Podcasts about homo deus

What if the most transformative thing you can do for your writing craft and author business is to face what you fear? How can you can find gold in your Shadow in the year ahead? In this episode, I share chapters from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words. In the intro, curated book boxes from Bridgerton's Julia Quinn; Google's agentic shopping, and powering Apple's Siri; ChatGPT Ads; and Claude CoWork. Balancing Certainty and Uncertainty [MoonShots with Tony Robbins]; and three trends for authors with me and Orna Ross [Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast]; plus, Bones of the Deep, Business for Authors, and Indie Author Lab. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn  Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. What is the Shadow? The ‘creative wound' and the Shadow in writing The Shadow in traditional publishing The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author The Shadow in work The Shadow in money You can find Writing the Shadow in all formats on all stores, as well as special edition, workbook and bundles at www.TheCreativePenn.com/shadowbook Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words The following chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn. Introduction. What is the Shadow? “How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole.” —C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul We all have a Shadow side and it is the work of a lifetime to recognise what lies within and spin that base material into gold. Think of it as a seedling in a little pot that you're given when you're young. It's a bit misshapen and weird, not something you would display in your living room, so you place it in a dark corner of the basement. You don't look at it for years. You almost forget about it. Then one day you notice tendrils of something wild poking up through the floorboards. They're ugly and don't fit with your Scandi-minimalist interior design. You chop the tendrils away and pour weedkiller on what's left, trying to hide the fact that they were ever there. But the creeping stems keep coming. At some point, you know you have to go down there and face the wild thing your seedling has become. When you eventually pluck up enough courage to go down into the basement, you discover that the plant has wound its roots deep into the foundations of your home. Its vines weave in and out of the cracks in the walls, and it has beautiful flowers and strange fruit. It holds your world together. Perhaps you don't need to destroy the wild tendrils. Perhaps you can let them wind up into the light and allow their rich beauty to weave through your home. It will change the look you have so carefully cultivated, but maybe that's just what the place needs. The Shadow in psychology Carl Gustav Jung was a Swiss psychologist and the founder of analytical psychology. He described the Shadow as an unconscious aspect of the human personality, those parts of us that don't match up to what is expected of us by family and society, or to our own ideals. The Shadow is not necessarily evil or illegal or immoral, although of course it can be. It's also not necessarily caused by trauma, abuse, or any other severely damaging event, although again, it can be. It depends on the individual. What is in your Shadow is based on your life and your experiences, as well as your culture and society, so it will be different for everyone. Psychologist Connie Zweig, in The Inner Work of Age, explains, “The Shadow is that part of us that lies beneath or behind the light of awareness. It contains our rejected, unacceptable traits and feelings. It contains our hidden gifts and talents that have remained unexpressed or unlived. As Jung put it, the essence of the Shadow is pure gold.” To further illustrate the concept, Robert Bly, in A Little Book on the Human Shadow,uses the following metaphor: “When we are young, we carry behind us an invisible bag, into which we stuff any feelings, thoughts, or behaviours that bring disapproval or loss of love—anger, tears, neediness, laziness. By the time we go to school, our bags are already a mile long. In high school, our peer groups pressure us to stuff the bags with even more—individuality, sexuality, spontaneity, different opinions. We spend our life until we're twenty deciding which parts of ourselves to put into the bag and we spend the rest of our lives trying to get them out again.” As authors, we can use what's in the ‘bag' to enrich our writing — but only if we can access it. My intention with this book is to help you venture into your Shadow and bring some of what's hidden into the light and into your words. I'll reveal aspects of my Shadow in these pages but ultimately, this book is about you. Your Shadow is unique. There may be elements we share, but much will be different. Each chapter has questions for you to consider that may help you explore at least the edges of your Shadow, but it's not easy. As Jung said, “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure, however, is disagreeable and therefore not popular.” But take heart, Creative. You don't need courage when things are easy. You need it when you know what you face will be difficult, but you do it anyway. We are authors. We know how to do hard things. We turn ideas into books. We manifest thoughts into ink on paper. We change lives with our writing. First, our own, then other people's. It's worth the effort to delve into Shadow, so I hope you will join me on the journey. The creative wound and the Shadow in writing “Whatever pain you can't get rid of, make it your creative offering.” —Susan Cain, Bittersweet  The more we long for something, the more extreme our desire, the more likely it is to have a Shadow side. For those of us who love books, the author life may well be a long-held dream and thus, it is filled with Shadow. Books have long been objects of desire, power, and authority. They hold a mythic status in our lives. We escaped into stories as children; we studied books at school and college; we read them now for escape and entertainment, education and inspiration. We collect beautiful books to put on our shelves. We go to them for solace and answers to the deepest questions of life. Writers are similarly held in high esteem. They shape culture, win literary prizes, give important speeches, and are quoted in the mainstream media. Their books are on the shelves in libraries and bookstores. Writers are revered, held up as rare, talented creatures made separate from us by their brilliance and insight. For bibliophile children, books were everything and to write one was a cherished dream. To become an author? Well, that would mean we might be someone special, someone worthy. Perhaps when you were young, you thought the dream of being a writer was possible — then you told someone about it. That's probably when you heard the first criticism of such a ridiculous idea, the first laughter, the first dismissal. So you abandoned the dream, pushed the idea of being a writer into the Shadow, and got on with your life. Or if it wasn't then, it came later, when you actually put pen to paper and someone — a parent, teacher, partner, or friend, perhaps even a literary agent or publisher, someone whose opinion you valued — told you it was worthless. Here are some things you might have heard: Writing is a hobby. Get a real job. You're not good enough. You don't have any writing talent. You don't have enough education. You don't know what you're doing. Your writing is derivative / unoriginal / boring / useless / doesn't make sense. The genre you write in is dead / worthless / unacceptable / morally wrong / frivolous / useless.  Who do you think you are? No one would want to read what you write. You can't even use proper grammar, so how could you write a whole book? You're wasting your time. You'll never make it as a writer. You shouldn't write those things (or even think about those things). Why don't you write something nice? Insert other derogatory comment here! Mark Pierce describes the effect of this experience in his book The Creative Wound, which “occurs when an event, or someone's actions or words, pierce you, causing a kind of rift in your soul. A comment—even offhand and unintentional—is enough to cause one.” He goes on to say that such words can inflict “damage to the core of who we are as creators. It is an attack on our artistic identity, resulting in us believing that whatever we make is somehow tainted or invalid, because shame has convinced us there is something intrinsically tainted or invalid about ourselves.” As adults, we might brush off such wounds, belittling them as unimportant in the grand scheme of things. We might even find ourselves saying the same words to other people. After all, it's easier to criticise than to create. But if you picture your younger self, bright eyed as you lose yourself in your favourite book, perhaps you might catch a glimpse of what you longed for before your dreams were dashed on the rocks of other people's reality. As Mark Pierce goes on to say, “A Creative Wound has the power to delay our pursuits—sometimes for years—and it can even derail our lives completely… Anything that makes us feel ashamed of ourselves or our work can render us incapable of the self-expression we yearn for.” This is certainly what happened to me, and it took decades to unwind. Your creative wounds will differ to mine but perhaps my experience will help you explore your own. To be clear, your Shadow may not reside in elements of horror as mine do, but hopefully you can use my example to consider where your creative wounds might lie. “You shouldn't write things like that.” It happened at secondary school around 1986 or 1987, so I would have been around eleven or twelve years old. English was one of my favourite subjects and the room we had our lessons in looked out onto a vibrant garden. I loved going to that class because it was all about books, and they were always my favourite things. One day, we were asked to write a story. I can't remember the specifics of what the teacher asked us to write, but I fictionalised a recurring nightmare. I stood in a dark room. On one side, my mum and my brother, Rod, were tied up next to a cauldron of boiling oil, ready to be thrown in. On the other side, my dad and my little sister, Lucy, were threatened with decapitation by men with machetes. I had to choose who would die. I always woke up, my heart pounding, before I had to choose. Looking back now, it clearly represented an internal conflict about having to pick sides between the two halves of my family. Not an unexpected issue from a child of divorce. Perhaps these days, I might have been sent to the school counsellor, but it was the eighties and I don't think we even had such a thing. Even so, the meaning of the story isn't the point. It was the reaction to it that left scars. “You shouldn't write things like that,” my teacher said, and I still remember her look of disappointment, even disgust. Certainly judgment. She said my writing was too dark. It wasn't a proper story. It wasn't appropriate for the class. As if horrible things never happened in stories — or in life. As if literature could not include dark tales. As if the only acceptable writing was the kind she approved of. We were taught The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie that year, which says a lot about the type of writing considered appropriate. Or perhaps the issue stemmed from the school motto, “So hateth she derknesse,” from Chaucer's The Legend of Good Women: “For fear of night, so she hates the darkness.” I had won a scholarship to a private girls' school, and their mission was to turn us all into proper young ladies. Horror was never on the curriculum. Perhaps if my teacher had encouraged me to write my darkness back then, my nightmares would have dissolved on the page. Perhaps if we had studied Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or H.P. Lovecraft stories, or Bram Stoker's Dracula, I could have embraced the darker side of literature earlier in my life. My need to push darker thoughts into my Shadow was compounded by my (wonderful) mum's best intentions. We were brought up on the principles of The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and she tried to shield me and my brother from anything harmful or horrible. We weren't allowed to watch TV much, and even the British school drama Grange Hill was deemed inappropriate. So much of what I've achieved is because my mum instilled in me a “can do” attitude that anything is possible. I'm so grateful to her for that. (I love you, Mum!) But all that happy positivity, my desire to please her, to be a good girl, to make my teachers proud, and to be acceptable to society, meant that I pushed my darker thoughts into Shadow. They were inappropriate. They were taboo. They must be repressed, kept secret, and I must be outwardly happy and positive at all times. You cannot hold back the darkness “The night is dark and full of terrors.” —George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords It turned out that horror was on the curriculum, much of it in the form of educational films we watched during lessons. In English Literature, we watched Romeo drink poison and Juliet stab herself in Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. In Religious Studies, we watched Jesus beaten, tortured, and crucified in The Greatest Story Ever Told, and learned of the variety of gruesome ways that Christian saints were martyred. In Classical Civilisation, we watched gladiators slaughter each other in Spartacus. In Sex Education at the peak of the AIDS crisis in the mid-'80s, we were told of the many ways we could get infected and die. In History, we studied the Holocaust with images of skeletal bodies thrown into mass graves, medical experiments on humans, and grainy videos of marching soldiers giving the Nazi salute. One of my first overseas school field trips was to the World War I battlegrounds of Flanders Fields in Belgium, where we studied the inhuman conditions of the trenches, walked through mass graves, and read war poetry by candlelight. As John McCrae wrote: We are the Dead. Short days agoWe lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Did the teachers not realise how deeply a sensitive teenager might feel the darkness of that place? Or have I always been unusual in that places of blood echo deep inside me? And the horrors kept coming. We lived in Bristol, England back then and I learned at school how the city had been part of the slave trade, its wealth built on the backs of people stolen from their homes, sold, and worked to death in the colonies. I had been at school for a year in Malawi, Africa and imagined the Black people I knew drowning, being beaten, and dying on those ships. In my teenage years, the news was filled with ethnic cleansing, mass rape, and massacres during the Balkan wars, and images of bodies hacked apart during the Rwandan genocide. Evil committed by humans against other humans was not a historical aberration. I'm lucky and I certainly acknowledge my privilege. Nothing terrible or horrifying has happened to me — but bad things certainly happen to others. I wasn't bullied or abused. I wasn't raped or beaten or tortured. But you don't have to go through things to be afraid of them, and for your imagination to conjure the possibility of them. My mum doesn't read my fiction now as it gives her nightmares (Sorry, Mum!). I know she worries that somehow she's responsible for my darkness, but I've had a safe and (mostly) happy life, for which I'm truly grateful. But the world is not an entirely safe and happy place, and for a sensitive child with a vivid imagination, the world is dark and scary. It can be brutal and violent, and bad things happen, even to good people. No parent can shield their child from the reality of the world. They can only help them do their best to live in it, develop resilience, and find ways to deal with whatever comes. Story has always been a way that humans have used to learn how to live and deal with difficult times. The best authors, the ones that readers adore and can't get enough of, write their darkness into story to channel their experience, and help others who fear the same. In an interview on writing the Shadow on The Creative Penn Podcast, Michaelbrent Collings shared how he incorporated a personally devastating experience into his writing:  “My wife and I lost a child years back, and that became the root of one of my most terrifying books, Apparition. It's not terrifying because it's the greatest book of all time, but just the concept that there's this thing out there… like a demon, and it consumes the blood and fear of the children, and then it withdraws and consumes the madness of the parents… I wrote that in large measure as a way of working through what I was experiencing.” I've learned much from Michaelbrent. I've read many of his (excellent) books and he's been on my podcast multiple times talking about his depression and mental health issues, as well as difficulties in his author career. Writing darkness is not in Michaelbrent's Shadow and only he can say what lies there for him. But from his example, and from that of other authors, I too learned how to write my Shadow into my books. Twenty-three years after that English lesson, in November 2009, I did NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, and wrote five thousand words of what eventually became Stone of Fire, my first novel. In the initial chapter, I burned a nun alive on the ghats of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. I had watched the bodies burn by night on pyres from a boat bobbing in the current a few years before, and the image was still crystal clear in my mind. The only way to deal with how it made me feel about death was to write about it — and since then, I've never stopped writing. Returning to the nightmare from my school days, I've never had to choose between the two halves of my family, but the threat of losing them remains a theme in my fiction. In my ARKANE thriller series, Morgan Sierra will do anything to save her sister and her niece. Their safety drives her to continue to fight against evil. Our deepest fears emerge in our writing, and that's the safest place for them. I wish I'd been taught how to turn my nightmares into words back at school, but at least now I've learned to write my Shadow onto the page. I wish the same for you. The Shadow in traditional publishing If becoming an author is your dream, then publishing a book is deeply entwined with that. But as Mark Pierce says in The Creative Wound, “We feel pain the most where it matters the most… Desire highlights whatever we consider to be truly significant.” There is a lot of desire around publishing for those of us who love books! It can give you: Validation that your writing is good enough Status and credibility Acceptance by an industry held in esteem  The potential of financial reward and critical acclaim Support from a team of professionals who know how to make fantastic books A sense of belonging to an elite community Pride in achieving a long-held goal, resulting in a confidence boost and self-esteem Although not guaranteed, traditional publishing can give you all these things and more, but as with everything, there is a potential Shadow side. Denying it risks the potential of being disillusioned, disappointed, and even damaged. But remember, forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. Preparation can help you avoid potential issues and help you feel less alone if you encounter them. The myth of success… and the reality of experience There is a pervasive myth of success in the traditional publishing industry, perpetuated by media reporting on brand name and breakout authors, those few outliers whose experience is almost impossible to replicate. Because of such examples, many new traditionally published authors think that their first book will hit the top of the bestseller charts or win an award, as well as make them a million dollars — or at least a big chunk of cash. They will be able to leave their job, write in a beautiful house overlooking the ocean, and swan around the world attending conferences, while writing more bestselling books. It will be a charmed life. But that is not the reality. Perhaps it never was. Even so, the life of a traditionally published author represents a mythic career with the truth hidden behind a veil of obscurity. In April 2023, The Bookseller in the UK reported that “more than half of authors (54%) responding to a survey on their experiences of publishing their debut book have said the process negatively affected their mental health. Though views were mixed, just 22%… described a positive experience overall… Among the majority who said they had a negative experience of debut publication, anxiety, stress, depression and ‘lowered' self-esteem were cited, with lack of support, guidance or clear and professional communication from their publisher among the factors that contributed.” Many authors who have negative experiences around publishing will push them into the Shadow with denial or self-blame, preferring to keep the dream alive. They won't talk about things in public as this may negatively affect their careers, but private discussions are often held in the corners of writing conferences or social media groups online. Some of the issues are as follows: Repeated rejection by agents and publishers may lead to the author thinking they are not good enough as a writer, which can lead to feeling unworthy as a person. If an author gets a deal, the amount of advance and the name and status of the publisher compared to others create a hierarchy that impacts self-esteem. A deal for a book may be much lower than an author might have been expecting, with low or no advance, and the resulting experience with the publisher beneath expectations. The launch process may be disappointing, and the book may appear without fanfare, with few sales and no bestseller chart position. In The Bookseller report, one author described her launch day as “a total wasteland… You have expectations about what publication day will be like, but in reality, nothing really happens.” The book may receive negative reviews by critics or readers or more publicly on social media, which can make an author feel attacked. The book might not sell as well as expected, and the author may feel like it's their fault. Commercial success can sometimes feel tied to self-worth and an author can't help but compare their sales to others, with resulting embarrassment or shame. The communication from the publisher may be less than expected. One author in The Bookseller report said, “I was shocked by the lack of clarity and shared information and the cynicism that underlies the superficial charm of this industry.” There is often more of a focus on debut authors in publishing houses, so those who have been writing and publishing in the midlist for years can feel ignored and undervalued. In The Bookseller report, 48 percent of authors reported “their publisher supported them for less than a year,” with one saying, “I got no support and felt like a commodity, like the team had moved on completely to the next book.” If an author is not successful enough, the next deal may be lower than the last, less effort is made with marketing, and they may be let go. In The Bookseller report, “six authors—debut and otherwise—cited being dropped by their publisher, some with no explanation.” Even if everything goes well and an author is considered successful by others, they may experience imposter syndrome, feeling like a fraud when speaking at conferences or doing book signings. And the list goes on … All these things can lead to feelings of shame, inadequacy, and embarrassment; loss of status in the eyes of peers; and a sense of failure if a publishing career is not successful enough. The author feels like it's their fault, like they weren't good enough — although, of course, the reality is that the conditions were not right at the time. A failure of a book is not a failure of the person, but it can certainly feel like it! When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Despite all the potential negatives of traditional publishing, if you know what could happen, you can mitigate them. You can prepare yourself for various scenarios and protect yourself from potential fall-out. It's clear from The Bookseller report that too many authors have unrealistic expectations of the industry. But publishers are businesses, not charities. It's not their job to make you feel good as an author. It's their job to sell books and pay you. The best thing they can do is to continue to be a viable business so they can keep putting books on the shelves and keep paying authors, staff, and company shareholders. When you license your creative work to a publisher, you're giving up control of your intellectual property in exchange for money and status. Bring your fears and issues out of the Shadow, acknowledge them, and deal with them early, so they do not get pushed down and re-emerge later in blame and bitterness. Educate yourself on the business of publishing. Be clear on what you want to achieve with any deal. Empower yourself as an author, take responsibility for your career, and you will have a much better experience. The Shadow in self-publishing or being an indie author Self-publishing, or being an independent (indie) author, can be a fantastic, pro-active choice for getting your book into the world. Holding your first book in your hand and saying “I made this” is pretty exciting, and even after more than forty books, I still get excited about seeing ideas in my head turn into a physical product in the world. Self-publishing can give an author: Creative control over what to write, editorial and cover design choices, when and how often to publish, and how to market Empowerment over your author career and the ability to make choices that impact success without asking for permission Ownership and control of intellectual property assets, resulting in increased opportunity around licensing and new markets Independence and the potential for recurring income for the long term Autonomy and flexibility around timelines, publishing options, and the ability to easily pivot into new genres and business models Validation based on positive reader reviews and money earned Personal growth and learning through the acquisition of new skills, resulting in a boost in confidence and self-esteem A sense of belonging to an active and vibrant community of indie authors around the world Being an indie author can give you all this and more, but once again, there is a Shadow side and preparation can help you navigate potential issues. The myth of success… and the reality of experience As with traditional publishing, the indie author world has perpetuated a myth of success in the example of the breakout indie author like E.L. James with Fifty Shades of Grey, Hugh Howey with Wool, or Andy Weir with The Martian. The emphasis on financial success is also fuelled online by authors who share screenshots showing six-figure months or seven-figure years, without sharing marketing costs and other outgoings, or the amount of time spent on the business. Yes, these can inspire some, but it can also make others feel inadequate and potentially lead to bad choices about how to publish and market based on comparison. The indie author world is full of just as much ego and a desire for status and money as traditional publishing. This is not a surprise! Most authors, regardless of publishing choices, are a mix of massive ego and chronic self-doubt. We are human, so the same issues will re-occur. A different publishing method doesn't cure all ills. Some of the issues are as follows: You learn everything you need to know about writing and editing, only to find that you need to learn a whole new set of skills in order to self-publish and market your book. This can take a lot of time and effort you did not expect, and things change all the time so you have to keep learning. Being in control of every aspect of the publishing process, from writing to cover design to marketing, can be overwhelming, leading to indecision, perfectionism, stress, and even burnout as you try to do all the things. You try to find people to help, but building your team is a challenge, and working with others has its own difficulties. People say negative things about self-publishing that may arouse feelings of embarrassment or shame. These might be little niggles, but they needle you, nonetheless. You wonder whether you made the right choice. You struggle with self-doubt and if you go to an event with traditional published authors, you compare yourself to them and feel like an imposter. Are you good enough to be an author if a traditional publisher hasn't chosen you? Is it just vanity to self-publish? Are your books unworthy? Even though you worked with a professional editor, you still get one-star reviews and you hate criticism from readers. You wonder whether you're wasting your time. You might be ripped off by an author services company who promise the world, only to leave you with a pile of printed books in your garage and no way to sell them. When you finally publish your book, it languishes at the bottom of the charts while other authors hit the top of the list over and over, raking in the cash while you are left out of pocket. You don't admit to over-spending on marketing as it makes you ashamed. You resist book marketing and make critical comments about writers who embrace it. You believe that quality rises to the top and if a book is good enough, people will buy it anyway. This can lead to disappointment and disillusionment when you launch your book and it doesn't sell many copies because nobody knows about it. You try to do what everyone advises, but you still can't make decent money as an author. You're jealous of other authors' success and put it down to them ‘selling out' or writing things you can't or ‘using AI' or ‘using a ghostwriter' or having a specific business model you consider impossible to replicate. And the list goes on… When you acknowledge the Shadow, it loses its power Being in control of your books and your author career is a double-edged sword. Traditionally published authors can criticise their publishers or agents or the marketing team or the bookstores or the media, but indie authors have to take responsibility for it all. Sure, we can blame ‘the algorithms' or social media platforms, or criticise other authors for having more experience or more money to invest in marketing, or attribute their success to writing in a more popular genre — but we also know there are always people who do well regardless of the challenges. Once more, we're back to acknowledging and integrating the Shadow side of our choices. We are flawed humans. There will always be good times and bad, and difficulties to offset the high points. This too shall pass, as the old saying goes. I know that being an indie author has plenty of Shadow. I've been doing this since 2008 and despite the hard times, I'm still here. I'm still writing. I'm still publishing. This life is not for everyone, but it's my choice. You must make yours. The Shadow in work You work hard. You make a living. Nothing wrong with that attitude, right? It's what we're taught from an early age and, like so much of life, it's not a problem until it goes to extremes. Not achieving what you want to? Work harder. Can't get ahead? Work harder. Not making a good enough living? Work harder. People who don't work hard are lazy. They don't deserve handouts or benefits. People who don't work hard aren't useful, so they are not valued members of our culture and community. But what about the old or the sick, the mentally ill, or those with disabilities? What about children? What about the unemployed? The under-employed? What about those who are — or will be — displaced by technology, those called “the useless class” by historian Yuval Noah Harari in his book Homo Deus? What if we become one of these in the future? Who am I if I cannot work? The Shadow side of my attitude to work became clear when I caught COVID in the summer of 2021. I was the sickest I'd ever been. I spent two weeks in bed unable to even think properly, and six weeks after that, I was barely able to work more than an hour a day before lying in the dark and waiting for my energy to return. I was limited in what I could do for another six months after that. At times, I wondered if I would ever get better. Jonathan kept urging me to be patient and rest. But I don't know how to rest. I know how to work and how to sleep. I can do ‘active rest,' which usually involves walking a long way or traveling somewhere interesting, but those require a stronger mind and body than I had during those months. It struck me that even if I recovered from the virus, I had glimpsed my future self. One day, I will be weak in body and mind. If I'm lucky, that will be many years away and hopefully for a short time before I die — but it will happen. I am an animal. I will die. My body and mind will pass on and I will be no more. Before then I will be weak. Before then, I will be useless. Before then, I will be a burden. I will not be able to work… But who am I if I cannot work? What is the point of me? I can't answer these questions right now, because although I recognise them as part of my Shadow, I've not progressed far enough to have dealt with them entirely. My months of COVID gave me some much-needed empathy for those who cannot work, even if they want to. We need to reframe what work is as a society, and value humans for different things, especially as technology changes what work even means. That starts with each of us. “Illness, affliction of body and soul, can be life-altering. It has the potential to reveal the most fundamental conflict of the human condition: the tension between our infinite, glorious dreams and desires and our limited, vulnerable, decaying physicality.” —Connie Zweig, The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul The Shadow in money In the Greek myth, King Midas was a wealthy ruler who loved gold above all else. His palace was adorned with golden sculptures and furniture, and he took immense pleasure in his riches. Yet, despite his vast wealth, he yearned for more. After doing a favour for Dionysus, the god of wine and revelry, Midas was granted a single wish. Intoxicated by greed, he wished that everything he touched would turn to gold — and it was so. At first, it was a lot of fun. Midas turned everything else in his palace to gold, even the trees and stones of his estate. After a morning of turning things to gold, he fancied a spot of lunch. But when he tried to eat, the food and drink turned to gold in his mouth. He became thirsty and hungry — and increasingly desperate. As he sat in despair on his golden throne, his beloved young daughter ran to comfort him. For a moment, he forgot his wish — and as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek, she turned into a golden statue, frozen in precious metal. King Midas cried out to the gods to forgive him, to reverse the wish. He renounced his greed and gave away all his wealth, and his daughter was returned to life. The moral of the story: Wealth and greed are bad. In Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is described as a “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner.” He's wealthy but does not share, considering Christmas spending to be frivolous and giving to charity to be worthless. He's saved by a confrontation with his lonely future and becomes a generous man and benefactor of the poor. Wealth is good if you share it with others. The gospel of Matthew, chapter 25: 14-30, tells the parable of the bags of gold, in which a rich man goes on a journey and entrusts his servants with varying amounts of gold. On his return, the servants who multiplied the gold through their efforts and investments are rewarded, while the one who merely returned the gold with no interest is punished: “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Making money is good, making more money is even better. If you can't make any money, you don't deserve to have any. Within the same gospel, in Matthew 19:24, Jesus encounters a wealthy man and tells him to sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor, which the man is unable to do. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Wealth is bad. Give it all away and you'll go to heaven. With all these contradictory messages, no wonder we're so conflicted about money! How do you think and feel about money? While money is mostly tied to our work, it's far more than just a transactional object for most people. It's loaded with complex symbolism and judgment handed down by family, religion, and culture. You are likely to find elements of Shadow by examining your attitudes around money. Consider which of the following statements resonate with you or write your own. Money stresses me out. I don't want to talk about it or think about it. Some people hoard money, so there is inequality. Rich people are bad and we should take away their wealth and give it to the poor.  I can never make enough money to pay the bills, or to give my family what I want to provide. Money doesn't grow on trees.  It's wasteful to spend money as you might need it later, so I'm frugal and don't spend money unless absolutely necessary. It is better and more ethical to be poor than to be rich. I want more money. I read books and watch TV shows about rich people because I want to live like that. Sometimes I spend too much on things for a glimpse of what that might be like.  I buy lottery tickets and dream of winning all that money.  I'm jealous of people who have money. I want more of it and I resent those who have it. I'm no good with money. I don't like to look at my bank statement or credit card statement. I live off my overdraft and I'm in debt. I will never earn enough to get out of debt and start saving, so I don't think too much about it. I don't know enough about money. Talking about it makes me feel stupid, so I just ignore it. People like me aren't educated about money.  I need to make more money. If I can make lots of money, then people will look up to me. If I make lots of money, I will be secure, nothing can touch me, I will be safe.  I never want to be poor. I would be ashamed to be poor. I will never go on benefits. My net worth is my self worth. Money is good. We have the best standard of living in history because of the increase in wealth over time. Even the richest kings of the past didn't have what many middle-class people have today in terms of access to food, water, technology, healthcare, education, and more. The richest people give the most money to the poor through taxation and charity, as well as through building companies that employ people and invent new things. The very richest give away much of their fortunes. They provide far more benefit to the world than the poor.  I love money. Money loves me. Money comes easily and quickly to me. I attract money in multiple streams of income. It flows to me in so many ways. I spend money. I invest money. I give money. I'm happy and grateful for all that I receive. The Shadow around money for authors in particular Many writers and other creatives have issues around money and wealth. How often have you heard the following, and which do you agree with? You can't make money with your writing. You'll be a poor author in a garret, a starving artist.  You can't write ‘good quality' books and make money. If you make money writing, you're a hack, you're selling out. You are less worthy than someone who writes only for the Muse. Your books are commercial, not artistic. If you spend money on marketing, then your books are clearly not good enough to sell on their own. My agent / publisher / accountant / partner deals with the money side. I like to focus on the creative side of things. My money story Note: This is not financial or investment advice. Please talk to a professional about your situation. I've had money issues over the years — haven't we all! But I have been through a (long) process to bring money out of my Shadow and into the light. There will always be more to discover, but hopefully my money story will help you, or at least give you an opportunity to reflect. Like most people, I didn't grow up with a lot of money. My parents started out as teachers, but later my mum — who I lived with, along with my brother — became a change management consultant, moving to the USA and earning a lot more. I'm grateful that she moved into business because her example changed the way I saw money and provided some valuable lessons. (1) You can change your circumstances by learning more and then applying that to leverage opportunity into a new job or career Mum taught English at a school in Bristol when we moved back from Malawi, Africa, in the mid '80s but I remember how stressful it was for her, and how little money she made. She wanted a better future for us all, so she took a year out to do a master's degree in management. In the same way, when I wanted to change careers and leave consulting to become an author, I spent time and money learning about the writing craft and the business of publishing. I still invest a considerable chunk on continuous learning, as this industry changes all the time. (2) You might have to downsize in order to leap forward The year my mum did her degree, we lived in the attic of another family's house; we ate a lot of one-pot casserole and our treat was having a Yorkie bar on the walk back from the museum. We wore hand-me-down clothes, and I remember one day at school when another girl said I was wearing her dress. I denied it, of course, but there in back of the dress was her name tag. I still remember her name and I can still feel that flush of shame and embarrassment. I was determined to never feel like that again. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I was also learning the power of downsizing. Mum got her degree and then a new job in management in Bristol. She bought a house, and we settled for a few years. I had lots of different jobs as a teenager. My favourite was working in the delicatessen because we got a free lunch made from delicious produce. After I finished A-levels, I went to the University of Oxford, and my mum and brother moved to the USA for further opportunities. I've downsized multiple times over the years, taking a step back in order to take a step forward. The biggest was in 2010 when I decided to leave consulting. Jonathan and I sold our three-bedroom house and investments in Brisbane, Australia, and rented a one-bedroom flat in London, so we could be debt-free and live on less while I built up a new career. It was a decade before we bought another house. (3) Comparison can be deadly: there will always be people with more money than you Oxford was an education in many ways and relevant to this chapter is how much I didn't know about things people with money took for granted. I learned about formal hall and wine pairings, and how to make a perfect gin and tonic. I ate smoked salmon for the first time. I learned how to fit in with people who had a lot more money than I did, and I definitely wanted to have money of my own to play with. (4) Income is not wealth You can earn lots but have nothing to show for it after years of working. I learned this in my first few years of IT consulting after university. I earned a great salary and then went contracting, earning even more money at a daily rate. I had a wonderful time. I traveled, ate and drank and generally made merry, but I always had to go back to the day job when the money ran out. I couldn't work out how I could ever stop this cycle. Then I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, a book I still recommend, especially if you're from a family that values academic over financial education. I learned how to escape the rat race by building and/or accumulating assets that pay even when you're not working. It was a revelation! The ‘poor dad' in the book is a university professor. He knows so much about so many things, but he ends up poor as he did not educate himself about money. The ‘rich dad' has little formal education, but he knows about money and wealth because he learned about it, as we can do at any stage in our lives. (5) Not all investments suit every person, so find the right one for you Once I discovered the world of investing, I read all the books and did courses and in-person events. I joined communities and I up-skilled big time. Of course, I made mistakes and learned lots along the way. I tried property investing and renovated a couple of houses for rental (with more practical partners and skilled contractors). But while I could see that property investing might work for some people, I did not care enough about the details to make it work for me, and it was certainly not passive income. I tried other things. My first husband was a boat skipper and scuba diving instructor, so we started a charter. With the variable costs of fuel, the vagaries of New Zealand weather — and our divorce — it didn't last long! From all these experiments, I learned I wanted to run a business, but it needed to be online and not based on a physical location, physical premises, or other people. That was 2006, around the time that blogging started taking off and it became possible to make a living online. I could see the potential and a year later, the iPhone and the Amazon Kindle launched, which became the basis of my business as an author. (6) Boring, automatic saving and investing works best Between 2007 and 2011, I contracted in Australia, where they have compulsory superannuation contributions, meaning you have to save and invest a percentage of your salary or self-employed income. I'd never done that before, because I didn't understand it. I'd ploughed all my excess income into property or the business instead. But in Australia I didn't notice the money going out because it was automatic. I chose a particular fund and it auto-invested every month. The pot grew pretty fast since I didn't touch it, and years later, it's still growing. I discovered the power of compound interest and time in the market, both of which are super boring. This type of investing is not a get rich quick scheme. It's a slow process of automatically putting money into boring investments and doing that month in, month out, year in, year out, automatically for decades while you get on with your life. I still do this. I earn money as an author entrepreneur and I put a percentage of that into boring investments automatically every month. I also have a small amount which is for fun and higher risk investments, but mostly I'm a conservative, risk-averse investor planning ahead for the future. This is not financial advice, so I'm not giving any specifics. I have a list of recommended money books at www.TheCreativePenn.com/moneybooks if you want to learn more. Learning from the Shadow When I look back, my Shadow side around money eventually drove me to learn more and resulted in a better outcome (so far!). I was ashamed of being poor when I had to wear hand-me-down clothes at school. That drove a fear of not having any money, which partially explains my workaholism. I was embarrassed at Oxford because I didn't know how to behave in certain settings, and I wanted to be like the rich people I saw there. I spent too much money in my early years as a consultant because I wanted to experience a “rich” life and didn't understand saving and investing would lead to better things in the future. I invested too much in the wrong things because I didn't know myself well enough and I was trying to get rich quick so I could leave my job and ‘be happy.' But eventually, I discovered that I could grow my net worth with boring, long-term investments while doing a job I loved as an author entrepreneur. My only regret is that I didn't discover this earlier and put a percentage of my income into investments as soon as I started work. It took several decades to get started, but at least I did (eventually) start. My money story isn't over yet, and I keep learning new things, but hopefully my experience will help you reflect on your own and avoid the issue if it's still in Shadow. These chapters are excerpted from Writing the Shadow: Turn Your Inner Darkness Into Words by Joanna Penn  The post Writing The Shadow: The Creative Wound, Publishing, And Money, With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

