Notes
Isaiah Ritzmann and Richard Sandbrook are co-chairing a new organization, the Canadian Coalition for Nonviolent Defence, which is preparing people to resist Trump’s possible takeover of Canada.
Guests
- Isaiah Ritzmann
- Richard Sandbrook
Category: Global warming
Episode 726 Draw Red Lines for AI
Notes
Su Cizem and Tereza Zoumpalova are researchers with the Future Society, the main organizer of the safety initiative called “AI Red-Lines,” which was presented at the UN General Assembly recently.
Guests
- Su Cizem
- Tereza Zoumpalova
Video
Podcast
Episode 724 From Melissa to the Poles
Notes
Ulyana Horodyskyj studies the impact of black carbon on polar ice. Tom Goreau studies coral reefs and ocean currents, including in polar regions. Hurricane Melissa was still raging when we talked, but Ulyana was focusing on the plastic nanoparticles she had just collected near the North Pole.
Guests
- Ulyana Horodyskypj Pena
- Thomas Goreau
Video
Podcast
Episode 723 Digital is for Humans
Notes
E. Glen Weyl co-authored a book, Plurality, with Audrey Tang, the Minister of Digital Technology of Taiwan, who invented several online tools to help groups of people explore and express their views.
Guests
- E. Glen Weyl
Video
Podcast
Episode 722 Global Town Hall Oct 2025
Notes
Brian von Herzen and Paul Werbos discuss whether dark matter is neutrinos. Robert Tulip and Brian discuss the importance of aerosols for albedo. Rose Dyson and Alexey Prokhorenko discuss the disadvantages of AI. Eric Schechter discusses capitalism.
Guests
- Brian von Herzen
- Robert Tulip
- Alexey Prokhorenko
- Rose Dyson
Video
Podcast
Episode 720 Joyful Sharing
Notes
Michel Baumann created “The Meal”–once a year people in 40+ countries meet for a great, nutritious meal together, watching each other on big screens. And on a website, people everywhere offer their competencies to others.
Guests
- Michel Baumann
- Jill Carr-Harris
Video
Podcast
Episode 721 Rogue AI vs Humanity?
Notes
Francis Fukuyama and Stuart Russell both worry that AI may escape human control, or just follow instructions too closely and kill us all. They agree that it’s hard to prevent. Let’s try red-lines.ai.
Guests
- Francis Fukuyama
- Stuart Russell
Video
Podcast
Episode 717 Global Town Hall Sept 2025
Notes
Bill Leikam is removing concrete from a creek. Brian von Herzen wants Metta to be more balanced. Moji Agha says AI is not conscious. Davidson Akhonya tells us about Kenya’s difficult political situation.
Guests
- Bill Leikam
- Moji Agha
- Brian von Herzen
- Davidson Akhonya
Video
Podcast
Episode 719 Peacebuilders’ Current Agenda
Notes
Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan edits the annual publication that tracks landmines around the world. He’s at the UN’s First Committee to persuade five countries to reverse their withdrawal from the treaty,
Guests
- Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan
Video
Podcast
Episode 718 China and the AI Contest
Notes
Rebecca is a journalist who writes about hi-tech business; Frank Yu is an entrepreneur who has lived in China and knows the AI industry. They explain the state of the race between China and the US. The winner will be the one that gets AGI first, for they will stay ahead.
Guests
- Rebecca Fannin
- Frank Yu
Video
Podcast
Episode 716 Persistent Fact-checking
Notes
Stephan Lewandowsky knows how to convert conspiracy theorists: Just keep arguing with them. Most people get exasperated and quit, but AI is patient and keeps arguing logically. Finally they concede!
Guests
- Stephan Lewandowsky
Video
Podcast
Episode 715 Refresh the Constitution
Notes
Paul Zeitz – and most Americans – worry about the US. He wants states to hold citizens’ assemblies to plan changes to the constitution. Then a federal one may follow.
Guests
- Paul Zeitz
Video
Podcast
Episode 713 Deceiving us Users
Notes
Siwei Lyu and David Castillo co-chair a center at U of Buffalo that works to detect deepfakes technologically. Cynthia Stewart is the program director, and they are joined by Leon Kosals in a discussion about AI deception.
Guests
- Siwei Lyu
- David Castillo
- Cynthia Stewart
- Leon Kosals
Video
Podcast
Episode 714 Please Poop for the Whales
Notes
Jenn Bonilla and Hugo Hinrichsen are creating a cruise company to visit waters where whales were once abundant. The passengers will compensate for some much-needed but scarce whale products.
Guests
- Jenn Bonilla
- Hugo Hinrichsen
Video
Podcast
Episode 712 Beyond Extraction
Notes
Brian von Herzen invited some of his friends and colleagues – Soumitra Das, Steve Hamilton, and Shannon McArthur – to discuss a book, Stellar, by Jamie Arbib and Tony Seba. It is enthusiastic about the prospect of an economy that no longer extracts raw materials from nature and emits pollution but that will be abundant for all.
Guests
- Brian von Herzen
- Soumitra Das
- Steve Hamilton
- Shannon McArthur
Video
Podcast
Episode 711 Expecting Superintelligence
Notes
Maxim Gromov and Ben Hassine work in AI already, and in this forum they consider the risks that it will shortly bring and the ways in which humanity should be preparing.
Guests
- Maxim Gromov
- Ben Hassine
Video
Podcast
Episode 710 International Higher Education
Notes
Marianne Larsen and Leon Kosals are retired professors. She is an expert on international education and he has taught in both Russia and Canada. They dscuss the advantages of such education and the ways in which geopolitics is now reducing those opportunities.
Guests
- Marianne Larsen
- Leon Kosals
Video
Podcast
Episode 709 Lawmaking Beyond Nationalism
Notes
Alyn Ware, a tireless organizer for peace and climate action, is expanding into artificial intelligence. In this episode, he shares recent activities within his group, including parliamentary efforts on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, as well as related discussions on AI governance.
Guests
- Alyn Ware
- Metta Spencer
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Video
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