DJ Scruggs - Resilience, AI and Humanities

In this episode of the Hostcast we meet with host José Moreno, to talk about his journey as public school teacher, his passion for reading and writing, his poems and, of course, his invitation for his salon series on writing, that you can join here:https://interintellect.com/salons/a-summons

In this episode we host Megan Gafford, who tells us how she moved from painting into architectural drawing and freelancing writing. Megan shares her grant-funded project to design a new ornamental architecture and we talk about why ornament is fundamental to human nature, her theory that modernist architects won over peers through seductive drawings rather than buildings, and why she works slowly, spending up to 20 hours per drawing.We also talk about her Book Salon series on East of Eden, her reflections on Steinbeck's portrayal of evil, and what people can expect for her next sessions.You can join the next session of her salon here:https://interintellect.com/series/book-club-east-of-edenAnd follow her Substack here:https://www.fashionablylatetakes.com/

In this episode, we talk with our host, DJ Scruggs. DJ is a serial entrepreneur and programmer who has run multiple businesses, has a passion for reading and learning, and hosts the monthly series "Claude Code for Humanities," where he helps non-technical people start their journey with AI.We discuss his journey learning to code on his own, his path as an entrepreneur, and how to best think about AI in this current moment.You can follow DJ on his website: https://djscruggs.comAnd sign up for his next Claude Code for Humanities session here: https://interintellect.com/salons/claude-code-for-the-humanities-august-2026

In this episode of Hostcast, João sits down with Liv Li and Stephanie, co-hosts of a four-part salon series on Joseph Campbell hosted on Interintellect. Together they explore why Campbell remains both a philosopher and a provocateur in the postmodern world, unpacking the durability of the hero's journey across cultures, the lesser-known heroine's journey developed by Dr. Maureen Murdoch, and the tension between ancient myth-making and a fragmented, algorithm-driven society searching for new meaning.From the role of masks as tools for authentic self-discovery to the question of whether a "third model" beyond Campbell and Murdoch is possible, this conversation weaves together psychology, mythology, pop culture, and philosophy. The fourth and final salon in their Campbell series is still open to join here:https://interintellect.com/salons/the-eternal-story-joseph-campbell-in-a-postmodern-world-episode-4Follow our Hosts here:https://substack.com/@notesbyslhttps://archetypica.substack.com/

In this episode of Hostcast, we sit down with James Cussen, an Interintellect host whose work centers on practical, livable philosophy. James shares how his journey into philosophy began during a difficult period in his teenage years, when reading Albert Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus gave him a sense of being understood for the first time. From there, his curiosity took him through Nietzsche, Jung, and much more. The conversation also explores how to approach reading philosophy, with James emphasizing humility, patience, and a willingness to temporarily inhabit a worldview different from your own.The episode then takes a focused look at Nietzsche's On the Genealogy of Morals, the text at the center of James's current salon series on Interintellect. You can join his salon here:https://interintellect.com/salons/what-is-the-meaning-of-ascetic-ideals-friedrich-nietzsche-on-the-genealogy-of-moralityYou can also follow James, here:https://www.thelivingphilosophy.com/https://www.youtube.com/@TheLivingPhilosophy/videos

In this episode of the Hostcast, I sit down with political philosopher Adam Gjesdal to explore some of the biggest questions in political philosophy: from how we correct for our own biases, to why diversity of perspectives leads to better outcomes, to what John Stuart Mill's On Liberty can teach us about free speech and individual freedom today. We also get into Adam's own academic journey, his research on justice pluralism, and, of course, his upcoming salon series on Mill's "On Liberty". A conversation full of ideas that are as relevant now as they've ever been.You can sign up for Adam's first episode here:https://interintellect.com/salons/on-liberty-revisited-mill-harriet-taylor-and-the-case-for-freedom

In this episode of Hostcast, we have Rania Nasis, physician, serial entrepreneur, and generalist operator who has built and advised companies across biotech, digital health, senior tech, and pediatric care. Rania shares the story of leaving medicine before ever practicing, getting hooked on startups through a business plan competition, and spending the last 12+ years navigating one of the hardest industries to innovate in: healthcare. She breaks down why the space is both deeply rewarding and brutally complicated, from misaligned stakeholder incentives to year-long sales cycles as well as what it takes to persist through all of it. She's also launching Nimble, a high-protein French-style ice cream brand hitting New York grocery stores in early April.We talked about her Atlas Shrugged book club hosted through Interintellect in New York City. Why she chose Ayn Rand's most ambitious novel, what timeless tensions it surfaces around individualism, excellence, and productive output, and what she hopes participants take away regardless of where they land politically are some of the themes explored.Want to join or just keep up with what Rania is building? Find her on X/Twitter, LinkedIn, or through her Interintellect profile.

Today’s Interintellect host is Neil Thanedar, author of Positive Politics. We spoke about his journey in entrepreneurship, from working with his father to build a testing lab to co-founding Laboor, and why he believes the future belongs to scientist-CEOs. Naturally, we also dug into the core ideas behind Positive Politics.Neil is currently leading a four-part series on Interintellect where he explores the book and offers a reframing of our relationship with politics. In our conversation, we discussed his plans for the remaining sessions, the role of writing and activism in getting started in politics, the real barriers to entry for political engagement, and why he believes we are all called to make a difference.You can sign up for the remaining two sessions of his series here:https://interintellect.com/salons/session-3-positive-politics-what

In this episode of Hostcast, we sit down with Grant Mulligan, a writer, investor, and conservationist.Our conversation ranges across fatherhood, progress, abundance, and The Odyssey.Grant is currently hosting a reading series on Interintellect dedicated to The Odyssey, which we’re exploring together. You can find the series, along with Grant’s writing, here:https://www.grantmulligan.com/https://interintellect.com/hosts/grant-mulligan-1128177

In this episode with Brian Gallagher, we dive into the subtle art that separates a writer from an editor, his years shaping stories at Nautilus, the thinkers and writers he admires, and the role of taste in writing a journalistic piece. We also talked about his upcoming book on Mars, what are some of the non-obvious hurdles we might need to deal with and, of course, his previous salons at our community.You can follow Brian here:https://www.briangallagher.orghttps://twitter.com/bsgallagher