Dec 2021

Is cash the best way to help the poor? (Michael Faye)

The idea of giving poor people cash, no strings attached, is "very unappealing" for most donors, admits economist Michael Faye -- but it's still one of the best ways to help the poor. Michael and Julia discuss the philosophy behind his organization (GiveDirectly), the evidence we ... Show More

52m 13s

Nov 2021

Dangerous biological research - is it worth it? (Kevin Esvelt)

Kevin Esvelt, a scientist at MIT, argues that research intended to prevent pandemics is actually putting us in a lot more danger. Also discussed: Kevin's own research on engineering wild animal species. Are the risks worth the benefits?

1h 7m

Nov 2021

Why we're polarized (Ezra Klein)

Ezra Klein explains how Republican and Democrats in the US became so different from each other, ideologically and demographically, and why that trend + our institutions = political gridlock. Questions covered include: Is polarization necessarily bad? Has the left polarized more t ... Show More

1h 18m

Apr 2020

Toby Ord: What are the odds civilisation will survive the century?

This week we talk to the philosopher Toby Ord about the end of civilisation as we know it. Ok, it’s not all doom and gloom. As Toby says, he’s an optimistic person, but in his new book The Precipice (£25, Bloomsbury) he explains why we’re at a point in time where we, as a species ... Show More

35m 35s

Nov 2018

X Risks

Humanity could have a future billions of years long – or we might not make it past the next century. If we have a trip through the Great Filter ahead of us, then we appear to be entering it now. It looks like existential risks will be our filter. (Original score by Point Lobo.) I ... Show More

39m 5s

Nov 2018

Natural Risks

Humans have faced existential risks since our species was born. Because we are Earthbound, what happens to Earth happens to us. Josh points out that there’s a lot that can happen to Earth - like gamma ray bursts, supernovae, and runaway greenhouse effect. (Original score by Point ... Show More

37m 14s

Jun 2020

#208 — Existential Risk

Sam Harris speaks with Toby Ord about preserving the long term future of humanity. They discuss moral biases with respect to distance in space and time, the psychology of effective altruism, feeling good vs doing good, possible blindspots in consequentialism, natural vs human-cau ... Show More

1h 4m

Nov 2018

Embracing Catastrophe

We humans are our own worst enemies when it comes to what it will take to deal with existential risks. We are loaded with cognitive biases, can’t coordinate on a global scale, and see future generations as freeloaders. Seriously, are we going to survive? (Original score by Point ... Show More

46m 22s

Mar 2019

Will humans survive the century?

What is the chance of the human race surviving the 21st century? There are many dangers – climate change for example, or nuclear war, or a pandemic, or planet Earth being hit by a giant asteroid. Around the world a number of research centres have sprung up to investigate and miti ... Show More

28m 40s

Nov 2018

End

Josh explains that to survive the next century or two – to navigate our existential threats – all of us will have to become informed and involved. It will take a movement that gets behind science done right to make it through the Great Filter. (Original score by Point Lobo.) Inte ... Show More

42m 19s

Mar 2019

#151 — Will We Destroy the Future?

Sam Harris speaks with Nick Bostrom about the problem of existential risk. They discuss public goods, moral illusions, the asymmetry between happiness and suffering, utilitarianism, "the vulnerable world hypothesis," the history of nuclear deterrence, the possible need for "turnk ... Show More

33m 1s

Nov 2023

#151 — Will We Destroy the Future?

Sam Harris speaks with Nick Bostrom about the problem of existential risk. They discuss public goods, moral illusions, the asymmetry between happiness and suffering, utilitarianism, “the vulnerable world hypothesis,” the history of nuclear deterrence, the possible need for “turnk ... Show More

1h 33m

Feb 2023

The One Thing That Could End Humanity

<p>We’ve gotten so good at adapting to our surroundings that at this point, most natural disasters don’t pose much of a threat to our species as a whole. But what couldn’t we withstand? What, if it happened tomorrow, could end the human story instantly and infinitely? These are t ... Show More

12m 11s

Humanity on the precipice (Toby Ord)