2025: The Dawn of Energy Abundance | TOO CHEAP TO METER Film S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2026-09-21 | 2025: The Dawn of Energy Abundance | TOO CHEAP TO METER Film
The Founder Challenging Modern Aviation | Astro Mechanica S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2026-05-09 | For decades, commercial aviation has barely changed.The Boeing 747 went from concept to flight in just a few years. Today, new commercial aircraft programs can take decades to develop, while true innovation in passenger flight has slowed to a crawl. But one company believes aviation doesn’t have to stay this way.In Episode 71 of S³, we see how Astro Mechanica is building a radically different vision for the future of flight: adaptive jet engines, point-to-point supersonic travel, and aircraft designed from the engine forward.This video is sponsored by E1 Ventures — a firm backing the founders building on the frontier. The ones turning science fiction into fact — from deep tech to deep space. https://e1.vc/ To celebrate this episode, we created a limited edition S³ tee inspired by the vision of faster flight and the future of aviation. You can grab yours here: https://saturdaystartupstories.myshopify.com. It’s a limited-edition drop, available for 14 days only, and won’t be restocked. CHAPTER: 0:00 - Introduction: Supersonic vision1:22 - Engine Development: Gen 4 subscale testing2:23 - Aircraft Roadmap: The multi-stage plan from 5-passenger jets to 100-passenger airliners3:01 - Scaling Strategy: Incremental growth through unmanned systems 4:49 - Company Philosophy6:24 - Engineering Culture: Adopting a "rocketry" mindset for speed and rapid innovation8:01 - System Integration9:29 - OutroFollow Astro Mechanica: astromecha.co Contact S3 at S3@story.inc
The SpaceX of the Ocean | Ulysses S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2026-04-25 | They watched S³… now they’re building the ocean. For Episode 70 of S3 we go underwater to see MAKO tested in Lake Tahoe, CA and meet the ~mostly Irish founding team building the future of maritime logistics.If you’d like to support our work and look like a million bucks, you can grab our custom Ulysses S³ Episode Tee saturdaystartupstories.myshopify.com It’s a limited-edition drop, available for 14 days only, and won’t be restocked. In partnership with Ulysses, 20% of profits will go to support the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. CHAPTERS:0:00 - Introduction: The SpaceX of the Ocean0:43 - MAKO Testing at Lake Tahoe1:27 - The Challenges of Underwater Robotics2:22 - Meet the Team and the MAKO Drone3:23 - Founding Story and Early Inspiration5:55 - Fundraising and Scaling Operations6:32 - Developing the Platform and Solving for Cost7:33 - Modularity: The Seagrass Injector and Future Customization8:52 - Manufacturing and Scaling Production9:25 - System Interaction: Leviathan, Kraken, and Launch/Recovery10:24 - Overcoming Technical Challenges and Customer Use Cases12:51 - The Future of Ulysses: A Global Maritime Network13:48 - Full Circle: Ulysses and S314:35 - S3 Returns: Science, Startups, and StoriesFollow Ulysses: theoceancompany.com
THE GREATEST LIE (2026) | OFFICIAL SHORT FILM S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2026-04-07 | To those who know, for those that don't.Dedicated to all authors & educators everywhere.Written & Directed by Jason CarmanFull credits and information about the film at www.story.inc/lie
For VFX on The Greatest Lie, we chose quality over quantity. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2026-04-01 | Come and see The Greatest Lie, April 2nd at the Palace of Fine Arts.
Names in storytelling have always had deeper significance than what’s on the surface. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2026-03-31 | ...
The ’60s built rockets. Today, bureaucracy builds delays. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-12-15 | ...
The SF-LA Bullet Train California Never Got S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-12-13 | I really like trains.And as a Californian, I'm sad we don't have really fast ones. So we made this video to figure out: Why doesn't California have a fast train line?This video is sponsored by E1 Ventures — a firm backing the founders building on the frontier. The ones turning science fiction into fact — from deep tech to deep space. https://e1.vc/CHAPTERS:0:00 Where Trains Actually Make Sense3:51 Timeline5:28 Sponsor6:43 Physics vs. Geology8:50 How the Project Went Off the Rails10:53 AlternativesLINKS:Substack post: open.substack.com/pub/storycompany/p/californias-missing-bullet-train?r=49lgke&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueJason's website post: jasoncarman.com/California's+Missing+Bullet+TrainJoshua's X profile: https://x.com/JoshuaKDominicDreamstar Lines: dreamstarlines.comCasey's company: terraformindustries.comCasey's X profile: https://x.com/CJHandmerCheck out our previous video featuring Casey: youtube.com/watch?v=BJJ8rPxQO2k&feature=youtu.beWe weren’t able to obtain full accreditation for all clips used. Below are the top source videos featured in this piece.youtube.com/watch?v=FgHSYHXFfwgyoutube.com/watch?v=Qaf6baEu0_wyoutube.com/watch?v=Uor-oJOfOcQyoutube.com/watch?v=9LUimbXkFCMyoutube.com/watch?v=SOv-3EFdSZw
Convincing a Pixar veteran to work on our sci-fi short film. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-12-12 | ...
