Salvador Podcast

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tyler Cowen at the Mercatus Center last December. Here’s our conversation.

Watch on Youtube or Twitter. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Read the transcript.

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Timestamps

0:00 - We’re discovering talent quicker than ever

5:14 - Being in San Francisco is more important than ever

8:01 - There is such a thing like a winning organization

11:43 - Talent and conformity on startup and big businesses

19:17 - Giving money to poor people vs talented people

22:18 - EA is fragmenting

25:44 - Longtermism and existential risks

33:24 - Religious conformity is weaker than secular conformity

36:38 - GMU Econ professors religious beliefs

39:34 - The west would be better off with more religion

43:05 - What makes you a philosopher

45:25 - CEOs are becoming more generalists

49:06 - Traveling and eating

53:25 - Technology drives the growth of government?

56:08 - Blogging and writing

58:18 - Takes on Aella, Scott Alexander, Noah Smith and more

1:02:51 - The future of Portugal

1:06:27 - New aesthetics program with Patrick Collison

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Sarah Fitz-Claridge is a writer, speaker, and the founder of Taking Children Seriously together with David Deutsch. Taking Children Seriously is a new/different view of children—as being full people whose wishes matter just like ours do, whose lack of consent matters just as much as ours does, whose reasons for their wishes make sense, just like ours do, follow Sarah on Twitter

We talk about coercion, education, freedom, parenting, happiness, and what it means to truly take children seriously. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

00:38 – Why civilisations overlook children

11:39 – Do we still lack the knowledge of how to raise children otherwise?

15:25 – Is coercion increasing in the way children are raised

27:28 – Inexplicit coercion, is it intentional?

30:28 – Rationalize your reasons to your children

33:03 – We experience the childhood coercion and do the same to our kids

36:56 – Does internal coercion precedes external coercion

43:57 – Teaching problem solving to children

45:46 – Balancing parental desires and child autonomy

56:08 – Coercion is not always wrong

1:01:57 – Raising children without an agenda

1:05:07 – Outcome oriented philosophies are mistaken

1:07:04 – The bucket theory of the mind

1:17:31 – Why having the right epistemology is crucial

1:31:40 – Optimism and pessimism in life

1:37:53 – The most important thing Sarah learned

1:39:24 – Advice to people

Scott Aaronson is a theoretical computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, known for his pioneering work on quantum computing and computational complexity. He writes the widely read blog Shtetl-Optimized and has shaped how researchers and the public understand both the possibilities and limits of quantum technology.

We talk about the reality of quantum computing, cryptography, AI progress, large language models, and what the future might look like when these technologies converge. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

03:25 – How computer science views quantum mechanics today

06:50 – Superconducting qubits and how quantum machines are built

10:15 – The rules of quantum probability explained

13:41 – Quantum error correction and protecting fragile states

17:06 – When quantum algorithms provide a speed-up (and when they don’t)

20:31 – Skepticism and testing the limits of quantum hype

23:56 – Why Scott is optimistic about scalable quantum computing

27:22 – Potential applications: materials, chemistry, and beyond

30:47 – Shor’s algorithm and breaking classical encryption

34:12 – Bitcoin, cryptography, and the risks of a working quantum computer

37:37 – Grover’s algorithm and the reality of search speedups

41:03 – Large language models vs hard computational problems

44:28 – What tasks AI still can’t solve (and how to test them)

47:53 – GPT-4 vs GPT-3: progress, hype, and possible limits

51:18 – How companies train and deploy models responsibly

54:44 – The pace of change since ChatGPT launched

58:09 – Power and danger: capability without aligned goals

1:01:34 – Why AI is not just another technology but a civilizational shift

Michael Huemer is a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado Boulder and the author of Ethical Intuitionism, The Problem of Political Authority, and more six books. He is known for his clarity, rigor, and no-nonsense philosophical reasoning and is in my opinion one of the best philosophers alive, follow Mike on Twitter

We talk about the logic of free will, the illusion of the self, moral responsibility, philosophical anarchism, and how rationality might still matter in a deterministic universe. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

03:22 – Is the bias for determinism just another historical mistake?

06:44 – Deliberation presupposes freedom

10:06 – On truth, imperfection, and rational discourse

13:28 – Is Huemer’s argument for free will a deductive proof?

