Foreign policy, American politics, and social science
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The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
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Every week, Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, Antonio Garcia Martinez and frequent special guests discuss what's happening in technology, business, politics, and beyond. Moment of Zen is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: turpentine.co
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Upstream is where host Erik Torenberg goes deeper with the world's most interesting thinkers to map the constellation of ideas that matter across tech, culture, and politics. On this season of Upstream, you'll hear from Marc Andreessen, David Sacks, Balaji Srinivasan, Sam Harris, Joe Lonsdale, Katherine Boyle, and more. Upstream is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: turpentine.co
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Discussions with CSPI scholars and leading thinkers in science, technology, and politics. www.cspicenter.com
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Compelling interviews with thinkers, authors and thought leaders on politics, art and culture by hosts Jonathon Astro (Sydney) and Ricky Allpike (Melbourne).
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I share some thoughts on JD Vance being selected as Trump’s running mate. One thing we can say is that, for better or worse, this is the most exciting pick he could have made. People with unorthodox ideas and without the approval of mainstream institutions have more of an opportunity to have a cultural and policy impact than before. This is far fro…
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How the Race Taboo Swallowed Our Political Culture | Eric Kaufmann & Richard Hanania
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Eric Kaufmann is a research fellow at CSPI and a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham. He joins the podcast to talk about his new book, Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revolution. Eric explains its thesis, which holds that the taboos around race that arose in the 1960s expanded into other areas of life and eventua…
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Richard Hanania's "The Origins of Woke"
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Peter and Michael discuss "The Origins of Woke," a glimpse into the dark aspirations of the Republican Party and the mind of a very unusual man. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: What Speech Does "Hostile Work Environment" Harassment Law Restrict? Tunis v. Corning Glass Works, 698 F. Supp.…
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E88: Brand New Balaji: Trump/Biden, Jan 6
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In this episode of Moment of Zen, Balaji Srinivasan sits down with Erik Torenberg to discuss the massive vibe shift in Silicon Valley a week after Trump's near-assassination, tech's emerging role as a counter-elite force, why Biden is president NPC, January 6, and the role of the media. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine …
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E68: Tyler Cowen on Talent, the Importance of Stamina, and Predicting Success
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This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a fascinating discussion with economist, professor, and bestselling author Tyler Cowen about how to find talented people. This was recorded in 2022 around the launch of his book 'Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World' co-authored with Daniel Gross. Tyler and Erik discuss s…
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Breaking News Re-Release: "Hillbilly Elegy"
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To celebrate ("celebrate") Donald Trump choosing JD Vance as his running mate we are re-releasing our "Hillbilly Elegy" episode. Enjoy!
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E87: China's Energy Strategy, Taiwan, and US-China Relations with Samo Burja
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In this episode, Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg discuss China's energy strategy and its broader geopolitical implications. Contrary to popular belief, China is not aggressively pursuing energy independence but remains reliant on imports despite significant domestic oil production. The conversation delves into China's geopolitical strategy, its milit…
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E67: A Deep Dive on René Girard with David Gornoski
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This week on Upstream, we're releasing a 2019 interview with David Gornoski and Erik Torenberg on the Village Global podcast, offering a deep dive into René Girard's Mimetic Theory, exploring its far-reaching societal impacts and surprising connections to ancient rituals and myths. They unpack the concept of mimetic desire and the profound influenc…
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Hannah is a friend of mine and a successful career woman who lives in a major American city. She describes her job as an “influencer,” which I think undersells all that she does. Regardless, Hannah joins the podcast to talk about two things. First, we discuss what’s been going on with Biden. We really are in uncharted territory. I can’t hide my bia…
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One straightforward explanation for why people have fewer kids these days is opportunity costs. Life used to be pretty boring. You lived in a small village and didn’t travel all that much, so creating life might be one of the only ways to even meet new people. Today, we have many more chances for fun, recreation, and adventure. This theory explains…
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E66: Noah Smith on 2024 Election Strategy, American Civil Service, and Cash Benefits
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In this week’s episode of Upstream, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss America's future. They cover the 2024 presidential race, the Chevron ruling from the Supreme Court, and the polarization of the education system. Noah and Erik also discuss where wokeness goes from here, and the potential outcomes of integrating more conservatives into the ci…
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E86: 2024 Election Strategy, Education Depolarization, and UBI with Noah Smith
