

podcast – The Methods of Rationality Podcast
podcast – The Methods of Rationality Podcast
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Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 11, 2025 • 1h 4min
Unum 06: John Cena Said We Don’t Have to Eat People
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 6 of Pluribus. You’re welcome to consume human-derived protein, but we don’t think that’s likely. Remember, your choices are your own.

Dec 8, 2025 • 1h 3min
Unum 05: It’s Not You, It’s We
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 5 of Pluribus. We hope you enjoy this exploration of the complexities of handling the unassimilated. Remember, your choices are your own.

Dec 4, 2025 • 1h 10min
Unum 04: Can I Get My Heroin To Go?
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 4 of Pluribus. We hope you enjoy this exploration of the complexities of handling the unassimilated. Remember, your choices are your own.

Dec 1, 2025 • 1h 1min
Unum 03: Would You Like a Cup of Coffee With Your Nuke?
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 3 of Pluribus. We hope you enjoy this exploration of the complexities of handling the unassimilated. Remember, your choices are your own.

Nov 26, 2025 • 1h 5min
Unum 02: A Meeting of the Minds
Welcome back to Unum! Steven and Brian discuss the second episode, gush about their favorite parts, and have fun speculating wildly about what “reasonable” people might do in this situation.
The format of this show will be full spoilers for the episode we’re covering and we’ll do an accelerated release schedule to catch up with the show. We hope you have fun!

Nov 24, 2025 • 57min
Unum 01: The Day The World Ended
Welcome to Unum! Steven loved Pluribus so much that he needed to talk about it and Brian was on board to join! The format of this show will be full spoilers for the episode we’re covering and we’ll do an accelerated release schedule to catch up with the show. We hope you have fun!

Aug 11, 2025 • 1h 45min
Blindsided 12: I Prefer a World Where Someone’s Home
Join Brian and Steven as we wrap up our journey through the awesome and thought provoking world of Blindsight.
Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!
The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.
The starting quote for this episode is: “You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.” —Einstein
The end quote for this episode is… Nothing. Thanks for listening and thank you to Peter Watts for writing this wonderful mind fuck of a story!

Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 16min
Blindsided 11: Consciousness Is a Bug, Not a Feature
Join Brian and Steven as the scramblers and the vampire demon challenge the value of the very essence of of what makes us us.
Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!
The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.
The starting quote for this episode is: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote:“You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.” —Einstein
The last quote in the book is: Species used to go extinct. Now they go on hiatus.” —Deborah MacLennan, Tables of our Reconstruction
But we’ll be reading the notes and references too.

Jul 28, 2025 • 1h 7min
Blindsided 10: Ow! What the Hell??
Brian and Steven continue their journey into space madness. Buckle up – this one gets nuts!
The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.
Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!
The starting quote for this episode is: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh
For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.” —Einstein

Jul 22, 2025 • 1h 9min
Blindsided 09: Is It Wrong to Torture a Roomba?
Join Brian and Steven as we put jumper cables on this roomba to see if it feels pain!
The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.
Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!
The starting quote for this episode is: “Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?” —Pierre Troubetzkoy
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up
For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh


