#131: Eric Weinstein on Challenging “Reality,” Working with Peter Thiel, and Destroying Education to Save It
The Tim Ferriss Show
Is There a Process for Trying to Solve These Breakthrough Ideas?
In science, i try to use various intellectual arbitrage techniques. As things reach final form th they tend to get radically simple. There's no reason that the first attempts to think through the problem won't yield fruit. If you're looking at a problem that's never been attempted, you don't want to use intellectual arbitrage because it's just blue sky.
My guest this episode is my friend, Eric Weinstein (@ericrweinstein), managing director of Thiel Capital, a Ph.D in mathematical physics from Harvard, and a research fellow at the Mathematical Institute of Oxford University. We recorded at my house after Eric emailed me this question: "Wanna try a podcast on… psychedelics, theories of everything, and the need to destroy education in order to save it?" He’s brilliant and hilarious. If you enjoyed my podcasts with Derek Sivers or Sam Harris, you’ll love this one. We cover a lot of ground, including: Living from first principles rather than the “consensus reality" The genius of Kung Fu Panda What it’s like working with Peter Thiel, and how Peter hired him How to innovate when you risk being crucified by close-minded communities (and experts) His favorite books Why one of his favorite documentaries is about pornographers And much more... Also, be sure to check this out. Here is the Johns Hopkins psychedelic research I'm backing. Check out the supporters from tech and business. Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Wealthfront. Wealthfront is a massively disruptive (in a good way) set-it-and-forget-it investing service, led by technologists from places like Apple and world-famous investors. It has exploded in popularity in the last 2 years and now has more than $2.5B under management. In fact, some of my good investor friends in Silicon Valley have millions of their own money in Wealthfront. Why? Because you can get services previously limited to the ultra-wealthy and only pay pennies on the dollar for them, and it’s all through smarter software instead of retail locations and bloated sales teams. Check out wealthfront.com/tim, take their risk assessment quiz, which only takes 2-5 minutes, and they’ll show you—for free–exactly the portfolio they’d put you in. If you want to just take their advice and do it yourself, you can. Or, as I would, you can set it and forget it. Well worth a few minutes: wealthfront.com/tim. This podcast is also brought to you by 99Designs, the worldís largest marketplace of graphic designers. I have used them for years to create some amazing designs. When your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99Designs. I used them to rapid prototype the cover for The 4-Hour Body, and I've also had them help with display advertising and illustrations. If you want a more personalized approach, I recommend their 1-on-1 service, which is non-spec. You get original designs from designers around the world. The best part? You provide your feedback, and then you end up with a product that you're happy with or your money back. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run.
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