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This week, Noah Smith joins Erik Torenberg to discuss America's future. They cover the 2024 presidential race, the Chevron ruling from the Supreme Court, and the polarization of the education system. Noah and Erik also discuss where wokeness goes from here, and the potential outcomes of integrating more conservatives into the civil service through …
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E85: After the Debate: Trump/Biden and Media Reaction
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In this episode of Moment of Zen, Erik, Antonio, as well as two friends of the podcast who prefer to stay anonymous, discuss the disastrous Biden/Trump debate and what could happen after. They explore the state of U.S. politics by scrutinizing Joe Biden's controversial debate performance and its implications on his presidency, as well as reactions …
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E65: Bret Weinstein on Evolutionary Biology, Markets, Moral Progress, and More
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This week on Upstream, we’re airing an interview with evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein from 2020, originally from the Village Global podcast. They discuss Weinstein's work on evolutionary trade-offs, the intersection of markets and moral progress, as well as future governance. beehiiv: Head to https://beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20…
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A reader offered to pay Rob and I to review two movies: Zulu (1964), and They Live (1988), and here we take him up on it. Apparently, both of these films have cult followings among far-right types. I happened to like Zulu. I’ve always enjoyed reading military history, and seeing how a siege works in practice, or at least a portrayal of it, is alway…
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E64: Richard Hanania on Trump's Genius, Antisemitism, and Election Predictions
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In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Richard Hanania discuss the surprising support for Donald Trump within Silicon Valley, contrasting it with earlier elections. They also explore reasons behind this shift, such as anti-wokeness sentiments, dissatisfaction with left economic policies, and the Democrats' anti-tech stance. beehiiv: Head t…
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E84: Trump/Biden Predictions with Richard Hanania
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In this episode of Moment of Zen, Erik interviews Richard Hanania about the evolving political landscape in the U.S., focusing on the changing dynamics within both the Republican and Democratic parties. They discuss the influence of big tech, the rise of Trumpism, political polarization, and the intellectual underpinnings of current political ideol…
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I was going to call this “From Mosul to McKinsey,” but Rana Mallah (X, Substack) suggested this title instead. I replied that no wonder she works in consulting, since that’s pretty good! ISIS in Mosul, June 2014. Rana and I met at Manifest a few weeks ago and I was deeply impressed with her story. She was born in 1997 in Iraq, which was probably th…
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Sorting Through 498,000 Clinical Trials
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Bess Stillman (email) is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic and writes at Everything Is An Emergency. She is also an excellent storyteller who uses her skills to convey the hectic and at times heart wrenching experiences one faces as an ER doctor. Bess is married to Jake Seliger, who in 2022 was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. She has written a th…
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When the ordinary thought of a highly cultivated people begins to regard “having children” as a question of pros and cons, the great turning-point has come. For Nature knows nothing of pro and con. Everywhere, wherever life is actual, reigns an inward organic logic, an “it,” a drive, that is utterly independent of waking-being, with its causal link…
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E83: What's Happening in France with Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
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Today on Moment of Zen, Journalist Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry sits with Erik Torenberg to explain the volatile state of French politics following recent European Parliament elections where Macron’s party performed poorly and the National Rally did very well. The conversation offers insights into the broader implications of these political shifts, touche…
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E63: Balaji Srinivasan and Glen Weyl on Decentralized Governance, Politics, and History
1:20:29
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In 2019 Erik Torenberg sat down with Balaji Srinivasan and Glen Weyl to talk about the future of a decentralized world. They cover decentralized governance, politics, voting, and more. This conversation was recorded orginally for Village Global's Venture Stories. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogx…
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E82: Balaji Srinivasan on the Fiat Crisis, China, Russia, and Conspiracy Practices
1:22:18
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In this episode that originally aired on Upstream, Erik sits down with Balaji Srinivasan to discuss the Fiat Crisis, geopolitics, conspiracies, and the signs of decline for a hyperpower. It was recorded in June of 2023. Balaji is an angel investor, tech founder, philosopher, and author of The Network State. He was formerly the CTO of Coinbase. 🔥 Ap…
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E62: Mike Solana on Thinking Freely and What Tech Means for Culture
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In 2020 Erik Torenberg sat down with Mike Solana, then VP at Founders Fund (now the Editor In Chief of Pirate Wires) to go deeper into his commitment to controversial ideas and freedom. He discusses the dynamics of America's culture wars, debating freedom vs. equality, the resurgence of Marxism, and the roots of anti-American sentiment. This conver…
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Today I have the pleasure of talking to Daniel Hess, a father of six who goes by the name “More Births” on X. Pronatalism in the US as far as I can tell remains mostly an online movement, largely promoted through Elon Musk tweets and the work of the Collinses. To people who spend a lot of time online, this can make it seem more powerful than it act…
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E81: David Sacks on his Intellectual and Political journey
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David Sacks is known as a CEO/investor in multiple unicorns, and most recently a media mogul with All-In. In this episode, he sits down with Erik Torenberg to trace his intellectual and political history from his days fighting student activism at Stanford to now. We cover the political and cultural changes in the last 30 years of silicon valley, ho…
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E61: Noah Smith on Wokeness, Right Wing Muckrakers, and Class vs Identity
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Todays episode features a conversation between Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discussing the recent angry posts on X from David Austin Walsh, a history postdoc at Yale, and what this controversy says about elite overproduction in the US. They also cover the the rise of right-wing muckrakers, discuss what the conservative movement needs now, and who …
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E80: Joe Lonsdale on How to Solve America’s Problems
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Today we are airing Erik's interview with Joe Lonsdale, originally published on Upstream in 2023. Joe Lonsdale is the co-founder of Palantir, managing partner at 8VC, and the founder of The Cicero Institute, a nonpartisan policy organization discusses the root causes of educational inequality and homelessness, and argues for competence over culture…
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E60: AI in the Techno-Economic War with China with Vinod Khosla, Todd Young, and Jacob Helberg
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In this episode of Upstream, we're publishing a session recorded live at The Hill & Valley Forum in May 2024 hosted by Jacob Helberg, and featuring Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, and Senator Todd Young (R-IN). Khosla and Young dive straight into the most pressing national security concerns regarding the threat of AI. In this techno-economic race,…
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E79: Crypto and Gaming with Carlos Pereira
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In this episode, Carlos Pereira, partner at BITKRAFT Ventures, joins Erik, Antonio and Dan as they delve into the significant transformations within gaming, betting, and combat sports, facilitated by cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, emphasizing the groundbreaking integration of cryptocurrency through Web3 gaming. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 f…
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E59: Bryan Caplan on Housing Regulation, Fertility, and Crime
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This week on Upstream, Erik sits down with Bryan Caplan to discuss his new book about housing regulation. The conversation touches on political economy, fertility, crime, and more. beehiiv: Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: …
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Peter and Michael discuss the media coverage of the protests at Columbia — from the crazed, bloodthirsty ravings of right-wing media to the more muted, respectful bloodthirst of centrist media. To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
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E58: Jonathan Haidt on Finally Fixing Social Media and Picking All the Cherries
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This week on Upstream, Erik sits down with Jonathan Haidt to discuss his book The Anxious generation. The conversation covers the effects of social media on teen mental health, culture, politics, education, and more. beehiiv: Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. -- This show is produced by Turpent…
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E78: Jonathan Haidt on The Social Media Theory of Everything
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In this episode of Moment of Zen, Erik is joined by Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business and author of the newly released book "The Anxious Generation." They have a comprehensive discussion that touches on the polarization and dysfunction in American politics, the impact of social media on democracy,…
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Nature, Nurture, and Overcoming Hardship | Rob Henderson and Richard Hanania on "Troubled"
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Rob Henderson joins the podcast to talk about his book Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. The conversation starts with a discussion about the recent controversy in which Rob was unable to find a book store that would host his launch. Rob also shares insights into his writing style, which focuses on conveying his experience…
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E77: The Future of Media, Institutions, and Risk
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Today we're sharing a recent interview Erik gave to Alex LaBossiere that covers lots of themes we discuss on Moment of Zen - including Erik's views on tech vs. the media, hypocrisy of the elites, risk orientation, and the thesis behind Turpentine. Grow your newsletter with Beehiiv, head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your fir…
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E57: Noah Smith Analyzes Economies: USA, China, Japan, Russia, India, Korea, & More
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This week on Upstream, we're releasing an episode from Erik's podcast with Noah Smith, Econ 102. Noah breaks down the economies of the USA, China, Japan, Russia, India, Korea, and more. 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. For mor…
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"Going Infinite": Michael Lewis Takes On Sam Bankman-Fried
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Peter and Michael discuss Michael Lewis’s bestselling book about the rise and fall of Sam Bankman-Fried, a young prodigy whose only flaw was that he dreamed too big. Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Michael Lewis Is Buying What Sam Bankman-Fried Is Selling Michael Lewis Likens Critics of …
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E76: Should We Accelerate or Decelerate Tech Progress?
