Today on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode which originally aired on The Cognitive Revolution, a podcast from the Turpentine Network. Samo Burja and Nathan Labenz discuss AI's impact on geopolitics, scientific progress, and economic strategies, emphasizing the importance of AI science, the risks of weaponizing AI, and the future of industrial and energy policies in the U.S. and China.

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🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 

🎙️‪The Cognitive Revolution

The Cognitive Revolution is a podcast about AI where hosts Nathan Labenz interviews the builders on the edge of AI and explore the dramatic shift it will unlock over the next decades. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk?si=7357ec31ac424043&nd=1&dlsi=060a53f1d7be47ad 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431 

🎙️Live Players

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg provide analysis of the news and case studies of Live Players, as well as key institutions and technologies that make up the global power landscape.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1?si=01ed191c74264f55 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivePlayerswithSamoBurja

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SPONSORS:

🤲🏼 GiveWell is dedicated to finding outstanding giving opportunities and publishing the full details of their analysis to help donors decide where to give. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. (Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to support our show.)

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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LINKS:

The Cognitive Revolution Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai

Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ 

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

This week on Upstream, Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg discuss the potential of AI agents in tech support, economic impacts of passive investing, historical financial strategies of Warren Buffett, and the implications of tariffs and technological developments in national wealth.

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📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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SPONSORS:

🤲🏼 GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. (Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to support our show.)

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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LINKS:

Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co 

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X / TWITTER:

@byrnehobart

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir, and Jacob Helberg, discuss AI-enabled warfare, the importance of taking clear ethical stances, the evolution of Silicon Valley culture, and the integration of tech innovation into governmental defense systems at the Hill and Valley Forum in Washington, DC.

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📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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SPONSORS:

🤲🏼 GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. (Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to support our show.)

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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X / TWITTER:

@PalantirTech

@jacobhelberg

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

In this 2023 conversation between Erik Torenberg and David Sacks, they discuss David’s new role as Donald Trump's AI and crypto czar, the shift towards censorship and wokeness in Silicon Valley, particularly at companies like PayPal and Twitter, and the broader implications for free speech, public debate, and the future of liberalism. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/e55b5666-67b9-4c2a-8968-943cee9f0466 

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📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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SPONSORS:

🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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X / TWITTER:

@davidsacks

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:34) Discussion of PayPal's evolution and tech industry changes

(01:08) Early days of PayPal and free speech values

(02:28) The role of ADL and SPLC in tech censorship

(03:39) Changes in Silicon Valley's political culture

(06:39) Government collusion with tech companies

(08:45) Evolution of Silicon Valley's political landscape

(13:54) Discussion of institutional capture

(17:20) Analysis of democratic capitalism's evolution

(22:34) Sponsors: Incogni | Squad

(24:20) Discussion of tech monopolies and regulation

(28:09) Analysis of section 230 and tech regulation

(32:55) Foreign policy evolution and interventionism

(37:18) Discussion of institutional reform

(42:37) Analysis of tech company management

(46:28) Elon Musk's Twitter reforms

(50:28) Future of tech industry and political polarization

(54:40) Discussion of counter-elite formation

(58:50) Solutions for institutional accountability

(01:15:48) Wrap-up and closing remarks

Following Marc’s great discussion with Joe Rogan, we wanted to share our interview with Marc Andreessen, who recounts his intellectual evolution and his quest to discover how the world works from 2016 onwards. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/09f4b7dc-5fa8-4e0e-a2aa-87344c3db84b 

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🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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SPONSORS:

🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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X / Twitter:

@pmarca

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:44) Mark's mental model shaken in 2015

(01:55) Historical context and media influence

(03:05) Trump's impact and political shifts

(04:05) Mark's reading journey to understand politics

(05:20) Intellectuals vs. mass movements

(06:28) The role of ideas in political change

(07:41) Hoffer's theory on mass movements

(10:07) Understanding left and right ideologies

(10:35) Historical evolution of political ideologies

(12:51) Sponsors: Incogni | Squad

(15:46) Good intentions and unintended consequences

(18:06) Nietzsche's master and slave morality

(21:16) Balancing merit and fairness in society

(28:37) Historical cycles and economic explanations

(32:52) The pendulum of societal change

(34:13) Introduction to Burnham's theories

(35:03) The managerial revolution

(39:19) The principal-agent problem

(47:29) Elon Musk and bourgeois capitalism

(55:10) The Machiavellians and political power

(58:56) Aristocratic and oligarchic rule

(59:55) The rise of tech founders

(01:00:14) Joining the elite circle

(01:01:28) The social and political network

(01:02:44) Circulation of elites

(01:06:51) Effective altruism and philanthropy

(01:13:39) Meritocracy and elite education

(01:25:31) Global governance and nationalism

(01:27:39) The process of finding answers

(01:28:30) The moral imperative of imposing answers

(01:28:56) Communism and the intellectual foundation

(01:29:30) The oligarchic elite and COVID-19

(01:30:34) The virtues of nationalism

(01:35:54) The iron law of oligarchy

(01:39:45) The need for a superior elite

(01:41:58) The role of competence and unifying ideas

(01:49:57) The internet and the current elite

(01:50:50) The bill comes due

(01:52:40) Wrap

This week on Upstream, Byrne Hobart discusses the potential impacts of the Department of Government Efficiency, insights from leaked OpenAI emails, Trump's and Elon Musk's policies and their economic implications, and the future of prediction markets in organizational decision-making. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/279fae71-9087-46b7-a2e6-b6e17d8fdf6b

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📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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SPONSORS:

🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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LINKS:

Byrne’s writing: https://thediff.co 

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X / TWITTER:

