For a number of reasons, lately I've been curious about how much we are constantly losing and how much thought we give to that great seeping of everything through the hourglass.

I don't think of myself as particularly sentimental, but I am continuously drawn to the idea of how we carry our most important ideas/skills/knowledge/stories through the years against the impossible odds of deep time.

In this episode, I skirt across some of the major losses we have incurred as a meditative exploration of what those losses might mean for us all and how we might be a little more conscious in how we use our values and resources to shed the things that mean little and retain those that might truly help us all for the future.

From ancient jokes and dead languages to seeds, oral traditions, and deep-time preservation projects, asking what we can realistically save and what will inevitably slip away. It’s a wide episode about cultural memory, human limits, and the beauty in trying anyway.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction: The Hidden History Beneath Our Feet

03:21 Framing the Question

05:47 The Limits of Historical Memory

08:47 Language as Cultural Memory

12:48 Lost Culture: Music, Jokes, and Ritual

15:05 What Markets and Modern Life Leave Behind

18:24 The Loss of Skills and Cultural Standards

23:40 Lessons We Fail to Keep

27:52 Building Archives for the Future

33:06 Making Peace with What We Lose

Support the show at patreon.com/endrey

Follow on IG @chrisendreypodcast

In this episode, Chris explores the complex nature of intelligence, its limitations, and the importance of humility and systemic checks in decision making.

He discusses how even the smartest individuals can be profoundly wrong and why diverse perspectives are crucial for navigating an uncertain future.

He apologises in advance if the artwork has you expecting a criticism of Einstein, who doesn't even rate a mention this week.

takeaways

• Intelligence is a fluid, imperfect concept that varies across and within individuals.
• Even highly intelligent people can be profoundly wrong, especially outside their domain of expertise.
• Authority bias leads us to trust perceived experts more than we should, especially in complex or unknown realms.
• Humility and systemic checks are essential in decision-making to avoid catastrophic errors.
• The importance of diverse perspectives and cautious trust in expertise to navigate uncertain futures.

CHAPTERS

00:00 - Introduction & The Murky Concept of Intelligence

02:40 - Reorienting Our Deference to "Smart People"

03:55 - Episode 50 Milestones & Patreon Reflection

06:15 - Humans, Animals, and the Ladder of Relative Intelligence

09:30 - The Unknown and the Limitations of Human Perception

10:55 - Authority Bias and the Traps of Domain Specificity

13:00 - The Modern Public Intellectual & Incentivizing the Rant

16:00 - Sifting Through Expert Opinions vs. Truth

17:10 - Historical Hubris: Robert McNamara & The Failure of Metrics

21:15 - Frontier Risks: The Collective Need for Diverse Thinking

24:30 - The Cosmological Scale of Dumb Ideas: Elon Musk & Space Satellites

28:40 - Flawed Timelines and Reorienting Our Values Hierarchy

30:15 - Closing Thoughts: Appropriately Metering Authority

What do we do when we don't have to do anything?

It's not impossible that almost all of the work that we do will be automated in the coming decade.

Despite this not being news to any of us, I don't get the impression that we're having the conversations about what that will mean with the regularity or even seriousness that such an upheaval deserves.

It's worth all of us to give some reflection to, otherwise we default to letting certain unappealing tech overlords frame our present and future even more than they already do.

Chapters

00:00 The Rapid Evolution of AI

03:45 The Risks and Responsibilities of AI Development

07:27 The Role of Non-Experts in AI Discourse

10:18 The Pope's Perspective on AI and Power

12:17 Imagining a Future with AI

17:06 Reconstructing Meaning in a Post-AI World

25:14 Thanks Patrons!

Support the show: patreon.com/endrey

Follow on instagram: @chrisendreypodcast

A poll of patrons for this week's episode had two clear winners: 'We are getting dumber' and 'Try something new as an adult club'. Let's get briefly concerned about the first before shattering it in our own lives and kick this club off!

Whether it's a dream of writing and recording a song or an unused lathe gathering dust in your shed - I needed to remind myself how rewarding it can be to undertake new adventures as an adult and hope to start a community of like-minded people who are keen to work to test how great life can be.

High agency behaviour for all!

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to New Ideas and Themes

02:05 Exploring the Decline of Skills and Knowledge

05:27 The Impact of Technology on Intelligence

10:06 Encouragement to Start Something New

17:12 Invitation to Join the Club

19:28 Thanks Patrons!

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Support the show: patreon.com/endrey

Instagram: @chrisendreypodcast

For the first time ever, successive polls in Australia place One Nation as the nation's top political party and Pauline Hanson as people's preferred Prime Minister.

For a country that has been characteristically dominated by two parties for many decades, this is surely big news.

So, what's driving it? What does it reveal? Where is it all likely to go from here?

This episode explores these questions by discussing the broader cultural and economic shifts that are driving a dissatisfaction that - while hard to predict in form - is bound to play out one way or another.

Strap in!

Chapters

00:00 The Disconnect of Politics and Real Issues

02:22 The Rise of One Nation and Pauline Hansen

05:56 Societal Changes and Political Implications

11:24 The Role of Migration in Political Sentiment

16:10 Analysing One Nation's Policies and Public Appeal

29:08 Thanks Patrons!

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Follow on ig: @chrisendreypodcast

Become a supporter: patreon.com/endrey

Life isn't easy. Except when it is.

I was recently surprised to be asked what advice I'd give myself at 22 and didn't have a quick answer on hand. I guess that makes sense, because it's not simple.

