out. So anyway, I hopefully that’ll give you an idea of what the podcast is actually going to be on, and I think the format I’m actually going to approach it is probably I’m going to have show notes. Oh, I’m already starting to make show notes for the first couple episodes, and I’m gonna go through them sort of monologuing them. When I get tired, I’m gonna take a break. I’m gonna come back, I’m going to read emails from other people relevant to previous episodes, maybe read donations. I will put my email address and, you know, a donation PayPal, whatever, in the video description or whatever other medium you’re viewing this on, but I’ll put that there.
And after I read donations or emails, I’ll go on to part two and finish up whatever topic I’m talking on. And I’m hoping that each of the episodes is going to be contained within themselves and be enjoyable as entities in themselves for people who are watching either on YouTube or elsewhere. Now, I might have said this earlier, but I’m not leaving YouTube. Don’t worry, I’m not gonna quit doing that. Now, I haven’t put up a video in the past two weeks or so. I’ve been very busy, not just on preparing this stuff for the podcast, but other things. There’s, again, I have a secret project that I’m working on. I don’t want to tell people about it, but don’t worry about that. I’m still gonna be putting up YouTube videos, and I’m going to be putting up all these podcast episodes as YouTube videos now.
I highly recommend you subscribe to the RSS feed that is in the video description or wherever else. Be sure to subscribe to that, but if you are a YouTube subscriber, you will see these pop up whenever I have a new episode. And yeah, that’ll be about it. So anyway, if you have any suggestions, good suggestions, they have to be good ones, you can feel free to email me at Luke at Luke Smith dot XYZ. If you don’t get a response, don’t feel bad just because I get so many emails. Even now, even before starting a podcast, I get a lot of emails. But that’s gonna be about it, so I’ll see you guys next time. I’m gonna start preparing the first episode when I get the chance, and I will see you guys then.
uploaded 2018, August 18th; [youtube],
[odysee],
[videos.lukesmith.xyz],
[archive.org]
@LukeSmithxyz - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Subcribe to the RSS feed now: http://notrelated.libsyn.com/rss (rss 4 brainlets: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUFCRqs822w) mentioned links: luke@lukesmith.xyz paypal.me/LukeMSmith patreon.com/LukeSmith+8
@StevenOBrien - 2021-07-21 08:35:38
I listened through all of your podcasts over the past week and found them very interesting. Hope you'll do more going forward.+5
@Clutter.monkey - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Visual aids are for smol branes.+9
@HelloTheNamesJeremy - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
This is fucking great, looking forward to these man.+3
@peterjansen4826 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
I didn't expect Luke to do this. I'll give it a chance.+5
@SebSenseGreen - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Wow, I can't wait for that podcast!+3
@GuilhermeTeixeira - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
I hope you will use this podcast to finally teach prof. Chomsky how to install and use Arch. I've heard you guys now are from the same university...+26
@GuilhermeTeixeira - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Ok bye+4
@GuilhermeTeixeira - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
@ey_bud1620 I just don't waste my time with a person who offends instead of arguing.+4
@GuilhermeTeixeira - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
@ey_bud1620 get a life kid+4
@LPFan33 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Thanks luke. I like this concept, I really like listening to comfy but bigbraned podcasts/talks/interviews/etc. to help me fall asleep and hopefully pick up some interesting things along the way. This is exactly the kind of stuff I am always looking for. I will listen to all of it.+1
@ProGamer48508 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
I'm looking forward to hearing more from you! 🙂+4
@menom6219 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
you should talk to jf gariepy, hes a neuroscientist i think it would be a interesting conversation+7
@raiden_is_dj - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
It sounds like you recorded in the bathroom+31
@LukeSmithxyz - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
I literally did.+36
@altEFG - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
God damn it, Luke, you're such a Chad I almost got laid this week first time in years and it happened after I started watching your videos.+6
@rexevan6714 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Finally another podcast!!+2
@Clutter.monkey - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
With my best Carl impression: Do go on. Please.+4
@noirdessaim - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
3:14 By saying this, you already surpassed my every expectations. It is true that some people want to hear someone else talking otherwise the mental silence becomes unberable after a while. It is also true that some people do not really care about the content of the discussion as long as they have something to listen to in the background. Now you want to do something more in Not Related! like favouring quality over quantity and I know you are just the guy with the right mindset for that task. So let us hear from you soon. I have been waiting for this moment. Cheers.+1
@marcussmithwick6326 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Nice+7
@deltaequal - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
learnt alot from your channel, keep it up ;) started using i3 a month ago and its just pure awesome+6
@awhooley - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Luke your channel gave me the confidence to dump Windows and move to linux.. I was always a dos guy.. after seeing your videos, esp the one about the magic image editor in terminal, made me realise I had nothing to worry about.. I'm happily running trisquel now and it's great! Thanks man+5
@xinnexxinnex9756 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Shide Lim where you learn i3?+1
@deltaequal - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
just check out luke's older videos, read wiki/manuals on i3 and learn from other people's configs and see how things are set up. you'll learn from it and soon you'll be customizing your own, my configs have branched off so far now, but still i get some inspiration on how the flow are setup. ive started with Manjaro i3, it came with a basic config setup, get used to it; and soon go to luke's/other people's github to check out people's configs and modify it according to your preference. and everything you need to know about i3 is on their website actually, it's very very well documented. almost everything you'll need. once everything is digested, i highly recommend you to checkout luke's shortcut-sync and vim afterwards ;)+4
@xinnexxinnex9756 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Shide Lim thanks a lot+1
@lew3813 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
i3 is the worst de/wm+1
@deltaequal - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
mind sharing why so? im open for new ideas+2
@lew3813 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Shide Lim 1. Bad performance after heavy use - you don’t get that from openbox or xfce 2. Bad xft font rendering 3. People that use it are unbearable, look at r/unixporn or the /g/ thread and most of it is just shitty i3 rice 4. Personally, it doesn’t look that good If you want to talk more, I’m tor on rizon or @tor#8263 but I’m not on discord much+1
@10hockeyrocks10 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
When are you installing Gentoo+5
@tc40390 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
Don't know if you've heard of this before but I'd like to share it since you're a real vim-guy when it comes to everything so I'd advise you to check out the firefox addon called Tridactyl. It's basically like Vim Vixen but has way more functionality. And yeah, your linux videos gave me huge inspiration to switch over to linux permanently so thank you for that.+3
@Babbler49 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
>See the new podcast in the RSS feed. >Use my script to download it with youtube-dl as I like it. I have fallen for your dank linux memes, Mr. Smith. On topic, do you have any plans to talk about economic history? I think it is a fascinating field, so there plenty of podcasts to mine out of it. Maybe you could get Greg Clark or Pseudoerasmus as guests (one could only hope)? Also, what are your thoughts on the state of the field as far as you know?+2
@gavinvales8928 - 2019-07-21 08:35:38
That mono don't works so well. Use it all the time!+2
@thescrawl6594 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Please make a reading list! I am constantly in search of more good books to add to my list of things to read, and based on previous livestreams etc, you seem to have some good recommendations (I recently read Uncle Ted's manifesto, thanks for that)+1
@KyleLanmon - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Please expand on why you think going to college is a waste of time+2
@Bagunka - 2021-07-21 08:35:39
especially considering he's a college prof+1
@pompshuffle562 - 2022-07-21 08:35:39
I mean, literally everything is on the internet for free. Your really only paying for the piece of paper.+1
@postindustrial76 - 2022-07-21 08:35:39
Go to trade school and get a good trade job and spend the rest of time doing whatever. I do some job for good money thats an actual skill and use the rest of time for learning what I would have in college. Way easier, no debt.+1
@fajandika - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
why so low subscribers? what a content!+1
@goo_ooze - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Hey Luke, have you thought about using something like Mastodon now that you've left Twitter?+1
@chrisbannister1684 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
I believe "fortnightly" is the word you were struggling to find. 😉+1
@Tyler-uc4ye - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Hey man you made my day, I was about to sit up and say thank you for your i3 config ideas I looked through it, thought that vim bindings for switching the terminals, so I sat up with my laptop on the floor, accidentally kicked my soda over right beside my laptop and not a single drop fell out... My mama mad at me I thought my laptop was done for and when I realized what I kicked over and there was no liquids and I said "What the fuck?" so she mad 😂+1
@Tyler-uc4ye - 2019-07-21 08:35:40
Hey also, how did you get vim to run with a keybinding? I tried it and it will not work and I would love to have ranger work with it as well.+1
@fearlessleader343 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Wait you went to the University of Arizona? What a dump! ASU gives it’s regards+1
@sarundayo - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Just do what gotbletu does: never ever edit the vids. Not like we won't see the video anyways.+1
@thescrawl6594 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Big-Braned? Come on Luke you're supposed to be a linguist+10
@logsupermulti3921 - 2019-07-21 08:35:40
2 intelligent 4 u+4
@LukeSmithxyz - 2019-07-21 08:35:40
Excuse me if I can't even roll with this joke because I can never tell who's kidding or not anymore given my "new" subscribers.+13
@LukeSmithxyz - 2019-07-21 08:35:40
>smol bran AKSHUALLY+10
@peumofran2278 - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
you're speaking with a more effeminate-inteligant tone on this one.+2
@Discordianism - 2019-07-21 08:35:39
Hey babe! 😍😘🤩😘😍😋+1