H.I. 95: Break Glass in Case of Emergency
◼
►
it would actually be useful but I think
◼
►
there's a non-trivial number of people
◼
►
who just couldn't even get their life
◼
►
together enough to be able to go to that
◼
►
evening class like we're just showing up
◼
►
to a thing on time is a skill that those
◼
►
people don't have and like maybe if you
◼
►
can't like be somewhere on time you
◼
►
shouldn't have a kid it's a bit like I
◼
►
spoken to a few people who've done the
◼
►
test for the TSA pre-approved check
◼
►
thing in the United States yeah and
◼
►
everybody's response is exactly the same
◼
►
where they talk about oh this thing is
◼
►
ridiculous because all you have to do is
◼
►
like get to the airport and you have to
◼
►
wait in a place you fill out a little
◼
►
form like you talk to a guy and then
◼
►
they just approve you when you go home
◼
►
and I had the same response to everyone
◼
►
these people like no you don't
◼
►
understand that is the test like getting
◼
►
to the airport being able to follow the
◼
►
instructions not flipping out when a guy
◼
►
asks you a couple of personal questions
◼
►
like that's the test I feel like this is
◼
►
very much the former teacher and really
◼
►
like you don't understand how many
◼
►
people can't follow instructions longer
◼
►
if the instructions are the test so
◼
►
there's something about that that feels
◼
►
like just set like the lowest possible
◼
►
bar for having kids like I feel like I
◼
►
couldn't be opposed to like you just
◼
►
need to go somewhere to get a stamp the
◼
►
people are having kids have accomplished
◼
►
one thing yeah they have accomplished
◼
►
one thing I mean yeah you can't open a
◼
►
bank account without giving them your
◼
►
entire genome an entire internet search
◼
►
history and yet you can create a human
◼
►
being and rear it and bring it up
◼
►
without yeah telling anyone anything
◼
►
sometimes I feel really anxious when I
◼
►
look at babies because just today
◼
►
actually I was just walking down the
◼
►
street and there was is a woman who had
◼
►
like swaddled a little baby and she had
◼
►
him on a back swaddle like instead of on
◼
►
the front he was just on the back you
◼
►
know like along for the ride and you
◼
►
know shopping day yeah whenever I look
◼
►
at this babies I always just feel like
◼
►
you poor thing you have no control over
◼
►
you're just here that you are totally at
◼
►
the mercy of the external world like you
◼
►
can do nothing to help yourself it's
◼
►
that feeling that just makes me feel
◼
►
see someone can just bring a life into
◼
►
the world and we have just zero checks
◼
►
on this and this new little person could
◼
►
not be more vulnerable like a puppy is
◼
►
less vulnerable than a human baby human
◼
►
babies can do nothing if their socks are
◼
►
making their feet uncomfortable it's
◼
►
like well that baby just has to deal
◼
►
with it it makes me anxious looking at
◼
►
babies so I feel very sorry for them and
◼
►
I feel like I want more protections for
◼
►
babies more protections for babies I can
◼
►
be a New Year's resolution boy that last
◼
►
question sure was something in my
◼
►
experience nothing gets people riled up
◼
►
more than the systems of politics and
◼
►
I'm willing to bet that a whole bunch of
◼
►
you think you do know how to make a
◼
►
system work that would have answered
◼
►
that last question well if you have
◼
►
something you want to propose you know
◼
►
the best way to communicate with me
◼
►
about it it's to build a Squarespace
◼
►
website for supporting your arguments
◼
►
that's the best way to communicate with
◼
►
me and the best way to communicate with
◼
►
the world the Squarespace has been such
◼
►
a long time supporter of hello Internet
◼
►
and the reason why is because they
◼
►
aren't just amazing if you want to make
◼
►
a website it is the go to no-brainer
◼
►
simplest bestest way that you can make
◼
►
your website you don't need to know any
◼
►
fancy technology to do it it just works
◼
►
through drag-and-drop if you are one of
◼
►
those nerds who wants to dig into the
◼
►
details sure you can inject custom
◼
►
header code and all kinds of fancy stuff
◼
►
if you want to but you know what most
◼
►
people don't want to do that they're too
◼
►
busy trying to express an idea and don't
◼
►
need to get bogged down in the details
◼
►
of how HTML tags work I mean really who
◼
►
cares nobody well somebody but you like
◼
►
Squarespace cares about that but you
◼
►
don't have to care about that's the
◼
►
whole point so if you want to showcase
◼
►
your work if you want to write a blog or
◼
►
publish content or what continually
◼
►
amazes me sell products and services of
◼
►
all kinds Squarespace will let you do
◼
►
that with all of their integrated tools
◼
►
and they integrate with so many things
◼
►
like I have an email list that I
◼
►
maintain and I can just have a sign-up
◼
►
that integrates with my back-end
◼
►
provider and it's so easy to do I don't
◼
►
need to mess around with any of those
◼
►
details it's just drag drop click
◼
►
approve done so good so with Squarespace
◼
►
everything is optimized for mobile right
◼
►
out of the box and optimized for search
◼
►
engines and optimized to look beautiful
◼
►
with all of their templates seriously
◼
►
with nothing to patch or upgrade ever
◼
►
nothing to ever worry about there really
◼
►
isn't anything else you should consider
◼
►
when building your website so if you've
◼
►
been listening to hello Internet lo
◼
►
these many years and you've always
◼
►
thought I really should make a website
◼
►
go right now to squarespace.com slash
◼
►
that's squarespace.com slash hello which
◼
►
will give you a way to try squarespace
◼
►
free for 14 days and receive 10% off
◼
►
your first purchase thanks to
◼
►
Squarespace for supporting the show here
◼
►
we go if McDonald's spent billions of
◼
►
dollars rescuing the targa from
◼
►
extinction should they be allowed to
◼
►
then sell a mock tiger burger so there
◼
►
are lots of Tigers in the scenario yeah
◼
►
they've basically made Tigers like cows
◼
►
well I have a lot of problems with the
◼
►
meat industrial complex mm-hmm I feel
◼
►
like factory farming is really
◼
►
indefensible but more more Tigers is
◼
►
better than oh god I don't know like I
◼
►
don't have a problem in theory with
◼
►
Tiger burgers it's a hard one to debate
◼
►
it's not like I think if one of my
◼
►
videos had Tiger burgers as an example
◼
►
of something I feel like I've used this
◼
►
before so I don't know whatever anyway I
◼
►
feel like the the problem in my head is
◼
►
not the problem that this question is
◼
►
asking about right the problem I'm
◼
►
having is do we want to introduce
◼
►
another species to factory farming life
◼
►
because presumably like when you're at
◼
►
McDonald's scale this is the problem you
◼
►
come up against I would have concerns
◼
►
about having that many Tigers on it
◼
►
skyping from some farm in Devon it's
◼
►
like a like a Jurassic Park situation
◼
►
mcdonoughs got so caught up wondering if
◼
►
they could do it they didn't think if
◼
►
they should do okay you know thinking it
◼
►
through no I'm coming down now and I'm
◼
►
coming down very solidly on now
◼
►
because you're saving Tigers from
◼
►
extinction but you're just creating a
◼
►
whole bunch of Tigers that presumably
◼
►
are living miserable lives that seems
◼
►
like not an improvement in any way what
◼
►
if they didn't factory farm the Tigers
◼
►
it was just like a boutique specialty
◼
►
burger you could have that they caught
◼
►
from the wild occasionally right so
◼
►
we've we have free-range Tigers that are
◼
►
living here every Reg target suing
◼
►
seigneurs if they're free-range Tigers
◼
►
then I'm okay with it they're they're
◼
►
living like a managed Tiger lifestyle we
◼
►
don't have a farm in Devon packed full
◼
►
of Tigers that we're afraid of the doors
◼
►
are gonna burst any day so you like the
◼
►
question there is like are the Tigers
◼
►
living a happy life before from their
◼
►
perspective the lights just go out and
◼
►
they never even know I love the idea of
◼
►
a tiger lifestyle I want to live a tiger
◼
►
lifestyle now hey Brady you're living
◼
►
the tiger lifestyle you said it brother
◼
►
I think this thing get really
◼
►
complicated though because the question
◼
►
is like how happy are the Tigers like
◼
►
what are the Tigers eating basically are
◼
►
we introducing more sorrow into the
◼
►
world because of all of the rabbits that
◼
►
the Tigers are chasing down to eat I
◼
►
feel like I want to be feeding the
◼
►
Tigers synthetic lab-grown meat and then
◼
►
killing the Tigers for Tiger burgers and
◼
►
the Tigers get to live a full and happy
◼
►
life that's like okay I'm perfectly fine
◼
►
with that but I think the question is
◼
►
posed I would say no that McDonald's
◼
►
saving a species from extinction and
◼
►
then cultivating that species at the
◼
►
scale McDonald's would require would not
◼
►
be a trade-off worth making
◼
►
if you ain't tiger made from a target
◼
►
that only ever in its entire life eight
◼
►
since said it mate are you meeting me
◼
►
yeah of course what do you mean it's
◼
►
like if you eat a cow who's only eaten
◼
►
grass its whole life you're eating meat
◼
►
the cow is the machine that turns grass
◼
►
and cattle yeah and now I do get that
◼
►
and I didn't think that but I just
◼
►
wondered if there was something more
◼
►
ethical about aiding an animal with only
◼
►
