The Trouble with Techno-Optimism | Robert Wright & Daron Acemoglu Nonzero 2024-10-22 | The Trouble with Techno-Optimism | Robert Wright & Daron Acemoglu
Antisemitism and Free Speech | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2024-05-07 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/antisemitism-and-free-speech-robert1:29 Is it ever okay to fire professors for speech? 13:08 Bari Weiss spreads misinformation without consequence22:04 Are some of Israel’s American supporters unwittingly inflaming antisemitism?33:09 Ayaan Hirsi Ali converts to Christianity without abandoning New Atheist creed38:22 Do Sam Harris et. al. get religion totally wrong?48:48 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:The power of pugnacityPaul comforts Bob in his search for recognitionHow AI could improve clinical psychologyThe Chinese TV version of 3 Body ProblemRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded May 07, 2024. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
The New “Pro-Israel” Assault on Free Speech | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-05-04 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-new-pro-israel-assault-on-free-bdaRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Read this edition of the Earthling: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-new-pro-israel-assault-on-freeRecorded May 03, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
A Debate on Israel-Palestine | Robert Wright & Coleman Hughes Nonzero 2024-04-29 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comDiscussion on the Nonzero Newsletter: nonzero.substack.com/p/early-access-a-debate-on-israel-palestine0:17 Coleman’s Joe Rogan appearance and new book, The End of Race Politics2:26 Campus protests and free speech12:29 Is anti-Zionism anti-Semitism?17:18 Is "exterminating Hamas" a viable solution? 26:47 Bob: Israel never offered Palestinians a state40:30 “Right of return” and Palestinian national identity 56:54 How firmly entrenched is hatred of Israel among Palestinians?1:08:09 Could better US policy have steered Israel-Palestine toward peace?1:18:48 Are Palestinian “sacred beliefs” the problem?1:25:56 Possible Palestinian futures1:33:37 Israel’s strike on Iran’s consulate in SyriaColeman's YouTube channel: youtube.com/channel/UCUk0AvSMU5CJ0wUqJf9TX8gRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Coleman Hughes (Conversations with Coleman). Recorded April 25, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Campus Protests, Dennett’s Legacy | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2024-04-24 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/campus-protests-dennetts-legacy-robert0:00 Paul asserts his right to non-assertion4:07 Campus protests and free speech controversies19:29 Have pro-Palestine protestors crossed a line? Have their opposition?30:49 Will the protests force a reckoning on campus “wokeness”? 39:45 Remembering philosopher Daniel Dennett47:39 Bob vs Dennett on consciousness1:00:23 Does the mind-body problem suggest a cosmic solution?1:10:10 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:The problem(s) with the 3 Body Problem.Bob and Dennett’s big breakup: a breakdown.The time Keanu Reeves glitched at Bob’s expense.Does Bob have a “Burn Book” in his future?Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded April 24, 2024. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Putin, AI, Ukraine, Crypto, the Noosphere, Futurism & Other Stuff | Robert Wright & Anatoly Karlin Nonzero 2024-04-22 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/early-access-putin-ukraine-ai-crypto0:05 Anatoly’s strange CV3:56 How the 20th century set the stage for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine9:18 Why did Putin turn against the West? 23:55 Anatoly: I underestimated Russia’s incompetence27:55 Has the Ukraine war really shifted in Russia’s favor?35:02 Russia’s “elite human capital” problem41:38 Is the “bio-singularity” near?50:47 Unipolar vs multipolar AI takeover scenarios59:37 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Anatoly Karlin (akarlin.com, Nooceleration). Recorded April 16, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Israel Strikes Iran, David Cameron Crumbles | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-04-20 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/israel-strikes-iran-david-cameronRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Read this edition of the Earthling: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-kay-burley-path-to-world-peaceNonzero merch: cafepress.com/nznRecorded April 19, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
How Iran’s Attack Benefits Israel | Robert Wright & Joshua Landis Nonzero 2024-04-17 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/how-irans-attack-helps-israel0:35 Why Iran’s attack on Israel was an “own goal”5:12 Did Iran minimize casualties on purpose?11:47 The rising odds of Israel attacking Iran directly19:15 America’s contradictory relationship with Israel25:19 How conflict with Iran helps Israel33:47 What China wants in the Middle East43:03 America’s destabilizing role in the region56:52 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Joshua Landis (University of Oklahoma, SyriaComment.com). Recorded April 16, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Iran’s “Imminent” Attack | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-04-13 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/irans-imminent-attack-earthling-unpluggedRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Read this edition of the Earthling: nonzero.substack.com/p/marc-andreessens-mindless-technoRecorded April 12, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Daniel Kahneman and the Rationalists | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2024-04-11 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/daniel-kahneman-and-the-rationalists0:00 Why Paul’s eclipse experience eclipsed Bob’s6:01 Remembering pioneering psychologist Daniel Kahneman16:09 Bob fails gender affirmation test20:50 Has the “replication crisis” tainted Kahneman’s legacy?27:23 Eastern vs. Western “enlightenment”35:34 How AI doomerism came to the rationalist community45:18 3 Body Problem review goes into OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:Should humanity welcome AI/alien overlords?What was the movie Harvey trying to say?Psychedelics as psycho-technologyThe therapy crapshootThe self-immolating airman and the trouble with mental “illness”Poor Things baffles BobRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded April 10, 2024. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Biden’s Israel Problem | Robert Wright, Derek Davison, Daniel Bessner Nonzero 2024-04-05 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com0:05 A brief message from Bob1:43 Derek and Danny stumble into Bob’s Zoom room 2:42 Israel’s doubly out-of-control week11:44 How Biden's Gaza failures will shape the Democratic Party26:13 Biden’s political incentives on Israel-Palestine29:43 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True), Derek Davison (Foreign Exchanges, American Prestige, Discontents), and Daniel Bessner (American Prestige, University of Washington). Recorded April 04, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
AI, Rationalism, and the “Great Filter” | Robert Wright & Robin Hanson Nonzero 2024-04-03 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/ai-rationalism-and-the-great-filter0:00 Robin’s history of thinking about the future2:20 Seeing AI as offspring, not adversary14:26 Robin’s famous answer to a great cosmic mystery24:53 Would evidence of aliens be good news or bad?33:55 Is rationalist culture cultist?43:51 LLMs: revolution or hype cycle?55:29 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:What LLMs do and don’t tell us about the human mind (according to Bob).Is regulating or not regulating AI more dangerous?Robin demystifies the sacred.What are humanity’s “future filters”?Rationalism’s Yudkowskian fork: a history.“Grey goo” and the trouble with techno-pessimism.Robin's Substack: overcomingbias.comRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Robin Hanson (George Mason University, The Elephant in the Brain, Overcoming Bias). Recorded April 02, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
The Cosmic Thought of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin | Robert Wright & Ilia Delio Nonzero 2024-03-31 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-cosmic-thought-of-pierre-teilhard0:00 Ilia’s background1:53 Things to know about the noosphere8:15 Teilhard’s transgressive theological and scientific thought14:29 Does AI suggest a “transcendent nature to nature”?18:08 The Teilhardian solution to the mind-body problem29:16 How Darwinian was Teilhard, really? 38:09 Teilhard on love43:05 “Techno-sapiens,” redemption, and the Omega Point54:38 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:Ilia: We’re a speeding world and no one’s at the wheel.Is becoming a global superorganism a good thing?"God is more Omega than Alpha" and other cryptic Teilhard-isms.Did Teilhard believe in aliens? Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Ilia Delio (Center for Christogenesis, The Unbearable Wholeness of Being, The Not-Yet God). Recorded January 10, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Bibi Beats Biden (Again) | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-03-30 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/bibi-beats-biden-again-earthlingRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Read this edition of the Earthling: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-new-persuadersRecorded March 29, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Meditation Tips for Beginners (and Non-Beginners) | Robert Wright & Kathryn Devaney Nonzero 2024-03-26 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/meditation-tips-for-beginners-and0:00 Kati’s unusual niche2:12 How Covid changed meditation7:10 Kati: The optimal amount of meditation is…14:42 Is focusing on the breath overblown?22:38 AI as a spiritual challenge32:35 Meditation and cognitive empathy39:24 Using technology mindfully45:56 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:Bob’s humiliating meditation hack.Can meditation erase your attention deficit?Mushrooms as pacifiers.Marijuana vs psychedelics—neuroscientifically.The science of spontaneous enlightenment.What enlightenment looks like.Can microdosing be spiritual?Non-linear meditative progress.Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Kathryn Devaney (The Berkeley Alembic). Recorded March 21, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
