Keith Alexander

2 appearances on the record.

computed by AI from the episodes · how this works → · full disclaimer →

13statements → 8claims → 3claims resolved → 33%fully supported → 3.92/5average certainty → 1.31/5average debate potential → ≈4.5/5argument clarity, estimated → 8said about them ↓

1 supported 0 partly supported 2 contradicted 2 not yet assessed 3 not checkable as stated how the 8 claims stand · each chip opens the sources

8 assertions · 2 opinions · 3 insights · every statement was checked. The predictions and assertions are the 8 claims: statements the public record can support or contradict. 3 are resolved, 2 are not yet assessed, and 3 name no date, number or outcome precise enough to check. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Keith argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

Their most notable supported claim

Assertion Supported
Alexander Funded His PhD by Winning Walk-On-Water Shoe Competitions
“And I built these shoes to compete in this competition and I managed to win the competition two years in a row, and then won a third one in Auckland, and that helped fund my PhD.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 5:50 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)

Their most notable contradicted claim

Assertion Contradicted
Giant Conductive Ring at South Pole Could Launch Objects Into Space
“In the end, one of the best ideas would be to go to the south magnetic pole and put a big ring of conductor material around the magnetic field there and put a huge current through it, and it would actually fly into space.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 9:13 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)

How they sound: not measured why? →

We measure speaking style by listening to the audio itself, and a fair number needs at least 2,000 words from one person on tape we have measured. There is too little of Keith Alexander on measured tape to publish a rate. This says nothing about how they speak.

Everything Keith Alexander said on How I Built This that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Assertion Contradicted
Giant Conductive Ring at South Pole Could Launch Objects Into Space
“In the end, one of the best ideas would be to go to the south magnetic pole and put a big ring of conductor material around the magnetic field there and put a huge current through it, and it would actually fly into space.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 9:13 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Insight
Alexander: Traditional trampolines injure kids via perimeter bars and spring gaps
“The traditional trampoline has got a steel bar around the outside edge and springs right beside it. And then the mat that you jump on in the middle, and I can see that it's dangerous because the accident rates have gone up, and it's pretty obvious. You give th…”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 12:07 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Insight
Alexander: Angling flexible trampoline rods at 45 degrees prevents impalement on impact
“These things are sticking straight up, and if you're on a trampoline on the top, and you fell on it, because they're vertical, if you fell right on the edge, you can impale yourself on them. So what if we laid them over so that they're 45 degrees? Then if you …”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 17:36 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Opinion
Alexander: Engineering Professors Need Practical Experience to Be Valid Teachers
“I don't think I'm a valid teacher of engineering unless I've got some engineering experience.”
Keith Alexander Apr 1, 2019 ▶ 6:45 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes
Opinion
Alexander: Traditional Trampolines Are Dangerous Due to Steel Frames and Springs
“Traditional trampoline has got a steel bar around the outside edge and springs right beside it, and then the mat that you jump on in the middle, and I can see that it's dangerous because the accident rates have gone up, and it's pretty obvious. You give this n…”
Keith Alexander Apr 1, 2019 ▶ 12:01 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes
Insight
Alexander: Angling Fiberglass Rods at 45 Degrees Prevents Trampoline Impalement
“These things are sticking straight up, and if you're on a trampoline on the top, and you fell on it, because they're vertical, if you fell right on the edge, you could impale yourself on them. So what if we laid them over so that they're 45 degrees? Then if yo…”
Keith Alexander Apr 1, 2019 ▶ 17:29 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes
Assertion Supported
Alexander Funded His PhD by Winning Walk-On-Water Shoe Competitions
“And I built these shoes to compete in this competition and I managed to win the competition two years in a row, and then won a third one in Auckland, and that helped fund my PhD.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 5:50 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Assertion Contradicted
Alexander: New Zealand research showed a rise in trampoline injuries
“Even in New Zealand, there'd been some research done on the increase in injuries from trampolines. And I thought, well, they really are dangerous.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 11:01 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Alexander: Material costs for early inflatable trampoline prototype were about $800
“Number one, the material cost for that was about 800 dollars. Back at that time. Just the material costs. So there's no manufacturing in that at all.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 14:36 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Alexander: New Zealand's top trampoline maker sold 400 units annually
“I looked in the yellow pages. I found the biggest trampoline manufacturer in New Zealand. He was selling 400 trampolines a year.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 20:41 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Alexander: University deemed trampoline prototype not market ready, requiring up to $100K
“They had a look at it, and they said, this is not market ready. You need another 50,000, 100,000 dollars to make it market ready, and then they went away.”
Keith Alexander Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 23:06 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Alexander: Walk-on-Water Competition Winnings Funded His Engineering PhD
“I managed to win the competition two years in a row, and then won a third one in Auckland, and that helped fund my PhD.”
Keith Alexander Apr 1, 2019 ▶ 5:25 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes
Assertion Not publicly verifiable
Alexander: New Zealand's Largest Trampoline Maker Sold Only 400 Units Annually
“I found the biggest trampoline manufacturer in New Zealand. He was selling 400 trampolines a year.”
Keith Alexander Apr 1, 2019 ▶ 20:37 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes

The other half of the tape: Keith Alexander's own voice is left out of every number here. Other people bring the name up 4 times in 2 episodes on How I Built This. 4 statements on the record name them. every mention, with the transcript →

Who brings them up most Guy Raz 4

Statements about Keith Alexander, by other people (4)

Assertion Supported
Springfree's Redesign Eliminated 90% of Product-Related Trampoline Injuries
“Keith started writing research papers, and of measuring our statistics, and we were going, you know, we remove 90% of the product related injuries. So he's taken, his design has removed 90%”
Steve Holmes Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 50:08 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Assertion Partly supported
Holmes: Springfree Trampoline Design Eliminates 90% of Product-Related Injuries
“Keith started writing research papers, and of measuring our statistics, and we were going, you know, we remove 90% of the product related injuries. So he's taken, his design has removed 90%”
Steve Holmes Apr 1, 2019 ▶ 50:23 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Holmes: Springfree paused sales for a year to develop soft enclosure
“So we didn't sell any products. We didn't make any products. We just spent a year building an enclosure for the spring.”
Steve Holmes Aug 30, 2021 ▶ 33:33 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019)
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Holmes: Springfree Spent an Entire Year Developing Its Safety Enclosure
“So we didn't sell any products, we didn't make any products, we just spent a year building an enclosure for the Spring Free Enclosure.”
Steve Holmes Apr 1, 2019 ▶ 33:34 Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes

Every mention by year

tap a year for its mentions
002131202020212022202320242025episodesmentions
011202020212022202320242025episodes it came up in
001.50.531202020212022202320242025episodesmentions per episode
2025 3 mentions in 1 episode
2020 1 mention in 1 episode

Appearances (2)

EpisodeDateSpeaking time
Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes (2019) Aug 30, 2021 17m
Springfree Trampoline: Keith Alexander & Steve Holmes Apr 1, 2019 17m
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