ever a synthetic stuff probably not
◼
►
actually no I think yeah if the
◼
►
comparison is is the tiger eating live
◼
►
animals versus synthetic meats I think
◼
►
eating a tiger that has eaten only
◼
►
synthetic meat is clearly more ethical
◼
►
would you rather be a dead celebrity or
◼
►
a living criminal am i a cat
◼
►
criminal am I in jail does it change
◼
►
your answer yeah it does change my
◼
►
answer I really think that living in
◼
►
jail is pretty terrible but there's a
◼
►
chance of escape or release whereas if
◼
►
you're dead celebrity made yeah done do
◼
►
my friend like am I in death row am I in
◼
►
some kind of Shawshank Prison almanach
◼
►
shank pretty terrible situation I might
◼
►
prefer to be a dead celebrity it depends
◼
►
it is an example like a white-collar
◼
►
criminal who's probably destroyed the
◼
►
lives of millions of people but it's in
◼
►
a relatively cushy prison like well then
◼
►
I'd rather pick a dead celebrity
◼
►
but if I'm a criminal who's in Shawshank
◼
►
then then no I think I'd rather be the
◼
►
dead celebrity there's no way Brady
◼
►
you're not gonna pick the dead celebrity
◼
►
yeah I think you're probably wrong yeah
◼
►
that's that's right I know I know her
◼
►
Brady do you choose your personality no
◼
►
that doesn't even make any sense to talk
◼
►
about that I think you can shape your
◼
►
personality especially if someone has
◼
►
like a disciplined mind like you like
◼
►
you can control and cultivate aspects of
◼
►
you and over time train yourself to oh
◼
►
yeah I totally agree with that this is
◼
►
where I am I am a man who believes in
◼
►
two things the possibility of
◼
►
self-improvement and puppies and the
◼
►
impossibility of free will I don't think
◼
►
that those two things are in
◼
►
contradiction like I've talked about it
◼
►
before I think that there's a real
◼
►
moment in my life that I feel like I
◼
►
chose to have a different personality
◼
►
and that was crossing the threshold of
◼
►
leaving high school and entering college
◼
►
and that was a very deliberate moment in
◼
►
my life where I made a change it was
◼
►
hmm but I still think that when you dig
◼
►
into that I still run up against this
◼
►
free will problem of well I was the kind
◼
►
of person who was able to do that and in
◼
►
a position where I would decide that
◼
►
that was the thing to do and so that is
◼
►
what I did I don't think I chose to be
◼
►
the sort of person who could decide and
◼
►
successfully execute that change and I
◼
►
don't think you have any choice in your
◼
►
personality so only people with a
◼
►
certain personality can choose their
◼
►
personality only people with a certain
◼
►
able to change their personality but
◼
►
they're not even in a position
◼
►
necessarily to direct that change in the
◼
►
way that I think the question is asking
◼
►
could ask you one quick question I don't
◼
►
want to dig up and go over that time out
◼
►
of high school when you're at a
◼
►
crossroads and you feel like you made
◼
►
important decisions mmm you know maybe
◼
►
we could do it another time
◼
►
but pretend you didn't make the big
◼
►
decisions you made like say you chose
◼
►
the path a instead of path B yeah I just
◼
►
continued as I was yeah what job do you
◼
►
think you'd be doing today that's a good
◼
►
question I'm willing to bet that the job
◼
►
I would be doing today is I would be a
◼
►
physics teacher in high school the
◼
►
difference between me eventually leaving
◼
►
that career and becoming self-employed
◼
►
and staying in that career can point
◼
►
very very directly towards the decisions
◼
►
of changing myself between high school
◼
►
and college so both paths took you to be
◼
►
a physics teacher but just different
◼
►
kinds of physics teachers one that could
◼
►
escape and one that couldn't yeah if I'm
◼
►
trying to like game theory out what is
◼
►
the most likely thing that the like the
◼
►
high school version of me would have
◼
►
done I can't think of a more probable
◼
►
path than that one the only other career
◼
►
that was even remotely on the horizon as
◼
►
a possibility was like being an airline
◼
►
pilot and I just don't think I would
◼
►
have been dedicated enough to be able to
◼
►
do that so I think I would have ended up
◼
►
as a teacher as well you didn't feel the
◼
►
need the need for space
◼
►
let me tell you my thoughts about being
◼
►
we're not centered around the need for
◼
►
speed now this is an interesting
◼
►
question in which you're either gonna
◼
►
answer very dismissively or you're gonna
◼
►
go hmm and have a deeper thought on it
◼
►
I'm enjoying all these Brady predictions
◼
►
by the way it could one army of robots
◼
►
fighting another army of robots ever
◼
►
decide a war will the time come where a
◼
►
war is completely decided without humans
◼
►
entering battle or conflict or violence
◼
►
I think is the question okay there's two
◼
►
things here I think not in the world
◼
►
that were currently imagining I think
◼
►
you know in a war between
◼
►
nation states like a war fundamentally
◼
►
involves human loss and so when you're
◼
►
talking about a war being decided like I
◼
►
can imagine a situation where there is a
◼
►
war in quotes between two nations where
◼
►
those nations are essentially at a kind
◼
►
of technological stalemate you know
◼
►
Russia has drones but the US has
◼
►
fantastic anti drones and there's like a
◼
►
angry swarm of drones over the Pacific
◼
►
Ocean just forever right like not making
◼
►
any progress forward or backward and
◼
►
then that becomes like oh this is the
◼
►
thing in the world what's that oh that's
◼
►
the great drone war it's been going on
◼
►
for a hundred years and it never moved
◼
►
one way or the other and then that's
◼
►
just not decided it's not Universal
◼
►
paper clips but for real yeah yeah so I
◼
►
feel like in nation-state wars there
◼
►
have to be human casualties involved
◼
►
that is what forces a nation-state to
◼
►
capitulate so I feel like there are
◼
►
always going to be humans involved even
◼
►
if their only involvement is as a like a
◼
►
body count to make one side say oh we're
◼
►
surrendering now on the other side of
◼
►
that though like imagining a future
◼
►
without humans where there are just
◼
►
rival Paperclip optimizers battling with
◼
►
each other for control of the universe
◼
►
it's like oh yeah well obviously that's
◼
►
the future it's only a matter of time
◼
►
until that occurs wars between robots
◼
►
among those robots but if it's nation
◼
►
state wars I think humans have to be
◼
►
involved in in some way the way that was
◼
►
coming into my head and that what got me
◼
►
thinking about was all these stories and
◼
►
I don't even know if they're true
◼
►
stories or they just like legend and
◼
►
this never actually happened so you can
◼
►
tell me but you know how you hear all
◼
►
these old-fashioned stories of two
◼
►
armies like meeting on a plane and
◼
►
instead of just like beating the crap
◼
►
they each send their top warrior to have
◼
►
like a one-on-one fight and whoever wins
◼
►
that fight wins the battle I have never
◼
►
heard of this ever I think it must be
◼
►
like Greek legend and stuff like that
◼
►
like it was it happens in I feel like
◼
►
this happens in Royse yeah yes I never
◼
►
really happened cuz I always think
◼
►
that's such a silly thing
◼
►
because whoever loses will just go
◼
►
bugger that judge like that a war would
◼
►
kick off anyway so when I saw that robot
◼
►
that's what I was thinking I was
◼
►
imagining two nation-states saying okay
◼
►
there's a nice empty space over there
◼
►
let's go and send out two robot armies
◼
►
and whoever wins but you know wins the
◼
►
war yeah but I just don't think that
◼
►
would stick because in that losers will
◼
►
be like charge it's missing the point of
◼
►
what a war is for like a war occurs when
◼
►
you can't come to a diplomatic solution
◼
►
and agreeing that you're going to abide
◼
►
by the results of this robot boxing
◼
►
match is a diplomatic solution yeah if
◼
►
you can agree to that you can agree to
◼
►
other things you can agree where the
◼
►
border will be drawn yeah exactly so
◼
►
like this concept of what a war is is
◼
►
like I think you don't understand what
◼
►
war is like well like war means we've
◼
►
run out of options except the physical
◼
►
ones does war mean there's no longer any
◼
►
honor because what this is all about is
◼
►
a willingness to honor honor and
◼
►
agreement so war reaches a point where
◼
►
you know one can agree anything with any
◼
►
Honor I think honor is a strange word
◼
►
here I feel like it's much more just
◼
►
like you cannot trust the other party to
◼
►
abide by agreements even if they seem to
◼
►
be willing to agree they said it's gonna
◼
►
kill him instead yeah that's like that's
◼
►
what it is I think that I think that's
◼
►
what's going on there could a computer
◼
►
write a poem well yeah yeah easy like
◼
►
computers do that right now but is it a
◼
►
poem if there's not a certain intent or
◼
►
emotion behind it a poem exists in the
◼
►
mind of the reader not in the writer
◼
►
yeah it exists in the mind of the reader
◼
►
not in the writer okay
◼
►
Oh in that case they of course he
◼
►
answers yes all these questions about
◼
►
like what are we talking about here
◼
►
right it's like this I'm not sure I
◼
►
agree that apart exists in the mind of
◼
►
the reader and not the writer maybe it
◼
►
needs to exist in both but actually
◼
►
