This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 2:12 Nikita’s life as a Russian expat in Armenia 7:55 How the Ukraine war is talked about in Russia 15:24 Could Putin fall from power? 25:40 Who left and who stayed in Russia post-mobilization? 37:43 Russia’s role in the Armenia-Azerbaijan crisis 45:21 How the Ukraine war could turn into World War III 50:46 Are “false flag” claims about the Maidan Massacre beyond the pale? 1:01:12 The trouble with the way we talk about...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 00:00 Can AI transcend conventional wisdom? 15:39 Is Trump back as 2024 GOP frontrunner? 24:52 The trouble with “the poor” 27:14 J.D. Vance has Ukraine on the brain 29:46 Ukraine update: How to make sending tanks make sense 46:16 Parrot room preview: Bob’s quasi-lucid dream; Evil corrections; The deep roots of Russian nationalist support for the war; Leon Wieseltier quote critique; DeSantis and black history; should judicial noms kno...
Jan 28, 2023•53 min
This is an unusual issue of the newsletter, and it’s about an unusual conversation I taped yesterday. Normally I don’t send out an issue of NZN for each podcast I post, but I think this is a particularly important conversation—and also a complicated conversation, one that can benefit from a preface. The conversation will go public next week and is available to paid NZN subscribers, like you, now—via this issue of the newsletter (video below, audio above) but also via the Nonzero feed on your pod...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 55 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 1:22 The alphas of the world gather in Davos12:42 Mickey buys a blue check, dresses up to celebrate 15:47 Does Russia have Ukraine on the defensive? 28:14 How serious is the threat of US government debt default? 34:40 Biden’s chances in 2024 47:54 Parrot Room preview: David Crosby passes away; Alec Baldwin charged with manslaughter; the issue that could destroy woke-ism; college after affirmative action; a false flag in Ukraine?; Mor...
Jan 21, 2023•54 min
0:00 Challenges in applying cognitive empathy in daily life11:32 Two types of self-awareness—and their links to cognitive empathy17:38 Josh’s recent (mis)adventures in cognitive empathy31:29 Can self-awareness make conflicts manageable?49:01 The relationship between concentration and insight meditation55:56 Literature and the cultivation of cognitive empathy58:49 Understanding one’s self vs. understanding others1:11:12 The ice cube theory of human nature1:16:00 Cognitive empathy’s role in buildi...
Jan 17, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 2:16 Anti-gas-stove tyranny – or slow news week? 6:27 Biden’s classified docs scandal is a “granfalloon in search of a MacGuffin led by a wrang-wrang” 20:09 Did Bob Gates and Condoleezza Rice miss a chance to prevent the Ukraine war?28:21 Is the war turning in Russia’s favor? 37:05 The prospects for peace negotiations 45:56 Parrot Room preview: Biden’s pivot to help the working class; Does AI have a liberal bias?; Has woke peaked?; M...
Jan 14, 2023•53 min
2:17 Why are so many people (including Fred) down on John Mearsheimer? 15:21 Bob: Explaining bad behavior is not the same as justifying it 30:16 How the US eroded international law—and why it matters 44:16 Did US policy make Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more likely? 58:06 NATO’s role in Ukraine before the invasion 1:21:31 How would the US respond to a China-Mexico military alliance? 1:34:08 Henry Kissinger’s peace proposal 1:42:38 Impediments to productive debate on US foreign policy Robert Wrig...
Jan 10, 2023•1 hr 50 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 Mickey’s guide to the House Speaker drama10:29 What vexes Bob about the House Speaker vote19:19 Why Damar Hamlin’s injury wouldn’t have happened in the old days26:40 Biden’s new good cop, bad cop immigration plan32:56 Why keep sanctioning Venezuela (or Cuba, or Syria, or Iran, etc.)?38:21 Elon and the trouble with “great man” theories of tech progress44:02 Is Twitter’s new views feature a boon or b******t?59:01 Ukraine war updat...
Jan 07, 2023•1 hr 13 min
In this classic interview, Robert Wright and Daniel Dennett discuss consciousness, free will, being good without belief in God, and whether natural selection could have a larger purpose. Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Daniel Dennett (Consciousness Explained, Freedom Evolved, Tufts University). Recorded 2003. Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/65485 Twitter: https://twitter.com/bloggingheads Facebook: https://facebook.com/bl...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 Bob hoodwinks the fashion police 3:54 Predictions for the new year 11:53 The pros and cons of “nepotocracy” 14:05 Predictions for the new year (cont’d) 19:45 Impromptu Ukraine war update 21:51 The top 3(ish) stories of 2022 28:59 Is Twitter salvageable? 44:20 The true threat of Twitter (according to Mickey) 50:24 Mickey’s underreported and overreported stories of the year 59:56 What did the Jan. 6 committee miss? 1:03:18 Bob’s p...
