David and Tamler break down what may be the best argument that it's rational to believe in God: Pascal's Wager. (No, we're not just trolling our Sam Harris listeners.) Does the expected value of believing in God outweigh the probability that you're wrong? How does belief work--can you just turn it on and off? What if you believe in the wrong God? This leads to a wide-ranging discussion on decision theory, instrumental rationality, artificial intelligence, transformative experiences, and whether David should drop acid. Your brain AND your future self will love this episode!

Links:

2017 BP MS 150: Mr. Tamler Sommers - National MS Society
Prose&Cons - YouTube
Why people are so bad at thinking about the future.
On Intertemporal Selfishness: How the Perceived Instability of Identity Underlies Impatient Consumption | Journal of Consumer Research | Oxford Academic
"Homer's Soul" by Paul Bloom and David Pizarro
Pascal's Wager - Wikipedia
Pascal's mugging - Wikipedia
Transformative Experience by L.A. Paul, in conversation with Paul Bloom.
"Transformative Experience: by L. A. Paul [amazon.com affiliate link]

Episode 53: Steve Stricker