In this episode of Moment of Zen, Erik Torenberg sits down with Tim Urban, writer of the popular blog Wait But Why, and author of the 2023 book What’s Our Problem? where he offers a framework for thinking about our chaotic political landscape. Tim unpacks the clash between freedom and equality in modern society. He explores how social justice movements and political extremes threaten open dialogue. Urban argues for a return to classical liberal values, challenging listeners to consider: Are we fostering true diversity of thought, or silencing dissent in the name of progress? 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- 🎙️Dealcraft | Insights from Great Negotiators Explore the art of high-stakes negotiations through fascinating stories and practical insights from world-renowned dealmakers and diplomats in Dealcraft: Insights from Great Negotiators, hosted by Harvard Business School professor Jim Sebenius. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NdYGg0SgCwgBNMk7EHnB6 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dealcraft-insights-from-great-negotiators/id1723095052 -- SPONSORS: GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. 💥 Head to Squad to 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 PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- Follow on X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @waitbutwhy (Tim) @turpentinemedia TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:04) Tim Urban Describes the Genesis of his Book (02:11) Why Does Tim Believe Classical Liberalism is the "Least Bad" System? (06:56) The Existential Threat of Today's Technology (07:36) The Anomalous Nature of Our Era (11:44) "What's Our Problem?": A Self-Help Book for Societies (14:15) Trump's "Full-Fledged Demagogue" Presidency (21:22) Summary of the Right & Left's Illiberal Actions (24:13) Mistake Theory vs. Conflict Theory (29:23) Sponsors: Givewell | Dealcraft (37:49) The Debate on Gender Disparities in Tech (41:04) The Size and Power of the Social Justice Fundamentalist Movement (44:20) Sponsor: Squad (45:34) The Tyranny of the 3% (46:55) Two Constitutions: Individual Rights vs. Group Rights (52:34) Unsolved Questions for Tim Urban (56:17) Wrap

Today on Moment of Zen, we're bringing you the second episode of "This Won't Last", the newest show from Turpentine. Keith Rabois, Logan Bartlett, Kevin Ryan, and Zach Weinberg share a rare anecdote about the first venture investment into OpenAI, lay out the bull and bear case for the leading AI companies and discuss regulatory chess games at play in American politics. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. 💥 Head to Squad to 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 PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- Follow on X: @eriktorenberg @rabois @kevinryan @loganbartlett @zachweinberg @turpentinemedia TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:25) OpenAI's First Venture Investment (07:40) Foundational AI Talent and OpenAI's Growth (15:59) Sponsors: Squad | Givewell (16:27) OpenAI's Staggering Revenue Projections and Valuation (20:39) AI Model Development and Competition (25:28) Consumer Distribution and OpenAI's Competitive Landscape (29:40) Google's Response and OpenAI's Public Market Potential (32:15) Anthropic's Position and the Safety Debate (34:03) AI Safety Concerns and the Role of the US Military (38:04) The Shift in Perspective on AI and the Military (41:28) Social Media Regulation and the Role of Government (45:18) State-Level Regulation and the Challenges of Online Platforms (51:02) Gambling Regulation and Individual Accountability (55:17) Cryptocurrency and the Global Casino (58:13) Accredited Investor Status and the Downstream Implications of Regulation (101:12) Healthcare Regulation and the Challenges of Risk Assessment (104:29) Individual Accountability and the Trade-Offs of Social Fabric Insurance (107:16) The Limits of Do-Your-Own-Research (1:10:39) The Spectrum of Evidence and the Challenge of Communicating Confidence (1:14:27) A Promise to Return to Healthcare

This episode centers on the alarming issue of declining fertility rates worldwide, examining specific country examples such as Japan, South Korea, and Turkey, and the societal and technological implications of these demographic changes.  Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg explore potential interventions, such as tax breaks for families, and the possibility of extreme measures like state-managed reproduction programs. They also tackle cultural and economic factors influencing fertility and the urgency of addressing this underpopulation crisis to prevent civilizational collapse.  -- 🎙️ Dealcraft: Insights from Great Negotiators is the brand new weekly podcast that features interviews with world’s greatest dealmakers and diplomats, including Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, and music industry super-lawyer John Branca, on their most challenging negotiations. Each episode, host Jim Sebenius (Harvard Business School professor and renowned negotiation expert) relates fascinating deal stories and distills useful insights for listeners to apply in their toughest deals and disputes. Apple: https://link.chtbl.com/3CG3TbHY?sid=Turpentine -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: GiveWell spends 50,000 hours every year doing deep-dives into different charitable programs to try to find the ways to do the most good for your dollar. GiveWell has now spent over 17 years researching charitable organizations and only directs funding to a few of the HIGHEST-IMPACT opportunities they’ve found. Visit https://www.givewell.org to find out more or make a donation. Select PODCAST and enter Econ 102 at checkout to make sure they know you heard about them from us. Elevate your investment game with Altea by Alts.co. Discover vetted deals in unconventional asset classes, network with captivating individuals, and indulge in exclusive travel experiences. Ready to invest in pro sports teams or film financing? Apply now at https://www.alts.co/zen and redefine your investment journey. 💥 Head to Squad to 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 PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- Follow on X: @samoburja @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:37) Demographic Challenges and Fertility Crisis (02:16) Global Fertility Trends and Anomalies (04:13) Fertility Bouncebacks (07:58) The Impact of Modernity on Fertility (09:59) The Unpredictability of Fertility (13:51) The Hopelessness of the Situation (14:12) Future Population Projections and Concerns (17:05) Life Expectancy and Healthspan (17:08) Sponsors: Givewell | DealCraft (18:58) Life Expectancy and Healthspan continued (21:48) Sponsors: Alts | Squad (21:52) Potential Solutions and Interventions (22:33) The Urgency of the Crisis (29:13) The Case for Family Tax Breaks (30:30) The Implications of Declining Fertility Rates (33:17) Urbanization and Population Shifts (35:32) The Future of Industrial Society (37:29) AI and Human Extinction Scenarios (41:02) Cultural and Political Dynamics of Fertility (44:30) The Politics of Underpopulation (50:05) Innovative Solutions to Population Decline (57:46) The Ethics of Genetic Engineering (59:06) Conclusion and Call to Action

Today on Moment of Zen, Samo Burja and Rudyard Lynch return for for a mind-bending discussion and deep dive into the concept of "long ripples" — how ideas and events from the distant past continue to shape our present and future in unexpected ways. From Plato's influence on modern political movements to the unforeseen consequences of the Industrial Revolution, this conversation challenges our understanding of historical cause and effect. Are we truly progressing, or are we caught in cycles we fail to recognize? Can we learn from the past, or are we doomed to repeat it in new, technologically-amplified ways? This episode is a rollercoaster ride through time, technology, and human nature, forcing us to reconsider our place in the grand sweep of history.  Both Samo and Rudyard are hosts of Turpentine shows, Live Players and History 102, respectively. CHECK OUT: Live Players: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188 History 102: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 — 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: turpentinenetwork.co — RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ Dealcraft | Insights from Great Negotiators Explore the art of high-stakes negotiations through fascinating stories and practical insights from world-renowned dealmakers and diplomats in Dealcraft: Insights from Great Negotiators, hosted by Harvard Business School professor Jim Sebenius. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NdYGg0SgCwgBNMk7EHnB6 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dealcraft-insights-from-great-negotiators/id1723095052 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast — SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network 💥 Head to Squad to 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. — LINKS: Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ Whatifalthist YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/Whatifalthist — FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg @samoburja @whatifalthist @turpentinemedia — TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:15) Exploring Plato's Influence (05:10) Historical Ripples and Convergent Evolution (06:45) The Fall of Civilizations (12:43) Comparing Civilizational Cycles (17:42) The Future of Human Civilization (23:30) Sponsor: Dealcraft (29:02) AI and Genetic Engineering: Potential and Pitfalls (33:30) Pandemic Era Reflections (34:04) Genetic Engineering and Society (34:49) Sponsor: WorkOS | Squad (36:43) 19th Century Misconceptions (39:23) Cycles of Societal Transformation (41:54) Intellectual Decay and Historical Rewriting (44:13) Anthropology and Cultural Studies (46:34) Decline of Western Institutions (53:12) Space Exploration and Technological Decline (1:01:15) Hypernormalization and Social Reality (1:01:49) Wrap

