“What gives? Why are people so eager to believe wild tales despite a lack of hard, clear evidence?”
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NATO & the Global Enduring Disorder
This project examines the coordination failures surrounding international approaches to climate change, tax havens, cryptocurrency, the crises in Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan, and more—seeking to move past merely problematizing failures—to proposing solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.Erich Prince’s Latest Column
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Author: Peter Clarke
Aliens and America’s Crisis in Meaning
The Atheist Movement Has One Job
“This is the atheist movement’s one job: to help people navigate the world and find meaning, purpose, and community in a society that has long depended on a god-belief for these ends.”
Why “Longtermism” Needs Anti-Aging Science to Succeed
“Assuming anti-aging science shows results, then all of those hypothetical people living way off in the distant future may include some of us. And if that is the case, then people alive today have a practical, personal reason to care how our current actions impact the future.”
Stop Fearing the Best-Case Scenario with Artificial Intelligence
“What receives less attention but is equally consequential is the extreme scenario in which AI saves all of humanity by making us immortal. Just as we are unprepared for life-destroying AI, we are equally unprepared for our AI savior.”
Death Is Not Inevitable: Sitting Down with Zoltan Istvan
“I’d be very surprised if a super intelligent AI a thousand years from now cannot recreate everything. Also, like so many other people, including Elon, I believe there’s probably a 50% chance we’re in a simulation. So, that would defeat the idea of death as well.”
Elon Musk’s Bad Take on Longevity
“Zoltan Istvan, an advocate for life extension, has observed in his longevity writings that each human mind is a unique library of information. Every time a person dies, it is like losing the Library of Alexandria.”
The First Metaverse Nation
“What is new, in this case, is that the people of Tuvalu are hoping their future metaverse-based civilization will continue to function as a state and will be recognized internationally as a proper nation.”
Jesus Mythicism Is About to Go Mainstream
“So, yes—my friend has a point: To someone who has never given a moment’s thought to whether Jesus was a real person or not, he does seem like an entirely fictional character.”
If Anything Is Sacred, the Human Body Is Not It
“The body is certainly something we should appreciate, but it is not the most obvious thing to be considered sacred. A far better candidate would be consciousness.”
Fixing California’s Housing Crisis: An Interview with Nolan Gray
“To understand how land use regulation can help save California from the dystopian future it is currently facing, I spoke with Nolan Gray, an urban planner and outspoken land use policy wonk.”
The Power of Stories to Tear Us Apart
“In his TED Talk ‘Be suspicious of stories,’ Tyler Cowen explains that, when we create stories, ‘We’re imposing order on the mess we observe.'”
Preparing for the Work Only Humans Can Do
“Merisotis has written extensively about higher education and the future of work, but Human Work is a departure from much of his past writing.”
Who Qualifies for a Second Chance?
“Can their good works ever balance out any of the harm they have caused?”
Contra Bridget Phetasy, We Should Not Abandon Partisan Politics
“Given the fact that humans are competitive by nature, how could politics not become some version of a team sport? It is true that hyper-partisanship is not great, but the game is what it is.”
A Vision for Human Flourishing
“Just like we would not accept the transportation technology of the 1800’s, we should not compulsorily accept archaic attitudes toward work, education, possessions, and leisure.”