something that is a little bit more
◼
►
relevant to our careers I don't know if
◼
►
you've seen them but I've noticed a lot
◼
►
of these videos that are they're usually
◼
►
from news sites and their videos but
◼
►
their videos that just have like stock
◼
►
image in the background and then
◼
►
captions that are running through the
◼
►
basic facts about some situation in the
◼
►
news yeah they're becoming more and more
◼
►
you know why they're more common it's
◼
►
because they're bought created you know
◼
►
I know a lot of people who are making
◼
►
humans who are making these things now
◼
►
the thing that hasn't occurred to me is
◼
►
that these people are being prepared to
◼
►
be put out of a job and they don't even
◼
►
realize it that is what they're just
◼
►
getting people used to the idea of these
◼
►
things and also what those people may be
◼
►
doing without realizing it is that they
◼
►
are creating part of the data set upon
◼
►
which the robots are being trained
◼
►
but like the existence of these
◼
►
human-made videos is part of the data
◼
►
set that the company owns which then
◼
►
they're feeding into like their Markov
◼
►
generator behind the scenes but it's
◼
►
really an interesting thing and when I
◼
►
when I found out that a huge number of
◼
►
these are produced by robots it's like
◼
►
oh that makes perfect sense I like it it
◼
►
makes absolute sense this is why I'm
◼
►
seeing these all over the place there's
◼
►
these ways that you can be a be testing
◼
►
them against each other to try to find
◼
►
which ones are most effective
◼
►
bla bla bla bla bla but would you say
◼
►
that the robot has made a video I think
◼
►
a robot can make a video yes but let me
◼
►
read this definition of poem I just
◼
►
found ago a poem is a piece of writing
◼
►
in which the expression of feelings and
◼
►
ideas is given intensity by particular
◼
►
attention to diction rhythm and imagery
◼
►
now I think a computer as I understand
◼
►
them now can handle the diction rhythm
◼
►
and imagery but can they have the
◼
►
expression of feelings and ideas that
◼
►
the poem is based on yeah but by that
◼
►
definition and by what we think of as
◼
►
robots today no a robot couldn't write a
◼
►
poem I'm thinking of this in terms of
◼
►
the way I think about art like what like
◼
►
what does it mean to say that the thing
◼
►
is art and that's always notoriously
◼
►
tricky and my my fallback is is mostly
◼
►
like art has to invoke some feeling from
◼
►
the viewer that's what art is so by my
◼
►
definition I feel like yeah a an
◼
►
unconscious thing can produce artwork
◼
►
which includes poems but by that
◼
►
definition of what a poem is then
◼
►
clearly we'd have to come to the other
◼
►
conclusion that no a robot can't write a
◼
►
poem because it is not attempting to
◼
►
express anything but I just don't think
◼
►
that's a good definition yeah fair
◼
►
enough it was just the first one I found
◼
►
are we more alive than a tree no fair
◼
►
I think alive is a binary state you are
◼
►
putting aside the very tricky definition
◼
►
of like what does it mean to be alive
◼
►
like yeah we're gonna blow right past
◼
►
that and just say that there's a thing
◼
►
that we can agree upon which is the
◼
►
concept of aliveness that is a binary
◼
►
state has not a floating point integer
◼
►
we are literally only halfway through
◼
►
the book so we're only about halfway
◼
►
through my questions but I think we'd
◼
►
better stop and we can use the second
◼
►
half of the book I'll put the second
◼
►
half of the book back behind the glass
◼
►
for a glass yet great here's one fine I
◼
►
want to mull over does your dog think
◼
►
about you when you're at work or not
◼
►
around because you and I both work from
◼
►
home if we work away from home and if
◼
►
you owned a dog right do dogs think
◼
►
about their owners when their owners are
◼
►
at work well what do you think baby part
◼
►
of me can't imagine a scenario where
◼
►
they kind of forget you exist and then
◼
►
when you turn up is the best thing ever
◼
►
that would explain why they're so
◼
►
incredibly happy when you get home
◼
►
because they had forgotten you existed
◼
►
and you just come back to life I don't
◼
►
know this comes back to what we
◼
►
discussed recently about how just how
◼
►
human dogs are certainly Lulu knows
◼
►
here's my car from miles away because
◼
►
she's always at the window when I pull
◼
►
up but you know again that could just be
◼
►
a learned response to a certain sound
◼
►
but I think they do yeah do you think if
◼
►
you could reach inside the dogs heads
◼
►
they would know that you exist when they
◼
►
don't see you there's certainly an
◼
►
anxiety for something that's missing
◼
►
mm-hmm that is sated by your
◼
►
reappearance whether or not they can
◼
►
visualize what that thing is but whether
◼
►
they just feel an anxiety or they fit
◼
►
they're feeling an anxiety that's saying
◼
►
I wish Brodie was here I just we prayed
◼
►
he was back he's he's nicely I don't
◼
►
know I think they probably do well what
◼
►
do you think for me this is very simple
◼
►
yeah I don't care what the answer is I
◼
►
choose to believe that the dogs miss you
◼
►
hello Internet its future gray here
◼
►
rushing to edit this episode before I
◼
►
have to go for this podcast I think you
◼
►
should pause after each of the questions
◼
►
and find the answer for yourself before
◼
►
you let Brady or I convince you of what
◼
►
is the one true answer if you're
◼
►
listening with somebody else even better
◼
►
each of you should try to convince each
◼
►
other of what the true answer is before
◼
►
hearing Brady and I talk about it anyway
◼
►
that's all I wanted to say I'm going to
◼
►
stop recording now and literally press
◼
►
the export upload publish buttons as
◼
►
fast as I can to get this episode out to
◼
►
you so have a lovely evening
◼
►
and let the show begin so for the
◼
►
longest time we have had this sort of I
◼
►
wouldn't say fear but concern in the
◼
►
back of our minds that one day we may
◼
►
come to record how the internet and just
◼
►
not have anything to say or who run out
◼
►
of topics and things like that mm-hmm
◼
►
it has never happened and it hasn't
◼
►
really happened today either I don't
◼
►
think but just in case it does happen
◼
►
I've had a break glass in case of
◼
►
emergency option sitting in a drawer by
◼
►
my side for a couple of years now this
◼
►
is a book that has it really been
◼
►
sitting there for a couple of years I
◼
►
guess it has you referenced it enough
◼
►
when we were doing our little pre-show
◼
►
I reckon has just been sitting there so
◼
►
today for a special episode we have
◼
►
decided to break the glass and use my
◼
►
emergency podcasting options just I
◼
►
don't know why I just because I'm sick
◼
►
of waiting we're gonna do it it does
◼
►
feel like a thing we'll never get to
◼
►
because every time we do good record I
◼
►
think much more so for me I have this
◼
►
deep fear of like what on earth are we
◼
►
going to talk about and so many times I
◼
►
feel like we get to the show and we
◼
►
barely get to all the topics that we
◼
►
have because we get caught up in
◼
►
something that's a total tangent right
◼
►
at the beginning so it is an unfounded
◼
►
fear every time but yes it does feel
◼
►
like we'll never get to this book
◼
►
otherwise so let's just take a look at
◼
►
this book okay this is a book I don't
◼
►
know where it came from or why I have it
◼
►
I don't think I bought it it doesn't
◼
►
look like something I would have bought
◼
►
but it's called the book of thunks of
◼
►
thunks funks so instead of thinks that
◼
►
place the IB that you thought okay
◼
►
that's by a chap named in Gilbert
◼
►
mmm-hmm I think it's bit of a toilet
◼
►
book I think it's supposed to be a
◼
►
conversation book but I see it more as a
◼
►
toilet that rarified genre hmm it's full
◼
►
of just one line questions that are
◼
►
supposed to be thought-provoking or
◼
►
conversation starters
◼
►
it also says on here to annoy your
◼
►
friends and I think a lot of these
◼
►
questions would be quite effective
◼
►
annoying your friends it sounds like a
◼
►
very Brady book then no I don't like the
◼
►
annoying aspect of it anyway really
◼
►
because I think you are the king of
◼
►
asking needling annoying questions of
◼
►
people when you're interviewing them or
◼
►
when you're talking to me on a podcast I
◼
►
feel like you would like that part the
◼
►
most know some of the men or even may
◼
►
now there are 300 questions in this book
◼
►
okay just before the show I went through
◼
►
with a marker and I've put big red
◼
►
crosses next to ones that I think hmm I
◼
►
wouldn't mind asking gray that question
◼
►
so I'm gonna go through this book I'm
◼
►
gonna go through all the questions that
◼
►
I've put crosses next to or at least I'm
◼
►
gonna go through all the ones until we
◼
►
get sick of it row and we're gonna see
◼
►
what you think about them are you gonna
◼
►
answer these questions as well breeding
◼
►
if you want me to depends what the
◼
►
question I would very much one I don't
◼
►
want to be just on the hook here I don't
◼
►
need this to be a quiz there situation
◼
►
it's not like that it's not like that I
◼
►
will answer questions too if I feel I
◼
►
have something to contribute mm-hmm now
◼
►
there are a lot of questions in this
◼
►
book I'm not gonna ask because some of
◼
►
them really annoy me because they seem
◼
►
to come from a place of real science
◼
►
ignorant or just a logic ignorant so I'm
◼
►
ignoring all those ones give me an
◼
►
example of this I'll give you an example
◼
►
of one what weighs more a piece of blank
◼
►
paper or a piece of lined paper yeah
◼
►
that's just an annoying question yeah
◼
►
there are lots of questions like that
◼
►
and I feel like I need way more details
◼
►
to answer that question well that is a
◼
►
definite problem you will have with
◼
►
every question anyway we're gonna have
◼
►
to do with that grace and just as much
◼
►
as we come to it but that a gray ISM I
◼
►
don't think so I think that's a
◼
►
reasonable thing to ask all right let's
◼
►
go let's I've got the book here you can
◼
►
you can probably hear the pages here
◼
►
there we go some nice bully work thank
◼
►
so the first one I put a cross next to
◼
►
just so happens to be number
◼
►
eight in the book of 300 okay if the
◼
►
cure for cancer meant constructing a
◼
►
huge Factory in Antarctica should we do
◼
►
it anyway I don't even understand how
◼
►
that's a question yes what's the
◼
►
question I don't think they make the
◼
►
stakes high enough in that question
◼
►
myself you know like I'd burn down the
◼
►
rainforest for a cure for cancer so cure
◼
►
for cancer I was thinking you know maybe
◼
►
destroying all of Antarctica would that
◼
►
be worth curing cancer
◼
►
yeah I'd sink Antarctica under the ocean
◼
►
I mean cancer kills a lot of people yeah
◼
►
there's a lot of weight on that side of
◼
►
the scale I think I'd be pretty hard
◼
►
pressed to think of anything that
◼
►
doesn't come close to species destroying
◼
►
that I wouldn't do to cure cancer okay
◼
►
are you breaking I think my threshold
◼
►
would be probably lower than yours
◼
►
okay so lower then just doesn't destroy
◼
►
the species as your threshold yeah I
◼
►
think obliterating Antarctica altogether
◼
►
I don't know what is in dark touka ever
◼
►
done for you not much I'm going there
◼
►
same oh yeah but I would also like a
◼
►
cure for cancer so I would cancel my
◼
►
trip and let make your cancer would you
◼
►
answer change like before and after the
◼
►
trip like oh you're more hesitant to not
◼
►
destroy Antarctica before you've gone
◼
►
but after you've gone do you think you
◼
►
would be more willing to sink the entire
◼
►
continent would you be willing to put
◼
►
several thousand sort of charismatic
◼
►
fauna species extinct in exchange for a
◼
►
cure for cancer as long as it meant
◼
►
humans could still live like you know
◼
►
get rid of all the elephants and the
◼
►
lions and the cats and the dogs and no
◼
►
dogs oh oh I found your weakness if that
◼
►
uh actually I feel like could I look
◼
►
into the eyes of a single puppy and
◼
►
extinguish its life in exchange for a
◼
►
cure for cancer I feel like I don't know
◼
►
if I could do that say what you wouldn't
◼
►
be willing to kill all the puppies in
◼
►
the world for a cure for cancer oh god I
◼
►
don't know now I feel immediately like I
◼
►
need a bunch you know PETA and tactic am
◼
►
the rain forest you know put a few
◼
►
puppies on the Block and suddenly it ya
◼
►
know that's a very different moral
◼
►
Wow that's horrible to realize that this
◼
►
is the way my brain is prioritizing
◼
►
that becomes a much harder question yeah
◼
►
I feel like then I need to know all
◼
►
sorts of details of the book is not
◼
►
going to have like does this mean we
◼
►
will never cure cancer or that we just
◼
►
won't have the cure now like then I need
◼
►
to start really lawyering up on what the
◼
►
exact parameters of this question are
◼
►
but once you involve puppies I'm going
◼
►
to become much more hesitant is what's
◼
►
it's mr. chump is in Asia at the moment
◼
►
mr. chompers is not in earshot at the
◼
►
moment he's going to be returning to the
◼
►
he had a big bath from getting all muddy
◼
►
today but he is not currently around
◼
►
well anyway he probably would've liked
◼
►
your answer anyway I feel like a
◼
►
terrible person let's move on to another
◼
►
question are you more of a success if
◼
►
you have had five top 40 hit records but
◼
►
no number ones compared to someone who
◼
►
is a one-hit wonder who has just had one
◼
►
number one oh man that's easy that's
◼
►
it depends entirely on how large the
◼
►
residuals are like was the tail end of
◼
►
this just pure dollars yeah it's not a
◼
►
bad consistency of quality uh it's just
◼
►
about the money you make oh is that the
◼
►
I guess that is the question well I
◼
►
think this is complicated because I
◼
►
think it's a kid I think when I first
◼
►
came across the concept of a one-hit
◼
►
wonder I always found that kind of sad
◼
►
yeah do you get that same feeling from
◼
►
like the concept of like a one-hit
◼
►
wonder that there's something like a
◼
►
little sad about that
◼
►
I think it's fluky the person's success
◼
►
yeah I mean that's one of the ways you
◼
►
could take this question yeah but I feel
◼
►
like as I've gotten older like adult me
◼
►
doesn't have that same feeling with a
◼
►
one-hit wonder like a one-hit wonder
◼
►
he's already incredibly successful yeah
◼
►
it's like sure obviously anybody who's a
◼
►
one-hit wonder would prefer to be a
◼
►
two-hit wonder but being a one-hit
◼
►
wonder is way better than being a zero
◼
►
hit wonder let me reframe the question
◼
►
and that completely changes it and in
◼
►
some ways I think would reverse my
◼
►
answer okay and that question would be
◼
►
would you rather win a gold medal at the
◼
►
Olympics or win thirteen silver medals
◼
►
over three different Olympic
◼
►
but no Gold's for me the answer to that
◼
►
is easy I'm gonna bet you want the gold
◼
►
right yeah hmm because no one remembers
◼
►
silver medals in the world of music well
◼
►
it's not true to say no one remembers
◼
►
songs that don't get to number one
◼
►
because a lot of very big songs never
◼
►
technically got to number one but you
◼
►
know a number one is a bit like a gold
◼
►
yeah this is touching upon like the
◼
►
power law in entertainment like a
◼
►
one-hit wonder is ten times more
◼
►
presence in people's minds than the next
◼
►
most popular song which is 10 times more
◼
►
present than the third most popular song
◼
►
and so what would you get down to the
◼
►
bottom of the top 40 chart is like oh
◼
►
yeah those are songs people might
◼
►
recognize but they're not super
◼
►
omnipresent in a person's mind I was
◼
►
just thinking with the silver medals I
◼
►
think something more impressive if you
◼
►
can get a bunch of silver medals in
◼
►
disparate fields this then again it like
◼
►
a we're getting into the details here
◼
►
but I think personally I feel like in my
◼
►
personality I would be happier being
◼
►
less successful in a wider area of
◼
►
fields then being super successful in
◼
►
one field like much to my surprise there
◼
►
is something that is attractive about
◼
►
being the kind of person who could win
◼
►
silver medals in a bunch of events even
◼
►
if you know like lots of people think
◼
►
that silver is first loser
◼
►
that it's not the same as a gold that a
◼
►
gold is like ten times better than a
◼
►
silver in people's minds I remember when
◼
►
I was a little boy I went through a
◼
►
phase where my favorite color
◼
►
was silver you know when you say you
◼
►
have to have a favorite color and a
◼
►
I always said my favorite color is
◼
►
silver and I was watching the Olympics
◼
►
with my dad one time and I was watching
◼
►
the medal ceremony and I said to my dad
◼
►
you know what I love silver so much I
◼
►
think I'd rather have a silver medal
◼
►
than a gold medal and he just looked at
◼
►
me and said when you grow up you think
◼
►
differently and he was right he was
◼
►
right and while it's true like winning
◼
►
silver medals across disparate
◼
►
disciplines over a sustained period of
◼
►
time does show a far greater level of
◼
►
accomplishment mmm and if you don't
◼
►
believe me there's an Australian who won
◼
►
the Winter Olympics that is the most
◼
►
cheeky undeserved gold medal in the
◼
►
history of gold medals you have to tell
◼
►
me what that is now I'm now I'm curious
◼
►
what is the most undeserved gold medal
◼
►
ever to set the scene for you in the
◼
►
Winter Olympics in some forms of speed
◼
►
skating you have all these eliminations
◼
►
and things like that to get to the final
◼
►
mm-hmm and then the final is four people
◼
►
okay and this Australian actually got
◼
►
through to the final of four people he
◼
►
shouldn't have even been in the final
◼
►
because all the people in his semi-final
◼
►
fell over and he made it to the final
◼
►
so then this was the fire live sent you
◼
►
the clip his name's Steven Bradbury okay
◼
►
and he was against three other speed
◼
►
skaters that were way better than him
◼
►
and they were going around this really
◼
►
tight track okay so this is a race this
◼
►
is just like a pure speed race on the
◼
►
ice okay pure race pure race there were
◼
►
four other skaters actually there were
◼
►
five in the final okay he was just
◼
►
sitting at the back not a hope in hell
◼
►
and he'd given up even trying he was
◼
►
just sitting there watching them
◼
►
thinking this is amazing that I even
◼
►
made the final and as the four others
◼
►
were vying for the medals they got to
◼
►
the last corner and they all crashed
◼
►
into each other right at us and he just
◼
►
like just coasted over the line on his
◼
►
own like thinking what the hell just
◼
►
happened and the others were all trying
◼
►
to stand up and like put a toe over the
◼
►
line so they could finish and he was
◼
►
just like oh I just want to gold medal
◼
►
you can never take that away from him
◼
►
and of course he's not as great a speed
◼
►
skater as someone who has won a bunch of
◼
►
silvers over loads of Olympics but he
◼
►
still got his gold medal that's amazing
◼
►
that he's the beneficiary of two flukes
◼
►
that is fluky he was there in the first
◼
►
place and that shot is amazing cuz they
◼
►
they really do crash like 20 feet before
◼
►
the end of the before the end of the
◼
►
race yeah you see the others standing up
◼
►
and just trying to put like their skate
◼
►
over the line to finish and he just like
◼
►
drifts past yeah because I'm just
◼
►
watching the replay here and he's not
◼
►
even booking it for the finish line like
◼
►
he's clearly mentally checked is like
◼
►
inertia just propels him over the finish
◼
►
Australia go for Australia go for
◼
►
I feel like this adds another level to
◼
►
that question potentially which is
◼
►
getting a gold getting a bunch of
◼
►
or totally unintentionally getting a
◼
►
gold okay like just blind luck stumbling
◼
►
on to success in this manner that's
◼
►
well Salt Lake 2002 fantastic here any
◼
►
for another question yep is a horse a
◼
►
vehicle is a horse a vehicle hmm yeah a
◼
►
horse is a vehicle I'm trying to stretch
◼
►
the edges of this I think if you put a
◼
►
little girl on a big dog that is not a
◼
►
vehicle because there would be no
◼
►
driving like a big st. Bernard with the
◼
►
tiny child on top of it the child doing
◼
►
no driving but a human on a horse is
◼
►
doing driving so I'm gonna say yes the
◼
►
horse is a vehicle and that's the
◼
►
distinguishing characteristic there
◼
►
needs to be active driving agree or
◼
►
disagree don't even care I think it's a
◼
►
what do you mean it's a stupid question
◼
►
here's a good question uh would it be
◼
►
okay to blast our rubbish into space
◼
►
yeah well again like the one with
◼
►
Antarctica I'm trying to think
◼
►
my only objections would be pragmatic
◼
►
there was a video I used to show my
◼
►
students when we did our little space
◼
►
module that I always loved which was a
◼
►
video that was tracking all of the
◼
►
objects that are currently around earth
◼
►
yeah this included here's the
◼
►
International Space Station here's all
◼
►
the satellites and there's you know
◼
►
there's a huge number of satellites you
◼
►
just don't really think about it but
◼
►
then it was also including all of the
◼
►
objects in space that could potentially
◼
►
be a threat to future missions then when
◼
►
you include that like it's an astounding
◼
►
number of object like it looks like an
◼
►
angry swarm of bees yeah it's a credible
◼
►
now there is a weird problem of scale
◼
►
here right because space is real big and
◼
►
you're trying to look at an image on a
◼
►
screen and how big can that screw be
◼
►
like there's a funny way that it it
◼
►
looks fuller than it is yes of course
◼
►
but still the number is enormous and the
◼
►
threat is real so my only concern
◼
►
about space garbage is how accurately
◼
►
can we fling it directly into the Sun
◼
►
can we use the Sun as a garbage disposal
◼
►
system yeah and if we could shoot it
◼
►
accurately then I would have no problem
◼
►
I do remember actually doing this as a
◼
►
unit in one of my physics classes and
◼
►
university is how hard it is to actually
◼
►
hit the Sun like if you are launching
◼
►
something that is not self-guiding it's
◼
►
remarkably hard to get an object that
◼
►
would go into the Sun as opposed to
◼
►
getting captured in some kind of very
◼
►
long comet orbit and then causing other
◼
►
problems so I would probably say no
◼
►
because it's very difficult to imagine a
◼
►
way that it is practical to do so space
◼
►
as garbage disposal I would say let's
◼
►
not do that on practical grounds but if
◼
►
we came up with like a propulsion system
◼
►
that was economical mm-hmm and we could
◼
►
just blast things into space but you
◼
►
couldn't go for the Sun you just had to
◼
►
aim out of the solar system and just
◼
►
send them where they're going like a
◼
►
Voyager probe you know wherever you end
◼
►
up you end up right not here so it's
◼
►
just gonna go where it goes and one day
◼
►
it'll get captured by some other star
◼
►
okay so we're just blindly launching
◼
►
into space yeah yeah don't think too
◼
►
much about the actual practicalities is
◼
►
it okay to use the great beyond as a
◼
►
place just to fling unwanted stuff
◼
►
everything now I'm worried about drawing
◼
►
the attention of like a paperclip
◼
►
maximizing a hey I like where this
◼
►
garbage come from there's like a gods
◼
►
must be crazy situation you know yeah
◼
►
where'd this Falcon having rocket full
◼
►
of disposed soda cans come from it's
◼
►
like all right it came from that planet
◼
►
yeah I would still say though like
◼
►
putting the potential destruction of the
◼
►
human species aside I would be okay with
◼
►
it because space is just so empty it's
◼
►
almost functionally like throwing it
◼
►
into a black hole you don't say as this
◼
►
last pure expanse that hasn't been
◼
►
sullied by McDonald's wrappers I will
◼
►
grant that right space is unsullied
◼
►
presuming that we're the only ones
◼
►
around mm-hmm but I don't think
◼
►
unsullied matters if there's nobody
◼
►
there to experience it isn't us the
◼
►
argument used by people who want to draw
◼
►
for oil in Alaska and stuff people say
◼
►
oh we mustn't do these mining in Alaska
◼
►
and then the little who are pro mining
◼
►
say well there's no one there to look at
◼
►
all this beautiful stuff and these rare
◼
►
birds anyway I'm susceptible to that
◼
►
argument I think I'm less susceptible to
◼
►
it in the drilling in Alaska case
◼
►
because of concern about externalities
◼
►
that it's like okay yeah sure if you're
◼
►
drilling goes okay then everything's
◼
►
fine but if it doesn't then it's no good
◼
►
and we also like for entirely human
◼
►
selfish reasons we have an ecosystem
◼
►
here that we want to preserve for our
◼
►
own benefit space just doesn't seem to
◼
►
have any of those concerns to me yes it
◼
►
is unsullied but it's just unsullied
◼
►
emptiness with no conscious experience
◼
►
whatsoever like it's very hard to
◼
►
imagine what is the externality here of
◼
►
we've launched rockets full of McDonnell
◼
►
trappers into space it's like where
◼
►
there's nobody there to even see it it's
◼
►
just like it disappears where I think
◼
►
the earth is a closed enough system that
◼
►
you want to be more careful
◼
►
like if you're sinking a continent into
◼
►
the ocean you want to make sure you're
◼
►
really getting something good out of
◼
►
that you just want to be more careful
◼
►
with the changes that you're making
◼
►
I'm gonna guess you don't like sending
◼
►
trash into space that's my prediction I
◼
►
find it hard to argue against sending it
◼
►
into the Sun right but I don't like the
◼
►
idea of it but I am also aware that the
◼
►
Apollo astronauts one of the last things
◼
►
they did before reach takeoff was
◼
►
chuckle their rubbish out the door
◼
►
including bags of way it was because
◼
►
there aren't their poo bags off the
◼
►
surface of the Moon yeah it's hard for
◼
►
me to get on too high a horse on this
◼
►
one but or that objectivity video of
◼
►
yours that I loved talking with you
◼
►
about when we were first discussing it
◼
►
the one where that the Russians exploded
◼
►
the satellite full of little Russian
◼
►
coins off the surface of the Moon there
◼
►
was like sort of like a sphere made of
◼
►
right and then the pennants sort of
◼
►
scattered all over the surface when the
◼
►
settler impacted yeah there's something
◼
►
I just I love about that idea is there's
◼
►
something so childish about that like oh
◼
►
we're gonna just put a bunch of coins
◼
►
that say we were here on the surface of
◼
►
the Moon it is also just totally a kind
◼
►
of garbage I would love it if they went
◼
►
and visited those sites when you know
◼
►
eventually we start going back to the
◼
►
moon and they found those pennants
◼
►
awesome there will be real collectors
◼
►
items someday yeah they will but so
◼
►
you're okay with the Sun because the Sun
◼
►
is just an incinerator yeah like an
◼
►
atomic level incinerator like we could
◼
►
throw nuclear waste into the Sun but
◼
►
then you feel more uneasy when you're
◼
►
talking about the vast emptiness of
◼
►
space if it was just blasting sewage
◼
►
towards Alpha Centauri yeah pardon me
◼
►
we've crapped all over this planet now
◼
►
when crapping everywhere else as well
◼
►
I'm not sure I feel like we have the
◼
►
right to do it I find that interesting
◼
►
because like to me the concept of rights
◼
►
implies that there's someone whose
◼
►
rights are being infringed upon well I
◼
►
don't think we know enough to know
◼
►
whether that's the case or not okay and
◼
►
I feel like it's not our place you know
◼
►
I know there are space treaties and
◼
►
Antarctic treaties and it kind of all
◼
►
merges into that a bit but I think it
◼
►
goes beyond that because I still think
◼
►
with our space treaties Antarctic is
◼
►
different but with our space treaties
◼
►
there is a certain arrogance involved in
◼
►
us deciding amongst ourselves as humans
◼
►
what can be done with space and how it's
◼
►
gonna be carved up remind me have you
◼
►
read the read Mars Ceres the Kim Stanley
◼
►
Robinson series I only think I've read
