Arjun Khemani Podcast

I had the pleasure of sitting down with David Deutsch in his lovely garden in Oxford a few months ago. Here’s our conversation.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

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Timestamps

1:01 - A tragic view of human history

7:04 - Why did it take so long for civilization to arise?

13:31 - Fallibilism

21:32 - Cultural relativism denies improvement

24:03 - Richard Dawkins and indigenous ways of knowing

26:49 - Chemical scum that dream of distant quasars

31:38 - The era of man

37:55 - People are unlike any other force of nature

42:51 - The dangers of regulating AI

48:09 - Are we running out of resources?

54:21 - Everything in existing educational theory is wrong

1:11:30 - When David met Richard Feynman

1:17:33 - Everyone is a Popperian

1:20:16 - Only progress is sustainable

1:26:00 - The biggest threat to Western civilization

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Follow David on X.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Julian Barbour is a renowned physicist known for his groundbreaking work on the nature of time. In his influential books, The End of Time and The Janus Point he explores the concept of a timeless universe, challenging traditional views.

Samuel Kuypers is a theoretical physicist, currently located in Montréal, who is interested in the foundations of quantum theory and time.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work. You can also send me bitcoin to this address.

Timestamps

1:10 - The instant is not in time, time is in the instant

6:27 - Time capsules and evidence of time passing

9:22 - Newton’s view of absolute time and space

18:46 - Shape dynamics

24:33 - Mathematics of variety

37:51 - Newton’s theory as a theory of creation

56:23 - How shape dynamics relates to general relativity

1:06:50 - Entropy and heat death of the universe

1:28:13 - Free will and determinism

1:33:22 - Carpe diem

1:34:13 - Julian’s interest in Shakespeare

1:40:54 - Question from David Deutsch about quantum theory

1:48:56 - Question from Brett Hall about general relativity and QT

1:51:51 - Final remarks

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Click here to support my work. You can also send me bitcoin to this address.

Nat Eliason is a writer and crypto insider with a wildly popular newsletter and podcast. He is the author of the book Crypto Confidential: Winning and Losing Millions in the New Frontier of Finance.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Timestamps

0:49 - Ayn Rand

6:40 - The transition from writing online to writing a book

12:26 - Marketing Crypto Confidential

16:43 - Writing for the modern world

21:20 - Come for the money, stay for the tech

26:49 - Decentralized social media

30:19 - Don’t be someone’s exit liquidity!

34:39 - The value of authenticity

36:39 - The advantages of being pseudonymous

39:19 - Constraints can help us be creative

42:53 - Is note-taking valuable?

46:02 - The future of work

50:11 - Strava for writing

53:49 - What idea sounds crazy today but will be mainstream in 5-10 years?

1:01:00 - Why Nat doesn’t use shampoo and other conventional health products

Follow Nat on X: http://x.com/nateliason

Get Nat’s book Crypto Confidential: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593714040

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Johan Norberg is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a writer who focuses on globalization, human progress and intellectual history. He is the author of In Defense of Global Capitalism, Progress: Ten Reasons to Look Forward to the Future, and The Capitalist Manifesto: Why the Global Free Market Will Save the World.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it!

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work. You can also send me bitcoin to this address.

Timestamps

0:50 - How Johan changed his mind about human progress

3:50 - Pro-human flourishing cannot be anti-environment

5:33 - Alternative words to describe capitalism

8:30 - Why is there so much economic illiteracy?

12:36 - Despise poverty, not wealth or inequality

16:41 - We are taxing what we want more of

18:46 - Degrowth and the fall of western education

25:21 - The concept of “needs” is often abused

29:27 - How to have infinite growth on a finite planet

33:08 - Elon Musk

34:43 - Javier Milei and Argentina

39:34 - Privatizing law and justice systems

43:52 - Child labor

49:52 - Advice for young people

Follow Johan on X: http://x.com/johanknorberg

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Riva Tez is a philosopher, writer, and venture capitalist. She’s the author of the blog Hard to Write.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it!

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work.

Timestamps

0:52 - Does crypto make anarcho-capitalism pragmatic?

