The Feedback Loop by Singularity

This week my guest is Sander Van Der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge where he has also directed the Social Decision-Making Lab since 2016. In this episode we explore Sander’s latest publication, Foolproof, in which he details the many ways in which humans fall prey to misinformation and ways in which we can resist such persuasion. This primarily takes us on a tour of his work around “pre-bunking,” an experience that gives one an increased resistance to misinformation almost by acting as a mental vaccine. Find out more about Sander and his work at twitter.com/Sander_vdLinden or at sandervanderlinden.com ** Learn more about Singularity: ⁠su.org⁠ Host:⁠ Steven Parton⁠ - ⁠LinkedIn⁠ /⁠ Twitter⁠ Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is philosopher and author, Max Borders, who founded the non-profit Social Evolution in order to solve social problems through innovation, and who has also authored three books deeply exploring humanity’s movement to a society of decentralized governance. In this episode, we explore some of the finer details of decentralization, including how it manifests itself in the digital and physical worlds, how bad actors are kept in check in a society without a central authority, the types of technologies that will help mediate the transition to such a world, and the many flaws and opportunities that exist in such a paradigm. Find out more about at social-evolution.com or follow Max at twitter.com/socialevol ** Apply for registration to our exclusive South By Southwest event on March 14th @ www.su.org/basecamp-sxsw Apply for an Executive Program Scholarship at su.org/executive-program/ep-scholarship Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University’s Project Narrative, Angus Fletcher, who pulls on his background of literature and neuroscience to understand how brains and machines process story and narrative. Angus has recently made some extremely bold claims, including putting forth a proof that “even a sentient, self-aware, and infinitely powerful computer could never innovate” because it can’t engage in narrative thought. In essence, computer AI cannot replicate human creativity, and all of our expectations around self-driving cars and ChatGPT come down to a human-guided prank that pretends to do something it’s not really doing. In this episode, I obviously push back on this idea that narrative limits computer AI, but Angus makes some strong counter-arguments. Find out more about Angus and his work at angusfletcher.co  ** Apply for registration to our exclusive South By Southwest event on March 14th @ www.su.org/basecamp-sxsw Apply for an Executive Program Scholarship at su.org/executive-program/ep-scholarship Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is writer, educator, and futurist, Zak Stein, who is well known for co-founding the Consilience Project with Daniel Schmachtenberger, as well as his recent publication, Education in a Time Between Worlds: Essays on the Future of Schools, Technology, and Society. In this episode, Zak takes us on a well-articulated tour of the philosophical and sociocultural conditions that are causing us to fail at our central task of educating the next generation. Along the way we discuss how technology is playing a role in this struggle for sensemaking, from social media to the future of AI tutors. Much of this, Zak explains, is due to the current issues in the information ecology, issues that he explains could have catastrophic consequences if not rectified.  Find out more about Zak at zakstein.org and his work with the Consilience Project at consilienceproject.org ** Apply for registration to our exclusive South By Southwest event on March 14th @ www.su.org/basecamp-sxsw Apply for an Executive Program Scholarship at su.org/executive-program/ep-scholarship Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is AI researcher and founder of Conjecture, Connor Leahy, who is dedicated to studying AI alignment. Alignment research focuses on gaining an increased understanding of how to build advanced AI systems that pursue the goals they were designed for instead of engaging in undesired behavior. Sometimes, this means just ensuring they share the values and ethics we have as humans so that our machines don’t cause serious harm to humanity. In this episode, Connor provides candid insights into the current state of the field, including the very concerning lack of funding and human resources that are currently going into alignment research. Amongst many other things, we discuss how the research is conducted, the lessons we can learn from animals, and the kind of policies and processes humans need to put into place if we are to prevent what Connor currently sees as a highly plausible existential threat.  Find out more about Conjecture at conjecture.dev or follow Connor and his work at twitter.com/NPCollapse ** Apply for registration to our exclusive South By Southwest event on March 14th @ www.su.org/basecamp-sxsw Apply for an Executive Program Scholarship at su.org/executive-program/ep-scholarship Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

