In this ~3-hour video I talk with Ro about a wide variety of topics that cover programming, politics, lifestyle, and art. We start by learning about Ro’s work as a software engineer for military projects. Ro studied electrical engineering and then transitioned to programming.

I learn that Ro has an interest in politics and art. In terms of the latter, Ro draws a portrait of me during our discussion. We talk until the drawing is done, which you can check out towards the end of the video.

On the politics front, we discuss my current thinking about political issues, where I am interested in the implementation of any given opinion. This is where I introduce the notion of “programmatic thinking”. The idea is to frame your opinions in terms of how you could implement them, given the prevailing conditions. Doing so helps filter out opinions that are not feasible.

We also comment on the quality of political discourse. Part of this is informed by the current technology, which reduces the spacetime of current affairs: everything happens instantly and feels proximate. Ro suggests how people need to be getting together to discuss politics. If people are open to talk, instead of shouting at each other, then common sense can prevail.

Ro points out that discussions tend to avoid any kind of disagreement, which Ro explains is not constructive: the realisation of disagreements can still bring people closer, as they can appreciate the others better and the diversity among us. Part of why this is happening, I explain, is because people adopt an expanded conception of identity, which includes their specific opinions. Then I go on to comment how criticism can be constructive: it helps people grow by better understanding what they are doing and why they do it.

The next topic is about the quality one has as a person. I comment on how those who are influential have responsibility towards those they influence. This is because they hold power. We explore this theme further. I argue that if we decouple power from responsibility, then we end up with egregious or abusive power.

The last big issue we cover is art. Specifically, how we can have a better sense of our self through the pursuit of recreational activities. Ro asks me about my writings. There are different sections on my website, which cover distinct areas of interest I have. This gives me the impetus to elaborate on the notion of being mindful of our emotional state and how we can stay fresh. The point is to commit to something that expresses a side of you. Ro comments how art is not about the result, but rather that you enjoy doing it.

This is relevant also in light of Artificial Intelligence, which we consider in further depth. I bring up the myth of Prometheus, which reminds us how all technological innovations comes with pros and cons. There are problems that come from the technology itself but also others that are the result of how people use the technology.

We close with questions about me, such as my personality, way of living, and the experience of blogging. This also connects to the point about how people are attached to their opinions as an extension of their identity. I explain how to think of our works as snapshots of who we are. Mistakes are a part of it. If we acknowledge them, we are more resilient, as we can change our views and/or face criticism without fearing that we lose who we are. I say that we ultimately do not need to take ourselves too seriously, in the sense that if we make a mistake it will not be the end of the world.

Add Ro on Instagram

Here: https://www.instagram.com/aldebaran.alpha.tauri/

About “Prot Asks”

In this video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks.

Our next big topic is art and creativity. Eric is a musician and has a keen interest in the artistic experience. Over the course of our talk we comment on ways to be creative, the different forms of expression we find from conservation to exploration, and how harmony is experienced. Many finer points here involve the sense of awe, how aesthetics cannot be reduced to words, that text alone disturbs us because we do not connect to a person’s emotional state, and more. Eric asks me what I think about the rhythm of life, also with regard to my way of choosing to live in the mountains and how all that underpins my creativity.

We share how myths and catchy stimuli play a key role in religiosity, as well as how religion cannot be reduced to a system of propositions: it also has a social aspect to it and a function of social reproduction. Our attention is focused on how people understand when not to take themselves too seriously. Examples we expound on involve Santa Claus and the Greek gods. In this regard I explain how Greek religion and Greek mythology are distinct, even if the latter draws inspiration from the former.

At many points we draw parallels between matters of human creation, such as art, and the natural order. For example, there is a way in which an idea stands the test of time when its application leads to viable results.

Eric has appeared before in this series: https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2025-07-23-prot-asks-eric-emacs-lisp-music-aesthetics-minnesota/.

Links from Eric

• My program “hms”, a featureful CLI time-duration calculator: https://emfred.com/programs/hms.

• My piece of music “Flying Home”, which features recordings of birdcalls at various playback rates: https://emfred.com/audio/sbp4-05-Flying-Home.mp3.

• My collection of music which includes “Flying Home”, called “Sketchbook, page 4”: https://emfred.com/sketchbook/pg4.

• And finally, in case a listener would like to contact me: https://emfred.com/about/contact

About “Prot Asks”

In this video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks.

