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Erik Torenberg (@eriktorenberg) interviews some of the world's leading economists, political scientists, and philosophers to discuss their ideas and what they mean for society, technology, and the economy.

Big Ideas


    • Oct 2, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 53m AVG DURATION
    • 567 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Big Ideas

    Corporal Dmytro on Serving on the Frontlines of Ukraine

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2024 28:21


    Corporal Dmytro joins New Frontier to discuss his experiences in the Ukrainian military and the ongoing conflict with Russia. Some highlights:Firsthand account of the Russian invasion's early days and the chaos of initial combat operationsEvolution of the conflict from early artillery dominance to drone warfare and trench combatComparison of Ukrainian and Russian military capabilities and adaptations over timeImpact of Western aid on Ukraine's defensive capabilities and moraleRealities of frontline combat, including the constant threat of artillery and drone strikesChallenges of fighting against numerically superior Russian forcesShift in global perception of the conflict's duration and Ukraine's resilienceCritical role of continued Western financial and military support

    Brian Streem on Building a Startup in Ukraine

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2024 27:04


    Brian Streem joins Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss building his startup in Ukraine and his thoughts on the conflict. Some highlights:Brian's company Vermeer and its vision-based navigation system for GPS-denied environmentsBrian's journey from film production and drone cinematography to defense technologyThe impact of Russian electronic warfare on GPS-dependent systemsWhy Brian decided to move to Ukraine to work on the groundThe challenges and opportunities of developing defense technology in an active war zoneDifferences between US and Ukrainian defense tech entrepreneursThe balance between innovation and immediate battlefield needs in UkraineBrian's perspective on the importance of the Ukraine conflict and its global implications

    Marian Tupy on Superabundance, Innovation, and Doomerism

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2023 49:14


    Marian Tupy (@Marian_L_Tupy) joins Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss his book Superabundance, innovation, doomerism, and much more. Some highlights:Do we already live in an Age of Superabundance?Are the values of the Enlightenment getting stronger or weaker?Why do we still have so many dormers?Why is doomerism seemingly so embraced by elites?The power of Malthusian ideasIs underpopulation an existential risk?Can technology save us from underpopulation?What causes resource curses?Will we have civilizational collapses in our lifetime?How fragile is the world today?Are we actually in a Great Stagnation?The usefulness of Time PricesShould we pause AI?Which countries is Marian bullish/bearish on?

    Bilal Zuberi of Lux Capital on Bridging the Gaps Between Technology, Defense, and Policy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2023 57:46


    Bilal Zuberi of Lux Capital (@bznotes) joins Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss Tech, Defense, Policy, and everything in-between. Some highlights:What Bilal looks for in a founder as a Lux GPWhat makes a great DefenseTech founder?How does DoD view Silicon Valley?Is DefenseTech in a bubble?Immigrant Founders in the Tech EcosystemTech's Responsibility to SocietyShould we be pessimistic or optimistic about the world right now?Is AI headed towards regulatory capture?How Media isn't actually against TechBilal's Request for Startups

    Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber on the Future of AI and the Existential Risk of Safetyism

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2023 93:20


    Byrne Hobart (@byrnehobart) and Tobias Huber (@TobiasAHuber) join Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss the future of Artificial Intelligence. They cover:Is AI going to kill us? Is AI going to take all of our jobs and cause massive inequality? Is it going to destroy truth?Is it better to be a tech incumbent or a startup right now?Is the future of software one-time-use?What are the consequences of negative mainstream media coverage of AI?Will model interpretability increase or decrease over time?Will AI be subject to regulatory capture? Will it be over regulated?What would the civilizational consequences of an AI ban be?What are the realistic trade offs of AI? What turmoil will it cause?How should DC approach regulating AI?What is the optimistic vision for AI?Is China ahead or behind the US in AI progress?How should people prepare themselves for AI?

    Bill Martin of Raging Capital Ventures on SVB's Collapse and What Happens Next

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2023 43:21


    Bill Martin of Raging Capital Ventures (@RagingVentures) joins Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss his prediction of SVB's collapse and his views on the state of the world. Some highlights:How Did Bill Predict SVB's Collapse?His Other Bets and What Happens Next?Who Is at Fault for SVB's Collapse? SVB? The Fed? VCs?The Impact of Passive Investing and Woke Capital on the Investment LandscapeWhat Are the Lessons for Entrepreneurs and Regulators?Should Depositors Lose Their Money?Are We Learning Our Lessons from Crises?Should the Fed Continue Rate Hikes?How Should We Invest in the Current Climate? What's Safe?Growing Tensions with ChinaWhat Would Bill Do If He Was Starting His Career out Today?"

    Michael Gibson on The Thiel Fellowship and The Future of Education and Innovation

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2022 55:00


    Michael Gibson (@William_Blake) of 1517 Fund joins Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss his new book, “Paper Belt on Fire: How Renegade Investors Sparked a Revolt Against the University.” They discuss:- What is the Paper Belt, and Why Should We Light it on Fire?- The Modern Indulgences of the University System- What are Alternatives to the College Degree?- What Can We Learn from the Success of the Thiel Fellowship?- Which Countries Can America Learn from on Education?- The Lost Culture of Progress, and How We've Given up on Solving Problems- The Decline of San Francisco- Is China More Innovative than the US?- What is America's Next Frontier? - Why Doesn't America Respect Builders Anymore?You can buy a copy of Michael's new book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paper-belt-on-fire-michael-gibson/1141459334

    Eli Dourado and Austin Vernon on Energy Superabundance and Creating a Prosperous 21st Century

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 49:20


    Eli Dourado (@elidourado) and Austin Vernon (@vernon3austin) join Patrick Blumenthal (@patrickjblum) to discuss their recent paper, Energy Superabundance: How Cheap, Abundant Energy Will Shape Our Future. Other topics discussed:- How Energy Superabundance can Lead us from a Carbon Surplus to a Carbon Shortage- How did a Scarcity Mindset Take Root in America?- The Policies that we Need for a Prosperous Century- The Future of Nuclear Energy- Building More Rather than Less to Solve Climate Change - Will China Reach Superabundance Before America? - How we can Improve Utilities and the American Power Grid- Is the Government Getting Better or Worse at Funding Innovation?- How Painful will the Next Decade be?- How do we Improve Supply Chain Resilience?- Eli and Austin's Request for Startups- What does a World with Superabundance Look Like?You can read their paper here: https://www.thecgo.org/research/energy-superabundance/

    Vitalik Buterin on the Future of Crypto and Technology

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2022 65:40


    Vitalik Buterin (@VitalikButerin), co-founder of Ethereum, joins Patrick Blumenthal (@PatrickJBlum) to discuss the future of crypto and technology. Topics discussed:- How is crypto starting to influence mainstream culture and corporations?- Is crypto positive or negative for nation states?- How much of crypto is innovation versus regulatory arbitrage?- Should we be reforming existing institutions to adopt crypto, or forming new ones?- How is exit possible in 2022? What role could DAOs play?- Vitalik's thoughts on the War in Ukraine- Vitalik's thoughts on San Francisco after COVID- Is the world becoming more centralized or decentralized?- Is civilizational collapse in the next 50 years likely?- Vitalik's request for startups- Vitalik's thoughts on the future of cities

    What do Australian books and plays tell us about our national identity?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2022 54:53


    Australian national ‘identity' has long been contested, as has the narrative of the foundation of Australia. What does the history of Australian literature and theatre tell us about who we are, and how we have changed? Are we now ready to put the history and culture ‘wars' behind us? This discussion brings together the authors of three books - all of which delve into our cultural history, and our shifting notions of identity and nationhood.

    Building trust in workplace AI

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2022 54:05


    Software programs can be a marvellous co-worker and make your life easier. Alternatively, you might feel that an algorithm is now the boss of your working life. Workplace analyst Professor David De Cremer says that organizations too often focus on the technical capabilities of AI rather than understanding how their workers relate to it. Organizations need to build trust and a positive workplace culture to get the best out of artificial intelligence.

    Environmental law to tackle climate change

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2022 54:46


    Without serious action by 2025 the planet is set to warm beyond one and a half degrees. That's the unequivocal assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. To reach the target,  the IPCC says that governments should not approve more fossil fuel projects yet in Australia we continue to do so. A social scientist says our environmental protection laws need to be redesigned to give greater weight to the protection of future generations who'll face the full impact of climate change.