In this episode we check back in with one-time presidential candidate and author of The Transhumanist Wager, Zoltan Istvan, to see how his views have changed since we last talked. This included exploring his changing views in ethics thanks to his study at Oxford, the incredible changes that chatGPT appears to be bringing to society, the disappointments of the longevity movement, and especially concerns around AGI retribution and the “useless” class of humans who will have very few skills that are needed in the transhuman future.  To find out more about Zoltan and his work work, go to zoltanistvan.com or twitter.com/zoltan_istvan ** Apply for registration to our exclusive South By Southwest event on March 14th @ www.su.org/basecamp-sxsw Apply for an Executive Program Scholarship at su.org/executive-program/ep-scholarship Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week’s guest is lawyer, author, and Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, Elizabeth M. Renieris. In this episode, we explore Elizabeth's brand new book, Beyond Data: Reclaiming Human Rights at the Dawn of the Metaverse. This takes us on a tour through the ways in which our obsession with data has failed and distracted us, how we need to return to the pillars of basic human rights law that are already well established if we are to regulate technology appropriately. In essence, there is little need to separate the digital from the physical. Elizabeth argues that to think about it otherwise allows for government regulations to become outdated and for corporations to get away with bad behavior.  Find out more about Elizabeth and her book at hackylawyer.com and twitter.com/hackylawyer ** Apply for registration to our exclusive South By Southwest event on March 14th @ www.su.org/basecamp-sxsw Apply for an Executive Program Scholarship at su.org/executive-program/ep-scholarship Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is research scientist and adjunct professor, Justin Hendrix, who is the CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press (https://techpolicy.press/), a non-profit media community dedicated to exploring the intersection of technology and democracy. In this episode, Justin and I enjoy a wide tour through a variety of topics, including political polarization, social media as a public square, social media as a public utility, the economic possibilities including Universal Basic Income, and much more.  Follow Justin at twitter.com/justinhendrix.  You can also find the paper Justin cited on Collective Stewardship at https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2025764118 ** Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week I’m honored to be joined by MIT Professor, Rosalind Picard, who not only founded the field of affective computing, but is easily considered one of the most impactful inventors alive. In this episode, we explore affective computing and its many impacts on society. This takes on a tour through concepts as wide-ranging as manipulating emotions, treating health challenges, surveillance, social robots, and more. You can follow Rosalind at twitter.com/rosalindpicard, or check out one of her very successful affective tech companies:  @Empatica or @Affectiva ** Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is entrepreneur and technologist, Christopher Nguyen, who–in addition to starting his own companies–has spent four decades working at some of the world’s biggest tech giants. In this episode we explore many facets of AI, including Christopher’s ideas around knowledge-first AI, bad training data for AI, issues with the black box, GPT3, deepfakes, and much more. Follow Christopher and his AI work with Aitomatic at twitter.com/pentagoniac ** Learn more about Singularity: su.org Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is computation social scientist and professor at Columbia University, Sandra Matz, who recently published her book, The Psychology of Technology: Social Science Research in the Age of Big Data. In this episode, we explore many different ways in which technology and psychology are influencing one another in the modern era. This includes but isn’t limited to the influence of big data on psychological research, the battle between exploitation and exploration as fundamental dynamics in our digital lives, the ways in which algorithms shape our views of the world, and a whole lot more. Sandra delivers her expertise with candor and humor, and this makes for a truly enjoyable discussion that I hope you’ll all enjoy as much as I did. Find out more about Sandra and purchase her book at sandramatz.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Our final guest of 2022 is entrepreneur, product innovator, and lecturer at MIT, David Rose. Pulling on an extensive background as VP at Warby Parker and as a long-time explorer of ambient technologies, David recently released his book Supersight: What Augmented Reality Means for Our Lives, Our Work, and the Way We Imagine the Future. Exploring this topic takes us on a tour of some of the incredible work currently taking place and the pragmatic impacts many industries will soon experience, as well as the not-too-distant future where we might all walk around with AR glasses that change the look of reality itself. In addition to the many opportunities this presents for businesses and individuals, we naturally explore the potential dystopian downfalls. We explore the lessons the rapid adoption of GPT3 and AI art have for AR, and ways we might stay optimistic as tech appears to gain increasingly human-like performance. Find more about David and his work at twitter.com/davidrose And we'll be returning on January 9th, 2023 with new episodes for our 4th season of the show. We'll see you then! ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Distinguished Professor in Law at the University of Virginia, Danielle Citron, who recently released her book The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age. Danielle’s book, as well as this episode, explores the darker side of technology as it relates to the data of our intimate lives. This includes sensitive and challenging topics such as revenge porn and online abuse. We additionally explore the broader topics of online privacy, including nuances in section 230 (often considered the most important law in tech), as well as digital IDs, deepfakes, and even potential solutions to some of our current problems. You can buy Danielle's book and find out more about her work at daniellecitron.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is law professor, author, and distinguished speaker, Orly Lobel, who recently published her latest of three books, The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. In this episode we explore the thread that weaves through Orly’s work, which often emphasizes the way economic markets, technology, and the human condition interact. Specifically, we take a deep dive into the limitations and future of intellectual property and monopolies; the way in which cynicism and unrealistic standards hold us back from seeing and implementing humanistic technological solutions; the way in which technology could bring more equality to our societies, and much more. You can find more about Orly and purchase her book at orlylobel.com, or follow her at twitter.com/OrlyLobel ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Rama Chellappa, a pioneering AI researcher and distinguished professor at John Hopkins University who recently published his book, Can We Trust AI? In this episode we try to tackle the question posed by Rama’s book from many angles, exploring topics such as the transparency of AI in regards to the black box issue, the accountability issues for when programmers create algorithms that end lives, the reliability of self-driving cars to navigate an ever-changing environment, and much more. Ultimately, Rama puts forth an argument that is often overlooked: in a world of chaos where things will go wrong and nothing is perfect, are we holding AI to a standard that goes above what we even ask of our human peers? Use code HAI30 for 30% off Can We Trust AI? when you order from Hopkins Press. Order here: https://bit.ly/3tSZ6K6 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is David Wood, a long-time futurist and renowned transhumanist thinker. David has authored 10 books on the subject of our technological future, including his recently published book Singularity Principles: Anticipating and Managing Cataclysmically Disruptive Technologies. In addition to exploring some of the principles and ideas from David’s latest publication, this episode takes a wide but succinct tour of the singularity. This includes (but is certainly not limited to) the rise of artificial general intelligence, and whether we should merge with AI or if it will be a conscious entity separate from humans. We also discuss the variety of challenges that could push us towards a negative Singularity, as well as the many opportunities that could propel us toward an abundant and thriving future.  Find more of David's work at deltawisdom.com or follow him at twitter.com/dw2. ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Dr. Gloria Mark, who is Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to having a PhD in psychology and acting as a visiting senior researcher at Microsoft since 2012, Gloria has recently authored the book Attention Span, which will release on January 10th, 2023. In this conversation, we explore many different facets of attention, including but certainly not limited to how our attention span is decreasing, how technology is shaping our attention habits, the consequences of a struggling attention span, and many different solutions that we might consider to take back control of our attention. You can find Gloria's book Attention Span at Amazon and in most bookstores.  ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is writer, artist and technologist, James Bridle. Famous for trapping a self-driving car with salt in the mountains of Greece, his artworks have been commissioned by numerous galleries and institutions and have been exhibited worldwide. His writing on literature, culture and networks has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Wired, the Atlantic, the New Statesman, the Guardian, and the Financial Times. He is the author of 'New Dark Age' (2018) and his recently published 'Ways of Being' (2022). In this episode, we explore James’ books, with a particular emphasis on the lessons the natural world is teaching us about intelligence and how we can leverage that information to alter A.I.'s development towards something more humanistic and harmonious with the planet. Find James’ work at jamesbridle.com, or get involved with his latest project at serverfarm.jamesbridle.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Brett Johnson, who was listed on America’s Most Wanted list in 2006 for cyber-crime and who the secret service once declared as the “original internet godfather.” Since serving his jail sentence and leaving behind his criminal past, Brett has become a leading consultant on tech security, now helping people learn how to protect themselves against the type of person he once was. In this discussion, we explore a wide variety of topics, including social engineering, deceit in the security sector, common hacking vulnerabilities, the legal abuse of data and privacy by big corporations, digital IDs, the future of deep fakes and brain computer interfaces, and a whole lot more.  Follow Brett's work at anglerphish.com or at twitter.com/GOllumfun ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is David Carroll, a professor of media design at the New School in New York City who gained worldwide renown when he decided to engage in a legal battle with the Cambridge Analytica. For those who may not know, Cambridge Analytica was involved in a massive data scandal using Facebook data to manipulate voters into voting for Donald Trump and Brexit. In this conversation, we explore David’s battle against Cambridge Analytica from start to finish, attempting to go beyond the details captured in the documentary that was made about his fight, The Great Hack. We additionally discuss the current and future dynamics of data privacy and protection, including the often overlooked risks and the potential legislation that could drastically change humanity’s relationship with data. Follow David at twitter.com/profcarroll ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is business and technology reporter, Peter Ward. Earlier this year, Peter released his book The Price of Immortality: The Race to Live Forever, where he investigates the many movements and organizations that are seeking to extend human life, from the Church of Perpetual Life in Florida, to some of the biggest tech giants in Silicon Valley.  In this episode, we explore Peter’s findings, which takes us on a tour from cryonics to mind uploading, from supplements to gene editing, and much more. Along the way, we discuss the details of how one might actually achieve immortality, the details of senescent cells and telomeres, whether it's better to live healthy than to live long, the scams and failures that seem to dominate the space, as well as the efforts that seem most promising. Find Peter's work on PenguinRandomHouse.com or follow him at twitter.com/PeterWardJourno ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is author and podcaster, Azeem Azhar, who has a robust background as an investor, founder, and regulator in the tech space, including several years working with the World Economic Forum on the Global Future Council on Digital Economy and Society.  Azeem spends much of his time these days creating content for ExponentialView.co, where he provides weekly assessments of the dynamics at play in humanity’s exponential transformation. The key ideas he’s uncovered on this journey can be found in his latest book, The Exponential Age: How Accelerating Technology is Transforming Business, Politics and Society. In this episode, we review his book and the wisdom he’s gained over the years, with an emphasis on the impacts of the growing divide taking place between technology’s advancements and society’s ability to keep up with it.  Find Azeem's work at ExponentialView.co or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/azeem ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Michael Shermer, who founded Skeptic Magazine and is the executive director of the Skeptic’s Society. Michael’s written many books over the years, including Heavens on Earth, which explores technologists efforts towards immortality; Giving the Devil His Due, which is a collection of essays on scientific humanism; and later this month he’ll be publishing Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational. Given Michael’s wide array of interest, we take a wide tour of many different ideas in this episode, including: free speech online, governmental regulation, how the internet has impacted conspiracy theories, reasons to be skeptical about technology, and much more. Find Michael's podcast and latest publications on his website michaelshermer.com, or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/michaelshermer ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Hi everyone,  Just wanted to make a quick episode to let you know we're taking a short break for these next few weeks, but we'll be back with a steady stream of more episodes on October 2nd. I also wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of those who take time to listen every week. With your support we've been able to consistently rank as one of the most listened to tech podcasts in the world, attracting a remarkable lineup of guests who I've felt truly honored to talk to and whose conversations I hope you've enjoyed as much as I have.  If you haven't done so yet, I recommend checking out our Youtube channel where you can find other great content from Singularity as well as videos for some select episodes of the podcast. We also have a wonderful website for the podcast (https://www.su.org/podcasts/the-feedback-loop), where you can find time-coded transcripts packaged together nicely with videos and links to the podcasts.  Be sure to subscribe if you haven't yet, as we'll have some big announcements coming this winter regarding ways you get more involved with the podcast, including potentially being featured on the show.  Thanks again, and I'll see you in a couple of weeks. 