◼
►
the first one yeah I have tried many
◼
►
times to get through the second - I've
◼
►
never made it I've given up on that as a
◼
►
life goal I'm like I'm never gonna make
◼
►
it through green Mars let alone blue
◼
►
Mars yeah but I really like them I
◼
►
reread red Mars maybe just a couple
◼
►
years ago it holds up as a great science
◼
►
fiction book but this is like one of the
◼
►
main themes through that book that I
◼
►
think is interestingly handled is the
◼
►
idea of humans around Mars
◼
►
how much right - humans have to change
◼
►
Mars from what it is into what the
◼
►
humans wanted like this is a central
◼
►
political conflict that takes place in
◼
►
that book and I think the book is a an
◼
►
interesting exploration of that idea
◼
►
this episode of Hello Internet is
◼
►
brought to you in part by euro never
◼
►
think about the Wi-Fi in your home again
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with euro you know right now where the
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we all have those spots and it's crazy
◼
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to think that you have to move around to
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a different spot in the house if you
◼
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want to get the fastest internet if you
◼
►
want to be able to talk to somebody else
◼
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facetime image if you want to download a
◼
►
file you can't be in that spot well that
◼
►
is crazy and ero is the product that
◼
►
solves that for you when you get the ero
◼
►
system you just connect it to where the
◼
►
internet comes into your house and then
◼
►
you can distribute these beacons in
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◼
►
internet around evenly it's dead simple
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►
you don't need to be some kind of IT
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►
expert it's just plug and play and Eero
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►
uses their technology automatically to
◼
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set up a distributed network around the
◼
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◼
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◼
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introduced their second generation of
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Papy Wi-Fi happy life use code hello
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the US and Canada that's hello internet
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thanks to ero for helping to support the
◼
►
show would a baby born on a deserted
◼
►
island ever laughs of course a baby on a
◼
►
deserted island would laugh I think
◼
►
that's asked like asking if a baby on a
◼
►
deserted island would see I guess the
◼
►
question they're getting at more here
◼
►
and this is a more interesting question
◼
►
rather than saying would ever laugh
◼
►
would it ever find something funny like
◼
►
his humor learned it's getting to be
◼
►
more subtle but all I was gonna say the
◼
►
thing that I found interesting when my
◼
►
friends started having kids I think that
◼
►
never really crossed my mind before is
◼
►
that there comes a time when babies
◼
►
start to laugh that there's like a
◼
►
period of time where a baby will not
◼
►
laugh like you get a little trouble baby
◼
►
and you do a big raspberry on its
◼
►
there's just no response like the wires
◼
►
aren't hooked up correctly yeah and then
◼
►
when they get older at some point
◼
►
they're like oh this is hilarious right
◼
►
like raspberries on the stomach are the
◼
►
funniest thing ever but that's because
◼
►
I've seen you and everyone else laugh at
◼
►
it but oh yeah I was gonna say it's like
◼
►
I do think there is something about the
◼
►
wires are getting hooked up together cuz
◼
►
a baby born on a deserted island that
◼
►
and then it becomes like grown-up let's
◼
►
forget about all the logistics involved
◼
►
here yeah yeah just and then one day
◼
►
they see like a giraffe walking on ice
◼
►
and the giraffe like stumbles and falls
◼
►
over in a comical way they're not gonna
◼
►
okay the more we talk the less certain
◼
►
I'm getting because I'm thinking maybe
◼
►
this is much more like a language thing
◼
►
like just humor exists in the absence of
◼
►
other minds but I feel like there's some
◼
►
part of humor that's like the lowest
◼
►
part of humor which is really connected
◼
►
to the idea of surprise yeah that humor
◼
►
is connected to surprise and a baby
◼
►
living as an adult is going to at some
◼
►
point on its Island be surprised by
◼
►
something and maybe that would trigger a
◼
►
laugh but I don't know like and the more
◼
►
I talk the less convinced I am because
◼
►
there are those cases that you read
◼
►
about like you know feral children who
◼
►
are sort of in this situation and the
◼
►
really fascinating thing is it seems
◼
►
like for a lot of these cases
◼
►
reacquiring language skills is just
◼
►
almost impossible and maybe there's
◼
►
something like that with humor that if
◼
►
they're you don't have the concept of
◼
►
other minds that you just don't develop
◼
►
this idea a long time ago I heard this
◼
►
idea about what is humor that I just
◼
►
love and I think about sometimes but
◼
►
that humor is like a way that brains are
◼
►
like debugging other brains or that
◼
►
brains are figuring out the edges inside
◼
►
of other brains and I feel like I don't
◼
►
quite know what that sentence even means
◼
►
but there's something about it that
◼
►
strikes me as correct
◼
►
that like humor is an exploration of
◼
►
another mind in a different way than
◼
►
talking is like what makes someone laugh
◼
►
tells you something about their mind in
◼
►
a way that is very different from just
◼
►
talking to them and especially like with
◼
►
my wife I feel like I can make my wife
◼
►
really laugh now I like I have a good
◼
►
sense of like jokes or things that will
◼
►
make her laugh but there's no way to
◼
►
verbalize what that is it's like some
◼
►
other part of my brain has learned how
◼
►
to get this particular reaction out of
◼
►
her brain so I don't know I think I have
◼
►
just talked myself out of this maybe a
◼
►
baby would never laugh that this is
◼
►
something that is like language yeah I
◼
►
think I might be retracting my position
◼
►
yeah well it was fun watching you work
◼
►
this next question might be a bit more
◼
►
up your alley okay if a robot waiter
◼
►
brings you a drink should you say thank
◼
►
you well that was a big sigh like this
◼
►
is really like a conundrum for you it
◼
►
all hangs on the word should in this
◼
►
sentence right okay I came across a
◼
►
parent who had this concern that I found
◼
►
interesting and the concern was that
◼
►
Siri and Alexa were turning their child
◼
►
into an inconsiderate asshole
◼
►
that is interesting yeah because the
◼
►
child is just able to issue commands and
◼
►
the machines just do it
◼
►
yeah and the machines have no need for
◼
►
any of the social pleasantries
◼
►
and that their perception was that this
◼
►
was bleeding over into other social
◼
►
interactions that this was not contained
◼
►
within the environment of like you're
◼
►
not really talking to alexa like you're
◼
►
issuing a series of verbal communication
◼
►
with a robot that like the kid just
◼
►
wasn't clicking with that so that's the
◼
►
reason i hesitate there because like do
◼
►
you need to thank a robot obviously not
◼
►
do I ever say thank you to Siri no do I
◼
►
ever say thank you to your toaster yeah
◼
►
right like there's no need to do that
◼
►
there's nothing there I feel like
◼
►
there's something about society here
◼
►
like if you have a c-3po looking robot
◼
►
something that is like sort of human
◼
►
looking that maybe it's not a bad idea
◼
►
to just reflexively keep the thank you
◼
►
even though you know that the robot
◼
►
doesn't need it just to practice I have
◼
►
a yeah like it like as a habit now if
◼
►
the robot is is like oh the table is a
◼
►
robot and the drinks just appear then it
◼
►
feels like they come up through a little
◼
►
slot in the table and I feel like okay
◼
►
well this is there's nothing human here
◼
►
but it I feel like if it is an
◼
►
anthropomorphic robot I could see being
◼
►
on the side of we as a society should
◼
►
agree that we're going to keep this
◼
►
habit in so long as there still exists
◼
►
human waiters in other situations that
◼
►
it's like don't lose this but so you say
◼
►
we should say thank you to say Threepio
◼
►
but not r2d2 damn it Oh God well okay
◼
►
Brady you're gonna make me talk about it
◼
►
droid slavery is clearly a conscious
◼
►
creature with emotions and feelings and
◼
►
expressions but if in the real world we
◼
►
built a robot that looked like r2d2 who
◼
►
was going around on a floating flotilla
◼
►
in the desert distributing drinks and we
◼
►
were reasonably confident that that
◼
►
robot had no consciousness I feel like
◼
►
yeah that's a little close to a Roomba
◼
►
with some drinks on top of it and I feel
◼
►
like you know I have no need to thank
◼
►
the Roomba for distributing these drinks
◼
►
but if it's humanoid I feel like there
◼
►
is something maybe here but again I may
◼
►
be extrapolating too far from a
◼
►
particular case but I found that like an
◼
►
interesting thing that would never have