We start with a brief introduction to what Logan is doing right now. He is a university student in the field of general science. His interest is in game development, though he has not pursued that as a specialisation yet. Logan is also into writing fiction, which he tells me more about through our conversation.

I ask Logan what does conflict mean in the case of story-telling. How are we drawn into the story and what can we learn from it. We discuss how sometimes the story becomes self-fulfilling and how people can be influenced to act accordingly.

Part of our talk involves thought experiments and explores philosophical themes. We make comments on the fact that material conditions do not necessarily lend themselves to a single appropriate action.

In the context of stories as a means of understanding current dynamics, we discuss how we can envisage possible worlds before they occur and regulate our behaviour in response to what we think is right or wrong about the manner of our ways.

Towards the end of our exchange, Logan tells me about the work of fiction he is writing. He will eventually publish it and I am excited to learn more about it.

About “Prot Asks”

In this video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

The first point of interest we cover is Emacs. Maxim uses Emacs for taking notes, keeping track of tasks, and staying organised. Part of this workflow involves the org-roam package, which is an excellent tool for maintaining a note-taking system. The other part is the Org agenda, which in Maxim’s case helps maintain a macro view of the ongoing projects.

I then ask about Maxim’s work and learn about the distinction between linguistics and philology. In this context we discuss attitudes towards reading and writing. We explore how the education system assumes that if you are a local you already are competent in the local tongue, which is not necessarily true. Maxim teaches “effective writing”, which we explore in some further depth.

One of the topics we delve into is about the benefits of writing. This is about keeping a journal or publishing posts on a blog. I also share my own experiences in this regard, as someone who publishes a lot. Writing is a medium through which one may elucidate their thoughts and thus understand their own ideas better.

A blog, in particular, is like journaling on hard mode. This is because of the potential for criticism. We talk about what criticism does, how to think of yourself as a writer/thinker, and ways to approach phenomena such as trolling.

Throughout our exchange we make references to the human condition and narratives. We discuss the function of dreams, of fiction, and about learning from experiences that are not necessarily specific to the facts of one’s condition. Maxim tells me about his endeavours with blogging as well as how he likes to follow the stories of athletes.

Another thread that runs through our talking points is that of productivity and how it is important to keep one’s own experience and needs in perspective.

Link to Maxim’s page

The content is in Russian: https://t.me/light_higher

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

About Clojure, I ask Ovi what the language is good for and which sort of business/project benefits from it. He explained at length the strengths of the language, such as its immutability and asynchronous operations. Clojure is commonly used in tandem with Datomic, a transactional database that helps in a number of advanced use-cases that Ovi covers. In this context, I also learn about Ovi’s own business, ShipClojure (link below), which helps programmers get started with a full Clojure stack.

On the topic of Emacs, Ovi tells me about the false starts he had while trying to use this program. Eventually he got it to work and has been using it for most tasks, including programming in Clojure and working with AI tools.

Our exchange about AI covers some of the potential downsides of relying on the tools on offer. We discuss the nuances involved and how it still makes sense to become an expert in a given field, even if there is ongoing talk about AI taking over in the near future. We also talk about Simuflow (link below), Ovi’s own project to connect AI agents that deal with speech recognition, audio processing, and various services. It is open source and written in Clojure.

Links from Ovidiu “Ovi” Stoica

• ShipClojure: https://shipclojure.com/.
• Simulflow (Voice AI Orchestration): https://github.com/shipclojure/simulflow.
• Datomic (Immutable Bi-Temporal DB - Not mine but we discussed it so maybe others are interested): https://www.datomic.com/.

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

Ag shares with me his enthusiasm about all things Emacs, including the fact that it is a “Lisp machine”, so to speak, through which you can control your computer. We discuss a lot of cases where Ag has benefited from using Emacs and how it has conditioned him to think of problems in a certain way.

Ag tells me how he did not have an easy time switching to Emacs. His back and forth may have been what he needed to develop his current appreciation for the tool. Talking with him made me feel that he is enthusiastic about the topic, both technologically and in terms of its social potential.

Emacs would not be what it is without Emacs Lisp. In this regard, we comment on Lisp dialects more broadly. Ag tells me about his experience with Clojure and how he defaults to doing his work in Lisp, with Emacs at the epicentre.

