Latest Interviews
Showing 211–225 of 788 transcripts.
Clear all filters- 80,000 Hours3h 18m
Effective altruism, blockchain, & better ways to fund public goods | Vitalik Buterin (2019)
Rob Wiblin interviews Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin regarding the transformative potential of blockchain technology to solve global coordination problems and public goods provision through novel mechanism designs like quadratic funding. Buterin, who remains active with the non-profit Ethereum Foundation despite significant personal wealth, details current scalability limitations while advocating for long-termism in AI safety and biotech risk mitigation. The discussion highlights a critical need to translate complex economic theories into user-friendly applications and robust identity systems to realize the technology's promise for effective altruism and decentralized governance.
- 80,000 Hours2h 22m
Is effective altruism just for consequentialists? | Andreas Mogensen (2022)
Andreas Mogensen, a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford's Global Priorities Institute, critiques the "Hinge of History Hypothesis" while arguing that effective altruism remains compatible with W.D. Ross's pluralistic deontology despite theoretical disagreements on aggregation and population ethics. He defends the validity of moral intuitions regarding large numbers against skepticism and rebuts evolutionary debunking arguments by distinguishing between proximate and ultimate explanations for belief formation. Mogensen's current work also explores shifting from moral error theory to non-naturalist realism, suggesting that effective altruism functions best as a virtue ethics framework focused on cultivating intellectual integrity rather than strict consequentialism.
- 80,000 Hours3h 20m
Using institutional economics to predict effective government reforms | Mushtaq Khan (2021)
This analysis reframes development as a function of organizational capabilities and political settlements, arguing that rule of law emerges only when powerful actors demand it to facilitate complex production rather than as a prerequisite for growth. It demonstrates that successful industrial policies, such as those in South Korea and Bangladesh, relied on designing rents and enforcement mechanisms that aligned with local power structures to transfer knowledge and build competitive firms. Consequently, effective anti-corruption and economic strategies must prioritize horizontal peer monitoring and incremental capability building over generic transparency measures or vertical enforcement, a framework that also helps explain contemporary populism in developed nations.
- 80,000 Hours2h 50m
The best of The 80,000 Hours Podcast in 2024
Luisa, Rob, Randy Nesse, Hugo Mercier, Meghan Barrett, Sébastien Moro, Sella Nevo, Zvi Mowshowitz, Zach Weinersmith, Rachel Glennerster, Emily Oster, Carl Shulman, Nathan Labenz, Nathan Calvin, Rose Chan Loui, Nick Joseph, Sihao Huang, Ezra Karger, Matt Clancy, Vitalik Buterin, Annie Jacobsen, Nate Silver, Kevin Esvelt, Lewis Bollard, Bob Fischer, Elizabeth Cox, Anil Seth, Eric Schwitzgebel, Jonathan Birch, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Laura Deming, Venki Ramakrishnan, Ken Goldberg, Sarah Eustis-Guthrie, Dean Spears, Cameron Meyer Shorb, Spencer Greenberg
Randy Nessie and Hugo Mercier establish that morality and skepticism are evolutionary adaptations driven by social selection and the need for honest signaling. In parallel, experts like Megan Barrett and Lewis Bollard advocate for expanding ethical consideration to insect sentience and the eradication of wild animal suffering, while AI safety researchers demonstrate emerging risks such as sleeper agents and instrumental convergence. The discussion further critiques the economic viability of space resources and analyzes social dynamics ranging from the gender wage gap to the limitations of cryonics, concluding with philosophical arguments about consciousness and strategies for effective altruism.
- The Economist23 min
Passing mentions: the notable lives lost in 2024
Jason Palmer, Arkady Ostrovsky, Enshul Pfeffer, Anne Rowe, Jerry
This event serves as a comprehensive historical reflection on the deaths of prominent figures across politics, science, and culture, including Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Hamas strategist Yahya Sinwar, and baseball legend Willie Mays. The discourse also commemorates the legacy of Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders, whose "Earthrise" photograph catalyzed the modern environmental movement, alongside the career of sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, who overcame Nazi trauma to become America's most visible voice on sexual health. Together, these accounts illustrate a spectrum of human achievement and tragedy, ranging from the inevitability of political change in Russia to the enduring impact of individual resilience on global society.
- 80,000 Hours2h 13m
What people most often ask 80,000 Hours' career advisors | Michelle Hutchinson (2020)
Michelle Hutchinson, Rob Wiblin, Arden Kohler
Led by Michelle Hutchinson, the 80,000 Hours advising program provides personalized guidance to help individuals secure high-impact careers by challenging common misconceptions like risk aversion and narrow option sets. Through thirty-minute to one-hour calls, the team assists applicants in mapping long-term career trajectories and identifying roles in diverse fields ranging from biosecurity to AI safety that maximize their potential for good. While currently limited to advising roughly 10–20% of applicants due to resource constraints, the service successfully guides users toward impactful paths by prioritizing potential impact over immediate personal fit and offering strategic feedback on decision-making risks.
- The Economist36 min
Tomes will tell: books that predict the future
Rosie Bloor, Oliver Morton, Shashank Joshi, Rory, Christian Novotny, Tom Standage
The Economist's *The Intelligence* program, hosted by Rosie Bloor, convenes editor Oliver Morton, Shashank Joshi, and Tom Standage to dissect science fiction and non-fiction that forecasts technological, geopolitical, and biological trajectories. The discussion evaluates Vernor Vinge's speculative near-future regarding augmented reality, analyzes Andrew Steele's theories on extending human lifespans through biological intervention, and reviews literature addressing the renewed immediacy of nuclear conflict in Ukraine and Asia. Complementing these themes with listener recommendations on climate resilience and algorithmic control, the panel concludes that while technological capabilities evolve, future outcomes remain dependent on political will and the enduring nature of human emotion.
