Shows
Hear This IdeaDean Spears on the Case for PeopleDean Spears is an an Economic Demographer, Development Economist, and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. With Michael Geruso, Dean is the co-author of After the Spike: Population, Progress, and the Case for People.
You can see a full transcript and a list of resources on the episode page on our website.
We're back from a hiatus! We still intend to post new episodes, but less frequently from now.
You can get in touch through our website or on Twitter. Thanks for listening.
2025-11-011h 43Hear This IdeaMax Smeets on Barriers To CyberweaponsMax Smeets is a Senior Researcher at ETH Zurich's Center for Security Studies and Co-Director of Virtual Routes
You can find links and a transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/smeets
In this episode we talk about:
The different types of cyber operations that a nation state might launch
How international norms formed around what kind of cyber attacks are “allowed”
The challenges that even elite cyber forces face
What capabilities future AI systems would need to drastically change the space
You can get in touch through our website or on Twitter. Consider leav...
2025-03-131h 36
DecrépitosDecrépitos 433 - Agradecimentos 2024Hoje só temos que agradecer a VOCÊ!APOIADORES DO APOIA.SEAdriana Vietmeier Nicoli, ALEXANDRE DARCIO FIDELIS, Alexandre Mantovani Tavares, AMAURI SILVA LIMA FILHO, Anderson Furtado de Nazaré, Andre Braciak, Andre Lopes, Andrei Bosco Bezerra Torres, Arthur Manuel Bandeira, Bianca Gonçalves, BRENO RODRIGUES CORREIA DA SILVA, Bruna Ferneda, Bruno Teixeira, Bryan Augusto Azevedo Vieira de Resende, Cadu Carvalho, Caio Mandolesi, Carla Da Costa Albuquerque, Cassio Pereira, Chico Freire, Daniel Davi Libâneo, Denise Calsavara, Diego Leão Diniz, Elisnei Menezes de Oliveira, Enzo Alphaville, Fabricio Machado Weber, Felipe Jardim...
2024-12-3113 minHear This IdeaTom Kalil on Institutions for Innovation (with Matt Clancy)Tom Kalil is the CEO of Renaissance Philanthropy.
He also served in the White House for two presidents (under Obama and Clinton); where he helped establish incentive prizes in government through challenge.gov; in addition to dozens of science and tech program. More recently Tom served as the Chief Innovation Officer at Schmidt Futures, where he helped launch Convergent Research.
Matt Clancy is an economist and a research fellow at Open Philanthropy. He writes ‘New Things Under the Sun’, which is a living literature review on academic research about science and innovation.
We talk...
2024-12-141h 17Hear This IdeaCynthia Schuck on Quantifying Animal WelfareDr Cynthia Schuck-Paim is the Scientific Director of the Welfare Footprint Project, a scientific effort to quantify animal welfare to inform practice, policy, investing and purchasing decisions.
You can find links and a transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/schuck.
We discuss:
How to begin thinking about quantifying animal experiences in a cross-comparable way
Whether the ability to feel pain is unique to big brained animals, or more widespread in the tree of life
How fish farming compares to poultry and livestock farming
How worried to be about bird flu zoonosis
Whether different animal...
2024-11-211h 37Hear This IdeaDan Williams on How Persuasion WorksDan Williams is a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Sussex and an Associate Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI) at the University of Cambridge.
You can find links and a transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/williams.
We discuss:
If reasoning is so useful, why are we so bad at it?
Do some bad ideas really work like ‘mind viruses’? Is the ‘luxury beliefs’ concept useful?
What's up with the idea of a ‘marketplace for ideas’? Are people shopping for new beliefs, or to rationalise their existing attitudes?
H...
2024-10-261h 48Hear This IdeaTamay Besiroglu on Explosive Growth from AITamay Besiroglu is a researcher working on the intersection of economics and AI. He is currently the Associate Director of Epoch AI, a research institute investigating key trends and questions that will shape the trajectory and governance of AI.
You can find links and a transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/besiroglu
In this episode we talked about open source the risks and benefits of open source AI models. We talk about:
The argument for explosive growth from ‘increasing returns to scale’
Does AI need to be able to automate R&D to cause rapi...
2024-09-142h 09Hear This IdeaJacob Trefethen on Global Health R&DJacob Trefethen oversees Open Philanthropy’s science and science policy programs. He was a Henry Fellow at Harvard University, and has a B.A. from the University of Cambridge.
You can find links and a transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/trefethen
In this episode we talked about open source the risks and benefits of open source AI models. We talk about:
Life-saving health technologies which probably won't exist in 5 years (without a concerted effort) — like a widely available TB vaccine, and bugs which stop malaria spreading
How R&D for neglected diseases works —
How mu...
2024-09-082h 30Hear This IdeaElizabeth Seger on Open Sourcing AIElizabeth Seger is the Director of Technology Policy at Demos, a cross-party UK think tank with a program on trustworthy AI.
You can find links and a transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/seger
In this episode we talked about open source the risks and benefits of open source AI models. We talk about:
What ‘open source’ really means
What is (and isn’t) open about ‘open source’ AI models
How open source weights and code are useful for AI safety research
How and when the costs of open sourcing frontier model weights might outweigh the benefits
An...
2024-07-251h 20
In Media(s) ResS4E140 | Europei di Atletica al top, motivi dei trionfi, RG con inviato speciale, Euro2024 calcio al via, Sky&Rai, Pirateria, SciacallaggioIn questa puntata parliamo di:EUROPEI ATLETICA LEGGERAItalia in stato di graziaMedaglie a ripetizione, record, grandi prestazioniPalmisano, Simonelli, Jacobs, Ali, Furlani, Sito, Battocletti, Fabbri, Dosso, Crippa, Fantini...Qualcuno ha provato a cercare i motivi alla base di questa esplosione dell'atletica.Articolo di Bonarrigo su Corriere di lunedì. In particolare parlando di Luca Sito, record italiano 400 metri a 21 anni: famiglia borghese, giocava a calcio, non gli piaceva molto l'ambiente, notato da un tecnico che gli ha fatto provare l'atletica.L'importanza della multidisciplinarietà da bambini/ragazzi (casi Norvegia e Sl...
2024-06-121h 19Hear This IdeaJoe Carlsmith on Scheming AIJoe Carlsmith is a writer, researcher, and philosopher. He works as a senior research analyst at Open Philanthropy, where he focuses on existential risk from advanced artificial intelligence. He also writes independently about various topics in philosophy and futurism, and holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford.
You can find links and a transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/carlsmith
In this episode we talked about a report Joe recently authored, titled ‘Scheming AIs: Will AIs fake alignment during training in order to get power?’. The report “examines whether advanced AIs that perfor...
2024-03-161h 51Hear This IdeaEric Schwitzgebel on Digital Consciousness and the Weirdness of the WorldEric Schwitzgebel is a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. His main interests include connections between empirical psychology and philosophy of mind and the nature of belief. His book The Weirdness of the World can be found here.
We talk about:
The possibility of digital consciousness
Policy ideas for avoiding major moral mistakes around digital consciousness
Prospects for the science of consciousness, and why we likely won't have clear answers in time
Why introspection is much less reliable than most people think
How and why we invent false stories about our own choices...