This week our guest is Kevin Roose, a tech columnist for The New York Times and author of several books including his latest Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation. In this episode, Kevin and I discuss how the world’s tendency towards automation is leading to the end of many professions as well as a world of individuals whose behavior is shaped by algorithms. We explore how humans have promoted technology from an assistant that helps us meet our goals into now being a boss that controls our filter on reality by controlling what information we see. This includes things like recommendation engines, what we see in our news feeds, what ideas we’re exposed to most frequently, and a whole lot more. Kevin proposes that to be more employable and free from these behavioral constraints, we should focus on being social, surprising, and scarce. Find more of Kevin's work at kevinroose.com, or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/kevinroose ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Mark Mills, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who recently authored The Cloud Revolution: How the Convergence of New Technologies Will Unleash the Next Economic Boom and A Roaring 2020s. In this episode, Mark and I discuss how the latest advancements in materials, machines, and information are unlocking a profound new paradigm represented by the cloud, the impact of which Mark argues has been severely underestimated. As part of this conversation, we also explore the ways such tech will impact automation, governmental regulation, and our on-going tension between climate and energy production. As Mark describes it himself, he’s a realist and an optimist, and both of those things are conveyed in this information rich episode.  Find more of Mark's work at tech-pundit.com or follow him at twitter.com/markpmills ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is author and technologist, David Weinberger, who has spent years lecturing at Harvard as well as acting as a fellow and senior researcher at the renowned Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. And just prior to covid, David released his latest book, Everyday Chaos: Technology, Complexity, and How We’re Thriving in a New World of Possibility. In this episode, David and I explore some of the key ideas he focused on in Everyday Chaos. This includes looking at the ways in which we have historically used reductionist thinking to make generalizations for society, products, and technology, and how the latest technologies like the internet and Machine learning are revealing how much more we can thrive when we embrace chaos and customization. This means letting individuals and data tell us what people want by exploring all the possibilities rather than attempting to predict and shape outcomes beforehand.  Find out more about David at his website weinberger.org and buy his book at everydaychaosbook.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is lecturer, investor, and author, Nir Eyal, whose previous two books include Hooked: How To Build Habit Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Nir has a lot of experience teaching and discussing these subjects, so we were able to explore many different aspects of attention in a very short time. This include the triggers that drive us to get hooked to products, the morality of “hooking” people’s attention, the distinction between addiction and distraction, why Nir thinks social media hijacking attention is a dangerous myth, how managing our attention is about managing our pain, and many ways in which we can bolster our defenses against distraction and control our attention.  Find out more about Nir's work at nirandfar.com, and download the Indistractable workbook at indistractable.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is NBC technology correspondent, Jacob Ward, who recently released his book, The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back. In this episode we focus broadly on the ways in which technology and AI are learning from the worst instincts of human beings, and then using those bad behaviors to shape our future choices. As a result, Jacob suggests this creates feedback loops of increasingly limited and increasingly short-sighted behavior. This conversation includes exploring topics such as big data, bad incentives for programmers, profit motives, historical bias reflected in data, system 1 vs system 2 thinking, and much more.  Find out more about Jacob at jacobward.com or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/byjacobward ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Rob Reich, a professor of political science at Stanford University and co-author of the recently published book System Error: Where Big Tech Went Wrong and How We Can Reboot. In this episode, we focus heavily on how the tech industry’s obsession with efficiency and optimization has often meant sacrificing our values and even democracy itself. This includes conversations about data privacy, the tension between recklessly fast innovation and mindful but slow progress, concerns over China, the job market, and much much more. Additionally, we discuss some optimistic and very actionable steps that individuals, universities, and businesses can take to help society reboot our failed relationship with Big Tech.  Find the book on Amazon, follow Rob at twitter.com/robreich, and stay tuned for Rob's upcoming class on these subjects at systemerrorbook.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is cognitive neuroscientist and author, Bobby Azarian, who recently released his book “The Romance of Reality–  How the Universe Organizes Itself to Create Life, Consciousness, and Cosmic Complexity.” In this episode, we do our best to get the full picture of this process, from how physics shapes life, how that life has an evolutionary tendency towards increased information processing, and how the resulting computational universe presents us with existential problems that require human cooperation to solve. Amongst other things, this includes a conversation about the possibility of a global brain connected by technology, the possibility of machine consciousness, and what technologies and cultural behaviors might bring us towards a future worth living, with a final emphasis on Bobby’s enthusiasm for blockchain. You can follow Bobby at twitter.com/bobbyazarian, buy his book on Amazon, and stay up to date with his latest work on Youtube (www.youtube.com/c/ROADTOOMEGA) and Substack (roadtoomega.substack.com)

This week our guest academic philosopher, Susan Schneider, who is the founding director for the Center for the Future Mind at Florida Atlantic University, as well as the author of the 2019 book, Artificial You: AI and the Future of Your Mind. In this episode we focus heavily on Susan’s thoughts, hopes, and concerns surrounding the current conversations regarding artificial intelligence. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, the philosophical and ethical questions that AI presents in general, the feasibility of mind uploading and machine consciousness, the ways we may end up outsourcing our decision making to machines, how we might merge with machines, and how these potential tech futures might impact identity and sense of self. You can learn more about Susan at schneiderwebsite.com, and find out how to get involved with her work at fau.edu/future-mind ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is philosopher and psychoanalytic theorist, Isabel Millar, who recently released her book, The Psychoanalysis of Artificial Intelligence, in which she explores the much neglected role of enjoyment and psychoanalysis in AI. Throughout the book, she uses the sexbot as a focal point of discussion, which allows her to emphasize the role of gender, sex, and a body as it relates to deeper questions about AI & humanity. In this conversation we explore the notions of Isabel’s book, first by establishing an understanding of psychoanalysis, then by going through themes such as the importance of a body, the role of the female AI in film and the cultural and philosophical importance of film, the dominance of men in the creation of AI, and ultimately what AI can teach us about ourselves. Find out more about Isabel at isabelmillar.com and purchase her book through Springer or Amazon  ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is German professor and philosopher, Stefan Sorgner, who has extensively studied and written about the topic of transhumanism–which is commonly defined as a movement that promotes the use of technology to enhance the capabilities of humans. Stefan’s work on the subject includes his 2020 book “On Transhumanism,” his recently released “We Have Always Been Cyborgs,” and peer-reviewed publications such as “Nietzsche, the Overhuman, and Transhumanism.” In this conversation, Stefan and I discuss the key ideas central to transhumanism, including how the movement differs from traditional approaches to societal improvement, bad ideas within the movement that need to be corrected, the cultural differences in perception of transhumanism that exists between America, Europe, and the East, the deep importance of data ownership and privacy, and much more. Find out more about Stefan and his work at: sorgner.de ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is businessman and entrepreneur, Jim Rutt, who you may know as the former chairman of the Sante Fe Institute or from his own podcast, The Jim Rutt show. Jim is also arguably the founding spearhead for a movement known as “Game B,” which we’ll discuss much more deeply in the episode but which could quickly be described here as an alternative to the destabilizing, exploitative, and zero-sum approach to society we currently have. Beyond detailing the specifics of Game B, this episode also explores Jim’s thoughts on technology, including online communities, social media moderation, digital IDs, and the ways in which Game B principles can be utilized to improve technology. Jim’s article on Game B: https://medium.com/@memetic007/a-journey-to-gameb-4fb13772bcf3 Join the game B movement: https://www.game-b.org/ Listen to Jim’s podcast: https://www.jimruttshow.com/ ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is hacker, Andrew “Bunnie” Huang, who is well known for clashing with Microsoft in the early 2000s when he taught others how to hack and modify the Xbox. Nearly twenty years later, and Bunnie is suing the US government for ways in which the Digital Millennium Copyright Act threatens free speech, all while also creating hackable hardware with other influential tech figures such as whistleblower Edward Snowden.  In this episode we explore Bunnie’s thoughts on current trends and behaviors in technology, including tech security, copyright and IP laws, the differences between China and the western world’s approach to innovation, and the current issues around the chip shortage facing the global economy. If you want to learn more about Bunnie and his work, join us in the Singularity Community (su.org/community) where we’ll be announcing a virtual watch party to premiere a documentary on Bunnie entitled “The Hacktivist.” Or follow Bunnie's work at bunniestudios.com. ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Todd Rose, who was previously a professor at Harvard University where he led the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and was the faculty director of the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Since then, Todd  co-founded the think-tank Populace to help improve society and the lives of individuals, and wrote a book we’ll be talking about a lot in this episode: “Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions.” We explore what these collective illusions are, how they relate to technology, and the opportunities and consequences of navigating these illusions. Todd recommend reading this piece by Václav Havel entitled The Power of the Powerless, and you can find more about Todd and his work at toddrose.com. ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Yanis Varoufakis, a Greek economist and politician who was the acting Minister of Finance in Greece during their debt crises in 2015. Since then, he founded the political party Mera25, and now sits in the Greek parliament as a member of the party. Aside from his work in government, Yanis has extensive experience with the role of technology in the economic sphere, which includes researching virtual economies at one of the world’s largest gaming companies, Valve, and he has even put forth plans for blockchain-based payments systems for Greece. He also recently wrote a science fiction novel entitled, Another Now, which challenges readers to "Imagine a world with no banks. No stock market. No tech giants. No billionaires." While we discuss some larger implications of tech on economic structures, much of our conversation focuses on his concerns for what he calls “Techno Feudalism,” which he describes as the potential death of democratic capitalism at the hands of the tech elite.  Follow more of Yanis' work at yanisvaroufakis.eu or twitter.com/yanisvaroufakis ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Bernardo Kastrup, who has an impressive background of working for CERN, the world’s largest and most advanced particle physics laboratory, has written 10 books, and holds a PhD in both computer engineering and philosophy. During these years of honing his unique expertise, Bernardo developed his ideas of analytical idealism, building on the philosophy of metaphysical idealism. In the simplest terms I can explain it, Bernardo basically believes that there is no physical world, but rather that all of existence is experiential, a mental construct given form through our perceptions. We explore this idea in much more detail in the first half of this episode, and for the second half we discuss the implications of this worldview on innovation, technology, and culture. This includes exploring why Bernardo believes it’s impossible for an artificial intelligence to ever gain consciousness. While Bernardo does a fantastic job explaining his ideas, I’ll warn listeners now that at times this is a very philosophical and potentially challenging conversation, as it demands questioning our foundational awareness of reality and consciousness. But for those who are interested in the topic, it is rich with thought-provoking ideas.  Learn more about Bernardo and his work at essentiafoundation.org or bernardokastrup.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

As we pass the second yearly anniversary of the show, we take a look back at some of our favorite segments from past episodes with academic guests who share our passion for everything "Singularity". This includes episodes with Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying (FBL34), Anna Lembke (FBL24), and Toby Ord (FBL16). With their combined years of academic education and research at some of the best universities in the world, these academics take us on tour through our evolutionary relationship with technology, the way in which this relationship has caused addiction, and the existential risk posed by biotech and artificial intelligence.  ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