Dec 28, 2022•1 hr 14 min
2:27 The legacy of free trade in America 4:55 Adam’s new book Opening Up by Cracking Down, about the repression of union activism in developing countries 18:17 Car bombing and other ways Argentina subdued labor in the 80's 28:08 Why did the US open up trade so early? 33:03 The quasi-dystopian law India used to break strikes in the 90’s 38:12 Underacknowledged long-term effects of free trade 42:49 Is a pro-labor approach to free trade possible? 57:46 Making globalism great again Robert Wright (Bl...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 00:00 Has the tide turned against Elon—and against Twitter? 12:55 Elon accuses Fauci of funding research that killed millions 26:42 Bob sees signs that the “Twitter files” journalism is biased 40:24 Why now might be a good time for Ukraine diplomacy 44:51 Parrot Room preview: SBF news; breaking down the nuclear fusion breakthrough; the AI alignment problem; China’s coming COVID explosion; TikTok backlash gains traction; Elon’s growin...
Dec 17, 2022•50 min
0:51 What Anders didn’t like about Bob’s Washington Post op-ed on Russia-Ukraine 11:19 Was Putin always bent on invading Russia’s neighbors? 19:13 Bob and Anders debate NATO expansion 29:37 Should the West encourage regime change in Russia? 36:55 Are the US and NATO “fighting Russia to the last Ukrainian”? 46:09 The causes and consequences of Ukraine’s 2014 revolution 56:04 Is Putin committing genocide? 1:01:21 Possible endgames of the Ukraine war – and of Putin’s Russia 1:12:21 Could better US ...
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 18 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 A brief message from Bob0:55 Why Mickey thinks the first installment of the Twitter Files was a something-burger8:05 What Bob thinks Taibbi (and Musk) flubbed18:26 Do the files show a pro-Dem bias in pre-Musk Twitter?25:19 Ukraine war update42:24 Parrot Room preview: an (unwitting) win for Bob; a damning J.D. Vance quote for Mickey; the latest SBF allegation; the worst. Substack. Issue. Ever.; Bob submits a beef with Mickey for ...
Dec 09, 2022•49 min
0:00 Mónica’s book I Never Thought of It That Way, about how to have “bridge-building” conversations 1:41 Why Mónica’s immigrant parents support(ed) Trump 7:02 Barriers to getting bridge-building buy-in 15:37 Understanding vs. the need to be understood 21:58 Bridge-building 101 27:39 Is understanding a slippery slope to excusing? 33:35 The underrated bridge-building power of curiosity 43:44 Does the media fuel or just reflect our divisions? 43:40 The limits of bridge-building Robert Wright (Blog...
Dec 06, 2022•55 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 00:40 Would a Biden re-election bid spell doom for Dems? 06:54 Opening the Ron DeSantis black box 13:48 Bob’s Washington Post piece on Russia-Ukraine diplomacy 21:56 Is it too early to write off Herschel Walker? 27:50 Sam Bankman-Fried’s bipartisan approach to corrupting politics 31:52 Elon’s and Apple’s China challenges 40:55 Parrot Room preview: Mickey’s spat with Damon Linker; what we know about Peter Thiel; Ye and Fuentes; the ce...
Dec 03, 2022•45 min
2:35 Eric’s new book We Are Not One , about changing American Jewish attitudes toward Israel over the years 7:28 Jewish-American identity before its “Zionization” 10:01 Why fewer young American Jews are feeling the pro-Israel vibe 15:25 Israel in American politics 23:04 The “Israel as apartheid state” debate 35:28 How the 1960’s defined Jewish visions of Israel 49:02 Is a “two-state solution” now the conservative position? 52:50 Zionism vs. social justice activism 1:04:22 Why Israel is fine with...
Nov 29, 2022•1 hr 36 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 The (totally selfless) reasons Mickey wants an SBF clawback 5:11 Did Semafor fumble its big SBF-Elon scoop? 14:55 Mickey’s clawback campaign (cont’d) 18:31 Origins of Mickey’s (alleged) Ben Smith vendetta revealed! 27:36 Is Musk destroying his town square? Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded November 25, 2022. Comments on...
Nov 26, 2022•39 min
2:22 Paul’s upcoming book, Psych: The Story of the Human Mind 18:42 Bob’s upcoming book, tk 24:27 Are psychopaths high in (cognitive) empathy? 33:29 How good are we at perspective taking—and how can we get better? 40:28 Elon Musk’s apparent cognitive empathy deficit 49:57 Is cognitive empathy a biological adaptation? 1:06:10 Is it even possible to understand the minds of others? 1:16:47 Paul’s budding interest in perversity Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Budd...
Nov 22, 2022•1 hr 26 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 Why Mickey’s not unhappy about the midterm results 7:12 Can Trump go the distance against DeSantis? 11:48 The Pelosi era ends 18:54 Zelensky invites NATO to join the war 24:48 Is a peace deal on the horizon in Ukraine? 33:27 Elon update 39:47 SBF's fall takes wind out of the sails of effective altruism movement Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The E...