@byrnehobart

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a conversation between Erik Torenberg and Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir and founder of the Cicero Institute, discusses his solutions for American healthcare, education, crime, homelessness, and inequality, emphasizing the need for accountability and nonpartisan approaches. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/f6eb1f43-6fe9-43cc-a95f-168655056447 

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📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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SPONSORS:

🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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LINKS:

Cicero Institute: https://ciceroinstitute.org/ 

8VC: https://www.8vc.com/ 

Palantir: https://www.palantir.com/ 

Joe Lonsdale's blog: https://blog.joelonsdale.com 

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X / TWITTER:

@JTLonsdale

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

This week we’re releasing an episode from the Cognitive Revolution, Nathan Labenz interviews Professor Michael Levin and Dr. Leo Pio Lopez about their groundbreaking research integrating multiple biological datasets using advanced AI techniques to predict new disease links, and discusses broader implications for AI in biology and future technologies. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/47dd68fb-1bea-43c0-809e-6a1a32c9cb48

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📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

🙏Help shape our show by taking our quick listener survey at https://bit.ly/TurpentinePulse 

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RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 

🎙️The Cognitive Revolution Podcast

The Cognitive Revolution is a podcast about AI where hosts Nathan Labenz and Erik Torenberg interview the builders on the edge of AI and explore the dramatic shift it will unlock over the next decades. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk?si=7357ec31ac424043  

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431  

🎙️Unpack Pricing

Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg 

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SPONSORS:

🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 

🎙️Dealcraft | Insights from Great Negotiators https://link.chtbl.com/3CG3TbHY?sid=Turpentine is the brand new weekly podcast that features interviews with world’s greatest dealmakers and diplomats, including Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and music industry super-lawyer John Branca, on their most challenging negotiations. Each episode, host Jim Sebenius (Harvard Business School professor and renowned negotiation expert) relates fascinating deal stories and distills useful insights for listeners to apply in their toughest deals and disputes.

📝Notion offers powerful workflow and automation templates, perfect for streamlining processes and laying the groundwork for AI-driven automation. With Notion AI, you can search across thousands of documents from various platforms, generating highly relevant analysis and content tailored just for you - try it for free at notion.com/upstreampod 

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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LINKS:

Prof. Levin's first appearance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYyGG9xXpPA&t=0s

Universal Multilayer Network Embedding Reveals a Causal Link Between GABA Neurotransmitter and Cancer: https://osf.io/preprints/osf/d78wb 

Collective intelligence: A unifying concept for integrating biology across scales and substrates: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-06037-4.pdf 

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X / TWITTER:

@drmichaellevin

@LPiolopez

@eriktorenberg

@turpentinemedia

Today on Upstream, Rudyard Lynch and Samo Burja discuss the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, the decline of French influence in Africa, the psychology of modernity, and the potential future of free versus controlled internet. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/d3195f8d-9dc3-4891-83d6-3354a83efbe9

—

📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

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RECOMMENDED PODCASTS:

🎙️Live Players

Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg provide analysis of the news and case studies of Live Players, as well as key institutions and technologies that make up the global power landscape.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1?si=01ed191c74264f55 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivePlayerswithSamoBurja 

🎙️History 102 with WhatifAltHist

Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj

🎙️Unpack Pricing

Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg 

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SPONSORS:

🕵️‍♂️Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code UPSTREAM at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/upstream 

🎙️Dealcraft | Insights from Great Negotiators https://link.chtbl.com/3CG3TbHY?sid=Turpentine is the brand new weekly podcast that features interviews with world’s greatest dealmakers and diplomats, including Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and music industry super-lawyer John Branca, on their most challenging negotiations. Each episode, host Jim Sebenius (Harvard Business School professor and renowned negotiation expert) relates fascinating deal stories and distills useful insights for listeners to apply in their toughest deals and disputes.

📝Notion offers powerful workflow and automation templates, perfect for streamlining processes and laying the groundwork for AI-driven automation. With Notion AI, you can search across thousands of documents from various platforms, generating highly relevant analysis and content tailored just for you - try it for free at notion.com/upstreampod 

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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LINKS:

Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/

Whatifalthist YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/Whatifalthist 

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X / TWITTER:

@eriktorenberg

@samoburja

@whatifalthist

@turpentinemedia

Emil Michael, formerly the Chief Business Officer of Uber, talked to Erik Torenberg and Jesse Genet about the most intense moments during Uber's meteoric rise. Its been reported that he's on the short list of Trump's picks for US Secretary of Transportation. For full shownotes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/f213f7ab-3627-4d15-b151-0238f9ebd159

—

📰Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 

—

RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Unpack Pricing

Dive into the dark arts of SaaS pricing with Metronome CEO Scott Woody and tech leaders. Learn how strategic pricing drives explosive revenue growth in today's biggest companies like Snowflake, Cockroach Labs, Dropbox and more.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765716600

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/38DK3W1Fq1xxQalhDSueFg

—

SPONSORS:

🎙️Dealcraft | Insights from Great Negotiators https://link.chtbl.com/3CG3TbHY?sid=Turpentine is the brand new weekly podcast that features interviews with world’s greatest dealmakers and diplomats, including Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and music industry super-lawyer John Branca, on their most challenging negotiations. Each episode, host Jim Sebenius (Harvard Business School professor and renowned negotiation expert) relates fascinating deal stories and distills useful insights for listeners to apply in their toughest deals and disputes.

📝Notion offers powerful workflow and automation templates, perfect for streamlining processes and laying the groundwork for AI-driven automation. With Notion AI, you can search across thousands of documents from various platforms, generating highly relevant analysis and content tailored just for you - try it for free at notion.com/upstreampod 

💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.

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X / TWITTER:

@jessegenet (Jesse)

@eriktorenberg (Erik)

@emilmichael (Emil)

@turpentinemedia