- The Economist24 min
The club rules? India’s RSS
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Avantika Chilkoti, Anjani Trivedi, Lane Green
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leverages its 5 million members and network of celibate pracharaks to deeply influence Indian policy-making, despite internal friction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal cult and the organization's collective ethos. Simultaneously, Gulf states are pivoting from fossil fuels to applied scientific research, aiming to solve regional challenges like water scarcity and food security through partnerships with Western universities despite current low R&D spending. In the United States, the term "kakistocracy" was crowned the 2024 Word of the Year, reflecting widespread political anxiety over Donald Trump's re-election and controversial cabinet appointments.
- 80,000 Hours3h 10m
The many-worlds theory of quantum mechanics & its implications | David Wallace (2021)
This comprehensive overview examines the foundational debates of quantum mechanics, highlighting the Everett Interpretation (Many-Worlds) as a mathematically parsimonious solution to the measurement problem that avoids the undefined observer requirements of the Copenhagen view. The analysis addresses persistent objections regarding probability assignment and branching structure through the lens of decoherence and decision theory, while simultaneously evaluating the ethical implications of acting within a multiverse. Finally, the discussion contextualizes these theoretical advances within the current stagnation of empirical particle physics, advocating for a revitalized focus on cosmology, quantum information, and methodological rigor in both research and academic admissions.
- Sequoia Capital48 min
Robinhood ft. Vlad Tenev - Reinventing Finance for a New Generation
Robinhood, Vlad Tenev, Roelof Botha, Micky Malka, Andrew Reed, Jason Warnick, Rolof Buerta, Vladimir Tenev
Co-founded by Vladimir Tenev and Baiju Bhatt, Robinhood disrupted the brokerage industry by introducing commission-free mobile trading that challenged legacy firms like Charles Schwab to eliminate their own fees. The platform weathered critical infrastructure failures during the 2020 pandemic and a controversial 2021 meme stock restriction event that forced the company to secure billions in emergency capital and advocate for regulatory reforms. Having pivoted its strategy in 2022 to serve active traders and diversify revenue beyond equities, Robinhood now operates as a comprehensive financial services platform with eight distinct business lines generating over $100 million each by 2024.
- 80,000 Hours1h 50m
Is it more effective help strangers or people you know? | Russ Roberts (2020)
Economist Russ Roberts and 80,000 Hours representatives debated the efficacy of effective altruism, with Roberts challenging the reliance on empirical data for career planning while the organization defended its focus on long-term impact and career capital under uncertainty. The discussion further explored fundamental philosophical divides regarding utilitarianism, where Roberts argued against the aggregation of welfare and the feasibility of global moral calculus in favor of local action and the preservation of individual autonomy. Both parties acknowledged the limitations of scientific prediction and the risks of overconfidence in social science, ultimately converging on the necessity of humility when addressing complex global challenges and the value of diverse, decentralized approaches to human flourishing.
- Goldman Sachs33 min
Investing in Sports: Women’s Sports and the Future
Nicole Pullen Ross, Stacy Sonnenberg, Willow Bay
Goldman Sachs' Stacey Sonnenberg attributes the surging valuation of women's sports to decades of Title IX investment and rising media rights, projecting that WNBA and NWSL franchises could match men's league peers within two decades through patient capital. High-profile acquisitions like Angel City FC's $250 million sale to Bob Iger and Willow Bay highlight strategic shifts toward direct-to-consumer revenue and global expansion to address current market gaps. As ownership groups prioritize facility upgrades and diverse sponsorship activations, the industry anticipates converging growth rates despite a persistent valuation gap between current women's and men's teams.
- The Economist26 min
Intel in slide: a chipmaker on the ropes
Jason Palmer, Shailesh Chitnis, Sarah Lorniuk, John Fasman
Following a $16.5 billion quarterly loss and a 60% stock decline, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger faces potential removal as the semiconductor giant struggles with missed technological inflection points and a failed foundry restructuring strategy. While the company seeks over $100 billion in public and private funding to maintain its role in advanced chip manufacturing, legal and political hurdles complicate potential acquisitions or spin-offs amid geopolitical tensions with China. Simultaneously, the International Criminal Court is examining a Lithuanian referral alleging crimes against humanity by the Belarusian regime, a move that could set a legal precedent for investigating non-signatory states while viral food trends continue to disrupt global supply chains and reshape the culinary entertainment industry.
- 80,000 Hours2h 14m
How to avoid catastrophic nuclear blunders | Joan Rohlfing (2022)
In October 2021, expert Joan Rolfing presented "Beyond the Precipice," arguing that global nuclear risk has reached unprecedented levels due to the inherent fragility of the Cold War-era deterrence strategy and escalating cyber vulnerabilities. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, Rolfing further detailed how the collapse of arms control treaties and the concentration of launch authority have doubled the probability of catastrophic nuclear use. She advocates for a fundamental paradigm shift toward fail-safe systems, the integration of advanced verification technologies, and significant philanthropic investment to replace the current trillion-dollar modernization trajectory with sustainable risk reduction measures.
- The Economist20 min
Dark side of the Yoon: South Korea’s chaos
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Emma Hogan, Ana Lankes, Tim Cross
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attempted to declare martial law for six hours to counter alleged North Korean infiltration, a move rejected by lawmakers who have since united to pursue his impeachment amid claims of an attempted coup. The crisis stems from deep political polarization and could trigger a constitutional trial that would likely shift the nation's foreign policy away from hawkish stances toward engagement. This instability threatens South Korea's regional alliances with the US and Japan while leaving the country's constitutional order vulnerable to further internal conflict.