O Autores e Livros desta semana coloca em foco um dos debates mais urgentes da atualidade: o futuro da humanidade. O programa recebe o advogado, escritor e referência em empreendedorismo social James Marins, autor de “Adeus Sapiens” (Ibis Libris), obra que confronta a visão de Homo Deus, de Yuval Harari, e propõe uma reflexão profunda sobre os caminhos possíveis para um futuro sustentável, equilibrado e baseado na consciência e não apenas na tecnologia. Em entrevista exclusiva, Marins explica como o romance de ficção climática combina memória, história e imaginação para questionar as escolhas que nos trouxeram até aqui e sugerir transformações essenciais para as próximas décadas. Além do destaque principal, o Autores e Livros traz ainda uma viagem afetiva e cultural pelo país com o livro “O que vi por aí”, de Manuel Filho. A obra apresenta episódios e encontros marcantes do autor em diferentes regiões do Brasil, revelando histórias de vida e identidades que compõem a pluralidade nacional. Outra atração do programa é a dica de leitura do romance “Espíritos Vadios”, de André L. Nakamura, primeiro volume de uma trilogia que mistura suspense, política e crime em cidades fictícias da Paraíba. Em participação no programa, o autor fala sobre as inspirações e o universo narrativo da obra. Para fechar a edição, o quadro Encantos de Versos apresenta uma seleção especial de poemas de Júlia da Costa (1844–1911), destacando sua sensibilidade, sua visão à frente do tempo e sua importância na poesia brasileira do século XIX.

El libro “Homo Deus: Breve historia del mañana” examina la trayectoria histórica de la humanidad, desde el control de las plagas, el hambre y la guerra, hasta la búsqueda contemporánea de la inmortalidad, la felicidad y la divinidad a través de la tecnología. Se postula que la ciencia moderna desafía los fundamentos del humanismo y el liberalismo, especialmente en la comprensión de la conciencia, el libre albedrío y el valor de la experiencia humana, dado el avance de los algoritmos y la inteligencia artificial. La narrativa explora cómo las sociedades se han organizado en torno a relatos compartidos (religiones, naciones, capitalismo), y cómo la creciente dependencia de los datos podría llevar a una nueva "religión" del dataísmo, donde el valor se mide por el flujo de información y los sistemas inteligentes superan las capacidades humanas. Finalmente, se plantea la emergencia de una clase "inútil" a medida que la automatización reemplaza trabajos y la posibilidad de que las élites mejoren biológicamente a los humanos, creando divisiones sin precedentes. Puedes comprar el libro “Homo Deus” con descuento desde https://amzn.to/3HAxQKD Únete gratis a la Newsletter Nº1 sobre Marketing Radical desde https://borjagiron.comThis content is under Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair Use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. I do not own the original content. All rights and credit go to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. Conviértete en un seguidor de este podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/grandes-aprendizajes--5720587/support.

