On Dec 11, 2024, I recorded a podcast with Basilisk Man to discuss his big new idea about colonizing icebergs.
In the first half,
and I debated the case for insulated icebergs in the context of a prospective scenario in which network states encroach on traditional nation-state prerogatives. These icesteads - or “iceburgs” - could exploit the 70% of the Earth’s surface that is covered by oceans at a 10x lower cost than traditional seasteading, not to even mention space colonization. We discussed the internal layout of these iceburgs and addressed some of the technical objections to iceberg colonization, such as structural integrity and the practicality of navigation. We then argued about whether they should be permanently anchored to specific locations, or whether they should be free to ply the high seas like the Raft Cities of Philip Reeve’s science fiction.In the second half, we focused on the political and geopolitical implications of network societies such as Infinita or Viva City opting for iceberg colonization. Potentially, we could see a nexus of autonomous polities like these spread out across the world, offering exit to builders and innovators who feel held back by the ossified bureaucracies of the legacy states. We discussed the demographics of icestead pioneers (“what is stopping you from moving to an iceburg?”) and their competitiveness against alternatives such as charter cities and digital nomadism, and speculated about iceburg timelines.
At the end, we discussed the future of AI and crypto. In particular, I queried Roko about why he has become much more sanguine about AI risks since early 2023. We then rounded it off with a discussion of the crypto markets and why Roko leans bearish on Ethereum.
Further Reading
You can follow Roko at
and on X.Roko’s posts on icesteading:
Ice: The Penultimate Frontier (Jul 13, 2024)
Icesteading: Executive Summary (Sep 11, 2024)
Lecture Notes (PDF): Real Seasteading Has Never Been Tried
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I also intend to duplicate episodes at my YouTube channel.
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