How we prepped our sci-fi short film in just 1 week. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-12-09 | ...
Building isn’t just work in El Segundo — it’s culture. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-12-07 | ...
The concept for our first sci-fi short: Building an artificial planet. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-12-01 | ...
How the US Gov Is Thinking About AI S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-11-29 | In this AI revolution, what does policy look like? We talked to the writers and experts on two key federal policy documents to learn more.SBS Comms works with teams pushing into the unknown, transforming complex breakthroughs into stories that resonate with the world. If you’re chasing a frontier as big as AI, they’re the ones you want in your corner. sbscomms.comCHAPTERS:0:00 How do we regulate AI?1:23 A new Space Race1:58 What do these documents actually say?3:38 Sponsor!3:57 The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights5:03 America's AI Action Plan7:31 Another perspective on America's AI policy11:23 How do we stay flexible?LINKS:Substack post: open.substack.com/pub/storycompany/p/the-most-important-tech-policy-since?r=49lgke&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=trueJason's website post: jasoncarman.com/The+Most+Important+Tech+Policy+Since+the+Space+RaceSuresh X profile: https://x.com/geomblogCenter for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination, and Redesign: https://cntr.brown.edu/Dean Ball X profile: https://x.com/deanwballFoundation for American Innovation: thefai.orgMackenzie Arnold X profile: https://x.com/MackenZ_arnoldLawAI: law-ai.orgBlueprint for an AI Bill of Rights: bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Blueprint-for-an-AI-Bill-of-Rights.pdfAmerica's AI Action Plan document: whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Americas-AI-Action-Plan.pdf
The $30B Problem No Startup Can Solve S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-11-15 | What if the secret to saving American chip manufacturing is -- Intel?We talked with Kyle Harrison of Contrary Research to learn more about their recent article.Our sponsor today is SBS Comms — a communications partner for tech teams pushing into uncharted territory. They focus on quality over quantity, chase the opportunities others miss, and craft the kind of stories that genuinely shape a company’s future. sbscomms.comCHAPTERS:0:00 Saving American chip MFG0:45 The threat1:33 "Build"2:50 "Borrow"5:00 Sponsor!5:30 Why are fabs so hard?6:35 The Intel story9:45 "Buy"11:53 CHIPS Act12:15 Alternatives?LINKS:Substack post: storycompany.substack.com/p/intel-you-are-our-only-hope?r=49lgke&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=trueJason's website post: jasoncarman.com/Intel%2C+You're+Our+Only+HopeContrary: contrary.comKyle's X profile: https://x.com/kwharrison13?lang=enKyle's article: research.contrary.com/deep-dive/building-an-american-tsmcCheck out our previous video on light speed computers: youtu.be/wBqfzj6CEzI?si=6W8J-RDZSftU6bCaAnd this one on the next era of computing: youtu.be/wBqfzj6CEzI?si=6W8J-RDZSftU6bCaWe weren’t able to obtain full accreditation for all clips used. Below are the top source videos featured in this piece.youtube.com/watch?v=WHat_LYrpQEyoutube.com/watch?v=_waPvOwL9Z8youtube.com/watch?v=WKHKy89QaV0youtube.com/watch?v=CRZZETQguEoyoutube.com/watch?v=fvSDUdJHo6kyoutube.com/watch?v=mvynjSt2EXMyoutube.com/watch?v=4-x2bp61C5Eyoutube.com/watch?v=6W56ngxjDu0youtube.com/watch?v=AfxUq_QrpyY
The final frontier of hardware? It’s not AI—it’s nanotech. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-11-04 | ...