In 1 Mose 3 entgleitet Gott die Kontrolle über seine Geschöpfe, wenn man so will, und er muß ein Erlösungswerk initiieren. Wird uns auch die Kontrolle über unsere Geschöpfe entgleiten? Wird Künstliche Intelligenz uns kontrollieren statt umgekehrt? Wird eine Super-KI zu einem allwissenden, allgegenwärtigen und unsterblichen mechanischen Gott? Wird der Mensch mit seiner Hilfe vom Homo Sapiens zu einem Homo Deus? Verwirklicht sich "1984" oder "Schöne neue Welt"? Enden wir in Hedonismus oder Tyrannei? Fragen über Fragen. Und was sagt die Bibel dazu? Pastor Gert schaut nach.Wichtige Bibelstellen:Römer 12,2Philipper 4,8-91 Mose 31 Mose 11,1-92 Thessalonicher 2,3-11Offenbarung 13Matthäus 24,112 Timotheus 3,13Unser Spendenkonto, falls Sie uns unterstützen möchten:Delta Christl. Dienste e.V. (Vorstandsvorsitzender: Gert Hoinle)DE13 7935 0101 0000 8235 91BYLADEM1KSWPaypal? Klicken Sie hier zwecks QR-Code: https://www.delta-edition.de/WPVersio...Oder an: Spende@OnlineKirche.orgSpendenquittung? Bitte Namen und Adresse angeben.Huxley Orwell Chip

What will it take to create AI that is as trustworthy, if not more trustworthy than humans?  This week, Reid and Aria sit down with Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher, and best-selling author of several books including Nexus, Sapiens and Homo Deus. When it comes to outlook on AI, Yuval, Reid, and Aria agree on the importance of building both human trust in AI and AI that is genuinely truth-seeking, but they differ on how possible it is to achieve.  Together, they dig into their diverging opinions on the outcomes of the AI revolution, global cooperation, and how AI will learn from humans. They also discuss the differences between intelligence and consciousness, and whether conscious AI is a goal worth pursuing.  Yuval turns to history to ground his warnings about AI. Even though he's cautious about technology, he is critical of cynicism. Yuval shares his philosophy on human compassion as a guiding principle that can allow us to steer away from collapse and ultimately, build a better AI future.  For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/  Topics: 3:38 - Hellos and intros 3:58 - Questions for the Buddha 5:48 - Yuval's relationship with technology 8:57 - Technologies that help humans share stories and myths 10:37 - Is AI the most significant invention after writing 13:02 - How AI will transform society 20:12 - Guidance for a successful AI revolution 24:24 - Using AI to support humanity's self-correcting mechanisms 26:13 - Midroll 26:45 - How to build self-correcting mechanisms for a better future 31:28 - Humans as parents of AI 36:33 - What political leaders need to do to create a positive AI future 39:11 - Artificial intelligence v.s. artificial consciousness 42:35 - AI as a tool for rebuilding trust 44:50 - Rapid-fire Questions Select mentions:  History of the Franks by Gregory of Tours Heartstopper Possible is an award-winning podcast that sketches out the brightest version of the future—and what it will take to get there. Most of all, it asks: what if, in the future, everything breaks humanity's way? Tune in for grounded and speculative takes on how technology—and, in particular, AI—is inspiring change and transforming the future. Hosted by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, each episode features an interview with an ambitious builder or deep thinker on a topic, from art to geopolitics and from healthcare to education. Each episode seeks to enhance and advance our discussion about what humanity could possibly get right if we leverage technology—and our collective effort—effectively.

Irti konsensustodellisuudesta | Juote Tuonihovi | #neuvottelija 328. Gnostilainen tieto, nousu konsensustodellisuudesta ja Philip K. Dickin ontologinen sokki aiheina yli 2 tunnin erikoisjaksossa.Konstantin Tuonihovi, Rihmastosignaali-podcastin isäntä, ja Otto Juote, Viidennen vallan, Suomen nostatuksen sekä Psyykkinen prioni-kuunnelman mestari, houkuttelevat mukaan kohti kätkettyä tietoa.00:00 Paavi Franciscuksen kuolema ja gnostilaisuuden kieltäminen00:41 Otto Juote ja Konstantin Tuonihovi Rihmastosignaali-podcastin megajaksossa04:05 Otto Juoten Psyykkinen Prioni-mind-fuck-kuunnelma07:33 Kielletty tieto ja gnostilaisuuden harhaoppileima11:43 Vaaralliset ideat ohjataan harmittomiin projekteihin14:58 Cogito ergo sum viranomaisbyrokratian ironiana18:46 Toiminnan filosofia byrokratian sijasta21:50 Demiurgi ja dystopia Dickin näkökulmasta26:03 Henkilökohtaisen uskon reformaatio ei ole gnostilaisuutta29:31 Dickin yölliset aistimukset pahuuden läsnäolosta33:29 Ennustava ja fundamentaalinen tietoisuus Harris-pariskunnan mukaan37:07 Organismi vastaanottaa tietoisuutta keuhkojen tapaan41:11 Jungilainen kollektiivinen alitajunta ja psykedeelit44:23 Ontologinen sokki – gnostilainen herääminen kokemuksina48:26 Trippien ympäristötekijät Pollanin huomioina51:43 Psykedeelit masennuksen hoidossa – Pollanin pelkoasetelma55:36 Traumageneesi – pelottavien kokemusten muovaajana58:57 Konsensustodellisuus, optimointi ja vapauden illuusio1:03:00 Tiibetin buddhalaisuuden 51 tietoisuustasoa1:06:27 Varjon integrointi – Jung ja sankarin matka Campbell1:10:12 Skientismin inkrementaalisen mallin kritiikki1:13:21 Aivot selviytymis-, lisääntymis- ja optimointikoneina1:20:28 Kosminen tyhjyys ja ihmiskeskeisyyden rajat1:23:36 Mustien aukkojen mittasuhteet ja metafyysinen hämmennys1:27:33 Organisaatioiden rappeutuminen ja johtajien malliruksailu1:30:48 Uudet moraliteetit – tekoäly ja tukiäly Hararin visiot1:34:35 Transhumanistinen mielen moottoripyörä (Homo Deus, Harari)1:37:52 Laittomien päihteiden yhteiskuntakokeilujen kapinariski1:41:40 Syntyvyyden lasku ja vakiintuneet selitysmallit1:45:02 Tutkimusinsentiivit ja julkaisemattomat tulokset1:48:55 EMG-pulssi-teoria ja väestödynamiikan vertailu1:50:01 Skifipohdintoja tulevaisuuden päihde- ja tekoälykulttuureista#neuvottelija Sisäpiiri uppoutuu vieläkin syvemmälle, kohti kosmista kauhua.Katso Sisäpiirijaksot täältä:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRI34L9OtDJuZpaWicbNXzg/join#neuvottelija Sami Miettinen

‎"Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" explores humanity's future, tackling ‎themes like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and the quest for immortality, ‎while questioning ethics, free will, and the meaning of human existence. In this ‎episode, I summarize the book and offer my critique.‎

In this special episode, we gather impactful book recommendations from our guests, offering insights into the minds of leading business builders. Episode Highlights: 1:12 - Emily Holdman: Recommends "The Book of Charlie" by David Von Drehle for its profound wisdom and applicability to life changes. https://www.amazon.com/Book-Charlie-Remarkable-American-109-Year-Old/dp/1476773939/ 6:04 - Suzanne Yoon: Shares insights from "Traction" by Gino Wickman, emphasizing the entrepreneurial operating system for accountability and growth. https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837/ 10:03 - Tim Schulte: Suggests Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens," "Homo Deus," and "21 Lessons for the 21st Century" as thought-provoking reads on humanity and its future. https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari/dp/0062316117/ https://www.amazon.com/Homo-Deus-Brief-History-Tomorrow/dp/0062464345/ https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-21st-Century-Yuval-Harari/dp/0525512195/ 12:00 - Eric Hansen: Describes "The Loop Files" by Rick Kaempfer and "The Mosquito Bowl" by Buzz Bissinger for their engaging historical narratives. https://www.amazon.com/Loop-Files-History-Outrageous-Station/dp/B0CNH5TZSQ/ https://www.amazon.com/Mosquito-Bowl-Game-Death-World/dp/0062879936/ 16:43 - Josh Adams: Highlights "What It Takes" by Stephen Schwarzman, "Greenlights" by Matthew McConaughey and "Shoe Dog" by Phil Knight emphasizing the engaging storytelling and life lessons. https://www.amazon.com/What-Takes-Lessons-Pursuit-Excellence/dp/1501158147/ https://www.amazon.com/Greenlights-Matthew-McConaughey/dp/0593139135/ https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike/dp/1501135910/ 19:31 - Bob Belke: Discusses "Die With Zero" by Bill Perkins, advocating for investing in life experiences, and "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma for its insights on living a fulfilled life. https://www.amazon.com/Die-Zero-Getting-Your-Money/dp/0358567092/ https://www.amazon.com/Monk-Who-Sold-His-Ferrari/dp/0062515675/ 26:34 - Jon Stewart: Talks about "Building a Second Brain" by Tiago Forte, which outlines a methodology for organizing information efficiently. https://www.amazon.com/Building-Second-Brain-Organize-Potential/dp/1982167386/ 31:45 - Erik Ginsberg: Recommends "Leadership and Self Deception" by The Arbinger Institute for its insights on self-awareness and organizational behavior. https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Fourth-Transforming-Relationships/dp/1523006560/ 33:21 - Darren Herman: Offers "Startup" by Jerry Kaplan for its diary-format insights on building a technology company, and reflects on "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger as an inspirational read. https://www.amazon.com/Startup-Silicon-Adventure-Jerry-Kaplan/dp/0140257314/ https://www.amazon.com/Catcher-Rye-J-D-Salinger/dp/0316769177/ 37:16 - Christian Bullitt: Suggests "The Fund" by Rob Copeland, describing Bridgewater Associates' unique corporate culture. https://www.amazon.com/Fund-Bridgewater-Associates-Unraveling-Street/dp/1250276934/ For more information on BluWave and this podcast, go to www.bluwave.net/podcasts.

"A Brief History of Tomorrow"

Yuval Noah Harari (Nexus, Sapiens, Homo Deus) is an author and historian. Yuval joins the Armchair Expert to discuss how people can be manipulated by misinformation, how powerful the role of an editor is, and how much our lives are shaped by bureaucracies. Yuval and Dax talk about how ideological gaps today compare to those in the past, what role algorithms play in the spread of mass media, and the difference between information and truth. Yuval explains his take on the artificial intelligence revolution, how AI is an agent and not a tool, and his suggestions for regulating it as it advances. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Yuval Noah Harari is a renowned historian, bestselling author of “Sapiens” and “Homo Deus,” and the mind behind the new book, “Nexus.” This conversation explores AI's impact on society through Yuval's unique historical lens. We discuss AI as “alien intelligence,” information's role in shaping political systems, embracing uncertainty, institutional trust, and finding clarity amid rapid change. His analysis of our collective human psyche in the AI era is profound and revelatory. Yuval is a treasure trove of wisdom. This one is enlightening and sobering. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up Today's Sponsors:  Roka: Unlock 20% OFF your order with code RICHROLL 

Neste episódio especial da quarta temporada do Metanoia Lab, patrocinado pela Oi Soluções, o Andrea Iorio (andreaiorio.com) analisa uma frase do historiador e filósofo Noah Yuval Harari, autor de best-sellers como Sapiens: Uma Breve História da Humanidade, Homo Deus e 21 Lições para o Século 21, que fala sobre como as narrativas e mitos moldam civilizações, com uma reflexão sobre o papel do storytelling e as “ficções” que construímos como sociedade.

Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and author, and one of the world's most influential public intellectuals working today. In books like Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Harari examines topics like the future of humanity, and the connections between biology, myth, and power.  His latest book is Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks, from the Stone Age to AI. On October 1, 2024, Yuval Harari appeared at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco to talk to technology journalist, author, and podcaster Kara Swisher. 

Yuval Noah Harari's books Sapiens and Homo Deus sold millions around the world. His latest - Nexus - examines information and how we share it, from campfire stories in the Stone Age to the AI networks of today. But as the way we share information gets evermore complicated, could this be the end of a history controlled by humans?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryHost: William Hague.Guest: Yuval Noah Harari, author and historian.Photo: Penguin Random House / Yuval Noah HarariGet in touch: thestory@thetimes.co.ukRead the Times' review of Nexus: here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

La nuova stagione di Parola Progetto inizia con un grande ospite, Michele De Lucchi.Architetto, designer, artista, fondatore di AMDL Circle, De Lucchi ha vissuto da protagonista l'evoluzione del design italiano, a partire dal design radicale, passando da oggetti per aziende di tecnologia, fino ad arrivare a musei e ponti. Con il suo lavoro ha lasciato tracce indelebili nelle nostre vite quotidiane: ne sono esempio la lampada Tolomeo di Artemide, i contatori Enel, gli oggetti di Alessi e persino le copertine di Harry Potter.Con lui parliamo di progetti e di leggerezza, di materiali e di relazioni, di confini tra discipline e di poli opposti.La puntata è realizzata in collaborazione con Lake Como Design Festival e con il supporto di Edizioni Lithos.I link della puntata:- il sito di AMDL Circle https://amdlcircle.com - Il sito del Lake Como Design Festival https://www.lakecomodesignfestival.com- Il sito di Edizioni Lithos https://edizionilithos.it- "Homo Deus. Breve storia del futuro" di Yuval Noah Harari https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_Deus._Breve_storia_del_futuro- "Un nuovo mondo" di Eckhart Tolle https://bit.ly/3BdWRaZ

Apple unveiled its latest gadgets at its big September event on Monday. We discuss the most interesting new features — including AirPods that can function as hearing aids and Apple Watch software that can help detect sleep apnea — and offer our advice on when to buy a new iPhone. Then, the best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari joins us to discuss his new book and his biggest fears about A.I. And finally, we crack open some criminal cases in a new segment we're calling the Hard Fork Crimes Division. We'll explain how one man made $10 million by manipulating music streaming services and how online instructions for building a 3D-printed gun have ended up in the hands of criminals around the world. Guest:Yuval Noah Harari, author of “Sapiens,” “Homo Deus” and “Nexus.” Additional Reading:Apple Unveils New iPhones With Built-In Artificial IntelligenceRussia Secretly Worms Its Way Into America's Conservative MediaHe's Known as ‘Ivan the Troll.' His 3D-Printed Guns Have Gone Viral.The Bands and the Fans Were Fake. The $10 Million Was Real. We want to hear from you. Email us at hardfork@nytimes.com. Find “Hard Fork” on YouTube and TikTok.

Sanchit Arvind returns to the show for his third appearance. We discuss recent life transitions—moving from the city to the farm and living in Puerto Rico for a few years. The importance of systems and processes for self development, books, technology, and Running for President. We discussed the books Sapiens and Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari in our last two episodes Rich Hebron website for daily notes & observations

I share reflections on last night's Harris-Trump Debate in the first two minutes of this podcast. In the rest of the podcast, I review Yuval Noah Harari's newest book. Harari is one of my top three favorite authors. I also love Bill Bryson and Walter Isaacson. Therefore, I was thrilled that a few months ago, I got an advanced copy of Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, which launches today, September 10, 2024.  It's a 515-page book but is filled with headers over its 11 chapters, making it modular and readable. I also reviewed his previous book, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. I loved Nexus, although Homo Deus is still my favorite Harari book. Nexus explores the evolution of information networks from prehistoric times to the present, focusing mainly on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society.  Outline There are 3 parts: Part 1: Human Networks focuses on history and how information went from clay tablets to silicon. Part 2: The Inorganic Network focuses on the internet age and the birth of AI. It discusses how computers differ from printing presses and how the information networks are relentless and fallible. Part 3: Computer Politics focuses on how AI will enter every aspect of our lives, governments, and businesses. He discusses democracies, totalitarianism, and the Silicon Curtain (how China and the West have different internets and AIs). Overview and Themes In Nexus, Harari argues that human history has been profoundly shaped by our ability to create and share narratives, which he identifies as the foundation of our social structures. He posits that information networks—from oral traditions to the internet—serve as the "glue" that holds societies together. The book emphasizes the dual nature of information: while it can foster cooperation and understanding, it can also propagate falsehoods and manipulation, particularly in the age of AI. Nexus is more urgent and personal than Harari's previous works. It tackles contemporary issues related to AI, warning about its potential to manipulate human behavior without direct control.  Harari connects historical developments, such as the rise of farming and cities, to the evolution of information networks.  Nexus mixes historical analysis and philosophical reflection with Harari's trademark ability to provoke thought about the implications of modern technology. His exploration of how AI could reshape human existence is captivating and unsettling, prompting you to reconsider your relationship with technology. One fascinating observation is that governments used to spend 80% of their budgets on the military. Today, they spend about 10% on the military and more on healthcare.  Critique Harari makes the same error that many nonfiction books do: they spend 95% of the book complaining and 5% of the time discussing the solution. Conclusion Happily, Harari isn't bleak or hopeless. He isn't overly pessimistic about our future. He believes we're at a critical crossroads, akin to when Christian scholars decided what books would make it into the Bible. What we do today will have an impact forever. Totalitarianism loves AI's ability to survey and process data to keep the population in check. However, totalitarianism hates that AI is a black box that is unpredictable and hard to control. Totalitarianism may become dependent on AI to make wise decisions, and it may falter, especially if the AI doesn't do what's best for the totalitarian leader. Harari believes that democracy will triumph over totalitarianism because democracy is self-correcting and open to criticism. It's constantly adjusting to the wisdom of the crowds, whereas totalitarianism is rigid.  Ultimately, he believes that strong, wise institutions will help us incorporate the best of AI while avoiding its follies and dangers. Nexus contributes to the discourse on AI and its societal implications. While it may not achieve the same universal acclaim as Harari's earlier works, like Sapiens or Homo Deus, it offers a compelling examination of how information networks have evolved and the urgent questions they raise for the future. Readers looking for a blend of history, philosophy, and contemporary relevance will find much to ponder in Harari's latest offering. After my verdict, I have included some excerpts from the book so you can get a feel for what it covers. VERDICT: 9 out of 10 stars. Excerpts To conclude, the new computer network will not necessarily be either bad or good. All we know for sure is that it will be alien and it will be fallible. We therefore need to build institutions that will be able to check not just familiar human weaknesses like greed and hatred but also radically alien errors. There is no technological solution to this problem. It is, rather, a political challenge. Do we have the political will to deal with it? Modern humanity has created two main types of political systems: large-scale democracy and large-scale totalitarianism. ========== Another common but mistaken assumption is that creativity is unique to humans so it would be difficult to automate any job that requires creativity. ========== third mistaken assumption is that computers couldn't replace humans in jobs requiring emotional intelligence, from therapists to teachers. ========== If it means the ability to correctly identify emotions and react to them in an optimal way, then computers may well outperform humans even in emotional intelligence. Emotions too are patterns. ========== Actually, computers may outperform humans in recognizing human emotions, precisely because they have no emotions of their own. We yearn to be understood, but other humans often fail to understand how we feel, because they are too preoccupied with their own feelings. In contrast, computers will have an exquisitely fine-tuned understanding of how we feel, because they will learn to recognize the patterns of our feelings, while they have no distracting feelings of their own. ========== Actually, computers may outperform humans in recognizing human emotions, precisely because they have no emotions of their own. We yearn to be understood, but other humans often fail to understand how we feel, because they are too preoccupied with their own feelings. In contrast, computers will have an exquisitely fine-tuned understanding of how we feel, because they will learn to recognize the patterns of our feelings, while they have no distracting feelings of their own. A 2023 study found that the ChatGPT chatbot, for example, outperforms the average human in the emotional awareness it displays toward specific scenarios. ========== If three years of high unemployment could bring Hitler to power, what might never-ending turmoil in the job market do to democracy? ========== The most important human skill for surviving the twenty-first century is likely to be flexibility, and democracies are more flexible than totalitarian regimes. ========== The rise of unfathomable alien intelligence undermines democracy. If more and more decisions about people's lives are made in a black box, so voters cannot understand and challenge them, democracy ceases to function. ========== Power lies at the nexus where the information channels merge. ========== For most of recorded history, the military was the number one item on the budget of every empire, sultanate, kingdom, and republic. ========== For many people in the 2010s, the fact that the health-care budget was bigger than the military budget was unremarkable. But it was the result of a major change in human behavior, and one that would have sounded impossible to most previous generations. ========== It places a heavy responsibility on all of us to make good choices. It implies that if human civilization is consumed by conflict, we cannot blame it on any law of nature or any alien technology. ========== It places a heavy responsibility on all of us to make good choices. It implies that if human civilization is consumed by conflict, we cannot blame it on any law of nature or any alien technology. It also implies that if we make the effort, we can create a better world. ========== It places a heavy responsibility on all of us to make good choices. It implies that if human civilization is consumed by conflict, we cannot blame it on any law of nature or any alien technology. It also implies that if we make the effort, we can create a better world. This isn't naïveté; it's realism. ========== The invention of AI is potentially more momentous than the invention of the telegraph, the printing press, or even writing, because AI is the first tool that is capable of making decisions and generating ideas by itself. ========== The good news is that if we eschew complacency and despair, we are capable of creating balanced information networks that will keep their own power in check. Doing so is not a matter of inventing another miracle technology or landing upon some brilliant idea that has somehow escaped all previous generations. Rather, to create wiser networks, we must abandon both the naive and the populist views of information, put aside our fantasies of infallibility, and commit ourselves to the hard and rather mundane work of building institutions with strong self-correcting mechanisms. That is perhaps the most important takeaway this book has to offer. ========== This wisdom is much older than human history. It is elemental, the foundation of organic life. The first organisms weren't created by some infallible genius or god. They emerged through an intricate process of trial and error. Over four billion years, ever more complex mechanisms of mutation and self-correction led to the evolution of trees, dinosaurs, jungles, and eventually humans. Now we have summoned an alien inorganic intelligence that could escape our control and put in danger not just our own species but countless other life-forms. The decisions we all make in the coming years will determine whether summoning this alien intelligence proves to be a terminal error or the beginning of a hopeful new chapter in the evolution of life.