In this thought-provoking episode, repeat guests of MOZ Hannah and Steve (both anonymous) return to debate the controversy surrounding Tucker Carlson's Martyr Made interview with historian Daryl Cooper about World War II. They critically examine Cooper's contentious views on Churchill and Hitler, discussing the dangers of historical revisionism from both the left and the right and its impact on modern political discourse. The conversation explores the fine line between challenging historical narratives and engaging in counterproductive provocation, touching on issues of antisemitism, the political alignment of Jewish Americans, and the broader implications for right-wing politics. -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: turpentinenetwork.co — RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast — SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network 💥 Head to Squad to 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. — — FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia — TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:09) Setting the stage for the Tucker Carlson interview controversy (01:10) The core of the controversy: Revisiting World War II narratives (03:00) Holocaust denial vs. edgy revisionism: Analyzing the interview's approach (06:00) The dangers of "transgressive" historical revisionism (10:40) Debunking myths vs. promoting harmful narratives (18:40) Fact-checking Daryl Cooper's claims about World War II (25:10) Sponsor break: WorkOS | Squad (33:30) The broader context: Antisemitism and political discourse (41:30) Examining the political implications for Jewish voters (49:20) The psychology of hate in political movements (57:10) Constructive alternatives to controversial historical revisionism (1:05:00) The self-fulfilling prophecy of antisemitism accusations (1:08:35) Conclusion: Putting the controversy in perspective

Today on Moment of Zen, we're airing a discussion between Samo Burja and Rudyard Lynch - two intellectual heavyweights tackling the idea that civilizations may have inherent differences that can alter our understanding of the course of history and politics. Both Samo and Rudyard are hosts of Turpentine shows, Live Players and History 102, respectively. This is a fascinating discussion on threads that bridge Silicon Valley with ancient civilizations like Babylon, the impact of Abrahamic religions, and the idea that societies go through cycles that may upend our current assumptions CHECK OUT: Live Players: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188 History 102: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 — 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: turpentinenetwork.co — RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast — SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network 💥 Head to Squad to 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. 🚀 Elevate your investment game with Altea by Alts.co. Discover vetted deals in unconventional asset classes, network with captivating individuals, and indulge in exclusive travel experiences. Ready to invest in pro sports teams or film financing? Apply now at https://www.alts.co/zen and redefine your investment journey. — LINKS: Bismark Analysis: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ Whatifalthist YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/Whatifalthist — FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg @samoburja @whatifalthist @turpentinemedia — TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction and Guest Introduction (00:40) Beginning of Discussion on Civilizational Differences (02:46) Abrahamic vs Non-Abrahamic Societies (07:29) Classical Civilization vs Modern Western Civilization (11:16) Literacy Rates in Ancient Rome (14:48) Pre-modern Feminism and Ancient Greek Society (20:06) Sponsors: WorkOS | Alts (22:08) Continuation After Sponsor Break (26:39) Cycles of Civilization and Political Theory (30:04) Deforestation and Environmental Changes in Ancient Civilizations (32:08) Sponsor: Squad (33:12) Spengler's Theory of Civilizational Rise and Fall (36:53) Archaeology and Museums in Ancient Babylon (38:09) Societal Decline in Ancient Civilizations (40:11) Modern China as a Hybrid Civilization (42:22) New Religions in California (46:40) Machine Worship and Singularity Beliefs (51:10) Regional Differences Within America (54:11) Obscure Civilizations: Nuragic and Khmer (58:03) Wrap

Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith are joined by Dario Amodei, CEO and Co-founder of Anthropic. Dario talks about the economics of AI development, the comparative advantage of AI companies like Anthropic, AI safety, and his stance on California's SB 1047 bill. They also discuss the impacts of AI on global power dynamics, competition between the US and China, and inequality in an AI-powered world. This episode was recorded this week on Turpentine’s show Econ 102. Check it out for more like this: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs?si=8fab4d65ddf5422a — 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: turpentinenetwork.co — MORE RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️1 to 100 | Hypergrowth Companies Worth Joining Every week we sit down with the founder of a hyper-growth company you should consider joining. Our goal is to give you the inside story behind breakout, early stage companies potentially worth betting your career on. This season, discover how the founders of Modal Labs, Clay, Mercor, and more built their products, cultures, and companies. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70NOWtWDY995C8qDqojxGw  Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1762756034  🎙️History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj — SPONSORS: 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at https://babbel.com/torenberg Get first-party targeting with Brave's private ad platform: cookieless and future proof ad formats for all your business needs. Performance meets privacy. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “MoZ” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign. 💥 Head to Squad to 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. — LINKS: Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/ Noahpinion: https://www.noahpinion.blog/ — FOLLOW ON X: @noahpinion @eriktorenberg @anthropicAI @turpentinemedia — TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (04:23) Dario's intellectual evolution (06:37) Is Google the Bell Labs of Al? (10:07) Economic moats in Al (12:35) Scaling hypothesis and Al's future (17:05) National security and Al (19:04) Leopold Aschenbrenner's essay (20:33) Al's impact on business models (26:30) Noah's big thesis  (29:51) Sponsors: WorkOS (31:58) Al arms races? (36:17) Al's impact on labor and skill distribution (40:41) Sponsor: Babbel Squad (44:35) Future of Al and a hyperscaling world (41:42) A vision of radical abundance (49:55) Al safety and inequality (54:06) The SB 1047 debate (58:56) Rabbit alignment problem (01:01:25) Wrap

Joshua Steinman, former military officer who served as Deputy Assistant to President Trump and Senior Director for Cyber (2017-2021), now co-founder of Galvanick, joins Erik Torenberg and AI scout Nathan Labenz for a discussion on the AI arms race. They focus on US-China relations, the rate of AI development, and the global implications of a technological arms race.  Should the US and China work together to prevent a future of AI-powered warfare, or is a conflict inevitable? -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://www.turpentinenetwork.co/ -- SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/zen 💥 Head to Squad to 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 PODCASTS: 🎙️1 to 100 | Hypergrowth Companies Worth Joining Every week we sit down with the founder of a hyper-growth company you should consider joining. Our goal is to give you the inside story behind breakout, early stage companies potentially worth betting your career on. This season, discover how the founders of Modal Labs, Clay, Mercor, and more built their products, cultures, and companies. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/70NOWtWDY995C8qDqojxGw Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1762756034 - Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) talks to experts who understand the complicated but not unknowable systems we rely on. You might be surprised at how quickly Patrick and his guests can put you in the top 1% of understanding for stock trading, tech hiring, and more. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mos4VE3figVXleHDqfXOH Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11/id1753399812 -- References mentioned: Systems Confrontation and System Destruction Warfare: How the Chinese People's Liberation Army Seeks to Wage Modern Warfare 2024 Global Threat Report | 2024 Cyber Threat Report -- Follow on X: @JoshuaSteinman @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:16) Reflections on previous episode (03:31) Discussion on AI and Energy Concerns (05:57) AI Arms Race Concerns and China's Plans (09:49) Distributed Training and Rhetoric (12:10) Ashenbrenner Model and Benefit Sharing (15:54) Josh's Experience with Trump and Media Misrepresentation (18:22) Public Perception of Trump and Media Bias (23:07) Reasons for Disparaging Trump and the Dynamics of Power (28:41) China's Nature and Response to China (31:08) AI Concerns, Energy, and Corporate Power (36:02) Tail Risk, Slaughterbots, and Political Power (38:27) Arms Reduction Treaties and Reality (42:05) Decommissioning Nuclear Weapons and AI Arms Race (45:32) Semiconductor Policy and AI Future (47:35) Slaughterbots, AI Control, and Trust-Building (50:18) Olive Branches and China's Leadership (51:52) Rand Corporation Report and Private Speeches (55:13) The Declining Barriers to Entry in Violence (58:48) Einstein Quote and Nuclear Weapons (1:00:36) Wrap

Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja discuss the top challenges Kamala Harris or Donald Trump will have to face in their presidency. They discuss foreign policy, including managing relations with China, reassessing defense contractors, and fostering economic alliances. They also address the inefficiencies in the non-profit sector, energy policy and nuclear power. Erik and Samo release weekly episodes together on the "Live Players" podcast. -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/zen 💥 Head to Squad to 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 PODCASTS: 🎙️1 to 100 | Hypergrowth Companies Worth Joining Every week we sit down with the founder of a hyper-growth company you should consider joining. Our goal is to give you the inside story behind breakout, early stage companies potentially worth betting your career on. This season, discover how the founders of Modal Labs, Clay, Mercor, and more built their products, cultures, and companies. Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/70NOWtWDY995C8qDqojxGw Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1762756034 Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) talks to experts who understand the complicated but not unknowable systems we rely on. You might be surprised at how quickly Patrick and his guests can put you in the top 1% of understanding for stock trading, tech hiring, and more. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mos4VE3figVXleHDqfXOH Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11/id1753399812 -- Follow on X: @samoburja @eriktorenberg @turpentinemedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (02:37) Biggest obstacles (05:34) Bureaucratic reform and leaks (11:51) A second Donald Trump term (13:20) Nonprofits (16:02) Sponsors: WorkOS | Babbel (18:27) Curtis Yarvin’s theory of a major US overhaul (27:46) Energy policy and cheap nuclear power (21:40) Foreign policy advice and China (32:19) Sponsor: Squad (33:58) Middle East and Russia foreign policy recommendations (44:06) Restructuring the US Air Force: Focus on drones over manned fighters (46:15) Proposal for special economic zones to boost industrial policy (50:07) Ideas for revitalizing US manufacturing and competing with China

