In this wide-ranging conversation, Ariel interviews economist Robin Hanson about the hidden motives that drive human behavior, the central theme of his book The Elephant in the Brain. Hanson argues that much of what we do is not for the reasons we consciously believe, but rather for signaling our value as allies, mates, and group members. Our conscious mind acts as a "press secretary," creating socially acceptable narratives for our actions, while the real, often selfish, motives remain hidden. Hanson illustrates this thesis with examples from medicine, charity, and art, contending that our actions in these domains are better explained by a desire to signal care, loyalty, and status than by the stated goals of health, altruism, or aesthetic appreciation.

The conversation then shifts to the implications of this theory and the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Hanson suggests that while individuals can only make modest changes to their ingrained behaviors, society can foster more rationality by creating institutions like prediction markets. They discuss the implications of AI on human value creation and the future of work in an AI-driven economy. Hanson places the latest AI technology within the overall context of AI booms and busts, and revisits his analysis from The Age of Em. Hanson is less worried about AI risk than many, but appreciates modern AI as a powerful research tool for integrating knowledge across disciplines. They discuss the potential influence of AI on art and culture, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of artistic expression.

Guest: Robin Hanson, economist at George Mason University, author of The Age of Em and co-author of The Elephant in the Brain, and writer at the blog Overcoming Bias.

Timestamps

00:00 Understanding Motivations: The Drive to Explore

04:06 The Elephant in the Brain: Unpacking Hidden Motivations

07:43 Controversial Insights: Medicine and Health

15:14 Signaling and Status: The Social Dynamics of Behavior

24:30 Behavior Beyond Signaling: Exploring Basic Drives

28:29 The Role of Constants in Human Behavior

29:33 Signaling in Art and Consumption

30:58 Uniqueness and Social Preferences

34:11 Distal vs. Proximate Explanations of Behavior

36:30 The Nature of Helping Behavior

37:16 Effective Altruism and Individual Behavior

38:54 Understanding Human Behavior and Policy

41:25 Individual Change vs. Societal Change

43:00 Institutions and Rational Decision-Making

45:31 Betting Markets and Prediction Accuracy

49:09 AI's Impact on Human Value and Signaling

52:38 The Future of Work in an AI-Driven Economy

55:34 The Human-Like Evolution of AI

58:23 The Near View vs. Far View of AI

59:52 Investment Cycles in AI Development

01:01:46 Paths to Artificial Intelligence: Ems vs. LLMs

01:02:41 The Challenge of Regulating AI Development

01:05:25 Knowledge Spread and Its Risks

01:07:46 The Future of AI and Personal Investment

01:09:29 AI as a Tool for Integration and Discovery

01:14:05 The Impact of AI on Art and Culture

In this conversation, Ariel speaks with Matthew Immergut, an associate professor of sociology and co-author of the acclaimed guide to meditation "The Mind Illuminated'. They dive deep into the nature of meditation, moving beyond the pop-culture view of it as a simple tool for relaxation. Matthew shares his journey into meditation, discussing its nature, goals, and the challenges faced by practitioners. He emphasizes the distinction between meditation as a formal practice and meditative activities, the importance of attention and awareness, and the potential for insights gained through meditation. Matthew provides practical advice for both beginners who are skeptical and for practitioners who have hit a plateau, and emphasizes the importance of joy in meditation. He discusses how there is no "silver bullet" for self-transformation, and the evolving gifts of meditation over time. They also discuss the role of neuroscience in understanding meditation, the balance between concentration and insight, the paradox of "letting go," and the complex relationship between meditative states and a person's everyday behavior.

Topics with Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Meditation and Background

04:34 Secular vs. Spiritual Approaches to Meditation

07:30 The Purpose of Meditation: Beyond Self-Improvement

10:33 Defining Meditation: Formal Practice vs. Meditative Activities

11:49 Training the Mind: Skills and Intentions in Meditation

14:01 Experiential Curiosity: Insights from Meditation

19:07 Skepticism, Setting Small Goals and Finding Enjoyment

25:27 Navigating Plateaus in Meditation Practice and Appreciating Noticing

29:43 The Role of Teachers in Meditation

31:27 Meditation: Universal Necessity or Personal Choice?

37:52 The Evolving Gifts of Meditation

39:46 Personal Journeys: From Orthodox Judaism to Meditation

45:01 The Mind Illuminated: Understanding Attention and Awareness

48:54 Meditation and Neuroscience

54:26 Shamatha & Vipassana, Insights and Awakening

1:01:21 Direct Approaches to Awareness

1:04:56 States vs. Traits in Meditation

01:09:00 Practical Meditation Tips and Finding Balance

In this episode Ariel explores Stoic philosophy and ethics with Jula Wildberger, Professor Emerita of Classics at the American University of Paris.

Professor Wildberger discusses:

•⁠ ⁠The core Stoic idea of human agency and what is truly good

•⁠ ⁠⁠The Stoic belief in living according to one's own nature

•⁠ ⁠⁠The Stoic view on emotions: distinguishing between involuntary reactions, harmful "passions", and the sage's "eupatheiai"

•⁠ ⁠⁠How "Indifferents" like health or wealth are neither truly good nor bad, but are still relevant to virtue

•⁠ ⁠⁠The importance of sociability as a fundamental human characteristic

•⁠ ⁠⁠The challenges of applying ancient Stoicism, considering its original physical and metaphysical underpinnings

•⁠ ⁠⁠How Stoic principles can still offer practical value today

In this inaugural episode, Ariel sits down with Toviah Moldwin, PhD, to explore computational neuroscience. They discuss the similarities and differences between how biological brains and current AI models function and learn. They tackle the question of brain efficiency, particularly in language acquisition, debating the roles of innate biological structures versus learning from data, comparing it to the vast data needs of AI models. Next, Toviah provides an introduction to the field of connectomics – the detailed mapping of neural connections, and also discusses the complexity of single neurons. Finally, they discuss the hard problem of consciousness: can science explain it and can AI attain it?