Episodes

  • Giving Paralyzed Patients Control Again, with Dr. Tom Oxley

    Giving Paralyzed Patients Control Again, with Dr. Tom Oxley
    Jul 16 2026

    What if your thoughts could directly control a computer?


    In this episode of The Long Frontier, hosts Brannon Jones and Abe Murray explore the rapidly advancing world of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) with Dr. Tom Oxley, founder and CEO of Synchron.


    Together, they unpack how BCIs work, as well as how and why the field has accelerated in recent years. From invasive implants and non-invasive headsets to AI-powered cognition models and the future of human augmentation, the conversation explores one of the most ambitious technologies being developed today.


    What You'll Learn
    • What brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) actually are and how they work
    • Why reading signals from the brain is far more difficult than it sounds
    • The tradeoffs between invasive and non-invasive BCIs
    • How Synchron's endovascular approach differs from Neuralink and other competitors
    • Why stability and signal quality are major challenges for wearable BCIs
    • The role of foundation models and AI in decoding brain activity
    • How BCIs are already helping people with paralysis regain autonomy
    • The challenges of FDA approval and clinical validation for BCI technologies
    • How future BCIs could support cognition, memory, communication, and decision-making


    Featured Guest

    Dr. Tom Oxley is the founder and CEO of Synchron, a brain-computer interface company pioneering an endovascular approach that delivers neural interfaces through blood vessels rather than open brain surgery.

    Originally trained as a neurologist, Oxley has spent more than a decade developing technologies that allow people with paralysis to control digital devices directly from their thoughts. Under his leadership, Synchron has become one of the leading companies in the BCI industry and among the first to successfully implant these systems in human patients.


    Connect with the Hosts

    Follow Brannon Jones & Abe Murray: https://x.com/thelongfrontier


    About the Podcast

    The Long Frontier explores the technologies shaping the next 30 years of human civilization—diving deep into the science, engineering tradeoffs, and market dynamics behind the world's most important innovations.


    Glossary

    Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) — A system that translates brain activity into commands that can control external devices.

    EEG (Electroencephalography) — A non-invasive method of measuring electrical activity in the brain using sensors placed on the scalp.

    Endovascular BCI — A brain-computer interface delivered through blood vessels rather than through open-brain surgery.

    Foundation Model — A large AI model trained on extensive datasets that can be adapted to perform many different tasks.

    Gliosis — The brain's immune response to injury or foreign objects, which can create scar tissue around implanted devices.

    Motor Cortex — The region of the brain responsible for planning and controlling voluntary movement.

    Neurotechnology — Technologies designed to interact with, measure, or modify the nervous system.

    Synchron — A neurotechnology company developing minimally invasive brain-computer interfaces using endovascular implants.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr
  • The Race to Build a Star on Earth, with Dr. Ahmed Diallo

    The Race to Build a Star on Earth, with Dr. Ahmed Diallo
    Jun 30 2026

    What if humanity could unlock an effectively limitless source of clean energy?


    In this episode of The Long Frontier, hosts Brannon Jones and Abe Murray explore the science, engineering, and commercial realities of nuclear fusion with Dr. Ahmed Diallo, Head of Enabling Technologies for Energy & Science at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).


    Together, they break down how fusion works, why it has remained elusive for decades, and why many experts now believe the field is approaching a major inflection point. From tokamaks and stellarators to laser ignition and magneto-inertial fusion, the conversation explores the competing approaches racing toward commercial fusion power—and the engineering challenges that still stand in the way.


    What You'll Learn
    • The difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion
    • The three major fusion approaches: magnetic, inertial, and magneto-inertial fusion
    • How tokamaks and stellarators use magnetic fields to confine plasma
    • Why laser-based fusion achieved ignition before magnetic fusion
    • Why fusion fuel is typically made from deuterium and tritium
    • How spin-polarized fuels could dramatically improve fusion performance
    • The engineering challenges of blankets, tritium breeding, and heat extraction
    • Why fusion may first serve data centers, industrial heat applications, and isotope production
    • What needs to happen before fusion becomes commercially competitive

    Featured Guest: Dr. Ahmed Diallo

    Dr. Ahmed Diallo is the Head of Enabling Technologies for Energy & Science at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). He previously served as Deputy Director of INFUSE at the U.S. Department of Energy and as a Program Director at ARPA-E.


