Immortal Beings: The Selfish History of Things That Refuse To Die - From DNA & Religion to Memes & Digital Gods
How to Change the World: The History & Future of Innovation
Intro
Sam Webster Harris opens the episode, frames the theme of replicators and previews the ideas to be explored.
Why are we here? Can the patterns of history and nature tell us anything new?
In this episode of How to Change the World we trace a clear line. From ancient molecules learning to copy themselves, to religions and nations learning to spread, to algorithms that now compete for your attention. All on a subversive quest for immortality.
This hidden history of innovation maps the evolution of the universes most successful survivors. Learn the game theory of how these immortal beings compete and impact society.
This season has been about a species of hairy apes and how they became human. Today we combine science, history, and philosophy to build a set of mental models that explain the animal and human landscape of today and quite possibly tomorrow. The future of humanity depends on the decisions and innovations of today.
This episode will turn a lot of your ideas about the world on their head:
- Have you ever considered that your genes don't exist to build you, you exist to build your genes?
- Do you have ideas or do ideas colonize your mind - eating away at your attention just like we eat food to survive?
- Is innovation more about what we spread, than what we invent?
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ABOUT
How to Change the World is an independent podcast on a mission to document the entire history of innovation. One world-changing event at a time. In the process we are building out frameworks and mental models to think more coherently about global change.
Written, edited, recorded, and produced by Sam Webster Harris.
🤓 Website: ChangeTheWorldPod.com
🤗 Join the Patreon: Patreon.com/ChangeTheWorldPod
Help from:
👩‍🎨 Design - Francisca Correia (available to hire)
🧙‍♂️ Mentorship - Jeremy Enns (available to hire)
Resources
The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene - Richard Dawkins
CHAPTERS
00:00 You are a robot
01:47 Patterns of Nature
03:04 ACT 1 - CONTROL
03:39 Nico Tinbergen and the randy fish
06:05 The Primordial Soup Starter Kit
07:23 Algorithmic Governance
08:43 ACT 2 - CO-OPERATION
08:43 Cancer
11:03 Fear of death and The Birth of religion
12:42 ACT 3 - EXTERNAL CONTROL
12:42 Extended Phenotypes
14:55 Remote control
18:01 ACT 4 - IDEA VATS
18:01 Consciousness
20:31 What is a meme?
21:32 Genes vs Memes Speed
23:21 Idea Propogation
25:46 Carrier Class
27:40 ACT 5 - GAME THEORY
28:03 Hawk Dove Conjecture
29:16 Gravity Wells & conformity
30:39 ACT 6 - INNOVATION
30:39 Complexity - Meme Stacks
32:15 Innovation
34:13 ACT 7 - IMMORTAL MINDS
34:13 The Third Replicating Medium - Silicon
36:53 Immortal Minds
38:06 What does it mean to be conscious?
39:45 Building the future
41:28 Sign off
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