Episode
#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
4:33:40
Published: Tue Mar 14 2023
Description
Sam Harris is an author, podcaster, and philosopher. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - Notion: https://notion.com - Indeed: https://indeed.com/lex to get $75 credit - MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lex to get 15% off EPISODE LINKS: Sam's Website: https://samharris.org Making Sense Podcast: https://www.samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes Waking Up App: https://www.wakingup.com Sam's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@samharrisorg Sam's Instagram: https://instagram.com/samharrisorg PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (09:25) - Empathy and reason (17:17) - Donald Trump (1:00:11) - Military industrial complex (1:04:45) - Twitter (1:28:52) - COVID (2:12:35) - Kanye West (2:29:11) - Platforming (2:47:07) - Joe Rogan (3:03:59) - Bret Weinstein (3:17:38) - Elon Musk (3:29:45) - Artificial Intelligence (3:45:48) - UFOs (3:59:03) - Free will (4:26:17) - Hope for the future
Chapters
Sam Harris delves into discussions on a range of topics including Donald Trump, Hunter Biden, January 6th, vaccines, and the lab leak theory.
00:00 - 03:26 (03:26)
Summary
Sam Harris delves into discussions on a range of topics including Donald Trump, Hunter Biden, January 6th, vaccines, and the lab leak theory. Additionally, he reflects on Joe Rogan and Elon Musk's importance to the world as leaders who take on challenging problems and as compassionate and open-minded voices, respectively.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast discusses the importance of negotiation in daily life and how building a great team is crucial for success, happiness and fulfillment, and mentions tools like Notion and Indeed that can help.
03:26 - 09:06 (05:39)
Summary
The podcast discusses the importance of negotiation in daily life and how building a great team is crucial for success, happiness and fulfillment, and mentions tools like Notion and Indeed that can help.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses the ethical dilemma of prioritizing care for loved ones over strangers and the potential negative consequences that come with this prioritization.
09:06 - 17:08 (08:02)
Summary
The speaker discusses the ethical dilemma of prioritizing care for loved ones over strangers and the potential negative consequences that come with this prioritization.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The conversation discusses the idea that Trump supporters believe that the government is run by a corrupt group of elites, and questions whether this idea is founded in reality.
17:08 - 26:38 (09:29)
Summary
The conversation discusses the idea that Trump supporters believe that the government is run by a corrupt group of elites, and questions whether this idea is founded in reality. The importance of living in a just society, and the danger of promoting unempathetic and pathological individuals to positions of power, is also explored.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker acknowledges that he has insufficient knowledge to have an opinion about many topics, but believes in choosing normal mediocrities over once-in-a-generation narcissists and frauds to serve in positions of power.
26:38 - 37:09 (10:31)
Summary
The speaker acknowledges that he has insufficient knowledge to have an opinion about many topics, but believes in choosing normal mediocrities over once-in-a-generation narcissists and frauds to serve in positions of power.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The chaos that Trump created revealed how fragile democracy is.
37:09 - 41:00 (03:50)
Summary
The chaos that Trump created revealed how fragile democracy is. Although there have been competent figures throughout history who have been great at controlling power, Trump was doing none of that, causing concern for the current state of democracy.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Andrew Yang and Sam Harris discuss Trump's legacy and Yang suggests the need for empathy over reason to bring about constructive change, while Harris finds the power in acknowledging Trump's good qualities in a public manner.
41:00 - 48:57 (07:57)
Summary
Andrew Yang and Sam Harris discuss Trump's legacy and Yang suggests the need for empathy over reason to bring about constructive change, while Harris finds the power in acknowledging Trump's good qualities in a public manner.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses his view on the importance of border control and the 2020 US presidential election, arguing that despite his reservations on the wall, the corruption scale does not balance out between Trump and Biden.
48:57 - 1:00:27 (11:29)
Summary
The speaker discusses his view on the importance of border control and the 2020 US presidential election, arguing that despite his reservations on the wall, the corruption scale does not balance out between Trump and Biden.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The success of a system lies in its incentives that are so strong that even bad people behave like good people.
1:00:27 - 1:11:34 (11:07)
Summary
The success of a system lies in its incentives that are so strong that even bad people behave like good people. It is important to have non-pathological people in the system trying to navigate against the grain of bad incentives to make it work for everyone.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The use of social media has led to losing touch with reality and not being able to distinguish between real information and performances, leading to increased negativity and meanness towards each other.
1:11:34 - 1:17:42 (06:08)
Summary
The use of social media has led to losing touch with reality and not being able to distinguish between real information and performances, leading to increased negativity and meanness towards each other.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The controversy surrounding the selective use of clips for political gain, particularly in regards to Trump's remarks after Charlottesville, highlights the danger of manipulating context in the current political climate.
1:17:42 - 1:27:31 (09:49)
Summary
The controversy surrounding the selective use of clips for political gain, particularly in regards to Trump's remarks after Charlottesville, highlights the danger of manipulating context in the current political climate. The growing use of AI and deep fakes presents a further challenge in identifying what is real and what is not.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this episode, the speaker discusses the importance of relying on real experts in unfamiliar areas and the possibility of being right for the wrong reasons.
1:27:32 - 1:40:20 (12:48)
Summary
In this episode, the speaker discusses the importance of relying on real experts in unfamiliar areas and the possibility of being right for the wrong reasons. They also highlight the need to analyze and differentiate between good and bad studies in neuroscience.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this podcast episode, Eric Weinstein discusses how depression can affect individuals and how the pandemic has influenced people’s emotions.
1:40:20 - 1:51:03 (10:43)
Summary
In this podcast episode, Eric Weinstein discusses how depression can affect individuals and how the pandemic has influenced people’s emotions. He also mentions how difficult conversations have become more emotional and dogmatic, and challenges the idea of only seeking medication for treating depression.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The rise of conspiracy theories and anti-vax cults have led to a growing distrust of information and a belief in outlandish ideas, even among those who may not truly believe them, due to the "4chanification" of social media and information spaces.
1:51:03 - 1:57:27 (06:23)
Summary
The rise of conspiracy theories and anti-vax cults have led to a growing distrust of information and a belief in outlandish ideas, even among those who may not truly believe them, due to the "4chanification" of social media and information spaces.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this transcript excerpt, the speaker highlights the lack of long-term data on mRNA vaccines and the baseless claims of Ivermectin being a panacea while emphasizing the civic responsibility of getting vaccinated to protect those who cannot.
1:57:27 - 2:03:50 (06:23)
Summary
In this transcript excerpt, the speaker highlights the lack of long-term data on mRNA vaccines and the baseless claims of Ivermectin being a panacea while emphasizing the civic responsibility of getting vaccinated to protect those who cannot. The speaker also discusses the importance of trusting qualified experts in fields where there are genuine unknowns.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The episode discusses the difficulty of creating consensus around issues such as lockdowns, climate change, and the potential need to fight another World War, due to differing beliefs and perspectives.
2:03:50 - 2:08:59 (05:08)
Summary
The episode discusses the difficulty of creating consensus around issues such as lockdowns, climate change, and the potential need to fight another World War, due to differing beliefs and perspectives.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast discusses the challenges individuals face when dealing with bad behavior from friends and acquaintances in public.
2:08:59 - 2:16:23 (07:24)
Summary
The podcast discusses the challenges individuals face when dealing with bad behavior from friends and acquaintances in public. The host advises navigating professional and personal pressure by having a respectful conversation in private to show love to the person in question.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker argues that Kanye West's comments should not be taken as if he is an eloquent and researched individual, and that the most offensive thing is not his anti-Semitism.
2:16:23 - 2:21:28 (05:04)
Summary
The speaker argues that Kanye West's comments should not be taken as if he is an eloquent and researched individual, and that the most offensive thing is not his anti-Semitism.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The decision to engage with people who hold offensive or false ideas is a personal one, and individuals may choose not to do so in order to avoid giving them undeserved attention or oxygen.
2:21:28 - 2:32:42 (11:14)
Summary
The decision to engage with people who hold offensive or false ideas is a personal one, and individuals may choose not to do so in order to avoid giving them undeserved attention or oxygen.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The prevalence of misinformation on social media can be dangerous and influential, even for those who have expertise in their field, leading to confusion and the spread of false information.
2:32:42 - 2:44:40 (11:57)
Summary
The prevalence of misinformation on social media can be dangerous and influential, even for those who have expertise in their field, leading to confusion and the spread of false information. It is important to understand the motivations and beliefs of those spreading this misinformation to effectively combat it.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker discusses how many podcasters have monetized half of a problem and have become captive to an audience that wants only that half of the problem.
2:44:40 - 2:55:06 (10:25)
Summary
The speaker discusses how many podcasters have monetized half of a problem and have become captive to an audience that wants only that half of the problem. He also highlights the creation of different incentives by podcasters due to how they have monetized their podcast and the kind of signals they have responded to in their audience.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The responsibility to not incite harm increases as one's messaging reaches a broader audience, as evidenced by the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands due to vaccine hesitancy.
2:55:06 - 3:06:28 (11:21)
Summary
The responsibility to not incite harm increases as one's messaging reaches a broader audience, as evidenced by the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands due to vaccine hesitancy. The immediate response to figuring out the origin of a pandemic is crucial to not losing touch with the evidence.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The podcast host discusses the lab leak theory and the importance of not conflating scientific issues.
3:06:28 - 3:11:24 (04:56)
Summary
The podcast host discusses the lab leak theory and the importance of not conflating scientific issues. He argues that people are using the fact that one scientist was early on the lab leak theory to suggest he was right about unrelated issues such as ivermectin and mRNA vaccines.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The power of bad ideas and bad incentives do more harm than the truly bad people.
3:11:24 - 3:17:26 (06:02)
Summary
The power of bad ideas and bad incentives do more harm than the truly bad people. Most people going into fields related to saving lives and government are doing it for the right reasons.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this episode, the guest sheds light on Elon Musk's social media activity, its potential impact on his businesses and reputation, and how it affects people around him.
3:17:26 - 3:22:53 (05:27)
Summary
In this episode, the guest sheds light on Elon Musk's social media activity, its potential impact on his businesses and reputation, and how it affects people around him.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
An engineer and a neuroscientist exchange thoughts on Twitter about COVID-19 concerns, highlighting the lack of long-form discussions and debates about the topic amidst the pandemic.
3:22:53 - 3:28:31 (05:38)
Summary
An engineer and a neuroscientist exchange thoughts on Twitter about COVID-19 concerns, highlighting the lack of long-form discussions and debates about the topic amidst the pandemic.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The speaker questions the ability to define a value function that permanently aligns human values with self-improving super intelligent AI, especially as humanity continues to discover, refine and extrapolate these values in an open-ended way.
3:28:34 - 3:35:19 (06:44)
Summary
The speaker questions the ability to define a value function that permanently aligns human values with self-improving super intelligent AI, especially as humanity continues to discover, refine and extrapolate these values in an open-ended way. They also express concern over the emergence of Chad GPT and new large language models, and their fine-tuning with reinforcement learning.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Many aspects of our cognitive abilities will be surpassed by machines such as Chess or Go.
3:35:19 - 3:45:31 (10:12)
Summary
Many aspects of our cognitive abilities will be surpassed by machines such as Chess or Go. The prospect of creating autonomous superintelligence should be taken seriously as Pollyannaish views on the potential of AI are not founded in reality.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Eric Weinstein and Sam Harris discuss their contacts with individuals who claim to have had encounters with UFOs, and the credibility of evidence surrounding such encounters.
3:45:31 - 3:52:11 (06:40)
Summary
Eric Weinstein and Sam Harris discuss their contacts with individuals who claim to have had encounters with UFOs, and the credibility of evidence surrounding such encounters.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
Experts such as Graham Allison and William Perry have estimated the ongoing risk of a nuclear war to be 50% in the next generation due to factors such as ICBMs and tactical nukes, with Soviet submarine commanders having saved the world from nuclear war at least twice in the past.
3:52:11 - 4:03:04 (10:52)
Summary
Experts such as Graham Allison and William Perry have estimated the ongoing risk of a nuclear war to be 50% in the next generation due to factors such as ICBMs and tactical nukes, with Soviet submarine commanders having saved the world from nuclear war at least twice in the past.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The present moment is all that matters, and meditation helps engage it regardless of what's happening.
4:03:04 - 4:08:37 (05:33)
Summary
The present moment is all that matters, and meditation helps engage it regardless of what's happening. It can lead to a sense of freedom, contentment, and tranquility.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
This podcast delves into the intersection of abstract reality and the physics of things with topics such as the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and how it affects our understanding of reality.
4:08:37 - 4:14:39 (06:01)
Summary
This podcast delves into the intersection of abstract reality and the physics of things with topics such as the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and how it affects our understanding of reality. The host explores the implications and possible changes this may have on traditional philosophical theories of reality and seeks input from both philosophers and physicists.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The concept of possibility is dependent on the observing of certain things, and the laws of nature serve as an additional aspect to the actual events that occur, even if they are not tangible.
4:14:39 - 4:20:43 (06:04)
Summary
The concept of possibility is dependent on the observing of certain things, and the laws of nature serve as an additional aspect to the actual events that occur, even if they are not tangible.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In the concept of a block universe, time is an illusion and space time exists as a totality.
4:20:43 - 4:24:24 (03:40)
Summary
In the concept of a block universe, time is an illusion and space time exists as a totality. Our perception of travel through space time, of a real difference between the past and future, is just an illusion of one perspective of the larger object.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this podcast episode, the host discusses his appreciation for playing a casual round of golf and his thoughts on what the future holds for human civilization.
4:24:25 - 4:27:28 (03:02)
Summary
In this podcast episode, the host discusses his appreciation for playing a casual round of golf and his thoughts on what the future holds for human civilization.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The debate on free speech and how it affects individual businesses or platforms to decide what content they want to associate with.
4:27:28 - 4:32:13 (04:44)
Summary
The debate on free speech and how it affects individual businesses or platforms to decide what content they want to associate with. The need to establish boundaries for companies and individuals in terms of freedom of speech and how it can impact society as a whole.
Episode#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
In this podcast, Lex Fridman talks to Sam Harris about the potential of artificial intelligence to help and hurt humans, the ways we can steer that growth, the ethical and moral implications of creating AI, as well as other topics related to the future of life and AI alignment.
4:32:13 - 4:33:18 (01:05)
Summary
In this podcast, Lex Fridman talks to Sam Harris about the potential of artificial intelligence to help and hurt humans, the ways we can steer that growth, the ethical and moral implications of creating AI, as well as other topics related to the future of life and AI alignment.