In this conversation, Demetri and Chantz discuss the direction of their podcast and brainstorm ideas for future episodes. They reflect on the success of their book review episodes and decide to focus more on self-help topics and personal development. They also plan to incorporate 30-day challenges and reflection episodes into their podcast schedule. They discuss potential books to review, including 'Grit' by Angela Duckworth and 'Never Split the Difference' by Chris Voss. They also consider the idea of hiding previous episodes that are not related to their new direction. In this part of the conversation, Chantz and Demetri discuss their interest in learning new things and their love for books. They mention several books they have read or want to read, including 'Sapiens' and 'Homo Deus' by Yuval Noah Harari, 'Your Brain at Work' by Dr. David Rock, and 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman. They also discuss the importance of diversity in their reading choices and brainstorm ideas for 30-day challenges, such as stretching, taking the stairs, and going vegan or vegetarian. The conversation ends with a discussion about their plans for dinner and hanging out with friends. Thank you as always for listening. What did you think of this episode? Please leave us your thoughts about the episode and a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rating⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Apple Podcasts. We'll be responding to comments every Saturday on the main podcast! RESOURCES & LINKS:

Watching people and observing their behaviors is fascinating for many reasons. Yes, it's fun, but it can also be very revealing. To learn more about what the behavior and communication of others can tell you about them, we are joined by renowned author, retired FBI agent, and keynote speaker, Robin Dreeke. With a distinguished career that includes serving as the Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, Robin has honed his ability to navigate complex social dynamics and build unbreakable alliances based on trust. Recognizing the vital role trust plays in business success, he has dedicated himself to helping organizations cultivate trust, enhance communication, and foster strong relationships within their teams and with their clients. Today, Robin returns to the show to discuss all things communication, particularly what people's behavior reveals about what you can expect from them. Tuning in, you'll learn about the power of asking ‘what?' questions to find out why someone inspires you, how empathy can help you resolve conflict in your relationships, why human beings don't typically thrive in abundance, what you can glean about a person by how they treat others, and so much more. Drawing on his extensive experience in counterintelligence and behavioral analysis, Robin provides invaluable insights and actionable strategies that empower individuals and businesses to thrive. If you want to become a true resource and catalyst for the success and growth of others, you'll find his tips powerful, including learning how to embrace active curiosity and key steps to inspire people to feel safe with you. Don't miss this eye-opening discussion!   Key Highlight From This Episode: • How self-awareness, transparency, honesty, and vulnerability counteract toxic shame.   [06:29] • Owning your role in any conflict by understanding how others perceive you and how your experiences and biases color your perception of others. [12:11] • Insight into Robin's belief that we are meant to walk the path of life together. [20:05] • The deeply complex conditions that contribute to war and death in our society. [23:20] • What someone's behavior toward others tells you clearly about what to expect from them. [27:02] • A powerful quote from Nelson Mandela and why books are the key to opening your mind. [31:04] •  How to shift the focus from yourself to others with Robin's four keys to communication. [37:41] •  Actionable advice for holding yourself accountable in your relationships. [40:33] •  Closing with a profound question to ask yourself about your final hours on earth! [41:43]   For More Information: Robin Dreeke Forged by Trust Podcast Self-Mastery Reading List: Robin Dreeke's Books Robin Dreeke on LinkedIn Robin Dreeke on Instagram Robin Dreeke on X   Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Listen to Episode 160 with Robin Dreeke, ‘Former FBI Special Agent Shares 5 Key Steps to Building Trust and Rapport'. Check out Kathy's Valentine's Day post about self-love on LinkedIn. Get your copy of Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think by Tasha Eurich. Read Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom to help you understand history (and how to change it). Watch Tucker Carlson's interview with Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Get these recommended reads by Yuval Noah Harari: Sapiens and Homo Deus. Become the authority in your own life with The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav. ——————— Ready to Take Your Professional Life and Leadership to the Next Level FAST? Join me in a transformational training that can positively change the direction of your life and career! Early bird enrollment for my 8-week LIVE coaching course “THE MOST POWERFUL YOU” is open now — Register before March 22nd to save $300 and get 7 terrific bonuses!   The course is the companion to my top-selling book, The Most Powerful You, which teaches you all about what I've seen from working with thousands of professional women around the world are the 7 most damaging power and confidence gaps that negatively impact 98% of women today, keeping them from building the successful, rewarding careers that long for and that they can thrive in. Sure, we can be successful on the “outside” and make some great money, but I'm teaching you more in this course. I'm teaching you how to experience greater joy, fulfilment, reward, confidence, self-esteem and meaningful impact by becoming the true author of your life, taking the reins and grabbing control of the direction of your career and the ultimate outcomes you support. In the end, you'll learn how to engage in deeply meaningful, fulfilling and successful career you love and are proud of. Check it out, join me, and jump on those savings now! Learn more at mostpowerfulyou.com. I can't wait to see you on the first Zoom call on April 3rd. ——————— Need some great podcast production support? Check out We Edit Podcasts!   Hi, folks! Kathy here. So, are you thinking of launching a new podcast or have you been at it a while and recognize it's time for more or better production help to create the best podcast you can? I totally understand — I've been podcasting for over 6 years and know how challenging it can be. That's why I'm very excited to share key info about the great product team I'm using called We Edit Podcasts. I've been working with them for well over a year, and I've been so happy with the results! They're a full-service production agency and their services give me access to a wonderful team of seasoned audio engineers and editors who help create a polished, professional sound. And they work hard to ensure that my particular podcasting approach and style comes through in every episode. They also help me make sure my guests are reflected in the best possible light through the creation of terrific show notes, which is an important part of the show for me. Their process is easy and streamlined, and their responsiveness and customer service are terrific too. If you're ready for better production help, definitely check them out and take advantage of their FREE trial episode, allowing you to sample their process and quality to see if it's a great fit for you. I'm confident you'll love them. Just paste this link into your browser: >> http://weeditpodcasts.com/findingbrave

1️⃣ Présentation de l'invité : No Code, Metavers, NFT, Web 3.0. Des mots à la mode auxquels j'ai voulu m'intéresser. Et comprendre leur intérêt pour nos métiers. J'ai donc invité un expert, alors accrochez-vous et entrez avec moi dans cet univers. Bonjour Sébastien Felix. 2️⃣ Notes et références : Influence Society - agence digital marketing créée par Sebastien Felix en 2016 Les épisodes du Podcast cités : L'épisode 36 avec Clémence Férault L'épisode 28 avec Didier Arnoult L'épisode 20 avec Renaud Azema ROI : Return On Inverstment UGC : User Generated Content / Contenu créé par les utilisateurs NFT : Non-Fungible Token / Jeton non-fongible Adrian Zecha - fondateur du groupe Aman Resorts Esteban Ordano et Ari Meilich - Fondateurs de Decentraland Le livre Homo Deus : une brève histoire de l'avenir - Yuval Noah Harari Le Samouraï virtuel">Le Samouraï virtuel - Neal Stephenson 3️⃣ Pour contacter l'invité : Twitter : fleexit LinkedIn : Sébastien Felix 4️⃣ Le partenaire de l'épisode : LoungeUp contact@loungeup.com +33 (0)1 84 16 82 20 Bénéficiez de -10% sur la première année d'abonnement (réservé aux nouveaux clients, pour tout abonnement débutant avant le 30/06/2023)Si cet épisode vous a autant passionné que moi, rejoignez-moi sur : la newsletter d'Hospitality Insiders, chaque dimanche ; mon profil Linkedin, pour poursuivre la discussion ; ou sur Instagram, pour découvrir les coulisses des enregistrements. Merci pour votre fidélité et à bientôt !

