A cybernetic view of the mind (with Slime Mold Time Mold)
Read the full transcript here. What changes when psychology stops naming traits and starts naming parts - can “entities and rules” turn fuzzy labels into testable mechanisms? If the mind is a web of governors with set points, what exactly is being controlled - and how do error signals become feelings? Are hunger, fear, and status-seeking all negative-feedback problems, and where do outliers like anger or awe fit? What would count as disconfirming evidence for a cybernetic view - useful constraint or unfalsifiable epicycle? Could a “parliament of drives” explain why identical situations yield different choices? And how would we measure the votes? Do abstractions like the Big Five help, or do they hide the machine under the hood? How many rules do we need before prediction beats metaphor? And could a more cybernetic paradigm help make psychology a more mature and cumulative science?SLIME MOLD TIME MOLD is a mad science hive mind with a blog. If you believe the rumors, it’s run by 20 rats in a trenchcoat. You can reach them at [email protected], follow them on twitter at @mold_time, and read their blog at slimemoldtimemold.comLinks:The Mind in the WheelObesity and Lithium StaffSpencer Greenberg — Host + DirectorJosh Castle — Producer + Technical LeadRyan Kessler — Audio EngineerUri Bram — FactotumWeAmplify — TranscriptionistsIgor Scaldini — Marketing ConsultantMusicBroke for FreeJosh WoodwardLee RosevereQuiet Music for Tiny Robotswowamusiczapsplat.comAffiliatesClearer ThinkingGuidedTrackMind EasePositlyUpLift[Read more]
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1:27:01
A new paradigm for psychology research (with Slime Mold Time Mold)
Read the full transcript here. What changes when psychology stops naming traits and starts naming parts - can “entities and rules” turn fuzzy labels into testable mechanisms? If the mind is a web of governors with set points, what exactly is being controlled - and how do error signals become feelings? Are hunger, fear, and status-seeking all negative-feedback problems, and where do outliers like anger or awe fit? What would count as disconfirming evidence for a cybernetic view - useful constraint or unfalsifiable epicycle? Could a “parliament of drives” explain why identical situations yield different choices? And how would we measure the votes? Do abstractions like the Big Five help, or do they hide the machine under the hood? How many rules do we need before prediction beats metaphor? And could a new paradigm help make psychology a more mature and cumulative science?SLIME MOLD TIME MOLD is a mad science hive mind with a blog. If you believe the rumors, it’s run by 20 rats in a trenchcoat. You can reach them at [email protected], follow them on twitter at @mold_time, and read their blog at slimemoldtimemold.comLinks:The Mind in the WheelObesity and Lithium StaffSpencer Greenberg — Host + DirectorJosh Castle — Producer + Technical LeadRyan Kessler — Audio EngineerUri Bram — FactotumWeAmplify — TranscriptionistsIgor Scaldini — Marketing ConsultantMusicBroke for FreeJosh WoodwardLee RosevereQuiet Music for Tiny Robotswowamusiczapsplat.comAffiliatesClearer ThinkingGuidedTrackMind EasePositlyUpLift[Read more]
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1:27:01
Beyond saving lives: happiness and doing good (with Michael Plant)
Read the full transcript here. Are we trying to maximize moment-to-moment happiness or life satisfaction? Can self-reports really guide policy and giving? What happens to quality of life metrics when we judge impact by wellbeing instead of health or income? How should we compare treating depression to providing clean water when their benefits feel incomparable? Do cultural norms and scale-use quirks impact the accuracy of global happiness scores? How much do biases warp both our forecasts and our data? Is it ethical to chase the biggest happiness returns at the expense of other meaningful interventions? Where do autonomy, agency, and justice fit if philanthropy aims to reduce suffering or maximize aggregate happiness? Can we balance scientific rigor with the irreducibly subjective nature of joy, misery, and meaning? What should donors actually do with wellbeing-based cost-effectiveness numbers in the face of uncertainty and long-run effects? And could a wellbeing lens realistically reshape which charities, and which policies, the world funds next?Dr. Michael Plant is the Founder and Director of the Happier Lives Institute, a non-profit that researches the most cost-effective ways to increase global well-being and provides charity recommendations. Michael is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Wellbeing Research Centre, Oxford and his PhD in Philosophy from Oxford was supervised by Peter Singer. He is a co-author of the 2025 World Happiness Report. He lives in Bristol, England, with his wife.Links:The Happier Lives InstituteWellbeing Research Centre at OxfordPersonalityMap (correlation between life satisfaction and moment-to-moment happiness)The Elephant in the Bed NetWorld Happiness Report 2025 StaffSpencer Greenberg — Host + DirectorRyan Kessler — Producer + Technical LeadUri Bram — FactotumWeAmplify — TranscriptionistsIgor Scaldini — Marketing ConsultantMusicBroke for FreeJosh WoodwardLee RosevereQuiet Music for Tiny Robotswowamusiczapsplat.comAffiliatesClearer ThinkingGuidedTrackMind EasePositlyUpLift[Read more]
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1:12:05
Darwinian Demons: Climate Change and the AI Arms Race (with Kristian Rönn)
