Waking Up with Sam Harris

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways

• Ideas matter in Astrology & Astrophysics, but typically, it’s simply just weird and unknown stuff being discovered for the first time
  • Information in the field has been exponential, and the possibilities are endless
• The most simple and abundant building blocks (hydrogen, carbon, etc.) on earth imply we are not special
  • This implies that our system isn’t as complex as we give it credit for. Overall, it is simple and certainly credits the potential of it occurring elsewhere in the universe.
• The Fermi Paradox: life tends to team up with life and would have visited us by now
  • In this theory, not being surrounded by alien technology creates the doubt around their existence
• “Intelligence is not important for survival; otherwise, roaches would have big brains. The mistake is thinking intelligence is an inevitable consequence of evolution” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
• As a field of study, Astrophysicists are looking for signs of life rather than life itself

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org

In this episode of the podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Neil deGrasse Tyson about our place in the universe. They discuss our current understanding of extra-solar planets, the prospect that there is complex life elsewhere in the galaxy, the Fermi problem, the possibility that all advanced civilizations self destruct, how we can detect life on exoplanets, recent media interest in UFOs, whether a direct encounter with alien life would change our world, the flat-Earth conspiracy, the public understanding of science, the problem of political partisanship, racial inequality, and other topics.

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Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.