Best 80000 Hours Podcasts (2024)

1
Bonus: Parenting insights from Rob and 8 past guests 1:35:39

21m ago1:35:39

1:35:39

"It does open you up to a lot of beautiful vistas of human experience. And as somebody who is interested in the world, it was really undersold to me how interesting kids are, and how interesting being a parent is. And it’s worth paying attention to, not just because you’re supposed to, but because you learn just a tremendous amount about what it me…

1
#206 – Anil Seth on the predictive brain and how to study consciousness 2:33:50

4d ago2:33:50

2:33:50

"In that famous example of the dress, half of the people in the world saw [blue and black], half saw [white and gold]. It turns out there’s individual differences in how brains take into account ambient light. Colour is one example where it’s pretty clear that what we experience is a kind of inference: it’s the brain’s best guess about what’s going…

1
Highlights: #204 – Nate Silver on making sense of SBF, and his biggest critiques of effective altruism 19:20

1h ago19:20

19:20

Election forecaster Nate Silver gives his takes on: how effective altruism could be better, the stark tradeoffs we faced with COVID, whether the 13 Keys to the White House is "junk science," how to tell whose election predictions are better, and if venture capitalists really take risks. This is a selection of highlights from episode #204 of The 80,…

1
#12 - Blake Chalfant: The Integration Episode 51:18

15h ago51:18

51:18

In a society that is polluted with rigid, black & white patterns of thought and behavior, we are in utter need of transcending the poles and building bridges. In today's episode, I highlight the pattern that is at play and provide insight into how we might be able to begin building the bridges of integration and bringing together the isolated parts…

1
How much does a vote matter? (Article) 32:32

4d ago32:32

32:32

If you care about social impact, is voting important? In this piece, Rob investigates the two key things that determine the impact of your vote: The chances of your vote changing an election’s outcome. How much better some candidates are for the world as a whole, compared to others. He then discusses a couple of the best arguments against voting in…

1
#205 – Sébastien Moro on the most insane things fish can do 3:11:05

7d ago3:11:05

3:11:05

"You have a tank split in two parts: if the fish gets in the compartment with a red circle, it will receive food, and food will be delivered in the other tank as well. If the fish takes the blue triangle, this fish will receive food, but nothing will be delivered in the other tank. So we have a prosocial choice and antisocial choice. When there is …

1
Highlights: Luisa and Keiran on free will, and the consequences of never feeling enduring guilt or shame 13:15

9d ago13:15

13:15

This is a selection of highlights from our April 2023 episode with host Luisa Rodriguez and producer Keiran Harris on 80k After Hours. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Luisa and Keiran on free will, and the cons…

1
Highlights: #203 – Peter Godfrey-Smith on interfering with wild nature, accepting death, and the origin of complex civilisation 33:46

12d ago33:46

33:46

This is a selection of highlights from episode #203 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Peter Godfrey-Smith on interfering with wild nature, accepting death, and the origin of complex c…

1
#204 – Nate Silver on making sense of SBF, and his biggest critiques of effective altruism 1:57:48

14d ago1:57:48

1:57:48

Rob Wiblin speaks with FiveThirtyEight election forecaster and author Nate Silver about his new book: On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything. Links to learn more, highlights, video, and full transcript. On the Edge explores a cultural grouping Nate dubs “the River” — made up of people who are analytical, competitive, quantitatively minded, risk…

1
Off the Clock #6: Starting Small with Conor Barnes 1:05:43

15d ago1:05:43

1:05:43

Watch this episode on YouTube! https://youtu.be/yncw2T77OAc Matt, Bella, and Huon sit down with Conor Barnes to discuss unlikely journeys, EA criticism, discipline, timeless decision theory, and how to do the most good with a degree in classics. Check out: Conor’s 100 Tips for a Better Life: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/7hFeMWC6Y5eaSixbD/100-tip…

1
Highlights: #202 – Venki Ramakrishnan on the cutting edge of anti-ageing science 23:10

26d ago23:10

23:10

This is a selection of highlights from episode #202 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Venki Ramakrishnan on the cutting edge of anti-ageing science And if you're finding these highlig…

1
#203 – Peter Godfrey-Smith on interfering with wild nature, accepting death, and the origin of complex civilisation 1:25:09

1M ago1:25:09

1:25:09

"In the human case, it would be mistaken to give a kind of hour-by-hour accounting. You know, 'I had +4 level of experience for this hour, then I had -2 for the next hour, and then I had -1' — and you sort of sum to try to work out the total… And I came to think that something like that will be applicable in some of the animal cases as well… There …

