logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
37m 7s

The Dark Forest - Liu Cixin [Three Body ...

Book Nerds Sam Harris & Nicolas Vereecke
About this episode

A philosophical discussion on part 2 of the Three-Body Problem series, The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin.


We ponder different answers to Fermi's paradox and how we'd deal with different levels of intelligence in the Universe. This of course requires pondering how different levels of intelligent beings might deal with us.


We also ponder at large adaptions of books into screenplays, why writers change the races of original characters and a lot of interesting stuff about aliens, the Universe and the space-time continuum.



- - -


Wiser Than Yesterday

Nico and Sam set out to read the world's best books, from philosophy to sci-fi, economics to who knows what.


Sam Webster Harris

👋 LinkedIn - Sam Harris

🧠 Psychology Pod - Growth Mindset Psychology

🚀 New Pod - How to Change the World


Nicolas Vereecke

👋 LinkedIn - Nico Vereecke

🤖 AI world domination - Evil Plan Inc


- - -


How to Change the World: The History and Future of Innovation


Available on all podcast players:


Can't find it on your player?


- - -


Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Catching Up

01:06 Discussing 'The Dark Forest' Book

04:56 The Dark Forest Theory Explained

07:42 Philosophical Questions on Alien Life

12:33 Speculations on Alien Discoveries

13:50 Advanced Civilizations and Human Progress

16:35 Exploring the Concept of Lying in the Book

16:59 Humanity's Advantage Over the Tri Laurens

17:10 The Dark Forest Theory

17:52 Intra vs. Interspecies Communication

19:31 The Impact of Truth on Society

22:02 Philosophical Musings on Lying

24:37 Lessons from the Book

28:23 Humanity's Overcommitment to Goals

31:24 Breaking Rules and Asking for Forgiveness

34:09 Final Thoughts and Book Rating


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Sep 8
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human - Richard Wrangham
In this stunningly original book, Richard Wrangham argues that it was cooking that caused the extraordinary transformation of our ancestors from apelike beings to Homo erectus. At the heart of Catching Fire lies an explosive new idea: the habit of eating cooked rather than raw fo ... Show More
36m 30s
Aug 26
Thinking Fast & Slow - Daniel Kahneman
Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent?The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, ... Show More
44m 51s
Aug 12
Impact: How to Measure World Change
Is Brexit more important than Bitcoin? How do we rank Buddhism vs TikTok?The world changes, technology advances, but what really matters and how much? Sam explains the Innovation Richter Scale, a framework for understanding impact at every level of technology and what it means to ... Show More
31 m
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
Could We Be Domesticated by Aliens? The Statistical Odds of How AI & Aliens Are Connected and What It Means for Your Future
Are we alone in the universe—or already living alongside an ancient alien intelligence? In this mind-bending exploration, Professor Robin Hanson (George Mason University & Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute) breaks down the statistical odds that alien life exists and why it ma ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 2025
"Searching the Skies: Avi Loeb on Galileo, Oumuamua & Interstellar Mysteries"
In this gripping episode of Truth Be Told, host Tony Sweet sits down with renowned astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb to explore the frontiers of science and the unknown. From spearheading the groundbreaking Galileo Project—a scientific mission to search for extraterrestrial technology— ... Show More
43m 25s
Oct 2
E110 - Black Holes, Ancient Civilisations & The Search For Alien Life | David Kipping
» Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/David Kipping studies exoplanets and the search ... Show More
1h 47m
Nov 2023
The Existential Dread Of The Three Body Problem | Cosmic Chronicles Episode 9
Our topic for today is The Three body Problem book series. Why is it so popular? Why do the concepts in it freak people out so much? The Remembrance of Earth’s Past is a trilogy of science fiction books by author Cixin Liu, first published in English in 2014. Cixin Liu's tri ... Show More
46m 37s
May 2023
The key to consciousness | Donald Hoffman, Hannah Critchlow, Sam Coleman
Is materialism a fundamental mistake?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesThe relationship between the individual human subject and the world was once the central focus of Western philosophy. Modern neuroscience has instead tended to ... Show More
42m 18s
Oct 2024
First Contact with Professor Avi Loeb
👽🤖👀 Get ready for a mind-bending special episode of Chinwag, where Paul Giamatti and Steven Asma dive deep into the future and the search for alien life with Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb!  But that's not all—Dr. Loeb also takes us on a cosmic journey through his cutting ... Show More
41m 46s
Feb 2018
136. Michio Kaku (physicist) – Timid Monkeys on Mars
Back in the old days, if your species was faced with an existential threat, you were stuck hoping for some advantageous mutation. Maybe an extra fin or a slightly more sophisticated eyeball. Outwitting fate was pretty much out of the question. And as much as we might prefer to ju ... Show More
51m 16s
Jul 2019
Ep49 - Michio Kaku: "The Future of Humanity"
Michio Kaku is a world-renowned physicist, futurist, and author of numerous bestselling books including Beyond Einstein, Parallel Universes, The Future of the Mind, and Physics of the Impossible. In this talk, he discusses the groundbreaking first image of a black hole as well as ... Show More
40m 43s