The Wright Show (audio)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:28 Glenn’s very unvarnished memoir, Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative 10:12 Glenn’s unusual urban upbringing 19:00 Is Glenn’s sermon for black men hypocritical? 22:15 Glenn’s double life at Harvard 32:40 How it all came crashing down 44:39 Is Glenn’s book _too_ honest? 52:16 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Glenn Loury (Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University, Late Admissions). Recorded June 13, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsOvertime titles:0:00 The Psalm that may have saved Glenn’s life 5:50 Glenn’s final crack hit 8:28 Glenn’s path from conservative to progressive and back again 21:53 The difference between Glenn and Wilt Chamberlain 23:32 Why does Glenn have such low risk aversion? 32:43 The time Glenn made Coretta Scott King cry 37:55 Explaining all without excusing all

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:28 Kevin’s place in cyberspace history 6:54 Are we grappling with the pace of tech progress rationally? 20:49 Why Kevin identifies as a techno-optimist 23:12 Is it too early to regulate AI? 30:21 The noosphere, the technium, and species of mind 38:11 Do AI doomers think too highly of thinking? 42:13 Evolution and the question of cosmic purpose 48:42 Should we see AIs as “artificial aliens”?Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Kevin Kelly (Wired, The Inevitable, What Technology Wants). Recorded April 29, 2024.Overtime titles:Kevin's spiritual transformation.Will AI be like a god to humans? Vice-versa?How expecting near-term death changed Kevin’s life.A bettor way of making AI predictions.

1:13 AI's human-like, but inhuman, language skills 7:22 Bob argues that LLMs don’t vindicate the ‘blank slate’ view of the mind 18:56 Do humans and AIs acquire language in totally different ways? 31:11 Will AIs ever quit hallucinating? 40:47 The importance (or not) of “embodied cognition” 47:50 What is it like to be an AI? 53:48 Why Steve is skeptical of AI doom scenarios Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Steven Pinker (Harvard University, Enlightenment Now, The Language Instinct). Recorded May 21, 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 nonzero.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com1:57 Kelley’s new podcast, Trip the Beltway Fantastic 5:59 Pat Buchanan and conservative opposition to the Iraq war 10:14 Would Trump 2.0 promote foreign policy restraint? 19:12 Possible Trump appointees pushing for conflict with China 25:57 The time Tucker Carlson helped prevent war with Iran 41:13 Would Trump greenlight ethnic cleansing in Gaza? 49:32 Would Trump end the Russia-Ukraine war? 54:14 Heading to OvertimeOvertime video below paywall:A Pentagon program that corrupts officers. Kelley’s upbringing in Connecticut and early career as a reporter. How clickbait culture has degraded journalism.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.comRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Recorded May 31, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com00:43 The Nonzero-American Prestige apocalypse aversion project 2:02 Are Bob, Derek, and Danny surprised the Gaza war is still going on? 5:06 Biden’s simple political calculus on Gaza 13:42 Would Trump greenlight the ethnic cleansing of Gaza? 25:45 Israel’s plan (or lack thereof) for post-war Gaza 32:23 Heading to OvertimeOvertime topics: An inside view of The New Republic at its peak. Ideological engineering at The Atlantic. Russian sanctions and an antisemitic chill fall over Danny. Does “fascism” mean anything?(Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com1:23 Bob’s sage status rises 4:18 GPT-4o: harbinger of the Metaverse? 13:53 Does sentience matter for AI companionship? 25:48 The promise and perils of social AI 33:46 How LLMs flip the script on computing 39:05 Heading to Overtime—and a special announcement!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 May 20, 2024.Overtime titles:43:10 AI and porn (through an evo-psych lens) 55:08 Is sex passé? 1:03:21 Google’s new AI-boosted search; Bob’s and Paul’s SEO prowess 1:10:30 Are the OpenAI resignations really a bad sign for AI safety? 1:14:31 Bob and Paul compare their p(doom)s 1:26:34 Sci-fi TV to see (and skip)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com4:08 How the Overton window is shifting after October 7 9:59 Israel’s 9/11, Israel’s overreaction, and liberal Zionism 15:22 The power of the Israel lobbyDiscussed in Overtime:How “pro-Israel” actions may undermine Israel.“From the river to the sea…” and other controversies.US and Israeli media coverage of the Gaza war.Free speech warriors turn speech code enforcers.Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards, University of Houston, Why Honor Matters). Recorded May 14, 2024. Nonzero Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods Very Bad Wizards: https://verybadwizards.com/

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:24 Why this pod’s a little odd 2:50 Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike quit OpenAI—part of a larger pattern? 10:20 Bob: AI doomers need Hollywood 16:26 Does an AI arms race spell doom for alignment? 20:40 Why the “Pause AI” movement matters 24:54 AI doomerism and Don’t Look Up: compare and contrast 27:23 How Liron (fore)sees AI doom 33:18 Are Sam Altman’s concerns about AI safety sincere? 39:46 Paperclip maximizing, evolution, and the AI will to power question 51:34 Are there real-world examples of AI going rogue? 1:07:12 Should we really align AI to human values? 1:15:27 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Liron Shapira (Pause AI, Relationship Hero). Recorded May 06, 2024. Additional segment recorded May 15, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

2:20 How Jews fit—or don’t—into universities’ DEI regimes 10:55 What do controversial pro-Palestine chants really mean? 18:24 When does criticism of Israel become antisemitic? 26:41 The Israel lobby’s influence on Congress and academia 34:13 Do pro-Israel donors unwittingly inflame antisemitism? 41:22 Evidence of increasing antisemitism 49:49 Was Ilhan Omar’s “all about the Benjamins” tweet antisemitic? 57:07 Bob criticizes Bari Weiss, Bill Ackman, and an Eli tweet 1:07:12 Balancing concerns about free speech and antisemitism 1:14:14 Are Israelis too fatalistic about antisemitism for their own good?Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Eli Lake (The New York Sun, Clements Center, The Re-Education, The Free Press). Recorded May 13, 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 nonzero.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.comRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/protest-tips-from-boomersRecorded May 10, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com1:53 Is it ever okay to fire professors for speech? 13:32 Bari Weiss spreads misinformation without consequence 22:28 Are some of Israel’s American supporters unwittingly inflaming antisemitism? 33:33 Ayaan Hirsi Ali converts to Christianity without abandoning New Atheist creed 38:46 Do Sam Harris et. al. get religion totally wrong? 49:12 Heading to OvertimeRobert 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 May 07, 2024.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.comRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling: https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-new-pro-israel-assault-on-free

0:41 Coleman’s Joe Rogan appearance and new book, The End of Race Politics 2:50 Campus protests and free speech 12:53 Is anti-Zionism anti-Semitism? 17:42 Is "exterminating Hamas" a viable solution? 27:11 Bob: Israel never offered Palestinians a state 40:54 “Right of return” and Palestinian national identity 57:22 How firmly entrenched is hatred of Israel among Palestinians? 1:08:33 Could better US policy have steered Israel-Palestine toward peace? 1:19:12 Are Palestinian “sacred beliefs” the problem? 1:26:20 Possible Palestinian futures 1:34:01 Israel’s strike on Iran’s consulate in SyriaRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Coleman Hughes (Conversations with Coleman). Recorded April 25, 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 nonzero.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:29 Paul asserts his right to non-assertion 4:31 Campus protests and free speech controversies 19:53 Have pro-Palestine protestors crossed a line? Have their opposition? 31:13 Will the protests force a reckoning on campus “wokeness”? 40:09 Remembering philosopher Daniel Dennett 48:03 Bob vs Dennett on consciousness 1:00:47 Does the mind-body problem suggest a cosmic solution? 1:10:34 Heading to OvertimeRobert 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 April 24, 2024.Paul’s Substack: https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.netDiscussed in Overtime:The problem(s) with the 3 Body Problem.Bob and Dennett’s big breakup: a breakdown. The time Keanu Reeves glitched at Bob’s expense. Does Bob have a “Burn Book” in his future?

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:29 Anatoly’s strange CV 4:20 How the 20th century set the stage for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine 9:42 Why did Putin turn against the West? 24:19 Anatoly: I underestimated Russia’s incompetence 28:29 Has the Ukraine war really shifted in Russia’s favor? 35:26 Russia’s “elite human capital” problem 42:02 Is the “bio-singularity” near? 51:11 Unipolar vs multipolar AI takeover scenarios 1:00:01 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Anatoly Karlin (https://akarlin.com/, Nooceleration). Recorded April 16, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsOvertime titles:0:00 Can the world regulate AI wisely? 2:05 The case for crypto 10:08 What Anatoly would do as AI czar 14:05 When noospheres collide 23:52 Is controlling AI possible under capitalism? 31:56 Was Anatoly serious about taking the Ukraine war into outer space? 36:01 Anatoly: The nation-state is obsolete

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.comRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling:https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-kay-burley-path-to-world-peaceRecorded April 19, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:59 Why Iran’s attack on Israel was an “own goal” 5:36 Did Iran minimize casualties on purpose? 12:11 The rising odds of Israel attacking Iran directly 19:39 America’s contradictory relationship with Israel 25:43 How conflict with Iran helps Israel 34:11 What China wants in the Middle East 43:27 America’s destabilizing role in the region 57:16 Heading to Overtime Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Joshua Landis (University of Oklahoma, SyriaComment.com). Recorded April 16, 2024. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.comRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from the Earthling.Read this edition of the Earthling:https://nonzero.substack.com/p/marc-andreessens-mindless-technoRecorded April 12, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:29 Why Paul’s eclipse experience eclipsed Bob’s 6:25 Remembering pioneering psychologist Daniel Kahneman 16:33 Bob fails gender affirmation test 21:14 Has the “replication crisis” tainted Kahneman’s legacy? 27:47 Eastern vs. Western “enlightenment” 35:58 How AI doomerism came to the rationalist community 45:42 3 Body Problem review goes into OvertimeRobert 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 April 10, 2024.Paul’s Substack:Overtime titles:0:00 Should humanity welcome AI/alien overlords? 4:44 What was the movie Harvey trying to say? 15:07 Psychedelics as psycho-technology 26:59 The therapy crapshoot 31:06 The self-immolating airman and the trouble with mental “illness” 42:58 Poor Things baffles Bob