Throughout our chat, Ag shares his thoughts on the significance of story-telling. We explore how narratives contribute to our everyday affairs and even make some comments about how Socrates would relate to our modern world and our increasing use of LLMs to get things done.

Ag has a pragmatic view of technology in general and of LLMs in particular. We cover these issues at some length and connect the dots with everything else.

Links from Ag Ibragimov

Here’s my Emacs config: https://github.com/agzam/.doom.d

Some Emacs packages I wrote:

• https://melpa.org/#/mw-thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

• https://melpa.org/#/consult-hn - Hacker News search with Consult

• https://melpa.org/#/browser-hist - Search through the Browser history

• https://github.com/agzam/wiktionary-bro.el - Lookup Wiktionary entries. This one is not published only because I need to finish the org-mode branch of it - I need to solve the problem of converting html tables with sparse columns and rows to org-mode compatible format and there’s no good solution for it in elisp.

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

Throughout our chat, we make connections to matters of productivity, focus, and commitment. Christian has a young daughter and this is a fact that informs many of the issues we comment on.

In terms of philosophy, we explore the theme of what exactly do we value in somebody’s work. Is it the result or the work that goes into developing the necessary skillset for such a result? This has wide applications on everyday affairs. In this context, we also consider the idea of experiencing as much of the world as possible, where we comment on psychedelics and having the right attitude to do things long-term.

With regard to Zettelkasten, Christian is one of the two people behind the website zettelkasten.de, which is a high quality resource on Zettelkasten. Christian shares information about the life of Niklas Luhmann, the genius behind Zettelkasten, and expounds on how one’s notes contribute to a continuous process of discovery. We comment on how the interplay between the person and their notes can give rise to new thoughts.

Links from Christian Tietze

Some references I mentioned:

• Ronald Dworkin (2011): Justice for Hedgehogs, p 197: performance value and paintings of chimpanzees
• Niklas Luhmann (1984): Soziale Systeme. (engl.: “Social Systems”, e.g.: https://www.sup.org/books/sociology/social-systems)
• Niklas Luhmann’s “Kommunikation mit Zettelkästen”, engl. translation on our page: https://zettelkasten.de/communications-with-zettelkastens/
• Lumann’s 30 year research announcement is mentioned also in the English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niklas_Luhmann#cite_ref-7

Links to my stuff:

• https://christiantietze.de – more technical blog, apps, Emacs
• https://zettelkasten.de – all things Zettelkasten since 2013
• Mastodon: @ctietze@mastodon.social

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

Links from Ekaitz Zárraga

These are the software projects I mentioned:

• https://guix.gnu.org/
• https://bootstrappable.org/
• https://www.gnu.org/software/mes/
• https://github.com/oriansj/stage0-posix
• https://github.com/fosslinux/live-bootstrap

And this is my blog where people can learn about what I do (i try to document most of my process):

• https://ekaitz.elenq.tech/

And my freelance work:

• https://elenq.tech/en/

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

Links from Julien Malka

• my personal website: https://luj.fr
• NixOS home page: https://nixos.org
• Guix home page: https://guix.gnu.org/
• reproducible-builds: https://reproducible-builds.org
• bootstrapable-builds: https://www.bootstrappable.org
• Eelco Dolstra PhD thesis: https://edolstra.github.io/pubs/phd-thesis.pdf

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

Links from port19

• port19s blog - https://port19.xyz/
• stretching - https://www.rsipain.com/stretching-exercises
• xah lee keyboards - http://xahlee.info/kbd/ergonomic_keyboards_index.html
• zsa voyager review - https://port19.xyz/tech/voyager/
• dictation script - https://gist.github.com/port19x/ed5ccebea8ca54668645a17f3dd5ec5b
• psychosomatics book - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9975380-mindbody-prescription-oeb-healing-the-body-healings (only read the first 2 chapters)

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

Links by Amin Bandali

• https://kelar.org/~bandali
• https://blog.archive.org/trillion/
• https://www.gnu.org/help/help.html
• https://www.fsf.org/volunteer
• https://kelar.org/~bandali/2025/07/25/protesilaos-videos-archive.html
• https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2025-07-29-videos-internet-archive/
• https://www.debian.org
• https://trisquel.info

About “Prot Asks”

In this new video series, I talk to anybody who is interested to have a video call with me (so do contact me if you want!). The topics cover anything related to Emacs, technology, and life in general. More here: https://protesilaos.com/prot-asks/.