As we pass the second yearly anniversary of the show, we take a look back at some of our favorite segments from past episodes with comedian guests who share our passion for everything "Singularity". This includes episodes with Stephen Fry (FBL20), Duncan Trussell (FBL21), and Reggie Watts (FBL22). Often known for their insights into the human condition, these well-read comedians take us on a tour from ancient Greek mythology, through modern day social media, and into the future of basic income to explore the different ways in which technology is a part of the human story.  ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Meghan O'Gieblyn, who has written regularly for entities such as Wired, The New York Times, and The Guardian, in addition to authoring books such as Interior States and her latest book: God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning. Interestingly, much of Meghan’s work pulls on her experience losing her faith in religion while simultaneously being drawn into transhumanism from reading the Age of Spiritual Machines by Singularity’s very own Ray Kurzweil. This exploration of Meghan's background and her latest book takes us on a journey through the ways in which technology and spirituality have historically woven together, the current ways in which they are conflicting, and the future philosophical questions we’re going to be forced to reconcile. For those of you interested in this subject, I highly recommend going and listening to episode 52 with Micah Redding, which lays a lot of the foundation that we build on her in this episode.  Find out more about Meghan through her website meghanogieblyn.com, or find her book on Amazon. **  Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Reason magazine’s Senior Editor, Robby Soave, who recently published his newest book, Tech Panic, Why We Shouldn’t Fear Facebook and the Future. This work focuses heavily on how the societal panic about the dangers of social media are overblown, and how this panic could be used to justify harmful governmental policies that increase censorship and limit free speech. In this conversation we explore this dynamic in detail, in addition to talking about the role of advertising, mental health issues in young women, the polarization between American political parties, and much more. You can follow Robby and his work at twitter.com/robbysoave ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Micah Redding, who is the founder and Executive Director of the Christian Transhumanist Association, an organization that believes science and technology can be used to alter the human condition in a way that empowers the beliefs of Christianity. In this episode, my goal is simply to gain an understanding of how Micah and other Christian transhumanists see the world. This takes us on a journey from the foundations of their belief system to an exploration of concepts such as brain uploads, living in a simulation, and the possibility that Jesus was simply an avatar in the simulation created by his programmer father, God. To find out more about the Christian Transhumanist Association, visit christiantranshumanism.org ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is cognitive scientist, Scott Barry Kaufman, who has an impressive resume that includes teaching at NYU and Columbia, writing for Scientific American, hosting a podcast on psychology that is so definitive it’s actually called The Psychology Podcast, and is the author of several books including his latest, Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization. In this episode we take a very psychology-centric approach to technology, looking very specifically at how we can navigate the negative aspects of technology that threaten our ability to be ourselves and to be happy. Follow Scott at Twitter.com/sbkaufman or look into more of his work at scottbarrykaufman.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, who has authored several of my personal favorite books including the Happiness Hypothesis, The Righteous Mind, and the Coddling of the American Mind. We're lucky enough to have Jon join us to discuss his just released Atlantic article entitled, 'Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid,' which explores his upcoming book about social media. In this episode we discuss the key points of this article, exploring what dynamics shifted in American life as a result of social media and the resulting impacts on our children’s mental health, on our politics, and on the fabric of society itself.  Visit TheCoddling.com or LetGrow.org for more information on raising and mentoring Gen-Z kids to be less anxious and depressed. And if you wish to learn more about viewpoint diversity in academia, visit Heterodoxacademy.org ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Kent Bye, the voice behind the podcast, Voices of VR, which has undoubtedly been one of the world’s leading sources of virtual reality information for nearly a decade now. This episode honestly feels like one of the most informative and comprehensive conversations we’ve had on the show yet, with Kent’s expertise carrying us through a wide array of VR relevant topics. This includes everything from the journey of VR to this point, the trajectory of VR into the future, the dynamics of design and of hardware, the impact of the Indie community versus the impact of Meta, the philosophical impacts in terms of well-being, the role of capitalism and perverse incentives, and a whole, whole lot more. Follow Kent at twitter.com/kentbye and listen to the Voices of VR at voicesofvr.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Nolen Gertz, who is an Assistant Professor of Applied Philosophy at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, and the author of several books including “Nihilism and Technology.” In this episode we really focus on the philosophical side of technology, exploring related concepts of hedonism, the need for struggle, apathy for the world’s challenges, and much more. Ultimately, Nolen proposes that technology is allowing us to stay comfortable and nihilistic while the world burns around us and that we need to embrace responsibility in order to restore a balance to our lives. Following Nolen and his work at twitter.com/ethicistforhire ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Robin Ince, a comedian, actor, and writer known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage with physicist Brian Cox, his appearances alongside Ricky Gervais, and his stand-up comedy career. In this episode we explore topics from Robin’s latest book, The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity, which takes readers on a tour through Robin’s scientific journey, his interviews with guests, and why he thinks it’s so important that we remain interested in science despite the commonly held view that its a distant and difficult subject reserved only for academics. Our conversation also explores the role of technology in all of this, and how it’s related to our relationship with science. Find Robin's book and tour dates through his website robinince.com or follow his latest updates via his twitter.com/robinince ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Michael P Lynch, who is the Professor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut and author of several books including “The Internet of Us” and his latest “Know-It-All Society: Truth and Arrogance in Political Culture.” He self describes his work as an exploration of truth, democracy and the ethics and epistemology of technology. In this episode, we take a tour of Michael’s perspective on multiple issues related to digital behavior and the pursuit of truth. This includes the impacts of our overabundance of digital information, the fundamental aspects of the human condition, the consequences of our technological infrastructure, the success and failures of our institutions, and a whole lot more. You can find out more about Micheal at his website (https://michael-lynch.philosophy.uconn.edu/), and can follow his work exploring the Future of Truth at https://futureoftruth.uconn.edu/ ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Lee McIntyre, who is a research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and author of a series of books coming to the defense of science, including his latest book: “How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason.” In this discussion we explore the many aspects of science denial and conspiracy theories. This includes exploring the role of technology, personal motivations, societal disenfranchisement, disinformation, and more. Additionally, we also discuss some of the solutions to these issues, with a particular emphasis on a non-technological option that’s luckily available to all of us: respectful, face-to-face conversations. Find out more about Lee's work at https://leemcintyrebooks.com/ ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Singularity’s very own expert in Health, Longevity, and Life Sciences, Kris VeerBurg. In addition to being an actual medical doctor, Kris has authored several books, including his latest work,The Longevity Code: Secrets to Living Well for Longer from the Front Lines of Science. And he’s also the co-founder of NOVOS (https://novoslabs.com), which positions itself as the first nutraceutical company that helps people take control of their health and lifespans. This episode explores the many facets of aging, longevity, and death, ranging from the more abstract philosophical perspectives to very concrete scientific and technological approaches. Kris’ knowledge set is truly impressive, and I can’t recommend this episode enough for anyone who wants an extremely comprehensive primer for all things longevity and aging, including practical life tips. Follow Kris on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/krisverburgh, and get his latest book at Amazon. ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Hrish Lotlikar, who is best known as the founder and CEO of Superworld. Hrish will explain in much better detail what Superworld is in our discussion, but for now, the best way to think about it is an augmented world that sits on top of the real world, much like Pokemon Go. However, in Superworld, users can create what augmented reality objects exist in the world, and they can additionally purchase the virtual real estate that exists in any actual location on earth. This conversation with Hrish goes into much greater detail about how all of this works, with a particular emphasis on the role of NFTs and social impact. This is a great episode for anyone who is interested in getting an idea of what’s possible in this space and learning about some tools and approaches that can be explored. Find out more about Superworld at: https://www.superworldapp.com/, or contact the team or Hrish at Outreach@superworldapp.com or CEO@superworldapp.com ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Riz Virk, who founded the Play Labs at MIT, has produced several films and video games, and has authored several books including his latest: The Simulated Multiverse. In this conversation we delve into the topics of the Simulated Multiverse, exploring the simulation hypothesis, quantum physics, spirituality, and so much more--including the many different ways cultures have been obsessed with this idea since the dawn of time. You can find more about Riz's work at https://www.zenentrepreneur.com/, or purchase his latest book here. * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Michael Bhaskar, who has authored several books exploring the impact of technology, specifically around the publishing and curation of content. In his latest work, the Human Frontier: The Future of Big Ideas in the Age of Small Thinking, Michael instead turns his attention towards the creation of content, and in particular how humanity seems to be running out of big ideas. In this conversation we delve into the many facets of this theory, exploring numerous bits of evidence and examples that support this notion. We also explore how the technological singularity may be our last chance for big ideas, how cultural and philosophical tendencies are worsening the situation, what possible paths lay before us to address this lack of moonshot innovation, and much more. Find out more about Michael and his work at http://www.michaelbhaskar.com/ * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Jeremy Lent, who is the author of several books, including The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning, and his more recent work, The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find our Place in the Universe. Importantly, a great deal of Jeremy’s work addresses many of the topics that are near and dear to our hearts at Singularity, one of which is a sustainable, connected, and prosperous future. However, Jeremy believes that our current approach and worldview are causing humans, and therefore the technology we create, to often lead us in the opposite direction, towards a world of disconnection, destruction, and exploitation. To help us navigate these potential futures, Jeremy provides us with some incredibly well-articulated insights and metaphors that help frame the options that exist before us. Find Jeremy's work at https://www.jeremylent.com/ * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is Philip Rosedale, who is well known as the founding creator of Second Life and his subsequent work with VR and spatial audio company, High Fidelity.  We were extremely lucky to catch Philip the day after the major announcement of his return to Second Life as an advisor after nearly a decade away from the company. This set the foundation for our conversation, which then took an incredible journey through myriad topics including the pros and cons of virtual reality, decentralization, cryptocurrency and digital assets. We also get into issues around the attention economy, data privacy, advertising revenue models, and wealth disparity in both the physical and digital worlds. * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Christian Madsbjerg who is the Professor of Applied Humanities at The New School in New York and co-founder of the consultancy Red Associates. In this episode, we primarily discuss the ideas put forth in Christian’s latest book, Sensemaking: The Power of the Humanities in the Age of the Algorithm. Amongst other things, this includes exploring some of Christian’s key principles such as looking at cultures instead of individuals, looking at people’s experiences in their natural environment rather than in the lab, and looking at thick data (which includes context and passion) instead of thin data which tends to focus solely on cold hard facts. While most of this conversation will explore the shortcomings of a data-obsessed decision-making, we start off with a conversation Christian and I had started before recording dealing with his latest fascination: attention. Follow Christian's work at https://madsbjerg.com/ * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is futurist Eva Galperin who is the director of cybersecurity at the electronic frontier foundation, which might be argued to be the world’s leading non-profit when it comes to defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation. As you’ll hear her explain, Eva specializes in issues around vulnerable populations, such as journalists, activists, and people who are victims of domestic abuse. In this episode we not only explore the privacy and security issues facing such groups as well as the wider population, but we also dig into questions about regulations, the issues created by our blindness to cultural differences, unique digital IDs, online voting, data ownership, and more. You can follow Eva's work with the Electronic Frontier Foundation @ https://www.eff.org/about/staff/eva-galperin or follow her at https://twitter.com/evacide * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is futurist Tracey Follows, who recently released her book, The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st-Century Technology? In this episode we explore many different aspects of identity and privacy, including narcissism, how our identities are being flattened into carbon copies of one another, anonymity, how our digital identities are influencing how we live, and much more. You can find more of Tracey's work at https://www.traceyfollows.com/ or follow her on at https://twitter.com/traceyfutures * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week my guest is science fiction author and activist, Cory Doctorow, who has such an extensive and prolific background that I’ll let him describe it to you at the top of the podcast. But I will say that whether you agree with him or not, Cory has an incredible clarity of insight that brings together a very wide variety of topics, and luckily he also has the ability to articulate those thoughts. In this episode, we explore science fiction's impact on the world, how we balance the cost of technological solutions and progress, the failures of blockchain, peak indifference, gig economies, climate change, digital IDs, and so much more. You can read more about Cory's work at his website (https://craphound.com/) or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/doctorow * Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guests are evolutionary biologists, Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying, who many of you might recognize from their frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, or from their very own show, the Darkhorse Podcast, where they explore current affairs through an evolutionary lens. They’ve recently released a brand new book, A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century: Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life, where they combine their decades of expertise into a comprehensive overview of the many lessons evolution can teach us, including concepts like the precautionary principle, Sucker’s Folly, Chesterton's Fence, and more. This was a wonderfully expansive conversation exploring many of the ways in which technology and capitalism is being driven by our ancient genetic wiring. This includes exploring the impacts of social media, of technological infrastructure, of capitalism and its incentives, the biological influences of complacency due to technological comfort, and far much more than I can even begin to summarize here. ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is journalist and author Elizabeth Kolbert whose work focuses heavily on climate change. Her books on the subject include Field Notes From A Catastrophe, The 6th Extinction (which won a Pulitzer prize), and her most recent 2021 book: Under A White Sky. In this episode, we explore the content and ideas that Elizabeth puts forth in these books, with a particular focus on what kind of changes climate change is causing to the world and the ways in which humanity has been responding--for better or worse. Find out more about Elizabeth on her website (ElizabethKolbert.com) or on Twitter at twitter.com/elizkolbert ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is sociologist Steve Fuller, who has a long history exploring Transhumanism, including his 2011 book Humanity 2.0: What it Means to be Human. Past, Present and Future. To start this conversation, we first ask: what is Humanity 1.0? What is the version of humanity we’ve had since the dawn of civilization until today? And from there, we take a journey into the details of our transformation into Humanity 2.0, into the different flavors of post-humanism and the different challenges and opportunities afforded by each. This means a deep exploration of the sociopolitical, cultural, moral, and religious changes the future has in store for us. Steve's latest book on the subject is Nietzschean Meditations: Untimely Thoughts at the Dawn of the Transhuman Era Find him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/profstevefuller *Steve also asked to make a correction, as he meant 'George Church' and not 'George Graham' in regards to his thoughts on Mammoths, Neanderthals, etc ** Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is social psychologist, Katy Cook, who authored the 2019 book: The Psychology of Silicon Valley : Ethical Threats and Emotional Unintelligence in the Tech Industry. And so as you might expect, that’s exactly what we talk about. That takes us on a tour exploring ideas like empathy, capitalism, and the concept of progress. In a lot of ways, the key focus of Katy’s work and this conversation deals with the lack of the humanities (and to that extent humanistic values) in tech companies, which ultimately impacts all of us due to the monopoly such companies have on our attention. The ebook version of Katy’s book is FREE and can be found here on Google Books You can also follow Katy’s next adventure exploring individualism around the country on Instagram: @the.states.of.the.nation ** Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is British transhumanist David Pearce, who was one of the co-founders of the World Transhumanist Association, which has since been rebranded as Humanity+. In addition to being on the front lines of the early transhumanist movement, David is also well known for his active work on what he calls the “Hedonistic Imperative,” which seeks to use genetic engineering and nanotechnology to abolish suffering in all sentient life. Obviously this is a very bold agenda, and through this conversation I try to push David on the many nuances and challenges inherent in this goal. Along the way we explore the fundamental questions of transhumanism, whether we’ll ever upload our consciousness into machines, the dangers of giving humans (who are known for their tendency towards addiction) control over their own neurotransmitters, questions around regulation, whether suffering is necessary for appreciating life, and so much more. You can find more about David’s work at www.hedweb.com/ ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week we have our first-ever return guest, Douglas Rushkoff, who was one of our first guests on the show. If you missed that episode or you’re not familiar with Douglas, then let me tell you--you’re in for quite the treat. Douglas is a no-bullshit media theorist who is undeniably one of the most influential thinkers who has been steering digital culture. We touch on many topics in this episode, but without a doubt the biggest focus throughout is how capitalism and digital culture are negatively impacting the ways in which we interact with one another and how we build our communities. We also briefly touch on topics like basic income, NFTs, cryptocurrency, and climate change. Find Douglas' wonderful podcast at www.teamhuman.fm  ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Josiah Zayner, who just might be the most prominent and controversial biohacker out there right now. He’s done numerous experiments that have drawn both positive and negative attention, such as transplanting the microbiome of another person into his body, attempting to genetically alter the color of his skin, and injecting CRISPR modifications into his body to enhance his muscles. As radical as these things may sound, he does have a PhD in biosphysics and previously worked for NASA genetically modifying organisms for mars, so he’s not exactly an amateur. In this episode we explore Josiah’s journey from traditional scientist to biohacker, and along the way discuss the possibilities of gene editing, the dangers, and how we should regulate and navigate this future inevitability. You can access Josiah's company at the-odin.com and follow him personally at twitter.com/4lovofscience ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is author and speaker, Amber Case, who amongst many things is well known for her TedTalk titled, We Are All Cyborgs Now, and her book “Calm Technology.” In this episode we focus almost exclusively on the principles and ideas Amber puts forth in her book, Calm Technology, exploring how we can design technology in ways that won’t dominate our attention and undermine our humanity. We also talk about design for failure and edge-cases. Ultimately, this means promoting design that is more big picture, more human-centric, and more considerate of the actual environment it will be used in. You can find Amber at https://twitter.com/caseorganic or via her website at: https://www.caseorganic.com/ ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is science writer, Annie Murphy Paul, who just recently released her latest book, The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain. In the Extended Mind, Annie takes us on a tour of the different types of intelligence we are able to tap into, focusing primarily on three often overlooked forms: thinking with our bodies, thinking with our surroundings, and thinking with our relationships. In this episode we explore these ideas in much greater detail, and also dig into how these forms of thinking relate to our use of technology and to our lives. You can find Annie at https://twitter.com/anniemurphypaul & her newsletter at https://anniemurphypaul.substack.com/ ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is renowned futurist, Amy Webb. Amongst her many accomplishments, she is the founder of the Future Today Institute, a professor of strategic insight at the NYU Stern School of Business, and author of numerous books including The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity and The Signals Are Talking: Why Today’s Fringe Is Tomorrow’s Mainstream. This is just a small taste of her efforts, but to give you an idea of how significant her influence is, Forbes once listed Amy as one of the 5 women changing the world. In this episode we take a wide exploration of her work, including how to think like a futurist, how to avoid future-panic, the impact of covid on our technological trajectory, the power of storytelling, China’s influence, the impact of social media, and so much more. You can find out more about Amy at her website (https://amywebb.io/) or at https://twitter.com/amywebb And keep your eyes out for her upcoming book, The Genesis Machine: Our Quest to Rewrite Life in the Age of Synthetic Biology ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist currently working as the Chief of Addiction Medicine at Stanford’s Dual Diagnosis clinic. She was recently interviewed for the Social Dilemma, the amazing Netflix documentary exploring the dangers of social media.  On this episode, we really dive deep into the heart of addiction--how it starts, how it controls our behavior, and how to escape its magnetic pull. But more specifically, we explore the role of social media and smartphones, and how these tools are hijacking our evolutionary drive for novelty, pleasure, exploration, and connection with other human beings. Her latest book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, just released last week. ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Tan Le, who is CEO of the bioinformatics company Emotiv, which makes wearable EEG neuro-headsets that enable people to collect data on their brain activity. Tan Le has a truly remarkable story, from Vietnamese refugee, to studying Law, to becoming the Young Australian of the Year, all the way to her current role helping to drive the accessibility of neuroscience. In this episode, we explore her journey, including how someone without neuroscience training can nonetheless create a company that pushes the field forward, and we also dig more deeply into how the headsets work and the future Tan believes we’ll create with such technology. Read her book, The NeuroGeneration and check out her company, Emotiv.com ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Today we are joined by actor, comedian, and musician, Reggie Watts, who many of you might recognize from the Late Late Show with James Corden, where he leads the house band, or from one of his many amazing performances, including TedTalks and music videos that have garnered tens of millions of views. In this episode, Reggie and I talk about creating content with technology, the failures of the digital advertising model, how to escape the attention economy, the benefits of basic income, and how to bring out the best in people when their needs aren’t being met. One great example of challenging the current advertising and creator model is Reggie's very own app, WattsApp, which you can find on Apple & on Android phones. ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership @ singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program @ go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Today we have one of my favorite comedians, Duncan Trussell, who many of you might recognize from his frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, on Drunk History, or his latest Netflix show, The Midnight Gospel. He also has his own podcast, the Duncan Trussell Family Hour, which provides a steady stream of humor and thought-provoking conversation. On this episode, we take a wide exploration of humanity's relationship with technology and how it's impacting our behavior.  **  Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program  ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Stephen Fry, famed actor, comedian, writer, and director whose prolific list of creative and intellectual endeavors have touched so many aspects of our lives.  On this episode, we start by exploring the lessons myth can teach us about technology in honor of Stephen’s latest book release, Troy, which follows Mythos and Heroes, a series of compendiums where Stephen retells the myths of ancient Greece, albeit with his trademark proclivity towards wit and wisdom. From there we explore the rise of artificial intelligence and the upcoming technological transformation of humanity, with an emphasis on the role culture plays in steering this future. ** Sign up for your 2 week free trial of Singularity's premium membership at singularity.org/2weektrial Apply to join our Nov 7th - 11th Executive Program at go.su.org/ep2021 ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is the renowned Kevin Kelly, who many of you will no doubt recognize as the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, and author of revelatory books such as What Technology Wants and The Inevitable. We dig deeply into what drives Kevin’s techno-optimism, the ideas of spiritual technology, China’s future, the regulatory landscape of AI, and ultimately how technology has shaped our species and what we define as the human condition. Show Notes: Get 2 free weeks of Singularity's premium membership by going to http://singularity.org/2weektrial Find Kevin’s work at KK.org, or follow him on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/kevin2kelly Kevin’s Recommendo Newsletter: https://www.recomendo.com/ ** Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Principle, Meet Practice, with Kyle Nel. Episode 4: Today we’re going to cover the topic Sustainable Organizations with Ryan Kushner, Co-Founder and Director of Startups at Third Derivative, and Carola Wijdoogen, Director of Sustainability University Foundation. Creating a sustainable organization is imperative in today’s world. We are living in a critical time to action against the global climate crisis, which has dire effects on ecosystems, agriculture and humanity. If that isn’t enough to push your organization to go sustainable, consider this: 88% of consumers prefer companies that help them live more sustainably according to a 2018 survey. Need one more reason? It’s a trillion-dollar economic opportunity. Today, we’ll talk about why and how your organization should go climate neutral.

This week our guest is Liv Boeree, who got her start studying astrophysics in England, became well known as one of the world's most successful poker players, then transitioned into effective altruism and science communication. In this conversation, we dip our toes into Liv’s background, game theory, and the mental frameworks and motivations Liv uses to navigate reality. But the greater part of discussion explores the ways in which social media is negatively influencing rational discourse and our ability to be rational actors. Show Notes: Find Liv on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Liv_Boeree Scott Alexander's : Meditations on Moloch ** Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton - LinkedIn / Twitter Music by: Amine el Filali

Today we’re going to talk about how access to water and food impacts global education with Carmen Burbano de Lara, Director of School Feeding for the World Food Programme, and Georgie Badiel, CEO and Founder of the Georgie Badiel Foundation. Access to food and clean water enables millions of children globally to be able to attend school. Today, we’ll talk about what this means for humanity now and in the future, and how listeners can take action and get involved.

This week our guest is David Brin, renowned science fiction author of dozens of short stories and novels, including The Postman, which was adapted to film and starred Kevin Costner, as well as the Uplift series, which centers around the theme of genetically engineering pre-sapient species such as chimpanzees and dolphins to a human level of intelligence. While science fiction is what he’s known for, David shows us that the real power of storytelling is that it makes us students of history and allows us to use the wisdom therein to navigate the future. To this end, a great deal of this conversation centers around understanding human culture through time. Amongst other ideas, David specifically emphasizes that for the sake of progress and inclusion, we must shift from a zero-sum mentality to a positive sum mentality and in the process embrace criticism. Works referenced in this discussion:  Robert Wright's book: Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny  David's advice to new authors: http://www.davidbrin.com/advice.htm David's exploration of our Transparent Society.  The trailer for David's book EXISTENCE. - Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

We all know about the all-too-familiar retail apocalypse that led to closures of many brick-and-mortar chains due to the ‘08 financial crisis and the e-commerce boom, but it’s not over yet. In this episode, we talk about shifts in consumer behavior, how retailers should cope with the current pandemic and how they can prepare for the future. Meet our guests: V. “Paddy” Padmanabhan is the Unilever Professor of Marketing, INSEAD-Singapore and Academic Director of the Emerging Markets Institute, INSEAD. His current research focuses on Business Opportunities and Challenges in Developing Economies, Economic Crises and their implications, Pricing and Supply Chain Management. He is among the top 250 most highly cited scholars in the world in Economics and Business. Molly Hartney comes with more than 10+ years of retail experience as a results-driven executive leader, known for scaling businesses quickly with a unique mix of driving strategy, building talent, and leveraging a customer-centric approach. She most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer and SVP Digital with Funko. Prior to that she spent 8 years in various leadership positions at Lowe’s Home Improvement. Get the Show Notes Season One of the podcast is in partnership with INSEAD.

For many, balancing work and home life is always a challenge, but now, due to Covid-19, work and home are more intertwined than ever. This can be fun for some, overwhelming for others and downright stressful for many. In this episode, Kyle Nel discusses strategies to balance both work and home life with Jennifer Petriglieri & Karen Tay. Get the Show Notes Meet our guests! Jennifer Petriglieri is an associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD and the author of Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive in Love and Work. Her recent Survival Series is a free online course to help working couples navigate the COVID crisis. Karen Tay is Smart Nation Director (North America) at the Singapore Prime Minister's Office and Regional Vice President in the Singapore Global Network. In addition, Tay is a faculty member here at SU, where she teaches business executives, global organizations, policy-makers, and startup founders on topics at the intersection of tech and the public good, including the future of governance, smart cities, and technology policy. Season One of the podcast is in partnership with INSEAD.

Singularity University presents the Principle, Meet Practice podcast! Season one is sponsored by our good friends over at INSEAD and focus' on Managing through Uncertainty. Join your host, Kyle Nel, and experts from SU, INSEAD and leading organizations for bi-weekly discussions on what actions society, enterprise, and individuals can take to manage chaos and stay ahead of the growing exponential curve. Each episode will feature an expert on theory and a practitioner discuss a specific topic -- from the future of retail to the education crisis.

This week our guest is Toby Ord, a senior researcher at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute, where he focuses on existential risk. Toby recently released his book Precipice: Existential Risk & the Future of Humanity, which explores the many threats capable not only of ending human civilization, but even causing our entire species to go extinct. It may seem like an unrealistic concern out of a sci-fi movie, but Toby suggests humanity has roughly a 1 in 6 chance of destroying ourselves within the next century. In this episode, we discuss how Toby arrived at this number and the deeper details of the threats that are facing us, with a particular focus on biotech and artificial intelligence, which Toby views as the most prominent areas of concern. Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Dr. David Eagleman: renowned Stanford neuroscience professor, author of 8 books, and CEO and co-founder of NeoSensory, a company specializing in creating sensory substitution devices. In this conversation, we'll be exploring his 2020 novel, Livewired, where he examines and redefines the idea of neuroplasticity--the brain’s ability to rewire itself as we experience the world around us. We'll also go in depth on the newest devices from his company, https://neosensory.com/, which use vibrations to help people with health issues and potentially even unlock new senses. If you're curious how to optimize your brain health and want to know more about the future of human senses, this one's for you. Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Dr. Diana Fleischman, an evolutionary psychologist and active member of the effective altruism community.  We explore a range of topics, including social engineering, our evolutionary relationship with technology and language, effective altruism, and using the concept of Skinner boxes to create systems for ourselves that condition us towards better behaviors. You can find more of Dr. Fleischman's work at her website: Dianaverse. And if you want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of our 30,000+ member community, join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is Renee DiResta, the technical research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, a cross-disciplinary team exploring the abuse of our current information technologies. Specifically, Renee investigates the spread of narratives and propaganda across social networks such as pseudoscience conspiracies, terrorist activity, and state-sponsored information warfare. We focused heavily on these topics during our conversation, exploring how Renee’s interest was first piqued by the anti-vaxxer community, how Redditors impacted the stock market with Gamestop, Russias involvement in the 2016 American presidential election, the potential consequences of a certified digital ID, and more. Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is William Von Hippel, a social psychologist who teaches at the University of Queensland in Australia, and author of the 2018 novel, the Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy. We explore how the challenges of our evolutionary past shaped many of the most fundamental aspects of our behavior in the modern day, traversing a journey from several million years ago to the present day. Along the way we touch heavily on many topics, including, but certainly not limited to, our evolutionary mismatch with the modern environment, why humans innovate the way we do, and different leadership styles that are rooted in evolutionary responses to hierarchy. Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is musical artist, filmmaker, digital storyteller and all around renaissance woman, Taryn Southern. You may recognize her from early career with American Idol or from her Youtube videos which have garnered over 750 million views. But in recent years, Taryn became the first person to create an entire musical album composed by an artificial intelligence and she led the groundbreaking production of I AM HUMAN—a 2019 documentary exploring brain computer interfaces. In this episode, we explore her latest work using an AI-powered digital clone of herself and much more, including self-care and using influence for good. Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week our guest is renowned sociologist, physician, and Yale professor, Nicholas Christakis, who was once listed by Time magazine as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in the world. He’s particularly known for his expertise on social networks, as well as his work exploring the evolutionary and socioeconomic determinants of behavior and health. Dr. Christakis is the author of the renowned 2019 book, Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, and more recently, Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live, which we discuss heavily in this episode. Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week, our guest on The Feedback Loop is British documentary filmmaker and journalist, Jenny Kleeman. We discuss topics from her recently published and provocative book: Sex Robots & Vegan Meat: Adventures at the Frontier of Birth, Food, Sex, and Death.  In addition to these existential and controversial topics, we also discuss how technology is preventing humans from partaking in the personal growth they need for their own health and happiness, as well as how these technologies disproportionately are impacting women. Want to learn more about our podcasts and become a part of the community? Join here! Host: Steven Parton // Music by: Amine el Filali

This week we sit down with cognitive psychologist and long-time professor at UC Irvine, Donald Hoffman. Hoffman has a long history working with some of the greatest minds in the history of humanity, including Francis Crick who was part of the team that discovered the double helix of DNA. His own endeavors are no less revolutionary, as he's currently spearheading a new theory that argues humans evolved a perception of reality that looks drastically different from the true appearance of objective reality. It seems a hard argument to make, but once you hear his ideas you'll understand how insightful and profound his work is. In addition to an in-depth exploration of this theory, we also discuss the evolutionary impacts of online dating, the future of artificial intelligence, and a whole bunch more. Donald Hoffman's newest book, A Case Against Reality, comes out August 13 and can be found on Amazon. *** Questions? Ideas? Recommendations? Send your thoughts to SingularityRadio@SU.org *** Host: Steven Parton Intro music by: Amine el Filali

This week we sit down with journalist, author, and transhumanist, Zoltan Istvan. Zoltan Istvan is most commonly known for his book the Transhumanist Wager, his 2016 Presidential Campaign—where he drove across the United States in a bus shaped like a coffin—and his many contributions and appearance with media outlets such as National Geographic, Vice, and Wired. In this conversation, Zoltan and I explore the ideas of transhumanism and why he's so passionately dedicated to the cause. This takes us on a lovely tour through such light-hearted subjects as religion, death, and technological implants. Find Zoltan's book on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2OwbJZO *** Questions? Ideas? Recommendations? Send your thoughts to SingularityRadio@SU.org *** Host: Steven Parton Intro music by: Amine el Filali

The Feedback Loop - Episode 6 This week we talk to author, editor, and consultant to science writers, Annaka Harris, whose brand new book, Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind, just became a New York Time's Bestseller. In this episode, we explore some of the fundamental questions Annaka explores in her book, such as: what is consciousness? How did it evolve? Does free will exist? What are some of the common intuitions that we have wrong about our own minds? And panpsychism--the idea that consciousness is a fundamental property of matter. We also take a few detours to explore altered states such as meditation, as well as the role technology and artificial intelligence are playing in our relationship with consciousness.

The Feedback Loop - Episode 5 This week we talk to media theorist, professor, and author: Douglas Rushkoff. With roots deep in the psychedelic, philosophical, and techno-utopian culture of the late 80s and early 90s cyberpunks, Douglas Rushkoff is one of the most original thinkers exploring humanity's relationship with technology. Douglas has written more than a dozen books, which include "Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus", "Coercion", "Program or Be Programmed" and his latest book "Team Human"--which is also the title of this highly regarded podcast. This conversation explores a wide breadth of topics, from technological exploitation and consumerism to the power of narratives and universal basic income.

Feedback Loop - Episode 4 - This week we talk to Mike Gilliland and Euvie Ivanova, who are well known for their widely popular podcast: Future Thinkers. After leaving behind their normal life in the western world, this pair of long-time digital nomads dedicated much of their newly found free time to cultivating their shared passion for personal growth and societal transformation. In this episode, they take us through the many lessons they learned as we explore concepts like tribalism, personal sovereignty, Jungian shadows and archetypes, and many other facets of our relationship with our personal narratives and with our technology.

Feedback Loop - Episode 3: This week we talk to neuroscientist and social entrepreneur, Raya Bidshahri. After giving a TEDxYouth talk at 18 years old, Raya spent the next 6 years founding numerous organization such as SciFest Dubai, Intelligent Optimism, and her current project of focus: Awecademy. Through the exploration of these endeavors, we dig into the need to update and upgrade our education system to meet the modern yearning for awe, empathy, and mental well-being.

This week we chat with futurist and techno-philosopher, Gray Scott. Together, we explore the philosophical, evolutionary, and biological urges transforming society. This took us on a fascinating tour through the ideas of reflection, mirroring, and simulating as they relate to the digitization of reality, the creation of artificial intelligence, and the psychedelic renaissance taking place in tech.

This week we're joined by Elizabeth Parrish, CEO of biotech and longevity company, Bioviva. Liz gained worldwide renown in 2015 when she flew to Colombia to inject herself with one of the gene therapies her company was testing, making her patient zero. In this conversation, we explore her motivations for such drastic measures, the current state of life-extension and longevity research, and how she believes society will be shaped by this rapidly advancing biotechnology.