Inside Californias New Silicon Valley (El Segundo) S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-11-01 | You may have heard of "The Gundo," along with all of its controversy...But how did it start? Who started it? And where is it headed?This video is sponsored by SBS Comms, a PR firm focused specifically on technology companies: sbscomms.comEpisode featuring Picogrid (Zane's company): youtu.be/TFqgIDwhtmIEpisode featuring Rainmaker (Augustus's company): youtu.be/xYDIq1Yj69QAbundance Institute video we made featuring Augustus: youtu.be/QaqzeD99sy0Episode featuring Rangeview (Cameron's company): youtu.be/THT3lyiGsowVideo we made for Cameron's company, Rangeview: youtu.be/YCKYt4bq7nwBehind the Scenes of Rangeview ad: youtu.be/AKDoofS3uvQVideo we made for Isaiah's company, Valar: https://x.com/isaiah_p_taylor/status/1921962991370604718
The definition of Nanotechnology from its inventor: Norio Taniguchi S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-10-31 | ...
USA’s Secret $45B Science Project S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-10-25 | I spoke with 3 experts in microscopy, chemistry, and policy and asked: What is the state of Nanotechnology in 2025?The frontier of nanotechnologies shows us that even at the small scales great change comes from people daring enough to build — and that’s the kind of work sponsor of this video E1 ventures champions: https://e1.vc/
The Truth About American Innovation S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-10-18 | Is there such a thing as American Science?One thing’s for certain: From the Gilded Age to World War II, science has changed in America… Where’s it going next?
How we used CGI to make Planet look and feel massive. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-10-07 | ...
How We Made PLANET (Behind The Scenes) S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-10-06 | 1 week ago we released Planet, but we began the journey to make this film almost a year ago.This is the story of how we did it.Watch the full film here: youtu.be/JGLoTjxd-Ss
Every sci-fi film starts with a story—here’s ours. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-29 | ...
PLANET (2025) | Official Short Film S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-27 | Set in the year 2730 IA, Dr. Evren Kon dares to think beyond a United Council request to build an orbital supercomputer and proposes an idea far bolder: a plan to build an artificial planet. The film takes place during the final century of the project.MARKETING FOR PLANETOfficial Trailer for Planet: youtu.be/c6xfc8o6bWIPremiering our first short film!: youtube.com/shorts/mOuMqRRgxjA?feature=shareThis is Clay and he spent 25 years at Pixar!: youtube.com/shorts/NK0S2YadTHE?feature=shareBuilding grand, beautiful things matters.: youtube.com/shorts/CAjP9gdY7Zk?feature=shareHere are the 5 steps to make a sci-fi short film.: youtube.com/shorts/8ZEp_l2DBrI?feature=shareI've been making movies with my best friends for 10 years: youtube.com/shorts/VQG6GCtOCiQ?feature=shareWe made over 100 documentaries with real scientists, so we could make the best sci-fi short film. : youtube.com/shorts/xQaqX9aHBQE?feature=shareHere's a quick summary of our short film, Planet. : youtube.com/shorts/xQaqX9aHBQE?feature=shareIn 10 days we'll premiere our fist sci-fi film, Planet.: https://x.com/jasonjoyride/status/1965828472829522354Here's the Behind the Scenes of making Planet: youtu.be/JgmtxdqebAk
Here’s a quick summary of our short film, Planet. Releasing here on our channel this weekend! S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-19 | ...
We made over 100 documentaries with real scientists, so we could go make the best sci-fi short film. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-18 | ...
I’ve been making movies with my best friends for 10 years. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-17 | ...
Here are the 5 steps to make a sci-fi short film. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-15 | Join us on September 20th at the Palace of Fine Arts for the premiere!Tickets are available at palaceoffinearts.org/event/planet---a-story-company-film.See you then!
Building grand, beautiful things matters. S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-14 | The PoFA embodies that spirit — and it's what our movie Planet is all about.
This is Clay, and he spent 25 years at Pixar! S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-13 | Now he's our Concept Director at Story and led the CGI for Planet, our first fiction film.
Premiering our first short film! S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-13 | For the past year, we’ve been working on creating our very first sci-fi short film! 🎥Planet is the story of a man named Dr. Evren Kon, who dares to believe he can build an artificial planet, from scratch. 🪐Join us on September 20th, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, as we share this film with the world. 🌉Tickets are available online at the Palace of Fine Arts website (link in our bio)!Can’t wait to see you there.
Come See Our First Sci-Fi Movie S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-10 | For the past year, we've been making a sci-fi film — inspired by all of the engineers, scientists, and builders we've met. It premieres September 20th in SF and will be online the following day. Tickets here: palaceoffinearts.org/event/planet---a-story-company-film
The Robot Steve Jobs Would Have Built S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-09-06 | Robotics is stuck in big, expensive, corpo land.Just like computers were in the 1970s... until Apple came along and built some in a garage. This is the new era of robotics: personal.See the ad we made for Innate here: https://x.com/ax_pey/status/1963999607639429612
How They Became America’s #1 Manufacturer S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-08-31 | This is the story of America's most underrated manufacturer: SendCutSend.We made an ad for SendCutSend featuring 10 of their customers: youtu.be/cue2O0QKb5wThread on their customers: https://x.com/jasonjoyride/status/1961511532803891563
The Secret to Accelerating Longevity S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-08-23 | A few months ago my friend Martin texted me with an idea: What if there was a "$ per kg to Orbit metric for Longevity?"This was not very long after we made New Space — a film about the recent renaissance of spaceflight thanks to SpaceX's work in reducing the cost of launch — or, optimizing the cost per kilogram to orbit.This is a lovely framework to consider accelerating other fields through: are there "master metrics" that can clearly be measured and if optimized drive unbelievable growth? So, what should these metrics look like?So on Martin's recommendation, I embarked upon a quest to search for a "$/kg to orbit" for longevity! This video chronicles the answers I found.0:00 Immortality0:43 What is aging? 3:30 Sponsor!4:07 A $ / kg to orbit5:10 Healthy years / $6:08 Experiments / time8:00 Who cares?
We Made a Film About Making Parts in America S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-08-15 | Our first Behind The Scenes video ever — "Will you answer?" made by Story for Rangeview, an investment casting company working to reindustrialize America.FULL FILM: youtu.be/YCKYt4bq7nwThis was a very special project for me. Cameron and I met 2 years ago back when we were doing S3, since then we've become close friends. Around 1 year ago, Cameron told me he wanted to make a video unlike any other startup launch video out there. Something cinematic, slow, and intentional. Around December of 2024, we started playing with the concept of a father speaking to his son about the legacy of the 20th century. We started shooting around April 2025. Cameron and I decided to dedicate this film to our dads who have both had such a huge impact on our lives and the way we view the world. RANGEVIEW: www.rangeview.com/careersCREDITSDirected by Jason CarmanProduced by StoryWritten by Cameron SchillerJason CarmanOriginal Score bySisterCastKidLuke LawrenceDadGarrett MartinWorkerJake AriaFinance GuyLuke ShepherdDennis VizzinaPeterson GrindingEl Segundo, CASoldierSedrick BurkesKid BuilderOdysseus GallagherAstronautAngelina BrowerProducersMaxie HarringtonRyan LeeAssistant ProducerKatelyn ReidStory Gaffer & CameraGeun Woo “Kevin” KalLA GafferSean MurphyDirector of PhotographyJason CarmanKentucky Unit (AGA Productions)Corey McCartneyRon FordBrandan DavisDominique RigginsSpecial ThanksPeterson GrindingAlameda ShipyardSan Francisco Film Commission Aerotec AlloysVulcan MetalsSeth BannonForDean Schiller& John CarmanVFX & CGIJason CarmanCody RedmerCHAPTER TITLES0:00 It's time to build1:54 The smart way to found a startup5:46 Behind the scenes!13:11 Will you answer?
How to LAND on the Moon in 2025 (ft. Firefly) S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-07-09 | Before only NATIONS successfully landed on the moon... In 2025 that changed. On the day, we captured the nerves, risk, and story of how (in just 3 years) Firefly Space did it.This video is sponsored by Flow Engineering — the modern AGILE engineering platform used by a plethora of other companies I've featured in the channel!
Coal: Earths Buried Energy | Too Cheap to Meter S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-06-07 | Coal: when prehistoric forests became the fuel of human progress.
Americas Love Affair with Oil | Too Cheap to Meter S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-06-01 | America's fascination with movement made oil the perfect partner. A nation and an energy source that shaped each other.
When Standard Oil Solved Sour Crude | Too Cheap to Meter S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-05-26 | They bought the crude oil nobody wanted and invented a way to refine it.
Space: Where Risk Meets Progress | New Space S3 | Science, Startups, & Stories 2025-05-24 | New frontiers are going to be hard. That’s what makes them worth it.