Read the full transcript here. Are existential risks from AI fundamentally different from those posed by previous technologies such as nuclear weapons? How can global cooperation overcome the challenges posed by national interests? What mechanisms might enable effective governance of technologies that transcend borders? How do competitive pressures drive harmful behaviors even when they threaten long-term stability? How might we balance innovation with precaution in rapidly advancing fields? Is slow progress the key to dodging hidden catastrophes in technological advancement? Is it possible to design systems that reward cooperation over defection on a global scale? How do we ensure emerging technologies uplift humanity rather than undermine it? What are the ethics of delegating decision-making to non-human intelligences? Can future generations be safeguarded by the choices we make today?Kristian is an entrepreneur and author of the Darwinian Trap, and has contributed to policy and standards with AI and climate change. In the climate sector, he contributed to global carbon accounting standards, represented Sweden at the UN Climate Conference and founded the carbon accounting software Normative.io. His work in AI governance includes contributions to policies in the EU and UN and authoring an influential report on AI Assurance Tech. Currently, as the co-founder and CEO of Lucid Computing, he develops technology to monitor the location of export controlled AI chips. He can be reached via email at [email protected] to a listener who pointed us to this 2017 report that may be responsible for some confounding bias around the idea that only 100 companies are reponsible for the majority of emissions.Links:Kristian's book: The Darwinian TrapKristian's company: Lucid Computing StaffSpencer Greenberg — Host + DirectorRyan Kessler — Producer + Technical LeadUri Bram — FactotumWeAmplify — TranscriptionistsIgor Scaldini — Marketing ConsultantMusicBroke for FreeJosh WoodwardLee RosevereQuiet Music for Tiny Robotswowamusiczapsplat.comAffiliatesClearer ThinkingGuidedTrackMind EasePositlyUpLift[Read more]
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1:17:40
Seeing through cognitive traps (with Alex Edmans)
Read the full transcript here. How do we distinguish correlation from causation in organizational success? How common is it to mistake luck or data mining for genuine effects in research findings? What are the challenges in interpreting ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria? Why is governance considered distinct from environmental and social impact? How should uncertainty in climate science affect our policy choices? Are regulation and free markets really at odds, or can they be mutually reinforcing? How does economic growth generated by markets fund social programs and environmental protection? How does “publish or perish” culture shape scientific research and incentives? What psychological and neuroscientific evidence explains our tendency toward confirmation bias? Will LLMs exacerbate or mitigate cognitive traps? How do biases shape popular narratives about diversity and corporate purpose? How can we balance vivid stories with rigorous data to better understand the world?Alex Edmans FBA FAcSS is Professor of Finance at London Business School. Alex has a PhD from MIT as a Fulbright Scholar, was previously a tenured professor at Wharton, and an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. He serves as non-executive director of the Investor Forum and on Morgan Stanley’s Institute for Sustainable Investing Advisory Board, Novo Nordisk’s Sustainability Advisory Council, and Royal London Asset Management’s Responsible Investment Advisory Committee. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.Links:Alex’s TEDx TalkAlex’s books: May Contain Lies and Grow The PieAlex’s BlogA double bind in collective learning (article) StaffSpencer Greenberg — Host / DirectorJosh Castle — ProducerRyan Kessler — Audio EngineerUri Bram — FactotumWeAmplify — TranscriptionistsIgor Scaldini — Marketing ConsultantMusicBroke for FreeJosh WoodwardLee RosevereQuiet Music for Tiny Robotswowamusiczapsplat.comAffiliatesClearer ThinkingGuidedTrackMind EasePositlyUpLift[Read more]
Clearer Thinking is a podcast about ideas that truly matter. If you enjoy learning about powerful, practical concepts and frameworks, wish you had more deep, intellectual conversations in your life, or are looking for non-BS self-improvement, then we think you'll love this podcast! Each week we invite a brilliant guest to bring four important ideas to discuss for an in-depth conversation. Topics include psychology, society, behavior change, philosophy, science, artificial intelligence, math, economics, self-help, mental health, and technology. We focus on ideas that can be applied right now to make your life better or to help you better understand yourself and the world, aiming to teach you the best mental tools to enhance your learning, self-improvement efforts, and decision-making. • We take on important, thorny questions like: • What's the best way to help a friend or loved one going through a difficult time? How can we make our worldviews more accurate? How can we hone the accuracy of our thinking? What are the advantages of using our "gut" to make decisions? And when should we expect careful, analytical reflection to be more effective? Why do societies sometimes collapse? And what can we do to reduce the chance that ours collapses? Why is the world today so much worse than it could be? And what can we do to make it better? What are the good and bad parts of tradition? And are there more meaningful and ethical ways of carrying out important rituals, such as honoring the dead? How can we move beyond zero-sum, adversarial negotiations and create more positive-sum interactions?
Brasil