2024-02-041h 58Hear This IdeaSonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley on Barriers to BioweaponsSonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley is an associate professor at George Mason University and Deputy Director of their Biodefence Programme
In this episode we talk about:
Where the belief that 'bioweapons are easy to make' came from and why it has been difficult to change
Why transferring tacit knowledge is so difficult -- and the particular challenges that rogue actors face
As well as lastly what Sonia makes of the AI-Bio risk discourse and what types of advances in technology would cause her concern
You can get in touch through our website or on Twitter. Consider leaving...
2023-12-191h 54
Hear This IdeaBonus: 'How I Learned To Love Shrimp' & David Coman-HidyIn this bonus episode we are sharing an episode by another podcast: How I Learned To Love Shrimp. It is co-hosted by Amy Odene and James Ozden, who together are "showcasing innovative and impactful ways to help animals".
In this interview they speak to David Coman-Hidy, who is the former President of The Humane –League, one of the largest farm animal advocacy organisations in the world. He now works as a Partner at Sharpen Strategy working to coach animal advocacy organisations.
2023-11-241h 18Hear This IdeaMichelle Lavery on the Science of Animal WelfareMichelle Lavery is a Program Associate with Open Philanthropy’s Farm Animal Welfare team, with a focus on the science and study of animal behaviour & welfare.
You can see more links and a full transcript at hearthisidea.com/episodes/lavery
In this episode we talk about:
How do scientists study animal emotions in the first place? How is a "science" of animal emotion even feasible?
When is it useful to anthropomorphise animals to understand them?
How can you study the preferences of animals? How can you measure the “strength” of preferences?
How do farmed animal...
2023-11-221h 27Hear This IdeaMichelle Lavery on the Science of Animal WelfareMichelle Lavery is a Program Associate with Open Philanthropy’s Farm Animal Welfare team, with a focus on the science and study of animal behaviour & welfare.
In this episode we talk about:
How do scientists study animal emotions in the first place? How is a "science" of animal emotion even feasible?
When is it useful to anthropomorphise animals to understand them?
How can you study the preferences of animals? How can you measure the “strength” of preferences?
How do farmed animal welfare advocates relate to animal welfare science? Are their perceptions fair?
How can listeners get involv...
2023-11-191h 30
EAG TalksAnders Sandberg on Exploratory Engineering Value Diversity and Grand Futures EAGxCambridge 2023See main posting at: https://hearthisidea.com/episodes/sandberg-live/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMIWsrS39dI
Description:
Hear This Idea is a podcast about new thinking in effective altruism, hosted by Fin Moorhouse and Luca Righetti. In this episode, recorded live at EAGxCambridge 2023, they interview Anders Sandberg, who is a researcher, futurist, transhumanist and author. He holds a PhD in computational neuroscience from Stockholm University, and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford. His research covers...
2023-11-1154 minHear This IdeaRichard Bruns on Indoor Air QualityDr Richard Bruns is a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, and before that was a Senior Economist at the US Food and Drug Administration (the FDA).
In this episode we talk about the importance of indoor air quality (IAQ), and how to improve it. Including:
Estimating the DALY cost of unclean indoor air from pathogens and particulate matter
How much pandemic risk could be reduced from improving IAQ?
How economists convert health losses into dollar figures — and how not to put a price on life
Key interventions to improve IAQ
Air fi...
2023-11-041h 47Hear This IdeaSaloni Dattani on Malaria Vaccines and Missing Data in Global HealthSaloni Dattani is a Researcher at Our World in Data, and a founder & editor at the online magazine Works in Progress. She holds a PhD in psychiatric genetics from King’s College London.
You can see more links and a full transcript at hearthisidea.com/episodes/dattani.
In this episode we talk about:
The history of malaria and attempts to eradicate it
The role of DDT and insecticide spraying campaigns — and why they were scaled down
Why we didn’t get a malaria vaccine sooner
What comes after vaccine discovery — rolling out the RTS,S vaccin...
2023-10-192h 52Hear This IdeaLiv Boeree on Healthy vs Unhealthy CompetitionLiv Boeree is a former poker champion turned science communicator and podcaster, with a background in astrophysics. In 2014, she founded the nonprofit Raising for Effective Giving, which has raised more than $14 million for effective charities. Before retiring from professional poker in 2019, Liv was the Female Player of the Year for three years running. Currently she hosts the Win-Win podcast (you’ll enjoy it if you enjoy this podcast).
You can see more links and a full transcript at hearthisidea.com/episodes/boeree.
In this episode we talk about:
Is the ‘poker mindset’ valuable? Is it lea...
2023-09-201h 40Hear This IdeaJon Y (Asianometry) on Problems And Progress in Semiconductor ManufacturingJon Y is the creator of the Asianometry YouTube channel and accompanying newsletter. He describes his channel as making "video essays on business, economics, and history. Sometimes about Asia, but not always."
You can see more links and a full transcript at hearthisidea.com/episodes/asianometry
In this episode we talk about:
Compute trends driving recent progress in Artificial Intelligence;
The semiconductor supply chain and its geopolitics;
The buzz around LK-99 and superconductivity.
If you have any feedback, you can get a free book for filling out our new feedback form. You can...
2023-08-311h 46Hear This IdeaSteven Teles on what the Conservative Legal Movement Teaches about Policy AdvocacySteven Teles s is a Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University and a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center. His work focuses on American politics and he written several books on topics such as elite politics, the judiciary, and mass incarceration.
You can see more links and a full transcript at hearthisidea.com/teles
In this episode we talk about:
The rise of the conservative legal movement;
How ideas can come to be entrenched in American politics;
Challenges in building a new academic field like "law and economics";
The limitations of doing...
2023-08-041h 39Hear This IdeaGuive Assadi on Whether Humanity Will Choose Its FutureGuive Assadi is a Research Scholar at the Center for the Governance of AI. Guive’s research focuses on the conceptual clarification of, and prioritisation among, potential risks posed by emerging technologies. He holds a master’s in history from Cambridge University, and a bachelor’s from UC Berkeley.
In this episode, we discuss Guive's paper, Will Humanity Choose Its Future?.
What is an 'evolutionary future', and would it count as an existential catastrophe?
How did the agricultural revolution deliver a world which few people would have chosen?
What does it mean to say that we are li...
2023-07-182h 00Hear This IdeaMichael Cohen on Input Tampering in Advanced RL AgentsMichael Cohen is is a DPhil student at the University of Oxford with Mike Osborne. He will be starting a postdoc with Professor Stuart Russell at UC Berkeley, with the Center for Human-Compatible AI. His research considers the expected behaviour of generally intelligent artificial agents, with a view to designing agents that we can expect to behave safely.
You can see more links and a full transcript at www.hearthisidea.com/episodes/cohen.
We discuss:
What is reinforcement learning, and how is it different from supervised and unsupervised learning?
Michael's recently co-authored paper titled...
2023-06-252h 32Hear This IdeaKatja Grace on Slowing Down AI and Whether the X-Risk Case Holds UpKatja Grace is a researcher and writer. She runs AI Impacts, a research project trying to incrementally answer decision-relevant questions about the future of artificial intelligence (AI). Katja blogs primarily at worldspiritsockpuppet, and indirectly at Meteuphoric, Worldly Positions, LessWrong and the EA Forum.
We discuss:
What is AI Impacts working on?
Counterarguments to the basic AI x-risk case
Reasons to doubt that superhuman AI systems will be strongly goal-directed
Reasons to doubt that if goal-directed superhuman AI systems are built, their goals will be bad by human lights
Aren't deep learning systems fairly good at understanding...
2023-06-101h 43Hear This IdeaMichael Aird on Strategies for Reducing AI Existential RiskMichael Aird is a senior research manager at Rethink Priorities, where he co-leads the Artificial Intelligence Governance and Strategy team alongside Amanda El-Dakhakhni. Before that, he conducted nuclear risk research for Rethink Priorities and longtermist macrostrategy research for Convergence Analysis, the Center on Long-Term Risk, and the Future of Humanity Institute, which is where we know each other from. Before that, he was a teacher and a stand up comedian. He previously spoke to us about impact-driven research on Episode 52.
In this episode, we talk about:
The basic case for working on existential risk from AI
...
2023-06-073h 12Hear This IdeaBen Garfinkel on AI GovernanceBen Garfinkel is a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and Acting Director of the Centre for the Governance of AI.
In this episode we talk about:
An overview of AI governance space, and disentangling concrete research questions that Ben would like to see more work on
Seeing how existing arguments for the risks from transformative AI have held up and Ben’s personal motivations for working on global risks from AI
GovAI’s own work and opportunities for listeners to get involved
Further reading and a transcript is available on our website: hearthisidea.com...
2023-05-132h 58Hear This IdeaAnders Sandberg on Exploratory Engineering, Value Diversity, and Grand FuturesAnders Sandberg is a researcher, futurist, transhumanist and author. He holds a PhD in computational neuroscience from Stockholm University, and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford. His research covers human enhancement, exploratory engineering, and 'grand futures' for humanity.
This episode is a recording of a live interview at EAGx Cambridge (2023). You can find upcoming effective altruism conferences here: www.effectivealtruism.org/ea-global
We talk about:
What is exploratory engineering and what is it good for?
Progress on whole brain emulation
Are we near...
2023-04-2052 minHear This IdeaRory Stewart on GiveDirectly and Massively Scaling Cash TransfersRory Stewart is the President of GiveDirectly and a visiting fellow at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Before that, Rory was (amongst other things) a Member of Parliament in the UK, a Professor in Human Rights at Harvard, and a diplomat. He is also the author of several books and co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is Politics.
In this episode, we talk about:
The moral case for radically scaling cash-transfers
What we can do to raise governments’ ambitions to end global poverty
What Rory learned about aid since being Secretary of State for International Deve...
2023-04-0300 minHear This IdeaJaime Sevilla on Trends in Machine LearningJaime Sevilla is the Director of Epoch, a team of researchers investigating and forecasting the development of advanced AI. This is his second time on the podcast.
Over the next few episodes, we will be exploring the potential for catastrophe cause by advanced artificial intelligence. Why? First, you might think that AI is likely to become transformatively powerful within our lifetimes. Second, you might think that such transformative AI could result in catastrophe unless we’re very careful about how it gets implemented. This episode is about understanding the first of those two claims.
Fin sp...
2023-03-151h 30Hear This IdeaChris Miller on the History of Semiconductors, TSMC, and the CHIPS ActChris Miller is an Associate Professor of International History at Tufts University and author of the book “Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology” (the Financial Times Business Book of the Year). He is also a Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, and Eurasia Director at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Over the next few episodes we will be exploring the potential for catastrophe cause by advanced artificial intelligence. But before we look ahead, we wanted to give a primer on where we are today: on the history and trends behind the development of A...
2023-03-0232 minHear This IdeaBonus: Preventing an AI-Related CatastropheAI might bring huge benefits — if we avoid the risks.
This episode is a rebroadcast of an article written for 80,000 Hours Preventing an AI-related catastrophe. It was written by Benjamin Hilton and narrated by Perrin Walker for Type III Audio.
The full url is: 80000hours.org/problem-profiles/artificial-intelligence
Why are we sharing this article on our podcast feed? Over the next few months, we are planning to do a bunch of episodes on artificial intelligence. But first, we wanted to share an introduction to the problems: something which explains why AI might pose ex...
2023-02-242h 40Hear This IdeaCarl Robichaud on Reducing the Risks of Nuclear WarA full writeup of this episode, including references and a transcript, is available on our website: https://hearthisidea.com/episodes/robichaud.
Carl Robichaud co-leads Longview Philanthropy’s programme on nuclear weapons.
We discuss:
Lessons from the Ukraine crisis
China's future as a nuclear power
Nuclear near-misses
The Reykjavik Summit, Acheson–Lilienthal Report and Baruch Plan
Lessons from nuclear risk for other emerging technological risks
What's happened to philanthropy aimed at reducing risks from nuclear weapons, and what philanthropy can support today
If you have any feedback, you can get a free book for fill...
2023-02-163h 41Hear This IdeaBonus: Damon Binder on Economic History and the Future of PhysicsDamon Binder is a research analyst at Open Philanthropy. His research focuses on potential risks from pandemics and from biotechnology. He previously worked as a research scholar at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute, where he studied existential risks. Prior to that he completed his PhD in theoretical physics at Princeton University.
We discuss:
How did early states manage large populations?
What explains the hockeystick shape of world economic growth?
Did urbanisation enable more productive farming, or vice-versa?
What does transformative AI mean for growth?
Would 'degrowth' benefit the world?
What do theoretical ph...
2023-01-304h 00Hear This IdeaGreg Nemet on Technological Change and How Solar Became CheapA full writeup of this episode, including references and a transcript, is available on our website: https://hearthisidea.com/episodes/nemet
Greg Nemet is a a Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the La Follette School of Public Affairs and an Andrew Carnegie Fellow. He is also the author of How Solar Energy Became Cheap
We discuss:
The distinct phases that helped solar PV move down its learning curve
What lessons we can learn on how to accelerate and affect other technologies
Theories about National Innovation Systems and lock-in
If you hav...
2022-12-201h 49Hear This IdeaDewi Erwan on BlueDot Impact and Scaling High-Impact OrganisationsA full writeup of this episode, including references and a transcript, is available on our website: https://hearthisidea.com/episodes/erwan
Dewi Erwan is a co-founder of BlueDot Impact, the Biosecurity Advisor to the Cambridge Existential Risk Initiative, and the previous Executive Director ofEffective Altruism Cambridge.
We discuss:
Setting up BlueDot Impact and scaling pilot programmes
Talent gaps in the EA community and more strategic goal setting
Career advice and leadership skills
If you have any feedback, you can get a free book for filling out our new feedback form. You can also...
2022-12-012h 40Hear This IdeaJassi Pannu and Joshua Monrad on Pandemic PreparednessA full writeup of this episode, including references and a transcript, is available on our website:
hearthisidea.com/episodes/pannu-monrad
Jassi Pannu is a Resident Physician at Stanford, a Visiting Scholar at John Hopkins, and a Fellow at the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative.