11:56 - Crypto is both technologically and morally superior

20:08 - Ayn Rand’s ideal world

26:00 - Children are humans in their purest form

30:03 - Having integrity in your beliefs

33:17 - Creating a TV show of Atlas Shrugged

36:33 - COVID radicalized a lot of people

41:48 - Riva’s toy store and philosophy class for kids

44:37 - Epistemological anarchism

46:49 - Objective beauty

50:57 - AI, AGI, and AI safety

57:25 - Distractions in the longevity movement

1:04:30 - Why care about longevity (and hate the state)

1:08:07 - Riva’s childhood

1:12:42 - There is more opportunity out there than anyone wants you to believe

Follow Riva on X: http://x.com/rivatez

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Nicole Behnam is a founder and journalist. She is the creator of Beyond The Interview where she’s interviewed people like Chris Voss, Konstantin Kisin, and Robert Greene.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work.

Timestamps

0:00 - Nicole’s relationship with her parents and books

4:45 - On being a red carpet host

9:57 - Clubhouse

14:34 - How Naval spoke at one of Nicole’s events

18:03 - Leverage social media

19:45 - NFTs

26:32 - Cults, communities, and influencing people

30:51 - Ray Peat

34:36 - What would your Oscar’s speech be?

Follow Nicole on X: http://x.com/NicoleBehnam

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Niklas Anzinger is the founder of Infinita VC and Vitalia. He is also the host of the Stranded Technologies Podcast.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work.

Timestamps

0:32 - Building Vitalia and Infinita VC

6:05 - The parallels between longevity and crypto

17:35 - How to convince people that living longer is a worthy goal

22:54 - Network societies

30:35 - Curating your early community

35:22 - The benefits of making organ trade legal

39:23 - Master of Business Creation

43:46 - The madness of air travel regulation

48:51 - Privatizing the base layer of society + closing remarks

Follow Niklas on X: http://x.com/NiklasAnzinger

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Ashley St. Clair is the Operations Manager at Babylon Bee and author of the children’s book Elephants Are Not Birds. This interview was recorded on Airchat.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work.

Timestamps

0:19 - The immigration crisis in the US

11:08 - DEI and Mark Cuban

14:29 - Anti-humanism and Gen Z

18:17 - The rise of Christian nationalism

22:32 - Elon freeing the bird

27:47 - What the birth control pill represents

33:07 - Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom

35:16 - Should you go to college?

38:37 - Elephants Are Not Birds

Follow Ashley on X: http://x.com/stclairashley

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Matthew Lysiak is an investigative journalist and author of Fiat Food: Why Inflation Destroyed Our Health and How Bitcoin Fixes It.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work.

Timestamps

0:49 - Why Matthew wrote Fiat Food

5:29 - Restructuring the American diet after the gold standard

11:25 - The Seventh-day Adventist Church

16:09 - The word “science” has become a shield against criticism

18:19 - On eating everything in moderation

21:04 - The CPI significantly downplays the effect of inflation

25:53 - The benefits of eating sound good

28:54 - How could a transition to the Bitcoin standard look like?

32:50 - Freedom and raising free children

36:21 - Advice for starting the carnivore diet and closing remarks

Follow Matthew on X: http://x.com/Matthewlysiak

Get Fiat Food from The Saif House: http://thesaifhouse.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com

Farbood Nivi is the founder of Grockit (acquired by Kaplan in 2013). He has been biohacking for 25 years. Recently, he became one of the first 200 people in the world to receive Follistatin gene therapy.

Topics we discuss are well captured by the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube or X. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Follow me on X for updates on future episodes.

Click here to support my work.

Timestamps

0:39 - Biohacking for 25 years

7:23 - Follistatin gene therapy

11:15 - Farbood’s protocol and results after taking follistatin

15:38 - The FDA’s job is not to keep you alive and healthy

20:58 - Próspera and other startup cities

24:13 - Effective accelerationism

29:27 - On living forever

33:40 - The nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m an effective altruist and I’m here to help”

44:40 - Action is always selfish

50:53 - Tips for the average person to get started with biohacking

57:00 - The importance of mobility and flexibility

1:02:14 - Steve Jobs and following your heart

Follow Farbood on X: http://x.com/farbood

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.arjunkhemani.com