Professor Luis Seco is a mathematician, educator, and investor.
Among many other titles and achievements, he is the Professor of Mathematics at the University of Toronto, Director of the quant research hub Risklab, Chair of the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Fields Institute, and co-founder of the asset management firm Sigma Analysis & Management Ltd.
Got all that?!
This one was really fun, and not just because Luis is a fellow quant. We discuss how maths resembles Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the future of the ‘metaversity’, the most important lesson Luis gives his students, why investing is becoming a different game, and much more.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that’s interesting!”, check out our Substack - https://8ca54796.streaklinks.com/CJPd0z7cXCh07hc4JAiMaKTC/https%3A%2F%2Fnewsletter.osv.llc%2F.
Important Links:
- Website - https://seco.risklab.ca/
- Twitter - https://x.com/ProfLuisSeco
- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/luisangelseco
Show Notes:
0:00:00 Intro
0:00:50 Main podcast
0:01:40 What Luis learned from the Beethoven of mathematics
0:05:35 Mathematics is the language computers speak
0:08:44 The role of community in an increasingly confusing world
0:13:15 Lifelong education & the voyage to the human brain
0:19:29 Why to teach is to be human
0:24:08 Timebinding & social media as a steam valve
0:29:01 What matters more - content or communication?
0:39:19 Math as a social science: quantifying risk in a nonlinear world
0:47:50 From paper, to numbers, to images: The changing nature of data
0:52:24 Why the future of education lies in decentralization
1:07:28 Swarm solutions & why we’re in the century of collaboration
1:13:04 Metaversities & the case for bringing your kids to work
1:21:43 Why managing money is now based on words, not numbers
1:27:40 Luis as Emperor of the World
Books Mentioned:
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; by Douglas Adams
- The Two Cultures; by C.P. Snow
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert M. Pirsig
- Manhood of Humanity; by Alfred Korzybski
- How to Win Friends and Influence People; by Dale Carnegie
- The Myth of 1926: How Much Do We Know About Long-Term Returns on U.S. Stocks? - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247907549_The_Myth_of_1926_How_Much_Do_We_Know_About_Long-Term_Returns_on_US_Stocks; by Edward F. Mcquarrie