1
#11 - Blake Chalfant: The Great Human Dilemma of Time 19:03

1M ago19:03

19:03

Today I will be sharing an audio version of my most recent article, which I wrote on the topic of time. I believe our relationship with time and the finite to be one of the most important topics, but it has unfortunately been swept under the rug. We are all constrained by our human finitude and have attempted to resist the limits of our nature. Bec…

1
Highlights: #201 – Ken Goldberg on why your robot butler isn’t here yet 22:25

1M ago22:25

22:25

This is a selection of highlights from episode #201 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Ken Goldberg on why your robot butler isn’t here yet And if you're finding these highlights episo…

1
Luisa and Keiran on free will, and the consequences of never feeling enduring guilt or shame 1:36:00

1M ago1:36:00

1:36:00

In this episode from our second show, 80k After Hours, Luisa Rodriguez and Keiran Harris chat about the consequences of letting go of enduring guilt, shame, anger, and pride. Links to learn more, highlights, and full transcript. They cover: Keiran’s views on free will, and how he came to hold them What it’s like not experiencing sustained guilt, sh…

1
#202 – Venki Ramakrishnan on the cutting edge of anti-ageing science 2:20:26

2M ago2:20:26

2:20:26

"For every far-out idea that turns out to be true, there were probably hundreds that were simply crackpot ideas. In general, [science] advances building on the knowledge we have, and seeing what the next questions are, and then getting to the next stage and the next stage and so on. And occasionally there’ll be revolutionary ideas which will really…

1
Highlights: #200 – Ezra Karger on what superforecasters and experts think about existential risks 22:54

2M ago22:54

22:54

This is a selection of highlights from episode #200 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Ezra Karger on what superforecasters and experts think about existential risks And if you're find…

1
#201 – Ken Goldberg on why your robot butler isn’t here yet 2:01:43

2M ago2:01:43

2:01:43

"Perception is quite difficult with cameras: even if you have a stereo camera, you still can’t really build a map of where everything is in space. It’s just very difficult. And I know that sounds surprising, because humans are very good at this. In fact, even with one eye, we can navigate and we can clear the dinner table. But it seems that we’re b…

1
Highlights: #199 – Nathan Calvin on California’s AI bill SB 1047 and its potential to shape US AI policy 15:18

2M ago15:18

15:18

This is a selection of highlights from episode #199 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Nathan Calvin on California’s AI bill SB 1047 and its potential to shape US AI policy And if you'…

1
#10 - Dr. Kenneth Pelletier: Change Your Genes, Change Your Life 58:25

2M ago58:25

58:25

Contrary to the mainstream view of genetic determinism, the new science of epigenetics tells us that we have control over 95% of our genes and can turn them on or off. This is a huge shift in the narrative and allows us, as individuals, to take back the reins of our health. Say goodbye to the victim mentality of needing drugs and doctors, and say h…

1
Highlights: #198 – Meghan Barrett on challenging our assumptions about insects 23:53

2M ago23:53

23:53

This is a selection of highlights from episode #198 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Meghan Barrett on challenging our assumptions about insects And if you're finding these highlight…

1
Highlights: #197 – Nick Joseph on whether Anthropic’s AI safety policy is up to the task 22:10

2M ago22:10

22:10

This is a selection of highlights from episode #197 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Nick Joseph on whether Anthropic’s AI safety policy is up to the task And if you're finding these…

1
#200 – Ezra Karger on what superforecasters and experts think about existential risks 2:49:24

2M ago2:49:24

2:49:24

"It’s very hard to find examples where people say, 'I’m starting from this point. I’m starting from this belief.' So we wanted to make that very legible to people. We wanted to say, 'Experts think this; accurate forecasters think this.' They might both be wrong, but we can at least start from here and figure out where we’re coming into a discussion…

1
#9 - Blake Chalfant: You are here to Realign with Yourself 12:58

2M ago12:58

12:58

You have arrived, and this is exactly where you are supposed to be. You are being asked to take a moment to realign with yourself and the path you are on. How are you? What are you feeling? Take a breath and breathe into all the different parts of your current experience. So much of the time, we are distracted on a constant hamster wheel of life wi…

1
Highlights: #196 – Jonathan Birch on the edge cases of sentience and why they matter 25:34

2M ago25:34

25:34

This is a selection of highlights from episode #196 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Jonathan Birch on the edge cases of sentience and why they matter And if you're finding these hig…

