The Wright Show

Jordan’s ChinaTalk podcast ... Making sense of America’s “China consensus” ... Are fears of Chinese global ambitions overblown? ... The logic (or is it illogic?) of the AI arms race ... China and the Ukraine War ... Influence operations: Chinese vs American ... China’s endgame re the US—and vice-versa ... Is US China talk an echo chamber? ... Heading to Overtime ...

Substack glory and livestream anxiety ... Reading eugenics into a dopey jeans ad ... Does Sydney Sweeney spell the end of “inclusive marketing”? ... Bob vs. Paul on IQ and “general intelligence” ... Paul reviews the new Billy Joel documentary ... The Epstein prison video snafu: a Bayesian take ... Ghislaine gets a free upgrade ...

Why Gaza’s famine is the "most intense" in decades ... From food secure to starvation: How Gaza unraveled ... Blinken's willful blindness to Israel's obstruction of aid ... How the US muzzled its own famine warning system ... The political power of the term "famine" ... What starvation does to the body—and to society ... The perverse logic of starvation as warfare ... How the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation puts aid in Hamas's hands ... Evaluating Israel's accusation against UNRWA ... How many Gazans are dying of starvation? ... Why a blockade might be worse than an invasion ...

Derek and Danny plug their new Crusades series ... This week’s shift in Gaza discourse ... The real danger Gaza poses for Israel ... Does the left’s rhetoric on Israel miss the mark? ... Elite media’s think tank problem ... Is American imperialism really the problem? ... Heading to Overtime ...

Trump’s AI Action plan ... The contradictions inherent to Trump's plan ... How Trump’s anti-globalism undermines his AI goals ... Anthropic’s leaked memo: Ideals vs Persian Gulf cash ... Bob: Dario Amodei is the true AI ideologue ... How AI “safety” became a hawkish movement ... Why true objectivity in LLMs is a fantasy ... A Palantir exec dives into the movie business ... Is AI surgery around the corner? ... Why the Gaza ceasefire talks are collapsing—again ... Biden and Trump's allergy to using US leverage ...

Josh’s hopes for post-Assad Syria—revisited ... The challenge(s) facing the Syrian government ... What’s driving Syria’s sectarian violence? ... Josh’s personal window into the al-Sharaa regime’s brutality ... The new regime’s church vs state problem ... How the Druze became central to Israeli-Syrian hostilities ... Why did Israel escalate with Syria, really? ... Josh’s current outlook on Syria's future ... Heading to Overtime ...

Paul Bloom, a distinguished Canadian psychologist and professor, dives into a web of intriguing topics. He dissects the connections between Jeffrey Epstein and prominent figures including Trump, exploring public fascination and ethical dilemmas. The conversation also navigates the implications of AI companions, balancing benefits against emotional dependency. Bloom shares heartfelt reflections from his cancer journey, revealing how technology aids both healing and complex medical decisions, leading to profound insights on companionship, loss, and navigating contemporary challenges.

Dan Grazier, a Senior Fellow at the Stimson Center, dives deep into the complexities of a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. He analyzes why Taiwan’s geography makes it a challenging target for invaders, likening it to a defender's dream. Grazier argues that China would require nearly 5 million troops to mount a credible attack but also explores alternatives like a blockade. He assesses the 2027 invasion theory and discusses the strategic importance of U.S.-China relations in shaping Taiwan's defense, offering insights on smarter ways to protect the island.

In this fascinating discussion, Preston Greene, a philosophy professor at Nanyang Technological University, explores the simulation hypothesis and its bewildering implications. He delves into why many believe we might live in a simulation, linking it to technological advances and cosmic observations. Greene warns against the risks of probing this theory, suggesting it could lead to unsettling truths about reality. The conversation also questions whether this idea serves as a new form of religion for atheists, prompting listeners to reconsider their perceptions of existence.

In a captivating conversation, guest Lee Smolin, a theoretical physicist known for his groundbreaking work on quantum gravity and cosmology, explores the nature of time. He discusses time as a fundamental aspect of reality, challenging the conventional views, and suggests that the laws of physics may evolve. The intriguing connections between consciousness, quantum mechanics, and the universe's structure are examined. Smolin also reflects on the implications of these concepts for daily life and our understanding of existence.