16:50 – Robots, compatibilism, and why freedom needs alternatives

20:12 – You didn’t create yourself — but can you still be free?

23:34 – The no-self doctrine and what it really means

26:56 – Unconscious influence and degrees of freedom

30:18 – Who gave the government the right to rule?

33:41 – Philosophical vs political anarchism

37:03 – Why most people misunderstand both government and anarchy

40:25 – Defunding the police, private courts, and anarchist reform

43:47 – Why civil disobedience is rare (and should happen more)

47:09 – Can we have progress without chaos?

50:31 – Moral progress and the abolition of slavery

53:53 – What’s changing now and what’s next

57:15 – Why being rational might be a moral obligation

1:00:37 – One philosophical idea everyone should understand

Brett Hall is the host of the TokCast podcast, a physicist and teacher, and one of the most insightful explainers of David Deutsch’s philosophy. He’s been writing and speaking about Popperian epistemology, optimism, and the universal reach of explanation for over a decade, follow Brett on Twitter

We talk about what makes people people, why consciousness might be rarer than we think, why explanatory knowledge is the most powerful force in the universe, and what AGI and progress really mean. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

03:18 – How The Fabric of Reality changed Brett’s worldview

06:42 – Optimism, meaning, and the rejection of mysticism

09:52 – What makes humans unique: universal explainers

13:07 – Consciousness, personhood, and moral status

16:44 – Popper’s critiques of academia and progress

19:59 – Why Brett rejects labels like “Popperian” or “Deutschian”

23:15 – What it means to explain something — and why we can’t define it

26:21 – Explanations vs metaphors and epistemic clarity

29:33 – Are good predictions overrated in science?

32:55 – Why AI isn’t approaching AGI (and might be moving away)

36:20 – Creativity, disobedience, and what people really are

39:40 – Tools vs tool users: moral error in anthropomorphizing AI

42:16 – Is empathy overrated? Sympathy, kindness, and curiosity

45:02 – Why “facts” are interpretations too

48:20 – Stagnation, error correction, and what still blocks progress

51:14 – Brett’s vision of extending the Enlightenment

54:38 – The path to AGI — and why forecasts are mostly fake

58:01 – Final thoughts on truth, individuality, and cosmic responsibility

David Deutsch is a physicist at the University of Oxford, widely considered one of the most profound thinkers alive today. He’s the author of The Beginning of Infinity and The Fabric of Reality, and a pioneer of quantum computing and Popperian epistemology, follow David on Twitter

We talk about the nature of truth, creativity, optimism, education, AGI, and why error correction is the key to human progress. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

03:13 – Can we eliminate error without ever knowing the final truth?

06:21 – Why knowledge is always incomplete

08:22 – Sam Harris, meditation, and mental frameworks

09:41 – The mind as an explanation-generator

13:22 – Anti-rational memes and the Enlightenment break

17:28 – What caused progress to finally take off?

20:29 – The nature of universal theories

23:43 – Epistemic patience vs persuasive narratives

27:16 – Institutions and pruning the “search tree” of ideas

30:21 – AGI, refusal to respond, and creative isolation

33:16 – Political promises and the irrationality of reelection incentives

37:45 – School vs justice systems: arbitrary rules and real freedom

41:43 – Creativity and the labor market

44:25 – Henry Ford and the problem of sameness

47:15 – Innovation, taxation, and punishment

50:16 – How to become a better problem solver

54:27 – Blind optimism vs blind pessimism

57:59 – Popper, Bronowski, and the power of explanation

1:01:22 – David’s most important lesson: Popperian epistemology

Garett Jones is an economist at George Mason University and the author of Hive Mind, 10% Less Democracy, and The Culture Transplant. His work explores how intelligence, institutions, and ancestry shape national prosperity — often in surprising ways, follow Garett on Twitter

We talk about national IQ, smarter governance, immigration policy, and why “less democracy” might sometimes mean better results. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

03:11 – Smart people build better institutions that help everyone

06:22 – IQ gaps, immigration, and intergenerational convergence

09:33 – IVF, embryo selection, and boosting intelligence

12:44 – Should we optimize our children’s genetics?

15:55 – Axelrod, cooperation, and designing better institutions

19:06 – What does “10% less democracy” really mean?

