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HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons hosts the most downloaded sports podcast of all time, with a rotating crew of celebrities, athletes, and media staples, as well as mainstays like Cousin Sal, Joe House, and a slew of other friends and family members who always happen to be suspiciously available.
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What are some harsh truths about human nature that most people don't know or disagree with? Robin Hanson is a renowned behavioural economist, co-author of “The Elephant in the Brain,” a professor at George Mason University, and the creator of the influential “Age of Em” scenario for brain emulation. Known for challenging the status quo and reshaping our understanding of health, education, culture, and the future of AI, Hanson’s research has helped thousands rethink what really motivates us and what shapes civilisation itself.
He explains:
–Why hidden motives drive medicine, religion, and academia, and why most people deny these truths. Hanson reveals much of our behaviour is about signaling care, loyalty, and status more than the reasons we claim.
–How confronting uncomfortable realities unlocks sharper judgment and self-awareness. Recognising bias and evolutionary programming helps provoke personal growth and radical honesty.
–The controversy behind youth movements and rapid culture change, and why this can hurt society. Hanson explains that fast changes led by youth are often maladaptive, threatening social cohesion and long-term survival.
–Why education mainly selects for conformity and status, not skills, and how this affects your career. True success comes from seeing through the selection game and building real-world credibility.
–How ideas like brain emulation, the great filter, and grabby aliens can transform your view of the future.
00:00 Introduction to Hidden Motives
03:02 Challenging Assumptions in Medicine
06:03 Evolutionary Perspectives on Medicine
12:28 The Role of Religion in Social Cohesion
18:46 Hidden Motives in Science and Academia
26:08 Education: Selection or Learning?
32:00 The Birth of Teenage Culture
33:18 Youth Movements and Cultural Influence
34:53 Adaptive vs. Maladaptive Cultural Changes
38:25 The Impact of Low Fertility on Society
40:00 The Future of Civilization and Youth Movements
44:13 Brain Emulation and Its Implications
54:36 The Mystery of Grabby Aliens
57:22 Final Thoughts and Advice for the Future
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FREE Podcast Tips (2nd Channel): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUp5S7ZIZtjA8PMgXJMwppA
Or if you want to start taking podcasting seriously: My full step-by-step podcast blueprint: https://www.skool.com/remote-pro-podcast-blueprint-8385
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Robin Hanson’s Work
Substack: https://www.overcomingbias.com
Website: https://economics.gmu.edu/people/rhanson
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RobinHanson
138 episodes
