David Sussillo (on foster care and neuroscience)
3/25/20261 hr 52 min
David Sussillo (Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mysteries of Mind) is a technologist, neuroscientist, and professor at Stanford University. David joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up with two parents that were addicts, experiencing extreme poverty throughout his childhood, and the joy of finding a best friend during that time. David and Dax talk about how the immersion and rules of video games amid the chaos of his life became the precursor to his research today, ending up in a series of group foster homes for several years, and his dream of going to college functioning as a protective shield for his future self. David explains being orphaned by the living while in foster care, the elation of receiving a full ride to Carnegie Mellon to study computer science, and the deep learning neural network research he now leads at Stanford.
Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://www.allstate.com/
Head to turbotax.com to find a store location near you and get matched with a TurboTax expert — with real-time updates in the iOS app.
This episode is sponsored by AppleTV. Learn more at: https://tinyurl.com/mr2caw2c
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Clips
Showing 10 of 11Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDax Shepard· Host0:00
Welcome, welcome, welcome to Armchair Expert, Experts on Expert. I'm Dan Shepherd. I'm joined by Lily Padman.
Monica Padman· Host0:05
Hi.
Dax Shepard· Host0:06
Today we have David Sussillo. He is a neuroscientist, a technologist, and an author, but don't let that sway you. [laughs] This isn't a tech-heavy- No, this is- This is a very personal story.
Monica Padman· Host0:19
Correct, and a very moving one.
Dax Shepard· Host0:21
Incredibly moving one about really growing up in a lot of public housing or- Yeah ... boy homes and- Homes ... homes, yeah.
Monica Padman· Host0:30
It, it's very connected to the, um, episode we had on foster care.
Dax Shepard· Host0:35
Yes.
Monica Padman· Host0:36
He mentions that a lot. He felt very seen by that episode, and this is kind of like that episode m- a personal story.
Dax Shepard· Host0:43
Yes, mixed with turning out to be a neuroscientist.
Monica Padman· Host0:46
Yes.
Dax Shepard· Host0:46
Uh, he has a book out. Uh, it's a memoir. It's called Emergence: A Memoir of Boyhood, Computation, and the Mystery of Mind. It's, uh, quite an incredible story. I was riveted. It's very moving and touching. Please enjoy David Sussillo. This episode of Armchair Expert is presented by Apple TV, the new US home of Formula 1.
Monica Padman· Host1:09
Ooh.
Dax Shepard· Host1:10
Starting March 7th, you can watch complete all-access live coverage of every Grand Prix, including practice, qualifying, and sprints all in one place. Watch every race live only on Apple TV. We are supported by Quince. Your wardrobe should make getting dressed effortless, but building a thoughtful wardrobe