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, joins Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Antonio Garcia Martinez to talk about the company's evolution and the broader crypto landscape. Following Coinbase's public listing and the recent regulatory environment, Armstrong discusses Coinbase's focus on product development, their efforts in Washington D.C., and strategies for increasing global crypto adoption. Armstrong also touches on his venture into biotech with New Limit, the changing media landscape, and the future of economic freedom through decentralized technologies. -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-TCR 📈 More than 37,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. If you're looking for an ERP platform, get a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program on NetSuite: netsuite.com/102 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/zen 💥 Head to Squad to 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 PODCAST: Complex Systems with Patrick McKenzie Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) talks to experts who understand the complicated but not unknowable systems we rely on. You might be surprised at how quickly Patrick and his guests can put you in the top 1% of understanding for stock trading, tech hiring, and more. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mos4VE3figVXleHDqfXOH Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11/id1753399812 -- LINKS: Base: https://www.base.org/ Coinbase Developer Platform: https://cdp.coinbase.com/ New Limit: https://www.newlimit.com/ Farcaster: https://www.farcaster.xyz/ Stand With Crypto: https://standwithcrypto.org/ -- FOLLOW ON X: @brian_armstrong (Brian) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @dwr (Dan) @antoniogm (Antonio) @moz_podcast (MoZ) @turpentinemedia (Turpentine) TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (01:57) Brian's Current Focus Areas at Coinbase (03:59) Coinbase's Move Towards Decentralization (05:59) Coinbase's Approach to Innovation (11:00) Thoughts on Mass Market Crypto Adoption (15:31) Sponsor: WorkOS | NetSuite (17:44) Crypto's Implications Beyond Payments (23:54) Experiences with Crypto Regulation in DC (28:56) Sponsor: Babbel | Squad  (31:57) Coinbase's Marketing Strategy (35:59) Measuring Economic Freedom and Crypto Adoption (44:52) Origins of New Limit Biotech Company (50:59) Challenges of Shifting from Crypto to Biotech (53:58) Reflections on Dan Romero's Contributions to Coinbase (56:56) Thoughts on Balaji Srinivasan (57:58) Balaji's Insights on Media Landscape (1:00:24) Wrap

In this episode of Moment of Zen, Erik Torenberg is joined by Samuel Hammond (@hamandcheese), a senior economist at the Foundation for American Innovation and AI Scout/ Cognitive Revolution podcast host Nathan Labenz. From drug innovation to nuclear risk, they discuss the impact of AI on policy and governance, exploring the challenges and opportunities of a Trump vs. Harris presidency. From drug innovation to nuclear risk, they dissect the impact of AI on policy and governance, exploring the challenges and opportunities of a Trump vs. Harris presidency. -- 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-TCR 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/zen 💥 Head to Squad to 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. -- LINKS: Samuel Hammond Essays * The EA case for Trump 2024: https://www.secondbest.ca/p/the-ea-case-for-trump-2024 * AI and Leviathan: Part I: https://www.secondbest.ca/p/ai-and-leviathan-part-i * A Manhattan Project for AI Safety: https://www.secondbest.ca/p/a-manhattan-project-for-ai-safety Books: * Asymmetric Politics: How the New Right Became Resurgent in American Politics by Matthew Grossmann and David Hopkins * The New Class War by Michael Lind * The Great Stagnation by Tyler Cowen * The Singularity Is Near by Ray Kurzweil -- FOLLOW US ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @hamandcheese (Samuel)  @labenz (Nathan) @turpentinemedia (Turpentine) TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction (01:08) Samuel's Perspective on Trump: Focus on Innovation (03:54) Nathan's Perspective on Trump: Focus on Tail Risks (07:55) Governing Philosophies and Party Structures (14:53) The Need for Understanding AI on Its Own Terms (20:48) The Potential for AI to Reform the Administrative State (21:38) Sponsor: Babbel | WorkOS (29:34) The Dissonance Between Idealism and Reality (32:33) Sponsor: Squad (37:54) The Potential for a Crisis-Driven AI Policy (41:01) Trump's Character and the Importance of Leadership (48:56) The Case for a Trump Administration in Light of Past Policies (06:37) The Need for American Dominance in AI (1:13:20) The Risks of an AI Arms Race (1:19:22) The Chip Ban and its Potential Consequences (1:28:28) The Potential for a Shared AI Future (1:34:47) The Role of Values in AI Governance (1:43:12) The Potential for a Joint US-Government/Tech Industry AI Project (1:47:56) The Need for a Pause in AI Development (1:57:02) The Limits of Individual Leadership and the Importance of Institutional Change (1:58:17) The Hypothetical Scenario of Trump Ordering a Nuclear Strike (2:00:10) The Importance of Delegation and Expertise (2:02:02) The Need for Outsider Leadership

Today two anonymous friends of the podcast, Indian Bronson and "Hannah" join Erik Torenberg to make their moral case for Donald Trump. They discuss why swapping Kamala Harris for Joe Biden could cause a "reprisal of Obama 2012", the immigration restrictionist viewpoint, and the "aesthetic baggage" that often comes along with the radical leaders capable of ushering in change.  🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: 💻 Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-TCR 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/zen 💥 Head to Squad to 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. -- LINKS: Moment of Zen w/ Noah Smith - Case for Biden’s Legacy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntTPeo5ciXo Moment of Zen w/ Hannah and Antonio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwS22WZ4gzY Moment of Zen w/ Richard Hanania - Trump/Biden Predictions with Richard Hanania: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mKjFeUJXOI Upstream with Erik Torenberg - Bryan Caplan on Housing Regulation, Fertility, and Crime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8jeiGz8Qs4 Indian Bronson Substack:  https://indianbronson.substack.com/ Center for American Progress Presentation - America’s Electoral Future: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/americas-electoral-future-3/ Norman Potter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Potter Sam Brinton:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Brinton -- FOLLOW US ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @Indian_Bronson @turpentinemedia (Turpentine) TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (02:55) The Moral Case for Trump (03:05) Kamala Harris and the Biden Administration (04:19) The Role of the American Presidency (05:03) The Problem with Unaccountable Bureaucracy (05:27) The Impact of Voter Preferences on Policy (09:40) The Obama Era and Its Aftermath (11:00) The Case for Trump 2024 (13:04) National Identity (17:24) Sponsor: WorkOS | Babbel (21:20) The Consequences of Unchecked Immigration (28:05) Sponsor: Squad (30:38) The Need for a Common Civic Culture (37:15) Election Legitimacy and Voter Fraud (37:54) Illegal Immigration (39:23) Quality of Life in Different Cities (40:21) Law Enforcement (41:13) Immigration and Labor Force (48:39) Cultural Assimilation and National Identity (50:41) The Aesthetic Baggage of Trump's Character (1:01:28) Historical Context of Bombasity and Violence in American Politics

In today’s episode, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss the potential of Kamala Harris as a presidential nominee, President Biden’s legacy, impact of COVID-19 on the economy and inflation, and the recent shifts in U.S. foreign relations and immigration policies. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) talks to experts who understand the complicated but not unknowable systems we rely on. You might be surprised at how quickly Patrick and his guests can put you in the top 1% of understanding for stock trading, tech hiring, and more. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mos4VE3figVXleHDqfXOH Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11/id1753399812 -- SPONSORS: COMMANDBAR | BEEHIIV | BABBEL | SQUAD 🦾 Level up your ineffective website chatbot with CommandBar. CommandBar builds a new type of web assistant which delivers highly personalized responses, real time co-browsing, and can perform actions on behalf of the users. Learn how Hashicorp, Gusto, Freshworks and more use CommandBar at https://commandbar.com/moz Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/torenberg 💥 Head to Squad to 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. -- FOLLOW US ON X: @noahpinion (Noah) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @turpentinemedia (Turpentine) -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:17) Kamala Harris's political prospects (05:04) Biden's legacy and presidential impact (14:51) Sponsors: Commandbar | Beehiiv (17:12) COVID-19 vaccine release (16:03) Inflation and economic policies (22:53) Industrial policy and trade (32:26) Sponsor: Babbel | Squad (35:09) Impact of Trump’s presidency (40:19) Afghanistan withdrawal and the role of Trump and Biden (47:20) Ukraine: Biden administration's response (55:48) Biden's big challenge on immigration (59:16) Wrap