    A plasma physicist by training, Diallo's research focuses on understanding plasma behavior, developing advanced diagnostic systems, and enabling the technologies required for practical fusion energy. His work spans fusion science, advanced energy systems, and emerging approaches to improving reactor performance through innovations such as spin-polarized fuels.



    Connect with the Hosts

    Follow Brannon Jones & Abe Murray: https://x.com/thelongfrontier



    About the Podcast

    The Long Frontier explores the technologies shaping the next 30 years of human civilization—diving deep into the science, engineering tradeoffs, and market dynamics behind the world's most important innovations.



    Glossary

    Blanket — The structure surrounding a fusion plasma that captures neutrons, extracts heat, and can breed tritium fuel.

    Deuterium — A naturally occurring isotope of hydrogen containing one neutron.

    Fusion Ignition — The point at which a fusion reaction produces more energy than is deposited into the fuel target.

    Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) — A fusion approach that uses powerful lasers to rapidly compress and heat tiny fuel pellets (containing deuterium and tritium) to extreme densities. Also referred to as “IFE”, Inertial Focused Energy.

    Magneto-Inertial Fusion (MIF) — A hybrid fusion approach that combines magnetic confinement and compression.

    Plasma — A high-energy state of matter consisting of charged particles; often called the fourth state of matter.

    Spin-Polarized Fuel — Fusion fuel whose nuclear spins are aligned to increase the probability of fusion reactions.

    Stellarator — A twisted magnetic fusion reactor designed to naturally stabilize plasma without requiring large plasma currents.

    Tokamak — A donut-shaped magnetic fusion reactor that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine plasma.

    Tritium — A radioactive isotope of hydrogen containing two neutrons and commonly used in fusion fuel.

    PPPL (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) — One of the world's leading fusion research institutions and the birthplace of the stellarator concept.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    59 mins
  • The Future of Biological Computing, with Dr. Hon Weng Chong

    The Future of Biological Computing, with Dr. Hon Weng Chong
    May 29 2026
    What if the next generation of computers isn’t built with silicon — but grown from living neurons?In this episode of The Long Frontier, hosts Brannon Jones and Abe Murray explore one of the most unconventional frontiers in computing: biological intelligence. Joined by Dr. Hon Weng Chong, Founder & CEO of Cortical Labs, they unpack the emerging field of biological computers — systems that combine living neurons with silicon to create adaptive, energy-efficient computing platforms.From neurons learning to play Pong to the possibility of growing compute directly inside future data centers, this conversation explores whether biology may unlock capabilities traditional AI systems struggle to achieve.What You'll LearnWhy the human brain performs extraordinary computation using only ~20 watts of powerHow Cortical Labs taught lab-grown neurons to learn and play PongWhy biological systems may be dramatically more sample-efficient than modern AI modelsHow reinforcement learning in living neurons differs from traditional machine learningWhy biological computers may be especially useful for robotics and embodied AIThe biggest technical challenges ahead: memory, reproducibility, scaling, and ethicsWhy future data centers could potentially “grow their own compute”The overlap between biological computing and brain-computer interfaces like NeuralinkFeatured Guest: Dr. Hon Weng ChongDr. Hon Weng Chong is Founder & CEO of Cortical Labs, a Melbourne-based biotechnology company pioneering biological computing systems powered by living neurons. A trained medical doctor and software engineer, Chong previously co-founded CliniCloud, a medical technology startup backed by Tencent and Ping An Ventures. His work at Cortical Labs gained international attention after demonstrating that lab-grown neurons could learn to play Pong. The company has since introduced commercial biological computing platforms including the CL1.Notable Moments“If Neuralink is trying to put a chip inside a brain, we’re doing the opposite — we start with the chip and grow the brain on top of it.”The discussion explores whether biological systems can outperform traditional AI in real-world learning tasks because they adapt continuously instead of relying on massive pre-training datasets.Hon also explains why neurons may fundamentally optimize for reducing “surprise” — an idea inspired by neuroscientist Karl Friston’s Free Energy Principle.Connect with the HostsFollow Brannon Jones & Abe Murray: https://x.com/thelongfrontierAbout the PodcastThe Long Frontier explores the technologies shaping the next 30 years of human civilization — diving deep into the science, engineering tradeoffs, and market dynamics behind the world’s most important innovations.GlossaryBiological Computing — Computing systems that use living biological material to process information.Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) — Technology enabling direct communication between neural tissue and computers.Cortical Labs — Australian biotech company developing biological computers powered by living neurons.DishBrain — Cortical Labs’ experimental platform where lab-grown neurons learned to play Pong.Embodied AI — AI systems that interact with and learn from the physical world in real time.Free Energy Principle — Theory proposing biological systems minimize uncertainty or “surprise” about their environment.Microelectrode Array (MEA) — A chip containing electrodes used to read and stimulate neural activity.Neuromorphic Computing — Computing architectures inspired by biological neural systems.Organoid Intelligence — Research area exploring the computational potential of lab-grown neural tissue.Reinforcement Learning (RL) — Learning through rewards and penalties; adapted by Cortical Labs using living neurons.Synthetic Biological Intelligence (SBI) — Cortical Labs’ term for integrating living neurons with silicon hardware. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • The Hidden Economy Above Earth, with Jeff Thornburg

