Robert Wright's Nonzero

Nonzero
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Apr 29, 2024 • 1h 38min

A Debate on Israel-Palestine (Robert Wright & Coleman Hughes)

0:41 Coleman’s Joe Rogan appearance and new book, The End of Race Politics 2:50 Campus protests and free speech 12:53 Is anti-Zionism anti-Semitism? 17:42 Is "exterminating Hamas" a viable solution? 27:11 Bob: Israel never offered Palestinians a state 40:54 “Right of return” and Palestinian national identity 57:22 How firmly entrenched is hatred of Israel among Palestinians? 1:08:33 Could better US policy have steered Israel-Palestine toward peace? 1:19:12 Are Palestinian “sacred beliefs” the problem? 1:26:20 Possible Palestinian futures 1:34:01 Israel’s strike on Iran’s consulate in SyriaRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Coleman Hughes (Conversations with Coleman). Recorded April 25, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe
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Apr 24, 2024 • 1h 12min

Campus Protests, Dennett’s Legacy (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:29 Paul asserts his right to non-assertion 4:31 Campus protests and free speech controversies 19:53 Have pro-Palestine protestors crossed a line? Have their opposition? 31:13 Will the protests force a reckoning on campus “wokeness”? 40:09 Remembering philosopher Daniel Dennett 48:03 Bob vs Dennett on consciousness 1:00:47 Does the mind-body problem suggest a cosmic solution? 1:10:34 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded April 24, 2024.Paul’s Substack: https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.netDiscussed in Overtime:The problem(s) with the 3 Body Problem.Bob and Dennett’s big breakup: a breakdown. The time Keanu Reeves glitched at Bob’s expense. Does Bob have a “Burn Book” in his future?
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Apr 22, 2024 • 1h 4min

Putin, AI, Ukraine, Crypto, the Noosphere, Futurism, and Other Stuff (Robert Wright & Anatoly Karlin)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:29 Anatoly’s strange CV 4:20 How the 20th century set the stage for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine 9:42 Why did Putin turn against the West? 24:19 Anatoly: I underestimated Russia’s incompetence 28:29 Has the Ukraine war really shifted in Russia’s favor? 35:26 Russia’s “elite human capital” problem 42:02 Is the “bio-singularity” near? 51:11 Unipolar vs multipolar AI takeover scenarios 1:00:01 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Anatoly Karlin (https://akarlin.com/, Nooceleration). Recorded April 16, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsOvertime titles:0:00 Can the world regulate AI wisely? 2:05 The case for crypto 10:08 What Anatoly would do as AI czar 14:05 When noospheres collide 23:52 Is controlling AI possible under capitalism? 31:56 Was Anatoly serious about taking the Ukraine war into outer space? 36:01 Anatoly: The nation-state is obsolete
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Apr 20, 2024 • 35min

Israel Strikes Iran, David Cameron Crumbles (Earthling Unplugged)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.orgRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling:https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-kay-burley-path-to-world-peaceRecorded April 19, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
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Apr 17, 2024 • 60min

How Iran’s Attack Benefits Israel (Robert Wright & Joshua Landis)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:59 Why Iran’s attack on Israel was an “own goal” 5:36 Did Iran minimize casualties on purpose? 12:11 The rising odds of Israel attacking Iran directly 19:39 America’s contradictory relationship with Israel 25:43 How conflict with Iran helps Israel 34:11 What China wants in the Middle East 43:27 America’s destabilizing role in the region 57:16 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Joshua Landis (University of Oklahoma, SyriaComment.com). Recorded April 16, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
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Apr 13, 2024 • 34min

Iran’s “Imminent” Attack (Earthling Unplugged)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.orgRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling:https://nonzero.substack.com/p/marc-andreessens-mindless-technoRecorded April 12, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
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Apr 11, 2024 • 51min

Daniel Kahneman and the Rationalists (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:29 Why Paul’s eclipse experience eclipsed Bob’s 6:25 Remembering pioneering psychologist Daniel Kahneman 16:33 Bob fails gender affirmation test 21:14 Has the “replication crisis” tainted Kahneman’s legacy? 27:47 Eastern vs. Western “enlightenment” 35:58 How AI doomerism came to the rationalist community 45:42 3 Body Problem review goes into OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded April 10, 2024.Paul’s Substack:Overtime titles:0:00 Should humanity welcome AI/alien overlords? 4:44 What was the movie Harvey trying to say? 15:07 Psychedelics as psycho-technology 26:59 The therapy crapshoot 31:06 The self-immolating airman and the trouble with mental “illness” 42:58 Poor Things baffles Bob
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Apr 5, 2024 • 31min

Biden’s Israel Problem (Robert Wright, Derek Davison, Daniel Bessner)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:34 A brief message from Bob 2:12 Derek and Danny stumble into Bob’s Zoom room 3:11 Israel’s doubly out-of-control week 12:13 How Biden's Gaza failures will shape the Democratic Party 26:42 Biden’s political incentives on Israel-Palestine 30:12 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True), Derek Davison (Foreign Exchanges, American Prestige, Discontents), and Daniel Bessner (American Prestige, University of Washington). Recorded April 04, 2024.American Prestige on Substack: https://www.americanprestigepod.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=publication_embed&utm_medium=webTwitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
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Apr 3, 2024 • 57min

AI, Rationalism, and the “Great Filter” (Robert Wright & Robin Hanson)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:33 Robin’s history of thinking about the future 2:48 Seeing AI as offspring, not adversary 14:54 Robin’s famous answer to a great cosmic mystery 25:21 Would evidence of aliens be good news or bad? 34:23 Is rationalist culture cultist? 44:19 LLMs: revolution or hype cycle? 55:57 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Robin Hanson (George Mason University, The Elephant in the Brain, Overcoming Bias). Recorded April 02, 2024.Robin's Substack: https://www.overcomingbias.com/
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11 snips
Mar 31, 2024 • 57min

The Cosmic Thought of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (Robert Wright & Ilia Delio)

Ilia Delio, a theologian and Franciscan sister, delves into the captivating ideas of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. They explore the concept of the noosphere and its implications for consciousness and evolution. The discussion touches on the tension between Teilhard's thoughts and church doctrine, the relationship of technology to transcendent ideas, and how love drives unity in the cosmos. Ilia also reconsiders the role of AI and its potential to represent a 'techno-sapiens' evolution, questioning whether we are heading towards a collective awakening.

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