Accelerating Tech

Closer Than We Think

Are breakthrough technologies progressing faster than we think? Phil and Stephen review three recent news items that indicate they may be. Sucking carbon dioxide from air is cheaper than scientists thought https://go.nature.com/2JhnFLT Siphoning carbon dioxide […]

Exploring Possibilities

Yanny, Laurel, and the Mandela Effect

Why would the the Yanny-Laurel phenomenon tell us anything about the Mandela Effect? They have nothing in common! Or do they? Let’s start with a quick recap: Mandela Effect Yanny-Laurel Of course, Yanny-Laurel relates to […]

Artificial Intelligence

Is AI the Biggest Thing Ever?

Google CEO Sundar Pichai certainly seems to think so. Artificial intelligence could be our saviour, according to the CEO of Google AI is probably the most important thing humanity has ever worked on. I think […]

Artificial Intelligence

Five Myths About A.I.

Even when he’s not on the show with us, futurist Thomas Frey provides us with lots of interesting subject matter for discussion. His folks at Impact Labs have published an interesting essay on Five Myths […]

Exploring Possibilities

What Can We NOT Rule Out?

Is humanity the first technological species to exist in this solar system (or even on this planet?) The quick and easy answer is yes, but maybe we don’t know that for sure. Prior Indigenous Technological […]

Podcasts

Turn Up the Funny

Flipping our emotional switches, Part 2 We are getting closer to identifying the individual emotional switches in the brain. What might this imply for future strategies for managing our emotions? If we are now getting […]

Exploring Possibilities

Turn off the Fear

Flipping the emotional switches, Part 1 We are getting closer to identifying the individual emotional switches in the brain. What might this imply for future strategies for managing our emotions? Researchers Find Fear and Courage […]

Abundance

Universal Basic Super Powers

Universal Basic Happiness, Part 3 (Plus geekout Avengers review!) VR puts us in the digital world, where scarcity doesn’t exist. It is one way of getting to post-scarcity and will probably play an important role […]

Abundance

Universal Basic Reality

Universal Basic Happiness, Part 2 As we continue our discussion of possible solutions to various inequalities, Phil outlines one possible way e could make everybody — that’s EVERYBODY — completely happy. Wireheading: This Strange Experiment from […]

Abundance

Universal Basic Sex

Universal Basic Happiness, Part 1 Last Weekend, Robin Hanson stirred things up by inquiring why the people concerned about income inequality aren’t worried about other forms of inequality: Those w/ less access to sex plausibly […]

Life Extension

Immortality: So Far So Good

Who Wants to Live Forever? Part 3 We conclude our three-part discussion with futurist Thomas Frey by looking into when and how a cure for aging might be found. Is immortality just around the bend? […]

Life Extension

Live Long and Prosper

Who Wants to Live Forever? Part 2 This time out we look at the upside of not dying. (Shouldn’t be too hard to find now, should it?) Is Death Our Only Option? 1.) Improved Health […]

Life Extension

The Trouble with Immortality

Who Wants to Live Forever? Part 1 If we could extend human life indefinitely, would it be a good idea? What are the downsides? Futurist Thomas Frey joins us for part 1 of a 3-part […]

Podcasts

Shifting Stories, Shifting Realities

Shifting Realities, Part 3. Phil and Stephen attempt to reverse-engineer the Mandela effect by looking at news stories and trying to figure out which narrative best explains them. Can we change our reality by changing […]

Philosophy

Does this Podcast Make You Angry?

Shifting Realities, Part 2. Like it our not, our “reality” goes on mostly in our brains. If you contract a physical brain disease it can greatly shift your reality. But in recent years we have […]

Exploring Possibilities

All Good Things…

Shifting Realities, Part 1 The end of two paranormal and conspiracy-affirming institutions from the 90’s may have something to say about how differently we shape our reality today than we did in years past. Radio […]

Podcasts

A New Kind of Space Race

What are the implications of Vladimir Putin’s recent statement that he wants Russia to make a big move in space? Vlad’s New Land Grab Vladimir Putin announces mission to MARS next year followed by manned […]

Podcasts

Should You Trust Your Computer?

Phil and Stephen discuss the  new film by Chris Paine, director of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” Do You Trust This Computer? This new documentary about the dangers and benefits of artificial intelligence (mostly the […]

Entertainment

Historical Fantasy (and Other Geeky Topics)

It’s a good old fashioned World Transformed Geekout as Phil explains how shows like Vikings and The Frankenstein Chronicles are blending history and fantasy in a new and fun way. (UPDATE: and you can add […]

Exploring Possibilities

50 Life-Saving Breakthroughs

Phil and Stephen take a look at The 50 Most Important Life-Saving Breakthroughs in History. Some of these a big medical breakthroughs that you would immediately think of like treatments for malaria, others are less expected […]

Exploring Possibilities

Will Mind-Reading Computers Replace Human Speech?

Phil and Stephen discuss scenarios for the future of brain-computers interfaces and how they might alter human communication. Worldwide AI consciousness may replace human speech In just 32 years, humans won’t speak to each other […]

Exploring Possibilities

Self-Driving Cars: Answering the Objections

We have covered the safety risks of autonomous vehicles as well as potential privacy risks and risks to our personal freedom. Now let’s answer some of those objections. It turns out that most of the […]

Exploring Possibilities

Will Autonomous Vehicles End Our Way of Life?

Safety may not be the only problem with autonomous vehicles. Is it possible that they theaten our privacy and our way of life? And with what we’re learning about Facebook and others, do we really […]

Accelerating Tech

Time to Abandon Self-Driving Cars?

In Arizona, a pedestrian has been killed by a self-driving car. What went wrong? Was it the Uber system? Uber’s Self-Driving Cars Were Struggling Before Arizona Crash Disgraceful Dashcam Video Proves Uber Is the Theranos […]