    The Hidden Economy Above Earth, with Jeff Thornburg
    Apr 10 2026
    Space isn’t just rockets anymore — it’s becoming the backbone of the global economy.In this debut episode of The Long Frontier, hosts Brannon Jones and Abe Murray dive deep into the rapidly evolving space industry — from falling launch costs to the rise of a true orbital economy. Joined by propulsion expert Jeff Thornburg, they explore what it will take to unlock the next era of space infrastructure, mobility, and exploration.What You'll LearnWhy space is already a critical part of the global economy.How launch costs have dropped, and why that changes everything.The growing problem of space congestion and orbital debris.Why on-orbit mobility (moving, refueling, and servicing satellites) is the next big step.The limitations of traditional chemical propulsion and what comes next.Why the future may include “gas stations in space” and recurring service-based business modelsFeatured Guest: Jeff ThornburgJeff Thornburg is an aerospace propulsion expert and the CEO of Portal Space, with over 30 years of experience across NASA, defense, and commercial space. He played a key role in the development of next-generation propulsion systems (including work related to SpaceX’s Raptor engine) and is now focused on advancing propulsion technologies that enable scalable movement and logistics in space.Notable MomentsJeff references the iconic “Mr. Fusion” reactor from Back to the Future — a fictional device that turns waste into energy. Learn more about it here: https://www.entertainmentearth.com/news/use-mr-fusion-time-travel-clean-energy/Connect with the HostsFollow and connect with Brannon Jones & Abe Murray: https://x.com/thelongfrontierAbout the PodcastThe Long Frontier explores the technologies shaping the next 30 years of human civilization — going deep on the science, engineering tradeoffs, and market dynamics behind the most important innovations.GlossaryAnode — Positive electrode in an electric thruster; in a Hall thruster it injects propellant (usually xenon) and collects electrons.Cathode — Negative electrode; emits electrons to ionize propellant and neutralize exhaust.Chemical Propulsion — Uses combustion of fuel + oxidizer to generate thrust; high thrust, lower efficiency (Isp).Combustion — Exothermic reaction producing high-pressure gas, expanded through a nozzle for thrust.Delta-V — Total change in velocity needed for maneuvers; core metric in orbital mechanics.Electric Propulsion — Uses electrical energy to accelerate propellant; low thrust, very high efficiency.FCC — U.S. regulator of radio spectrum, including satellite communications licensing.First/Second Stage — Rocket segments; first lifts off, second carries payload to orbit after separation.Full-Flow Staged Combustion — Advanced cycle gasifying both fuel and oxidizer before combustion; enables high performance (e.g., Raptor).Gravity Well — Energy required to escape a planet’s gravity; Earth’s is deep and costly to exit.Hall Thruster — Electric thruster using magnetic fields to ionize and accelerate propellant for efficient thrust.Heat Exchanger — Transfers heat between fluids; key in solar thermal propulsion systems.Launch Vehicle — Rocket carrying payloads to space (e.g., Falcon 9, Starship).LEO — Low Earth Orbit (200–2,000 km); hub for satellites and near-term space activity.Oxidizer — Substance enabling combustion (e.g., LOX); required since space lacks oxygen.Portal Space Systems — Company developing in-space propulsion systems.SDI — 1983 U.S. missile defense initiative that advanced space and defense technologies.Solar Sails — Use photon momentum for propulsion; no propellant, extremely low thrust.Solar Thermal Propulsion — Uses sunlight to heat propellant, offering mid-ground performance.Specific Impulse (Isp) — Efficiency metric; higher = less propellant used.Thrust — Force produced by propulsion; determines acceleration.Tsiolkovsky Rocket Equation — Relates delta-V to Isp and mass ratio; shows exponential propellant requirements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    57 mins