The President’s Brain | Robert Wright & Paul Bloom

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Published 2024-07-01
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Exclusive Overtime discussion at: nonzero.substack.com/p/the-presidents-brain-robert…

1:19 Dementia vs senility
5:16 Biden’s brain: a post-debate diagnosis
15:32 Who’s to blame for the Biden problem?
25:40 Biden’s most baffling debate moment
32:40 Will Biden step down? Bob and Paul place their bets
38:37 Has Nick Bostrom flipped on AI doomerism?
42:53 The earthly side of a meditation retreat
49:33 Heading to Overtime

Discussed in Overtime:
Bob’s serious issue with Paul’s sense of humor.
Paul stands up for loyalty.
The underexplored dimensions of Dark Matter (spoilers).
Are Bob’s and Paul’s views on free will compatible?

Paul's Tweet: twitter.com/paulbloomatyale/status/179271009590809…

Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net/, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded July 01, 2024.

Twitter: twitter.com/NonzeroPods

All Comments (21)
  • @Gsp_in_NYC
    Jill refuses to relinquish power and privilege.
  • Both my parents had dementia - when my Mom was asked who the President was, she couldn't remember. Some family members defended that by saying she didn't need to know who was President. I kept pointing out that wasn't the point - the woman voted in every election she could. For her not to know was an obvious sign. When Paul hears Biden gibber vaguely about abortion and says he understand what Biden said, it's just denial. Look, I don't want Trump to be President again. So give the voters a viable alternative.
  • I remember Bob calling it in 2020 on the podcast, I thought it was overblown then, but not in the past 6 months. Wow, what a foresight!
  • Only the echo-chamber left WASN’T talking about this for the past 5 years.
  • The very fact that we have to be discussing this makes it clear that Biden's mental ability is inadequate for being President. Trying to put a spin on this is just being dishonest. There are better candidates. Biden must withdraw.
  • @JBActors
    That Biden is the candidate is simply absurd…period.
  • Did anyone force Biden to watch the debate and see how he looked from a third-person point of view, and if so, what was his reaction? It seems like it would be hard to confront that reality.
  • @dlmsarge8329
    So much uncertainty in US politics at the moment!! However we can be comforted knowing one point of certainty, the DNC will do the wrong thing for the country if it benefits themselves.
  • My Lord the excuses keep coming. Unbelievable. Vote him back in then. Good luck
  • @ScoonieP
    For anyone who had paid even cursory attention to Biden's career, it should've been painfully obvious during the 2020 primary debates that he was already in significant cognitive decline.
  • I'm old enough to remember the gerontocracy era in the Soviet Union (Brezhnev, Andropov, and Chernenko) before its collapse. History has a great sense for irony when we refuse to learn from it.
  • @Heraclitean
    It's ridiculous that Biden and Trump are the choices. As if that made any sense. Wtf are we doing. How did we end up here. Lord have mercy on this stupid country.
  • @Azupiru
    If our political environment is going to have people attacking the cognition and honesty of candidates, it's time to compel them to undergo fMRI scan with questions to determine how capable these people are.
  • @noahwolfe7071
    I understand that having the paper on record saying Biden should step down might hurt a campaign. But the issue here isn’t the politics. It is wrong to have Biden as President right now. This is not a good situation and the people around Biden have demonstrated terrible judgment.
  • I'm 50 years old and currently completing my second master's degree in computer science. I've just deferred a PhD program due to work commitments. I haven't felt this focused since my teenage years, likely because of many years of multitasking between work and raising a family. However, I recognize that fatigue will set in eventually, and health uncertainties are always a possibility. Therefore, I'm eager to accomplish as much as I can while I still have the energy and opportunity.
  • @Primus-ue4th
    Love seeing a licensed psychologist stick up for Biden. 😂
  • @jderoma4382
    Trump went to the officer’s funeral on Long Island, killed by an illegal immigrant. He also went to the to see Laken Riley’s family.
  • @Kennyaj123
    Long time Patreon and Bob inspiree here: I love how Bob has extended his reign of terror and indignant punditry upon his return from medication camp. In other regards, you’re probably still young enough for a few more books. And second, I have good reason to believe that Paul is growing more powerful by the day. Consider this a warning. Be well.