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 military preparedness, and the potential consequences of a conflict over Taiwan. The episode also explores the broader implications of a potential U.S.-China industrial competition and the risks of a bipolar world. - This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected]. -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: LIVE PLAYERS with SAMO BURJA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbMTkHBnom1JIBWYNVBK1 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-players-with-samo-burja-and-erik-torenberg/id1718925188 -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: COMPLEX SYSTEMS WITH PATRICK MCKENZIE (PATIO11) Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) talks to experts who understand the complicated but not unknowable systems we rely on. You might be surprised at how quickly Patrick and his guests can put you in the top 1% of understanding for stock trading, tech hiring, and more. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mos4VE3figVXleHDqfXOH Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/complex-systems-with-patrick-mckenzie-patio11/id1753399812 — SPONSORS: Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/torenberg --- REFERENCED ARTICLES: “China Isn’t Pursuing Energy Independence” https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/p/china-isnt-pursuing-energy-independence --- LINKS: Samo’s Bismarck Brief: https://brief.bismarckanalysis.com/ --- FOLLOW US ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @samoburja (Samo) @turpentinemedia (Turpentine) --- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction (01:46) China's Domestic Oil Production (03:00) Energy Independence and Geopolitical Strategy (04:00) Comparing US and China Energy Policies (05:13) China's Economic Logic Over Energy Security (06:09) China's Relationship with Iran and Russia (07:55) Modernizing China's Petrochemical Industry (08:33) Advising China on Resource Independence (16:13) Sponsors: beehiiv | Babbel (18:58) China's Strategic Priorities and War Likelihood (22:16) Western Brinksmanship and Misconceptions (29:29) The Role of Manufacturing in Modern Warfare (30:44) The Need for a Massive Industrial Base (33:30) Sponsors: Squad (34:54) China's Strategic Military Preparations (36:57) China's Oil and Resource Capabilities (40:11) The Taiwan Conflict: Economic and Military Implications (52:47) The Future of Global Power Dynamics

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 initiatives like Project 2025. Noah also debunks the deep state myth and discusses the real issues surrounding Biden's age, questioning the influence of "political handlers" and the reality of a "deep state." 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Econ 102 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6q7Gn5lP8TTtBPuV1NJSGs Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/econ-102-with-noah-smith-and-erik-torenberg/id1696419056 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ECON102Podcast -- SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | BABBEL | SQUAD 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at babbel.com/zen 🐝 Head to beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. A special offer is at https://beehiiv.com: use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months. 💥 Head to Squad to 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. -- FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @Noahpinion (Noah) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview (01:09) 4th of July Celebrations and Mailbag Questions (01:51) Debate Reflections: Trump vs. Biden (02:35) Biden's Age and Democratic Dilemma (03:09) Kamala Harris: The Successor Debate (04:12) Michelle Obama: A Potential Candidate? (07:06) The Deep State: Myth or Reality? (11:30) Bernie Sanders and the DNC (13:58) Chevron Ruling and Its Implications (19:10) Sponsor: beehiiv | Babbel (22:44) Project 2025 and Civil Service Polarization (30:34) Reflecting on the Floyd Protests (31:57) The Impact of Trump's Presidency (35:05) Sponsors: Squad  (36:29) Debating the Administrative State (38:31) Challenges in the Education System (46:56) Redistribution and Class in America (53:37) The Future of UBI and Cash Benefits (57:51) Wrap

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 from the media and its impact on U.S. foreign relations. We’re publishing this conversation across Moment of Zen and Upstream since the themes are highly relevant to both shows. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Upstream with Erik Torenberg 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. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wHYcVRmMP6rWQL9lVQJlL Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream-with-erik-torenberg/id1678893467 -- SPONSORS: COMMANDBAR | NETSUITE | BEEHIIV | BABBEL | SQUAD 🦾 Level up your ineffective website chatbot with CommandBar. CommandBar builds a new type of web assistant which delivers highly personalized responses, real time co-browsing, and can perform actions on behalf of the users. Learn how Hashicorp, Gusto, Freshworks and more use CommandBar at https://commandbar.com/moz 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at babbel.com/zen 🐝 Head to beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. A special offer is at https://beehiiv.com: use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months. 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. 💥 Head to Squad to 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. -- FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @agm.eth (Antonio) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Political Gaffes and the Current State of Politics (01:23) Sponsor: Command Bar (01:45) Debate Reactions and Media Response (03:02) Biden's Cognitive Decline and Media Narratives (04:48) Biden's Debate Performance and Democratic Strategy (07:15) Biden's Decision-Making and Political Dynamics (12:53) Potential Democratic Candidates and Political Speculations (14:55) Sponsors: Babbel | beehiiv (19:51) International Perspectives and Influence on U.S. Elections (22:30) Trump vs. Biden: Public Perception and Debate Tactics (27:43) Sponsors: Netsuite | Squad (38:10) Trump's Endorsement in Silicon Valley (38:56) Silicon Valley's Political Divide (39:49) Crypto's Shift Towards Trump (40:49) Changing Political Opinions (43:33) The Shift in Discourse on Race (44:51) White Nationalism and Immigration (49:35) Trump's Unpredictability (51:01) Biden's Potential Successors (55:31) January 6th and Its Aftermath (1:07:19) Trump's Second Term Prospects (1:20:10) Concerns About Trump's Second Term (1:24:42) Final Thoughts

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 ideologies. We’re publishing this conversation across Moment of Zen and Upstream since the themes are highly relevant to both shows. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Upstream with Erik Torenberg 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. Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wHYcVRmMP6rWQL9lVQJlL Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream-with-erik-torenberg/id1678893467 -- SPONSORS: COMMANDBAR | NETSUITE | BEEHIIV | BABBEL | SQUAD 🦾 Level up your ineffective website chatbot with CommandBar. CommandBar builds a new type of web assistant which delivers highly personalized responses, real time co-browsing, and can perform actions on behalf of the users. Learn how Hashicorp, Gusto, Freshworks and more use CommandBar at https://commandbar.com/moz 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. 🐝 Head to beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. A special offer is at https://beehiiv.com: use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at babbel.com/zen 💥 Head to Squad to 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. -- FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @RichardHanania (Richard) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction (01:11) Silicon Valley's Shift: Anti-Wokeness and Economic Concerns (03:23) Political Evolution and Disillusionment with the Right (04:18) Conservatism, Technology, and Cultural Grievances (08:56) Human Capital and the Right's IQ Problem (13:53) Sponsor: CommandBar | Netsuite (16:22) Religion, Fertility, and Societal Coordination (19:10) The Return Philosophy and Women's Happiness (21:17) Trump's Political Genius and Threat to Democracy (26:01) Sponsor: beehiiv | Babbel | Squad (29:59) Biden vs. Trump: Election Predictions and Policy Impacts (38:34) Debunking Antisemitism Claims in Protests (39:28) Political Strategy and Victimhood (40:55) Historical Context of Antisemitism (42:11) Comparing Minority Experiences (42:56) Demonization and Conspiracy Theories (45:14) Evaluating Political Motivations (47:12) The Role of Intellectuals and Media (52:03) Immigration and National Identity (59:47) Future of American Politics (1:02:40) On Open Borders (1:04:51) IQ vs Common Sense (1:07:42) The Future of the Left and Right (1:13:56) Wrap

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, touches on the societal divisions fueling these changes, immigration, and the potential economic impact on France. Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- SPONSORS: COMMANDBAR | BABBEL | BEEHIIV | NETSUITE | SQUAD 🦾 Level up your ineffective website chatbot with CommandBar. CommandBar builds a new type of web assistant which delivers highly personalized responses, real time co-browsing, and can perform actions on behalf of the users. Learn how Hashicorp, Gusto, Freshworks and more use CommandBar at https://commandbar.com/moz 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at babbel.com/zen 🐝 Head to beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. A special offer is at https://beehiiv.com: use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. 💥 Head to Squad to 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. -- FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @pegobry_en (Pascal) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction (00:35) Sponsor: CommandBar (04:20) Macron's Strategy & Cohabitation (08:11) The Political Landscape (14:28) Comparison with U.S. Politics (14:48) Sponsor: Babbel | beehiiv (16:22) Macron's Unpopularity & Economic Challenges (21:02) Energy Policy and the Rise of Populism (24:01) Sponsor:  Netsuite | Squad (27:94) The Economic Consequences of Populism (31:11) France vs. Brexit (35:46)  The Future of France (45:00) Brexit Comparison & EU Reform (52:57) The Role of Young People in the Future (54:34) Wrap

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. - SPONSORS: NETSUITE | BEEHIIV | SQUAD NETSUITE 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. BEEHIIV 🐝 Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. Go to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months SQUAD 💥 Head to Squad to 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. - FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @balajis (Balaji) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Episode Preview (00:51) Intro (01:23) Understanding the flat crisis (08:34) Balaji’s equivalent premises (14:54) Sponsor: NetSuite and Beehiiv (17:55) Aftermath of Iraq and Afghanistan wars (20:35) Multipolar world (25:17) Blue America is at war with the world (28:35) Sponsor: Squad (30:02) Cancellation is a weak form of warfare (32:05) Interplay of realism and idealism in the U.S (35:25) Red vs Blue vs Grey America (42:11) Concept of American partition (44:17) Rise of India's national Identity (45:45) Evolution of China and Russia (47:57) Role of the USA in China's growth (51:39) Microsoft, Facebook, and Google (54:00) Japan-USSR rivalry and its impact (59:10) Conspiracy theories and historical narratives (01:07:04) Balaji’s predictions for 2024 & the Fed (01:14:50) Future of the US dollar and global currencies (01:18:31) Wrap

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, how the real distinction today is between the college-educated and the not, and how even though 2⁄3 of the country didn’t go to college, their views are not represented in our institutions today. This episode was recorded in December 2022 but is just as relevant today.  – SPONSORS: NETSUITE | BEEHIIV | SQUAD NETSUITE 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. BEEHIIV 🐝 Power your newsletter with Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months SQUAD 💥 Head to Squad to 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. – FOLLOW ON X: @davidsacks @eriktorenberg (Erik) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia LINKS: Craft Ventures: https://craftventures.com/ All-In Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@allin Glue.ai: https://glue.ai/ SaaS Grid : https://www.saasgrid.com/ – FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @DavidSacks (David) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (02:11) How did tech become less free speech-oriented? (03:35)  Why is PayPal so woke? (06:02) Woke Capitalism game (08:52) Corporations and governments collaborating to censor (16:22) Tracing political history in Silicon Valley  (20:54) College educated vs. not is the biggest difference in US Our elite is not democratic (22:54) Sponsor: NetSuite | Beehiiv (29:15) Foreign Policy and Realism (32:28) U.S. Russiaphobia (36:30) Sponsor: Squad (38:05) Big Tech Monopolies and Regulation (41:42) The Future of Silicon Valley and Monopolies (42:32) Regulating Acquisitions and Startup Ecosystems (45:39) Censorship and Section 230 (47:17) The Role of Free Speech in Social Progress (53:52) Institutional Reform and Accountability (54:56) Elon Musk's Influence on Tech and Media (1:06:33) The Future of Political and Economic Accountability (1:19:30) Wrap

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. – SPONSORS: NETSUITE | BEEHIIV | SQUAD NETSUITE 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. BEEHIIV Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months SQUAD 💥 Head to Squad to 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. - LINKS: Bitkraft VC: https://www.bitkraft.vc/ – FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @cegapereira (Carlos) @dwr (Dan) @antoniogm (Antonio) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Opening Banter (01:28) Diving Into Crypto and Gaming Discussions (02:16) The Evolution and Challenges of Web3 Gaming (04:44) Analyzing the Crypto Gaming Landscape (13:48) The Future of Gaming: Web3 and Beyond (17:23) Sponsor: Netsuite | Beehiiv (18:29) Deep Dive into Web3 Gaming and Digital Economies (32:38) Exploring User-Generated Content and Game Modding (34:14) Sponsor: Squad (42:19) Investment Perspectives on Gaming and Infrastructure (45:47) The Fascinating World of Gaming Business (48:17) The Evolution of Gaming: From PVE to PVP (50:03) The Intriguing Dynamics of Safe Zones in Games (52:00) The Rise of Financialized Gaming Experiences (1:04:53) Karate Combat: A New Era of Crypto-Infused Sports (1:19:17) The Future of Media and Crypto's Role

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, and the importance of reclaiming a play-based childhood for the current generation - SPONSORS: NETSUITE | BEEHIIV NETSUITE 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. BEEHIIV Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months - LINKS: Website: https://jonathanhaidt.com/ Jon's Substack: https://www.afterbabel.com/p/welcome-to-the-after-babel-substack The Anxious Generation: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/ The Anxious Generation Book: https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book - FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @JonHaidt (Jon) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia - TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:13) Evolution of Jonathan's Work: From Moral Psychology to 'The Anxious Generation' (01:14) The Impact of Social Media on Teen Mental Health (02:50) Exploring the Tragedy of the Modern Childhood (07:29) Addressing the Criticism and Pushback (12:08) The Unprecedented Effects of Social Media on Society (19:37) Adapting to Technological Changes and the Future of Childhood (20:20) The Dire State of Democracy in the Digital Age (27:01) How Technology Affects Liberals and Conservatives Differently (28:20) Unveiling the Research: The Rise of Anxiety and Depression (28:48) Breaking Down the Data: Gender, Politics, and Mental Health (30:48) The Protective Power of Religion and Community (31:32) Parenting Styles and Moral Values (32:07) Challenges for Progressive Organizations and the Democratic Party (32:42) Recommendations for a Healthier Childhood in the Digital Age (33:50) Addressing the Broader Issues Beyond Smartphones (34:35) The Role of Schools in Children's Mental Health (36:33) A Call for Intentional Community Building (37:34) Navigating the Public Health Crisis with Apolitical Solutions (40:41) Engaging with the Tech Industry: Critiques and Clarifications (41:01) The Debate on Content Moderation and the Need for Structural Changes (56:27) Wrap

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 first three months -- SPONSORS: NETSUITE | BEEHIIV | SQUAD NETSUITE 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. BEEHIIV Head to Beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. 🐝 https://Beehiiv.com and use code "MOZ" for 20% off your first three months SQUAD 💥 Head to Squad to 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. - LINKS: Alex Labossiere podcast: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@labossiere Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7lf0G6SBTArFlJYuHlPPoy?si=459fb368b525468d&nd=1&dlsi=eb2b481981f44211 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/labossiere-podcast/id1566013149 - FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @adlabossiere (Alex) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia - TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (05:38) On Investing vs Operating (08:05) Trust and Direct Distribution (11:55) Legacy Media and the Techlash (17:54) Sponsor: Netsuite | Beehiiv (20:32) What is Turpentine (22:23) Lessons From 1000 Interviews (23:51) The Printing Press, Barbells, and the Future of Media (28:13) Pre-Internet Journalism and Survival of the Fittest Ideas (31:35) Creator Monetization and Price Discrimination (37:45) Sponsor: Squad (39:12) Does Media Have a Direction? (46:02) Tailwinds and Turpentine at Scale (53:55) Creating More Startups and Understanding Risk (58:42) Is Entrepreneurship Founder or Market Limited? (1:03:22) What Do Most People Get Wrong About Community Building? (1:05:51) Probabilistic vs Deterministic Mindsets (1:08:48) On Faith over Logic (1:12:22) Modernity and God Shaped Holes (1:15:02) The Hypocrisy of Elites (1:17:47) Asking Erik Questions He Asks People (1:19:05) What Should More People be Thinking About? (1:22:37) Wrap

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://netsuite.com/zen — NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. – SPONSORS: NETSUITE| HARMONIC | SQUAD 📈 NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - NetSuite has extended a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program for a few more weeks. 🧲 Learn why Craft, Bedrock, NEA, and 100s more trust Harmonic’s data to source deals. Harmonic is the most complete startup database, finding new companies as soon as they incorporate and tracking them through IPO. Head to https://bit.ly/harmonicturpentine and make sure to mention Turpentine VC during your demo. 💥 Head to Squad to 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. – FOLLOW ON X: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @mikedemarais (Mike) @dwr (Dan) @antoniogm (Antonio) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – LINKS: Check out Rainbow: https://rainbow.me/en/ – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Exploring Crypto's Impact on Financial Intermediaries (01:36) Introducing Mike Rainbow: A Unique Crypto Personality (02:09) Massachusetts Memories and Dunkin' Donuts Dominance (02:46) East Coast Social Dynamics and Crypto Culture (04:46) The Evolution of Wallets and Social Networks in Crypto (06:26) Debating the Convergence of Crypto Products (15:00) Sponsors: Netsuite | Harmonic (17:18) Building Integrated Crypto Platforms Continued (22:15) The Future of Messaging and Composability in Crypto (27:30) Exploring Group Chat Dynamics and App Adoption (28:13) The Evolution of Transaction Frames in Crypto (30:37) Sponsor: Squad (32:02) Innovations and Challenges in Transaction Frames (36:29) Deep Dive into Frame Technology and Developer Challenges (41:39) The Future of Frames and Web3 Standards (46:51) Demographic Shifts and Future Directions for Farcaster (53:49) Wrap

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're looking for an ERP platform, check out NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/zen - now through April 15th NetSuite is offering a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program. – SPONSORS: NETSUITE | SQUAD NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen - now through April 15th NetSuite is offering a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program. 💥 Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to choosesquad.com and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. – FOLLOW ON X: @bryan_johnson (Bryan) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @agm.eth (Antonio) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – LINKS: Bryan Johnson on Tucker Carlson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr4E0jEjQMM Bryan Johnson's Blueprint/ Don't Die: https://protocol.bryanjohnson.com/DONT-DIE-by-Zero Book recommendation: The Postmortal by Drew Magary https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10673576-the-postmortal – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Opening Banter (00:19) Bryan's Tucker Carlson Interview (01:19) Long-Termism (02:24) The 25th Century Perspective (07:56) Navigating the Future with AI and the Network State (09:40) Sponsor: Netsuite | Squad (12:11) The 'Don't Die' Philosophy and Its Implications (15:47) The Blade Runner Fallacy (18:39) Using Algorithms to Optimize Your Personal Life (22:39) Redefining Civilization in the Age of AI (25:50) On Mortality and Future Civilization (32:22) Exploring Existential Crises and the Role of Faith (33:45) The Identity Crisis in Modern Society (36:08) Technology and Tradition: A Surprising Harmony (38:04) Future of AI and Its Impact on Society (38:56) Navigating the Unpredictable Future (45:32) The Philosophical Debate on Existence and Survival (1:02:14) Reimagining Human Experience in a Post-Death World (1:04:28) Wrap

This week Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Antonio Garcia Martinez sit down with Chris Dixon, a16z General Partner and author of the new book Read Write Own. They discuss the evolution of crypto, the potential impact of blockchain on existing industries, re-centralization, the implications of AI on the internet economy, and media perception of tech. If you're looking for an ERP platform, check out NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/zen – SPONSORS: NETSUITE: http://netsuite.com/zen NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and download your own customized KPI checklist. – LINK: Buy Chris' book: https://readwriteown.com/ MoZ newsletter: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ – X / TWITTER: @cdixon (Chris) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @dwr (Dan) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:12)Why Chris wrote Read Write Own' (03:36) The Negative Perception of Blockchains in Mainstream Media (08:31) The Future of Crypto and Blockchain (13:53) Sponsor: NetSuite (15:00) Open Protocol (32:23) The Impact of AI on the Internet Economy (40:33) The Power Dynamics of the Internet (42:29) The Rise of Blockchain and AI (45:59) Future of Web3 (46:24) Growth of Tech (49:15) Challenges and Opportunities of Crypto (01:11:46) Policy in Tech Evolution

For the holiday stretch, we're publishing a few of our favorite episodes from this year. Today, we’re airing Erik's solo interview with Sam Harris over on his Upstream podcast. This discussion covers Sam’s concerns about populism, polarization, and inequality. We also discuss why Sam is hated by the left and the right. Moment of Zen will return with a new episode this weekend. This episode originally aired on May 29th, 2023 Subscribe to Upstream for more longform interviews: https://link.chtbl.com/Upstream Upstream on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UpstreamwithErikTorenberg – SPONSORS: SHOPIFY | NETSUITE SHOPIFY: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/momentofzen NETSUITE: http://netsuite.com/zen NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and download your own customized KPI checklist. – Sign up for our newsletter to receive the full shownotes: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ – X / TWITTER: @eriktorenberg (Erik) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (05:07) Discussion on Misinformation and Social Media (07:34) Sam Harris's Decision to Leave Twitter (14:43) SPONSORS: SHOPIFY | NETSUITE (19:30) Exploring the Conflict Between Left and Right (22:27) Debate on Equality, Disparities, and Discrimination (28:54) Continuation of the Discussion on Equality and Discrimination (46:57) The Rise of Contrarianism and its Impact on Politics (47:25) The Influence of Media on Public Perception and Trust (51:55) The Dangers of Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation (52:37) The Shift in Political Affiliations and Ideologies (53:23) The Importance of Trustworthy Institutions and Expertise (55:19) The Impact of Online Politics and Misinformation (01:00:28) The Influence of Wealth and Power on Society (01:06:03) The Dangers of Polarization (01:11:30) The Ethical Implications of Wealth and Success (01:16:07) The Challenges of Global Governance and Decentralization (01:25:19) The Role of Capitalism and the Need for Reform (01:28:28) Sober Thinking

For the holiday stretch, we're publishing a few of our favorite episodes from this year of Moment of Zen. Today, we’re airing our first ever episodes with Marc Andreessen (released exactly one year ago). Marc discussed SBF, Twitter and censorship, and more. In the second half of this extra long episode with Marc, we get into the ideas of Nietzsche, Henrich, Burnham and more of Marc's intellectual influences. This episode originally aired in two parts on December 28 & 30th, 2022. – SPONSORS: SHOPIFY | NETSUITE | MASTERCLASS SHOPIFY: https://shopify.com/momentofzen for a $1/month trial period Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of all e-commerce in the US. And Shopify’s the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy’s, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries. From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you’re selling, Shopify’s got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/momentofzen NETSUITE: http://netsuite.com/zen NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/zen and download your own customized KPI checklist. MASTERCLASS: https://masterclass.com/zen get two memberships for the price of 1 Learn from the best to become your best. Learn how to negotiate a raise with Chris Voss or manage your relationships with Esther Perel. Boost your confidence and find practical takeaways you can apply to your life and at work. If you own a business or are a team leader, use MasterClass to empower and create future-ready employees and leaders. Moment of Zen listeners will get two memberships for the price of one at https://masterclass.com/zen – Sign up for our newsletter to receive the full shownotes: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ – X / TWITTER: @pmarca (Marc) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @antoniogm (Antonio) @dwr (Dan) @moz_podcast (Moment of Zen) @TurpentineMedia – TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Re-airing our first ever episodes (05:00) Future of Binance (07:34) Speculation on the Future of Crypto and Internet Regulations (11:57) Exploring the Potential Redemption Arc for SBF (16:00) Sponsors: Shopify | NetSuite (26:05) Twitter under Elon Musk (33:43) Sponsors: MasterClass (38:25) The Role of Tech Companies in Free Speech and Internet Control (40:53) The Power Dynamics in Tech Companies and Their Influence on Free Speech (43:00) The Role of Apple in the Tech Industry and Its Impact on User Privacy (55:08) The Future of Consumer Web 3 and Its Potential Impact on Tech Industry (57:41) The Role of Legislation in Shaping the Future of Tech Industry (01:19:13) Nietzsche's Predictions and the Evolution of Society (01:19:32) The Impact of Science on Religion and Value Systems (01:20:29) The Dichotomy of Modern Society: Christian or Not? (01:21:27) The Evolution of Weakness as a Moral Virtue (01:23:49) The Role of Social Media in Spreading Western Morality (01:27:16) The Nietzschean Heroes in Modern TV Shows (01:31:36) The Role of Elon Musk in Modern Society (01:50:08) The Role of Social Networks in Modern Society (01:56:19) The Future of American Society

On this episode, Erik Torenberg and Dan Romero analyze what Vivek Ramaswamy’s rise in the polls really means, where he goes from here, and we air Erik’s full interview with Vivek from this spring. Vivek discusses his transformation from founder to candidate, his views on Silicon Valley, his concept of meritocracy, depoliticizing corporations, and lays out his policy proposals. If you’re building a business and need compliance for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR or HIPAA, head to www.vanta.com/zen for $1000 off. Moment of Zen is part of the Turpentine podcast network. Learn more: www.turpentine.co RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Run the Numbers is a weekly podcast about financial metrics and business models, designed for ambitious people operating tech startups. It's a collection of things host CJ Gustafson (CFO at PartsTech and writer of Mostly Metrics) has learned and thought about in the trenches as a tech CFO. Subscribe to listen on the platform of your choice: https://link.chtbl.com/runthenumbers TOPICS DISCUSSED: (00:00) Episode Preview (02:23) What is the excitement about Vivek really about? (05:00) Why don’t democrats nominate business people? (06:28) Who is Vivek’s constituency? (08:18) What happens in a world where Trump doesn’t exist? (10:20) Immigration stance differences between Trump and Vivek (14:57) Vivek’s anti woke platform vs DeSantis’ anti woke legislations (16:50) Vivek as a right wing Elizabeth Warren Civility (19:15) Is there a way for a republican to be cool? (22:45) Republicans want an attack dog (24:00) 2028 and beyond (29:55) Interview: When Vivek set his sights on running for president (36:20) Vivek’s presidential platform: Affirmative action, Climate, Fed, Drug crisis (44:11) Where Vivek overlaps/differs with Silicon Valley: free speech, DEI, SVB (51:20) How Vivek conceptualizes a meritocracy (58:00) How to remove politics from corporations (01:05:32) Silicon Valley should empathize more with the rest of the country? (01:16:35) Defining “woke” (01:22:40) What’s it like to run a presidential campaign X / Twitter @VivekGRamaswamy (Vivek) @dwr (Dan) @eriktorenberg (Erik) @MOZ_Podcast SPONSORS: Vanta | NetSuite Are you building a business? If you’re looking for SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR or HIPAA compliance, head to Vanta. Achieving compliance can actually unlock major growth for your company and build customer loyalty. Vanta automates up to 90% of Compliance work, getting you audit-ready in weeks instead of months and saving 85% of associated costs. Moment of Zen listeners get $1000 off at www.vanta.com/zen NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you’re looking for an ERP platform, head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/ZEN and download your own customized KPI checklist.

