Nick Cook, a best-selling author and seasoned journalist, dives into fascinating topics like the nature of consciousness and the possibility of living in a simulation. He shares gripping tales of the Soviet 'Caspian Sea Monster' and discusses Edgar Mitchell’s telepathy experiments on the moon. With insights on the role of intuition in creativity, he explores the transformative power of boredom and curiosity. Nick’s reflections on writing reveal how personal experiences shape storytelling, inviting listeners to rethink the essence of greatness in everyday life.
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insights INSIGHT
Simulated Reality
We live in a simulated reality like a computational engine, where everything interacts and generates information.
This information feeds back into the system, increasing its self-learning and our collective consciousness.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Caspian Sea Monster
Nick Cook, while working at Jane's Defence Weekly, investigated the existence of the Caspian Sea Monster, a Soviet aircraft-ship hybrid.
He obtained a classified manual with photographs, trading whiskey for access, and published the story despite KGB presence.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Shared Death Experience
Cook's wife, Ali, had a shared death experience when her mother died, describing a place of infinite knowledge and love.
This prompted Cook's deep dive into consciousness studies, culminating in an award-winning essay for the Bigelow Institute.
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Inside the Classified World of Antigravity Technology
Nick Cook
In 'The Hunt for Zero Point', Nick Cook delves into the mysterious and often classified realm of antigravity technology. The book examines historical and contemporary efforts to develop technologies that defy gravity, including the work of scientists and engineers in both the public and private sectors. Cook's investigation reveals intriguing stories and theories, shedding light on a field that has long been shrouded in secrecy.
Blink
The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Malcolm Gladwell
In 'Blink', Malcolm Gladwell explores the concept of 'thin-slicing', the ability of our unconscious mind to make rapid decisions based on limited information. The book delves into both the strengths and pitfalls of this process, using examples from various fields such as psychology, medicine, sales, and law enforcement. Gladwell discusses how these snap judgments can be both incredibly accurate and sometimes tragically wrong, influenced by factors like prejudice, stereotypes, and psychological priming. He also examines how experts develop their intuitive judgment through experience and training, and how stressful situations can affect our decision-making abilities.
Nick Cook is the best-selling author of The Hunt For Zero Point and has been a writer for almost 4 decades, with 25 books to his name. Nick started his career as a journalist – where he first learned to ask the question: what am I now being shown? In this conversation, we dive head first -- into what we are, living in a simulation, sea monsters, a profound shared death experience, Edgar Mitchell’s telepathy experiment while on the moon, Nick’s relationship with Ingo Swann. We also discuss imagination, intuition and hunches, running free unfettered, thinking on a ladder and discovery through boredom.
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For others:
· Rudy Schild pt 2 (ep186) re Edgar Mitchell
· Russell Targ (ep 80)
· Scarlett Heinbuch (ep164) re shared death experience
Behind Greatness by Inspire North 