1
#199 – Nathan Calvin on California’s AI bill SB 1047 and its potential to shape US AI policy 1:12:37

2M ago1:12:37

1:12:37

"I do think that there is a really significant sentiment among parts of the opposition that it’s not really just that this bill itself is that bad or extreme — when you really drill into it, it feels like one of those things where you read it and it’s like, 'This is the thing that everyone is screaming about?' I think it’s a pretty modest bill in a…

1
#8 - Blake Chalfant: From Probability to Possibility, Unlock Your Full Expression 32:22

2M ago32:22

32:22

Chances are you are living your life through the lens of probability, and it is keeping you stuck. Every decision, thought, and behavior is filtered through your past's data set, which completely diminishes any chance of possibility or change. Although it is unknown and requires trust, as we move from probability back towards possibility we open up…

1
#198 – Meghan Barrett on challenging our assumptions about insects 3:48:12

2M ago3:48:12

3:48:12

"This is a group of animals I think people are particularly unfamiliar with. They are especially poorly covered in our science curriculum; they are especially poorly understood, because people don’t spend as much time learning about them at museums; and they’re just harder to spend time with in a lot of ways, I think, for people. So people have pet…

1
#197 – Nick Joseph on whether Anthropic's AI safety policy is up to the task 2:29:26

3M ago2:29:26

2:29:26

The three biggest AI companies — Anthropic, OpenAI, and DeepMind — have now all released policies designed to make their AI models less likely to go rogue or cause catastrophic damage as they approach, and eventually exceed, human capabilities. Are they good enough? That’s what host Rob Wiblin tries to hash out in this interview (recorded May 30) w…

1
Highlights: #195 – Sella Nevo on who's trying to steal frontier AI models, and what they could do with them 18:03

3M ago18:03

18:03

This is a selection of highlights from episode #195 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Sella Nevo on who's trying to steal frontier AI models, and what they could do with them And if y…

1
#7 - Blake Chalfant: The Art of Listening, Humanities Role on Earth 38:14

3M ago38:14

38:14

What if the next steps, the answers you seek, and the path ahead was trying to find you? In a culture so deeply entrenched in “doing”, and grinding things out, we have forgotten about the art of listening. What is the purpose of our species? Why are we so different than everyone else? I believe humans are a custodial species, here to create, care f…

1
#196 – Jonathan Birch on the edge cases of sentience and why they matter 2:01:50

3M ago2:01:50

2:01:50

"In the 1980s, it was still apparently common to perform surgery on newborn babies without anaesthetic on both sides of the Atlantic. This led to appalling cases, and to public outcry, and to campaigns to change clinical practice. And as soon as [some courageous scientists] looked for evidence, it showed that this practice was completely indefensib…

1
Highlights: #194 – Vitalik Buterin on defensive acceleration and how to regulate AI when you fear government 35:19

3M ago35:19

35:19

This is a selection of highlights from episode #194 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast. These aren't necessarily the most important, or even most entertaining parts of the interview — and if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode: Vitalik Buterin on defensive acceleration and how to regulate AI when you fear government And if …

1
#6 - Duey Freeman: The Human Attachment & Development Wizard, Lessons from 80,000 Client Hours 1:24:06

3M ago1:24:06

1:24:06

After 74 years on Earth, 50 years as a therapist, and accumulating over 80,000 client hours, our guest, Duey Freeman, has a lot to say. In a world where we aren't taught how to be in a relationship or navigate life’s challenges, the wisdom Duey shares with us is absolutely essential. Expect to learn: - What attachment is - How to create intimacy wi…

1
#5 - Cameron Rosin: Aligning With Your Path, A Return To Nature 59:33

3M ago59:33

59:33

In a time marked by confusion and lack of clear direction, it is imperative that we find ways to navigate and find our path amidst the noise of the world. On today's show, Cameron Rosin and I drop deep into the intelligence of the body as our instrument of sense-making and reconnecting to what it really means to be human. As Cam states, it is throu…

1
#195 – Sella Nevo on who's trying to steal frontier AI models, and what they could do with them 2:08:29

3M ago2:08:29

2:08:29

"Computational systems have literally millions of physical and conceptual components, and around 98% of them are embedded into your infrastructure without you ever having heard of them. And an inordinate amount of them can lead to a catastrophic failure of your security assumptions. And because of this, the Iranian secret nuclear programme failed t…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

80000 Hours Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide