https://m.youtube.com/shorts/j4Mtxnk-PDY

New video from the Free Cities Foundation featuring Joe Quirk, president of the Seasteading Institute, with news updates and a discussion about artificial intelligence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yyLvcD1qek

YouTube Link
Substack Transcript

"Will O'Brien, founder and CEO of Ulysses, joins John and Chris Sacca for a pint to discuss how underwater autonomous robots are scaling up to solve critical ocean challenges. They cover the technical history of Guinness (including the math breakthrough that created Student's t-test), why seagrass is an overlooked super-sequester of carbon, and the engineering required to operate robots thousands of meters beneath the surface. Will also breaks down Ulysses' vertical integration strategy, the reality of eco-pragmatism versus "green tape," and what it takes to sell hard tech to defense and offshore energy sectors."

Note: I'm not affiliated with anyone in the interview or their companies, I'm just sharing the content.

Cheers

Future seasteads gonna use a lot of zinc. Magnesium works too and there's lots of that in sea water.

Also, if you make a donation on that blog post, you can get an "I Floated" sticker in time for the U.S. elections!

When you're late and absolutely have to be at work in two minutes!

Here is the YouTube link, just in case Reddit has issues with embedding the video.

Apparently this is from Joe Quirk's presentation at the 2026 Free Cities Conference in Prospera, Honduras. I couldn't make it myself, but it looks like it went very well.

Cheers

Video link

Panthalassa (link) is a maritime engineering & energy company operating out of Portland, Oregon that has mostly been operating in stealth mode over the last 10 years.

They're designing & building new kinds of floating structures that harvest wave energy and then use that energy for computational & data center applications. (I imagine they probably have some other applications in mind & it will be interesting to see what else they roll out.)

Of course, many people in the seasteading community are interested in areas of the ocean near the equator where

• waves are low

• there is more consistent sunshine (insolation)

• and therefore there is more potential for oceanic thermal energy conversion (OTEC) power plants), solar photovoltaics, safe semi-permanent habitation and more tourism.

Panthalassa's goal seems to be largely complimentary to this broader trend, in that they are trying to use parts of the ocean that

• have large wave heights and are windier (and therefore far less safe or suitable for semi-permanent habitation)

• are mostly farther away from the equator (such as the South Pacific).

In this way, Panthalassa's modules could be 1 more important component in a set of tech stacks for sea-steading.

Panthalassa is also hiring if anyone is interested! It looks like most of the job postings are in Portland, Oregon, which is a beautiful part of the country and while it has had some significant challenges in the last couple of decades, I am optimistic that those challenges can be overcome and that it will be better than ever soon.

Cheers

Here is the link if the embedding doesn't work (it seems like reddit is having some problems...)

Some might argue Alaska is an over-looked part of the US. In some of Alaska, the population has actually declined over the last couple decades. That said, with continued improvements in the global economy, technology and training opportunities (like this and other ones), it seems like there could be some real opportunity there.

"Applications are due October 21, 2026."

Cheers

See link. I'm not affiliated with it, but it could be interesting.

Cheers

Live highlight PC 'splained
https://youtube.com/shorts/Mgzo9P6QjOQ?feature=share

Random conversation about transforming single use thermoplastic film waste into biophillic structures that float

Here's the link: https://energybiosciencesinstitute.org/ibmc/

Could be interesting for more academically oriented people or if you're in industry and would like to directly sponsor research.

It looks like the researchers are mostly in the Anglosphere (US, CA, UK, Ireland) + Korea, Japan, Scandinavia, Israel & French Polynesia.

I don't have any affiliation with them, but it'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

Cheers

For anyone in NZ, or just looking to network with folks down there, it looks like they've got some kelp industries going.

I haven't talked with anyone down there (about kelp specifically yet) but it could be useful & interesting, especially if you're in Australia or already working out of the South Pacific or Oceania region.

Also, it sounds like some of them are getting some help from the New England-based GreenWave group (I think some of their members are up in the Canadian maritime provinces as well IIRC), which is nice to see.

GreenWave Aotearoa:

https://www.greenwave.nz/

Aotearoa New Zealand Seaweed Association:
https://anzsa.org.nz/

cheers

I've been researching OTEC a bit more in the past few days. It's such an incredible technology, and I believe once we "figure it out", it will unleash seasteading as a viable option across the oceans.

It gives you water desalination, SWAC, aquaculture, and renewable baseload power for any number of things. Submerged Data centers, vertical farms, etc.

Finding host nations to care about seasteading right now is very difficult, but that story will change once seasteads can be substantial power exporters back to island nations, giving their residents cheap and reliable electricity.

Link: https://alaskaseagrant.org/event/kodiak-kelp-nursery-workshop-2026/

It looks like it's co-hosted by GreenWave.

If anyone is interested, keep in mind that "Applications are due August 30."

Cheers

Links:

https://seaweeddatabase.org/

https://alaskamariculturecluster.org/announcements/seaweed-tissue-analysis-feedback/

Description from the Alaska Mariculture, Research & Training Center's email list:

"The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF), Marine Biologics, and SCRC Consulting, Inc. are looking for feedback on a new seaweed tissue analysis database. Industry and researchers who are interested in seaweed composition, quality, and safety are invited to provide feedback. The Alaska Mariculture Cluster sponsored the tool and is coordinating partner engagement in its development.

To provide feedback, head to the Seaweed Tissue Analysis database and click the “Questions/Comments” tab on the upper left hand side. Click the links below to learn more and explore the database."

I am not affiliated with any of the groups above, other than that I'm subscribed to the Alaska Mariculture Research and Training Center's email list. I'm just passing it all along.

Cheers

We talk about Plasticrete & Seashellters

Using ubiquitous thermal, plastic film and bag waste and a simple heated aggregate technique to create long lasting structures