62: "DEEP VZN" Revisited | Kevin Esvelt
I'm reposting my 2022 interview with Kevin Esvelt on the deranged USAID program "DEEP VZN," in conjunction with my latest appearance on Sam...
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The After On Podcast
A collection of unhurried conversations with world-class thinkers, founders, and scientists.
Episodes
20 of 62 episodes61: An "Observatory" for a Shy Super AI ?
Might we unwittingly start sharing our world with a super AI? A monologue and (mostly) playful thought experiment.
60: Deep Fakes | Sam Harris and Zohaib Ahmed
Will the glittering dawn of the genai era be accompanied by a dark tsunami of pixel-perfect deep fakes? I discuss this prospect with Sam Har...
59: Generative AI | What's New & What's Next
My thoughts on what's happening in the mad world of generative AI, announcing my new home online at robreid.substack.com, and more.
58: Recipes for Future Plagues | Kevin Esvelt
USAID's new "DEEP VZN" program aims to discover new pandemic-grade viruses, then broadcast their genomes to the world, according to MIT evol...
57: Octopus Intelligence (and more!) | Roger Hanlon
A wide-ranging discussion of cognition in octopuses & cuttlefish, plus many, many other topics with globally renowned sensory ecologist Roge...
56: A Massive Future for an Old Vaccine? | Megan Murray
Harvard epidemiologist Megan Murray tells us all about the anti-tuberculosis vaccine "BCG," and the astonishing protection it may provide ag...
55: Detecting Disease Outbreaks from Internet Traffic | Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
This is closely tied to a 4-hour collaboration between Sam Harris and me, which Sam is posting to his podcast's feed. I strongly recommend t...
54: Announcing a New Season
This "episode" is just a quick new announcement of a new season of the podcast (finally)! And also of something very cool that I'm working o...
53: The Case Against Reality | Don Hoffman (classic + updated)
Quantitative Psychologist Don Hoffman has a head-spinning take on the true nature of reality vs. what our senses report to us. This is a rev...
52: Many Quantum Worlds | Sean Carroll
Quantum mechanics – and its eerie "Many Worlds" interpretation – are explored in terms that both poets & physicists can appreciate.
51: On Consciousness | Annaka Harris
The baffling and fascinating mysteries connected to the phenomenon of consciousness are explored in this conversation with the deeply though...
50: About that TED Talk | Kevin Rose
This morning, TED posted a talk I just gave at their annual conference (on 11 days notice!). Kevin Rose interviewed me about my talk for his...
49: Canceling PTSD with MDMA (part 2) | Rick Doblin
The drug known as Molly, Ecstasy and MDMA may soon get regulatory approved for therapeutic use, thanks to a 34-year campaign waged by Rick D...
48: Canceling PTSD with MDMA (part 1) | Rick Doblin
The drug known as Molly, Ecstasy and MDMA may soon get regulatory approved for therapeutic use, thanks to a 34-year campaign waged by Rick D...
47. AI Boom, or Doom? | Stuart Russell
Stuart Russell's textbook is used to teach AI in over 1,400 universities and 120 countries. If AI scares him, it should scare you too.
46: Defeating Food Allergies | Kari Nadeau
The food allergy epidemic is mysterious, volatile, and growing fast. Kari Nadeau and her Stanford team are trying to halt it.
45: End Games (part 2) | Naval Ravikant
A rampage killer with a knife can kill a few. With a gun, dozens. With a jetliner, way more. What might future tech enable? In Part Two of o...
44: End Games (part 1) | Naval Ravikant
Naval & I discuss a horrifying risk. We questioned whether to post this. Might it give someone ideas? Well, the bad guys already HAVE ideas....
43: Synthetic Neurobiology | Ed Boyden
Not yet 40, Ed Boyden has already concocted a panoply of tools, which are revolutionizing neuroscience research. He tells us all about optog...