◼
►
crossed my mind before that that it's
◼
►
making me think about this question a
◼
►
little bit differently I just had a
◼
►
great idea for a piece of Star Wars
◼
►
merchandising who a Roomba that will
◼
►
fire a lightsaber across the room to you
◼
►
Return of the Jedi star little slot that
◼
►
opens up on its top is that what you
◼
►
want breeding well I would say no you
◼
►
wouldn't think now I've got another
◼
►
question okay would you rather live
◼
►
under a democracy or Undead a
◼
►
dictatorship led by Father Christmas oh
◼
►
I need to know a lot about father
◼
►
I think you understand the general
◼
►
concept of father Christmas I mean
◼
►
there's not a bad bone in his body
◼
►
I'm gonna just I'm gonna interpret this
◼
►
as Santa Claus because I think there's a
◼
►
like a slight difference between father
◼
►
Christmas and Santa Claus but like I
◼
►
must say that sounds like a far more
◼
►
interesting conversation to make what's
◼
►
the difference during father Christmas
◼
►
and Santa Claus okay so this is like dim
◼
►
memories from when I was doing the my
◼
►
Santa video from years and years ago but
◼
►
I was reading up on a whole bunch of
◼
►
stuff and it the conclusion that I
◼
►
remember coming to and so this this may
◼
►
be a little bit shaky Internet it's been
◼
►
a long time but my memory is that father
◼
►
Christmas was much more like a spirit of
◼
►
adult Thanksgiving that father Christmas
◼
►
was like feast and happy times and wine
◼
►
and fun and that father Christmas was
◼
►
not like a gift-giving concept no father
◼
►
Christmas definitely gave me presents
◼
►
when I was little here's where I was
◼
►
going with this is that that this is a
◼
►
thing that starting in like the 40s and
◼
►
50s started to get completely subsumed
◼
►
by the concept of Santa that like Santa
◼
►
as the gift-giving thing is an idea that
◼
►
has taken over a lot of other cultures
◼
►
and that like father Christmas used to
◼
►
be like a different thing but now and
◼
►
for the life of everyone who has been
◼
►
alive in the UK father Christmas is just
◼
►
like a different name for Santa like
◼
►
it's one of the thousand names of Santa
◼
►
yeah but I feel like I don't understand
◼
►
Santa Claus political ideas I think this
◼
►
is why it's an interesting question if
◼
►
Santa Claus was taken from his cushy
◼
►
life in the North Pole right and he's
◼
►
and he's one day of work a year yeah how
◼
►
would he run the world
◼
►
this I think is the burning question
◼
►
said of Claus sees everything but he's
◼
►
not all-powerful presumably in the
◼
►
situation he has an army right he's a
◼
►
dictator he has keys that he needs to
◼
►
keep him power I feel like I would keep
◼
►
the democracy you know anything Santa
◼
►
could hold it together I just think that
◼
►
even if you have the power of all-seeing
◼
►
sight and all-knowing like a
◼
►
dictatorship is a okay so if we're
◼
►
taking Santa Claus and we're putting him
◼
►
in the real world and he's in charge of
◼
►
a dictatorship I feel like it's still a
◼
►
dangerous and precarious situation that
◼
►
even if you have the power of seeing
◼
►
I'm not going to trust that to last a
◼
►
long time or to always be able to do
◼
►
good things even if that is the
◼
►
intention of Santa Claus so I'm gonna
◼
►
stick with the democracy instead of a
◼
►
dictatorship run by Santa there's just
◼
►
so much goodwill towards Santa Claus now
◼
►
you can't imagine anyone ever trying to
◼
►
overthrow him it's Santa he's got a
◼
►
belly that shakes when he loves I guess
◼
►
that gives him plus 100 defense against
◼
►
movies like this that was that belly
◼
►
does look like so jolly knows who's
◼
►
gonna throw our Santa yeah but one of
◼
►
his powers is not like a reality
◼
►
distortion field like if if he came with
◼
►
like a foundation style like you will
◼
►
love me ability like then that's a
◼
►
different story but I feel like his
◼
►
primary power is being able to read the
◼
►
minds of everyone simultaneously and
◼
►
it's like I wonder if he'd get elected
◼
►
if he ran for office in a democracy I'm
◼
►
pretty sure Santa would win by a
◼
►
landslide he'd get most of the popular
◼
►
fight but he might get undone by the
◼
►
yeah but I wouldn't mind having some
◼
►
checks and balances on Santa Claus like
◼
►
that's the difference here you can win
◼
►
an election but maybe not just we're
◼
►
gonna hand you the keys to power
◼
►
entirely do you use your imagination
◼
►
I know dreamings of a favorite topic
◼
►
yours I don't understand what that
◼
►
question means yeah I don't really
◼
►
either I just saw a dream and thought
◼
►
other nope oh great yeah let's I feel
◼
►
like that's a meaningless question if
◼
►
you do something wrong when you are
◼
►
should you feel less guilty than if you
◼
►
had done it stone-cold sober oh you got
◼
►
to answer this one Brady you answer this
◼
►
one because I I feel like this is such a
◼
►
this gets like the core of the universe
◼
►
this question here I don't know the
◼
►
answer to that you don't know the answer
◼
►
to that I think you know you were
◼
►
equipped with less tools to make a good
◼
►
decision right but you took those tools
◼
►
away from yourself when you decided to
◼
►
have a bunch of drinks yeah it's a bit
◼
►
like oh I was driving a car while
◼
►
blindfolded no this was like huh I guess
◼
►
it's less your fault that you got into
◼
►
an accident but you put on a blindfold
◼
►
it's like if you're still gonna find
◼
►
fault there yeah with this question the
◼
►
reason why I really stumble over it is
◼
►
because if I were to disassemble this
◼
►
question I think this question is
◼
►
actually asking if you were to change
◼
►
the nature of you are you as responsible
◼
►
for your actions that very quickly gets
◼
►
into it a thing where it's like it's
◼
►
hard to know what to even say and this
◼
►
like if you've changed yourself to be a
◼
►
different person are you still
◼
►
responsible like yes and kind of know it
◼
►
it's I think this is why the law
◼
►
wrestles put this subject as well I
◼
►
can't come down solidly on this I will
◼
►
just say get something on the record
◼
►
here there's a thing people do that I
◼
►
think is a bad habit that people should
◼
►
get out of I think some people have the
◼
►
idea that like when they're interacting
◼
►
with someone who is drunk that somehow
◼
►
that is the true person and I feel like
◼
►
that is a strange and bad idea to have
◼
►
in people's minds that they feel like oh
◼
►
when the person gets drunk it's like the
◼
►
veil is lifted onto the inner core of
◼
►
the person the filters are removed yeah
◼
►
that very concept of like oh you're
◼
►
saying the things that you would say or
◼
►
that you you are thinking but now we can
◼
►
all see it because you're drunk I feel
◼
►
like that is a bad idea for people to
◼
►
have in their minds I think it's
◼
►
nonsensical like you're dealing with the
◼
►
person who's essentially a different
◼
►
person now it's not like you're seeing
◼
►
the core of the real person I think
◼
►
that's a a strange and unhelpful idea
◼
►
that lots of people seem to have I do I
◼
►
think it's a strange thing to think it
◼
►
might be a wrong thing to think but I
◼
►
I see logic to it but it's kind of like
◼
►
if someone were to take a bunch of LSD
◼
►
like would you feel like you're seeing
◼
►
the core of the person while they're
◼
►
high on LSD I don't think people would
◼
►
think that I think people have a concept
◼
►
that oh this is a person whose mind has
◼
►
now been dramatically changed I feel
◼
►
like we just don't have that same
◼
►
concept with something like alcohol
◼
►
that's true but it's also true that for
◼
►
example you may know things or have
◼
►
opinions that you don't share with me
◼
►
because you don't want to hurt my
◼
►
feelings or you don't want me to find
◼
►
out for various reasons and your
◼
►
intellect is telling you that and if
◼
►
that was taken away from you temporarily
◼
►
I could have access to that information
◼
►
I'm not saying that would tell me
◼
►
anything little true.you but it would be
◼
►
like I would find out information I
◼
►
might not know otherwise I guess maybe
◼
►
that is where that idea comes from
◼
►
certain people can let something slip in
◼
►
a coherent way while they're drinking
◼
►
yeah that in LSD like all that's gonna
◼
►
happen is if someone's gonna be hugging
◼
►
you and telling you how you're a
◼
►
beautiful butterfly and we're all one
◼
►
with the universe and you're like okay
◼
►
man like it's great but they're not like
◼
►
yeah spilling their secrets okay I
◼
►
retract strange but I stand by unhelpful
◼
►
yes is vandalizing a speed camera the
◼
►
same as vandalizing a lifebuoy by a
◼
►
river but okay right you could you could
◼
►
vandalize a speed camera so that
◼
►
government can't give a bunch of fines
◼
►
two people for speeding okay
◼
►
or you could vandalize like a lifebuoy
◼
►
by the river which is really handy
◼
►
because it would save people's lives are
◼
►
those two acts of vandalism equally bad
◼
►
do you mean like there's buoys that mark
◼
►
where you're not supposed to swim past
◼
►
no I think like a ring that you would
◼
►
throw out to someone to help them if
◼
►
they were drowning okay yeah presume by
◼
►
vandalize it like you've made it
◼
►
non-functional yes not like you've drawn
◼
►
a naughty picture on it no I feel like
◼
►
vandalizing that the buoy is way worse I