In this video I talk with Alex about a range of interesting topics. We start with the topic of working with programming languages as a hobby: to learn about them and to write projects in them. In this context, we discuss Alex’s attempt to write a language server (LSP) for Python in Zig. We also explore the experience of developing packages in Emacs Lisp. Still on the technical side of things, I ask Alex about the Guix system and what are the reasons for or against using it. After that, I ask Alex about other hobbies, to learn about the interest in cycling and the idea of travelling around Europe on a bicycle. Next, we exchange thoughts on Alex’s learning of philosophy and discuss some of the basics of it. Towards the final part of our discussion, I ask about the Go game, which I have never played. I learn a lot in the process, while commenting on what I like more in tabletop games. Finally, Alex tells me about using the Sway tiling window manager and how positive the experience has been thus.

Here are Alex’s Git repositories: https://codeberg.org/alex-iam.

In this video I talk with Ronnie Nissan about a range of issues covering free software and everyday life issues. Ronnie is a GTK (Gnome) app developer, who also has experience with GNU Emacs. We explore the intersection of social organisation and modern technology, such as how people’s behavioural patterns are affected and what kind of power dynamics are at play. Through our exchange we discuss matters of parenting, or what I called “upbringing” (it involves more than just the parents), education, and culture at-large. In the process, I learn about life in Iraqi Kurdistan, while also noticing how many of the typical personal and collective problems we are aware of are common across cultures.

Links by Ronnie (and mention of my journal entry)

• Concessio GTK app: https://flathub.org/apps/io.github.ronniedroid.concessio
• Embellish GTK app: https://flathub.org/apps/io.github.getnf.embellish
• “Get NerdFonts” application: https://github.com/getnf/getnf
• Ronnie’s website: https://ronnienissan.pages.dev/
• Prot’s “Freedom within robust constraints”: https://protesilaos.com/commentary/2025-08-23-freedom-robust-constraints/

In this video, I talk with Dimos from Greece about Emacs as an integrated computing environment. I learn how Dimos started using Emacs 10 years ago while studying mathematics: what is the appeal of Lisp and how that opened the way for using Emacs as an integrated computing environment. We also discuss the work Dimos does, which is part of a technology collective called “Stin Priza” that provides a variety of web services. In this context we explore themes of ownership and of belonging to a community or a place. I then ask about personal interests and other activities, to learn about some of the naturalist activities Dimos does as well as the podcast that Dimos co-hosts called “The Conspiracy Club”: it is a show that has been going on for five years now, which discusses conspiracy theories and other mysteries with an open mind and a playful attitude, neither adopting the theories nor debunking them.

Links by Dimos

• Personal website: https://bendersteed.gr.
• Stin Priza collective for technology (in Greek): https://stinpriza.org/who/.
• The Conspiracy Club podcast (in Greek): https://theconspiracyclub.gr.
• Git sources: https://sr.ht/~bendersteed/.

Today I talk with Erik Arneson about a number of topics ranging from Emacs to how life in Portland and Oregon is, to podcasting and relevant tooling, and to how regular users deal with word processors. We start the chat with the theme of providing software services and how it relates to the open source experience. Erik tells me about the aesthetics of the Go programming language and how it compares to coding in Lisp. Then Erik tells the story of how it all started with Emacs some time in the 1990s, before Linux was available. I ask how was Emacs back in the day and how things developed over time. Our discussion explores life in Oregon and its largest city, Portland. We tie it all together with Emacs and specific workflows and tools of it. The final part covers Erik’s endeavours with podcasting and the relevant technicalities, including nerdy stuff like writing music with a Lisp engine.

We had some technical issues with the connection as well as with my audio input. Apologies for that!

Erik Arneson’s links

• My website: https://arnesonium.com/
• My music: https://music.arnemancy.com/
• Podcast: https://arnemancy.com/listen
• Here is a music video I just made: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pP8E6jijaTE

Today I talk to Arni and learn about how Emacs is used as an interface that helps with focus and the minimisation of distractions. This is matter of self-care. After we cover the technicalities, we switch to the topic of socialisation at-large, where we comment on cooking for/with others, interacting through social media versus face-to-face, and having a sense of community. Once we explore those themes, we consider how people express themselves through art and how they create a persona to connect with others, while sharing their emotional state or less obvious sensitivities. In this regard, Arni talks about dabbling in the furry community.