What Does Putin Want? | Robert Wright, Nikolay, and Kirill Nonzero 2024-03-22 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/what-does-putin-want-robert-wrightRWA YouTube channel: youtube.com/@RussiansWithAttitude/videosRWA podcast episodes: patreon.com/rwapodcast2:37 Are Nikolay and Kirill satisfied with the "special military operation"? 7:58 Why have Russians become more supportive of the war effort?17:39 Kirill defends the RWA tweet that unsettled Bob31:25 US policies that made the war more likely40:47 How much of Ukraine does Putin want? 54:01 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nikolay and Kirill (Russians with Attitude). Recorded March 21, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Elon and Altman: Dueling Messiahs | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2024-03-20 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/elon-and-altman-dueling-messiahs0:00 Paul’s Substack: small potatoes or some pumpkins?3:25 Elon sours on Lemon—is ketamine to blame?9:32 The enduring enigma that is Elon Musk20:57 Is Altman overdramatizing the AI #Resistance?29:35 Paul cavalierly ignores Bob’s sage guidance33:57 Oscars: The good, the bad, and the hammy40:29 Heading to Overtime (plus: big Small Potatoes news!)Discussed in Overtime:The knotty SSRI sexual side effect question.How woke is Barbie?How Will Smith’s Oscar slap is like Russia-Ukraine.Is AI Bob’s ticket to immortality?Jury Duty, acting, and human nature.What is the TikTok ban really about?Is Paul Pollyanna?Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded March 19, 2024. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
The Open Source AI Question | Robert Wright & Nathan Labenz Nonzero 2024-03-15 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-open-source-ai-question-robert0:00 Nathan’s role as “AI scout”3:39 What "open source" in AI really means9:17 Why the secrecy around AI training data?16:51 What’s actually “open” about OpenAI?32:28 The case for and against open source AI42:07 Is an open source crackdown coming?51:57 What Waymark, Nathan’s company, does with AIDiscussed in Overtime:Bob glimpses a Matrix-like future.Could (and should) we use AI to resolve human disputes?Where Nathan falls on the AI doomer spectrum.Understanding how AI understands things.Is AI alignment overblown?The Cognitive Revolution podcast: cognitiverevolution.aiWaymark AI: waymark.comRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nathan Labenz (Cognitive Revolution, Waymark AI). Recorded March 13, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Biden’s Gaza Failures | Robert Wright & Daniel Levy Nonzero 2024-03-12 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/bidens-gaza-failures-robert-wright2:21 Should Biden pursue regime change in Israel?10:41 How the White House mishandled Netanyahu's far-right government22:04 Daniel: “Israel has lost this war”31:29 What a ceasefire deal would look like 38:38 Biden’s immense, unused leverage over Netanyahu46:26 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:How the Gaza war makes Biden look weak.Has the Zionist project become more militant?The Israel-Palestine one-state reality.Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Daniel Levy (Prospects for Peace, NAF, The Century Foundation). Recorded March 12, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Bidens Big Speech | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-03-09 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-real-problem-with-the-trump-bidenRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Recorded March 08, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Elon v. OpenAI, Google vs Itself | Robert Wright & Timothy B. Lee Nonzero 2024-03-07 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/elon-v-openai-google-vs-itself-robert0:00 The other Tim B. Lee2:48 Unpacking the Elon v. OpenAI case13:36 How did Google’s Gemini go wrong?24:56 The unsung ingenious side of Gemini 34:11 Is AI a bubble?38:25 Are some LLM issues insoluble?44:11 How Sora changes the AI picture50:44 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:Are LLMs general learning machines? Are human minds?The Darwinian dynamics of machine learning.How to conceptualize how LLMs conceptualize.Is digital technology’s impact on society overstated?Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Timothy B. Lee (Full Stack Economics, Understanding AI). Recorded March 6, 2024.Tim's Understanding AI newsletter on Substack: understandingai.orgTwitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Possible Palestinian and Ukrainian Futures | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-03-01 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/possible-palestinian-and-ukrainianRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the (would-be) Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Recorded March 01, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Google’s AI, Biden’s Brain, and Other Enigmas | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2024-02-28 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/googles-ai-bidens-brain-and-other0:51 Big trouble with Small Potatoes4:45 What makes a good podcast?12:53 Google’s AI goes wild(ly woke)26:34 Is Biden a “super-ager” or just super old?35:23 On the psychology of self-immolation52:10 Are we thinking right about mental illness?56:24 Heading to OvertimeDiscussed in Overtime:The problem with paywalls.Is contingency in life good news or bad?Do AIs need to be symbolic to be logical?A new TV show Bob hates.Bob’s (mental?) break in the JFK case. Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded February 27, 2024. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Does AI Understand Things? | Robert Wright & Gary Marcus Nonzero 2024-02-22 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comBob's piece on Searle's "Chinese Room" argument: nonzero.substack.com/p/yes-ais-understand-things0:00 Gary’s background and place in the AI world1:17 Are Gary’s views on AI paradoxical?8:48 Bob: Searle’s Chinese Room argument is dead19:01 Have LLMs demonstrated "theory of mind"?26:06 Arguing the semantics of an LLM's “semantic space” 31:36 Do LLM representations map onto the real world?40:52 Can (and should) we slow down AI development?51:43 Gary: I’ve never seen a field as myopic as AI today54:25 The (symbolic?) future of AIRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Gary Marcus (garymarcus.substack.com, Humans vs. Machines, The Algebraic Mind, Kluge). Recorded February 13, 2024.Gary's Substack: garymarcus.substack.comTwitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
What Navalny Meant | Robert Wright & Nikita Petrov Nonzero 2024-02-20 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/what-navalny-meant-robert-wright1:51 Nikita’s memories of Navalny’s emergence as a political force11:49 The time Nikita was detained for protesting election fraud23:14 Navalny’s success as a political organizer36:25 What did Navalny represent? 46:54 Navalny’s courageous post-poisoning return to Russia57:25 Heading to Overtime (plus: Nikita’s photo with Navalny)Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nikita Petrov (https://psychopolitica.substack.com). Recorded February 20, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Gazans Displacement, AIs Acceleration | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-02-17 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/gazans-displacement-ais-accelerationRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Read this edition of the Earthling at: nonzero.substack.com/p/sam-altmans-big-bad-ideaRecorded February 16, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Ukraine’s War, Putin’s Worldview | Robert Wright & Leonid Ragozin Nonzero 2024-02-15 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/ukraines-war-putins-worldview-robert1:07 What MSM missed about Carlsons' Putin interview13:52 Putin’s litany of grievances against the West 21:51 Russia gets the upper hand in Ukraine29:34 Why Zelensky hasn’t paved the way for peace talks36:34 Putin’s mafia-inspired approach to negotiations45:19 Do most Russians support the war? 49:21 Why Zelensky fired his popular top general 53:32 Heading to OvertimeLeonid's article in Al Jazeera: aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/2/12/putin-is-ready-for-talks-on-ukraine-but-on-his-own-termsRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Leonid Ragozin (Rest of World, West of Providence, Lonely Planet). Recorded February 14, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Inside the Mind of AI | Robert Wright & Nora Belrose Nonzero 2024-02-13 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/inside-the-mind-of-ai-robert-wright1:29 Nora’s low score on the AI doomer test7:58 The messy math of AI alignment13:13 Teaching and (unteaching) concepts to LLMS17:38 Do we really want human-like AI?28:20 How the AI “mind” works40:13 How to change an AI’s mind52:51 Are LLMs reverse-engineering the human mind?56:58 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nora Belrose (EleutherAI). Recorded January 16, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Putins Monologue, Bidens Bad Day | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-02-10 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/putins-monologue-bidens-bad-day-andRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Read this edition of the Earthling at: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-new-lab-leak-evidenceRecorded February 09, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Conspiracy Theories and True Fictions | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2024-02-09 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/conspiracy-theories-and-true-fictions0:00 Bob’s bad newsletter news for Paul3:22 Fast Car's moving Grammy moment9:14 Music, female orgasms, and other evolutionary enigmas13:54 The Moral Animal turns 30—how has it aged?16:48 How AI (barely) helps Paul work19:26 Is America real?35:27 Bob tries to drag Paul down the JFK rabbit hole 43:10 Lab leak and the trouble with “conspiracy theories”49:07 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded February 6, 2024. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