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Today’s episode is a debate from Bankless on the opposing viewpoints of Effective Accelerationism (E/ACC) and Effective Altruism (EA). Hosted by Ryan Sean Adams and David Hoffman and featuring Haseeb Qureshi and our own Erik Torenberg, the podcast discusses whether AI progression should be cautiously regulated or aggressively pursued with minimal o…
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E56: Brian Chau on Spreading Informed AI Optimism
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This week on Upstream, Nathan Labenz of The Cognitive Revolution podcast and Brian Chau, a machine learning engineer who recently founded the Alliance for the Future, talk about Brian's efforts in Washington, D.C. to influence AI policy based on informed AI optimism. After their conversation, Nathan and Erik chat about the AI landscape. Access glob…
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E55: Why China's Universities Will Become Harvard
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This week on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode from Turpentine’s show Live Players with Samo Burja. Erik and Samo discuss China’s universities and the future of China’s elites. 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. -- This show …
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E75: The Future of Crypto, Social Platforms, and Descending the Tech Ladder with Mike Rainbow
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In this episode, Mike Rainbow (co-founder of Rainbow wallet) joins Erik, Dan, and Antonio as they dive into crypto's future. The conversation was prompted by the thesis that innovative social protocols like Farcaster are co-evolving with crypto wallets as onramps or a portal to web3. If you're looking for an ERP platform, check out NetSuite: https:…
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E74: Bryan Johnson on AI, Religion, and God
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Bryan Johnson joins Antonio Garcia Martinez and Erik Torenberg on Moment of Zen to discuss the deeper spiritual beliefs behind the "Don't Die" movement in the face of AI and the inadequacy of human clock speed. They cover religions as death cults, long-termism vs engineering your own longevity, and Bryan's recent interview on Tucker Carlson. If you…
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E54: Naval Ravikant and Balaji Srinivasan on Why History Points to Crypto
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This episode was initially recorded before a live audience in 2018. Erik talks with Naval Ravikant and Balaji Srinivasan about the history of money and centralization and why crypto has the potential to fulfill the promise of the internet. Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com …
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"The Better Angels of Our Nature" Part 2: Campus Lies, I.Q. Rise & Epstein Ties
1:24:12
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2 Better 2 Angels Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod Where to find us: Peter's other podcast, 5-4 Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase Sources: Jeffrey Epstein’s Science of Sleaze Pinker’s response to Epstein allegations How Jeffrey Epstein Captivated Harvard Jeffrey Epstein Hoped to Seed Human Race With His DNA It’s Offic…
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E73: Crypto, Memes, and Politics with Li Jin
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Li Jin joins Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Antonio Garcia Martinez. Li is the co-founder of Variant Fund and a prolific writer. This episode dives deep into crypto, web3, memecoins, and the attention economy thesis. They cover the direction of techno-capitalism and its impact on politics, decentralization, and the cultural differences between Ame…
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E53: Nathan Labenz and Noah Smith on What AI Actually Means for the Economy
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This week on Upstream, Erik is joined by Nathan Labenz and Noah Smith for a deep dive on how AI will impact job markets, the social contract, and the role of the government. 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. -- RECOMMENDED PODC…
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