Michael Nielsen on Hyper-entities, Tools for Thought, and Wise Optimism

How do we imagine, validate, and steer toward better futures?

In this conversation, scientist and writer Michael Nielsen joins Beatrice Erkers to explore the idea of “hyper-entities”, future artifacts that reshape our capabilities and the verbs we use to describe them. They discuss how science fiction, public goods mechanisms, and open science feed into real-world innovation, and how imagination and design shape the trajectory of civilization.

Michael reflects on dual-use technologies, from quantum physics to cryptography, and explains why deep truths about the universe often come bundled with both promise and peril. They also dive into "tools for thought," kindness as a moral technology, and why exploration, however illegible, is crucial for progress.‍

On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures.

Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

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