Joshua Monrad is a Biosecurity Program Officer at Effective Giving and a Researcher at Oxford's Future Humanity Institute.
We discuss:
The post-COVID biosecurity landscape, including the American Pandemic Preparedness Plan
The Biological Weapons Convention and current issues in dual-use research
The role of antivirals, increasing vaccine capacity, and...
2022-10-302h 48Hear This IdeaEdouard Mathieu on Our World in DataA full writeup of this episode, including references and a transcript, is available on our website: hearthisidea.com/episodes/mathieu
Edouard Mathieu is the Head of Data at Our World in Data (OWID), a scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems such as poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, war, existential risks, and inequality.
We discuss:
What Ed learned from working with governments and the WHO
A simple change the WHO could make to radically improve how countries share data for the next pandemic
The idea of 'experimental longtermism'
How Ed is thinking...
2022-10-1500 minHear This IdeaTessa Alexanian and Janvi Ahuja on Synthetic Biology and GCBRsA full writeup of this episode, including references and a transcript, is available on our website: hearthisidea.com/episodes/alexanian-ahuja
Tessa Alexanian is the Safety & Security Program Officer at the iGEM Foundation, which organises a worldwide competition in synthetic biology and helps foster a collaborative community. She is a fellow at the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative, was previously a fellow at the Foresight Institute, and co-founded the East Bay Biosecurity Group.
Janvi Ahuja is a PhD student in computational biology at the University of Oxford, where she is affiliated with the Future of Humanity...
2022-09-2100 minHear This IdeaMichael Aird on how to do Impact-Driven ResearchMichael Aird is a senior research manager at Rethink Priorities, where he co-leads the Artificial Intelligence Governance and Strategy team alongside Amanda El-Dakhakhni. Before that, he conducted nuclear risk research for Rethink Priorities and longtermist macrostrategy research for Convergence Analysis, the Center on Long-Term Risk, and the Future of Humanity Institute, which is where we know each other from. Before that, he was a teacher and a stand up comedian.
We discuss:
Whether you should stay in academia if you want to do impactful research
How to start looking for roles at impact-driven research organisations
What simple changes...
2022-08-3100 minHear This IdeaKevin Esvelt and Jonas Sandbrink on Risks from Biological ResearchA full writeup of this episode is available on our website: hearthisidea.com/episodes/esvelt-sandbrink.
Kevin Esvelt is an assistant professor at the MIT Media Lab, where he is director of the Sculpting Evolution group, which invents new ways to study and influence the evolution of ecosystems. He helped found the SecureDNA Project and the Nucleic Acid Observatory, both of which we discuss in the episode. Esvelt is also known for proposing the idea of using CRISPR to implement gene drives.
Jonas Sandbrink is a researcher and DPhil student at the Future of Humanity Institute...
2022-08-1300 minHear This IdeaBonus: 50th Episode CelebrationIn this episode, Fin and Luca celebrate 50 episodes of Hear This Idea: all the highs, lows, and near-disasters along the way.
We chat about:
The HTI origin story
Favourite behind the scenes moments
Should we argue with guests more?
Mistakes we've made (and are still making?)
What we've learned about asking better questions
Starting projects from scratch
Ideas for the next 50 episodes
Future topics, dream guests
Why does this podcast exist?
Podcasting tips
A potential new program
Our media recommendations
2022-07-2700 minHear This IdeaDoyne Farmer on Complexity and Predicting Technological ProgressProfessor Doyne Farmer is the Baillie Gifford Professor in Mathematics at Oxford, the Director of the Complexity Economics programme at INET, and an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute.
In our conversation we discuss:
How Doyne and his friends used physics and hidden computers to beat the roulette wheel in Las Vegas casinos
Advancing economic models to better predict business cycles and knock-on effects from extreme events like Covid-19
Techniques for predicting technological progress and long-run growth, with specific applications to energy technologies and climate change
You can read more about the topics we...
2022-07-151h 26
Demos Helsinki Podcast#48 – Spencer Weart on the Discovery of Global Warming Podcast: Hear This Idea (LS 36 · TOP 3% what is this?)Episode: #48 – Spencer Weart on the Discovery of Global WarmingPub date: 2022-06-02Notes from Demos Helsinki Podcast:Discussing how climate science emerged, what it took for scientists to form a consensus in the mid-1960s, and how that consensus has evolved since.Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationDr Spencer R. Weart served as the Director of the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics from 1974 to 2009. He is...
2022-06-152h 34Hear This IdeaAjay Karpur on Metagenomic SequencingAjay Karpur is a senior research software engineer at RAND, working with the Meselson Center. He's hoping to start tweeting again soon, at @ajaykarpur.
Joining as a guest co-host on this episode was Janvi Ahuja, who is a PhD student in computational biology at Oxford University, and part of the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security ‘Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity’ program. She's tweeting at @jn_ahuja.
In our conversation, we discuss:
What is metagenomic sequencing, and why could it matter so much for it to become affordable and ubiquitous?
How and why can nonprofits help...
2022-06-151h 21Hear This IdeaSpencer Weart on the Discovery of Global WarmingDr Spencer R. Weart served as the Director of the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics from 1974 to 2009. He is the author of several books, including The Discovery of Global Warming and The Rise of Nuclear Fear. In our conversation, we discuss:
How climate science emerged, what it took for scientists to form a consensus in the mid-1960s, and how that consensus has evolved since
The IPCC’s emerging understanding of so-called “tipping points” in the climate system, and our current best guesses as to what kind of threat they pose
Exploring the ch...
2022-06-022h 34Hear This IdeaJason Crawford on Progress StudiesJason Crawford is the founder of The Roots of Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century. He writes and speaks about the history and philosophy of progress, especially in technology and industry.
In our conversation we discuss —
What progress is, and why it matters (maybe more than you think)
How to think about resource constraints — why they are sometimes both real and surmountable
The 'low-hanging fruit' explanation for stagnation, and prospects for speeding up innovation
Tradeoffs between progress and (existential) safety
Differences between the Progress Studies and Effective Altr...
2022-05-121h 50Hear This IdeaCristina Bicchieri on Social Norms and The Grammar Of SocietyCristina Bicchieri is the S. J. Patterson Harvie Professor of Social Thought and Comparative Ethics at the University of Pennsylvania.
In our conversation we discuss —
How to define social norms and distinguish them from similar concepts
How social norms evolve and why they often persist, even in situations where they are harmful
Real world policy applications of social norms, including covid and high-level decision making
You can read more about the topics we cover in this episode's write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/bicchieri
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel fr...
2022-04-2300 minHear This IdeaLord Bird on the UK Future Generations BillLord Bird is the co-founder of The Big Issue, a magazine supporting street vendors who are homeless, a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Future Generations.
In our conversation, we discuss —
The Future Generations Bill, currently being discussed in the UK Parliament
Causes of political short-sightedness
Broader social issues facing the UK
You can read more about the topics we cover in this episode's write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/bird
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free to get in to...
