unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc

Claude M. Steele, Stanford psychology professor and author of Whistling Vivaldi, explores how stereotypes and the feeling he calls "churn" shape interactions in diverse settings. He discusses stereotype threat, cognitive load, limits of colorblindness, building trust as a remedy, institutional responsiveness, and practical ways to signal empathy and wiseness to reduce social tension.

Marc J. Dunkelman, historian and fellow at Brown and the Searchlight Institute, studies American progressivism and community. He traces the split between decentralizing Jeffersonian impulses and centralizing Hamiltonian expertise. He explains how expanded rights and checks slowed decisive action, how eroding 'middle‑ring' ties fuel local conflict, and considers ways to restore measured discretion and civic repair.

Christopher Summerfield, Oxford cognitive neuroscience professor and AI Safety Institute research director, discusses parallels between messy biological brains and modern AI. He traces the rise of data-driven models, explains how structured behavior and step-by-step reasoning emerge from networks, and explores why models hallucinate, write code to solve tasks, and struggle with continual learning.

James Hankins, Harvard historian and Renaissance scholar, explores how Petrarch and humanists rebuilt character through classical learning. He discusses humanist education in virtue, rhetoric, and moral philosophy. Conversation covers Machiavelli’s critique, comparisons with Confucian governance, and arguments for bringing virtue back into modern schooling.

Tom Griffiths, Princeton professor studying computation and the mind. He traces the 50‑year convergence of psychology and computer science. He compares artificial and natural minds, explains neural networks and transformers, and explores inductive bias, data needs, and how language and culture shape AI. Conversations touch on modeling cognition, biases, and the future of specialized versus general AI.

C. Thi Nguyen, a philosophy professor and author who studies games and play, discusses the tension between genuine play and metric-driven gamification. He explores Huizinga’s magic circle, Suits’ idea of voluntary obstacles, and the costs of clear scoring. Short, sharp takes on scoring’s portability, value capture, and when metrics strip nuance.

Christine Rosen, senior fellow and cultural critic who studies how technology reshapes human life. She explores how digital convenience removes friction and weakens real-world social skills. She examines boredom's creative value, how mediation flattens interaction, and why engineered serendipity and simulated connection threaten authentic relationships.

J. Eric Oliver, a University of Chicago political scientist and author focused on intuition and self-knowledge. He discusses a course blending neuroscience, Buddhism, and practical exercises to expand lived experience. He explores intuition versus reason, how modernity erodes meaning, and ways to cultivate empathy, attention, and durable self-understanding.

Emanuel Derman, emeritus professor of financial engineering and former Wall Street quant, reflects on moving from particle physics to finance. He discusses how models differ from theories, why markets change when models are used, and the ethics of disclosing model limits. Conversations touch on programming’s role in early quant work, the rise of quants, and how AI and humility reshape modeling.

Paul Eastwick, UC Davis psychology professor who studies attraction and relationships. He challenges common evolutionary-psych ideas about mating. He explains how apps distort competition and why first impressions are noisy. He highlights compatibility, the role of social networks, and practical ways to let chemistry develop naturally.