What happens when reverse engineering, psychological warfare, and quantum physics collide?

In this episode, Joe Mattia and Christopher Smith (founder of Quantus Network) unpack some of the most fascinating and mind-bending stories from the world of computer science, cryptography, and consciousness.

From Chris Domas' legendary DEFCON talk on reverse engineering tricks — where compilers could literally mess with analysts by showing them photos of their families inside IDA Pro — to rewriting GCC with a single x86 instruction, this conversation explores the art of digital mischief and the philosophy beneath it.

They dive into the mysteries of hidden CPUs inside Intel chips, quantum key distribution as the bridge between security and physics, and how placebo and nocebo effects reveal the coded nature of reality itself.

A journey through hacking, metaphysics, and human perception — where code meets consciousness.

⏱ Chapters

00:00 – Intro: Reverse Engineering, DEFCON, and the Hacker's Mindset

02:00 – Chris Domas' Compiler Trick: Code That Hacks the Analyst

04:00 – Rewriting GCC with a Single x86 Instruction

06:00 – The Psychology of Reverse Engineering

08:00 – The Hidden CPU Inside Intel Chips

10:00 – Intel Management Engine and Invisible Architecture

12:00 – The Art of Obfuscation and Cyber Misdirection

14:00 – Security Research as Modern Magic

16:00 – Quantum Key Distribution and Unbreakable Encryption

18:00 – Entanglement, Distance, and the Physics of Communication

20:00 – How Quantum Physics Mirrors Consciousness

22:00 – The Observer Effect and the Nature of Perception

24:00 – Placebo, Nocebo, and the Power of Belief

26:00 – Mind Over Matter: The Science of Perception

28:00 – When Physics Becomes Spirituality

30:00 – Reality as Code — and Consciousness as the Compiler

33:00 – Closing Reflections: What Is Real?

Christopher Smith

https://x.com/YuviLightman

Joe Mattia

https://x.com/JoeMattia

Quantus Network

https://www.quantus.com/

https://t.me/quantusnetwork

https://linktr.ee/quantusnetwork