Uploaded February 2023 | Updated September 2026, 51 minutes ago
03:00 - Where in France did you actually spend the majority of your time during the resistance?
04:56 - What training did you have?
08:00 - Why did there need to be a flip of a coin on who goes to the SAS and who doesn’t? (Why couldn’t you both go or both stay?)
11:40 - Thinking about trust, how could you determine a “true” resistance fighter from those that may be posing as part of the resistance?
18:00 - What methods did you use to exchange information and how did you know it was reliable?
20:10 - What strategies did you use that gave the resistance an advantage?
24:30 - What was your biggest risk taken being a spy for the French resistance?
29:15 - What did you learn from your experience?
34:29 - What was the name of your brother?
38:10 - Do you use any codes in the Resistance?
39:17 - When you were getting supplies, how did you figure out Suzanne was spying on you?
42:46 - Where did you get money for food and supplies?
45:24 - Who was your best friend or ally during the Resistance?
47:27 - Did you receive supplies from anywhere besides the British?
51:36 - How did it play out when you obtained the German vehicles?
56:20 - Were your supply drops always in the same place?
59:20 - Story from previous question about receiving a large supply of shoes
60:00 - Were you able to stay in contact with your friends after the war?
03:00 - Where in France did you actually spend the majority of your time during the resistance?
04:56 - What training did you have?
08:00 - Why did there need to be a flip of a coin on who goes to the SAS and who doesn’t? (Why couldn’t you both go or both stay?)
11:40 - Thinking about trust, how could you determine a “true” resistance fighter from those that may be posing as part of the resistance?
18:00 - What methods did you use to exchange information and how did you know it was reliable?
20:10 - What strategies did you use that gave the resistance an advantage?
24:30 - What was your biggest risk taken being a spy for the French resistance?
29:15 - What did you learn from your experience?
34:29 - What was the name of your brother?
38:10 - Do you use any codes in the Resistance?
39:17 - When you were getting supplies, how did you figure out Suzanne was spying on you?
42:46 - Where did you get money for food and supplies?
45:24 - Who was your best friend or ally during the Resistance?
47:27 - Did you receive supplies from anywhere besides the British?
51:36 - How did it play out when you obtained the German vehicles?
56:20 - Were your supply drops always in the same place?
59:20 - Story from previous question about receiving a large supply of shoes
60:00 - Were you able to stay in contact with your friends after the war?
![223: Media Minimalism, Primary Sources, and Reclaiming Attention with Kira Shishkin
We are living in a noise economy. With the rise of AI and the speed of digital media, our attention is constantly being hijacked by clickbait, solicitation, and outrage. But what if we treated our news consumption like a healthy diet? What if we stripped away the commentary and went straight to the primary source?
In this episode, I sit down with Kira Shishkin, the founder and CEO of informed, a news concierge service designed to beat misinformation overload. We discuss the philosophy of media minimalism and why protecting your attention is the most critical investment you can make as an adult.
We also get into the weeds of the creative and entrepreneurial mindset. Kira shares his personal frameworks for leveling up quality of thought from writing to speaking to publishing and offers advice on why perfect is the enemy of done. Whether you are an educator, a student, or just someone looking to quiet the noise, this conversation offers a blueprint for staying curious and reclaiming your mental space.
Access the Show
All platforms & past episodes: https://coffeeforthebrain.com/podcasts/
Listen & Subscribe:
[Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify] | [YouTube] | [Simplecast]
Key Takeaways:
Attention is a Superpower: Why losing the ability to focus is a loss of personal power, and how to safeguard your attention footprint.
Primary Sources vs. Commentary: The importance of reading the original documents (like a Supreme Court opinion) rather than relying on biased analysis from talking heads.
Quality of Thought: A three-step framework for better thinking: write it down, speak it to a human, and publish it publicly to face scrutiny.
Bias for Action: Why you should ship version zero and fix it later, rather than waiting for perfection.