    A life without sex

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2022 54:05


    Is sex really a good thing? It's one of the most broadly accepted assumptions of society. But self-proclaimed ‘Asexuals' beg to differ. They insist that no-sex is a distinct sexual identity. What do these contrasting ways of thinking about abstinence tell us about modern sexual anxieties?

    How to foster innovation and create the next Silicon Valley.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2022 55:21


    Digital technologies are changing how we live, driving innovation and new industries. Governments are eager to foster Silicon Valley-like innovation hotspots in their state or local region. What role should government play in stimulating new industries? Why do plans for high tech digital ‘hubs' often not come to fruition?

    The Marshall Plan and the Cold War

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2022 54:05


    Wars cost a punishing amount of money and,  after they're over,  there's the cost of reconstruction. Western Europe received a life-saving injection of money under the Marshall Plan following the second world war. Other countries since , facing the devastation of war , have asked for a similar scheme. The Marshall Plan was successful but also cemented the Cold War rivalry between America and the Soviet Union according to economist Ben Steil.

    Housing stress

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2022 54:05


    If you want an animated conversation in Australia mention first home buyers, investment properties, building costs , interest rates or negative gearing. Home ownership is our national obsession. But as house prices boom,  people on low or moderate incomes are pushed further to the margins. They struggle with high rents and face long waiting lists for public housing. And some will experience homelessness. How can we ensure that every Australian has a roof over their head?

    Natasha Stott Despoja and the level playing field

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2022 54:05


    There've been many shots fired in the gender wars over the last two years most notably the MeToo movement and the outcry over the treatment of women in federal parliament. On the positive side womens sport is on the up and up. So does this mean progress across the board or has the pandemic had an unequal effect on women? Natasha Stott Despoja looks at the on-going struggle for a level playing field.

    Why environmentalists and conservationists can be a problem for the environment

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 54:06


    Queensland Chief Scientist Hugh Possingham is very annoyed with his fellow scientists as well as environmentalist and conservationists: They are too conservative, don't debate respectfully, are too obsessed with growing their own organisations and can't compromise a bit.

    QANON and internet conspiracy cults

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2022 54:05


    Conspiracy theories are not a new phenomenon, but the internet has turbocharged the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation. A disturbing number of people are now getting sucked into online conspiracy cults. One of the most prominent is QAnon, whose believers think a cabal of Satanic worshipping paedophiles operate a global child sex trafficking ring, and conspired against former U.S. President, Donald Trump. Van Badham spent a year undercover in the online conspiracy community.

    Julia Gillard and workplace gender equality

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2022 54:05


    Despite years of campaigning we still don't have gender equality in the workplace. We have a persistent gender pay gap, not as many women in top management or on company boards and rising childcare costs which act as a disincentive to return to work. Julia Gillard hosts a panel on the buttons we need to push to achieve workplace equality.

    Dynastic rule in the Philippines and Japan's security challenges

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 7, 2022 54:06


    The recent election in the Philippines confirmed the power of political families. The president and the vice-president are the children of a former , and current , president. And Japan is promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific as it feels the heat from the the three nuclear armed states on its doorstep.

    Phasing out coal – lessons from Germany

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2022 54:06


    Coal regions around the world are feeling the pinch of the move to renewable energy. What do we owe these regions? Is supporting them a moral reckoning with the trade-offs we have made in building the world we live in? With all the modern conveniences we now enjoy? Big Ideas up next looks to experiences of the coal exit in Germany – and what we can learn from them.

    Social justice and empowering girls

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2022 54:05


    The late Joan Kirner was a social justice campaigner and a successful politician and she's the inspiration behind an annual lecture. Another former politician, Nicola Roxon, delivers this year's Joan Kirner Social Justice Oration. And the campaign to educate girls, end female genital mutilation and child marriage in Kenya.

    INTRODUCING — Return Ticket

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2022 3:20


    Pack your bags! Come with us on a journey of the mind…to destinations both near and far-flung, the familiar and the unexpected… in search of what the tourist never sees. An armchair travel show that scratches the surface of the world around us.

    Kylie Moore-Gilbert on being imprisoned in Iran for 804 days

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2022 54:05


    Australian, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, endured a living nightmare. She was arrested and convicted of espionage in Iran, and then sentenced to 10 years in prison. The charges were baseless; the trial was a sham. Kylie became a pawn in a high stakes geo-political negotiation. How did she survive over 800 days of interrogation, psychological torture, and imprisonment in Iran? What did it take to free her?