Our subject in this episode is the idea that the body uses electricity in more ways than are presently fully understood. We consider ways in which electricity, applied with care, might at some point in the future help to improve the performance of the brain, to heal wounds, to stimulate the regeneration of limbs or organs, to turn the tide against cancer, and maybe even to reverse aspects of aging.To guide us through these possibilities, who better than the science and technology journalist Sally Adee? She is the author of the book “We Are Electric: Inside the 200-Year Hunt for Our Body's Bioelectric Code, and What the Future Holds”. That book gave David so many insights on his first reading, that he went back to it a few months later and read it all the way through again.Sally was a technology features and news editor at the New Scientist from 2010 to 2017, and her research into bioelectricity was featured in Yuval Noah Harari's book “Homo Deus”.Selected follow-ups:Sally Adee's websiteThe book "We are Electric"Article: "An ALS patient set a record for communicating via a brain implant: 62 words per minute"tDCS (Transcranial direct-current stimulation)The conference "Anticipating 2025" (held in 2014)Article: "Brain implants help people to recover after severe head injury"Article on enhancing memory in older peopleBioelectricity cancer researcher Mustafa DjamgozArticle on Tumour Treating FieldsArticle on "Motile Living Biobots"Music: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is  Kelly Molson, Founder of Rubber Cheese.Download the Rubber Cheese 2022 Visitor Attraction Website Report - the first digital benchmark statistics for the attractions sector.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website rubbercheese.com/podcast.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcastCompetition ends on 20th December 2023. The winner will be contacted via Twitter.Show references: https://vacevents.com/THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER – QEII CONFERENCE CENTRE, WESTMINSTERhttps://vacevents.com/committee/ Bernard Donoghue OBECEO & Director, ALVA, the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, Mayor of London's Culture Ambassador. Co-Chair, London Tourism Recovery Board.https://www.alva.org.uk/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-donoghue-obe-0aa9b97/ Bernard has been the Director of ALVA, the UK's Association for Leading Visitor Attractions, since 2011 following a career in advocacy, communications, and lobbying, latterly at a senior level in the tourism and heritage sector. In  2017, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, appointed Bernard to be the Mayor's Ambassador for Cultural Tourism and a member of the Mayor's Cultural Leadership Board. Bernard is Co-Chair of the London Tourism Recovery Board. He is also Chairman of LIFT, London International Festival of Theatre; Chairman of the Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continually operating theatre in the English-speaking world, and also of the People's History Museum, the Museum of Democracy.  He has been a member of the UK Government's Tourism Industry Council since 2016.  Bernard was named by Blooloop in 2020 as one of the world's 50 most influential people in museums, and in July 2021 won the public vote for the COVID Special Recognition Award from the UK Museums and Heritage Awards for his service to, and leadership of the museums and heritage sector in the UK during the pandemic. Ken Robinson CBE FTS - Founder of VAChttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-robinson-cbe-fts-bb811312/Ken is an independent adviser who speaks and writes on tourism topics.  As a "tourism enthusiast" he aims to be a pragmatic pioneer of new initiatives, strategies and solutions to optimise the economic, cultural and social benefits of tourism.   Ken's Consultancy companies completed over 1500 assignments, mostly in the UK but also several hundred international projects, beginning over 50 years ago, before the days of mass tourism.  He was a founding member of the Tourism Society and supported the formation of the Tourism Alliance, both of which organisations he has served as a board member and Chair, as he has on several other Tourism bodies. Specialising initially in visitor attractions, Ken initiated and subsequently chaired the National Visitor Attractions Conference, VAC, and has been on its Committee ever since.  In addition to many clients in the public, private and third sectors, he has advised the UN's International Trade Centre, on national and regional Tourism strategy development.  His current focus is to move the industry's thinking from marketing to the critical need to manage future tourism for the benefit of host communities, and to optimise tourist's experiences.  Ken was appointed CBE for services to Tourism in 1997, and an Honorary Doctorate in 2014. Paul KellyChief Executive, BALPPA, Chair of VAC https://www.balppa.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kelly-2714a922/Having been with BALPPA for 11 years and working with VAC for that amount of time as well, Paul started his career in the attractions sector at Thorpe Park in the 80's and then moved on to the London Eye for its opening around the millennium.  He has  always been involved with visitor attractions.  Several more years working within Merlin followed both in the UK and abroad, mainly on business development.  Being a BALPPA member for 30 years means, being Chair of the organising committee at VAC keeps Paul in touch with all aspects of the attractions industry. Liz Terry MBEManaging Director, Leisure Media Grouphttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizterry/ Janet Uttley Head of Business Transformation for VisitEnglandhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/janetuttley/  Transcriptions: Kelly Molson: Welcome to Skip The Queue, a podcast for people working in or working with visitor attractions. I'm your host, Kelly Molson. Season 5 kicks off today with not one, not two, but three excellent guests.On today's episode, I have the pleasure of speaking to Bernard Donoghue, Paul Kelly and Ken Robinson, founders of the Visitor Attractions Conference. You also know Bernard as, Director of ALVA and Paul as CEO of BALPPA.VAC celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and I'm finding out where the idea for the event spanned from, how it's changed and developed over the years. And we take a look ahead to what 2024 has in store for the attraction sector.Unfortunately, fellow Founder; Liz Terry, the Managing Director of Leisure Media Group, and also Janet Uttley, Head of Business Transformation for VisitEngland, were unable to join us on this episode. But stay tuned for lots of insight and to find out how you can get your ticket for the VAC conference this year.Kelly Molson: If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue.Kelly Molson: Bernard, Ken, Paul, it is a treat to have you all on the podcast today. Thank you for joining me. I think this is the first time I've had three guests as well, so this could be interesting. Bernard Donoghue: And three men as well. I mean, it's like a really bad testosterone banana rama, isn't it? Really. Kelly Molson: I'm just a little flower in the middle of you thorns today. Yes, it's a real shame. So, unfortunately, Janet Uttley and Liz Terry couldn't make it along to join us today, which is a shame. But I'm sure that they will get lots of mentions as we talk through some of the things that we're going to chat about today. But first, as ever, I want to start with a little icebreaker. I'm going to ask you all the same thing because I'm intrigued as to whether you ended up doing what you thought you might. So, Ken, I'm going to start with you first. When you were at school, what did you think that you'd grow up and be when you were older? Ken Robinson: I didn't know. Kelly Molson: Had no clue at all? Ken Robinson: No, I didn't have a clue. I was lucky to have a good education. I didn't work at school. And then I got into a job, which was I was very successful at it and it was very boring. So I left. And when I discovered tourism and visitor attractions, it took me over. I didn't decide to do it. It told me that was it. Kelly Molson: Oh, I love it. It's like a calling. Ken Robinson: At the time it was, I was actually sitting in a turret room which had been vacated by Lord Montague. His desk used to face in and I liked that because I didn't have to look at the faces of the visitors going past who might complain, because in those days, buli was very expensive. And then one day I thought to myself, these people are investing their hard earned money and leisure time in making a decision to come here and it's our job to make sure they have a good time. And I turned my desk round and I looked at them all day long and the moment I turned my desk round, everything changed. Kelly Molson: I love that, because you could see the whites of their eyes and how they were engaging with the venue as they turned up. Ken Robinson: Well, it's just such a failure, isn't it? If you've got somebody who makes a choice and spends their time and money, a family decision for many people, and it should be a highlight. And if it isn't, whose fault is it? It's probably the fault of the visitor attraction, given that the person has chosen to go there in not communicating well enough with them about what they've got and what they would find interesting. Kelly Molson: This is such a brilliant story and that wasn't where I was expecting this to go either, Ken. I love it. Paul, what about you, Paul?Paul Kelly: Yeah, I mean, when I was at school, I was interested in sports and that was it, really, and luckily, that dragged me through the various places I went to. But what I was going to end up doing sports. I think once you get into sports quite seriously, you realise fairly quickly that actually you're not going to make it, so you have to find something else. So, laterally, I decided that business was a good idea. So I started doing business studies up in North Wales and for some reason were doing a sandwich course in those days, I think it was called that. One of those, I got placed at Thorpe Park. I don't know why particularly, so there's a group of six of us went down to Thorpe Park to work there and I actually started working on the rides.Paul Kelly: I'm not sure what it had to do with business at the time, but I'm glad somebody thought it did. And I couldn't believe that was a job that you could do, you could be paid for, because I came from the north at that point and there wasn't an awful lot going on in the 80s and actually be paid. Everyone enjoyed themselves, fantastic atmosphere, parties every night. I'm sure it's still like that. And it was just amazing. And from that moment on, regardless of what happened after that, including other colleges, other bits and pieces, effectively, I never left. Kelly Molson: It's always going to be in that sector. Paul Kelly: Yes. Kelly Molson: Excellent. Great. Bernard, same to you. Bernard Donoghue: Well, this may come as a surprise, but my grandfather was in the Irish Guards, my father was in the Grenadier Guards, my brother was in the Royal Marines, and I had a very large collection of action men. I genuinely thought I would probably end up in the army. And actually, I got an offer after university to go into the Household Cavalry. I don't think I've ever told anyone this before. Anyway, it just clearly I didn't pursue the application. It wasn't for me at all. Got really into politics. So I started working in the House of Commons, House of Lords and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, and then I've just been in sort of lobbying, campaigning, political world ever since. But I still miss the uniforms. Can't deny it. Kelly Molson: I think we'd like to see you in that uniform, Bernard, if I'm not going to lie. So from the lobbying aspect, which is obviously a really big part of the role that you currently have, how did the attractions bit kind of slot into those? Where did the two join up? Bernard Donoghue: It's a really odd coincidence. I was trustee of a charity that Diana, Princess of Wales, was a patron of, and I was working full time for a charity that she was a patron of. So when she divorced Prince of Wales, now the King, she reduced her patronages down from 187 to six. And I happened to be involved with six of them. I went to work for her as a deputy private secretary, press secretary. But of course, the moment she died, which was August 31st, I had no job. Suddenly I was unemployed. And I got contacted by a woman who Ken will certainly know, probably Paul will, too, by Sue Garland, who used to be Deputy Chief Executive of VisitBritain, who'd heard me speak at something and said, "Well, we're just about to create this post of government affairs liaison. Would you be interested to working on the role while working on what you do next?”Bernard Donoghue: And that was in August 1997. And here I am still. Ken Robinson: But also, can I add something to that? Because I was lucky enough to be sitting in the room on many occasions when Bernard would give his briefing at meetings that were held by VisitBritain. And it was always a highlight of the day because Bernard, in those days, never pulled his punches. I'm not saying he does now, but he would just explain to everybody in the room what was going on with all of the political parties, which we never understood, and explain what we ought to be doing in order to best put our case. So it was really no shock when he turned up at ALVA, because I would say this if he wasn't here, he was the star of the show there, and that expertise that he showed has blossomed in the job that he's doing now. Kelly Molson: This is lovely, isn't it? Aren't you all nice? Bernard Donoghue: This is love in.. Kelly Molson: Probably why you all work together, right? You will get on so well. Right, back to you, Ken. Unpopular opinion, please. Ken Robinson: Most visitor attractions do not deliver full value for money to most of their visitors. Kelly Molson: Okay, Paul and Bernard, do you agree with this? Will our listeners agree with this? Is this an unpopular opinion?Paul Kelly: Did you use the word most, Ken? Ken Robinson: I did. Paul Kelly: I'll go for some, not most. Bernard Donoghue: Yeah, I'll go for some as well. One of my favourite programmes is Yes, Minister. And whenever you'd hear something off the wall, bonkers, they would say, that's a very brave opinion, Minister. That's a very brave opinion, Ken.Ken Robinson: Now's not the time to justify it. I'll do that on another occasion. Kelly Molson: Yeah, we will invite you back and we can do that one on one, Ken. Paul, what about you? Unpopular opinion? Paul Kelly: Well, I'm guessing that anybody that's worked in a theme park will probably have the same opinion I have. So I worked at Thorpe Park, which was 450 acres, two thirds of which was water. And at the end of the day, when you were walking out, and in those days, that could be 9, 10 o'clock at night, it was beautiful. On a late summer's evening, calm waters, walking through a park which had just been cleaned and tidied and ready for the next day. It was fantastic. And we all had the same opinion once were down the pub discussing the day. It's just a shame we have to let people into theme parks because it's the absolutely beautiful place without them there. So sometimes people let the parks down. Kelly Molson: That's a good one. That is a good one. Yeah. And you don't want to let them in to see the beautiful bit either, do you? Because then there'd be people there. It wouldn't be serene. Paul Kelly: No, I mean, those evenings, if there was still time, we'd go windsurfing on the lakes, cable water ski around the back. And it was just a shame that all these people came in every day and messed it all up. Kelly Molson: Yeah. Well, I'm pretty sure that most people who've worked in theme parks aren't going to disagree with you on that one, Paul. Good one. Bernard, what about yours? Bernard Donoghue: Even though I chair a theatre and I know how important the revenue is, I'm not a fan of selling drinks and food to people in theatres because they just make a noise. I can't bear it. I mean, it depends. I mean, it depends if it's a panto or something like that. Completely fine. Ken Robinson: Oh, no, it's not. Bernard Donoghue: It kind of allies to what Paul was saying as well, which was I don't know whether it's an unpopular opinion. I think it's probably a popular opinion. But visitor behaviour, whether it's in a theatre, a museum, an art gallery or wherever, has completely deteriorated post lockdown. Some people's behaviour is getting worse and it's very difficult to know what to do about it. Kelly Molson: Yes, agree. I don't think that's going to be very unpopular at all, actually, considering some of the things that we've seen recently. Thank you all for sharing. Okay, let's get back to the serious bit. The Visitor Attractions Conference. It's 20 years old this year. If you are listening and you're not familiar with it, one, why the hell not? And two, you need to grab a ticket today. It's the leading networking and learning event for visitor attractions across the UK. And I first visited in October 2019 and it was the first sector specific conference that I had been to. We'd been working in the sector for probably about three or four years, had never really at that point kind of gone all out on our like, "This is what we're going to niche and this is what we're going to specialise in."Kelly Molson: So I was kind of doing a bit of a fact finding mission really, and I came along and it absolutely blew me away. I think it was one of the friendliest conferences I've ever been to. I think you'd created an environment where everybody was really welcome, no stupid questions. Everyone from speakers to guests where kind of felt like they were all on the same level, really happy to answer questions that you had, really happy to talk to you. And I think that was for me. I came away from that event, I went back to my team and said, "This is where we should be. This is the event for us, this is where we should be attending, these are the people that we should be speaking to." And I've absolutely loved every minute of that. Kelly Molson: I mean, the next one I went to was a virtual one. So it was very different to the 2019 event, but still excellently organised. So firstly, thank you for making that happen. But where did the idea for the VAC come from in the first place? How did this come about? Ken Robinson: So we have to remember that the world was very different over 20 years ago. Really, really very different. Not just a question of internet or pre COVID and all those things and pre Olympics, but just very different. And attractions in those days thought and acted and communicated in their sectoral associations. Historic houses talked to historic houses, curators of museums talked to curators, bishops talked to priests, zoologists talked to botanists, but they didn't talk across the sectors. There were two exceptions to that. One was that in Visit England or English Tourist Board, there'd always been a committee there which was across the sectors, but the other one was ALVA. Now, when ALVA was formed, it was a 1 million visitors plus club for attractions, with 1 million plus visitors a year. Ken Robinson: Subsequently, groups of attractions, particularly English Heritage, National Trust, were involved originally associates, but it was a 1 million plus club and that's only 1% of the attractions in the United Kingdom had over 1 million. And it was very London centric. And ALVA had a five objectives, four of which were about government. And the interesting thing was that I was very good friends all through this time with Lord Lee, who know a very big part of the early success, pre Bernard of ALVA. I said to John Lee, “Look John, could you not change your name to ALVA and be involved with all the visitor attractions because they badly need something which glues everybody together and we need to get across this away from this sectoral stuff.” Ken Robinson: And everybody was talking about historic houses, talk about the house museums, talking about the continents of the museum but they weren't talking about visitors. They weren't talking about how you communicated with the visitors or what they were motivated by or how you could better manage things for visitors, give them better they weren't doing that. So John agreed with this and I've got the original papers here. I looked them out that I was asked first of all by ALVA in December of 2001 to write a paper on the future of ALVA which is headed: ALVA in the Future Representing All Visitor Attractions. Then after that the conversation went on and we realised that if were going to have some kind of overall event we couldn't do it without the National Tourist Board, we couldn't do it without Visit Britain, Visit England. We needed their input.Ken Robinson: We needed them to talk to DCMS and make sure it would happen. And also we wanted to do this not on a commercial basis but being by the industry, for the industry, run by the industry, not for profit. And that was a problem because we wanted to do it in the QE II Centre because we wanted to be in the centre of everything and that was going to cost an extraordinary sum of money and there wasn't that much money that could in that first year come originally from VisitEngland. So the partners in this, the partners being ALVA, BALPPA, Paul's organisation, Leisure Media the wonderful Liz Terry and her magazine which has forever been behind this event for no recompense whatever and myself put up 5000 pounds each security in order that the thing would happen. Ken Robinson: You said, "We'll stand the risk, let's do it.". So in 2004 I wrote the briefing of the first conference and I found from a 2003 the government asked for a list of topics that would be discussed in order they could work out whether or not they might like it and it's still here. What I like about it is it would do quite well for this year's conference. All those topics are still relevant. So that's where it came from. That's where it came from. We wanted it to have at the time the lowest possible attendance fee to get the highest number of people there. We wanted to involve everybody. Ken Robinson: And the cast list for that 2004 event, my goodness me, absolutely fantastic cast list in terms of the people we had for an initial event and you can imagine when it was announced and everybody was behind it ALVA was behind it. BALPPA, I should have mentioned that Colin Dawson, Paul's predecessor was an absolute stalwart of the conference in the early years he stood by know, when times were tough and that's where it came from. Kelly Molson: That is phenomenal. It was really putting your money where your mouth is, isn't it? By all of you actually personally investing in this thing to bring it to life. You don't hear many things happening in that way anymore, do you? It's all about getting investment and asking other people to make the commitment to it and take the risk. Ken Robinson: Well, we have a company now, I should say. We have a company called VAC Events, and we are all equal. The four of us are equal shareholders, that's to say, Bernard and ALVA, BALPPA and Paul, Liz and myself, for no benefit. Martin does it for us, but we are the people that carry the can, if you like, and I don't think we've ever had anything out of it apart from a nice lunch at Christmas, but apart from that, it's a great feeling of doing something. When you say everybody is very friendly and talks to one another. That's why they're all in the same business. Bishop, curator, zoologist person running a heritage railway, they're all in the same business. Kelly Molson: Obviously, the first event was a success. You've been on and you've done many, what, 20, 20 events since that first one. How have you seen it kind of change and develop over the years? So what did that first conference look like compared to what this year's will look like? And how have you kind of evolved it over that time to keep it relevant to your audience? Paul Kelly: Well, I think so. My involvement directly has been the last ten years, so I'm halfway through chairing for this one, but I was actually there at the early ones because I worked at that time. I was working at the London Eye, just across the river, and I was good friends with Colin Dawson at the time. I'd worked with him at Thorpe Park and he for some people, may well remember Colin as entertaining Princess Diana on a log flume in 92, 3 and 4. Paul Kelly: And I was there. It's hard to tell, but I was actually there. I'm not in any of the photos in Paris Match and all of those places. I have a couple of myself here. I didn't get anything signed by Princess Diana and sent over to you know, bitterness takes a while to and I've joked with Colin over this many years. Colin was there, but if you look closely behind the scenes, you'll find I was there too, but so I was great friends with Colin over many years and still am. He was obviously contacting everyone he knew about this conference. He was working for BALPPA at the time. I was working for the Two Swords Group, had the operational contract for the London Eye. Paul Kelly: So I went to the first one and I suppose my impressions of the first one was for somebody who hasn't been there before, the QE II is extremely impressive as a conference center. I don't go to many that look like that around the UK. Most of them normally the ones I go to are in attractions, they're slightly different so it was hugely impressive both on its location and what was across the road and how things went and I was a little bit starstruck I suppose, for the first one. Now I get the opportunity to sit on the stage and look out at everybody and have a slightly different view on it all, but still think it's an extremely impressive environment to do that. Paul Kelly: And I think the biggest change for me, and I think we may cover a little bit later, is how we've broken up the afternoons into separate segments and sections where people can go along to a smaller, informal group discussing a topic that they particularly want. And I think the thing I also like about that is the amount of people who want to go to more than one of them that are on at the same time and are almost complaining there's too many things to go to, which I think is hilarious, which means it's really good. And hopefully that means that next time they'll really think about which one do I want to go to, obviously I want to go to more than one, but I'm going to pick my best one. Paul Kelly: So I think for me, that's probably the biggest change over time. But what doesn't change for me is the team that we have putting these things together, which we're actually relatively slick at. Everyone gets the chance to put their opinions and I'm glad we don't record those meetings and it works out really well. And I think as a team, it's amazing how long we've stuck at it and stuck together. Kelly Molson: I'd love to be on a little fly on the wall for those meetings. Have you ever had a fallout about something? Bernard Donoghue: Yes, we're frequently violent. It's a visitor experience in its own right, I think. Kelly Molson: I'll pay for it. Bernard Donoghue: We reflect the madness that some of our visitors demonstrate on site so in that case I think we're rooted in the industry. The first one that I went to was in 2011, so I just joined ALVA at that point. And the first one I spoke, it was in 2012 and I've been doing the same kind of slot ever since. I do a kind of State of the Nation in the morning because ALVA obviously gets loads of data and information and we publish all of our visitor figures and all the rest of it, and actually we collect and commission much more data now than we ever used to. So I share all of that in the kind of Donoghue half hour copyright. Bernard Donoghue: What's lovely I mean, Paul's absolutely right is that over the last twelve years I think we've seen a real move from people desperately wanting to speak about their successes to being really open about what hasn't worked, which of course is far more interesting and useful. So there's been a really lovely shift from people saying, "No, I don't have to do the propaganda stuff.” Actually, I'm going to tell you what it was like, why it was a disaster and what we learned from it. And that's so useful. So you do get this real honesty coming from the speakers who know that's what they find useful too. So why not share it? I think the other one is I do a presentation about, is there core behaviours of successful visitor attractions regardless of type?Bernard Donoghue: And there are there's about ten of them, but one of them is the ability to foster creative partnerships with unusual suspects. So the presentations that are most fascinating for me is where a visitor attraction, it doesn't matter whether it's a cathedral or whether it's a museum or gallery or theme park, have teamed up with someone that you wouldn't expect them to team up with to tell the story of their people and places and collections in a new, innovating, exciting way. And those are fascinating, absolutely fascinating. So I love those. There's much more of that. Kelly Molson: Fantastic. Well, on that note, I want to know from each of you who has been the most inspiring speaker that you've had at the conference over the past 20 years. Ken, let us start with you. Who do you think would be on your list for that? Ken Robinson: I had a look through the programs going back to 2004 and came up with the following names which surprised me, actually. I think originally our first most inspiring speaker was Simon Jenkins, the columnist of the Times, who had very strong views, which didn't necessarily agree with what government and others were doing. He did give a very inspiring presentation and then there are some people who perhaps we would expect less. The most single most surprising speaker was somebody called Tristram Mayhew, who titles himself as the Chief Gorilla of Go Ape and in a room full of suits and quite smart dresses and trouser suits, Go Ape shambled onto the stage in a car key shirt and proceeded to explain how he'd done things differently. And frankly, it was riveting. We had a chap called Tony Berry from the National Trust who gave presentations. Ken Robinson: His first one was just stunnning, you know, in the days when HR was less popular, Tony Berry would tell you why you should be interested and he was absolutely amazing. And Sue Wilkinson, incidentally, of the National Trust, who was the person responsible really for dragging the Trust from its sort of old form to its new marketing orientated thinking about its supporters future success? She was terrific. And the other person I would mention another Tony, I don't know whether or Tony's there's Tony Butler from the Museum of East Anglian Life, who again, when Bernard was talking about people talking about doing things differently and it inspires you. Some of those examples are very interesting, but not easy to copy. Ken Robinson: In other attractions, we always look for things that do go across the piece, so anybody can learn from the lessons within the example that we're talking about. And incidentally, we do have arguments in meetings, it's about whether particular speakers and particular topics are the way of doing things. And generally speaking, when we all have a good go at it comes out better than it did when anybody said, “Well, I know what the right answer is. No, you don't. Let's all talk about it. So that works.” So you get these people that actually inspire and they light up the room, not because of clever graphics and not because of a forceful way, but they light up the room because of the originality of their ideas. Now, I'll come to my number one. Ken Robinson: I'm sorry about this, because he's sitting on my screen down there, and that's young Bernard, who since he joined our there you go. That's the top half that works. You should see the bottom half doesn't work. He's just had pins put in it. Kelly Molson: Just for our listeners here, Bernard is given a little muscle strong arm salute on screen here. Ken Robinson: Bernard combines the latest immediate knowledge of talking to people across the industry with an absolutely amazing gift of the gab, with a power of communication. And he's unstoppable. And we wouldn't have stood him for all these years if he wasn't. So of all the years and all the speakers, the consistent best is Bernard. But we have had other people, often surprising, who take know, you don't expect it, you think you're going to listen to ordinary session, all of a sudden it takes fire. Kelly Molson: Bernard, what have you got to say to that? Bernard Donoghue: What I say to Ken is there are packets of cash going from London to the south coast with immediate effect. Delighted. Thank you very much. It's really lovely, actually. I've tried to change things every year to do partly political, but also partly about good practice and who's doing what and who's interesting. I'll tell you what, one of my favourite speakers, and it was in a conversation, one of the things that we've introduced is a sort of conversation with slot, which works really well, actually, because a bit like this, you're off script, you respond to people. Liz chaired a conversation last year, so were in Birmingham last year and it was all about HR issues and of course, it know, coming out of COVID and cost of living crisis and recruitment challenges and all of those kind of stuff. Bernard Donoghue: And Tina Lewis is the director of people at the National Trust. National Trust, getting great repertoire here. She came out with an idea that they're doing at the National Trust and I've implemented it in the three organisations that I chair and it's made the biggest difference. So the National Trust, they will pay the rent deposit for your flat if you need them to. So if you're going through a cost of living crisis and you can't get up the cash to put down a rent deposit on your flat, they'll do it for you. You can't get up the cash to put down a rent deposit on your flat, they'll do it for you. That was such a transformational thing to hear. You could almost hear the gasp in the room of people going, "Oh, my God. Yeah, if we can, let's do that." Bernard Donoghue: And I've now introduced it. As I say in the organisations that I chair, not many people have taken it up, but the fact that we've said it has made such a difference to people. I mean, as it is at the Trust, actually, there's been a relatively small number of people at the Trust who've taken it up, but the very policy decision, the very communication of it, just spoke volumes about an organisation that cares about its staff, and particularly those staff who are on really limited budgets. So there's been loads and loads of speakers over the course of the last few years, but that for me was a nugget which has changed people's lives and has been implementable. Kelly Molson: I think that's the key to that part, isn't it, is that it's an incredible thing that they've done, but the fact that it can be implemented someone has listened to that talk. They can take that away, take it to their board, take it to whoever needs to okay that, and they can put that into action like that straight away. That's the power of a really good initiative and a good speaker to be able to deliver that as well. Paul, what about you? Please don't say Bernard. I think he's had enough praise today. Bernard Donoghue: No, keep going. Kelly Molson: No. Paul Kelly: You're OK, Bernard? We'll leave that one where it is, shall we? If we can squeeze Bernard into the room next. Right, so one special mention I wanted to give, actually, which is one of the years not too long ago, we invited Simon Calder to speak, the travel journalist, and I have to say I wasn't convinced, because clearly he's not working in one of our attractions and doesn't necessarily know the industry pretty well. But I have to say, he was hugely entertaining, had done his homework, was hugely knowledgeable, and so he was absolutely excellent. But I think the most important thing for me is that he left us and he said to me, “Enjoyed it so much, I'll come back later.” And I said, “Yes, of course you will.”Paul Kelly: So he went away and he came back at the end of the day to talk to all the people that he'd seen early in the day, because he loved the atmosphere and he wasn't required to do that. And he came along. And for that I have to put a special mention in one for myself to actually listen to the others when they say, “This will be good”, and secondly for him, for actually doing a bit and actually coming back later. And he was a fabulous addition and outside of our industry. So my inside the industry one is somebody I ended up working with because I was with the Two Swords group and then they were bought by Merlin with Nick Varney and his Merry Men. Paul Kelly: So Nick and his team had obviously been in the industry a very long time at this point, dipped in and out of theme parks and attractions. But Nick didn't actually do many talks. You wouldn't actually hear him speak about too much. I'd heard him speak over in the IAAPA trade show held in Orlando every November, and he was absolutely brilliant. And then Ken managed to get him to speak at VAC one year. And again, he was absolutely excellent. And this fits in nicely because now that he's retired from Merlin, he's speaking again this year. So I think that will be really interesting because he's absolutely excellent. Ken Robinson: And by the way, guys, just to show you that we know what we're doing here, this is 2004, okay? And it says here the recipe for success. Nick Varney chief executive, will talk about the components for commercial success. And that's before. So we've got him first and look what happened. Kelly Molson: I'm really looking forward to that interview, actually, and I think it would be really interesting to see how he differs now. He's kind of outside of the sector, and I think that the format that you've got him in. So that's the interview with Liz, isn't it? On stage? I think that's going to be a really great format as well. I've seen that work really well in the past where she's interviewed people and it just feels really comfortable and really conversational. I think that brings out the best of people. Bernard Donoghue: Kelly, do you want to know who's been of most variable quality? Kelly Molson: Oh, yes. Bernard Donoghue: Tourism Minister. I mean, without doubt. I mean, we've been going 20 years now, therefore we've had 20 tourism ministers, had one a year, like Christmas cards. And some of them have completely got the industry completely understood. It delivered a barnstorming speech, and then the next year you'll get the annual Tourism Minister pop up and they'll read something flat, banal, uninteresting. And we're so torched by the experience that we don't invite the one next on the year. So we're always banging on about this. Tourism is very good at job creation. In fact, we've created 20 Tourism Minister jobs in years, but they are of variable quality. Ken Robinson: The best we ever had, Bernard, I think, by far, was John Penrose, when he had completed his review of the industry and got very clear views, which he put to government. Unfortunately, government didn't do it, as they usually don't, but he was good and people liked him and gave him a high rating. I think the next best was probably Margaret Hodge, who was very good and spoke from the heart. But as you say, when we look at every year, we look at a rating of every speaker and the meeting after the event, we go through those ratings and decide, those that got good ratings, why did they get it? Was it intrinsic to their character, their nature, their topic? Was there something special? And those who didn't, why was that? Was it our fault? Ken Robinson: Did we not brief them properly? Or was it never going to be any better? Ken Robinson: And that way we managed to manage the conference. So know the attraction sector. We sometimes forget that over half of all visits to visitor attractions in the UK are free of charge. We forget that the majority of visitor attractions are medium and small businesses. We forget that there are charitable and commercial attractions. We must be able to bring this whole sector together and move our thinking forward in the way that Bernard has just explained in terms of what he does with ALVA. And the other thing that Bernard mentioned was ALVA's research now. Ken Robinson: 20 years ago, you had to wait until the annual book came out from Thames Tower and then eventually from the centre of luck look to page 16 and there would be numbers, but very little interpretation of what those numbers meant. Now, Bernard is behind much of the work that is done now with ALVA. But the key to it is it's not just numbers, it's interpretation. And because of the communication skills, when ALVA put out a message, it is interpreted. It says why it was a successful year or what was mitigating against that. And that's so important in trying to move our case forward. Kelly Molson: But it's important in improving the content that you give your audience at the conferences as well, right? If something isn't working and you've got a process of evaluating why that hasn't worked and how you improve on it for the next one. Let's just focus on why should people attend VAC this year? What is in it for them? What's on the agenda? What have they got to look forward to and how can we get them to book a ticket? Bernard Donoghue: I'll happily go first and go quite niche, actually. One of the things that I do now outside of ALVA, or because of ALVA is that I co chair the advisory board for VisitLondon. So essentially chair the London tourist board. And I do that with Kate Nichols of UK hospitality. And we created the London Tourism Recovery Group during COVID So my suggestion would be Sadiq Khan. So we've managed to get the Mayor of London to come along and speak at this anniversary conference. And it's not just because he's the Mayor of London and it's the 20th anniversary, but it's because he's the first ever Mayor of London that hazard one of his four political priorities, culture and tourism. That's number one. Bernard Donoghue: Number two is that he put his money where his mouth was and he funded the Let's Do London Recovery campaign, which was both domestic and international with the industry. We delivered it with London and partners, but he put up the lump sum behind it. And third, he completely gets that tourism and heritage and culture is both where you grow jobs and we're very good at it, but it's also where you grow people. It's where you grow people in terms of their cultural literacy or their sense of community or their independence or their sense of history. And therefore knowing where you come from enables you to be a better future citizen, if you like. Bernard Donoghue: So my quick blast would be we've got him doing a welcome, but also saying why visitor attractions and tourism are so important to him and to the economy and the politics of London. So that's not to be missed. Kelly Molson: That is a big draw. Absolutely a big draw. Paul, you mentioned earlier about the variety in splitting up that second session, that second part of the day with the seminars and the smaller talks that you do as well. That for me, as an attendee, is really valuable because you can kind of pick and choose what's relevant to you and go along and see lots of different talks. What do you think is the draw for people to come to the conference this year for you? Paul Kelly: Well, I was just jotting down, thinking about it's a little bit. An extension of what Ken was talking about is that it's the variety of what we do in one place is greater than anywhere else. And all the conferences I do because of the nature of what we do each end of the spectrum. So we've got talks about people who run charities to people who run hugely commercial operations. We've got people doing talks on which are free to get into those who are quite expensive, but focus on value for money. And you've got those that are indoor, those that are outdoor. When I spent my time business development at Merlin, they were always focused on a balanced portfolio. And a balanced portfolio meant making sure that right across your business, you have every aspect covered. Paul Kelly: So everything balances indoor, outdoor, UK, Europe, USA, whatever it is. And I think with our conference, that's what we try and do, we try and balance all of those types of different types of operations so that everything is covered, not to the point where it's too thin and you don't learn anything. And that's the key to it, is that we go into the depth. And the depth, I think, is greater now because we do those breakout sessions and we've got time to do in fact, we double up for those three different areas just for that afternoon. So I think those are the things, if anyone asks me why they should come, it's about the variety.Kelly Molson: Regardless of size of your attraction as well. And actually, from my perspective as a supplier to the industry, it's just as valuable to come along and learn and understand what's going on in the sector. You don't have to be an attraction to come along and take part and be educated about what's happening in the sector. What about you, Ken? Ken Robinson: Well, I think that those of us who have stood on the stage at the QE II Centre and looked at the people who have come can see that there aren't any slumbering faces out there. There are people making notes, people nudging the person next to them, people looking round when we ask a question. We now have a sort of red and green card system for, do you agree? Don't you agree? Which we sometimes use, which is very interesting, engaging the mood of the room. And I think that the thing about VAC is don't be lazy if we're going to come to VAC. Don't be lazy. If you're coming to VAC, l And jot down what questions you might like to ask those people or what you'd like to learn from that session. Write it down, don't think you can remember it at the time. Ken Robinson: Bring it on a note with you when you come and then you will find, and we all know this, that the networking that happens at the end of the day and in the breaks at VAC it's like a family wedding in a way. I mean, everybody wants to talk to everybody else and it's so valuable. I think everybody who goes away from VAC should have a good few things that day, which they say, “I wouldn't have thought of that if I hadn't been there”, or even, “I disagree with that”, but it's made me realise what my true opinion about that is equally valuable. But don't be a lazy attendee. Come and participate, come and enjoy, come and learn, come and take back benefit to everybody that works with you. Kelly Molson: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think that thing about not being scared to ask questions is really valid as well, Ken, because this happened to me, actually. I went to one of the seminar sessions, and this is back in 2019 and was really inspired by one of the speakers about it was Julez Osbek, who was at Continuum Attractions at the time, and she talked about marketing segmentation, but had a completely different perspective on it in terms of not doing it demographically, just talking about age brackets and things like that. And it was really interesting. I didn't get a chance to ask a question during the seminar, but I found her afterwards and she was very approachable, very happy to answer my question. And then I stalked her on Twitter and got her to come on to the podcast afterwards to talk about it. Kelly Molson: But that's for me, what VAC is about. It's the openness that people are really willing to share. So don't be afraid to go and find the speaker that you've been inspired by and go and ask them the question afterwards, because everyone's really happy to talk about their topic and they're really happy to help people. That's my little key takeaway from it anyway. Right, so it's going to be on Thursday, the 5th October. This podcast episode is launching on the 20th September, so you haven't got long to go and get your tickets, so make sure you do. It is the 5th October, the QE II Conference Centre in Westminster. The website address is vacevents.com. That's Vacevents.com and you can get your ticket there. All of this information will be in the show notes, so don't worry if you didn't get time to scribble that down. Kelly Molson: While I've got you all, though, because you all are in the sector and you've got lots of insights to share. I want to know from each of you what you think that attractions should be focusing on and what 2024 might look like for the sector. Paul, what about you? Start with you. Paul Kelly: So I've been chatting to some of our operators. We have some very large operators around the UK asking them how it's going? And unsurprisingly, you could have said the same question 20 years ago, what's our biggest challenge? It's the weather. It's not actually the cost of living crisis, it's not COVID you can put plans together for those things and you can work on it, but the weather always is a little bit of a challenge. So this summer inverted commerce has been quite hard to focus on what we can deliver when the days have been half decent. Actually, we've done quite well, we always do relatively well, certainly in our sector, I'm sure the others will agree, in a recession. Paul Kelly: So the key seems to be, and I'm going to put it out, I haven't quite found the right words for it, but I'll develop this once I've spoken to a few more. What every attraction for me has to have is an opportunity for people to downgrade what they did slightly. What they're doing is they're ringing it up and saying, "Can't afford to do this, have you got something that's almost like that?" But whether it's a slightly different experience, less time, one day less so whatever the packages are that people are offering, there has to be one rung lower than it was before to still encourage people to come along because they're not able to reach the same heights at the moment that they did previously. But they still want to have that family experience that day out, create those memories. Paul Kelly: All of those things are still relevant. And if you don't have that opportunity, then they'll either go elsewhere or they won't go. So, again, it's managing. So I'm not talking about huge discounts, I'm talking about being relatively clever in what you package and what you put together to make sure they still attend and they still get what they perceive to be value for money. But unless you have that option then I think they won't come. Kelly Molson: Really great advice, Paul. Thank you. Bernard, what about you? Bernard Donoghue: Like Paul, actually, especially since Lockdown ended, but actually for about the last five or six years I've noticed a particular thing which is where visitor attractions have got reserves, and that's a big if by the way, particularly in the course of the last couple of years. Actually, especially since Lockdown ended, but actually for about the last five or six years I've noticed a particular thing which is where visitor attractions have got reserves, and that's a big if by the way, particularly in the course of the last couple of years. So it comes back to Paul's point about kind of ensuring yourself against the excesses of the weather and making sure that you're still particularly a family attractive visitor attractions that'd be one. Second is cost of living crisis, certainly for the average customer, but also the energy costs for visitor attractions too. Bernard Donoghue: Just crazy amounts of money that visitor attractions are now paying i If you're a zoo or an aquarium you can't turn down the temperature of your botanics you're a living reef. So we're going to have to find some way out of that. And that means that actually for many organisations it's going to be as financially challenging over the next twelve months as it has been over the last two. And then I think the third, and this is a continual for me and Kelly, you and I have talked about it before, but it forms the last session of the day at the VAC conference which is diversity and inclusivity. And my feeling is that every visitor attraction should be critically honest about who comes, who doesn't, why they don't come and what are you going to do about it?Bernard Donoghue: And in particular those organisations who in receipt are government money or public money or who had COVID loans from the UK taxpayer. If their visitors don't look like the community in which they're housed, they have a moral question at the heart of their business. That's it. If you want to take public money you need to have an audience that looks like the diversity of the public. And that's a challenge. I get that, I completely get that. But I think that making sure that we are as accessible in every conceivable way, economically, physically. Accessible to people and that they see their stories and themselves reflected in their collections and people and staff and volunteers and board members, I think that's the biggest challenge of the sector as it is indeed to many other sectors. Bernard Donoghue: But I think we're doing some amazing things and we need to shout about it and we need to share and we need to learn from each other. Kelly Molson: Absolutely agree. And that session is going to be a really great session. That's one not to miss. Ken? Ken Robinson: Well, I would say two things. First of all, as far as our visitors are concerned, I think there is a bigger polarisation now than there ever has been between those who have money and can still afford to do things and are not much impacted by the current circumstances, despite everything. And those who haven't and those who haven't have got to find ways of saving money, getting more for their money. There are so many things they can do that are free and alternatives that charged attractions find it difficult. I think we have to remember that the biggest number of attractions in the United Kingdom are heritage based attractions and they weren't purpose built like many of Paul's members, the attractions are purpose built for entertainment. But heritage attractions have got a bigger responsibility or museums housed in historic buildings. Ken Robinson: And all the time they're having to cut their costs and finding life difficult. Money isn't going into maintaining that National Heritage. And that's a real big long term challenge, one that government can't ignore. So government has a vested interest in the health of our businesses because the more healthy they are, the less will fall back on the state eventually. One last thing, I would like to mention Martin Evans and the tourism business. Ken Robinson: For the last I don't know how many years, Martin has been the person who has put together this event for us. He has to do the heavy lifting. He is backed up by our conference organisers, who are also very efficient. And the other person that I wouldn't like to miss from this, because if she could have been here today, you would have got a different flavour, is the wonderful Liz Terry and the support that her organisation. That's Liz's Organisation, her hard work in Leisure Media Group. She publishes Attractions Management magazine. Ken Robinson: She has never asked for anything from this conference and she gives it great support, without which we wouldn't have made 20 years, as I said earlier. And also a big shout and a screen for Liz. Kelly Molson: That is lovely. Thank you. I'm sure Liz will very much appreciate that. We won't forget her. Don't worry, she'll be on the credits for this podcast. I always ask our guests to leave us with a book recommendation for our listeners. So a book that you've loved, a book that you've enjoyed as part of your career growth can be absolutely anything. So, Paul, what would you like to share with us today? Paul Kelly: Oh, I tell you what, books are a bit highbrow for me. Yes, Bernard agrees with that. So I'm from the north, so I used to travel a lot when I was working North America. Commuting a little bit. So I did read a little bit then, but I very quickly swapped over to podcasts things that I download. I watch Silent Witness from the 90's, early 2000s repeatedly. I like Meet Marry Murder, which is one of the cable channels, so I'm quite simple. So I don't really have a book recommendation. I think when I have time to read, I will look forward to reading what somebody else recommends. Kelly Molson: Well, I will take Silent Witness as a recommendation because I love Silent Witness, Paul. Oh, so good. Never miss an episode, ever. So, OK, they go I mean, I can't give it away as a prize, but go and check out Silent Witness if you haven't. Bernard, what's yours? Bernard Donoghue: Well, I've been on this before and I remember my recommendation and it sounds really facile, but it was absolutely true, was Ladybird Books when I was a kid, and then that's how I got into history and heritage and storytelling and absolutely loved them. And I've still got loads of them, which is a bit sad, actually. I'm currently confined to home with a broken ankle. So I've been going through my big Bernard book of books, of all the ones that I haven't got around to reading, and the one that I've enjoyed most and has really surprised me is Lucy Worsley's biography of Agatha Christie. Absolutely fascinating. I thought I knew her. I thought I knew all about her. I know all of her characters, I've watched every conceivable film and TV program, but what a fascinating woman. Bernard Donoghue: So that's the one that I've loved this summer. Kelly Molson: Great recommendation. Yeah. I wondered what were going to get from you, actually, because you've had a lot of time on your hands to go through that book pile. Bernard Donoghue: It was either going to be Agatha Christie or the Argos catalogue. Honestly, it could have gone. Kelly Molson: It's not Christmas yet. You only do the Argos catalogue at Christmas. Ken, over to you for our last recommendation. Ken Robinson: Well, the best book quite hard to get hold of now, but I can supply copies is Action For Attractions, the National Policy Document, written in 2000. But if you want something other than that, then I have just finished reading a book which everyone else read years ago called Sapiens, which is about this thick, that's to say two and a half inches thick. For those of you listening. It's by somebody, I've just had to look him up because I couldn't have remembered it, by Yuval Noah Harari. And it's entitled A Brief History of Humankind. And what's so interesting about it is it goes through segments explaining the great moves that have happened to us humans since we appeared on this Earth. Ken Robinson: And I found the whole thing fascinating to read in one go what took me a long time, particularly the last bit, which talks about how commerce has changed the world and what we're all doing, and that's, after all, what we're doing at VAC. We are engaged in the kind of commerce that is to entertain, amuse and give enjoyment to our visitors, and at the same time keep the heritage of the country going and keep an awful lot of people employed, so I recommend Sapiens. Kelly Molson: Ken, that's a great book. It took me a really long time to read as well, but it is an absolutely fascinating book. I would totally back up your recommendation there. Have you read the next one as well, Homodeus? Ken Robinson: No one a year is enough for me. Kelly Molson: Well, I've got a toddler, so reading doesn't come easy for me right now. But Homodus is next on my list to read because that's the next one on from Sapiens and it's supposed to be a really good read as well. Right, listeners as ever, if you want to win a copy of Ken and Bernard's book, retweet this episode announcement with the words, I want the Vax books and you will be put into a prize drawer to win them. And also, do go and watch Silent Witness, Paul's recommendation, because it is blooming brilliant. I love it. Thank you all so much for coming on to join me today. I've really appreciated it. It's been a fascinating kind of deep dive into the Visitor Attractions Conference. I genuinely love this conference. It is one absolutely not to be missed. Kelly Molson: I mean, there might be a speaker called Kelly at this one. This is so I'll be there. Come and see me too. But no, thank you. It's been wonderful. As I said, we will put all of the info in the show notes. We'll put all of the connections to Paul, Ken and Bernard too. So if you've got any follow up questions that you want to ask them, I'm sure they'd be really happy to help. But it's vapevents.com. Go and grab your ticket now. Thank you, guys. Ken Robinson: And I have to tell you, Kelly, we are going to spend our time at our next committee meeting thinking of impossible questions for you for when you're speaking at VAC.Kelly Molson: Oh, God. Do it. I love impossible questions. Put me on the spot, Ken. I'll enjoy it. Kelly Molson: Thanks for listening to Skip the Queue. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review. It really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on Twitter for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. You can find show notes and transcriptions from this episode and more over on our website, rubbercheese.com/podcast. 

