Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Robert Wright and psychologist Paul Bloom discuss the state of the publishing industry—and why Bob suspects Skynet is trying to kill his new book. Plus: Gad Saad trash talk, the case for living forever, and Bob and Paul’s cop-stop story swap.

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0:00 Preview: Skynet comes for Bob
5:10 Trump‘s endearing AI obsession
6:51 Are books dying? Is AI responsible?
18:28 Skynet (aka Amazon) vs Bob’s book
27:45 The problem with blurbs
33:25 Why Gad Saad’s mad
43:36 Heading to Overtime

Discussed in Overtime:
Fuzzy rules and the World Cup.
The time Bob almost got busted.
Should we want to live forever?
Bob: We’re failing the AI test.
Paul’s flattering police stop.
Teaser: Bob and Paul self-psychoanalyze.

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded July 1, 2026.

Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods