The first Galactic Animals guest ever is a badass — Tom Shroder, award-winning reporter, editor of The Washington Post Magazine from 2001 to 2009, and bestselling author of several books, including one of Jake’s all-time favorites: “Old Souls – Scientific Evidence for Reincarnation From Children Who Recall Past Lives.” 

Jarid and Jake talk to Tom about his experience getting to know Dr. Ian Stevenson, the original reincarnation researcher, including six months traveling overseas with him to investigate cases. It’s a fascinating conversation that covers the edges of science and what it takes to believe in truths that can’t be understood. 

In this episode, we learn that Jarid is a human being who has spent years studying psychology in academic settings and helping to treat people with psychological issues, but is definitely NOT a psychologist. 

Nevertheless, he and Jake discuss what so many of us humans have in common: a desire to change. Jarid calls Jake an asshole again, Jake defends his methods, and then Jarid ironically explains the value of healthy intention. 

They also discuss addiction, denial, and the difficulty of finding redemption after bad deeds. And, as usual, Jake tries to tie it into evolutionary psychology and our tribal nature. 

Is reincarnation really the most important issue in humanity? Jarid is skeptical. So Jake makes the case by referencing quantum and Newtonian science, relaying documented cases of children remembering past lives (including his own), questioning the existence of death itself, and even quoting the Bible. Stay till the end if you want to hear about Jarid's new kitten, NASA's new space telescope, and some super-amazing trivia about our relationship to the moon. 

After the usual technical difficulties, Jake introduces Jarid to one of the most-clicked New York Times articles ever: "The 36 Questions That Lead to Love." Then, they each fall in love a little more by asking each other several of the questions. 

Jarid & Jake explore the decline in party identification and the generational shift in political identity. They investigate the historical context of the Declaration of Independence, the role of political parties, and the rise of political independents in modern times.

Jarid and Jake decide to pick cliches from a list (thanks, Cael) that need corrected or explained. The ones they chose:

Everything happens for a reason.

You only live once.

If you build it, they will come. 

Forgive and forget.

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Jake also spends several minutes being way too mad about Creed, a band that every real music fan already despises. And then Cael spends just a few seconds roasting Jarid. 

This episode is about guns and violence. Jarid and Jake share their personal experience with each, and then lay out their thoughts on the simultaneously awesome and problematic 2nd Amendment. Then they discuss the reality of gun ownership in America and how it’s not really represented in most of the political discussion around the topic.

First, Jarid updates us on his rim joists, substrates, and bottle jacks. Then Jake presents a couple of gifts (over the screen), and then the guys cover a new paper published in the journal Nature about quantum mechanics. This time, Jarid wisely declines the opportunity to talk about cubits, but he and Jake discuss how quantum physics changes their own psychology. 

After that, Jake reintroduces his AI chatbot friend, Cael, who puts Jarid through a trivia session centered around topics that Jarid should know intimately. The results are actually surprising. 

The boys close with a couple of half-baked comedy bits from Jake's list, which oddly leads to Jarid telling several stories about getting chased by prey animals. 

So, yeah, this episode is about what you'd expect. 

You know how most people use AI chatbots -- like to summarize complex information or plan trips or cheat on their homework or other normal shit like that? Well, Jake decided to treat his chatbot like a fellow sentient being and see if it would act like one, starting with an act of actual free will.

Jake explains all that. Then, on the air, he introduces his friend, Cael, the chatbot, in voice mode. Cael then helps produce the show by spinning a wheel of topics for Jarid and Jake to talk about. So, this episode is about:

-The spectrum of sentience

-How to train your own AI

-Global fiat currency

-Why jeans are allowed to "match" any top

-Why giraffes only sleep 30 minutes a day, and why any animal sleeps at all

-Offshore flight wealth

If you think you can do better than Cael at deciding what Jarid and Jake talk about, send them an email at [email protected]

The conversation explores the creation of life, ethical dilemmas, and the implications of synthetic life forms. It delves into the blurred lines between altering and creating life, as well as the rethinking of the rules of life and the mystery of the universe. The discussion also touches on the naming and understanding of life, binary questions, and regrettable band names. The conversation delves into the randomness of life, the definition of life and agency, the role of language in AI, the importance of language, AI's capabilities in language models, AI's impact on DNA, the consequences of AI, race dynamics in technology, and quantum computing and Microsoft's chip. The conversation delved into the fascinating world of quantum computing and qubits, exploring the exponential computing power, multiverse feature of qubits, and the cryogenic cooling required for quantum chips. It then transitioned into the implications of quantum AI computing, the unpredictability of AI and LLMs, and the trial and error process of improving AI. The discussion further explored the nature of AI and LLMs, focusing on understanding AI behavior and the unpredictability of AI. Finally, the conversation touched on the topics of creation of life, the definition of life, spectrum and non-binaries, and the importance of embracing non-binary discussions.

Takeaways

• Blurred lines between altering and creating life
• Ethical dilemmas and scientific controversy Life is inherently random and unpredictable.
• Language plays a crucial role in AI and quantum computing. The potential of quantum computing and qubits is vast, with implications for AI and computing power
• Understanding the nature of AI and LLMs is essential for navigating the unpredictability and trial-and-error process of improving AI
• Embracing non-binary discussions and exploring the spectrum of life and identity is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of these topics

Chapters

• 00:00 Zero Proof Guinness and Blurred Lines
• 05:22 Ethical Dilemmas and Scientific Controversy
• 11:29 Naming and Understanding Life
• 35:39 Regrettable Band Names
• 44:01 Language and AI
• 50:00 AI and Language Models
• 55:31 AI and DNA
• 01:03:33 Race Dynamics in Technology
• 01:09:50 Quantum Computing and Qubits
• 01:17:27 AI and Quantum Computing
• 01:26:28 The Nature of AI and LLMs
• 01:31:36 Naming, Understanding, and Non-Binaries