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Robert Wright's Nonzero

Nonzero

Conversations with a series of people who have nothing in common except that program host Robert Wright is curious about what they’re thinking.

www.nonzero.org
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  • 586 episodes
  • Updated Friday

Episodes586

Newest first
  • Nov 27, 2024 · 1 hr 10 min

    AI and the China Question (Robert Wright & Nathan Labenz)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Anthropic’s CEO comes out as a China hawk 6:38 Why so many China hawks in the AI community? 22:49 Gaming out the AGI takeoff timeline 30:31 Last year’s OpenAI coup: What did Ilya see? 36:43 Underappreciated dangers of the China chip war 53:41 Are US tech leaders seeing China’s perspective clearly? 1:05:32 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nathan Labenz (Cognitive Revolution, Waymark AI). Recorded November 26, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Nov 21, 2024 · 53 min

    Back Down the JFK Rabbit Hole (Robert Wright & Jefferson Morley)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:30 Bob’s trip down the JFK rabbit hole gets real 3:07 Will Trump release the JFK files? 7:35 What the CIA actually knew about Oswald, pre-assassination 12:13 The damning Oswald-CIA connection Jeff uncovered 24:59 Was there a second shooter? Bob’s on-the-ground research 35:31 Bob’s research cont’d: grassy knoll geometry 45:44 Was the alleged CIA cover-up just CYA? 49:29 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Jefferson Morley (JFK Facts, Snow-Storm in August). Recorded November 12, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Nov 20, 2024 · 54 min

    Elon vs Bluesky, Jake Paul vs Tyson, AI vs World Peace (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Are Bluesky pastures really greener? 10:12 Dissecting SciAm editor’s Bluesky blowup 21:32 Elon’s free speech stolen valor 31:05 The “highlights” of the Paul-Tyson “fight” 39:48 Has the military-industrial complex conquered the AI industry? 48:39 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 November 19, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Nov 15, 2024 · 42 min

    Will Trump Go Full-On Authoritarian? (Robert Wright, Derek Davison, and Daniel Bessner)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Another high-synergy, brilliant collaboration 1:39 Is Elon our first true oligarch? 10:21 Trump assembles his Justice League of hawks 16:53 Biden’s awful foreign policy team 21:49 Trump’s plan to purge the military 33:30 Will Trump go full-on authoritarian? 40:45 Left-wing capitalists—and a discount offer 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 November 14, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Nov 13, 2024 · 55 min

    Is Trump a Good Fit for the AI Era? (Robert Wright & Samuel Hammond)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Sam’s place on the AI accelerationist-pauser spectrum 4:55 Predicting AI’s near-term impact 12:17 Is regulating AI a fool’s errand? 18:32 Does strong AI governance court authoritarianism? 30:26 Can Trump and Elon be trusted on AI? 37:08 How Sam thinks AI should be regulated 51:13 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Samuel Hammond (Foundation for American Innovation, https://www.secondbest.ca/). Recorded November 12, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods Overtime titles: The China question Elon as an AI asset for TrumpWill Trump ease or heighten tensions over Taiwan? Taking AI takeover seriously AI, consciousness, and the human-to-AI handoff

  • Nov 9, 2024 · 51 min

    Is Trump Going Full-On Hawk? (Earthling Unplugged)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright, Andrew Day, and Connor Echols discuss items from this week’s Earthling. Read it here: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/how-to-fight-trump-mindfully Recorded November 08, 2024. https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Nov 7, 2024 · 46 min

    Post-Election Reflection Edition (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Election 2024: The view from Canada 5:44 Paul praises Bob’s pre-election sermonette 10:37 Why did Trump win? And who’s to blame? 18:47 Did DEI doom Kamala? 25:32 A Kamala campaign post-mortem 33:33 What policies will President Trump 2.0 prioritize? 37:12 The art of the Trump 45:05 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 November 06, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Oct 31, 2024 · 1 hr 56 min

    2024 Pre-Election Extravaganza (Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus)

    0:28 Is Mickey all-in on Trump? 4:26 The “garbage” wars and their aftermath 7:54 Kamala’s path(s) to victory 10:29 Mickey explains the logic of voting for Trump 19:44 Why Trump sucks, why Kamala sucks 26:05 Bob doles out (p)recriminations 35:37 Will Israel-Iran escalate? 45:00 How Kamala could win Mickey’s vote 49:23 Why did Kamala go negative? 55:27 Mickey plays pundit defender 1:10:02 Which swing state looks worst for Kamala?1:15:55 How Biden made war in Taiwan more likely 1:21:24 Four Dem sex “scandals”1:30:53 Bob trashes Trump’s tariffs 1:41:55 Bob looks for a silver-lining to a second Trump term 1:47:31 Elon Musk, the oligarch’s oligarch Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded October 30, 2024. 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