The Truth About Effective Altruism | Robert Wright & Rob Wiblin Nonzero 2024-02-06 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-truth-about-effective-altruism0:00 Effective altruism (EA) and Rob’s 80,000 Hours podcast2:42 SBF’s fall = EA’s public relations problem11:45 What went wrong for (and with) SBF?28:37 Virtue as a utilitarian shortcut38:11 What drove EA’s longtermist (r)evolution? 45:50 EA, AI, and the miscalculation of existential risk53:13 Did EA play a role in the OpenAI board drama?1:00:48 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Rob Wiblin (80,000 Hours). Recorded January 11, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
What’s Next for Gaza and Israel? | Robert Wright, Derek Davison, Daniel Bessner Nonzero 2024-02-02 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/whats-next-for-gaza-and-israel-robert0:00 Another high-synergy collaborative episode1:14 Do mainstream Israelis support ethnic cleansing?10:28 Biden’s electoral (mis?)calculations on Israel-Palestine 20:46 What does a left-wing foreign policy vision look like today? Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True), Derek Davison (Foreign Exchanges, American Prestige, Discontents), and Daniel Bessner (American Prestige, University of Washington). Recorded Feb 01, 2024.20% off subscription toAmerican Prestige: americanprestigepod.com/subscribe?coupon=f2a8d6e9&utm_content=139604963The Nonzero Newsletter: nonzero.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=276075fdTwitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
An Israeli Looks at Gaza | Robert Wright & Russ Roberts Nonzero 2024-01-30 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.com1:51 How Israelis think about civilian casualties in Gaza20:47 Is the war spawning a new generation of terrorists?34:39 Explaining versus justifying bad behavior49:39 Can Hamas and other extremist groups be moderated? 1:03:12 Is the world biased against Israel? 1:14:45 Cognitive biases that inflame tribal tensions1:26:09 The “river to the sea” Rorschach test 1:41:03 On the precipice of World War III?Russ's podcast: econlib.org/econtalkRuss's Substack: listeningtothesirens.substack.comRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Russ Roberts (Shalem College, EconTalk, Listening to the Sirens, Wild Problems). Recorded January 24, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Gaza, Biden, Political AI, and Other Problems (Earthling Unplugged) | Robert Wright & Andrew Day Nonzero 2024-01-26 | Full conversation: nonzero.substack.com/p/gaza-biden-political-ai-and-other Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling, the weekend edition of the Nonzero Newsletter.Read this edition of the Earthling at: nonzero.substack.com/p/ai-gets-politicalRecorded January 25, 2024.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Overton Windows Ep.3: Transgender Issues [Preview] | Robert Wright & Tamler Sommers Nonzero 2024-01-23 | Robert Wright and Tamler Sommers discuss what you can and can't say about transgender issues. [free preview]Full discussion available to Nonzero Newsletter members at: nonzero.substack.com/p/overton-windows-ep3-transgender-issuesRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards, University of Houston, Why Honor Matters). Recorded October 10, 2023.Nonzero Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPodsVery Bad Wizards: verybadwizards.com
The Biden-Trump Catastrophe | Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus Nonzero 2024-01-21 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.com2:05 Fear and loathing on the campaign trail 20249:48 Haley’s shortcomings, Trump’s cognitive decline24:43 Who’s the perfect Democrat to run against Biden?40:20 How Biden could stop the Gaza war48:01 Why the Houthis are hard to neutralize1:00:14 Could Trump sabotage the border security deal? 1:16:50 Doctor bots, robo-receipt checkers, and AI optimism1:33:01 The real problem with America’s elites 1:42:28 Is catastrophe the only thing that can save America? 1:51:55 Bob tries to drag Mickey (back) into the JFK assassination rabbit hole1:58:24 Has DeSantis destroyed his brand?Mickey's Substack: kaus.substack.comRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded January 20, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Wuhan Lab Leak, Effective Altruism, and Other Media-distorted Issues | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2024-01-19 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/wuhan-lab-leak-effective-altruismPaul's Substack: smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net0:00 Bob saves Paul from some very bad influences5:33 What makes Hitler more evil than Stalin and Mao?12:59 New lab leak evidence—what will come of it?22:32 Correcting the record on effective altruism36:46 Is “self-plagiarism” really plagiarism?46:59 The dishonesty researcher accused of academic dishonesty52:10 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded January 18, 2024. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Techno-Optimism vs. Techno-Pessimism | Robert Wright & Reid Hoffman Nonzero 2024-01-17 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.com0:00 Reid’s deep roots in the tech world4:02 The kind of AI pessimism that irks Reid the most15:48 Can (and should) we slow down AI progress?27:48 Could AI help resolve international disputes?34:23 The promise and perils of perspective-taking AIs47:08 Why Reid co-wrote Impromptu with GPT-451:47 Where are the AI optimists?1:00:04 Sam Altman and the OpenAI drama: a (semi-) behind-the-scenes view1:14:21 How dangerous is open-source AI, really?1:19:41 Is AI acceleration decelerating?1:22:34 Engagement with China and “organic transparency”Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Reid Hoffman (Greylock Partners, Inflection AI, Impromptu, Possible). Recorded January 9, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
The Iowa Caucuses and After | Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus Nonzero 2024-01-12 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.com1:30 Mickey’s in Iowa—and on the Nonzero Podcast!5:23 Do Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have a chance? 17:16 Why Biden will probably lose25:24 Wait, are there Democratic primaries?39:42 Would Trump 2.0 be a more capable authoritarian?50:35 AI bots that cater to your every need57:39 Why doesn't Biden get tougher on the border?1:07:04 Exciting new Child Tax Credit updates1:10:44 Is Twitter going down the tubes?1:18:05 Bob fails to escape from JFK assassination rabbit hole1:31:45 Subways and other things that have gotten worse1:36:06 Mickey’s Iowa caucus predictionMickey's Substack: kaus.substack.comRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded January 11, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Israel’s War, Biden’s War | Robert Wright & Stephen Walt Nonzero 2024-01-10 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/robert-wright-and-stephen-walt1:16 How the Gaza war harms US interests11:48 How the Gaza war harms Israel’s interests22:21 Could Biden get Israel to wind down the war?31:29 Biden’s complex political calculus on Israel42:07 The Israel lobby: what it is and what it does50:59 How elements of the lobby intimidate critics of Israel54:14 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Stephen Walt (Harvard University, Foreign Policy). Recorded Jan 9, 2024.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Is AI Moving Too Fast? | Robert Wright & Timothy B. Lee Nonzero 2024-01-05 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/is-ai-moving-too-fast-robert-wright0:00 Tim seeks Substack synergy beyond Bob2:53 Recent contributors to Bob’s AI anxiety9:08 Why “Mamba” matters13:25 Is AI moving too fast?23:44 Are fears of an AI “jobocalypse” overblown?34:34 AI’s (potential) next transformation37:47 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Timothy B. Lee (Full Stack Economics, Understanding AI). Recorded January 4, 2024.Tim's Understanding AI newsletter on Substack: understandingai.orgTwitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Down the JFK Rabbit Hole | Robert Wright & Jefferson Morley Nonzero 2024-01-03 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/down-the-jfk-rabbit-hole-robert-wright0:00 Jeff’s journalistic bona fides3:41 The origins of the official assassination narrative10:44 Oswald: Lone gunman? Patsy? Both?19:24 The CIA’s interest in Oswald before the assassination30:49 The Pentagon’s scheme to provoke war with Cuba via false flag39:32 How Bob started down the JFK rabbit hole44:11 Oswald’s critical time in New Orleans51:11 Why did Jack Ruby kill Oswald, really?57:29 Why JFK’s assassination still mattersJFK Facts on Substack: jfkfacts.substack.comRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Jefferson Morley (JFK Facts, Snow-Storm in August). Recorded December 28, 2023. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
ChatGPT Versus Taylor Swift (Earthling Unplugged) | 2023.12.28 Nonzero 2023-12-30 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.0:42 Where’s Mickey?5:00 Why ChatGPT is the real person of the year20:41 The New York Times sues OpenAI33:40 Bob’s bitter vindication on Russia-Ukraine43:12 Israel threatens a wider war48:26 Efforts to remove Trump from the ballot 1:00:13 2024 predictionsRead this edition of the Earthling at: nonzero.substack.com/p/nzns-person-of-the-yearRecorded December 28, 2023.twitter.com/NonzeroNewstwitter.com/NonzeroPods
Psychedelics, Meditation, and the Brain | Robert Wright & Kathryn Devaney Nonzero 2023-12-28 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/early-access-psychedelics-meditation0:00 Kati’s very unusual Venn diagram4:24 Your brain on meditation10:31 The time Bob’s meditation got weird16:15 What are the “jhanas”?25:06 What science tells us about the jhana states31:25 Are psychedelics gateway drugs to meditation?40:57 Kati: Here’s how we get “not-self” wrong…46:22 Psychedelics vs meditation—neuroscientifically54:31 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Kathryn Devaney (The Berkeley Alembic). Recorded December 06, 2023.
