Robert Wright's Nonzero

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org

0:33 A bold experiment in podcast synergy continues 4:03 The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza 10:19 Is full-on ethnic cleansing more likely than a political solution? 19:49 If Biden loses in 2024, will elites rethink Israel-Palestine? 29:51 The changing perception of Israel 35:57 Heading to Overtime

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True), Derek Davison (Foreign Exchanges, American Prestige, Discontents), and Daniel Bessner (American Prestige, University of Washington). Recorded December 07, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

Overtime titles:

38:46 Is “colonialism” a useful frame for understanding Israel-Palestine?  50:31 The future of Israel’s far right 56:45 Bush’s secret coup against Hamas 1:07:05 Ukraine’s failed offensive, the Blob’s failure of foresight 1:14:21 The ignominious career of Jeffrey Goldberg

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org

1:02 Daron’s book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity 1:57 What tech optimists get wrong about economic history 10:01 Will AI inevitably sideline workers? 23:29 The surprising weakness of our digital economy 29:35 Which jobs are most vulnerable to automation? 40:43 How to empower workers in the age of AI 51:15 Heading to Overtime

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Daron Acemoglu (MIT, Why Nations Fail, Power and Progress). Recorded November 29, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from The Earthling.

Read this edition of The Earthling at:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org

0:33 Bob and Tim seek Substack synergy 2:31 What was the OpenAI drama really about? 14:49 Viewing the drama through a (cynical) psychological lens 21:19 Were reports of a safety vs speed schism greatly exaggerated? 29:53 Larry Summers joins OpenAI’s board… time to panic? 40:21 Superintelligence, Sam Altman, and the singularity 44:53 Altman’s not so veiled ignorance 49:17 Overtime preview: superintelligence skepticism, the truth about effective altruism, self-driving car speed bumps, and more

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Timothy B. Lee (Full Stack Economics, Understanding AI). Recorded November 29, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

1:23 Biden’s vexing political calculus on Israel-Palestine 10:13 Israel-Palestine compared to Russia-Ukraine 13:56 If Israel eliminates Hamas, what happens next? 23:14 Can anything good come out of the present crisis? 29:53 The meaning of “From the river to the sea…” 37:47 Why the 2000 Camp David Summit failed 44:19 Where is Palestine's Nelson Mandela? 54:45 Assessing US media coverage of the Gaza war

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Omar Baddar (Arab American Institute, Public Citizen). Recorded November 28, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org

0:34 Preamble: The OpenAI drama and this conversation 3:46 Where Dan falls on the AI doomer spectrum 6:42 Is safe AI possible without international cooperation? 12:38 Are we selecting AI for truth or engagement? 25:53 Using “psychology” to understand—and control—AI 31:08 The worrisome Darwinian dynamics of AI development 40:37 Life after an AI takeover 51:52 How structural incentives make AI safety harder

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Dan Hendrycks (The Center for AI Safety). Recorded October 10, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org

0:33 Tom’s new book, Getting Russia Right 2:13 Does Putin want to take more territory before talking peace? 12:35 Putin’s "messianic" transformation 22:41 America’s failed effort to Americanize Russia 32:46 Does the US focus too much on other nations’ internal affairs? 41:10 The 2004 event that sunk US-Russia relations 49:16 Why Tom supports a diplomatic reset

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Thomas Graham (Council on Foreign Relations, Getting Russia Right). Recorded November 09, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org

1:51 Susan’s new book, Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise 7:28 China’s turn to more assertive policies in 2007 15:30 The well-intentioned reform that produced big authoritarian consequences 25:20 How public opinion influences autocratic leaders 31:53 Xi Jinping’s purge of suspect officials 41:52 Does Beijing feel threatened by America? 48:20 Heading to Overtime

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Susan Shirk (University of California San Diego, Overreach). Recorded October 23, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

3:07 Will Israel-Palestine cost Biden the election? 12:20 What Hamas hoped to accomplish on October 7 24:30 The surprising origins of cancel culture 32:00 Matt defends his ratioed tweet 44:41 The persistent psychological impact of the Holocaust 55:53 Is a one-state solution realistic? 1:16:50 What Ukrainians and Palestinians have in common 1:26:43 Anti-Palestine sentiment and Christian Zionism in America 1:36:09 How the current crisis could lead to war with Iran 1:45:35 Bob gives Matt podcasting advice

Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Matthew Yglesias (slowboring.com). Recorded November 14, 2023.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org

Robert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from The Earthling.

Read this edition of the Earthling at: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-river-to-the-sea-rorschach-test

Recorded November 10, 2023.