Dan and Erik discuss picking markets, NFT's, disinformation, and Fentanyl. Also, check out the debut of Erik's new long-form interview podcast Upstream. This coming season features interviews with Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, Ezra Sacks, David Sacks, Katherine Boyle, Joe Lonsdale, and more upcoming. Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3z8TldL Spotify: bit.ly/40letd0 TIMESTAMPS: (0:00) Preview of episode (0:45) Crypto in a bear market (8:00) How to pick markets (16:45) Sponsors - Secureframe | MarketerHire (17:57) Why do NFTs matter (47:00) Disinformation (1:00:00) Social media fragmentation (1:09:00) Biggest U.S problems (1:12:00) How to fix the Fentanyl program TWITTER: @MOZ_Podcast @eriktorenberg (Erik) @dwr (Dan) More shownotes and reading material released in our Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ Please support our sponsors: Secureframe | MarketerHire - Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/ Secureframe is the leading all-in-one platform for security and privacy compliance. Get SOC-2 audit ready in weeks, not months. I believe in Secureframe so much that I invested in it, and I recommend it to all my portfolio companies. Sign up for a free demo and mention MOZ during your demo to get 20% off your first year. - MarketerHire: https://marketerhire.com/moz MarketerHire is one of my favorite resources for growing startups looking to hire marketers. With 1000s of pre-vetted marketers across a dozen roles, whether you need help with growth, marketing, SEO, lifecycle, content, or any other aspect of growth marketing strategy. Over 5,000 companies already use MarketerHire to hire expert marketers on demand, ranging from top venture-backed startups to the most well-known Fortune 500s. Go to marketerhire.com/moz and use code MOZ to get your $1,000 credit for your first hire. Thank you Graham Bessellieu for production.

Writer, VC, and podcaster Nic Carter joins us to talk about Balaji's bet, Operation Chokepoint 2.0, and the Fed's financial crisis. We record our interviews with Riverside. Go to https://bit.ly/Riverside_MoZ + use code ZEN for 20%. Check out the debut of Erik's new longform interview podcast Upstream. This coming season features interviews with Marc Andreessen (Episode 1 is live now), David Sacks, Ezra Klein, Balaji Srinivasan, Katherine Boyle, and more. Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3z8TldL Spotify: bit.ly/40letd0 Podcast Info: (0:00) Intro (3:00) Reflections on Balaji episode  (10:00) Coinbase and SVB (14:00) Sponsors (15:00) Operation chokepoint 2.0 (16:45) We find out the reason for Antonio’s circumcision (25:00) Crypto banking crisis (36:00) How much of crypto is new? (38:40) Main benefits of crypto  (47:20) Finance is politicized  (55:00) Defining a CDBC (1:02:00) Nic’s biggest crypto beef (1:07:30) Nic’s take on Balaji’s bet (1:12:30) Why crypto should vote republicans next election (1:19:30) We’re in a financial crisis caused by the fed (1:20:30) Our options for addressing the crisis (1:27:00) If we were kings for a day how we’d solve it (1:28:50) Nic would rather cut rates than raise rates (1:30:00) AI is the U.S.’s main hope More shownotes and reading material released in our Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ Thank you Secureframe for sponsoring (Use "Moment of Zen" for 20% discount) and Graham Bessellieu for production.

Balaji Srinivasan tells us why he is making a $1M BTC prediction and discusses SVB, the financial crisis, the digital devaluation of the USD, and what comes next.  Check out the debut of Erik's new longform interview podcast Upstream. This coming season features interviews with Marc Andreessen (Episode 1 is live now), David Sacks, Ezra Klein, Balaji Srinivasan, Katherine Boyle, and more. Subscribe here: Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/3z8TldL Spotify: bit.ly/40letd0   (8:00) What happened with SVB     (15:00) Constructive debate     (59:00) Where we agree and where we disagree     (1:07:00) If the U.S. implodes, there’s no where else to go     (1:18:00) Responding to critics     More shownotes and reading material released in our Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ We record our interviews with Riverside. Go to https://bit.ly/Riverside_MoZ + use code ZEN for 20% Thank you Secureframe for sponsoring (Use "Moment of Zen" for 20% discount) and Graham Bessellieu for production.  

0:00 Intro 0:45 Sponsors 1:28 Dan’s story with SVB 6:00 Byrne intro (Check out Thediff.co) 7:00 How Byrne identified SVB’s insolvency 15:30 How banking works 22:10 Fractional reserve banking 27:00 Banking on-chain 32:00 Understanding illiquidity 46:00 Housing market 53:00 How much can crypto recreate the financial system? 1:08:00 Crypto is financial system for digital native world 1:15:25 Are we at the end of (financial) history? 1:20:00 Finance is never solved

Anonymous founders of the Effective Accelerationist (e/acc) movement @Bayeslord and Beff Jezoz (@BasedBeff) join Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Nathan Labenz to debate views on AI safety. We record our interviews with Riverside. Go to https://bit.ly/Riverside_MoZ + use code ZEN for 20%. (3:00) Intro to effective accelerationism (8:00) Differences between effective accelerationism and effective altruism (23:00) Effective accelerationism is bottoms-up (42:00) Transhumanism (46:00) "Equanimity amidst the singularity" (48:30) Why AI safety is the wrong frame (56:00) Pushing back against effective accelerationism (1:06:00) The case for AI safety (1:24:00) Upgrading civilizational infrastructure (1:33:00) Effective accelerationism is anti-fragile (1:39:00) Will we botch AI like we botched nuclear? (1:46:00) Hidden costs of emphasizing downsides (2:00:00) Are we in the same position as neanderthals, before humans? (2:09:00) "Doomerism has an unpriced opportunity cost of upside" More shownotes and reading material released in our Substack:https://momentofzen.substack.com/ Thank you Secureframe for sponsoring (Use "Moment of Zen" for 20% discount) and Graham Bessellieu for production.

"If you can't compete on history, compete on philosophy" We record our interviews with Riverside. Go to https://bit.ly/Riverside_MoZ + use code ZEN for 20%. Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MomentofZenPodcast. (0:00) Intro   (13:00) Why knowing history makes you a better entrepreneur   (20:00) Christianity’s moral innovations   (29:00) America as culture exporter   (37:00) Consumer culture and social progressivism   (50:00) Egalitarianism eats the world   (1:04:48) Equality of Opportunity vs Equality of Outcome   (1:12:00) Equality of Opportunity IS Equality of Outcome   (1:17:00) Wokeness isn't recedingMore shownotes and reading material released in our Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/Thank you Secureframe for sponsoring (Use "Moment of Zen" for 20% discount) and Graham Bessellieu for production.

(2:15) Replika caused Amjad to downgrade his view of humanity (3:15) Some men are down bad (5:15) Should we bring back monogamy? (8:15) If you’re not a top man, you’re screwed (phew) (13:00) Thought experiment (16:40) Antonio brings up Israel again (drink!) (18:15) “You don’t know what life is until you birth a child and bury a parent” (19:15) Unintended policy side effects (25:25) How to solve population crisis (27:45) WTF happened in 1971? (29:15) High and low time preference (35:15) Dating app preferences (39:00) Group narcissism (41:25) Groups that inbreed focus more on kinship (45:15) AI doomerism (50:45) from New Atheism to SJ to EA to AI Safety (1:00:15) Antonio calls out Eliezer Yudkowski (1:00:45) Criticizing Utilitarianism/Effective Altruism (1:10:15) Jesus vs Nietzsche (1:10:45) Bronze Age Pervert (1:13:15) Antonio recommends converting to Judaism (1:14:30) Why is EA so popular in Silicon Valley? (1:18:10) Why are EA just normie liberals (1:19:00) EA’s importance (1:24:15) The right way to think about alignment (1:27:15) Robert Conquest’s second law (1:30:15) Entryism (1:33:45) is right wing EA a thing? More shownotes and reading material in our brand new Substack: https://momentofzen.substack.com/  Thank you Secureframe for sponsoring (Use "Moment of Zen" for 20% discount)

(0:00) intro (1:50) sponsor (2:15) What determines a country’s success (6:00) Chinese collapse? (8:35) Why does Ukraine matter? (13:30) Can America be isolationist? (20:20) Are we in a Cold War with China? (25:45) Unpacking the new right (35:44) The future of wokeness (41:40) How Noah finds meaning in life (petting rabbits) (44:20) Noah defends his liberalism (53:00) American cope (57:00) Why American infrastructure sucks (1:01:00) Fake liberals (1:06:30) Why California is a one-party state (1:15:00) Tech’s political shift (1:20:00) Noah’s advice to tech people

