Stephen Hsu is a Professor of Theoretical Physics and Professor of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. He is also a serial entrepreneur and has published on genomics, in addition to blogging on a wide range of topics from econometrics and geopolitics to mixed martial arts. Hsu joins the Podcast, where he and Richard begin by talking about the Russia-Ukraine crisis and American military power relative to that of China and Russia. What would a Chinese attempt to conquer Taiwan look like, and what would the US be able to do in response? This is followed by a long discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese system and its differences with the democratic capitalist model, including the former's high level of reliance on standardized tests and institutions designed to evaluate and promote government officials. The conversation closes on the topics of genomics and embryo selection, including the state of the technology, its current uses, and cross-national differences in attitudes and regulations. A full transcript of the conversation is available here.Sign up for CSPI’s Substack newsletter: https://cspi.substack.com.Follow CSPI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CSPICenterOrg.Subscribe to our YouTube for video podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvs4ugq0xSvbvwArpFJG6gA.Learn more about CSPI: https://cspicenter.org.Ezra Voegel, “Japan as Number One.”John Dower, “War Without Mercy."Dan Wang, ”2021 Letter.”Dan Bell, “The China Model.”Richard McGregor, “The Party.”"DNA Dreams" (documentary film).Richard Hanania, “The Inevitable Rise of China.”Richard Hanania, “Fertility as the Final Boss in Chinese Development, and Richard Hanania Prediction Markets.”Steve Hsu, “Sustainability of China Economic Growth.”Steve Hsu, “Les Grandes Ecoles Chinoises.”Francesco C. Billari, Hans-Peter Kohler, Gunnar Andersson and Hans Lundström, “Approaching the Limit: Long-Term Trends in Late and Very Late Fertility.”  p. 163. (On Swedish Fertility, Extreme Births)Steve’s Podcast, “Manifold.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.cspicenter.com

Richard Hanania, author of The Origins Of Woke, challenges the idea that wokeness stems from civil rights law, arguing instead that US civil rights law is flawed. The podcast covers the unintended consequences of civil rights legislation, navigating corporate 'wokeness,' workplace harassment laws, a legal battle over racial discrimination at a Tesla plant, and the influence on conservative policy perspectives.

Robin Hanson joins the podcast to talk about the AI debate. He explains his reasons for being skeptical about “foom,” or the idea that there will emerge a sudden superintelligence that will be able to improve itself quickly and potentially destroy humanity in the service of its goals. Among his arguments are:* We should start with a very low prior about something like this happening, given the history of the world. We already have “superintelligences” in the form of firms, for example, and they only improve slowly and incrementally * There are different levels of abstraction with regards to intelligence and knowledge. A machine that can reason very fast may not have the specific knowledge necessary to know how to do important things.* We may be erring in thinking of intelligence as a general quality, rather than as more domain-specific.Hanania presents various arguments made by AI doomers, and Hanson responds to each in kind, eventually giving a less than 1% chance that something like the scenario imagined by Eliezer Yudkowsky and others will come to pass. He also discusses why he thinks it is a waste of time to worry about the control problem before we know what any supposed superintelligence will even look like. The conversation includes a discussion about why so many smart people seem drawn to AI doomerism, and why you shouldn’t worry all that much about the principal-agent problem in this area.Listen in podcast form or watch on YouTube. You can also read a transcript of the conversation here.Links:* The Hanson-Yudkowsky AI-Foom Debate* Previous Hanson appearance on CSPI podcast, audio and transcript* Eric Drexler, Engines of Creation* Eric Drexler, Nanosystems* Robin Hanson, “Explain the Sacred”* Robin Hanson, “We See the Sacred from Afar, to See It the Same.”* Articles by Robin on AI alignment:* “Prefer Law to Values” (October 10, 2009)* “The Betterness Explosion” (June 21, 2011)* “Foom Debate, Again” (February 8, 2013)* “How Lumpy AI Services?” (February 14, 2019)* “Agency Failure AI Apocalypse?” (April 10, 2019)* “Foom Update” (May 6, 2022)* “Why Not Wait?” (June 30, 2022) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.cspicenter.com

Independent journalist Aaron Mate, renowned for his work on Russiagate, dives into the FBI's controversial actions protecting those who advanced the narrative. Political commentator Richard Hanania makes a surprising case for Donald Trump buying Greenland, discussing its geopolitical implications. They also address the growing concerns around a potential TikTok ban and the broader issues of censorship and digital privacy. The conversation is a thought-provoking blend of current events and national security.

Author Richard Hanania discusses the dark side of the Republican Party and unusual perspectives in 'The Origins of Woke.' The podcast delves into disparities, discrimination laws, workplace culture, and the evolution of sexual harassment laws. It also explores the social construction of race, government classifications, and identity movements. Critiques of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and discrimination in the workplace are analyzed, highlighting biases in hiring processes and the impact on market freedom.

