The Jim Rutt Show

EP 237 Simon DeDeo on the Odds of Major Civil Violence

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Simon DeDeo about their wager concerning the likelihood of civil violence and mass killings in America in the next decade. They discus...

EP 236 Gregg Henriques on Free Will vs Determinism

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Gregg Henriques about his take on the free will versus determinism debate. They discuss the importance of definitions, the enlightenmen...

EP 235 Robin Hanson on Beware Cultural Drift

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Robin Hanson about the ideas in his essay "Beware Cultural Drift: Thoughts on modernity's monoculture mistake." They discuss drift in...

EP 234 Richard Bartlett on an Experiment in Co-Living

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Richard Bartlett about the ideas in his essay "What we learned from a 3-month co-living experiment." They discuss Jim's visit to a co...

EP 233 Robert Conan Ryan on Seven Ethical Perspectives

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Robert Conan Ryan about seven ethical perspectives and why everyone should know them. They discuss why understanding ethical stances is...

EP 232 Matthew David Segall on Process Philosophy and the Origin of Life

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Matthew David Segall about the ideas in his and Bruce Damer's new essay, "The Cosmological Context of the Origin of Life: Process Phil...

EP 231 Vance Crowe Interviews Jim Rutt on AI Risk

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vance Crowe interviews Jim about how he maps the problem-space of current and future AI risk. They discuss the beginnings of AI, the era of broad AI, ...

EP 230 James Lindsay on a National Divorce

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with James Lindsay about the ideas in his recent essay "National Divorce Is National Suicide." They discuss the meaning of a national divorc...

EP 229 Jonathan Rowson on the Antidebate

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Jonathan Rowson of Perspectiva about a new social practice they're creating, the antidebate. They discuss the nature of debate, the spe...

EP 228 Jeremy Sherman on the Emergence and Nature of Selves

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Jeremy Sherman about the ideas in his book Neither Ghost nor Machine: The Emergence and Nature of Selves. They discuss how Jim found J...

EP 227 Stuart Kauffman on the Emergence of Life

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Stuart Kauffman about the ideas in the recent paper he co-authored with Andrea Roli, "Is the Emergence of Life an Expected Phase Transi...

EP 226 Hannah Rosenberg on An Answer to Red Pilldom

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Hannah Rosenberg about the ideas in her essay "An Answer to Red Pilldom." They discuss the meaning & origins of red pilldom, how Hannah...

EP 225 Bruce Damer on a New Path for Psychedelics

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Bruce Damer about the new Center for MINDS and the ideas in his essay "Downloads from the Modern Dawn of Psychedelics." They discuss al...

EP 224 Samo Burja on Geothermal Energy

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Samo Burja about the ideas in his recent article "Geothermal Energy Turns Planets Into Power Sources." They discuss the heat beneath t...

EP 223 Jordan Hall on Cities, Civiums, and Becoming Christian

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Jordan Hall about the ideas in his essay "From City to Civium" and about his recent conversion to Christianity. They discuss scaling la...

EP 222 Trent McConaghy on AI & Brain-Computer Interface Accelerationism (bci/acc)

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Trent McConaghy about the ideas in his recent essay "bci/acc: A Pragmatic Path to Compete with Artificial Superintelligence." They disc...

EP 221 George Hotz on Open-Source Driving Assistance

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with George Hotz about running Comma, an open-source driving assistance company. They discuss breaking the carrier lock on the iPhone at se...

EP 220 Lene Rachel Andersen on Polymodernity

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Lene Rachel Andersen about the ideas in her book Polymodernity: Meaning and Hope in a Complex World. They discuss the meaning of polymo...

EP 219 Katherine Gehl on Breaking Partisan Gridlock

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Katherine Gehl about her and Michael Porter's book, The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Sa...

EP 218 Max Borders on Christopher Rufo’s New Right Manifesto

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Max Borders about the ideas in his two-part essay series responding to Christopher Rufo's recent manifesto "The New Right Activism." Th...

EP 217 Ben Goertzel on a New Framework for AGI

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Ben Goertzel about a paper he co-wrote, "OpenCog Hyperon: A Framework for AGI at the Human Level and Beyond." They discuss the way Ben ...

EP 216 Kevin Dickinson on A Short History of the F-Word

11 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Kevin Dickinson about the ideas in his recent essay "A Short History of the F-Word." They discuss the mystery of the F-word's origi...

EP 215 Cody Moser on Inequality and Innovation

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Cody Moser about the ideas and findings in his and Paul Smaldino's paper "Innovation-Facilitating Networks Create Inequality." They dis...

EP 214 Douglas Rushkoff on Leaving Social Media

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Douglas Rushkoff about the ideas in his podcast monologue/Substack post "Why I’m Finally Leaving X and Probably All Social Media." Th...

