This chapter explores the work of geneticist David Reich at Harvard, highlighting research on human population formation worldwide, ancient migrations, genocides, and population replacements. It discusses the use of advanced genetics techniques to analyze DNA evidence from old settlements, uncovering insights about social structures and inequalities. The conversation delves into the uniqueness of endogamy in Indian villages, the revolution brought by ancient DNA in understanding human prehistory, and the impact of climate stabilization and population growth on the transition to civilization.
This episode is sponsored by Command Bar, an embedded AI copilot designed to improve user experience on your web or mobile site. Find them here: https://www.commandbar.com/copilot/
Dwarkesh Patel is on a quest to know everything.
He’s using LLMs to enhance how he reads, learns, thinks, and conducts interviews.
Dwarkesh is a podcaster who’s interviewed a wide range of people, like Mark Zuckerberg, Tony Blair, and Marc Andreesen. Before conducting each of these interviews, Dwarkesh learns as much as he can about his guest and their area of expertise—AI hardware, tense geopolitical crises, and the genetics of human origins, to name a few.
The most important tool in his learning arsenal? AI—specifically Claude, Claude Projects, and a few custom tools he’s built to accelerate his workflow.
He does this by researching extensively, and as his knowledge grows, each piece of new information builds upon the last, making it easier and easier to grasp meaningful insights.
In this interview, I turn the tables on him to understand how the prolific podcaster uses AI to become a smarter version of himself. We get into:
- How he uses LLMs to remember everything
- His podcast prep workflow with Claude to understand complex topics
- Why it’s important to be an early adopter of technology
- His taste in books and how he uses LLMs to learn from them
- How he thinks about building a worldview
- His quick takes on the AI’s existential questions—AGI and P(doom)
We also use Claude live on the show to help Dwarkesh research for an upcoming podcast recording.
This is a must-watch for curious people who want to use AI to become smarter.
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Teaser
00:01:44 - Introduction
00:05:37 - How Dwarkesh uses LLMs to remember everything
00:11:50 - Dwarkesh's taste in books and how he uses AI to learn from them
00:17:58 - Why it's important to be an early adopter of technology
00:20:44 - How Dwarkesh uses Claude to understand complex concepts
00:26:36 - Dwarkesh on how you can compound your intelligence
00:28:21 - Why Dwarkesh is on a quest to know everything
00:39:19 - Dan and Dwarkesh prep for an upcoming interview
01:04:14 - How Dwarkesh uses AI for post-production of his podcast
01:08:51 - Rapid fire on AI's biggest questions—AGI and P(doom)
Links to resources mentioned in the episode:
- Dwarkesh Patel
- Dwarkesh’s podcast and newsletter
- Dwarkesh’s interview with researcher Andy Matuschak on spaced repetition
- The book about technology and society that both Dan and Dwarkesh are reading: Medieval Technology and Social Change
- Dan’s interview with Reid Hoffman
- The book by Will Durant that inspires Dwarkesh: Fallen Leaves
- One of the most interesting books Dwarkesh has read: The Great Divide
- Upcoming guests on Dwarkesh’s podcast: David Reich and Daniel Yergin
