The Wright Show (audio)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:28 Nick’s influential book Superintelligence and his new book Deep Utopia 3:13 Has Nick flipped on AI doom? 10:57 Life in the “solved world” of an AI utopia 20:44 Can technology address the deepest problems of human nature? 30:07 Meaning, artificial purpose, and the value of golf 46:22 The promise and perils of virtual reality 51:23 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nick Bostrom (Superintelligence, Macrostrategy Research Initiative, Deep Utopia). Recorded July 11, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com1:13 Dmitri’s new book, World on the Brink 9:26 Is America’s behavior more destabilizing than China’s? 17:22 China-Taiwan compared to Russia-Ukraine 28:00 Is the US making a Chinese invasion of Taiwan more likely? 41:31 Should the US try to maintain global hegemony? 55:06 The “autocracy versus democracy” framingRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Dmitri Alperovitch (Crowdstrike, Silverado, World on the Brink). Recorded July 24, 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 this week’s Earthling.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:28 The Nonzero-American Prestige all-star team 2:13 Why didn’t the Trump shooting matter more? 7:16 What anti-Trump historians get wrong 18:05 Why Kamala shouldn't demonize Trump 29:59 Heading to Overtime—and a discount dealRobert 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 July 25, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:58 Who’s most to blame for the Biden mess? 10:23 Why Trump might duck a debate with Kamala 13:26 Is Biden locked in the basement? 22:08 Kamala’s biggest liabilities 33:12 Loyalty, the Mob, and Biden’s psychology 40:33 Conspiracy theories of the Trump shooting 48:27 The kind of VP Kamala should pickRobert 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 July 22, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

0:28 Mickey makes his (iconic) return to Nonzero! 4:39 Did Trump blow his RNC acceptance speech? 10:18 The escalating Democratic civil war over Biden 16:46 Trump vs Biden (vs Josh Shapiro) on national unity 29:01 Drafting the ideal Dem electoral strategy 44:23 J.D. Vance: paradox or phony? 1:01:03 Is Trump the lesser evil on foreign policy? 1:15:17 Has Mickey felt the “vibe shift”? 1:24:39 The Parrot Room’s reputation precedes itMickey's Substack: https://kaus.substack.com/Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded July 19, 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.com1:19 The psychology of the shooter 10:04 The psychology of Trump 19:42 Trump as national healer 26:32 When is anti-Trump rhetoric too extreme? 43:12 The alpha male problemRobert 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 July 15, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsPaul’s Substack: https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.comRobert Wright and Andrew Day discuss items from this week's Earthling. Read it here:https://nonzero.substack.com/p/the-shrinking-west-bankRecorded July 12, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:52 Biden plays chicken against Democratic elites 13:53 Could the delegates deny Biden the nomination? 21:29 Odd moments in the George Stephanopoulos interview 35:32 Biden faces down a populist-elite revolt 46:06 How a small group of insiders could force Biden out 52:13 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Eric Levitz (New York Magazine, Vox). Recorded July 08, 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 this week’s Earthling (had there been one).Recorded July 03, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com1:43 Dementia vs senility 5:40 Biden’s brain: a post-debate diagnosis 15:56 Who’s to blame for the Biden problem? 26:04 Biden’s most baffling debate moment 33:04 Will Biden step down? Bob and Paul place their bets 39:01 Has Nick Bostrom flipped on AI doomerism? 43:17 The earthly side of a meditation retreat 49:57 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 July 01, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsPaul’s Substack: https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com1:23 Why Jeffrey helped turn Meta’s Llama into Bad Llama 9:19 Bioweapons, hacking, and other AI dangers 20:03 How America unwittingly boosts China’s AI sector 29:01 The dark side of AI “alignment” 40:15 Is superintelligence the super-weapon of the future? 49:37 The perils of AI accelerationRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Jeffrey Ladish (Palisade Research). Recorded June 19, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:28 Edward’s new book, At the Edge of Empire: A Family’s Reckoning with China 4:05 What Americans get wrong about China 13:33 Humiliation and China’s national psychology 17:38 Why Edward’s father joined the People’s Liberation Army 26:23 How Edward’s father fell out of favor with the PLA 37:39 How draconian is Xi Jinping’s crackdown on Uyghurs? 44:20 Famine, purges, and alienation in Mao’s China 49:28 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Edward Wong (The New York Times, At the Edge of Empire). Recorded June 18, 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 this week’s Earthling (had there been one).Recorded June 20, 2024.https://twitter.com/NonzeroNewshttps://twitter.com/NonzeroPods

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit nonzero.substack.com0:28 Bob re-enters reality 3:54 Elon’s X-rated horse-trading 9:41 What do LLMs really say about the “blank slate” view of the mind? 28:12 Bob challenges Paul to meditate—will Paul retreat? 33:15 Have Bob’s views changed since writing Nonzero? 44:13 Paul’s and Bob’s (semi-compatible) views on free will 50:51 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 June 17, 2024.Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsPaul’s Substack:Overtime titles:The Buddhist solution to Paul’s Twitter troubles. Jake Gyllenhaal’s problematic bod. Dark Matter reviewed (w/ light spoilers). Bob and Paul swap faux pas horror stories. 3 Body’s entanglement problem. Has Anthropic mapped the mind of AI? Bob’s podcast no-go list. The problem with incredibly good looking people.

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