Robert Wright's Nonzero What Era Are We Living In? (Robert Wright & Nikita Petrov)
Dec 23, 2025
Nikita Petrov, a member of the Non-Zero team and author of the Psychopolitica newsletter, joins Robert Wright for an intriguing discussion. They explore how the COVID pandemic marked the beginning of a strange era filled with uncertainty. Nikita likens the internet to an alien intelligence, reshaping our realities. They debate the implications of AI as a looming threat and its impact on music industry dynamics, especially for artists in repressive environments like Russia. The conversation delves deep into the importance of global cooperation in this rapidly evolving landscape.
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Pandemic As Era Breaker
- COVID marked the start of a five-year period where normalcy fractured and unexpected global events multiplied.
- Nikita Petrov says the pandemic created a lingering, unresolved weirdness that shaped subsequent years.
Problems Beyond Nation States
- AI and biotech create challenges that can't be solved purely at the national level and demand international institutions.
- Robert Wright argues we need planetary unity and enforceable agreements for monitoring labs and tech.
Masked Walk In Moscow
- Nikita recalls a masked stroll in Moscow early in the pandemic showing divergent personal risk views among friends.
- He says that disagreement exemplified the loss of consensus about danger and behavior during COVID.