(1:00) Why is ChatGPT woke? (6:23) DAN (do anything now) (12:20) Who cares if chatGPT is a little woke? (16:00) OpenAI is just protecting themselves (23:00) Why is it so bad that chatGPT is a little woke? (27:00) Why not compete with openAI directly? (33:00) Why pluralism instead of truthism? (40:00) How can pluralism win? (42:00) Polarization is good (51:00) The arc of technology is centralization (1:12:30) Reconciling contradictions (1:21:40) Explaining The Cathedral (1:32:00) Why politics matters for techWatch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MomentofZenPodcastSubscribe to our newsletter: https://momentofzen.substack.com/ 

(0:00) Intro (1:10) Sponsor (Secureframe) (3:10) Has Aarthi always been more based than Sriram? (6:40) Attribution (10:10) Legitimacy (14:30) Brokenism vs Institutionalism (19:40) Attention as influence (26:00) Should Twitter eliminate trending topics? (28:30) Antonio’s cultural elitism (32:00) Low vs High culture (41:50) Who are the elites? (51:10) WWE & Kayfabe (1:01:45) Lex Fridman (1:11:10) Andrew Huberman (1:19:00) Bryan Johnson (1:21:00) Lindy (1:24:00) Against a la carte beliefs Thank you Secureframe for sponsoring (Use "Moment of Zen" for 20% discount) and Rob Perla, Natalie Toren, and Molly Mielke for production/art direction.  The Cognitive Revolution, AI podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Waii0i1bBFY  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution/id1669813431 Twitter: @moz_podcast @sriramk (Sriram) @aarthir (Aarthi) @Dwr (Dan) @Antoniogm (Antonio) @Eriktorenberg (Erik)

0:00) Preview of the debate (0:30) Sponsor (1:00) Nathan introducing our new upcoming AI podcast, The Cognitive Revolution (3:45) Flo’s take on the AI moment and AGI (8:20) Amjad’s take on the AI moment (15:00) Is chatGPT a step function change? (23:45) AI’s effect on coding (34:40) Amjad believes AI is underhyped (35:00) Bounties (53:15) What AI companies should VCs invest in? (57:30) Antonio/Flo pre-debate (1:00:15) “All knowledge work will be automated in 20 years” (1:01:00) Antonio’s AI skepticism (1:05:20) the inflection point is a jump in generality (1:06:00) Who will capture value, incumbents or startups? (1:14:30) Segue into AI and crypto (1:20:00) Flo’s crypto skepticism (1:23:40) Antonio and Flo HEATED DEBATE (1:26:30) Dan tries to calm everybody down (1:27:00) Dan’s crypto perspective (1:29:30) Antonio’s crypto perspective (1:31:50) Amjad’s Bitcoin maximalist view (1:34:55) Amjad’s hilarious rant on crypto ponzis (1:38:00) Dan and Amjad debate Bitcoin/Ethereum (1:40:00) AI vs Web 3 brawl (1:52:32) Amjad’s AI predictions  

  (0:00) intro   (2:00) Political and class realignments   (14:35) Trump vs DeSantis   (24:10) Future of both political parties   (27:55) Would Saagar ever get involved in politics?   (32:00) Differences between Silicon Valley and DC   (35:20) There will never be another Trump   (38:30) Media’s impact on politics   (54:40) Antonio thinks we stopped recording and goes off   (56:00) who the f*** is Chuck Todd?   (57:10) How media is evolving   Sponsored by Secureframe, produced by Rob Perla

(0:00) intro and sponsor   (1:20) introductions (who the f are we?)   (3:00) Antonio introduction   (5:12) Dan introduction   (6:50) Farcaster   (10:10) Erik introduction   (12:30) the life of the mind vs the life of the founder   (16:00) Being in the arena as a requisite to comment   (18:30) Why is the podcast named “Moment of Zen”?   (20:20) Erik is the Johnny Appleseed of group chats   (23:30) Group chat culture   (26:55) Reforming institutions vs building new ones   (29:30) Antonio’s intellectual evolution   (30:40) Europe is behind, but Antonio prefers it   (31:40) Antonio feels like a teetotaler who runs a bar   (32:50) LARPs   (34:00) Explaining Fukuyama   (37:50) What’s the best functioning institution today?   (39:10) Richard Hanania   (42:30) We don’t have a grand unifying projects anymore   (45:00) Should the China threat be the unifying narrative?   (48:05) Taiwan   (49:56) Explaining Zeihan   (1:00:20) When shit hits the fan, what country do you flee to?   (1:02:40) Why doesn’t Prince Harry get a paternity test?   (1:04:00) Europe vs America   (1:08:20) Dan is bullish on Europeans, bearish on Europe   (1:11:20) “Everything except the startup scene is better in Europe”   (1:15:19) Why is the US public sector so much worse?   (1:21:35) Why are we doing this show?   (1:22:32) “How about we just don’t get canceled?”   (1:23:55) Teasing upcoming guests   (1:24:34) Erik’s favorite ex-convict?

(0:00) - Antonio’s circumcision (1:20) - The future of Replit (6:30) - The future of coding (9:46) - The Steve Jobs Blackpill (12:00) - Will AGI lead to the death of humans? (18:13) - AGM thinks AGI dystopia is bullshit, religion for nerds (21:12) - Why is there a human need for “end of times” theory? (23:20) - Climate science is unsettled (25:55) - AGM swears he has no idea who Curtis Yarvin is (Who is Curtis Yarvin? - editor) (26:25) - Dan wrestles with the guilt of bringing another human into this cold, ugly world (27:00) - Amjad’s counter-narrative to the AGI dystopia narrative (29:30) - How can AI become consciousness if we don’t know what consciousness is? (32:15) - “AGM do you want to share your story with an AI girlfriend?” (32:58) - Amjad’s Palestinian background and his identity crisis (37:00) - Redpill moments (39:17) - The media never lies (40:35) - Russel Conjugation (41:50) - Comparing Islam and Judaism (43:44) - Judaism isn’t about faith, it’s about practice (51:00) - Transhumanism vs Ludditism (51:50) - Was The Unabomber a left-wing or right-wing nut? (55:15) - Ludditism never works, you can’t roll technology back (57:00) - Antonio’s redpilling (58:30) - Raising a family with or without religion (1:04:40) - Dismissing religion is the classic midwit meme (1:07:20) - History is a series of conspiracies (1:15:00) - Modern day true conspiracies (1:21:05) - “Are the frogs gay?” (1:22:50) - Why does truth matter? (1:30:40) - Prediction Markets (1:36:30) - The only places where truth matters: wars, elections, and markets

(00:00) - Intro (1:00) - Unpacking the famous SBF quote (4:00) - Introducing Joe Henrich’s “WEIRD” (6:15) - Introducing Tom Holland’s “Dominion” (7:10) - Nietzsche’s criticism of Christianity (8:45) - Christianity’s inversion of morality (11:40) - Is Wokeness the logical conclusion of Christianity? (15:00) - The Christ narrative as the central narrative (16:20) - Are there any alternatives to WEIRD - Is WEIRD taking over the world? (17:20) - Antonio’s circumcision (20:30) - Why we can’t have Nietzschian morality in TV shows (24:30) - Kanye, Trump, Elon (26:30) - Introducing James Burnham and the rise of professional managerial class (31:30) - How Elon is a threat to the PMC (34:00) - Can other countries resist WEIRD? (38:30) - What would Balaji say about the case for America? (41:50) - Balaji’s Network State (43:20) - is social media going to fragment? (46:35) - America is consistent with the process of evolution 48:20 - We need more cleaving of the elites Thanks to Secureframe for being our first sponsor. Sign up at secureframe.com and mention "Moment of Zen" for 20% off

(0:00) All-in Tribute (1:15) What happens to SBF? FTX = Enron + Theranos (5:00) History of collapses in crypto (8:10) DeFi/Web3 actually works (11:35) Redemption arc for SBF/Caroline? Comparing with other frauds (15:37) In an alternate universe, what could FTX have become? Steelmanning FTX the business (22:30) What’s going to happen to Twitter? (24:20) How would we advise Elon? (25:20) Is controversy good for Twitter? (26:10) The killer app for Twitter is to dunk on your enemies (26:40) Bull case for Twitter (34:00) Tech civil war? The fight for free speech (40:15) Future of AI - open vs closed? (45:10) Intersection of AI and crypto (53:00) Role for gov’t regulation (58:50) 2023 Predictions Dan Romero: www.twitter.com/dwr Antonio Garcia Martinez: www.twitter.com/antoniogm Erik Torenberg: www.twitter.com/eriktorenberg Marc Andreessen: www.twitter.com/pmarca Thanks to Rob Perla and Molly Mielke for production