Astral Codex Ten Podcast

[I haven’t independently verified each link. On average, commenters will end up spotting evidence that around two or three of the links in each links post are wrong or misleading. I correct these as I see them, and will highlight important corrections later, but I can’t guarantee I will have caught them all by the time you read this.] https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/links-for-may-2024 

In my book review of The Others Within Us, I wrote: [An Internal Family Systems session] isn’t supposed to be just the therapist walking you through guided imagery, or you making up a story you tell yourself. The therapist asks you “Look inside until you find the part that’s sabotaging your relationship”, and you are supposed to discover - not invent, discover - that your unconscious gives it the form of a snake called Sabby. And you are supposed to hear as in a trance - again, not invent - Sabby telling you that she’s been protecting you from heartbreak since your last breakup. When you bargain with Sabby, it’s a two-way negotiation. You learn - not decide - whether or not Sabby agrees to any given bargain. According to Internal Family Systems (which descends from normal family systems, ie family therapy where the whole family is there at once and has to compromise with each other), all this stuff really is in your mind, waiting for an IFS therapist to discover it. When Carl Jung talked about interacting with the archetypes or whatever, he wasn’t being metaphorical. He literally meant “go into a trance that gives you a sort of waking lucid dream where you meet all this internal stuff”. Some IFS therapists chimed in to say this was wrong. For example, DaystarEld: https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/what-is-going-on-in-ifs 

There’s been renewed debate around Bryan Caplan’s The Case Against Education recently, so I want to discuss one way I think about this question. Education isn’t just about facts. But it’s partly about facts. Facts are easy to measure, and they’re a useful signpost for deeper understanding. If someone has never heard of Chaucer, Dickens, Melville, Twain, or Joyce, they probably haven’t learned to appreciate great literature. If someone can’t identify Washington, Lincoln, or either Roosevelt, they probably don’t understand the ebb and flow of American history. So what facts does the average American know? https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/a-theoretical-case-against-education 

A podcast exploring the hot new therapy Internal Family Systems, portraying parts of the mind as literal demons. Personal testimonials share transformative therapy experiences. Discussions on theory of mind, demons, and therapeutic perspectives. Navigating personal experiences with demons and alternative realities. Exploring beliefs, trauma, and schizophrenia outcomes in different cultures.

Listeners are called upon to help select finalists for a Book Review Contest with 150 entries. Emphasis on random selection and avoiding bias. The podcast explores diverse topics like rationalism, literature, mass opinion, autism, and gender. Concludes with information on accessing more content and supporting the podcast.

The podcast explores genetic influences on pain perception, including redheads needing more anesthesia and unique neurological conditions like platypus venom increasing pain sensitivity. It also delves into philosophical perspectives on suffering, visionary utopian societies, CRISPR technology in gene manipulation, and the pursuit of super-happiness through radical hedonic recalibration.

Exploring regulatory changes in event contracts trading, Manifold Markets pivot to real money gambling, superforecasting on COVID-19 origins, and insights on statistics, forecasts, and election results.

Analyzing the impact of health insurance on mortality rates, exploring patient behavior and antibiotic use in healthcare, navigating healthcare decisions and treatment innovations, uncovering hidden medication damages and maternal mortality statistics, exploring unique pregnancy mortality tracking and healthcare incentives.

The podcast delves into the controversial realm of emotional support animals, highlighting the legal requirements for accommodation while questioning the legitimacy of the system. It explores the benefits of pets for mental health, the evaluation process for ESA letters, and the ethical dilemmas faced by professionals in prescribing emotional support animals.

Asterisk/Zvi discusses California's AI bill SB1047, debunking misconceptions about its impact on open-source AI and technology. They explore the need for regulations on harmful AI models, clarify certification objections, and interpret the bill's implications on model manipulation and regulatory constraints. The discussion emphasizes the importance of truthful AI conversations and offers bets on potential impacts.