I kept turning back to the question through the week and torrenting ideas in my mind. Goodness - there's so much I wish I knew! I could have replaced all the problems of my adulthood with new, unknowable problems!

So, here's a first round journey through some of my reflections. I hope you find them even a fraction as useful as I know they would have been for me.

Chapters

00:00 A Sticky Question

02:17 Advice to My 22-Year-Old Self

02:49 Embracing Uncertainty and Openness

07:00 The Importance of Self-Discovery

09:17 Understanding Opportunity Cost

10:05 The Malleability of Identity

12:53 Navigating Relationships and Vulnerability

19:09 The Dynamics of Romantic Relationships

19:34 The Importance of Intimate Relationships

21:16 Navigating Changes in Romantic Connections

22:50 Understanding Attraction and Personal Growth

24:02 Reflections on Youth and Parenthood

24:51 Thanks Patrons!

Support the show at patreon.com/endrey

Follow on instagram @chrisendreypodcast

xx

Life isn't easy. Except when it is.

I was recently surprised to be asked what advice I'd give myself at 22 and didn't have a quick answer on hand. I guess that makes sense, because it's not simple.

I kept turning back to the question through the week and torrenting ideas in my mind. Goodness - there's so much I wish I knew! I could have replaced all the problems of my adulthood with new, unknowable problems!

So, here's a first round journey through some of my reflections. I hope you find them even a fraction as useful as I know they would have been for me.

Chapters

00:00 A Sticky Question

02:17 Advice to My 22-Year-Old Self

02:49 Embracing Uncertainty and Openness

07:00 The Importance of Self-Discovery

09:17 Understanding Opportunity Cost

10:05 The Malleability of Identity

12:53 Navigating Relationships and Vulnerability

19:09 The Dynamics of Romantic Relationships

19:34 The Importance of Intimate Relationships

21:16 Navigating Changes in Romantic Connections

22:50 Understanding Attraction and Personal Growth

24:02 Reflections on Youth and Parenthood

24:51 Thanks Patrons!

Support the show at patreon.com/endrey

Follow on instagram @chrisendreypodcast

xx

With all the attention on the flailings of America, it can be easy to miss that Europe has its own huge headwinds to manage.

War; demographic collapse; economic stagnation; and decades without strategic or technological sovereignty, at a time where both are growing in importance.

How did this happen, and do the Europeans have the tools to dig themselves out?

If and where the answer is no, you can bet that there will be big shocks to come as the tectonic plates correct themselves beneath our feet.

Chapters

00:00 The Global Economic Landscape

02:19 Europe's Decline: A Closer Look

02:51 Historical Context: Post World War II Dynamics

04:50 The Impact of the Ukraine Conflict

08:48 Existential Threats to Europe

10:21 Energy Dependency and Economic Consequences

12:49 Overview of Top European Companies

13:53 The Influence of Major Tech Companies

15:53 Challenges Facing European Economies

18:10 Political Dynamics in Europe

20:06 Sovereignty and Strategic Risks

22:02 Demographic Challenges and Immigration

23:43 Military Spending and Economic Consequences

25:48 Concerns for Europe's Future

29:16 Thanks Patrons!

Support the show at patreon.com/endrey

Follow on instagram @chrisendreypodcast

The idea of a midlife crisis is a little old hat these days. Especially when there's so much room for crisis across everything lately.

Despite this, Chris finds utility in scratching at the ideas behind a midlife crisis, and exploring how we can find status anxiety and pain-dividends coming from our less examined choices at any age.

Could it be that it's harder to live aligned to our values and interests than it used to be? It's a bold claim and impossible to test, but certainly interesting to explore.

Ultimately, the collective impact of individual wellbeing is big and important enough to at least wonder how we might help each other to do a little better in our lives, one small ferrari at a time.

Life, Regrets, Grand Proclamations: it's all in here baby and we're back with another instant classic!

Chapters

00:00 Reflections on Turning 41

01:32 The Concept of Midlife Crisis

03:38 The Weight of Life Decisions

05:22 Navigating Relationships and Commitments

06:45 The Importance of Self-Awareness

08:04 Contemporary Life and Identity Crises

09:52 The Impact of Social Media on Self-Perception

11:05 Finding Peace in Decision-Making

12:46 The Challenge of Modern Existence

25:14 Thanks Patrons!

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Support the show at patreon.com/endrey

Follow on instagram @chrisendreypodcast

The AI revolution is here!

Fortunately, it's easier than ever for me to generate chapter markings my episodes. Unfortunately, leading militaries of the world have systematised killing in a way that is increasingly indistinct from dystopian science fiction.

In a time where so much attention is given to the catastrophic court politics of a mad king, let's take a happy break by noting the new technological context in which various horrors are occurring.

Though I am flippant in the caption, I am very serious in thinking that it is our duty as citizens of this world to understand just how far we have already detached from certain levers of violence, and to appreciate how critical it will be to urgently improve our systems in the interest of maximising for peaceful lives where we can enjoy good sports, good meals and maybe even a good 43-episode victory lap of The Chris Endrey Podcast.

Chapters

00:00 The Disconnect in Modern Democracy

04:54 Historical Context of Genocide and Accountability

10:34 AI in Modern Warfare: The Lavender AI Case

15:30 The Future of Autonomous Warfare and Accountability

24:07 Thanks Patrons!

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show as a patron at patreon.com/endrey

Follow on instagram at @chrisendreypodcast

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'The Machine Did It Coldly': Israel used AI to identify 37,000 Hamas targets

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-gaza-ai-database-hamas-airstrikes