2022-04-061h 10Hear This IdeaSam Hilton on Charity Entrepreneurship, Exploratory Altruism, and Longtermist PolicySam Hilton is the Research Director at Charity Entrepreneurship, the Parliamentary Coordinator at the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Future Generations, and a Research Affiliate at the Center for the Study of Existential Risk.
In our conversation, we discuss —
Charity Entrepreneurship's plans for the 2022 Incubation Program
Exploratory Altruism and finding new cause areas
Lessons for longtermist policy and thoughts on the Future Generations Bill
You can read more about the topics we cover in this episode's write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/hilton
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free...
2022-03-221h 48Hear This IdeaGlen Weyl on Pluralism, Radical Markets, and Social TechnologyGlen Weyl is Microsoft’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer Political Economist and Social Technologist (OCTOPEST), where he advises Microsoft’s senior leaders on macroeconomics, geopolitics and the future of technology. Glen also co-authored Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society; a book about "Revolutionary ideas on how to use markets to bring about fairness and prosperity for all".
In our conversation, we discuss —
Quadratic voting and funding
The new political divides of the 21st century
What the history of personal computing teaches us about the possibility of shaping technological progress
Glen's impres...
2022-03-091h 36Hear This IdeaHabiba Islam on Planning a High-Impact Career and Ambitious AltruismHabiba Islam is a member of the 80,000 Hours career advising team.
First, the two most important links:
Apply to receive free career coaching: 80000hours.org/hti
Apply to join the 80k career advising team here
In this conversation, we talk about —
How to begin planning a high-impact career
What one-on-one calls with 80k are like (and why you might consider applying)
Different motivations and framings for longtermism
The case for being ambitious if you want to do good in your career
Concrete next steps for beginning the process of career planning
You can re...
2022-02-191h 27Hear This IdeaMichael Bhaskar on Big Ideas and the Great StagnationMichael Bhaskar is a writer, researcher and publisher. He is a former consultant Writer in Residence at DeepMind, and most recently he wrote a book called Human Frontiers, which tries to answer the question: “why has the flow of big, world-changing ideas slowed down?”
In our conversation, we discuss —
The 'Adams curve'
How so much of the modern world was invented in exceptional 20th century research institutes such as Bell Labs and Xerox PARC
Evidence for slowdown in new ideas from analysing the patent record
Whether scientific progress is limitless, or whether there are things we'll never...
2022-02-0100 minHear This IdeaMike Hinge on Feeding Everyone in a DisasterMike Hinge is a Senior Economist at ALLFED (Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters).
In our interview, we discuss:
Why nuclear fallout blocking sunlight could be one of the most extreme threats to the global food supply, and how this compares to the risk from climate change;
How scientists and ALLFED model the fallout of nuclear winter, how it affects crop yields, and how it changes food prices for the global poor;
Potential technologies for feeding everyone in case of a disaster, such as repurposed paper mills and seaweed could help us recover;
Modeling the...
2022-01-071h 57Hear This IdeaKeith Frankish on Illusionism about ConsciousnessKeith Frankish is a philosopher of mind. He is an Honorary Reader at the University of Sheffield, UK, Visiting Research Fellow with The Open University, and adjunct Professor with the Brain and Mind Programme at the University of Crete.
In our interview, we discuss:
What is the hard problem of consciousness?
What is the illusionist theory of consciousness?
What does illusionism have to do with ethics?
When should we care for robot dogs?
How should academics use twitter?
You can read more about the topics we cover in this episode's write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/keith.
2021-11-2200 minHear This IdeaChristoph Winter on the Legal Priorities ProjectChristoph Winter is an Assistant Professor of Law at ITAM in Mexico, a Visiting Scholar in Psychology at Harvard, and the founder of the Legal Priorities Project
In our interview, we discuss:
A global survey of legal academics about protecting future generations;
How constitutional law might best help in this effort;
Endangerment law and the "risk of creating a risk";
And lots more!
You can read more about the topics we cover in this episode's write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/christoph/.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free to...
2021-10-181h 20Hear This IdeaGillian Hadfield on Regulatory Markets, Silly Rules, and why Humans Invented Law
Gillian Hadfield is Director of the Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society. She is a Professor of Law and Professor of Strategic Management at the University of Toronto.
In our interview, we discuss:
Why humans invented law, and what Gillian describes as "the demand side" for legal infrastructure;
Why social norms continue to be important today and how Ancient Athens managed to use a decentralised system of collective punishment;
The case for "regulatory markets" in governing artificial intelligence, and how governments in the 21st Century need to keep up with rapid advances in...
2021-09-271h 49Hear This IdeaBryan Caplan on Causes of Poverty and the Case for Open BordersBryan Caplan is Professor of Economics at George Mason University and the author of Open Borders, The Myth of the Rational Voter, The Case Against Education, and Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids.
In our interview, we discuss:
Causes of poverty
Charter cities
The case for open borders
Democracy — is it overrated? Why do voters keep choosing bad policies? Do democracies last longer, grow faster, and go to war less?
Stable global totalitarianism
Should longtermists care more about having more children? Is the cost of subsidising a new life competitive with the cost of saving a li...
2021-09-101h 34Hear This IdeaBen Todd on Choosing a Career and Defining LongtermismBen Todd is the CEO & founder of 80,000 Hours, and helped to start the effective altruism movement.
80,000 Hours is a non-profit that provides free research and support to help people find careers that effectively tackle the world’s most pressing problems.
In our interview, we discuss:
Why your choice of career could be the most important ethical decision you ever get to make;
80K’s ‘problem, solution, personal fit’ framework for choosing a career;
Whether longtermism should be considered a research project or a social movement;
The idea of using leverage to multiply the difference you're a...
2021-08-2300 minHear This Idea35. Ben Todd on Choosing a Career and Defining LongtermismBen Todd is the CEO & founder of 80,000 Hours, and helped to start the effective altruism movement.
80,000 Hours is a non-profit that provides free research and support to help people find careers that effectively tackle the world’s most pressing problems.
In our interview, we discuss:
Why your choice of career could be the most important ethical decision you ever get to make;
80K’s ‘problem, solution, personal fit’ framework for choosing a career;
Whether longtermism should be considered a research project or a social movement;
The idea of using leverage to multiply the differen...
2021-08-2359 min
Test Pattern: A Horror Movie PodcastEpisode 169: The Mother of Sighs - Suspiria (1977 & 2018)We're hexed by the Mother of Sighs as we explore Dario Argento's original Suspiria and the 2018 remake starring Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson! Sources: Suspiria (1977) Film historian commentary with David Del Valle and Tory Howorth "Do You Know Anything About Witches?" BluRay featurette "Suzy in Nazi Germany", BluRay featurette "Suspiria - A Sigh From the Depths: 40 Years of Suspiria", BluRay Featurette Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds: The Dark Dreams of Dario Argento by Maitland McDonagh, pgs 123 - 157 Horror Europa, documentary Bravo's Scariest...
2021-08-193h 16Hear This IdeaAnders Sandberg on the Fermi Paradox, Transhumanism, and so much moreAnders Sandberg is a researcher, futurist, transhumanist and author. He holds a PhD in computational neuroscience from Stockholm University, and is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford. His research covers the ethics of human enhancement, estimating the capabilities of future technologies, and very long-range futures.