What is to be done? A Nonzero/Psychopolitica Live Event | Live Replay Nonzero 2023-12-27 | This is a recording of a livestream hosted by Robert Wright, publisher of the Nonzero Newsletter, and Nikita Petrov, publisher of the Psychopolitica newsletter. In the course of fielding questions from their newsletter subscribers, Bob and Nikita discussed psychedelics, meditation, US foreign policy, ego death, tribalism, cynicism, Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Gaza, artificial intelligence, evolution, how they first met, and more.Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comSubscribe to Psychopolitica: psychopolitica.substack.comRecorded December 21, 2023.
Is Israel-Palestine Peace Possible? | Robert Wright & Thomas Friedman Nonzero 2023-12-22 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.com0:52 How Tom tried to bring down Netanyahu’s government9:32 The coming Biden-Netanyahu showdown13:57 What’s driving Israeli public support for such massive retaliation?23:50 The alarming growth of global disorder 30:22 Is Israel fated to be hated?42:22 Why Tom is still hopeful about Israel-PalestineRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Thomas Friedman (The New York Times). Recorded December 20, 2023.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Effective Altruism, AI, and Existential Risk | Robert Wright & Émile P. Torres Nonzero 2023-12-20 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/effective-altruism-ai-and-existential2:16 A short history of “longtermism”8:39 The evolution of effective altruism (EA)16:59 Unpacking the TESCREAL bundle21:34 Why AGI dominates longtermist thinking29:45 Are AI doomers and accelerationists more aligned than it seems?40:45 Why did Émile ditch EA?51:34 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Émile P. Torres (Human Extinction; Morality, Foresight, and Human Flourishing). Recorded December 12, 2023. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Are workers doomed in the age of AI? | Robert Wright & Daron Acemoglu | Nonzero Clips Nonzero 2023-12-18 | Robert Wright and economist Daron Acemoglu discuss the impact artificial intelligence could have on employment and the distribution of power within society.Full conversation:youtu.be/X388IuhEDjIRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Daron Acemoglu (MIT, Why Nations Fail, Power and Progress). Recorded November 29, 2023.Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Israel, Antisemitism, and Social Media | Robert Wright & Max Abrahms Nonzero 2023-12-15 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.com0:17 Max’s book Rules for Rebels—and the rule that Hamas broke3:45 Is social media a reality distortion machine? 19:04 “From the river to the sea…” compared to “globalize the intifada”26:33 Does social media exaggerate the level of civil strife—and thereby raise it?42:43 Is Israel’s assault on Gaza intensifying antisemitism?55:40 How Israel’s actions impact the Jewish diaspora1:05:26 The terrorism threat facing Israel1:16:50 US foreign policy and the Israel lobbyRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Max Abrahms (Northeastern University, Rules for Rebels). Recorded December 13, 2023. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Free Speech, Antisemitism, and Elon Musk | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom Nonzero 2023-12-13 | Subscribe to The Nonzero Newsletter at nonzero.substack.comExclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/free-speech-antisemitism-and-elonPaul's Substack: smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net0:38 The biggest surprise of Paul’s intellectual life8:13 What the three college presidents should have said about free speech20:39 Ramaswamy’s hot mic moment: mistake or power move?22:45 Elon’s scorched-earth moment: power move or mental break?30:49 Paul gets fact-checked—and likes it36:02 In aligning AI, should we aim higher than human values?40:29 Bob DESTROYS Paul’s AI articleRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded December 11, 2023. Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods
6 Questions about Consciousness | w/ Chalmers, Strawson, Kastrup, Frankish, Albahari, Harris Nonzero 2023-12-11 | A compilation featuring Robert Wright and various guests—David Chalmers, Galen Strawson, Bernardo Kastrup, Keith Frankish, Miri Albahari, and Sam Harris—in discussion about consciousness. Clips taken from the following conversations:What is consciousness for? | Robert Wright & David Chalmers (2016):youtube.com/watch?v=oVt40z5JIYYPanpsychism | Robert Wright & Galen Strawson (2018):youtube.com/watch?v=1ydqAhPNuyYThe illusion of consciousness | Robert Wright & Keith Frankish (2016):youtube.com/watch?v=bBgtM1EuaQcConsciousness All the Way Down? | Robert Wright & Bernardo Kastrup (2022):youtube.com/watch?v=tdlCv8SORu4Robert Wright & Miri Albahari (2014):youtube.com/watch?v=bJeZb8LVvFsIs religion to blame? | Robert Wright & Sam Harris (2006):youtube.com/watch?v=0dwD6XQ9Tswtwitter.com/NonzeroPods