Arni’s Emacs dotfiles: https://codeberg.org/arni/my-dotfiles/src/branch/main/arnimacs.org.

Today I learn from PizzaTorque about how Emacs is used for programming in the field of data science. We discuss the kind of infrastructure Emacs has for dealing with various programming languages and how the experience is. Emacs as a note-taking tool is also something we consider. Then the discussion shifts to linguistics and relevant cultural as well as political considerations. We frequently draw parallels with Emacs. After that we talk about Emacs more in terms of lifestyle and art, commenting on how it helps us develop certain qualities that apply to other parts of our life. We conclude with a conversation on community and an individual’s outlook, tying it all together.

PizzaTorque does video streams on programming-related topics, while using Emacs. Here is the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@pizzatorque.

In this 1-hour video, I learn from James about what goes into teaching biology and thinking as a scientist. We discuss the shortcomings of the education system and touch on the alternative approach of going more in-depth. James describes how Emacs comes into the picture, the importance of the free software community—and community in general—and how politics informs our views on competition and cooperation.

• James teaches at the Pennsylvania State University: https://science.psu.edu/bmb/people/jeh37
• Personal website: https://jamesendreshowell.com/
• EmacsConf 2023 presentation about teaching at the university with free software: https://emacsconf.org/2023/talks/uni/

For this meeting, I learn from Diego about how he used Emacs to organise his life and do programming. As the head of an engineering team, Diego describes how the work is organised and what kind of considerations are involved. Part of our discussion covers the state of the industry and the impact of artificial intelligence. We also talk about life in the countryside of Spain. Diego is into combat sports, so we cover that issue as well and comment on how it relates to the human experience more broadly.

For this meeting, I learnt from Rudy about a bunch of geeky and fun issues. We discussed what it means to be “living in Emacs”. It takes a certain mindset to experiment with your tools and to understand what is going on. You eventually push against the boundaries because you take things to their full potential. Our talk covers bugs and some in-development feature of Org mode. Then we explore more themes that speak to the hacker’s heart: Scheme and Fennel for developing games within certain constraints, simple cooking, experimenting with pizza, and more!

Today I learnt from Ihor Radchenko what kind of work goes into maintaining the Emacs Org package. We discussed the process of contributing to Org and how the community is involved in the process. Other than the technicalities of Emacs, I asked Ihor about general interests in life. Some of those involve the study of history, which we explored in some further depth. Ihor has travelled and worked in various parts of the planet. I wanted to understand more about those experiences. Towards the end of our meeting, I wanted to gain insights into what “material science” is in practice.