Nov 19, 2022•47 min
00:00 The time Harry stood up for editorial integrity 4:34 Can Alex Jones get a Mastodon account? 11:30 Choosing the best Mastodon community for you 22:19 Why dunking on people is harder on Mastodon 38:45 Should Elon Musk be worried? 48:54 How social media platforms fail 52:49 The (anti-)ideological tenor of Mastodon so far 57:35 Is moving from Twitter to Mastodon hard? 1:05:56 Harry’s theory of Elon Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Harry ...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 18 min
This is the second lecture of Robert Wright’s “Buddhism & Modern Psychology” course, originally offered on Coursera through Princeton University. Lecture Two: The Buddhist Prescription * The Eightfold Path * Meditation * Mindfulness Meditation and the Brain * Can Our Feelings Be Trusted Next lecture: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 3 min
This is the first lecture of Robert Wright’s “Buddhism & Modern Psychology” course, originally offered on Coursera through Princeton University. Lecture One: The Buddhist Diagnosis * Introduction: Religious Buddhism and ‘Secular’ Buddhism * Feelings and Illusions * The First Two Noble Truths * Evolutionary Psychology and the First Two Noble Truths Next lecture: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/su...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 Mickey mourns the fate of his midterm hopes and dreams 12:14 What the midterm results mean for 2024 19:30 Who wins in a Trump v. DeSantis civil war? 23:44 Bob’s plan to boot Biden from the 2024 ticket 29:41 Will Musk chicken out on his blue check shake-up? 35:46 The Twitter business model Musk may be banking on 46:12 Parrot room preview: Ukraine update; more Twitter business model talk; Metaverse vibe check; Errol Morris’s Leary...
Nov 12, 2022•52 min
0:00 Signs of the so-called “meaning crisis” 3:50 How John addresses the meaning crisis in his own life 10:04 Bob gets empathy-circled—live! 18:48 How much of the meaning crisis is a crisis of community? 25:29 Wisdom as the antidote to self-deception 40:54 Is technological change outpacing our ability to adapt? 45:48 How and where might new sources of meaning emerge? 53:08 The conundrum of collective intelligence (or how should we talk about demons?) 59:57 Can video games give us meaning? 1:04:0...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 Why immigration squishes have Mickey worried about the midterms 7:13 Elon Musk’s bull-in-a-china-shop strategy to owning Twitter 17:26 The conspiracy theory about the attack on Paul Pelosi 22:33 If Putin didn’t have nukes, would Biden’s Ukraine policy still be dangerous? 31:03 Who is calling the shots in the Biden White House? 41:34 Why Cold War psychology might have less sway over Musk-owned Twitter 47:05 Bob has another baseba...
Nov 05, 2022•1 hr 9 min
1:25 Sam’s Foreign Affairs piece on the importance of Ukraine diplomacy 10:14 What’s Biden’s endgame in Ukraine? 20:06 Sam: Russia has already suffered a strategic defeat 39:59 Did the West play a role in Ukraine’s 2014 revolution? 46:39 Putin says the West is Russia’s real enemy. Does he believe it? 50:26 America’s lack of diplomatic urgency before Putin invaded 57:22 How much pro-Russia sentiment is there in Ukraine? Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism ...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 7 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 0:00 Mickey takes a bite out of midterm “overism” 15:58 How revolutionary will Musk’s Twitter reign be? 28:50 Who quashed the Progressive Caucus’s Ukraine letter? 31:14 What’s holding up diplomacy in Ukraine? 40:32 Is Blob opinion on the war starting to split? 45:02 The cost of US hypocrisy 48:33 The media’s weird coverage of the ‘dirty bomb’ story 54:56 Parrot room preview: implausible dirty bomb scenarios; UK PM’s dramatic early mo...
Oct 29, 2022•1 hr 5 min
1:49 How worried should we be about the “Kessler Syndrome”? 7:46 The nightmare scenario for anti-satellite weapons anarchy13:34 How an attack in space could trigger WWIII25:13 International law is way behind the curve in outer space40:45 Why isn’t the grave threat of space anarchy getting attention?54:10 How the new Cold War makes conflict in space more likely Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Douglas Ligor (Rand Corporation). Recorded Octo...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom 3:16 Elon Musk’s esoteric insult of former Russian president Medvedev7:22 Russia’s “General Armageddon” gears up for retreat15:43 Is the GOP becoming the anti-war party?22:18 Mickey’s many midterms nightmares 35:41 With Britain's Tories in shambles, will Boris rise again?44:26 Bob: US policy helped create the latest "axis of evil"54:11 Parrot Room preview: Did Bob mischaracterize Mearsheimer?; Kanye West and Elon Musk take over socia...
Oct 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min
