The Fermi Paradox

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Ben Affleck: The pyramidal societies all governed very badly. They were fine for the reproductive success of those guys at the top but they were really bad at governance explaining this horrible litany of disasters called history. He says we found an alternative in paraclean Athens and people should read paraclesis funeral oration from Thucydides. Affleck: We instituted reciprocal accountability. Sue Vailens is looking back at power from below. And that is how we managed to make the most creative, feckened and productive society the world ever saw.

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Our special guest for the first episode of the Mindplex Podcast is David Brin, a scientist and science fiction author of more than 35 books over the last 40 years. His PhD in astrophysics from the University of California at San Diego led to his current involvement with NASA's Innovative & Advanced Concepts program - (NIAC).

David has won the Hugo, Locus, Campbell and Nebula Awards, and he completed the final book in Asimov's famous Foundation science-fiction series). He is also well known for his nonfiction books, including VIVID TOMORROWS: How Hollywood Science Fiction Likely Saved Us All.

A film was made of his classic novel “The Postman.” His series of novels for teens and young adults include, most recently, Castaways of New Mojave.

Links that David references during Episode 1 of the Mindplex Podcast:

1. David’s paper about AI and advertising
Micropayments may be the future as advertising fades:
https://evonomics.com/advertising-cannot-maintain-internet-heres-solution/ http://evonomics.com/beyond-advertising-micropayments-sustain-new-internet/

2. A fascinating discussion of the issue with a trio of brilliant law professors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13KTZhn7CXc

3. David’s book about Hollywood: VIVID TOMORROWS: Science Fiction and Hollywood - http://www.davidbrin.com/vividtomorrows.html

4. David’s story about fortune telling
Called “The Tell” http://www.davidbrin.com/bestofdavidbrin.html

5. From David: "Okay this one is purely political, trying to get Democrats to try new tactics in phase 8 of the US Civil War: Polemical Judo, by David Brin: http://www.davidbrin.com/polemicaljudo.html

6. Civil War Phases - CONTRARY BRIN - http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2014/09/phases-of-american-civil-war.html

7. Just for fun! The Ancient Ones: http://davidbrin.com/ancientones.html

8. The Colony High series: aliens kidnap a California high school! http://www.davidbrin.com/colonyhigh.html

9. Best reference re: George Marshall and the Marshall Plan
https://web.archive.org/web/20210609223749/
https://www.marshallfoundation.org/marshall/essays-remarks/quiet-adult-candidate-man-century/

10. David’s TED talk about being self-righteous: “The addictive plague of getting mad as hell." http://tinyurl.com/wrathaddicts
And the scientific background: http://www.davidbrin.com/nonfiction/addiction.html

11. “Existence” novel: http://youtu.be/wzr-DSDMkJM