Ross Douthat

It's all fakery.

It's just Silicon Valley hype.

I think that part is wrong.

But there is also a reaction I've seen that is a kind of humanist reaction that is sort of trying to emphasize human exceptionalism, which has not been where I think parts of the academic left have been.

And it's made me wonder whether, yeah, there is a kind of left right humanist dialogue around.

I mean, just the bigger question that I know you have thoughts on because, you know, you were talking earlier about sort of.

the technological challenge we're living through, right?

But where, you know, the question of just like, what is a human being?

And what makes human beings distinct from a computer, a machine, these kind of things?

Those seem like questions that are maybe get us out of

current polarization a little bit.

What do you think?

What do you try and give to the normal people in that scenario?

Is it a different philosophy of life?

Is it a religious vision?

If it's an 80-20 scenario where it's heaven for 20% and hell for 80%, what's the path up for the 80%?

Meaning the young don't encounter the old and vice versa, actually.

Let's talk about your loves, your little platoons.

I've never had a cancer diagnosis.

I was very ill a while, five, seven, 10 years ago.