Catastrophizing and the Concept of Progress

Steven Pinker is a linguist, cognitive scientist, and a professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard. He’s the author of twelve books, including the bestsellers How the Mind Works, Enlightenment Now, and most recently Rationality.

Auren and Steven delve into the world of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and intellectual freedom. Steven brings his perspective from cognitive psychology to explain how AI does (and does not) mirror the human brain. 

They also explore the complexities of disasters, rationality, and academic freedom, with Steven emphasizing the necessity of open debates in universities. The episode concludes with a thought-provoking discussion on honesty, common knowledge, and communication, pondering on the idea that humans sometimes need to forget the truth to remain human.

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You can find Auren Hoffman on Twitter at @auren and Steven on Twitter at @sapinker.