Robert Wright's Nonzero

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:34 Preamble: The OpenAI drama and this conversation 3:46 Where Dan falls on the AI doomer spectrum 6:42 Is safe AI possible without international cooperation? 12:38 Are we selecting AI for truth or engagement? 25:53 Using “psychology” to understand—and control—AI 31:08 The worrisome Darwinian dynamics of AI development 40:37 Life after an AI takeover 51:52 How structural incentives make AI safety harderRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Dan Hendrycks (The Center for AI Safety). Recorded October 10, 2023.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org0:33 Tom’s new book, Getting Russia Right 2:13 Does Putin want to take more territory before talking peace? 12:35 Putin’s "messianic" transformation 22:41 America’s failed effort to Americanize Russia 32:46 Does the US focus too much on other nations’ internal affairs? 41:10 The 2004 event that sunk US-Russia relations 49:16 Why Tom supports a diplomatic resetRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Thomas Graham (Council on Foreign Relations, Getting Russia Right). Recorded November 09, 2023.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org1:51 Susan’s new book, Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise 7:28 China’s turn to more assertive policies in 2007 15:30 The well-intentioned reform that produced big authoritarian consequences 25:20 How public opinion influences autocratic leaders 31:53 Xi Jinping’s purge of suspect officials 41:52 Does Beijing feel threatened by America? 48:20 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Susan Shirk (University of California San Diego, Overreach). Recorded October 23, 2023.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

3:07 Will Israel-Palestine cost Biden the election? 12:20 What Hamas hoped to accomplish on October 7 24:30 The surprising origins of cancel culture 32:00 Matt defends his ratioed tweet 44:41 The persistent psychological impact of the Holocaust 55:53 Is a one-state solution realistic? 1:16:50 What Ukrainians and Palestinians have in common 1:26:43 Anti-Palestine sentiment and Christian Zionism in America 1:36:09 How the current crisis could lead to war with Iran 1:45:35 Bob gives Matt podcasting adviceRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Matthew Yglesias (slowboring.com). Recorded November 14, 2023.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

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 at: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-river-to-the-sea-rorschach-testRecorded November 10, 2023.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org3:30 Is Paul Bloom the next Tony Robbins? 10:47 Things to know about the noosphere 19:34 How Bob and Paul work 28:58 What Michael Lewis’s SBF bio reveals about SBF (and Michael Lewis) 35:46 SBF and Elon Musk: compare and contrast 38:34 Are SBF’s parents to blame? 42:28 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded November 8, 2023.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

2:49 Ron’s initial reaction to the October 7 atrocities 8:38 How Israel’s far right undermined Israel’s national security 17:40 Support for the Gaza war in Israel 26:34 The trouble with “eradicating” Hamas 32:23 How American Jews are responding to recent events 43:06 Post-October-7 prospects for solving Israel-Palestine 53:09 The rhetorical abuse of the Holocaust 57:37 The origins and meaning of “From the river to the sea…” 1:10:06 Could the Gaza war cost Biden the election? 1:17:16 Competing visions of Zionism 1:23:43 How terrorism impacts the Palestinian causeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Ron Kampeas (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). Recorded November 07, 2023.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

2:23 What Iran hopes to gain from the Israel-Hamas war 9:29 Did Hamas expect such a massive retaliation from Israel? 16:54 Why Israel’s campaign in Gaza could backfire 22:24 What Hezbollah is and how it got started 33:52 Does Israel have an exit strategy in Gaza? 46:53 Why the Arab world might unite in the years ahead 56:32 How China could benefit from the current crisis 1:02:52 Why the US hasn’t pushed harder to resolve Israel-Palestine 1:09:44 Is a one-state solution the best path forward? 1:18:11 Can the Israeli government rein in West Bank settlers? 1:25:34 How Israel-Palestine damages America’s, and Biden’s, credibilityRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Joshua Landis (University of Oklahoma, SyriaComment.com). Recorded November 02, 2023.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

3:06 The significance of Jerusalem in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 13:09 Will the current crisis explode into a wider war? 17:30 Israel’s ultra-nationalist minister of national security 26:41 Settler attacks intensify in the West Bank 40:43 The two-state solution is dead—can it be revived? 56:51 Has Israel lost the support of western young people? 1:04:15 What Hamas hoped to accomplish on October 7 1:15:03 How hopelessness drives support for Hamas 1:23:30 Can one-state aspirations produce a two-state solution?Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Daniel Seidemann (Terrestrial Jerusalem). Recorded October 31, 2023.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

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 at: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/israel...Recorded October 27, 2023.