In this episode, we talk about
The Fermi Paradox: if the universe is so big, where are all the aliens?
What is 'transhumanism'?
The case for ending ageing
The 'reversal test' for eliminating status quo bias
Online communities and movement growth
2021-08-022h 33Hear This IdeaJeffrey Sachs on Sustainable DevelopmentProfessor Jeffrey Sachs is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and author of many bestselling books.
In this episode, we talk about
The need to reform the international financial system;
The role of mitigating global catastrophic risk in sustainable development;
The importance of expert advice and political leadership.
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/sachs. There you'll find links to all the videos and articles Sachs mentions, plus...
2021-07-1958 minHear This IdeaMatt Ives on Solar Power and Experience CurvesMatt Ives is a Senior Research Associate in Complex Systems Economic Modelling at the University of Oxford. We discuss the reasons behind the astonishing decline in costs of renewable technologies, especially solar power, and the implications this has for fighting climate change. We also touch on modelling energy systems, financial discolour of climate/transition risks, and complexity economics.
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/matt. There you'll find links to all the videos and books Matt mentions, plus further reading.
If...
2021-06-281h 02Hear This IdeaArmond Cohen on Climate Change and the Clean Air Task ForceArmond Cohen is the executive director of the Clean Air Task Force. CATF has been rated as the most cost-effective climate change charity, including by organisations such as Founder's Pledge, SoGive, and Giving Green.
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/armond. There you'll find links to all the videos and books Armond mentions, plus further reading.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free to get in touch through our website or by using the star rating...
2021-06-141h 41
TracciaRomaTraccia 20: L’Arco di Costantino - Finale di StagioneCome argomento dell’ultima traccia della prima stagione di TracciaRoma è stato scelto uno dei monumenti della città che meglio rappresenta il passaggio da un’epoca a un’altra: L’Arco di Costantino. Ascolta l’episodio per saperne di più! Fonti: Appunti universitari
Angiola Maria Romanini, M. Andaloro, A. Cadei, F. Gandolfo, M. Righetti, Tosti Croce, L’Arte Medievale in Italia, ed. Sansoni, 1988.
Instagram: @tracciaroma; Twitter: @tracciaroma; Mail: tracciaroma@gmail.com; Logo: @mattiaforotti; Voce: Blake De Luca; Composizione musicale sotto le citazioni: Umberto La Barbera; Testi: Antonia Delle Fratte e Michela D'Agostino; Foto: Priscilla Ruggiero; Social Media Manager e Social Content Creator: France...
2021-06-0705 minHear This IdeaIsabelle Boemeke on Nuclear PowerIsabelle Boemeke is a model, digital fashion designer, and the world's first (and only) nuclear power influencer. She makes educational videos as Isodope.
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/isabelle. There you'll find links to all the videos and books Isabelle mentions, plus further reading.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free to get in touch through our website or by using the star rating form on each episode page. Please also consider leaving us a...
2021-05-3100 minHear This IdeaPhil Trammell on Economic Growth under Transformative AIPhil Trammell is a research associate at Oxford's Global Priorities Institute, where he is working at the intersection of economic theory and moral philosophy. In this episode, we discuss his latest working paper about the different ways through which AI might transform the global economy.
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/phil. It's more than just a transcript!
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free to get in touch through our website or by using the...
2021-05-171h 35Hear This IdeaAnna Alexandrova on Measuring Well-Being and Alternatives to Technocracy
Anna Alexandrova is a Reader in Philosophy of Science at University of Cambridge. She studies the philosophy of social sciences, focusing on the use (and abuse) of formal models, and the measurement of well-being. Anna is the author of A Philosophy for the Science of Well-Being (2017).
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/anna. It's not a transcript!
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free to get in touch through our website or by using...
2021-05-0300 minHear This IdeaEva Vivalt on Evidence-Based Policy and Forecasting Social ScienceEva Vivalt is an Assistant Professor in Economics at the University of Toronto. Her work is focused on reducing barriers to evidence-based decision-making, global priorities research, and cash transfers.
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/eva. It's not a transcript!
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free to get in touch through our website or by using the star rating form on each episode page. Please also consider leaving us a review wherever you're listening to t...
2021-04-121h 23Hear This IdeaBonus: Longtermism Discussion (w/ Increments podcast)We were flattered to be invited to discuss longtermism by Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani from the wonderful Increments podcast. It's not as serious or polished as our interview episodes, but we had heaps of fun trying to figure out where and why we disagree.
Increments on Apple podcasts
Increments on Spotify
Increments on Google podcasts
Ben on Twitter — @bennychugg
Vaden's website — vmasrani.github.io
2021-03-2900 minHear This IdeaThomas Moynihan on the History of Existential RiskThomas Moynihan is a writer and researcher interested in the history of ideas surrounding existential risk and human flourishing. He completed a PhD on the history of human extinction, and currently works with Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute. His most recent book is called X-Risk: How Humanity Discovered Its Own Extinction.
You can read much more about the topics we cover in this episode in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/thomas. It's not a transcript!
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, feel free get in touch through our website or...
2021-03-222h 14
Increments#20 (HTI crossover episode) - Roundtable Longtermism DiscussionHello and sorry for the delay! We finally got together with Fin and Luca from the excellent HearThisIdea podcast for a nice roundtable discussion on longtermism. We laughed, we cried, we tried our best to communicate across the divide. Material referenced in the discussion:- 80k Hours Problem Profiles- Jon Hamm imprisons us in an Alexa- The Case for Strong Longtermism- A Case Against Strong Longtermism- Nick Bostrom's seminal paper on existential risksQuote: "[Events like Chernobyl, Bhopal, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, draughts, World War I, Wor...
2021-03-083h 14Hear This IdeaJulia Shvets on Overconfidence, Rank Incentives, and Lab vs Field ExperimentsJulia Shvets is an economist at the University of Cambridge and fellow at Christ's College. Her research focuses primarily on micro- and behavioural economics: exploring why people make the decisions they make.
In this episode we discuss two of her recent papers. The first is about "overconfidence" — why people often think they are better than they have any reason to be. The second is on "rank incentives" — that is, how much people are inherently motivated by social prestige. We also explore many of the challenges that this research faces, especially what biases lab experiments might have.
Yo...
2021-03-081h 20Hear This IdeaNikhil Krishnan on the History and Future of Analytic Philosophy
Nikhil Krishnan is a lecturer at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge, and Fellow in Philosophy at Robinson College. He also writes on on history, literature, and culture. His first book, provisionally titled A Terribly Serious Adventure, tells the story of philosophy in Oxford from 1900 to 1960.
In this episode, we discussed two broad topics. In the first half, Nikhil relates some of this history of 20th century Oxford philosophy — and, by extension, the history of 'analytic' or 'linguistic' philosophy. In the latter half, we consider some questions about the present and future for academic ph...
2021-02-221h 33Hear This IdeaMarcus Daniell on High Impact Athletes, EA Outreach, and the Point of SportMarcus Daniell is an Olympian tennis player from New Zealand with 5 ATP titles, quarterfinal appearances at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He became involved with the Effective Altruism in 2015 and has since donated 5-10% of his annual income to effective organisations.
In January of this year, Marcus took the Giving What We Can pledge, committing to donate at least 10% of his annual winnings to effective organisations for the rest of his life. Alongside his tennis career, Marcus is presently completing a Masters in Philosophy.
In November 2020, Daniell founded High Impact Athletes, a non-profit organisation connecting athletes...
2021-02-081h 21
Ogni Maledetto Indipendente - La Finestra sul Cinema Indie#13 Ogni Maledetto Indipendente - La finestra sul cinema indie. Giorgio Treves e Luca ScivolettoIn occasione della Giornata della Memoria il regista GIORGIO TREVES e lo sceneggiatore LUCA SCIVOLETTO parlano di "1938: Diversi", film vincitore del Nastro D'Argento come Miglior Documentario, nello studio MA6 di Massimo Righetti con Vania Amitrano; con CHIARA BOFFELLI e FABIO MINGARDI andiamo a Brescia per conoscere le attività del CINEMA NUOVO EDEN.
2021-01-2735 minHear This IdeaSebastian Joy on ProVeg, Movement Building, and Corporate EngagementSebastian Joy is the founding President of ProVeg International, a food awareness organisation working to transform the global food system. He is also a social entrepreneur: having developed several vegan products and helped launch the international 50by40 alliance.
In this episode we discuss:
[00:01:53] Welcome, Sebastian!
[00:07:52] Direct animal advocacy
[00:11:48] Career capital
[00:14:46] ProVeg International
[00:23:42] Corporate engagement and the meat industry
[00:26:49] The business of meat
[00:36:00] Entrepreneurship
[00:45:25] Scaling up organisations
[00:48:05] New areas for helping animals
[00:51:26] Working within organisations
[00:54:12] Closing questions
You can read much more on these topics in our accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/sebastian.
If...
2021-01-2500 minHear This IdeaBruce Friedrich on Protein Alternatives and the Good Food InstituteBruce Friedrich is the co-founder and executive director of The Good Food Institute — a nonprofit that works with scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs to support the development and marketing of cell-cultured and plant-based alternatives to animal food products.
In this episode we discuss:
[00:02:21] Bruce's path to GFI
[00:06:01] Inefficiencies of animal agriculture
[00:10:06] Other external harms of animal agriculture
[00:18:27] GFI's theory of change
[00:27:54] Why focus on affluent markets?
[00:32:53] Is regular meat-eating an historical abberation?
[00:35:22] Protein alternative research
[00:38:49] Plant-based vs cultivated meat
[00:42:40] Marketing protein alternatives
[00:47:27] Nomenclature
[00:49:44] Policy
[00:53:46] Why do we need government spending on R&D?
[00:57:40] GFI's counterfactual impact
[01:01:08] Religious in...
2021-01-111h 14Hear This IdeaLeah Edgerton and Manja Gärtner on Animal Charity EvaluationLeah Edgerton and Manja Gärtner are respectively the Executive Director and a Senior Researcher at Animal Charity Evaluators — a non-profit whose mission is to find and promote the most effective ways to help animals.
In this episode we discuss:
[00:05:27] Why care about Effective Animal Advocacy?
[00:09:09] Cognitive dissonance and the meat paradox
[00:13:46] What does ACE do?
[00:21:10] Measuring effectiveness and doing research
[00:30:54] Value of information and capacity building
[00:38:37] Working with NGOs
[00:48:02] How Animal Advocacy has changed
[00:51:14] Hopes for the future
[01:00:23] Closing questions
You can read much more on these topics in our accompanying write-up: https://hearthisidea.com...
2020-12-2100 minHear This IdeaPeter Singer on Speciesism, Lockdown Ethics, and Controversial IdeasPeter Singer is a moral philosopher and public intellectual, most widely known for his writings about animal ethics and global poverty.
In this episode we discuss:
[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:01:43] Background — Peter Singer introduces himself.
[00:02:16] Speciesism — Defining the term, and explaining the case against speciesism.
[00:06:55] Wild Animal Suffering — hould we intervene to reduce suffering in nature?
[00:09:00] Weighing and Ending Animal Lives — Are all animal lives equal? What, if anything, is wrong with (painlessly) killing animals?
[00:13:20] Ignoring Animals: Why did thinkers of the past apparently neglect the moral worth of animals? Why is animal ethics relatively new?
[00:16:50] History of Western Attitude...
2020-12-0759 minHear This IdeaLuke Freeman on Giving What We Can and Community BuildingLuke Freeman is the Executive Director of Giving What We Can. Before this, he was a entrepreneur and marketing specialist, including co-founding Positly.
In this episode we discuss:
[00:01:52] Background: History of EA
[00:04:02] Luke's story: Discovering EA
[00:09:30] Foreign Aid: Myths and valid critiques
[00:14:58] Evidence: RCTs and the ITN framework
[00:20:12] News: "Man bites dog"
[00:26:35] GWWC: Taking the pledge
[00:43:43] Donations: Risk and hidden zeros
[00:46:41] GWWC: Common misconceptions
[00:51:34] Entrepreneurship: Positly and WEIRD science
[00:54:31] Tech: Market for Donations
[01:05:46] Final questions: Change in mind and book recommendations
You can read much more on these topics in our accompanying write-up: https://hearthisidea...
2020-11-301h 13Hear This IdeaSriya Iyer on the Economics of ReligionDr Sriya Iyer is a Reader in Economics at the University of Cambridge and fellow of St Catharine’s College. Her research applies the tools of economics to topics such as religion, development, and education.
In this episode we discuss:
[00:02:14] Introduction: Sriya Iyer
[00:03:08] Background: What is the economics of religion?
[00:07:25] Wealth: The Secularization Hypothesis (and why it's wrong)
[00:12:02] Growth: Weber's Protestant work ethic
[00:14:43] Demography: Religion and fertility in India
[00:21:39] Fieldwork: Doing surveys in the developing world
[00:29:31] Competition: Temples providing non-religious services
[00:36:39] Signaling: The Club Good Model of Religion
[00:44:00] Education: Religious versus secular schooling
[00:47:42] Religious riots: The Po...
2020-11-2300 minHear This IdeaSJ Beard on Parfit, Climate Change, and Existential RiskDr S. J. Beard is a research associate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, and an AHRC/BBC New Generation Thinker. With a background in philosophy, he works on ethical problems relating to the long-term future of humanity, as well as evaluating extreme technological risks.
In this episode we discuss:
[2:00] Existential risks defined in brief;
[4:45] SJ's background;
[12:30] What made philosopher Derek Parfit so influential;
[17:30] What is the repugnant conclusion?
[22:12] What is the non-identity problem?
[28:40] Meeting Parfit;
[34:20] Why SJ chose a career in existial risk research;
[36:43] What existential risk...
2020-09-301h 34Hear This IdeaJessie Munton on Prejudice, Perception, and Search EnginesDr Jessie Munton is a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Cambridge, whose philosophical research spans perception, psychiatry, and bias.
In this episode we discuss:
How to think about statistical generalisations that deal with demographic groups;
How accurate beliefs about them can go wrong when we 'project' from bare statistics;
How the salience and ordering of information relates to prejudice;
How search engines can help or hinder 'cognitive flexibility'.
You can read much more on this episode's accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/Jessie.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future...
2020-08-211h 10Hear This IdeaCarolina Alves on Heterodox Economics, Diversity in Academia, and the Global SouthCarolina Alves is the Joan Robinson Research Fellow in Heterodox Economics at Girton College, Cambridge and a co-founder of D-Econ. Her work mostly focuses on macroeconomics and international political economy.
In this episode we discuss:
-
You can read much more on this episode's accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/Carolina.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, please get in touch through our website. Please also consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening to this.
If you want to support the show more directly...
2020-07-311h 22Hear This IdeaJaime Sevilla Molina on on Forecasting, Cultural Persistence, and Quantum ComputingJaime Sevilla Molina is a visiting researcher at the Center for the Study of Existential Risk, and is beginning a PhD studying Bayesian reasoning. Previously, he was a Research Fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute, and his academic background is in mathematics and computer science.
In this episode we discuss:
How the social sciences infer causation from natural experiments;
Evidence for 'cultural persistence', particularly in the context of the Atlantic slave trade;
What is forecasting, and why does it matter? Why is good forecasting so hard to come by?
What are the likely implications of...
2020-07-241h 20Hear This IdeaSanjay Joshi on Charity Evaluation and Nonprofit EntrepreneurshipSanjay Joshi is the co-founder and CEO of SoGive, a non-profit which evaluates the impact and cost-effectiveness of UK charities.
In this episode we discuss
The meaning and neglectnedness of cost-effectiveness in the charity space;
Why incentives differ so much between companies and nonprofits;
Misconceptions about admin costs and senior pay in charities;
SoGive's 'two-question framework' for evaluating charity's outcomes;
Advice for nonprofit entrepreneurship
You can read much more on this episode's accompanying write-up hearthisidea.com/episodes/Sanjay.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, please get in touch through...
2020-07-171h 13Hear This IdeaEve McCormick on Effective AltruismEve McCormick is the co-director of Effective Altruism Cambridge and a grant recipient from the Centre for Effective Altruism.
In this episode we discuss
What 'effective altruism' is all about;
Philosphical arguments for doing the most good;
Key concepts and cause areas;
Common criticisms
You can read much more on this episode's accompanying write-up hearthisidea.com/episodes/Eve.
If you have any feedback or suggestions for future guests, please get in touch through our website.
Please also consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening to this; we're...
2020-06-201h 04Hear This IdeaToke Aidt on Corruption and Political EconomyDr Toke Aidt is Director of Studies in Economics at Jesus College, Cambridge as well as Director of the Keynes Fund.
In this episode we discuss
Why some economists believe corruption can be a force for good, or at least a lesser evil
Why Toke believes this view does not hold up to scrutiny
And how self-reinforcing cycles of corruption can make tackling it very hard (but also rewarding)
You can read more on this episode's accompanying write-up (which we highly recommend!) hearthisidea.com/episodes/Toke.
If you have any feedback or suggestions...
2020-04-2658 minHear This IdeaNeel Nanda on Effective Planning and Building Habits that StickNeel Nanda is a final year maths undergraduate at the University of Cambridge, and a gold medalist in the International Mathematical Olympiad. He teaches regularly – from revision lectures to a recent ‘public rationality’ workshop. Neel is also an active member in rationalist and effective altruism communities.
In this episode we discuss
How to view self-improvement and optimising your goals
Forming good habits through the 'TAPs' technique
How to build effective plans by using our 'inner simulator' and 'pre-hindsight'
You can read more on this episode's accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/neel. You can also read Neel's...
2020-04-1957 minHear This IdeaGeorge Rosenfeld on Effective Giving and Building a Charitable MovementGeorge Rosenfeld is the founder of May Week Alternative, an initiative encouraging students to donate a significant amount of money to an effective charity. In our longest episode yet, we discuss:
George’s inspiration for starting MWA;
What he has learned about growing and sustaining a student-based charity;
The psychology of what gets people to join the movement and donate their own money;
The myths and misperceptions surrounding what it means to have a positive impact, and the most credible ways to do so. And a lot more besides!
If you’re interested in starting a charitable move...
2020-04-111h 33Hear This IdeaDiane Coyle on Tech Giants and Digital MonopoliesProfessor Diane Coyle, CBE, is an economist and co-directs the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. Her current focus is on the digital economy and competition policy. She is the author of more than 15 economics books, and creator of the popular 'Enlightened Economics' blog. In this episode, we talk about the effects of digital monopoloes. How different are they from other kinds of monopoly? Is there anything new or concerning about their use of big data and algorithm-tailored adverting? And should we try to break them up?
You can read more on this episode's accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com...
2020-03-0227 minHear This IdeaDan Williams on Political Misinformation, Self-Delusion, and SignallingDan Williams is a research fellow in philosophy at the University of Cambridge. His research addresses how various forms of irrationality and bias can be socially adaptive. How might false political beliefs and conspiracy theories have a useful 'signalling' purpose? And do we always know the reasons why we form our own beliefs?
You can read more on this episode's accompanying write-up: hearthisidea.com/episodes/dan.
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2020-02-2856 minHear This IdeaKent Berridge on Dopamine, Addiction and NeuroscienceKent Berridge is a distinguished professor of psychology and neuroscience at the university of Michigan and the joint recipient of the 2019 Grawemeyer Award for psychology. Through experiments on rodents, his research addresses questions about how pleasure is generated in the brain, the relation of fear to desire, and what causes addiction.
You can read more on this episode's accompanying write-up.
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2020-02-111h 03Hear This IdeaTads Ciecierski-Holmes on Gym Membership and Behavioural EconomicsShow Notes
Tads is an undergraduate economist at St John’s College, Cambridge and current Director of the Cambridge Development Initiative. His dissertation looks at how behavioural economics can help explain patterns in gym membership.
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2020-01-251h 06Hear This IdeaVasileios Kotsidis on Rational Choice Theory and the Repugnant ConclusionShow Notes
Dr Vasileios Kotsidis is a teaching and research fellow in economics at St Catherine’s College, Cambridge. His research applies methods from game theory and other formal models in economics to social interactions with strategic motives.
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If...
2020-01-251h 25Hear This IdeaTobias Cremer on Right-wing Populism and ChristianityShow Notes
Tobias Cremer is a PhD student in Politics and International Studies. His thesis examines the relationship between right-wing populism and religion in Western Europe and North America.
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2020-01-2551 minHear This IdeaVictoria Bateman on the Industrial Revolution and Economic HistoryShow Notes
Dr Bateman is a fellow in economics at Gonville & Caius college Cambridge. Her research encompasses economic history, macroeconomics, and feminism.
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2020-01-2555 min
Hear This IdeaWhat is Hear This Idea?What is Hear This Idea?
Hear This Idea is a podcast showcasing new thinking from the University of Cambridge and beyond. It is hosted by two undergrad students, Fin and Luca.
This university, like so many others, is filled with academics who have fascinating things to say. We thought their work and research deserve hearing outside the lecture hall.
We want this podcast to be a starting point for more people to find out about these ideas, whether you are a student looking to learn beyond your course or just curious to learn...
2020-01-2501 min