The Power of Helping: How the simple act of helping one person without strings attached is the root of true entrepreneurship.
Guest Connection
Kira Shishkin on LinkedIn: Connect here
informed Website: informed.now
Quotes
News readership as the biggest investment you can make in yourself as an adult... keeping in touch with the world as espousing a curiosity for the environment in which you are.
Attention is the human superpower. Whatever your superpower is, it gets unlocked through your attention.
We focus on significance. We dont focus on things that will trigger you... We focus on things that are going to change the world.
Perfect is the enemy of done... You would rather get a version zero out there in the world... than wait for double or triple the time to figure out some sort of perfect version.
Resources mentioned in this episode
Try informed: Kira has set up a custom keyword for our listeners. You can text the word coffeechug to 844-406-INFO (4636) to test it out.
Recent Feature: Check out informed on the front page of the International Business Times: infmd.co/ibt
Launch Post: Leave a supportive comment or repost on the informed launch post to get a free month.
Support the Show
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend or colleague who might benefit from these discussions. Your reviews and shares help me find new guests and perspectives to the show. 223: Media Minimalism, Primary Sources, and Reclaiming Attention with Kira Shishkin](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7VDygaDum4o/mqdefault.jpg)
![182: Unlocking Cyborg Skills: Enhancing Human Cognition with AI With Justin Germishuys
In this episode, I am so excited to share this chat with Justin Germishuys. Justin is the founder of Germinotion. He is an insatiable generalist who weaves solutions using strands from learning design, behavioural design, data analytics, AI and more. He has a particular interest in using AI to supplement and enhance human reasoning. Between projects, you will find him reading P.G. Wodehouse and eating chocolate biscuits.
Challenges & Goals
Justins main challenge is navigating the complex intersections of psychology, philosophy, technology, and education to create an effective model for integrating AI into human cognition. His goal is to develop a new paradigm that views humans as cyborgs in the Andy Clark sense - beings whose minds naturally extend into their environment through tools and technologies.
Surprising Takeaways
One surprising takeaway from this conversation was the concept of cyborg skills, which are not only about how humans can extend themselves with technology but also about what new cognitive processes become possible when we think about ourselves as cyborgs.
Risk vs Reward
The risks discussed include fears related to cheating and instructional practice changes when integrating AI into education. Theres also mention of societal harm due to unanticipated consequences, such as those seen with social media. On the other hand, rewards include overcoming cognitive biases, enhancing productivity, creativity, decision-making processes, identifying bias or poor argumentation in texts using AI, detecting diseases like cancer more accurately than humans.
Emerging Patterns
Need for a paradigm shift in how we view our minds and their relationship with technology.
Emphasis on viewing AI not just as a tool for productivity but as a means to enhance human capabilities.
The idea of cyborg skills as an essential part of future education.
Key Moments
Our brains just naturally through the way that we form mental models… incorporate tools and as we use them fluently, they become an extension of our minds.
If were not providing [students] with what Ive started calling cyborg skills… then were doing them a disservice.
[AI] will largely be populated by cyborgs in the Andy Clark sense of the word.
Key Moments
Our brains just naturally through the way that we form mental models… incorporate tools and as we use them fluently, they become an extension of our minds.
If were not providing [students] with what Ive started calling cyborg skills… then were doing them a disservice.
[AI] will largely be populated by cyborgs in the Andy Clark sense of the word.
Humans need AI tools to enhance their performance beyond natural capabilities.
AI can help overcome cognitive biases by providing more objective analysis and reasoning in complex situations.
Our value lies not just in critical thinking and creativity but also in our unique experiences and imaginations.
RESOURCES
Justin on LinkedIn
Justin website https://germinotion.com/
Andy Clark Book Publications
The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded Edition 182: Unlocking Cyborg Skills: Enhancing Human Cognition with AI With Justin Germishuys](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7VJymf9qGFE/mqdefault.jpg)