In this extraordinary episode, we bring together two intellectual giants for a captivating conversation that will ignite your curiosity and challenge your perspective on the world. Best-selling author and historian Yuval Noah Harari sat down with AI expert Lex Fridman as they took a deep dive into the realms of human history, technology, and the future.

Chapter 1 What's the Book Homo Deus"Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" is a book written by Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli historian and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Published in 2015, it is a sequel to his previous book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind." In "Homo Deus," Harari explores the future of humanity and speculates on the direction our species may take in the 21st century and beyond. He discusses various advancements in science, technology, and human ability, such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and immortality. Harari examines the potential consequences of these developments for society, religion, economics, and politics. The book raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of consciousness, free will, and the role of humans in a world where algorithms and machines play increasingly important roles. Harari presents different scenarios for the future of Homo sapiens and invites readers to contemplate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Overall, "Homo Deus" delves into the possibilities and ethical implications of technological progress, offering insights into how our species might evolve and what it means to be human in an ever-changing world.Chapter 2 Why is Homo Deus Worth ReadAccording to reddit comments on Homo Deus, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari is worth reading for several reasons: 1. Thought-provoking exploration: The book provides a compelling analysis of the future of humanity and challenges readers to think deeply about the direction our species is heading. Harari delves into topics such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and the potential for immortality, forcing us to consider the ethical, social, and philosophical implications of these advancements. 2. Broad perspective: Harari takes a broad view of history and combines it with a deep understanding of technology and human nature. He connects various historical events and trends to create a comprehensive narrative of how we arrived at the present moment and what the future may hold. This wide-ranging approach helps readers gain a better understanding of our current global challenges. 3. Engaging writing style: Harari's writing style is clear, accessible, and engaging. He presents complex ideas in a way that makes them easy to comprehend, even for those who are not experts in the subject matter. His thought-provoking arguments and vivid storytelling make the book a captivating read. 4. Relevance to contemporary issues: Homo Deus addresses many pressing issues of our time, such as the impact of technology on society, the rise of dataism, and the potential consequences of heightened human control over our own biology. By examining these issues through a historical lens, Harari encourages readers to reflect on the choices we are making today and the potential consequences they may have for our future. 5. Stimulating discussions: Reading Homo Deus can spark intellectual conversations and debates among friends, colleagues, or in book clubs. The book raises profound questions about the nature of consciousness, free will, and the meaning of life. It offers insights that challenge conventional wisdom and invites readers to contemplate alternative perspectives. In summary, Homo Deus is worth reading because