    David Williamson 50 years

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2022 54:05


    David Williamson is our most prolific playwright. His frank and revealing memoir was published last year to mark his five decades as a writer for stage and screen. In that time he's delivered stories about Australian masculinity , identity , sexual politics and power. David Williamson talks to Kerry O'Brien about his life and work.

    India's two-way bet on Russia and the United States

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 54:05


    Tensions with China have caused Australia to think again about other friends in the region. India is now a greater focus both strategically and as a trade partner. But it's not a straightforward relationship despite our joint membership of the Quad Security Dialogue. India is juggling close ties with both Russia and the US-led western alliance.

    The Great Depression and its lasting impact on liberalism

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 55:16


    The threat of trade wars that the world faces today can be traced back to the handling of the Great Depression in the 1930s. The response to this crisis was not just based on monetary and financial considerations, but rather on geopolitical and national interests. This remade democratic capitalism and eventually led to embedded liberalism.

    The Great Depression and it's lasting impact on liberalism

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 55:16


    The threat of trade wars that the world faces today can be traced back to the handling of the Great Depression in the 1930s. The response to this crisis was not just based on monetary and financial considerations, but rather on geopolitical and national interests. This remade democratic capitalism and eventually led to embedded liberalism.

    AI and the rise of smart machines

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2022 54:05


    Artificial Intelligence (AI) will revolutionise medicine, and help to combat climate change. But it also threatens to usher in a new age of automated drone warfare. With smart machines poised to take more decisions out of our hands, how can we ensure these decisions are ethical, moral, and in our interest? Paul Barclay talks to Professor Toby Walsh.

    Caste oppression in modern India - Living as Dalit

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022 54:05


    Caste based discrimination and oppression is a daily reality – not only in contemporary India but even in Indian communities in the US and Australia. That's why journalist Yashica Dutt has hidden her Dalit heritage, the caste of the ‘untouchable', the ‘impure' for many years ... until she ‘came out'. In her book Coming out as Dalit she describes the guild of denying her history and the inequities of the caste system.

    Seeing the world by train

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022 54:05


    If you love overseas travel, and you're used to jumping on a plane, the pandemic's been especially trying.  International borders opened and closed , airlines reduced flights and quarantine rules could see you stranded in a hotel for two weeks at your own expense. British journalist Monisha Rajesh believes it's the journey not the destination and as the pandemic gathered steam she decided to tour the world by train.

    Reimagining higher education

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2022 54:05


    Universities are not what they used be. Some argue they are now quasi-businesses, competing with one another for market share, and revenue. How have universities drifted from their original mission? Might the covid pandemic, and the climate emergency, trigger a conversation about how we can reimagine higher education? Richard Hil and Kristen Lyons hope so

    The genetic lottery

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2022 54:05


    When it comes to understanding human behaviour do you lean towards nature or nurture? Social scientists tend to put more emphasis on the nurture side of the equation. But genetic discoveries have the potential to change the balance in the nature-nurture debate. An American psychologist believes genetics should be understood as another tool in addressing social inequality.

    Editors discuss how the media has covered the election campaign

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2022 65:25


    After a six week election campaign, Australia is off to the polls. Throughout the campaign, the spotlight has not only been on the political aspirants, and the policies of the competing parties and candidates, but also on the performance of the media. In this Editors Election forum, Australia's top editors to discuss how the media has covered the election campaign.

    Male fertility

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2022 54:05


    Women are warned that as they get older their fertility declines. The popular view is that men can father children at any age. But age is also a factor for fertility problems in men.  There's also a pronounced global decline in sperm counts.  Four fertility specialists discuss what men can do to boost their chances of becoming a father. 

    Intelligent life beyond Earth?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2022 54:05


    Have we recently seen prove of alien life from a distant star? Avi Loeb thinks so,and he is one of Harvard University's top astronomers. He argues that a strange object sighted in the skies over Hawaii might be an artificial piece of technology created by a civilisation from outside our solar system. What implications would such a visitation have - for science, for religion, and for the future of our species and our planet? 

    A Nobel view of covid, climate change and science funding

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2022 54:05


    Two Nobel Laureates discuss the pandemic, climate change and the need to boost science research funding to meet the many challenges we face. Professor Brian Schmidt and Professor Peter Doherty also share personal stories of what it's like to win the Nobel prize and why they engage in debates on social media.

    Being healthy on a sick planet, how climate change impacts health

    Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2022 54:05


    The impacts of climate change on our health are growing, as surely as global temperatures and sea levels are rising. So how can we strive to live as healthy people on an increasingly sick planet? What are the major ways global warming is threatening human health?  

    A police shooting in Yuendumu

    Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2022 54:05


    In late 2019, 19 year old Aboriginal man, Kumunjayi Walker, was shot and killed by Northern Territory police constable, Zachary Rolfe, in the remote community of Yuendumu. Rolfe was charged with murder and two alternative offences of manslaughter and engaging in a violent act. In March, Zachary Rolfe was acquitted of all charges. Writer, Anna Krien has been following the story.

    Ukraine and the prospect of great power conflict in the Indo-Pacific

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2022 54:05


    China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine and opposed the sanctions imposed by the west. So what are the lessons of Ukraine for China? Will America's focus on Ukraine encourage China to be more assertive in our region? Or is the protracted war a cautionary tale for the use of force against Taiwan? 

    Living with Covid

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2022 54:05


    After two years of daily updates on Covid cases , deaths and hospitalisation we're now in a new stage of the pandemic called ‘living with Covid'. But what exactly does that mean? Since the beginning of the year we've had a steep rise in cases and deaths . The Omicron variant isn't as benign as we like to believe. But who would support a return to masks and home-isolation?

    The neuroscience of sleep and its disorders

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2022 54:05


    A good night's sleep is anything but quiet: a myriad of processes occupy our brains, crucial for every aspect of our waking lives. Our increased understanding of the neuroscience of sleep sheds light on why so many of us struggle to simply drift off.

    Wild weather and renewables

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2022 54:05


    Weather patterns aren't following historical trends and we're seeing record floods and bushfires.  A weather forecaster and a storm chaser talk about the science of forecasting and intense weather systems. And making the transition to renewables while protecting the electricity grid and protecting the workers mining lithium for batteries.

    Education in Australia ten years after Gonski

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2022 54:05


    Ten years have passed since the landmark Gonski Review found the performance of Australian students had declined, across the board, compared to international benchmarks. What has happened since Gonski? What makes for a good & equitable education system? Why are so many teachers demoralised and leaving the profession? Paul Barclay spoke to a Finnish education expert, and a former primary school teacher.

    Resilience and recovery

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2022 54:05


    The Lismore community is rebuilding physically and psychologically since the catastrophic floods and the prospect of these events happening with greater frequency due to climate change. We also hear from a former refugee about rebuilding her life after a childhood scarred by war and the opportunity of Covid lockdowns to find inner peace.

    City on fire - Hong Kong's 2019 democracy protests

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2022 54:05


    "A battle for Hong Kong's very soul" - what led to the explosion of protest, what events proved to be the tipping point? More importantly, what's next?

    Wes Yang on the Culture War

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2022 198:53


    PRESENTS — The Law Report: How Afghan women judges found safety in Australia

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 29:18


    Being shot at, going to prison, have your family threatened — that's the experience of female judges in many countries. Shakila Abawi Shigarf was forced to flee Afghanistan when the Taliban retook power in August 2021. The Australian chapter of the International Association of Women Judges was instrumental in helping 17 Afghan judges escape the danger and secure entry to Australia. Members of the association are now helping the judges settle into their new home. Big Ideas picks up on legal issues on regular basis ... and we would like to point you to this two-part series on The Law Report about extraordinary women judges. This is the first episode of 'women in the law'. To hear the second part look for The Law Report on the ABC Listen app.

    Empire of pain and political capitalism

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 54:05


    Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from their addiction to opioid drugs. The epidemic has being driven by both illegal and prescribed drugs. Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe traces the history of one of the prescription drugs which got America hooked. And are we in the age of political capitalism ? Businesses are taking political positions on everything from closing down sweatshops to sanctions against Russia.

    Coral tree of life and weeds

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 54:05


    If you've snorkelled on the Great Barrier Reef you'll be amazed at the colour of the corals and fish of all kinds. Unless of course you're snorkelling where climate change is causing coral bleaching. Scientists are racing to classify species and breed climate resilient corals. And how weeds can inspire us to adapt to environmental change.

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