EP 213 Robin Hanson on Declining Fertility Rates

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Robin Hanson about the ideas in his recent Substack writings on human fertility rates. They discuss why the fertility rate is important...

EP 212 Joy Hirsch on How the Brain Responds to Zoom

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Joy Hirsch about the findings in her paper "Separable Processes for Live 'In-Person' and Live 'Zoom-like' Faces," which explores how hu...

EP 211 Ben Goertzel on Generative AI vs. AGI

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with recurring guest Ben Goertzel about the ideas in his paper "Generative AI vs. AGI: The Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses of Modern LLMs...

EP 210 Frank Lantz on the Beauty of Games

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Frank Lantz about the ideas in his new book, The Beauty of Games. They discuss Frank's analysis of Benjamin Soule's arcade game Serpen...

EP 209 C. Owen Paepke on the Purple Presidency

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with C. Owen Paepke in part three of a mini-series on the No Labels potential third-party presidential campaign. They discuss Owen's early c...

EP 208 Jack Visnjic on Anacyclosis

02 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Jack Visnjic, aka Lantern Jack, about Polybius's theory of anacyclosis and cyclical history. They discuss the origins of the name Lante...

EP 207 Paul Watson on Adventures in Eco-Activism

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Paul Watson about his recent book Hit Man for the Kindness Club: High Seas Escapades and Heroic Adventures of an Eco-Activist. They di...

EP 206 Ryan Clancy on No Labels

26 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Ryan Clancy, the chief strategist for No Labels, in the second of a 3-part series exploring different aspects of the No Labels possible...

EP 205 Matthew Pirkowski on Time Preference and Cooperation

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Matthew Pirkowski about the ideas in a recent tweet thread on time preference and its relationship with cooperation. They discuss the d...

EP 204 Matt Bennett on the Case Against No Labels

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Matt Bennett about his arguments against the third-party political campaign No Labels. They discuss Matt's steelman of the campaign, be...

EP 203 Robert Sapolsky on Life Without Free Will

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Robert Sapolsky about the ideas in his book Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will. They discuss what motivates his writing a...

EP 202 Neil Howe on the Fourth Turning

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Neil Howe about the ideas in his new book, The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us About How and When This Cri...

EP 201 Tobias Dengel on the Age of Voice Technology

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Tobias Dengel about the ideas in his book The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology. They discuss the idea that voic...

EP 200 Brian Chau on AI Pluralism

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Brian Chau about recent advancements in AI and viewing AI's relationship to society and politics through a pluralistic lens. They disc...

EP 199 Yascha Mounk on the Identity Trap

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Yascha Mounk about the ideas in his new book The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power. They discuss tribalism among progressives,...

EP 198 Cory Doctorow on Seizing the Means of Computation

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Cory Doctorow about the ideas in his new book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation. They discuss Cory's long af...

EP 197 Susan Neiman on Why Left Is Not Woke

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Susan Neiman about the ideas in her latest book, Left Is Not Woke. They discuss the history & meaning of wokeness, the underlying react...

EP 196 Pamela Denise Long on Affirmative Action for Freedmen

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Pamela Denise Long about the ideas in an open letter from the Coalition of Concerned Freedmen to college presidents, responding to the ...

EP 195 Michael R.J. Bonner on Civilization, Collapse, and Renewal

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Michael R.J. Bonner about the ideas in his book In Defense of Civilization: How Our Past Can Renew Our Present. They discuss the meani...

EP 194 Bob Reid on User-Owned Identity

17 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Bob Reid about identity verification and the financial stack behind his global financial platform Everest. They discuss decentralized u...

EP 193 Aydan Connor on Rethinking Food Systems

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Aydan Connor about improving American food systems and reducing waste. They discuss Aydan's experience in the craft brewing industry, e...

EP 192 David Krakauer on Science, Complexity and AI

18 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim has a wide-ranging talk with David Krakauer about the ideas in his forthcoming paper "The Structure of Complexity in Machine Learning Science" and...

EP 191 Alicia Juarrero on Context, Constraints, and Coherence

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Alicia Juarrero about her new book Context Changes Everything: How Constraints Create Coherence. They discuss Aristotle's four causes,...

EP 190 Peter Turchin on Cliodynamics and End Times

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Peter Turchin about the field he founded, cliodynamics, which applies the scientific method to history. They discuss the meaning & orig...

Currents 100: Sara Walker and Lee Cronin on Time as an Object

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Sara Walker and Lee Cronin about the ideas in their Aeon essay "Time Is an Object." They discuss the history of the idea of time, Newt...

Currents 099: Samuel Scarpino on Preparing for the Next Pandemic

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Samuel Scarpino about what we've learned from Covid-19 and how to apply those lessons to preparing for the next pandemic. They discuss ...

Currents 098: Damien Walter on Science Fiction and the Rhetoric of Story

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Damien Walter about science fiction and the mechanics of myth. They discuss the roles of pathos & ethos in science fiction, Damien's li...

EP 189 Forrest Landry on Civilization Design

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with recurring guest Forrest Landry about civilization design. They discuss the meaning of the concept, toolkits for problem-solving, why th...

Currents 097: Frank Lantz on Network Wars and Games

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Frank Lantz, game designer and director of the Game Center at New York University, about Network Wars and the art of game-making. They ...

EP 188 Robert Tercek on Intellectual Property in the Time of AI

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Robert Tercek about the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike and intellectual property rights in the era of generative AI. They disc...

Currents 096: Jim & Michael Garfield Talk About Everything

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim has an extremely wide-ranging discussion with Michael Garfield. They discuss the upcoming book Michael is drafting in public, the exponential sca...

EP 187 Carlos Perez on A Pattern Language for Generative AI

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Carlos Perez about the ideas in his new book A Pattern Language for Generative AI: A Self-Generating GPT-4 Blueprint. They discuss GPT...

EP 186 Charles Eisenstein on Climate: A New Story

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Charles Eisenstein about the environment and the ideas in his book Climate: A New Story. They discuss Charles's involvement with Rober...

Currents 095: Matt Welsh on the End of Programming

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Matt Welsh about the ideas in his essay "The End of Programming," arguing that coding as we know it will soon be obsolete. They discuss...

Currents 094: Matthew Pirkowski on Blockchain Consensus Mechanisms

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Matthew Pirkowski about the kinds of consensus mechanisms that can be used to secure blockchains. They discuss active inference, proof ...

Currents 093: Rafe Kelley on Natural Movement

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Rafe Kelley about the parkour-based movement system he created and teaches, Evolve Move Play. They discuss electromagnetic pulses, comb...

Currents 092: Peter Wang on The Meaning Crisis and Consequentiality

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Peter Wang about his idea that meaning comes from making consequential choices. They discuss the immediacy of consequences, the modelin...

Currents 091: Bruce Damer on Psychedelics as Tools for Discovery

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Bruce Damer about genius and the use of psychedelics for creative thinking. They discuss the roots of genius, the discovery of fire, Ei...

EP 185 Daniel Suarez on the Near Future of Space Exploration

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Daniel Suarez about his science-fiction imaginings in the near future of space exploration, Delta-V and Critical Mass. They discuss ...

EP 184 Dave Snowden on Managing Complexity in Times of Crisis

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

  Jim talks with Dave Snowden about the document he co-authored, "Managing Complexity (And Chaos) In Times of Crisis." They discuss the Cynefin fram...

Currents 090: BJ Campbell and Patrick Ryan on Egregores

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with BJ Campbell and Patrick Ryan about understanding the present moment through the concept of egregores. They discuss the meaning of t...

Currents 089: Erik Torenberg on Status Games

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Erik Torenberg about the ideas in his Substack series on navigating the status games of today. They discuss status as reputation alloc...

EP 183 Forrest Landry Part 2: AI Risk

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim continues his conversation with recurring guest Forrest Landry on his arguments that continued AI development poses certain catastrophic risk to h...

Currents 088: Melanie Mitchell on AI Measurement and Understanding

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Melanie Mitchell about her critique of applying standardized exams to LLMs and the debate over understanding in AI. They discuss ChatGP...

EP 182 Brad DeLong on An Economic History of the 20th Century

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Brad DeLong about his book Slouching Toward Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century. They discuss how everything change...

Currents 087: Shivanshu Purohit on Open-Source Generative AI

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Shivanshu Purohit about the world of open-source AI models and a significant open-source LLM coming soon from Stability AI and Eleuther...

EP 181 Forrest Landry Part 1: AI Risk

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with recurring guest Forrest Landry about his arguments that continued AI development poses certain catastrophic risk to humanity. They disc...

Currents 086: Monica Anderson on Bubble City

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Monica Anderson about her paper "Bubble City Design Proposal: A Twitter Alternative Which Is Not a Social Medium." They discuss the ...

Currents 085: Jonny Miller on Self-Unfoldment

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim has a wide-ranging conversation with Jonny Miller about self-development and emotional resilience. They discuss being a natural human, self-help a...

Currents 084: Mirta Galesic on Global Collective Behavior

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Mirta Galesic about the ideas in her co-authored paper "Stewardship of Global Collective Behavior." They discuss the meaning of collect...

EP 180 Lynne Kiesling on the Electrical Grid

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Lynne Kiesling about the electrical grid and what could and should change in its architecture in the years to come. They discuss electr...

Currents 083: Joscha Bach on Synthetic Intelligence

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Joscha Bach about current and future developments in the generative AI space. They discuss the skepticism of the press, small productiv...

