Robert Wright's Nonzero

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0:28 The Nonzero-American Prestige all-star team 2:13 Why didn’t the Trump shooting matter more? 7:16 What anti-Trump historians get wrong 18:05 Why Kamala shouldn't demonize Trump 29:59 Heading to Overtime—and a discount deal

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True), Derek Davison (Foreign Exchanges, American Prestige, Discontents), and Daniel Bessner (American Prestige, University of Washington). Recorded July 25, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

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0:58 Who’s most to blame for the Biden mess? 10:23 Why Trump might duck a debate with Kamala 13:26 Is Biden locked in the basement? 22:08 Kamala’s biggest liabilities 33:12 Loyalty, the Mob, and Biden’s psychology 40:33 Conspiracy theories of the Trump shooting 48:27 The kind of VP Kamala should pick

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded July 22, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

0:28 Mickey makes his (iconic) return to Nonzero! 4:39 Did Trump blow his RNC acceptance speech? 10:18 The escalating Democratic civil war over Biden 16:46 Trump vs Biden (vs Josh Shapiro) on national unity 29:01 Drafting the ideal Dem electoral strategy 44:23 J.D. Vance: paradox or phony? 1:01:03 Is Trump the lesser evil on foreign policy? 1:15:17 Has Mickey felt the “vibe shift”? 1:24:39 The Parrot Room’s reputation precedes it

Mickey's Substack: https://kaus.substack.com/

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded July 19, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

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1:19 The psychology of the shooter 10:04 The psychology of Trump 19:42 Trump as national healer 26:32 When is anti-Trump rhetoric too extreme? 43:12 The alpha male problem

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded July 15, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

Paul’s Substack: https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net

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Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from this week's Earthling. Read it here:

https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-shrinking-west-bank

Recorded July 12, 2024.

https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews

https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

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0:52 Biden plays chicken against Democratic elites 13:53 Could the delegates deny Biden the nomination? 21:29 Odd moments in the George Stephanopoulos interview 35:32 Biden faces down a populist-elite revolt 46:06 How a small group of insiders could force Biden out 52:13 Heading to Overtime

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Eric Levitz (New York Magazine, Vox). Recorded July 08, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

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Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from this week’s Earthling (had there been one).

Recorded July 03, 2024.

https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews

https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

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1:43 Dementia vs senility 5:40 Biden’s brain: a post-debate diagnosis 15:56 Who’s to blame for the Biden problem? 26:04 Biden’s most baffling debate moment 33:04 Will Biden step down? Bob and Paul place their bets 39:01 Has Nick Bostrom flipped on AI doomerism? 43:17 The earthly side of a meditation retreat 49:57 Heading to Overtime

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded July 01, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

Paul’s Substack: https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net

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1:23 Why Jeffrey helped turn Meta’s Llama into Bad Llama 9:19 Bioweapons, hacking, and other AI dangers 20:03 How America unwittingly boosts China’s AI sector 29:01 The dark side of AI “alignment” 40:15 Is superintelligence the super-weapon of the future? 49:37 The perils of AI acceleration

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Jeffrey Ladish (Palisade Research). Recorded June 19, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com

0:28 Edward’s new book, At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China 4:05 What Americans get wrong about China 13:33 Humiliation and China’s national psychology 17:38 Why Edward’s father joined the People’s Liberation Army 26:23 How Edward’s father fell out of favor with the PLA 37:39 How draconian is Xi Jinping’s crackdown on Uyghurs? 44:20 Famine, purges, and alienation in Mao’s China 49:28 Heading to Overtime

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Edward Wong (The New York Times, At the Edge of Empire). Recorded June 18, 2024.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods