

Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
Eliezer Yudkowsky, Eneasz Brodski; ty to JK Rowling
This is an alternate universe story, where Petunia married a scientist. Harry enters the wizarding world armed with Enlightenment ideals and the experimental spirit.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 4, 2025 • 1h 16min
Blindsided 11: Consciousness Is a Bug, Not a Feature
Brian and Steven tackle the intricate nature of consciousness and its philosophical implications. They explore character motivations, particularly through the lens of vampirism and genetic engineering. Delving into trauma's impact on self-awareness, they challenge the boundaries between human consciousness and AI capabilities. The conversation also examines cooperation's role in evolution and the deceptive nature of communication. Personal anecdotes of superstitions add a human touch to the analysis, prompting reflections on identity and reality in both fiction and life.

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

Jul 15, 2025 • 1h 20min
Blindsided 08: We Got A Live One!
Join Brian and Steven as we wrangle up some aliens of dubious sentience so we can confine them and do some mad science at them!
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: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “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
For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up

Jul 7, 2025 • 1h 12min
Blindsided 07: Competitive Ecology
Hold on tight – Brian and Steven throw themselves back into the mysterious alien spacecraft after punching a hole in it with antimatter!
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: “You have eyes, but you do not see” —Jesus the Nazorean
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein
For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “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

Jun 30, 2025 • 1h 5min
Blindsided 06: Madness-Inducing Meat-Grinder
Brian and Steven continue diving into the madness-inducing meat-grinder over and over. Come on and join the party!
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: “Predators run for their dinner. Prey run for their lives.” —Old Ecologist’s Proverb
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “You have eyes, but you do not see” —Jesus the Nazorean
For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein
Here are a couple of videos that demonstrate inattentional blindness. I hope you have as much fun getting your world rocked as I did when I first saw these. :)

Jun 16, 2025 • 1h 17min
Blindsided 05: Alien Space Ghosts!
Join Brian and Steven as they throw caution to the winds, don their Big Daddy costumes, and get ready to rumble with some space ghosts!
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: “Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own.” —Aristotle
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Predators run for their dinner. Prey run for their lives.” —Old Ecologist’s Proverb
For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “You have eyes, but you do not see” —Jesus the Nazorean

Jun 9, 2025 • 1h 12min
Blindsided 04: You Wanna Throw Down, Bro?!
Join Brian and Steven, who are maybe trapped inside of a Chinese Room. Or maybe banging on it from the outside. Who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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: “They know the music but not the words.” — Hare, Without Conscience
This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own.” —Aristotle
For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “Predators run for their dinner. Prey run for their lives.” —Old Ecologist’s Proverb

Jun 2, 2025 • 1h 10min
Blindsided 03: Theseus, are you there? It’s me, Rorschach
Join Brian and Steven as we talk with some maybe-super-smart aliens in our discussion of part 3 of Blindsight!
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: “They know the music but not the words.” — Hare, Without Conscience
And the stop quote for this episode is: “Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own.” —Aristotle

May 26, 2025 • 1h 21min
Blindsided 02: Smile! You’re on Camera!
Join Brian and Steven on their expedition to the edge of the solar system with part 2 of Blindsight!
The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. (I read the wrong quote at the top of the episode. Whoopsie!)
Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!
The starting quote for this episode is: “Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.” —Robert Jarvik
And the stop quote for this episode is: “They know the music but not the words.” — Hare, Without Conscience