From Ihor

• Emacs browsers
  • https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2021-03-25-emacs-eww/
  • https://github.com/manateelazycat/emacs-application-framework
  • https://github.com/qutebrowser/qutebrowser/
    • my config: https://github.com/yantar92/emacs-config/blob/master/system-config.org#qutebrowser-1
• Key bindings
  • https://github.com/jyp/boon
    • my config: https://github.com/yantar92/emacs-config/blob/master/config.org#key-bindings
• My talk, where I describe a bit more about how I got to maintain Org mode
  • https://emacsconf.org/2024/talks/org-update/
• On making first contribution easier: https://orgmode.org/worg/org-contribute.html#org2bb8d25
• My email setup to recognize first-time mailing list participants and first-time contributors
  • https://github.com/yantar92/emacs-config/blob/master/config.org#detect-fsf-contribution-status-of-sender-for-org-ml
• Philosophy about being friendly to the newcomers https://orgmode.org/worg/org-maintenance.html#org18cc771
• Guix migration away from email-based workflow to codeberg
  • https://guix.gnu.org/blog/2025/migrating-to-codeberg/
• web page about org-element API
  • https://orgmode.org/worg/dev/org-element-api.html
  • Section of the manual linking to that page: https://orgmode.org/manual/Advanced-Export-Configuration.html
• org-ml library: https://github.com/ndwarshuis/org-ml
• meditation (Autogenic training)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogenic_training#Applications
• Textbook on finance I am reading: Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Analysis, 9th Edition
  • https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Modern+Portfolio+Theory+and+Investment+Analysis%2C+9th+Edition-p-9781118469941
• EDX course on animal husbandry
  • The actual course is no longer available online, but https://learning.edx.org/course/course-v1:WageningenX+ABG02x+2T2025/home is similar
• Greek philosophy
  • https://historyofphilosophy.net/series/classical-greek-philosophy
• Bronze Age collapse https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B965f8AcNbw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRcu-ysocX4
• The Cambridge history of ancient China : from the origins of civilization to 221 B.C. https://archive.org/details/cambridgehistory0000unse_i9g4
• pottery village near Xi’an (陈炉): https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ce4y1Q7MX/
• On different cultures in China
  • https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV13f4y1Q7qa?p=2&spm_id_from=333.788.videopod.episodes
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanxingdui https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teCKq6AJtP8
• On China/Greece contacts https://www.history.com/articles/greeks-may-have-influenced-chinas-terra-cotta-army (I also recall one of the excavated tombs in Xi’an having western person buried) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-pfeFbssMw
• Heixi corridor
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZH9IBGnoNU&list=PL_gSHsLUsq9GYtGHstai8yY4R5cSNjvGn&index=10
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexi_Corridor
• Dunhuang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunhuang
  • The caves: Mogao caves https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogao_Caves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=–XM0cES6Sg 3d virtual museum: https://www.e-dunhuang.com/index.htm
• Singapore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wwW3wLNFAY&t=341s
• Manila https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra6ztNcUlsY (slums) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w-X-NU-p9U (the rest)
• Taiwan
  • trains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogv4jIz9H3w
  • the actual place I went to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FWymGGdKrI
• Zakopane, Poland
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfEJDvPxGtA
• Mountains in Xi’an: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHR9GQGcfA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7lAFBbaMpg
• Mountains in the south of China (known from classical paintings) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIWXK7fPRTY (not exactly what I was talking about, but gives an idea)
  • Similar in Greece (Meteora)
    • https://wikitravel.org/en/Meteora
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF4o5u-kYTw
• And hanging temple in China https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZTtILl-xpE
• Ancient Chinese irrigation projects
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KvvnJa1d5Y (Chengdu, dam)
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O19SeNqauA (canal - through half of China)
• Reinforced concrete https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHuf1Hu7ApU
• On carbon fiber composites for airplanes
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STRidcDx47I
• On research funding
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sBeKHyiV6c
  • these days, there is generally more focus on concrete outcomes of research (de facto, even what called “basic research” on paper)
• On sodium-ion (table salt) batteries
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQE56ksVBB4 (video is 2 years old; now there are many more companies)
• Li-ion (super-expensive) super storage to capture solar/wind power during the day and provide energy during night (simply speaking)
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hornsdale_Power_Reserve
• Example of basic science to understand human behavior https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnIGh9g6fA&list=PL150326949691B199

Today I learn from Eric about using Emacs in a constrained environment for programming. We cover Eric’s work, which is security-minded, discuss the qualities of Lisp, and explore how aesthetics relate to programming. Our discussion shifts to Eric’s music production and interests, where we find how, among others, matters of art apply to everyday affairs as well. In the final part of our chat, Eric tells me about Minnesota’s connection to the water element, compare it to the relationship Greeks have with the sea, and comment on relevant artistic expressions such as the meaning of the God Poseidon’s representation as a hypermasculine man.

Find Eric’s publications here: https://emfred.com/

In my ~1-hour talk with Gino, I learn about how Emacs is used for data engineering work. We discuss the use of Org mode for keeping notes and for producing documents/reports that include prose as well as code blocks. Part of the discussion revolves around Doom Emacs and how one can learn about the capabilities of Emacs by relying on a starter kit until they eventually decide to roll their own configuration. Gino shares thoughts on contributing to Open Source and to the interactive side of the Internet at-large, such as with this very talk. In the last minutes of the video, I ask about Chile’s diverse geography and the places one could visit there.

Gino’s package to integrate Org Babel with DuckDB: https://github.com/gggion/ob-duckdb.

In this ~1-hour video, I talk to Thomas about using Emacs to write blog posts and take notes. Then we switch gears to discuss Thomas’ involvement with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Part of that theme covers our thoughts on sport culture, discipline and commitment. The last topic is manga, which comes from Japan. We touch on the work ethic of manga artists and, generally, the culture at play.

