Mansplaining

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In recent decades, the Democratic Party has hemorrhaged support from the working-class white voters who once formed the backbone of its New Deal coalition.  While Dems have maintained a slight electoral majority over the last three decades, they’ve struggled to enact their agenda in a minoritarian political system.  What might it take to turn a slight edge into a durable governing majority, and which politician might lead them to that promised land?  Joe has his eye on John Fetterman, and he and Mark discuss Fetterman’s career, the issues he champions, and whether he heralds the return of blue-collar liberalism. (Recorded February 23, 2024.)

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This podcast has spent a lot of time on AI, whether in connection with its effect on the workplace, its application in products like drones and cars, its ability to create art, or how it’s changing robotics.  But it hasn’t addressed the inevitable idea raised by all those breakthroughs, which is how humanity will reckon with machines when they’re smarter than we are.  Until now, that is.  Mark and Joe think about what artificial general intelligence and the singularity might require in the way of ultra-careful design and containment strategies. (Recorded February 2, 2024.)

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January always seems to bring a spate of articles about how the new year will be “The Year of This” or “The Year of That.” 2024 has already been christened by some as “The Year of Robots.” It sure seems like we’ve heard that refrain before, and yet robots are still not part of our daily lives. Why not? Joe and Mark discuss the history of robots, two reasons why their development lags behind that of AI, and whether we’re failing to notice a golden age of robots all around us because we’re expecting them to look like Robby or C-3PO. (Recorded January 12, 2024)

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Mansplaining continues a tradition with its 4th annual holiday-themed episode, though this time it's with a more personal question than we usually tackle on this podcast.  What are you thankful for?  Mark shares a story about an event from his childhood that changed the trajectory of his life, while Joe offers a short list consisting both of things that give his life meaning and things that are front of mind.  Think about your answer as you listen to ours.

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The proponents of effective altruism believe that, when it comes to charitable giving, we should use reason and evidence to make the greatest positive impact.  The recently convicted fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried proclaimed himself an adherent of EA.  Should his exposure as a crook make us think twice about it?  Joe and Mark appraise whether EA is a valuable moral compass, a convenient smokescreen, or maybe something more complicated.

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One of the most intractable issues in contemporary U.S. politics is immigration.  Politicians in both parties have talked about comprehensive immigration reform for decades, yet no legislation is forthcoming.  Is that because there’s no good compromise to be had, or is it because one party (guess which one) has turned its back on all immigrants, even legal ones?  Mark and Joe compare notes on what sensible immigration policies might look like.

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What if our entire reality—everyone and everything we see and experience—is an elaborate simulation, a virtual reality app designed by a technologically advanced civilization?  (Yes, just like in The Matrix.)  That’s what simulation theory posits, and Mark asked Joe whether there’s any “truth” to it (a fool’s errand, if indeed we’re living in said simulation).  Joe and Mark consider an idea that might seem the province of late night conversations in dorm rooms or pubs but has a surprisingly distinguished philosophical pedigree.  Is Mansplaining part of the simulation?  Perish the thought!

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The annual commemoration of the “heroes of 9/11” got Joe thinking about the concept of heroism.  What does it take to be a hero?  Why do we anoint certain qualities as heroic?  And what better person to answer these questions than Mark, with his PhD in mythology?  Mark and Joe trace the origin of the idea of the hero in ancient literature, its modification by Christianity, the development of modern American notions of heroism, and how, at the end of the day, heroes are at heart an argument about the world.

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All the fuss about the new generation of AI products based on large language models, with their ability both to ghost-write term papers and spew out occasional misinformation in so doing, makes you wonder whether artificial intelligence will ever live up to the second part of its name.  Joe and Mark discuss what it means to be intelligent, how close (or not) AI comes to that standard, and what it might take to design a truly intelligent machine. (Recorded September 15, 2023.)

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Mark and Joe briefly played organized football as kids; for both, it didn’t end well.  Today, Joe is a parent of a son who didn’t play football and wouldn’t have been allowed to, even if he had wanted to play.  Given the enduring uber-popularity of football, Joe asked Mark, who doesn’t have children, whether he would let his hypothetical son play football.  Mark’s answer marches down the frozen tundra of head injuries and the difference between actual and perceived risks before scampering into the end zone of clarity.  Would he or wouldn’t he?  Tune in to find out.