EP 179 Gregg Henriques Part 3: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Gregg Henriques in the third and final part of a series on his book A New Synthesis for Solving the Problem of Psychology: Addressing ...

Currents 082: Dan Shipper on Practical Applications of GPT-3

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Dan Shipper about practical uses of GPT-3 and ChatGPT at the personal scale. They discuss how Dan started playing with these tools, the...

EP 178 Anil Seth on A New Science of Consciousness

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Anil Seth about his book Being You: A New Science of Consciousness. They discuss the curious non-experience of general anesthesia, def...

EP 177 Gregg Henriques Part 2: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Gregg Henriques in part two of a series on his book A New Synthesis for Solving the Problem of Psychology: Addressing the Enlightenmen...

EP 176 Gregg Henriques Part 1: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Gregg Henriques about his book A New Synthesis for Solving the Problem of Psychology: Addressing the Enlightenment Gap. They discuss t...

EP 175 Morten Christiansen and Nick Chater on The Language Game

10 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Morten Christiansen and Nick Chater about their new book The Language Game: How Improvisation Created Language and Changed the World. ...

EP 174 Fred Beuttler and Mark Stahlman on Trivium University

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Fred Beuttler and Mark Stahlman about their new online graduate program, Trivium University. They discuss the trivium & the quadrivium,...

Currents 081: Layman Pascal Interviews Jim Rutt on Twitter as Collective Intelligence

03 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Layman Pascal interviews Jim about the principles and strategies that could transform Twitter into infrastructure for collective intelligence. They di...

Currents 080: Joe Edelman and Ellie Hain on Rebuilding Meaning

30 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Joe Edelman and Ellie Hain about their new movement, Rebuilding Meaning, and two recent talks introducing ideas towards a better world....

EP 173 Hanzi Freinacht on Metamodern Self-Help

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Hanzi Freinacht about his book 12 Commandments: For Extraordinary People to Master Ordinary Life. They discuss the book as a response ...

EP 172 Brendan Graham Dempsey on Emergentism

09 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Brendan Graham Dempsey about his book Emergentism: A Religion of Complexity for the Metamodern World. They discuss the meaning crisis...

Currents 079: Douglas Rushkoff on Tech Escapism and Critiques of GameB

05 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Douglas Rushkoff about the ideas in his essay series, "What's a Meta For?" They discuss Facebook's renaming to Meta, the semantic web...

Currents 078: John Ash on AI Art Tools

03 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with John Ash about his use of AI art tools and their implications for society... Jim talks with John Ash about his use of AI art tools and...

Currents 077: Serge Faguet on Consciousness and Post-AGI Ethics

29 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim continues his conversation with Serge Faguet, this time focusing on the nature of consciousness and its implications for the wise and ethical use ...

EP 171 Bruce Damer Part 2: The Origins of Life – Implications

20 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim continues his discussion with Bruce Damer on the origins of life... Jim continues his discussion with Bruce Damer on the origins of life. They ...

Currents 076: Jamie Joyce on The Society Library

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Jamie Joyce about the organization she founded and directs, The Society Library... Jim talks with Jamie Joyce about the organization s...

Currents 075: Michael Nielsen on Metascience

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Michael Nielsen about the ideas in his and Kanjun Qiu's recent essay, "A Vision of Metascience: An Engine of Improvement for the Socia...

EP 170 John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall on The Religion That Is Not a Religion

02 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with John Vervaeke and Jordan Hall about Vervaeke's concept of "the religion that is not a religion"... Jim talks with John Vervaeke an...

Currents 074: Serge Faguet on Building Metacommunity

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Serge Faguet about emerging transnational networks of cooperation...Jim talks with Serge Faguet about emerging transnational networks o...

Currents 073: Owen Cox and Daniel Fraga on Game C

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Owen Cox and Daniel Fraga of the Technosocial podcast about their critique that the GameB movement has underestimated the importance of...

EP 169 Roar Bjonnes on Growing a New Economy

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Roar Bjonnes about the ideas in his new book co-authored with Caroline Hargreaves, Growing a New Economy: Beyond Crisis Capitalism and...

EP 168 Nate Hagens on Collective Futures

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Nate Hagens about his new book co-authored with DJ White, Reality Blind: Integrating the Systems Science Underpinning Our Collective...

Currents 072: Ben Goertzel on Viable Paths to True AGI

18 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Ben Goertzel about the ideas in his recent essay "Three Viable Paths to True AGI"... Jim talks with Ben Goertzel about the ideas...

EP 167 Bruce Damer on the Origins of Life

13 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Jim talks with Bruce Damer about the origins of life... Jim talks with Bruce Damer about the origins of life. They discuss what Earth was like 4 bi...