Robert Wright's Nonzero

Nonzero
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Aug 9, 2023 • 58min

Is the Middle East Falling Apart? (Robert Wright & Joshua Landis)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org1:41 How US-China rivalry is shaking up the region 12:44 Why Washington wants to control the Middle East oil spigot 25:01 The odds of an imminent confrontation with Iran 30:49 Is America breaking international law in Syria? 42:55 What would a Middle East without US intervention look like? 48:25 Why Israel lacks a written constitution 55:27 Heading to OvertimeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Joshua Landis (University of Oklahoma, SyriaComment.com). Recorded August 08, 2023.Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/66533 Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
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Aug 5, 2023 • 59min

Trump’s J6 Indictment, Biden’s Ukraine Quagmire (Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus)

Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom0:33 Jeffrey Goldberg becomes King of Washington 5:24 Does Trump prosecutor Jack Smith have the goods? 21:48 Hunter Biden’s corruption defense: It was all an illusion 31:52 President Biden’s Ukraine quagmire 41:25 What Trump gets right about Russia-Ukraine 48:17 Is West Africa heading toward a major war? 52:08 Parrot Room preview: A PBS lament; Mickey’s border worries; Bob’s reflection on jury duty; the economics of electric vehicles; the UFO files; Italy pivots away from guaranteed income; over-the-counter Alzheimer’s test; US-China decoupling; room-temperature superconductors; and the limits of AIRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded August 04, 2023.Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/66526 Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe
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Aug 1, 2023 • 55min

A Debate on Russia-Ukraine (Robert Wright & Daniel Drezner)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org(Overtime segment available to paid subscribers below the paywall.)1:06 Bob and Dan reminisce about blogging and Bloggingheads 8:17 Was the first year of Russia’s invasion a success for US foreign policy? 17:45 When will Putin be ready to cut a deal? 23:13 The odds of a wider war—or a nuclear one 27:45 What good can come from continuing the war? 41:08 Has the US mismanaged its relationship with Putin’s Russia? 50:56 Putin’s fear of western-backed color revolutionsRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Daniel Drezner (PostEverything, Tufts University, Drezner's World). Recorded July 31, 2023.Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/66511 Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
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Jul 29, 2023 • 49min

Ukraine, Africa, and Cold War II (Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus)

Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom0:34 Bob extols the virtues of jury duty 4:27 Ukraine’s counter offensive surge 16:42 What does Hunter’s failed plea deal mean for Joe? 24:03 In search of a DeSantis strategy 32:13 The Niger coup and Cold War II 44:12 Parrot room preview: Israel’s issues; musings on late musicians; Is Ramaswamy surging?; New lab leak controversy; Mickey’s border question for Biden; Is DEI d-e-a-d?; A crazy (ex-)Twitter theory; AI self-regulationRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded July 28, 2023.Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/66501 Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe
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18 snips
Jul 25, 2023 • 1h 6min

AI and Existential Risk (Robert Wright & Connor Leahy)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org(Overtime segment available to paid subscribers below the paywall.)2:21 Where AI fits in Connor’s tech threat taxonomy 15:10 What does the “general” in artificial general intelligence actually mean? 22:26 What should worry us about AI right now? 30:01 Connor: Don’t put your trust in AI companies 39:28 The promise and perils of open-sourcing AI 49:52 Why "interpretability" matters 56:31 What would an aligned AI actually look like? 1:01:00 Bridging the technology wisdom gapRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Connor Leahy (Conjecture). Recorded July 11, 2023.Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/66476 Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
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Jul 22, 2023 • 1h 2min

Why Is Ukraine's Offensive Going Badly? (Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus)

Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom0:34 Senator Chris Murphy declares war on loneliness 8:58 Why is the Ukraine offensive going badly? 14:51 Why Biden should push for peace talks now 24:37 Threads unravels 35:23 Was RFK’s Covid conjecture anti-Semitic? 43:11 Mickey reviews the MSM version of DeSantis 52:15 American diplomacy update: murky scandals and trash talk 56:39 Parrot Room preview: Biden corruption scandal; electric car paranoia; what Trump will do if he wins; Mickey on Xi Jinping; Trump’s trials; Tony Bennett passes away; Meta’s dubious AI policy; Is the internet annoying, or is Bob just old?Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded July 21, 2023.Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/664663 Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe
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Jul 18, 2023 • 1h 9min

Overton Windows: Israel/Palestine

0:33 What is this new Overton Windows series about? 10:05 Tamler’s connections to Israel and Bob’s experiences there 19:22 What does Zionism mean in practice? 27:35 The shifting Overton window around Israel/Palestine 45:35 The heavy-handed response to the BDS movement 57:13 What the Israel/Palestine discourse says about Overton windows 1:02:09 So where should the boundaries be set?Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Tamler Sommers (Very Bad Wizards, University of Houston, Why Honor Matters). Recorded June 21, 2023.Nonzero Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPodsVery Bad Wizards: https://verybadwizards.com/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe
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Jul 14, 2023 • 59min

Putin’s Spartacus Problem (Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus)

Subscribe to The Parrot Room at https://patreon.com/parrotroom0:04 Mickey bats .500 on this week’s news quiz 5:19 Gen. “Spartacus” and other Russians with attitude 17:01 What (or who) is impeding peace in Ukraine? 24:00 What Biden has that other possible Dem candidates don’t 36:04 What Trump’s messaging has that DeSantis’s doesn’t 39:41 Untangling Threads’s early days 53:06 Parrot Room preview: AI update; the mysterious Gal Luft; the irony of Klaatu’s speech; Mickey’s diversity epiphany; Canadian euthanasia initiative; Silo spoilers; AMC Pacer maker passes; Bob’s China vindication; Alan Arkin speech debate round threeRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded July 13, 2023.Comments on BhTV: http://bloggingheads.tv/videos/66441 Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe
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Jul 11, 2023 • 1h 22min

Russians with Attitude (Robert Wright, Nikolay, and Kirill)

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.orgRWA Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RussiansWith... RWA podcast episodes: https://www.patreon.com/rwapodcast 01:10 Why Bob invited Russians with Attitude onto the Nonzero Podcast 7:30 Why do Kirill and Nikolay support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? 15:23 Shortcomings of US mainstream media in covering Russia 25:40 The roots of the Donbass rebellion 37:33 Parallels between the Maidan Revolution and the Donbass rebellion 49:05 What was Putin’s main reason for invading? 1:00:53 Is Russia systematically committing war crimes? 1:14:23 Final thoughts from Nikolay and Kirill before heading into Overtime 1:22:23 What was the Prigozhin mutiny really about? 1:29:50 The chances of an imminent ceasefire 1:37:06 How do Nikolay and Kirill self-identify ideologically? 1:44:47 The extent of Russian government repression of dissidents 2:01:14 America’s missed opportunity to bolster global peace and prosperityRobert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Nikolay and Kirill (Russians with Attitude). Recorded July 5, 2023.
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Jul 7, 2023 • 59min

Creeping Toward Peace in Ukraine (Robert Wright & Mickey Kaus)

2:39 Should GOP candidates attack Trump—or praise him? 14:10 Prigozhin mutiny aftermath gets messy 22:56 Signs of a coming ceasefire in Ukraine 31:57 Does the foreign policy Blob really care about Ukrainians? 38:31 MSM deep-sixes affirmative action ruling 44:24 Is Zuckerberg’s Twitter clone anti-old people? 52:42 Parrot Room preview: New anti-censorship ruling; private companies and the First Amendment; The Day the Earth Stood Still; riots in France; Macron’s good policy idea; artificial intelligence and war; complaints about Timothy Snyder; complaints about the New York Times; Foundation episode 1 review; Elon-Zuckerberg cage match. Robert Wright (Bloggingheads.tv, The Evolution of God, Nonzero, Why Buddhism Is True) and Mickey Kaus (kausfiles, The End of Equality). Recorded July 6, 2023. Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe

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