"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg

Economist and author, Noah Smith, discusses elite overproduction in academia, the rise of right-wing muckrakers, and the challenges of navigating wokeness and political labels with Erik Torenberg in an engaging and thought-provoking conversation.

Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and Senator Todd Young discuss the national security implications of AI in the US-China war, comparing it to the atomic bomb. They debate the need for a new Manhattan Project and the role of open sourcing AI technology. Topics include modern warfare, global engineering solutions, and navigating the AI supply chain.

Bryan Caplan, expert in political economy, discusses housing regulation, fertility, and crime in this engaging podcast. They explore the benefits of housing deregulation, the impact on fertility rates, and the interplay of political influences. Caplan also delves into the efficacy of harsh punishments in crime prevention and the biases surrounding market and government actions.

Jonathan Haidt discusses the impact of social media on teen mental health, culture, politics, and education. They explore the effects of smartphones, algorithms on social media dynamics, liberal struggles, political centrism, and the influence of social media on younger generations.

Noah Smith, an economic analyst, breaks down the economies of USA, China, Japan, Russia, India, Korea, and more. Topics include healthcare spending, economic growth strategies, China's demographic challenges, Japan-China-Korea comparisons, and economic landscapes of various Asian countries.

Machine learning engineer Brian Chau and Nathan Labenz discuss AI policy based on informed optimism. Topics include AI landscape, global engineering talent, risks to humanity, AI policy uncertainties, and transitioning from knowledge to action in biosecurity.

Samo Burja, an expert on China's universities, explores the future of China's elites with Erik. They discuss the role of universities in shaping leadership, student activism in China and the US, societal inequalities, elite education comparisons, and the shifting talent trends towards China.

Naval Ravikant, co-founder of AngelList and a tech-savvy entrepreneur, teams up with Balaji Srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase and a cryptocurrency visionary. They delve into the rich history of money and the perils of centralized power, advocating for blockchain's potential to reshape industries. personal journeys into crypto are fascinating, revealing how outdated regulations spurred their interest. The duo discusses cryptocurrency's transformative power and its promise to democratize investing, especially in crisis-stricken regions, while envisioning a more connected future.

Nathan Labenz and Noah Smith discuss AI's impact on job markets, government roles, and the social contract. They explore comparative advantage, human wages in an AI-dominated economy, and the need for positive visions in the age of abundance.

Economist David Friedman discusses anarcho-capitalism, utilitarianism, privatization, global coordination, privatizing military, decentralized systems, justice, equality, and internet privacy in a thought-provoking conversation.