This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 1:13 Dmitri’s new book, World on the Brink 9:26 Is America’s behavior more destabilizing than China’s? 17:22 China-Taiwan compared to Russia-Ukraine 28:00 Is the US making a Chinese invasion of Taiwan more likely? 41:31 Should the US try to maintain global hegemony? 55:06 The “autocracy versus democracy” framing Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Dmitri Alperovitch (Crowdstrike, Sil...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from this week’s Earthling.
Jul 27, 2024•34 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 The Nonzero-American Prestige all-star team 2:13 Why didn’t the Trump shooting matter more? 7:16 What anti-Trump historians get wrong 18:05 Why Kamala shouldn't demonize Trump 29:59 Heading to Overtime—and a discount deal 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 Washin...
Jul 25, 2024•33 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:58 Who’s most to blame for the Biden mess? 10:23 Why Trump might duck a debate with Kamala 13:26 Is Biden locked in the basement? 22:08 Kamala’s biggest liabilities 33:12 Loyalty, the Mob, and Biden’s psychology 40:33 Conspiracy theories of the Trump shooting 48:27 The kind of VP Kamala should pick Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net,...
Jul 23, 2024•56 min
0:28 Mickey makes his (iconic) return to Nonzero! 4:39 Did Trump blow his RNC acceptance speech? 10:18 The escalating Democratic civil war over Biden 16:46 Trump vs Biden (vs Josh Shapiro) on national unity 29:01 Drafting the ideal Dem electoral strategy 44:23 J.D. Vance: paradox or phony? 1:01:03 Is Trump the lesser evil on foreign policy? 1:15:17 Has Mickey felt the “vibe shift”? 1:24:39 The Parrot Room’s reputation precedes it Mickey's Substack: https://kaus.substack.com/ Robert Wright (Nonze...
Jul 20, 2024•1 hr 30 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 1:19 The psychology of the shooter 10:04 The psychology of Trump 19:42 Trump as national healer 26:32 When is anti-Trump rhetoric too extreme? 43:12 The alpha male problem 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 15, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods Paul’s ...
Jul 16, 2024•52 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from this week's Earthling. Read it here: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-shrinking-west-bank Recorded July 12, 2024. https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods...
Jul 13, 2024•35 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:52 Biden plays chicken against Democratic elites 13:53 Could the delegates deny Biden the nomination? 21:29 Odd moments in the George Stephanopoulos interview 35:32 Biden faces down a populist-elite revolt 46:06 How a small group of insiders could force Biden out 52:13 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Eric Levitz (New York Magazine, Vox). Recorded July 08, 20...
Jul 09, 2024•55 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from this week’s Earthling (had there been one). Recorded July 03, 2024. https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Jul 04, 2024•45 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 1:43 Dementia vs senility 5:40 Biden’s brain: a post-debate diagnosis 15:56 Who’s to blame for the Biden problem? 26:04 Biden’s most baffling debate moment 33:04 Will Biden step down? Bob and Paul place their bets 39:01 Has Nick Bostrom flipped on AI doomerism? 43:17 The earthly side of a meditation retreat 49:57 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (htt...
Jul 02, 2024•52 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 1:23 Why Jeffrey helped turn Meta’s Llama into Bad Llama 9:19 Bioweapons, hacking, and other AI dangers 20:03 How America unwittingly boosts China’s AI sector 29:01 The dark side of AI “alignment” 40:15 Is superintelligence the super-weapon of the future? 49:37 The perils of AI acceleration Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Jeffrey Ladish (Palisade Research). Recorded June 19, 2024...
Jun 27, 2024•55 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Edward’s new book, At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China 4:05 What Americans get wrong about China 13:33 Humiliation and China’s national psychology 17:38 Why Edward’s father joined the People’s Liberation Army 26:23 How Edward’s father fell out of favor with the PLA 37:39 How draconian is Xi Jinping’s crackdown on Uyghurs? 44:20 Famine, purges, and alienation in Mao’s China 49:28 Heading to Overt...
Jun 25, 2024•52 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from this week’s Earthling (had there been one). Recorded June 20, 2024. https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Jun 20, 2024•38 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Bob re-enters reality 3:54 Elon’s X-rated horse-trading 9:41 What do LLMs really say about the “blank slate” view of the mind? 28:12 Bob challenges Paul to meditate—will Paul retreat? 33:15 Have Bob’s views changed since writing Nonzero? 44:13 Paul’s and Bob’s (semi-compatible) views on free will 50:51 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://s...
Jun 18, 2024•59 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Glenn’s very unvarnished memoir, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative 10:12 Glenn’s unusual urban upbringing 19:00 Is Glenn’s sermon for black men hypocritical? 22:15 Glenn’s double life at Harvard 32:40 How it all came crashing down 44:39 Is Glenn’s book _too_ honest? 52:16 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Glenn Loury (Watson Institute for...
Jun 14, 2024•1 hr
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Kevin’s place in cyberspace history 6:54 Are we grappling with the pace of tech progress rationally? 20:49 Why Kevin identifies as a techno-optimist 23:12 Is it too early to regulate AI? 30:21 The noosphere, the technium, and species of mind 38:11 Do AI doomers think too highly of thinking? 42:13 Evolution and the question of cosmic purpose 48:42 Should we see AIs as “artificial aliens”? Robert Wright (Nonzero, Th...
Jun 10, 2024•54 min
1:13 AI's human-like, but inhuman, language skills 7:22 Bob argues that LLMs don’t vindicate the ‘blank slate’ view of the mind 18:56 Do humans and AIs acquire language in totally different ways? 31:11 Will AIs ever quit hallucinating? 40:47 The importance (or not) of “embodied cognition” 47:50 What is it like to be an AI? 53:48 Why Steve is skeptical of AI doom scenarios Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Steven Pinker (Harvard University, Enlightenment Now,...
Jun 06, 2024•1 hr 3 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 1:57 Kelley’s new podcast, Trip the Beltway Fantastic 5:59 Pat Buchanan and conservative opposition to the Iraq war 10:14 Would Trump 2.0 promote foreign policy restraint? 19:12 Possible Trump appointees pushing for conflict with China 25:57 The time Tucker Carlson helped prevent war with Iran 41:13 Would Trump greenlight ethnic cleansing in Gaza? 49:32 Would Trump end the Russia-Ukraine war? 54:14 Heading to Overtime ...
Jun 04, 2024•57 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling. Recorded May 31, 2024. https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Jun 01, 2024•29 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 00:43 The Nonzero-American Prestige apocalypse aversion project 2:02 Are Bob, Derek, and Danny surprised the Gaza war is still going on? 5:06 Biden’s simple political calculus on Gaza 13:42 Would Trump greenlight the ethnic cleansing of Gaza? 25:45 Israel’s plan (or lack thereof) for post-war Gaza 32:23 Heading to Overtime Overtime topics: An inside view of The New Republic at its peak. Ideological engineering at The A...
May 29, 2024•35 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 1:23 Bob’s sage status rises 4:18 GPT-4o: harbinger of the Metaverse? 13:53 Does sentience matter for AI companionship? 25:48 The promise and perils of social AI 33:46 How LLMs flip the script on computing 39:05 Heading to Overtime—and a special announcement! Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Ag...
May 21, 2024•43 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 4:08 How the Overton window is shifting after October 7 9:59 Israel’s 9/11, Israel’s overreaction, and liberal Zionism 15:22 The power of the Israel lobby Discussed in Overtime:How “pro-Israel” actions may undermine Israel.“From the river to the sea…” and other controversies.US and Israeli media coverage of the Gaza war.Free speech warriors turn speech code enforcers. Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of G...
May 20, 2024•26 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:24 Why this pod’s a little odd 2:50 Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike quit OpenAI—part of a larger pattern? 10:20 Bob: AI doomers need Hollywood 16:26 Does an AI arms race spell doom for alignment? 20:40 Why the “Pause AI” movement matters 24:54 AI doomerism and Don’t Look Up: compare and contrast 27:23 How Liron (fore)sees AI doom 33:18 Are Sam Altman’s concerns about AI safety sincere? 39:46 Paperclip maximizing, evolut...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 18 min
2:20 How Jews fit—or don’t—into universities’ DEI regimes 10:55 What do controversial pro-Palestine chants really mean? 18:24 When does criticism of Israel become antisemitic? 26:41 The Israel lobby’s influence on Congress and academia 34:13 Do pro-Israel donors unwittingly inflame antisemitism? 41:22 Evidence of increasing antisemitism 49:49 Was Ilhan Omar’s “all about the Benjamins” tweet antisemitic? 57:07 Bob criticizes Bari Weiss, Bill Ackman, and an Eli tweet 1:07:12 Balancing concerns abo...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 18 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling. Read this edition of the Earthling: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/protest-tips-from-boomers Recorded May 10, 2024. https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods...
May 11, 2024•29 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 1:53 Is it ever okay to fire professors for speech? 13:32 Bari Weiss spreads misinformation without consequence 22:28 Are some of Israel’s American supporters unwittingly inflaming antisemitism? 33:33 Ayaan Hirsi Ali converts to Christianity without abandoning New Atheist creed 38:46 Do Sam Harris et. al. get religion totally wrong? 49:12 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is...
May 07, 2024•52 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling. Read this edition of the Earthling: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-new-pro-israel-assault-on-free
May 04, 2024•30 min
0:41 Coleman’s Joe Rogan appearance and new book, The End of Race Politics 2:50 Campus protests and free speech 12:53 Is anti-Zionism anti-Semitism? 17:42 Is "exterminating Hamas" a viable solution? 27:11 Bob: Israel never offered Palestinians a state 40:54 “Right of return” and Palestinian national identity 57:22 How firmly entrenched is hatred of Israel among Palestinians? 1:08:33 Could better US policy have steered Israel-Palestine toward peace? 1:19:12 Are Palestinian “sacred beliefs” the pr...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 38 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:29 Paul asserts his right to non-assertion 4:31 Campus protests and free speech controversies 19:53 Have pro-Palestine protestors crossed a line? Have their opposition? 31:13 Will the protests force a reckoning on campus “wokeness”? 40:09 Remembering philosopher Daniel Dennett 48:03 Bob vs Dennett on consciousness 1:00:47 Does the mind-body problem suggest a cosmic solution? 1:10:34 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright ...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 12 min
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:29 Anatoly’s strange CV 4:20 How the 20th century set the stage for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine 9:42 Why did Putin turn against the West? 24:19 Anatoly: I underestimated Russia’s incompetence 28:29 Has the Ukraine war really shifted in Russia’s favor? 35:26 Russia’s “elite human capital” problem 42:02 Is the “bio-singularity” near? 51:11 Unipolar vs multipolar AI takeover scenarios 1:00:01 Heading to Overtime Robert ...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 4 min