  • Oct 28, 2024 · 1 hr 8 min

    China Viewed from China (Robert Wright & Peter Hessler)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Peter’s new book, Other Rivers: A Chinese Education 3:24 Have Chinese people become less hostile to America? 13:12 What Americans get wrong about China 17:38 Why Peter thinks Covid didn’t come from a lab 20:59 China’s transformative recent decades 31:10 Respect for authority in Chinese culture 40:26 Change in China between Peter’s two teaching stints there 54:41 Why the Chinese political system may change dramatically Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Peter Hessler (River Town, Other Rivers). Recorded September 17, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Oct 26, 2024 · 51 min

    Ukraine War Escalates, Kamala Goes Full Cheney (Earthling Unplugged)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Andrew Day, Connor Echols, and a SPECIAL MYSTERY GUEST discuss items from this week’s Earthling. Read it here: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/are-we-inching-toward-world-war-iii

  • Oct 23, 2024 · 45 min

    Elon, Trump, and Other Enigmas (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Bob: The oligarchy has arrived 8:24 What do the odd 2024 betting markets mean for the race? 17:51 Trump on Palmer’s manhood: a closer look 25:24 The Elon empathy enigma 34:51 Coates’s controversial cognitive-empathizing 43:06 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 October 22, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Oct 19, 2024 · 32 min

    The Middle East After Sinwar (Earthling Unplugged)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright, Andrew Day, and Connor Echols discuss items from this week’s Earthling. Read it here: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/why-israel-wont-take-the-win Recorded October 18, 2024.

  • Oct 15, 2024 · 1 hr 1 min

    Is the Chip War against China Backfiring? (Robert Wright & Paul Triolo)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 What is the chip war intended to accomplish? 11:44 How China sees the chip war 19:02 Is Huawei a threat to US national security? 30:21 Paul: The chip restrictions on China are unprecedented 39:39 How Biden boosted China’s chip industry 52:40 Clear costs and unclear benefits of the chip war Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Triolo (Albright Stonebridge Group). Recorded October 02, 2024.

  • Oct 11, 2024 · 34 min

    Israel's Looming Attack on Iran (Earthling Unplugged)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Andrew Day and Connor Echols discuss items from this week’s Earthling. Read it here: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/israel-assassination-backfires-and Recorded October 11, 2024.

  • Oct 10, 2024 · 55 min

    October 7th: One Year Later (Robert Wright & Ron Kampeas)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:00 The time Ron helped un-cancel Jimmy Carter 3:36 How has 10/7 affected American Jews? 15:38 Israel’s place in US politics post-10/7 21:59 What a second Trump term could mean for Israel-Palestine 28:31 Could the current trauma in the Middle East eventually revive the two-state solution? 39:05 Making sense of Israel’s military strategy 45:39 Criticism of Israel, left vs right 50:58 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Ron Kampeas (Jewish Telegraphic Agency).Recorded October 09, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Oct 9, 2024 · 55 min

    Elon Goes Full-on Trump (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Elon takes the stage with Trump 5:025 The logic behind Elon’s Trump gamble 11:21 Who won the Vance-Walz vibe war? 14:56 A few kind words about Elon from Paul 27:50 Bob and Paul debate the CBS Coates controversy 48:06 Paul gets philosophical about Mission: Impossible 51:54 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 October 08, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Oct 5, 2024 · 54 min

    Israel's Plan for Wider War (Earthling Unplugged)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright, Andrew Day, and Connor Echols discuss items from this week’s Earthling. Read it here: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/bibis-plan-for-peace-through-wider Recorded October 04, 2024.

  • Oct 2, 2024 · 55 min

    AI Snake Oil (Robert Wright & Arvind Narayanan)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Arvind’s book and newsletter: AI Snake Oil 3:02 A taxonomy of AI observers 7:41 The impact of generative AI 20:21 Why predictive AI sometimes fails 25:03 Uses and misuses of AI in law and healthcare 41:22 Can social media be saved? 52:25 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Arvind Narayanan (Princeton University, AI Snake Oil). Recorded September 11, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

  • Sep 28, 2024 · 36 min

    Is the Middle East Headed toward a Regional War? (Earthling Unplugged)

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org Robert Wright and Connor Echols discuss items from this week’s Earthling. Read it here: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/biden-and-blinken-israels-lawyers Recorded September 27, 2024. https://twitter.com/NonzeroNews https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods