Moment of Zen

E3 w/ Amjad Masad on AGI as religion for nerds, history as a series of conspiracies, and religion as a foundation for raising your kids

Episode Summary

(0:00) - Antonio’s circumcision (1:20) - The future of Replit (6:30) - The future of coding (9:46) - The Steve Jobs Blackpill (12:00) - Will AGI lead to the death of humans? (18:13) - AGM thinks AGI dystopia is bullshit, religion for nerds (21:12) - Why is there a human need for “end of times” theory? (23:20) - Climate science is unsettled (25:55) - AGM swears he has no idea who Curtis Yarvin is (Who is Curtis Yarvin? - editor) (26:25) - Dan wrestles with the guilt of bringing another human into this cold, ugly world (27:00) - Amjad’s counter-narrative to the AGI dystopia narrative (29:30) - How can AI become consciousness if we don’t know what consciousness is? (32:15) - “AGM do you want to share your story with an AI girlfriend?” (32:58) - Amjad’s Palestinian background and his identity crisis (37:00) - Redpill moments (39:17) - The media never lies (40:35) - Russel Conjugation (41:50) - Comparing Islam and Judaism (43:44) - Judaism isn’t about faith, it’s about practice (51:00) - Transhumanism vs Ludditism (51:50) - Was The Unabomber a left-wing or right-wing nut? (55:15) - Ludditism never works, you can’t roll technology back (57:00) - Antonio’s redpilling (58:30) - Raising a family with or without religion (1:04:40) - Dismissing religion is the classic midwit meme (1:07:20) - History is a series of conspiracies (1:15:00) - Modern day true conspiracies (1:21:05) - “Are the frogs gay?” (1:22:50) - Why does truth matter? (1:30:40) - Prediction Markets (1:36:30) - The only places where truth matters: wars, elections, and markets

Episode Notes

(0:00) - Antonio’s circumcision

(1:20) - The future of Replit

(6:30) - The future of coding

(9:46) - The Steve Jobs Blackpill

(12:00) - Will AGI lead to the death of humans?

(18:13) - AGM thinks AGI dystopia is bullshit, religion for nerds

(21:12) - Why is there a human need for “end of times” theory?

(23:20) - Climate science is unsettled

(25:55) - AGM swears he has no idea who Curtis Yarvin is (Who is Curtis Yarvin? - editor)

(26:25) - Dan wrestles with the guilt of bringing another human into this cold, ugly world

(27:00) - Amjad’s counter-narrative to the AGI dystopia narrative

(29:30) - How can AI become consciousness if we don’t know what consciousness is?

(32:15) - “AGM do you want to share your story with an AI girlfriend?”

(32:58) - Amjad’s Palestinian background and his identity crisis

(37:00) - Redpill moments

(39:17) - The media never lies

(40:35) - Russel Conjugation

(41:50) - Comparing Islam and Judaism

(43:44) - Judaism isn’t about faith, it’s about practice

(51:00) - Transhumanism vs Ludditism

(51:50) - Was The Unabomber a left-wing or right-wing nut?

(55:15) - Ludditism never works, you can’t roll technology back

(57:00) - Antonio’s redpilling

(58:30) - Raising a family with or without religion

(1:04:40) - Dismissing religion is the classic midwit meme

(1:07:20) - History is a series of conspiracies

(1:15:00) - Modern day true conspiracies

(1:21:05) - “Are the frogs gay?”

(1:22:50) - Why does truth matter?

(1:30:40) - Prediction Markets

(1:36:30) - The only places where truth matters: wars, elections, and markets