22:17 – Making the case for longer political terms and elite control

25:28 – Populism, Trump, and democratic decisions

28:39 – Education, cosmopolitanism, and political tolerance

31:50 – Why Europe is less market-friendly than the U.S.

35:01 – Does democracy really cause economic growth?

38:12 – Governance, boards, and the myth of top-down control

41:23 – Iceland, open borders, and testing migration theory

44:34 – Capitalism, communism, and cultural risk

47:45 – Guest worker models and citizenship debates

50:56 – Global elite summits and influence networks

54:07 – Teaching general principles that stick

57:18 – Public choice and win-win cooperation over 10,000 years

Johan Norberg is a Swedish author and historian of ideas. He’s a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and the author of Progress, In Defense of Global Capitalism, The Capitalist Manifesto and more recently Peak Human. His work explores the roots of prosperity, the case for open societies, and why freedom leads to human flourishing, follow Johan on Twitter

We talk about what really drives progress, how innovation emerges, the false promises of degrowth, and why optimism is a moral stance. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

02:31 – Why trade and openness drive innovation

05:03 – The mindset of responsibility and agency

07:36 – Capitalism, sustainability, and environmental progress

10:10 – Why human flourishing isn’t guaranteed

12:42 – How human creativity builds prosperity

15:17 – What profit really means in free markets

17:51 – Risk-taking and the power of entrepreneurship

20:27 – The decline of global inequality

23:03 – Can markets handle externalities fairly?

25:41 – Why regulation doesn’t mean anti-market

28:15 – Cultural mixing and progress through diversity

30:54 – Embracing uncertainty instead of fearing it

33:20 – Against utopia: why hope must stay grounded

35:59 – Degrowth and the real moral risks of stopping progress

38:36 – Lockdowns, poverty, and policy trade-offs

41:10 – The future of work, leisure, and meaning

43:45 – Green growth and energy optimism

46:12 – Literature, imagination, and moral insight

48:50 – Final reflections on freedom and fallibility

Leigh Brasington is a meditation teacher in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition and the author of Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhānas. He was authorized to teach by Ayya Khema and is known for his deep knowledge of jhāna practice and insight meditation.

We talk about altered states of concentration, awakening without dogma, what it feels like to perceive without ego, and how practice transforms life. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

02:37 – Seeing reality beyond the ego

05:15 – Learning the jhānas with Ayya Khema

07:53 – Insight that follows deep concentration

10:31 – What real meditation absorption feels like

13:09 – Leigh’s critique of lighter jhāna methods

15:47 – Retreat environments and access to jhānas

18:25 – Teaching online vs in-person

21:03 – What helps students succeed

23:41 – Stories from students’ breakthroughs

26:18 – Is jhāna possible for everyone?

28:56 – Why we procrastinate on practice

31:34 – Insight meditation and Satipaṭṭhāna

34:12 – How meditation shapes happiness

36:50 – Is full awakening really possible?

39:28 – Letting go of the sense of self

42:06 – Dependent origination explained

44:44 – Emptiness and early perception

47:22 – Final reflections and recommended books

Max More is a philosopher, futurist, and one of the world’s most influential advocates for cryonics and life extension. He’s the former CEO of Alcor and a leading thinker on transhumanism, personal identity, and long-term survival, follow Max on Twitter

We talk about cryopreservation, memory, the limits of death, technological ethics, and why future generations might live radically longer and freer lives. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support my work here and follow me on Twitter here

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

02:37 – How memory works through death and anesthesia

05:15 – What happens to the body before legal death

07:53 – Ending the inevitability of aging

10:31 – How many people are signed up for cryopreservation?

13:09 – What embryos teach us about freezing humans

15:47 – How the procedure works: cryoprotectants and vitrification

18:25 – Clinical death and revival windows

21:03 – How advanced technology defines death

23:41 – Governance and the future of cryonics organizations

26:18 – Skepticism vs honest uncertainty

28:56 – Sci-fi myths and public misunderstanding

31:34 – Why Max sees biostasis as rational

34:12 – The precautionary principle and political risk-aversion

36:50 – What the IPCC really says about climate change

39:28 – Living in extreme conditions without panic

42:06 – Financial preparedness for uncertain futures

44:44 – What kind of world could revive you?

47:22 – Reprogramming mood and personality in the future