Zvi Mowshowitz is an American writer specializing in artificial intelligence. He is a former competitive Magic: The Gathering player, and was CEO of MetaMed, a defunct medical research analysis firm.
| Zvi Mowshowitz | |
|---|---|
 Zvi Mowshowitz playing poker at the Manifold conference in 2023 | |
| Born | 8 January 1979 |
| Residence | New York, NY, USA |
| Nationality |  American |
| Pro Tour debut | 1998 Pro Tour Los Angeles |
| Winnings | US$ 147,010[1] |
| Pro Tour wins (Top 8) | 1 (4)[2] |
| Grand Prix wins (Top 8) | 2 (9)[3] |
| Lifetime Pro Points | 261[4] |
| Planeswalker Level | 47 (Archmage) |
Career
editMowshowitz was the CEO of MetaMed, a medical research analysis firm.[5] After that, he worked at Jane Street Capital.[6] He also attempted to launch an online trading card game, Emergents.[7]
Magic: The Gathering
editMowshowitz held a developer intern position at Wizards of the Coast Magic R&D.[citation needed]
Mowshowitz is known for having created innovative and sometimes game-breaking decks TurboZvi and My Fires. His first-place finishes include a Pro Tour and a Grand Prix. He has placed in the top eight of four Pro Tours, and earned over $140,000 playing Magic competitively.[8] In 2007, Mowshowitz was elected into the Magic Hall of Fame.[9]
Mowshowitz was also an avid internet writer on gaming, previously with The Dojo, Mindripper, Brainburst, StarCityGames, and then for the official Magic website MagicTheGathering.com.[8] In April 2006, he stopped writing for MagicTheGathering.com.[citation needed]
Top 8 appearances
edit| Season | Event type | Location | Format | Date | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Grand Prix | Boston | Block Constructed | 5–6 September 1998 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Pro Tour | New York | Block Constructed | 30 April–2 May 1999 | 3 |
| 1998–99 | Grand Prix | Washington D.C. | Limited | 19–20 June 1999 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Nationals | Special | 2–4 July 1999 | 4 | |
| 1998–99 | Worlds | Yokohama | National team | 4–8 August 1999 | 1 |
| 1999–00 | Invitational | Kuala Lumpur | Special | 2–5 March 2000 | 3 |
| 2000–01 | Grand Prix | Manchester | Limited | 7–8 October 2000 | 8 |
| 2000–01 | Pro Tour | Chicago | Standard | 1–3 December 2000 | 7 |
| 2000–01 | Pro Tour | Tokyo | Block Constructed | 16–18 March 2001 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | Masters | Barcelona | Booster Draft | 1–4 May 2001 | 4 |
| 2001–02 | Masters | New Orleans | Booster Draft | 31 October–3 November 2001 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | Masters | Osaka | Team Limited | 14–17 March 2002 | 5 |
| 2001–02 | Grand Prix | New Jersey | Team Limited | 29–30 June 2002 | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | New Orleans | Extended | 3–4 January 2003 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Boston | Limited | 22–23 February 2003 | 7 |
| 2002–03 | Masters | Yokohama | Booster Draft | 8–11 May 2003 | 5 |
| 2002–03 | Grand Prix | Pittsburgh | Team Limited | 31 May–1 June 2003 | 1 |
| 2003–04 | Grand Prix | Atlanta | Standard | 29–30 August 2003 | 5 |
| 2003–04 | Invitational | Los Angeles | Special | 11–13 May 2004 | 4 |
| 2012–13 | Grand Prix | Portland | Modern | 11–12 May 2013 | 3 |
Last updated: 12 May 2013
Source: Wizards.com
Other accomplishments
edit- Magic Hall of Fame class of 2007
Writing
editSince then has focused more on writing on Substack, LessWrong and his blog, all under the name "Don't Worry about the Vase". He focusses on variety of topics, but primarily on Artificial intelligence, Economics and the COVID-19 pandemic, when the pandemic was ongoing.[10] As part of this work he also founded Balsa Research, a nonprofit think tank which focuses on the repeal of the Jones Act, increasing the housing supply and reform of the National Environmental Policy Act.[11]
Personal life
editMowshowitz is the son of American biochemist Deborah Mowshowitz.
Mowshowitz is an alumnus of Columbia University and holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics.[12][13]
Further reading
edit- Kushner, David (2005). Jonny Magic and the Card Shark Kids : how a gang of geeks beat the odds and stormed Las Vegas. Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6407-4.
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ "Top 200 All-Time Money Leaders". Wizards of the Coast. 2 October 2014. Archived from the original on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
- ^ "Lifetime Pro Tour Top 8s". Archived from the original on 14 March 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "Lifetime Grand Prix Top 8s". Archived from the original on 17 January 2006. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "Lifetime Pro Points". Archived from the original on 18 December 2005. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
- ^ "Our Scientists, Doctors & Researchers". MetaMed. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ "AI #72: Denying the Future". 11 July 2024.
- ^ Hackett, Robert; Roberts, Jeff John (13 June 2020). "Emergents: Zvi Mowshowitz's quest to shake up the video game business". Fortune. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Magic Pro Tour Hall of Fame Profiles – Zvi Mowshowitz". Wizards of the Coast. 2007. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
- ^ "The Class of 2007". Wizards of the Coast. 7 September 2007. Archived from the original on 9 September 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
- ^ Mowshowitz, Zvi (13 December 2023). "The Best of Don't Worry About the Vase". Don't Worry About the Vase. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "FAQ". Balsa Research. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "LinkedIn Profile". LinkedIn. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
- ^ "Should we halt progress in AI? Reflections on our interview with Zvi Mowshowitz". 16 May 2023.