• Thomas’ blog: https://blog.grappling.ca/.
• Thomas’ weekly BJJ newsletter: https://write.as/quantum-weekly/.

I already have scheduled meetings for the coming weeks. Expect more interesting conversations with diverse people from the community. And—don’t be shy!—join the list if you are interested.

Now I want to elaborate on some common questions or remarks I got.

You should invite PERSON!

Where PERSON is a placeholder for any of the well-known folks online.

I am not going to personally invite anybody. Not because I do not respect them, but due to the overarching theme of these videos, which can be summarised as “equal opportunity”.

Those interested are welcome to contact me. All are treated on the basis of “first come; first served” and are thus forming a line. I am not making special accommodations for anyone, which is consistent with the aforementioned theme.

The reason I am approaching it this way is to give everybody—whether famous or not—an equal chance to speak their mind and express that which is peculiar to them.

Is this an interview?

No. To me, an interview feels formal and structured. It proceeds along a predefined path. Whereas “Prot Asks” meetings are casual. I do not prepare any questions, have no script, and will not be formulaic. I will go with the flow based on the information you have given me and what I discern through our exchange.

Instead of an interview, think of it this way: you are at the restaurant, your friends have not shown up yet, and you start a chat with the waiter.

Will you ask private questions?

No. I do not seek “drama” and am not fond of trick questions. Remember to think of this as an everyday exchange you can have at a public space with a friendly fellow.

What I will ask about is matters of interest or ideas. When I do comment on something remotely personal, is the country you live in. Though you do not need to be specific in any way. It is just a way for me to ask generic follow-up questions like, “so you are from Greece, does this mean you also like café frappé?”.

I doubt I am interesting to talk to…

I wager you are fine, no matter your background or status. Everybody has something unique to share and I am curious to discover what that is. You focus on what you do. Let each viewer discern their own interpretation of “interesting” rather than try to anticipate it.

I state this with confidence, from my years doing team sports, to my university studies, time as a bartender, work at the European Parliament, and current coaching sessions. All distinct social settings and dynamics. Give a person a chance to speak their mind and they feel like they never did before.

Plus, as a philosopher (literally “friend of wisdom”) I have realised that my role is not to judge at the outset but to learn and to try to comprehend. This way, I do not fall in the trap of pretending to know more than I actually do.

How frequently will you publish a new video?

Depends on my availability. Right now, the meetings I have scheduled are for Wednesdays and Saturdays. Remember that I still need to work, continue my hut project, maintain my Emacs packages, and take care of the dogs. Plus, there can be bad weather, intermittent connectivity, and other unforeseen events. So we will see how it goes. I am content with the current expected cadence.

Make sure to post it everywhere!

I suppose you are not familiar with my publications and style. In short, I only publish on my website. Videos also appear on YouTube, which is the de facto hosting platform. Then I am off to tend to other activities and do not bother to ping anybody. I like things to happen organically. My laissez faire attitude keeps me calm, fresh, and freed from the distraction of chasing Internet points.

Let’s talk

Hopefully this clarifies things. I am always happy to answer any further questions. Just let me know.

In my 1-hour talk with Carlos, I learn more about how Emacs is used for engineering in tandem with octave-mode. Another Emacs-related topic is note-taking with Org and the use of LaTeX. At parts we talk about scientific publishing and freely accessible knowledge. Some of that relates to free/libre software and the values it has. We also discuss general issues about life in Spain.

The format should be casual: a ~1-hour chat where we start with things that interest us and then go with the flow of the conversation. There will be jokes or lighthearted moments and we can run off on tangential points. No problem; no stress! I will be posing questions that are general and friendly in nature to keep the discussion going. What the questions are will depend on the topic we are covering. This should not be an interview or debate: just an exchange between Internet folks who have things in common.

You do not need to have a strong presence online to qualify. I am willing to talk to anyone. Of course, if you do have public pages, you are welcome to promote them in the chat and I will provide the relevant links in the description of the video.

Are you interested to talk with me? All I ask of you is that (i) you agree to show your face on camera and (ii) agree that I publish the video on my YouTube channel and website.

Contact me and we will sort out the meeting details: https://protesilaos.com/contact. Also let me know if you have any further questions.

We can do this!

UPDATE 2025-07-14 20:47 +0300: I have a follow-up publication where I answer some common questions: https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2025-07-14-common-questions-about-prot-asks-videos-emacs-life/.