Recent episodes of the riveting podcast "Hidden Killers" delved deep into the mysterious case of Brian Kohberger. Host Tony Brueski, in an engaging conversation with retired FBI Special Agent and Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, Robin Dreeke, shared intriguing insights into Kohberger's psyche and the broader implications for society's approach to mental health.    The former FBI specialist began by highlighting the profound influence of one's upbringing on shaping their life trajectory. He stated, "Our genetics and biology give us what we're born with and then our upbringing, our nurture part takes over." Dreeke recalled writings from Kohberger's teenage years which vividly portrayed his emotional turmoil. "You could hear the pain in his voice," Dreeke observed. The former agent continued, “You could hear how disjointed he was. And you could hear that this is the making of someone that if he doesn't get immediate help, he is going down the path of severe psychopathy, most likely."    Brueski delved deeper into Kohberger's background, revealing how he was expelled from high school following complaints from female students. Such information fits seamlessly with the behavior pattern constructed from Kohberger's youth, further emphasizing the necessity of addressing signs of severe psychopathy early.    The discussion took a broader turn when Brueski questioned the challenges parents face in the United States, particularly when they suspect their child might suffer from an innate mental condition. The reluctance of many to confront this reality can, according to Brueski, lead to cases where children are shuffled between classes without truly addressing the root problem.    Dreeke expressed profound empathy for parents grappling with such challenges. Discussing Kohberger's family, he said, "From the optic that we've seen, when you do the thought experiment and you look at a troubled teen that appears, you know, the parents were involved in trying to do things." Drawing attention to Kohberger's father's attempt to help him socialize by asking neighbors to engage with his son, Brueski highlighted the parents' awareness of their son's struggles. However, he also raised concerns about the limited resources and guidance available to parents in such situations.    Furthermore, the conversation touched upon the broader issue of mental health in the country. "Mental health still remains the problem," remarked Brueski, who noted the challenges of both recognizing potential mental health issues and effectively preventing them.    Brueski referenced a thought-provoking book, "Homo Deus," which delves into the future evolution of our species, particularly the quest to conquer death and discover happiness. He stated, "And part of that is going to have to overcome these mental health challenges. We're gonna have to really focus hard on our brain and how to make it healthy for everyone."    However, with the proliferation of true crime stories and discussions across media, the duo also questioned the potential ramifications for the justice system. Can the inundation of such content taint a jury pool or interfere with a fair trial? Dreeke believes it's a double-edged sword, acknowledging that while early portrayals in series like CSI may have skewed public perceptions, unscripted discussions in shows like "Hidden Killers" might restore balance.    This episode of "Hidden Killers" masterfully interweaves the individual case of Brian Kohberger with the broader societal challenges tied to mental health, parenting, and media's influence, providing listeners with both gripping details and thought-provoking insights. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Recent episodes of the riveting podcast "Hidden Killers" delved deep into the mysterious case of Brian Kohberger. Host Tony Brueski, in an engaging conversation with retired FBI Special Agent and Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, Robin Dreeke, shared intriguing insights into Kohberger's psyche and the broader implications for society's approach to mental health.    The former FBI specialist began by highlighting the profound influence of one's upbringing on shaping their life trajectory. He stated, "Our genetics and biology give us what we're born with and then our upbringing, our nurture part takes over." Dreeke recalled writings from Kohberger's teenage years which vividly portrayed his emotional turmoil. "You could hear the pain in his voice," Dreeke observed. The former agent continued, “You could hear how disjointed he was. And you could hear that this is the making of someone that if he doesn't get immediate help, he is going down the path of severe psychopathy, most likely."    Brueski delved deeper into Kohberger's background, revealing how he was expelled from high school following complaints from female students. Such information fits seamlessly with the behavior pattern constructed from Kohberger's youth, further emphasizing the necessity of addressing signs of severe psychopathy early.    The discussion took a broader turn when Brueski questioned the challenges parents face in the United States, particularly when they suspect their child might suffer from an innate mental condition. The reluctance of many to confront this reality can, according to Brueski, lead to cases where children are shuffled between classes without truly addressing the root problem.    Dreeke expressed profound empathy for parents grappling with such challenges. Discussing Kohberger's family, he said, "From the optic that we've seen, when you do the thought experiment and you look at a troubled teen that appears, you know, the parents were involved in trying to do things." Drawing attention to Kohberger's father's attempt to help him socialize by asking neighbors to engage with his son, Brueski highlighted the parents' awareness of their son's struggles. However, he also raised concerns about the limited resources and guidance available to parents in such situations.    Furthermore, the conversation touched upon the broader issue of mental health in the country. "Mental health still remains the problem," remarked Brueski, who noted the challenges of both recognizing potential mental health issues and effectively preventing them.    Brueski referenced a thought-provoking book, "Homo Deus," which delves into the future evolution of our species, particularly the quest to conquer death and discover happiness. He stated, "And part of that is going to have to overcome these mental health challenges. We're gonna have to really focus hard on our brain and how to make it healthy for everyone."    However, with the proliferation of true crime stories and discussions across media, the duo also questioned the potential ramifications for the justice system. Can the inundation of such content taint a jury pool or interfere with a fair trial? Dreeke believes it's a double-edged sword, acknowledging that while early portrayals in series like CSI may have skewed public perceptions, unscripted discussions in shows like "Hidden Killers" might restore balance.    This episode of "Hidden Killers" masterfully interweaves the individual case of Brian Kohberger with the broader societal challenges tied to mental health, parenting, and media's influence, providing listeners with both gripping details and thought-provoking insights. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

"Priorities are determined by the relative strengths of your needs in relation to the range of opportunities afforded by your current circumstances." - Mark Solms. In his book, "Homo Deus", Yuval Noah Harari explains that lawns offered no practical value - they weren't used for grazing animals or growing food. The size and neatness of the lawn became an undeniable symbol of status, a peacock display of wealth that couldn't be imitated. Devoting precious land or time to a lawn was unthinkable for peasants. For them, a 'lawn', if they had any, was not for relaxation but for survival, used to grow food. This historical nugget came to mind recently as I spoke to Neuropsychologist and author of 'The Hidden Spring', Mark Solms. Mark explains that needs and actions are interconnected and must be prioritized based on urgency. For example, we become aware of the need to go to the bathroom when it becomes urgent, a concept referred to as "latchkey urgency". This concept of prioritising needs also applies to organisations, which must determine critical needs based on their current circumstances. For example, I briefly worked as head of Innovation in a large bureaucratic organisation. I should have done my homework on the organisation and presumed we could foster a culture of innovation. However, I soon realised the reality of this week's Thursday Thought. You must also prioritise in an organisation. You cannot paint #innovation over the rust of a toxic culture. You must first tend to the "cultural lawn" before adding the innovative decor. This is even more pronounced if an organisation is fighting for survival. In "Organisational Fight or Flight Mode", businesses tend to double down on what we already know and become resistant to anything new. Research from former Innovation Show guest Bruce Lipton provides an interesting parallel. His work shows that cells switch between 'protection and' growth modes' based on the surrounding environment and signals from the environment, body, and brain. When a cell perceives a threatening environment, it focuses on protection, thus preventing growth. Conversely, the cell thrives in a non-threatening environment, promoting growth. The same can be applied to humans and their work environments. In a psychological climate of fear, people are less likely to take creative risks or invest in long-term planning. However, when the environment is supportive and non-threatening, individuals are more likely to thrive, plan, and grow. This is where the privilege of having a 'private lawn' comes into play. The 'private lawn' is the ability to have the time and space to plan, think and grow. For some of us, daily survival consumes all our time and energy, leaving no room for strategic thinking or planning. As business leaders, creating an environment where everyone can access their 'private lawn' - a space for growth, planning, and forward-thinking is crucial. However, we must also plan by priority.

Are you in a funk? Do you feel lost in life? This is for you. In this episode of The Modern Man, I welcome Alfi Oloo, a product designer by day and mentor/advocate for revised learning at night. Listen in as we dive deep into what to do if you're in a funk, how to unlock your potential and find fulfillment, and the power of leaning into personal development. Alfi sheds light on how to grow your curiosity and find out what you're passionate about. He breaks down how dialogue and listening is the key to solving problems, developing into a respectable man, and advancing in life. Alfi then shares powerful advice for young men who are seeking greater purpose and direction, either in their careers or just in their personal lives. He also details why mentorship is a double-edged sword, one that can either help or hinder you. “We've gone all the way from weapons and war to a conversation. Why do we rely on conversations? Because they are the things that most reliably improve us for the better.” – Alfi Oloo Your potential is immense and it's already within you. Mentorship and human connection is what will bring it to the surface and enable you to see it, feel it, and act on it. Key Takeaways / What You'll Learn: [00:53] About Alfi Oloo. [02:40] How mentorship can help you get unstuck and level up in life. [05:22] Why and how Alfi became a product designer. [11:56] Your curiosity blossoms once you take learning into your own hands. [16:56] We Need to Talk: The value of dialogue in solving problems and advancing society. [27:07] We Need to Listen: Why it's crucial for us to listen to opposite perspectives. [35:58] How respectful disagreement and being proven wrong makes us grow. [41:18] Advice for young men who are trying to unlock their potential and find fulfillment in life. [44:27] How to connect with Alfi. [45:49] As a man, what has shaped your view of the world? If you enjoyed this episode, please SHARE it with a friend, then RATE/REVIEW The Modern Man on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Resources Mentioned: Join The Noble Knights: https://themodernman.gumroad.com/l/NobleKnights Sapiens and Homo Deus by Yaval Noah Havari: https://bit.ly/3D4Vn0M  The Long Walk of Freedom by Nelson Mandela: https://bit.ly/44rBrko  Letters to the Sons of Society by Shaka Senghor: https://bit.ly/3pHG2jt  How to Speak How to Listen by Mortimer J. Adler: https://bit.ly/3puEVnm  Connect with Alfi: Visit his website: https://www.alfioloo.com  Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alfi.oloo  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alphonseo Subscribe to his Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChX2cFELmADJkK4051tU75A  Connect with The Modern Man: Visit our website: https://themodernmanshow.com  Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/244885633101820  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheModernMan8  Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_modernman_show  Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnyA3-wtyv7xVqUbPyB0eOg 

Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, and Unstoppable Us. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: - MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lex to get 15% off - Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex to get special savings - ExpressVPN: https://expressvpn.com/lexpod to get 3 months free - InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off - AG1: https://drinkag1.com/lex to get 1 month supply of fish oil Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/yuval-noah-harari-transcript EPISODE LINKS: Yuval's Twitter: https://twitter.com/harari_yuval Yuval's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yuval_noah_harari Yuval's Website: https://www.ynharari.com Sapiens (book): https://amzn.to/3NQB9wt Homo Deus (book): https://amzn.to/44MzwXu 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (book): https://amzn.to/3Dfkz4D Unstoppable Us (book): https://amzn.to/3NYyBg5 PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips SUPPORT & CONNECT: - Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast - Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman - Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman - Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman OUTLINE: Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time. (00:00) - Introduction (08:36) - Intelligence (27:31) - Origin of humans (37:53) - Suffering (58:35) - Hitler (1:17:07) - Benjamin Netanyahu (1:35:30) - Peace in Ukraine (1:52:20) - Conspiracy theories (2:06:59) - AI safety (2:21:16) - How to think (2:31:00) - Advice for young people (2:33:41) - Love (2:43:50) - Mortality (2:48:14) - Meaning of life

Yuval Noah Harari es considerado como uno de los pensadores más influyentes y reconocidos del siglo XXI por su capacidad para articular conceptos complejos y abordar con naturalidad temas trascendentales, convirtiéndose en uno de los intelectuales más destacados de nuestra era. Su enfoque único, que combina la historia, la filosofía y la ética con la investigación científica, se refleja en una prosa cautivadora que desafía las narrativas tradicionales y plantea preguntas profundas sobre la naturaleza humana, la evolución y el futuro de nuestra especie. Harari ha sido objeto de debates intelectuales en todo el mundo provocando replanteamientos significativos en nuestra sociedad. Para el historiador es decisivo seguir formándose y adaptándose a los cambios porque la única certeza respecto al futuro es que va a haber cada vez más cambios, más grandes y más rápido: “La aptitud más importante es tener la mente abierta y ser capaz de reinventarse una y otra vez a lo largo de la vida. La clave para adaptarse al nuevo mundo es olvidar lo que crees que sabes y decir ‘no lo sé”. Con una sonrisa “realista” nos recuerda la importancia de la reflexión existencial en nuestra vida cotidiana, donde el tiempo se percibe cada vez como algo más escaso y valioso, y es fundamental que nos tomemos ese tiempo para ser conscientes de las consecuencias de nuestras acciones y decisiones, tanto a nivel individual como colectivo. Un gesto que reconoce tanto nuestro poder como seres humanos para tomar decisiones y actuar, como nuestra responsabilidad de hacerlo de manera ética teniendo en cuenta la cooperación como parte crucial de este cambio. Será solo a través de la cooperación y del trabajo en equipo cuando podremos superar las divisiones y conflictos que nos separan y avanzar hacia un futuro más inclusivo y sostenible para todos: “Nosotros hicimos del mundo lo que es y por lo tanto podemos cambiarlo si cambiamos la historia y cooperamos. Nos enfrentamos a grandes desafíos pero aún tenemos mucho poder para hacerles frente y es nuestra responsabilidad impedir que hagamos estupideces. Hay que ser realista y hacer algo al respecto”. Aclamado con numerosos premios y reconocimientos por sus valores en las charlas y clases como profesor, así como por su trabajo como historiador y escritor incluido el Premio Polonsky a la Creatividad y la Originalidad en el Campo de las Humanidades (2012) y el Premio Internacional de la Paz de Cataluña (2019). Harari combina su interés por la historia con una apertura mental para comprender la complejidad de la condición humana y explorar el misterio de nuestra existencia. Su trilogía ‘Sapiens', ‘Homo Deus' y ‘21 lecciones del S.XXI', así como su último libro para jóvenes, ‘Imparables', tienen un impacto significativo en el campo de la historia y el pensamiento humano, y siguen presentes entre los libros más vendidos del mundo.

Michael Morrissey: HomoDeus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Michael Morrissey is the Founder of Bookflow, a Global Transformational Community devoted to collective personal development. Books at the intersection of Science, Technology & Spirituality are the armature to expand member's collective creativity  - with the outcome of shaping a Web3 Future. The group creates deep communities around thought leadership then activates those communities to scale innovation and business. Welcome to the Conscious Millionaire Show for entrepreneurs, who want to achieve high sales and positively impact humanity! Join host, JV Crum III, as he goes inside the minds of conscious guests such as Millionaire Entrepreneurs and World-Class Business Experts. Like this Podcast? Get every episode delivered to you free!  Subscribe in iTunes Download Your Free Money-Making Gift Now... "Born to Make Millions" Hypnotic Audio - Click Here Now! Please help spread the word. Subscribing and leaving a review helps others find our podcast. Thanks so much! Inc Magazine "Top 13 Business Podcasts." Conscious Millionaire Network has over 3,800 episodes that have been heard by over 100 million in 190 countries.

Michael Morrissey: HomoDeus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Michael Morrissey is the Founder of Bookflow, a Global Transformational Community devoted to collective personal development. Books at the intersection of Science, Technology & Spirituality are the armature to expand member's collective creativity  - with the outcome of shaping a Web3 Future. The group creates deep communities around thought leadership then activates those communities to scale innovation and business. Welcome to the Conscious Millionaire Show for entrepreneurs, who want to achieve high sales and positively impact humanity! Join host, JV Crum III, as he goes inside the minds of conscious guests such as Millionaire Entrepreneurs and World-Class Business Experts. Like this Podcast? Get every episode delivered to you free!  Subscribe in iTunes Download Your Free Money-Making Gift Now... "Born to Make Millions" Hypnotic Audio - Click Here Now! Please help spread the word. Subscribing and leaving a review helps others find our podcast. Thanks so much! Inc Magazine "Top 13 Business Podcasts." Conscious Millionaire Network has over 3,800 episodes that have been heard by over 100 million in 190 countries.

A little bit of everything on this weeks episode. Peter is left disappointed by a recent read, and Matt talks about C.S. Lewis. For the main bulk of the episode, we give our updated thoughts on "Homo Deus." Finally, we come up with prop bets and talk through predictions for our upcoming thriller book club. Thanks for listening, and enjoy! Contact Us: Instagram @therewillbbooks Twitter @therewillbbooks Email willbebooks@gmail.com Goodreads: Therewillbebooks ko-fi.com/therewillbbooks patreon.com/therewillbbooks

Here are the top 7 books I read that changed my life and gave me a massive leg up on my peers that will do the same for you.1. Socrates Meets Jesus https://amzn.to/3XyQt5e2. Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, Wear Cows https://amzn.to/42Zq3ec3. How To Be A 3% Man https://amzn.to/46wxMDF4. Sapiens https://amzn.to/443TeOF5. Homo Deus https://amzn.to/443TbCt6. The 48 Laws of Power https://amzn.to/3CZptSZ7. Awaken The Giant Within https://amzn.to/3pq0KV1Instagram @bruce_dasilvaFor more content and ALL things Zeus With Bruce, go to https://zeuswithbruce.com/ and get in touch! Would love to hear your thoughts on this and other episodes! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

AI and Genetic Manipulation Show NotesSummary: We know that the capabilities of AI, Artificial Intelligence, are increasing at an exponential rate today. Many outspoken voices are sounding the warning that AI is on track to grow out of control and cause an extinction event of humanity. Others, like our friend Timothy Alberino, predict AI will cause homo sapiens to become obsolete, making it necessary for humans to alter their DNA to become Human 2.0 in order to stay competitive in society. Is it possible that by combining AI with genetics, or biometrics, we are setting the stage for what Paul calls the “strong delusion” that God will send on the Christ-rejecting world?This Episode is brought to you by: Our Premium Subscribers or “Seekers” John O., Nancy C., Marty R., Bridgette L., and Gretchen K.Links to sources:Possible End of Humanity from AI? Geoffrey Hinton at MIT Technology Review's EmTech Digital - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sitHS6UDMJc&t=644sThe AI Dilemma - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoVJKj8lcNQ&t=29sGoogle co-founder Larry Page: “He wanted to create "digital superintelligence, basically digital god…” - Elon Musk: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tucker-carlson-friend-larry-page-refuses-talk-openai-2023-4?op=1Humans Are on Track to Achieve Immortality in 7 Years, Futurist Says (Ray Kurzweil, March 13, 2023) - https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a43297321/humans-will-achieve-immortality-by-2030/Cogito received funding from DARPA, among other investors, to develop an artificial intelligence platform and behavioral models to interpret human communication and detect psychological states automatically.https://cogitocorp.com/about/Note: Cogito is Latin for I think, part of the famous phrase, Cogito ergo sum - “I think, therefore I am.”Pause AI Development: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/03/petition-to-pause-all-major-ai-developments-circulates-the-internet-elon-musk-and-other-notable-tech-figures-sign-on/Yuval Noah Harari: professor in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuval_Noah_HarariYuval Noah Harari on the Rise of Homo Deus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ1yS9JIJKs&t=427sAI and the future of humanity | Yuval Noah Harari at the Frontiers Forum - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWiM-LuRe6wScriptures:All Scripture references are from the King James Version of the BibleDaniel 12:1, 4, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, Revelation 14:9-11, Genesis 3:1-5, 1 John 5:9-11, Acts 4:12, Genesis 3:22-24, 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Revelation 13:11-17, Revelation 9:1-7, Revelation 16:1-2, Revelation 6:12-17, Revelation 13:4-8, Revelation 19:19-21, Daniel 7:23-28Takeaway:At Bible Mysteries Podcast we believe we are living in the last days. This current global empire is likely going to emerge as the Fourth Kingdom or Revised Roman Empire of the Beast. Ten satanic global leaders are poised to take control of the entire world and give their power to the Beast. It would appear that AI and genetic manipulation are somehow going to play a part in this deception, but this satanic kingdom will be destroyed by the Lord from heaven. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!Visit our Websites: https://biblemysteriespodcast.com & https://utbnow.comListen to our Podcast: https://biblemysteriespodcast.comBe a Premium Podcast Subscriber: https://biblemysteries.supercast.comSupport the Ministry: https://secure.subsplash.com/ui/access/BDJH89Contact Us: unlockthebiblenow@gmail.comFollow Us: https://www.youtube.com/c/BibleMysteriesFollow Us: https://www.facebook.com/utbnowFollow Us:...

Yuval Noah Harari (@harari_yuval) is a historian and the bestselling author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. His latest book, Unstoppable Us, Volume 1: How Humans Took Over the World, is out now. What We Discuss with Yuval Noah Harari: At a time when information is unlimited, has the idea that "knowledge is power" become obsolete? It all depends on how careful we are about ingesting the right kind of information — and knowing which kind to avoid. Religious texts and nation-defining constitutions are only as useful as their human interpretations — which can shift radically over the course of generations. In what ways might technology like artificial intelligence and genetic engineering threaten a humanist-centered approach to the future? How algorithms that guess new ways to sell us things we don't need can be modified to put us on the hit lists of authoritarian governments. What humanity really needs to do in order to avert climate crisis and World War III. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/848 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

Hello everyone!!It is time for rage and anger.This episode Frank and Leon, joined by Justin from LibraryPunk, dive into the extremely popular Yuval Noah Harari, to talk about his second very popular book: "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" from 2015.We dig into this self-absorbed narrative and argument that, while trying to retell most or all human history, can never escape capitalism. Even worse, one that can only see history via lenses of technological progress and development. We bring out the true technofascist nature of Harari's views and book, while sharing the pain of having read terrible historical work and even worse speculation, peddled as absolute certain prophecy.(We should note, all the prophecies have already been proved as unreal or untrue)As thanks and appreciation, check out Justin over on Library Punk!https://www.librarypunk.gayPlease support our Patreon if you're interested and want access to early content and the bonus Reading Corners! https://www.patreon.com/leftpage Intro Music: Gymnopédie Nº1, Erik Satie, 1888Outro Music: Downtime, Vistas, Miracle of Sound, 2014 -> Check out his Bandcamp! https://miracleofsound.bandcamp.com/And here are our several recommendations for this episode!Colin Garvey's Review of Homo Deus for ICONJanelle Shane's "You Look Like a Thing and I love You" book about AIIf Books Could Kill PodcastVideo Games Are The Worst Thing On Earth on MovieBob Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, Alex Newman was the featured speaker at a VCY America rally in southeast Wisconsin. Alex is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He's senior editor for The New American and contributes to other publications as well. He is author of Crimes of the Educators and Deep State- The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes. He is Founder of Liberty Sentinel.--In part 2 of this presentation by Alex, he discussed people like Yuval Harari -the author of the book Homo Deus- and others who believe we are acquiring divine powers and will become like God. --The Hebrews often times worshiped the things that they made and from what Alex explained, apparently things haven't changed much because the architects of the Great Reset seem to worship their creation of artificial intelligence which they hope will help get us to that point of being like God.--President Biden is quoted on food shortages and how they are on the way. No need to worry because the World Economic Forum has a solution. They want you to eat the food of the future-bugs---Alex then moved along to touch on the following---The move toward an in-between stage of world government known as regionalization.-Audio from Henry Kissinger who openly admitted to what he believed was the need for a New World Order.-In the memoirs of David Rockefeller he said that some see him and his family as conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global, political and economic structure. He admitted that if this is the charge, he stands guilty and is proud of it.--What does God think about all of this--

"One of the first things that happens when a culture loses the larger story of God is that there is only one story left—mine." A loss of our identity as Children of God, means that other identities rise in society's values. We become more prideful. Instead of us being in God's image, we make God in our image. Website - www.cwicmedia.com 

“Opponents replied that when you modeled a hurricane, nobody got wet. When you modeled a fusion power plant, no energy was produced. When you modeled digestion and metabolism, no nutrients were consumed – no real digestion took place. So, when you modeled the human brain, why should you expect real thought to occur?” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, we're talking all things consciousness and simulated reality with Permutation City by Greg Egan. Classified as a hard science fiction novel, the book tells the story of a man who seeks to create immortality by creating "software" copies of the mind. We cover a wide range of topics including: The complex nature of consciousness Egan's "Dust Theory" What it's like to live in a simulation Ethics surrounding death and dying The possibilities that come with computer intelligence And much more. Please enjoy, and make sure to follow Nat, Neil, and Adil on Twitter and share your thoughts on the episode. Links from the Episode: Mentioned in the Show: The Dust Theory (3:51) Biocentrism (7:37) Black Mirror - San Junipero (30:48) Turing test (35:52) Her (39:08) Building a Second Brain (1:07:05) The Expanse (1:08:08) ChatGPT Epilogue to Permutation City Books Mentioned: Godel Escher Bach (0:42) (Nat's Book Notes) The Three-Body Problem (0:58) (Nat's Book Notes) The Beginning of Infinity (16:42) (Nat's Book Notes) The Egg (19:27) The Fable of the Dragon Tyrant (24:26) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (26:58) Where Is my Flying Car? (27:13)  The Comfort Crisis (30:20)  Homo Deus (44:41) (Nat's Book Notes) Altered Carbon (53:41) The Lessons of History (1:02:26) People Mentioned: Greg Egan (3:54) Arthur Clarke (16:39) Issac Asimov (16:40) Andy Weir (19:28) Liu Cixin (1:04:31) Show Topics: (0:00) If you're a science fiction lover, this week's episode is for you! We're discussing Permutation City, a 'hard science fiction' book from 1994. This book explores many concepts including The Dust Theory and achieving immortality through copying your consciousness. (4:24) Intro to Dust Theory. There are infinitely many universes existing at all space and time. As soon as a universe is perceived by a conscious intelligence, that universe comes to exist, and that universe will always continue to exist as long as there is consciousness to observe it. (8:11) Are we in a simulation? We learn in response to stimuli which is also how LLMs (large language models) learn too. (13:12) Nat, Neil, and Adil define consciousness, discuss the idea of transporting consciousness, and how we differ from LLMs. We have a private and inner mind that generates its own thoughts and feelings. We can't be certain whether computers have this or not. (22:01) There's an 'engine' in our heads that is focused on our survival and continuation. (23:21) Ethics surrounding death. One can argue that life is short, but when you've lived for thousands of years through copying your consciousness, it becomes a question of when it's enough. (28:39) If we could somehow prevent bodily decay and the death of our loved ones, would we ever be ready to die, and is aging something that we can slow down or affect?  (33:43) In the book, from the perspective of the humans, the copies are just programs who look intelligent, but they aren't real. From the perspective of the copies, it's all very real. (41:31) Time dilation and running consciousness slower for the copies. The slowdown doesn't necessarily affect the copy. The time perception is still the same to them, but it may affect how they interact with the real world. (46:08) There's a baseline risk for being alive. You can try to get all of your life risks to zero, but it is best to accept that there will always be some general risk. (51:49) Collaboration in publishing. While most books have a single author, it may add some dimension to get expertise from guest authors with knowledge in different fields. (54:50) What did Greg Egan regret most about Permutation City?  (1:02:11) That concludes this episode! Stay tuned for our next episode on History of the Peloponnesian War. Also on the horizon is The Three-Body Problem. Make sure to pick up a copy if you'd like to read up before the episode. As mentioned, check out this awesome epilogue created by ChatGPT! If you enjoyed this episode, let us know by leaving a review on iTunes and tell a friend. As always, let us know if you have any book recommendations! You can say hi to us on Twitter @TheRealNeilS, @adilmajid, @nateliason and share your thoughts on this episode. You can now support Made You Think using the Value-for-Value feature of Podcasting 2.0. This means you can directly tip the co-hosts in BTC with minimal transaction fees. To get started, simply download a podcast app (like Fountain or Breez) that supports Value-for-Value and send some BTC to your in-app wallet. You can then use that to support shows who have opted-in, including Made You Think! We'll be going with this direct support model moving forward, rather than ads. Thanks for listening. See you next time!

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to discuss how to navigate the dangers of presentism and primitivism as we start a series on the forgotten women of the Bible.Presentation for The Forgotten Women — Presentism and Primitivism (PDF)Sapiens by Yuval Noah HarariHomo Deus by Yuval Noah HarariBEMA 240: Sin and the Archaeology of Joshua w/ Elle Grover FricksLevant — WikipediaThe Red Tent by Anita DiamantBEMA 308: The Chosen S2E9 — “The Messengers”BEMA 310: The Nativity StoryBEMA 297: Kat Armas — Abuelita Faith

Liberty Dispatch ~ February 16, 2023 Today on the Liberty Dispatch, Andrew and Matty examine the push toward the 4th Industrial Technocratic Revolution. A revolution that not only seeks to change economics and currency, human identification and social credit but seeks to usher in a new epoch in human evolution. You're not going to want to miss this one. [Segment 1] - Canadas Coming Cashless Society (10:10-25:08): Cashless Grocery Stores in Canada: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/cashless-grocery-stores;Cashless Society Survey: https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/Report%20Cashless%20EN%20.pdf;Bank of Canada CDBC: https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2019/04/the-road-to-digital-money;Bank of Canada Digital Currency, Fintech, and CBDC: https://www.bankofcanada.ca/research/digital-currencies-and-fintech/projects/central-bank-digital-currency; [Segment 2] - Digital ID Programs Underway in Canada (26:00-55:30): Ontario Digital ID: https://www.ontario.ca/page/digital-id-ontario;WEF's Digital ID Strategy: https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Digital_Identity_Strategic_Imperative.pdf;Brazilian President Links Vax Pass to Government Aid: https://www.riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/modern-day-censorship/lula-says-that-parents-will-be-forced-to-vaccinate-their-children-to-keep-the-bolsa-familia-program; [Segment 3] - WEF Forwards Transhumanism as a Part of the 4th-Industrial Revolution (58:18-END): WEF Pushes Brain Monitoring/Transparency: https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/cashless-grocery-stores;Canada Exploring Bio-Digital Convergence: https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/sites/agri-food/Report%20Cashless%20EN%20.pdf;Emerging Bio-technology | Health Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/science-research/emerging-technology/biotechnology/role/canada-biotechnology-strategy.html. Resources on The 4th Industrial Revolution | World Economic Forum: 4th Industrial Revolution by Klaus Schwab: https://www.weforum.org/about/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-by-klaus-schwab;What the 4th Industrial Revolution means: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/;Everything You Need to Know About the 4th-Industrial Revolution | CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/16/fourth-industrial-revolution-explained-davos-2019.html;WEF Contributor Yuval Noah Harari's Books on Trans/Posthumanism: Sapiens:: https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens-2/; Homo Deus: https://www.ynharari.com/book/homo-deus/. Support Josh's Stand and Help Us Defend His Liberties! Sign Our Petition Here: https://libertycoalitioncanada.com/i-stand-with-josh-alexander/ SHOW SPONSORS:Join Red Balloon Today!: https://www.redballoon.work/lcc;Invest with Rocklinc: info@rocklinc.com or call them at 905-631-546;Get Your Coffee Fix, Order from Resistance Coffee Today!: https://resistancecoffee.com/lcc;Diversify Your Money with Bull Bitcoin: https://mission.bullbitcoin.com/lcc Sick of Mainstream Media Lies? Help Support Independent Media! DONATE TO LCC TODAY!: https://libertycoalitioncanada.com/donate/ Please Support us in bringing you real, truthful reporting and analysis from a Christian perspective. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR SHOWS/CHANNELS:LIBERTY DISPATCH PODCAST: https://libertydispatch.podbean.com; https://rumble.com/c/c-1687093; OPEN MIKE WITH MICHAEL THIESSEN: https://openmikewithmichaelthiessen.podbean.com; https://rumble.com/c/c-1412501; THE LIBERTY LOUNGE WITH TIM TYSOE: https://rumble.com/c/c-1639185.CONTACT US:Questions/comments about podcasts/news/analysis: mailbag@libertycoalitioncanada.com;Questions/comments about donations: give@libertycoalitioncanada.com; Questions/comments that are church-related: churches@libertycoalitioncanada.com;General Inquiries: info@libertycoalitioncanada.com. STAY UP-TO-DATE ON ALL THINGS LCC:Gab: https://gab.com/libertycoalitioncanada Telegram: https://t.me/libertycoalitioncanadanews Instagram: https://instagram.com/libertycoalitioncanada Facebook: https://facebook.com/LibertyCoalitionCanada Twitter: @LibertyCCanada - https://twitter.com/LibertyCCanada Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/LibertyCoalitionCanada YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@liberty4canada Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEW and SHARE it with others!

Rod and Kale record a conversation about the prophetic vision of Lewis' That Hideous Strength as a way into the notion of the Experience Machine, and the allure of the blue-pill versus the red-pill. See the links below for all the titles they discuss.   Connecting Lewis with Iain McGhilchrist, they jump off into a discussion about Left Hemispheric bias and the turn towards madness in modernity.   The stakes are high; no higher than humanity and the forces that would blithely take us into the post-human.   Topics (in order) with links (affiliated):   - That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis: https://amzn.to/3kjKKRk - The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist: https://amzn.to/3XG0yMB - The Matter With Things by Iain McGilchrist: https://amzn.to/3kv0LEf - Hartmut Rosa on Resonance: https://amzn.to/3J1pBpE - Rod on the Experience Machine: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/robert-nozicks-experience-machine/ - Rod on Young Christian and Eager to Escape: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/young-christian-and-eager-to-escape/  - Churchill: "we build our buildings, and they in turn build us" - Homo Deus and the prophets of post-humanity - the idea of embodied reality in Crawford's Soulcraft book: https://amzn.to/3ZQupUw - The World Beyond Your Head: https://amzn.to/3XpImHm - The Disintegration Machine vs. the Experience Machine - Hierophany at Chartres - Paul Connerton's How Societies Remember: https://amzn.to/3ku3o9m - Is our "holy story" really profane?  

In this special episode of People I (Mostly) Admire, Steve Levitt talks to the best-selling author of Sapiens and Homo Deus about finding the profound in the obvious.

Yuval Noah Harari is a historian and philosopher whose books — "Sapiens," "Homo Deus," "21 Lessons for the 21st Century," and most recently "Unstoppable Us: How Humans Took Over the World" — have sold more than 40 million copies. He joins Rufus for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, life in the Stone Age, the future of democracy, and the threat of AI. --- If you enjoy this episode, check out our interviews with David Wengrow, Jennifer Raff, Christopher Ryan, Ray Dalio, and Jane McGonigal. You can listen to them ad-free by downloading The Next Big Idea app.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/impacttheory and get on your way to being your best self. Sign up today at butcherbox.com/IMPACT and use code IMPACT to get FREE RIBEYES for a Year plus $10 off.INVEST IN YOURSELF NOW: https://bit.ly/3WUKBThFREE LIVE WORKSHOP HOW TO MAKE ANY GOAL STICK, REGISTER NOW: https://bit.ly/3X5xHlEOn Today's Episode:What in the crypto is actually going on? In the middle of the financial crisis we're experiencing, people are acting out of desperation, and emotions are possibly leading the charge. Raoul Pal is back to help us understand what is the current state of crypto, why FTX has been using customer money and more importantly, why is this not as unusual as you may think. Raoul's insights as a macro investor, former hedge fund manager that retired at 36, and co-founder of Real Vision, a financial media company, takes us to a high level view to string together how world history and demographics have brought us to this point.The key takeaway here for you is that, “the game of money is a game of psychology.” Tom Bilyeu Once you understand that this is a game, we need to know the players, the rules. The ultimate indicator of how you play this game, as Raoul explains it, is the future version of yourself and what that version wants. It indicates your debts, your risk tolerance, and what your next financial move will be following this interview.Whatever you do, do so from a place of minimizing your emotional response and play the game well.Mentioned in this episode:Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Hariri: https://www.amazon.com/Homo-Deus-Brief-History-Tomorrow/dp/0062464310 SHOW NOTES:0:00 | What In The Crypto Is Going On?14:02 | The Emotional Cycle of Money23:46 | Inflation Vs. Debasing Currency36:37 | Why Velocity of Money Is Slow46:54 | Do We Need Central Banks?56:34 | Future Economies with Tech 1:16:42 | Can Debt Stimulus Solve This?QUOTES:“Leverage and crypto, don't go together.” [1:57]“Investments are just a manifestation of your future self.” [16:05]“It really is a psychological game, and it's a long-term game.” [19:20]“Quantitative easing is a way of saying we're going to debase the money.” [22:37]“Demographics are deflationary and inflationary depending where you are in the demographic cycle.” [27:01]“Babyboomers, the same people who caused the inflation are causing the deflation, [...] because they're holding money.” [40:56]“Nobody wants the debasement of currency, but if you don't, what is the outcome?” [47:43]“There's a lot of structural issues here, and I don't think you can do this without government, and I don't think you can do it without central banks.” [49:27]“Nobody's ever managed to get the business cycle flat, it's a degree of what volatility you'll accept.” [56:22]Follow Raoul Paul:Website: https://www.realvision.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaoulGMI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raoulgmi/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBH5VZE_Y4F3CMcPIzPEB5A

Dr. Jake Jacobs discusses the bizarre world of UN/WEF advisor transhumanist Dr. Yuval Noah Harari, his disdain for Christ & his desire to create the "Man-God" to save Humanity & the World.

One of the most enigmatic, sensational, and misguided thinkers of the last 10 years is Israeli historian and pop philosopher Yuval Noah Harari. His book Sapiens, published in English in 2015, sold over a million copies as it told the story of mankind's evolution. His 2017 book Homo Deus predicts a transhumanist future, a world where technology fundamentally reshapes what kind of entity human beings are.   “We humans should get used to the idea that we are no longer mysterious souls. We are now hackable animals,” he told attendees at the 2020 World Economic Forum annual meeting. “By hacking organisms, elites may gain the power to reengineer the power of life itself,” he said two years earlier. “This will be not just the greatest revolution in the history of humanity. This will be the greatest revolution in biology since the very beginning of life 4 billion years ago.”   Harari's prophecy doesn't end there:  “Science is replacing evolution by natural selection by evolution via intelligent design,” he continued in 2018. “Not the intelligent design of some God above the clouds, but our intelligent design, and the intelligent design of our clouds: the IBM cloud, the Microsoft cloud … these are the new, driving forces of evolution.”   Conspiracy theorists might be forgiven for having a field day with such statements. After all, Harari's outspoken fans include some of the most powerful people alive: Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, former President Barack Obama, as well as executive chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab. Despite a somewhat critical response from academics, the success of his books is undeniable.   Still, Harari suffers from a fatal inconsistency. While positioning himself as a prophet, interested in solving the worst abuses that could befall our future hackable selves, he cuts the ideological ground out from anything standing in their way. A keen example is his critique of both liberal democracy and the entire concept of the “individual” as outdated political norms.   “Liberalism,” he wrote in the Guardian “is unprepared for a situation when individual freedom is subverted from within, and when the very concepts of ‘individual' and ‘freedom' no longer make much sense.” Yet in nearly the same breath, Harari rushes us towards that exact conclusion: “In order to survive and prosper in the 21st century,” he writes, “we need to leave behind the naive view of humans as free individuals—a view inherited from Christian theology as much as from the modern Enlightenment.”  Though he is right about the origins of classic liberalism, the result is a self-contradictory mess. In effect, Harari is saying we should stop people from being hacked by hacking ourselves first …  and defend universal values by denying that they exist. “I don't know where the answers will come from,” Harari admits, “but they are definitely not coming from a collection of stories written thousands of years ago.”   If those stories are just stories, Harari is correct. But as C.S. Lewis described, some stories ground us in reality. This is, in fact, what Christianity does, and what reductionist materialism makes impossible.   Though new insight on technology may have helped Harari sell interesting books, dreaming of a world stripped of all values is as old as modernism itself. Had someone given him a copy of Lewis' The Abolition of Man, he may have seen his exact premise tackled by an Oxford don nearly 80 years ago.   All of this matters because ideas have consequences. Harari and those like him may be attempting to shape the trajectory of transhumanism towards a utopian future but, as often the case, public intellectuals with good intentions but bad worldviews are often the blindest to the practical implications of their thinking.   “How does liberal democracy function in an era when governments and corporations can hack humans?” Harari asked in the Guardian article.  A better question is: How does liberal democracy function in an era when people rush to assume they are merely pre-determined “hackable animals” instead of moral agents who are responsible for their decisions, living in a society of people created equal and “endowed by their creator with inalienable rights?”   History tells us the answer to that question. It can't. The entire concept of human rights is intimately connected with a Christian anthropology. Gut a society of that worldview, and there's no limit to how far we can fall.   If Harari's predictions somehow do become reality, it will have less to do with technology, and far more to do with ideas: specifically, the nihilistic, reductionist humanity he so ardently promotes. Technology makes imagined futures possible, but ideas shape how and why we use technology. If he's looking for a worldview that's better for empowering techno-tyrants, corporatists, and demagogues, he could do little better than the one he's promoting.   On the other hand, if he's looking to evade the oppression he fears, he should look to One of the old stories he derides.