Richard Hanania, author of "The Origins of Woke," dives into the concept of elite human capital, analyzing how intellectuals in journalism and academia shape societal ideals. He discusses ideological trends in career choices and the polarized political landscape, particularly contrasting views on Trump and governance. Hanania also explores immigration's impact on crime and political dynamics, while advocating for thoughtful dialogue between tech innovators and media. His insights reveal the complexities of American politics today and the challenges ahead.

Richard Hanania, American writer and political science researcher, discusses the origins of 'wokeness' and the concept of disparity vs discrimination. They also explore online privacy, the issue of discrimination and success among black individuals, Bud Light's advertising shift, and challenging beliefs and ideologies.

Erik sits down with writer and political scientist Richard Hanania. This extended discussion encompasses Richard’s intellectual education and views on how the world works, including affirmative action, the dynamic divide between conservatives and liberals, government overreach, geopolitics, and intellectual contemporaries worth reading. If you’re looking for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR or HIPAA compliance, head to Vanta: https://www.vanta.com/1000--We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.--Please support our sponsors: Beehiiv | Shopify | Vanta  Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months.Shopify: https://shopify.com/torenberg for a $1/month trial periodShopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all ecommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one ecommerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/torenberg.Compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, with Vanta it can be super simple. Vanta automates the pricey, time-consuming process of prepping for SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and more. With Vanta, you can save up to 400 hours and 85% of costs. Vanta scales with your business, helping you successfully enter new markets, land bigger deals, and earn customer loyalty. Bonus? Upstream listeners get $1000 off Vanta. Just go to https://www.vanta.com/zen--RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriff--LINKS:Richard’s new book: The Origins of Woke: Civil Rights Law, Corporate America, and the Triumph of Identity Politics Richard Hanania’s Substack: https://www.richardhanania.com/--TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode preview(05:40) Richard on Vivek Ramaswamy(07:20) Diversity and corporate interest(12:10) Wokeness is subsidized by government(18:00) Wokeness as a paper tiger(22:00) Liberal media and Conservative media(31:00) What should the Republican strategy be?(40:00) What is a positive vision rooted in conservative values?(48:00) What are the winning issues for conservatives?(51:00) Crime(01:10:00) Blank Slatism, Charles Murray, and the EA movement(01:14:00) Richard’s geopolitical worldview(01:25:00) Physiognomy of Conservatives and Liberals(01:28:00) Why are we polarized?(01:33:00) Dynamic divide between liberals and conservatives(01:34:00)Richard on Elon(01:40:00) Feminism(02:00:00) Richard on other contemporary intellectuals, including Tyler Cowen, Robin Hanson, Scott Alexander, and more--TWITTER:Richard: @RichardHananiaErik: @ErikTorenberg--Upstream : @upstream__podThis show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.

Tyler Cowen needs no introduction. He joins the podcast to talk about his new book, co-authored with Daniel Gross, called Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World. Richard asks him about whether intelligence is overrated or underrated, the idea of “State Capacity Libertarianism” as an improvement over old-fashioned libertarianism, cultural differences between China and India, how optimistic to be about the future of the United States, different kinds of courage, free speech, and whether the world has too much or too little wokeness. The conversation also covers the feminization of intellectual life, with Tyler being optimistic that we will get better over time at navigating gender-integrated institutions.Richard closes by asking Tyler about how he sees his own role as a public figure. They discuss the Emergent Ventures grant interview for CSPI, and the benefits of asking an interviewee about their own ambition.A lightly edited transcript of the conversation is available here. Listen in podcast form or watch the episode on YouTube.Links:* Tyler Cowen and Daniel Gross, Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World.* CEO Study from Sweden.* Econ Talk episode where Tyler and Russ Roberts discuss Germany.* Tyler on State Capacity Libertarianism.* Tyler Cowen, “Why Wokism will Rule the World.”* Eric Kaufmann. “Born This Way? The Rise of LGBT as a Social and Political Identity.”* Tyler Cowen, “My Personal Moonshot.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.cspicenter.com

Marc Andreessen is a venture capitalist and the founder of Netscape. He joins the podcast to talk about what's the matter with science, the prerequisites for progress, and how tech has changed our lives and has the potential to disrupt stagnant institutions. Topics also include how the internet has changed dating, what venture capitalists actually do, and whether there is too much–or too little–money in politics.Sign up for CSPI’s Substack newsletter: https://cspi.substack.com.Follow CSPI on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CSPICenterOrg.Subscribe to our YouTube for video podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvs4ugq0xSvbvwArpFJG6gA.Learn more about CSPI: https://cspicenter.org. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.cspicenter.com