◼
►
think that's where the question is
◼
►
leading one I'm trying like why do I
◼
►
feel like the buoy is worse and like the
◼
►
direct one-on-one nature makes it feel
◼
►
worse like you've fallen off of a cruise
◼
►
ship into the ocean someone goes to
◼
►
throw you a lifeline and lol it falls to
◼
►
pieces because some kid is have slashed
◼
►
it to bits that feels like it like a
◼
►
doubly bad situation while the Spade
◼
►
camera while it can be life-saving
◼
►
indirectly it's not quite say directly
◼
►
life-saving and it is also revenue
◼
►
raising for the government what do you
◼
►
know it's surely not those things aren't
◼
►
used for revenue I also feel like
◼
►
there's a there's a vandalizing the
◼
►
speed camera is less bad because the
◼
►
speed cameras work because there are a
◼
►
lot of them it's like you're attacking a
◼
►
single node in a network and the
◼
►
speed-camera its presence or absence is
◼
►
not necessarily going to have a big
◼
►
impact on does someone speed a lot or
◼
►
not but the fact that there are a
◼
►
hundred speed cameras in the city on
◼
►
average may have some kind of
◼
►
suppression effect although like even
◼
►
how effective that is may be debatable
◼
►
but like somebody drowning and reaching
◼
►
out for a floating thing and the
◼
►
floating thing breaks there's no debate
◼
►
about that that's just undeniably bad
◼
►
and in a very clear and direct way so
◼
►
yeah it's like a speed camera is like a
◼
►
politician no one likes it but it's kind
◼
►
of necessary whereas the life boy is
◼
►
like father Christmas everyone likes
◼
►
about the Christmas right yeah okay yep
◼
►
well perfect that's a perfect analogy so
◼
►
here's a question you won't hear me
◼
►
asking gray where do you go to register
◼
►
domain names for current and upcoming
◼
►
projects and that's because the answer
◼
►
is obvious if you need a name on the web
◼
►
register it with hover that's HOV er
◼
►
sorry about my english pronunciation of
◼
►
father and by the way if you have any
◼
►
other domain names already registered
◼
►
you should probably look into moving
◼
►
them over to hover as well because it's
◼
►
the best one-stop-shop for managing web
◼
►
domains I have a bunch there already I
◼
►
know gray does too some for current
◼
►
projects some for upcoming future ideas
◼
►
maybe something I'm planning to do maybe
◼
►
a year or two down the line but I know I
◼
►
want the name now those future domain
◼
►
names by the way don't have to lay
◼
►
dormant you can easily redirect them in
◼
►
the interim for example if you've got a
◼
►
plan to maybe one day you do a lawfully
◼
►
approved base jump from the mighty black
◼
►
stump you might want to register black
◼
►
stump base jump com but until you get
◼
►
approval from Adelaide City Council for
◼
►
this audacious stunt you might have the
◼
►
domain just redirect to another website
◼
►
of your previous base-jumping adventures
◼
►
now hover is definitely the place to do
◼
►
this I cannot tell you how clean and
◼
►
easier is to use no upsells no confusing
◼
►
faff enos that you always see with these
◼
►
domain dealers and when you finally do
◼
►
want to use that domain you've got your
◼
►
website or service all sorted out that
◼
►
you want they make it so easy to attach
◼
►
the domain to the website they've got
◼
►
all the steps there I've done it a few
◼
►
times now I was really impressed how
◼
►
they hold your hand through the process
◼
►
really good stuff they have all the
◼
►
extensions you could want from classics
◼
►
like comm through tada FM for that
◼
►
all-important podcast you're planning
◼
►
and as a hello Internet listener you can
◼
►
get 10% off your first purchase you do
◼
►
that by going to hover.com
◼
►
/h I when you do that they'll
◼
►
automatically put the promo code hello
◼
►
Internet and when you checkout that's
◼
►
10% off by going to hover.com /h I now
◼
►
thanks to them for supporting the
◼
►
podcast seriously check them out can you
◼
►
think of two things at the same time I
◼
►
bet you like that question that comes
◼
►
down to what do you mean by the word
◼
►
think I'm just reading the words what do
◼
►
you think do you think two things at the
◼
►
same time in your head I don't think so
◼
►
consciously like conscious deliberate
◼
►
thought right I mean obviously I can
◼
►
talk to you in juggle at the same time
◼
►
right but I don't know I don't know how
◼
►
the brain works I know that's the thing
◼
►
on the other end of this microphone we
◼
►
know like oh well let me pull out my PhD
◼
►
in brain like nope I don't know how
◼
►
brains work either like just a dude on
◼
►
the internet who's made a video about
◼
►
brains like I don't know I'm never aware
◼
►
of thinking two things at the same time
◼
►
that's for sure you're at your lack of
◼
►
internal monologue I also find weird but
◼
►
um okay so thinking two things at the
◼
►
same time what I'm thinking here is I
◼
►
can talk to you right now
◼
►
while I am visualizing an elephant in my
◼
►
brain like does that count about as
◼
►
thinking two things at the same time to
◼
►
me though maybe I'm wrong about this but
◼
►
when you're visualizing the elephant and
◼
►
talking to me you're not actually doing
◼
►
two things at the same time you're just
◼
►
jumping between the two things over a
◼
►
microsecond by microsecond you think
◼
►
you're switching back and forth between
◼
►
the two mm-hmm I think at the exact
◼
►
moment you're actually thinking of the
◼
►
clever thing you want to say to me you
◼
►
using the elephant yeah this also gets
◼
►
really to the core of like I'm not
◼
►
convinced that talking is thinking
◼
►
because talking seems to be a thing that
◼
►
just happens certainly for us in ninety
◼
►
five episodes of like I mean going to
◼
►
the very very core of like what we
◼
►
started talking about the beginning of
◼
►
this podcast I like to talk about this
◼
►
as a topic with creative people but it
◼
►
is a thing that you can make people
◼
►
aware of just in their regular life
◼
►
which is like just pay attention while
◼
►
you're talking and you will realize you
◼
►
have no idea how you're doing it it's
◼
►
just a thing that happens and that even
◼
►
when you think you're thinking about
◼
►
talking like you don't know where those
◼
►
thoughts like it is just an automatic
◼
►
process and there is something about
◼
►
that realization which is absolutely
◼
►
terrifying and it is ten times
◼
►
terrifying when say like you do a
◼
►
podcast for a living because you have to
◼
►
come like face to face with the concept
◼
►
of one of the core things that you do
◼
►
you fundamentally have no idea how you
◼
►
do it it just happens this is what I
◼
►
mean like the question very quickly gets
◼
►
to the concept of like what is thinking
◼
►
because I feel like I could easily say
◼
►
that talking isn't any kind of thinking
◼
►
that there's not any thinking that's
◼
►
occurring while talking is happening and
◼
►
that visualizing an elephant to me seems
◼
►
like this is what thinking is or closing
◼
►
my mouth and then listening to the
◼
►
internal dialogue in my head that that's
◼
►
what thinking is and then if you're like
◼
►
okay thinking is the words that you hear
◼
►
in your head is like well then that's
◼
►
very clear there's only ever one voice
◼
►
talking in your head and if that's what
◼
►
thoughts are then no it's not possible
◼
►
to think about two things at once there
◼
►
is a component to conversation that
◼
►
obviously isn't talking but there is
◼
►
that part of you where you're thinking
◼
►
about what you will say next and you're
◼
►
even anticipating what that person will
◼
►
then say to what you're going to say so
◼
►
conversation is obviously very full of
◼
►
thought but yeah the actual talking part
◼
►
when you actually like put the foot down
◼
►
on the talking accelerator yeah it does
◼
►
become very strangely automated is
◼
►
something I think I think I've mentioned
◼
►
this in how they were internet before
◼
►
but I noticed it again the other day
◼
►
actually and I don't know whether I've
◼
►
Eve ever told me if it happens to you
◼
►
but if you happen to for some reason
◼
►
ever hear an old piece of you podcasting
◼
►
do you find you always almost know
◼
►
exactly what you're gonna say next and
◼
►
not because you remember what you said
◼
►
but just because you're so predictable
◼
►
in your head like sometimes when I hear
◼
►
at a conversation that I've had with you
◼
►
in the past like the silly joke or the
◼
►
question that I ask next and other thing
◼
►
I say I very often anticipate and I
◼
►
don't think it's because I remember the
◼
►
conversation because I don't I think
◼
►
it's just because I'm so so predictable
◼
►
when I'm done with these episodes I
◼
►
don't think I have ever listened to a
◼
►
hello internet episode after it's gone
◼
►
live unless I'm preparing for a show
◼
►
yeah but even then I haven't done that
◼
►
very recently but what I do have is a
◼
►
thing when I am editing let's say that
◼
►
the only thing I'm doing is I'm looking
◼
►
at the screen I'm looking at the
◼
►
waveforms I'm editing the podcast
◼
►
especially when I'm doing it for the
◼
►
first time so I'm listening to the raw
◼
►
conversation exactly as it happened hmm
◼
►
I'm aware that I can get almost caught
◼
►
in a weird loop where I don't know how
◼
►
to describe it but it's almost like my
◼
►
brain is just like a wagon going
◼
►
westward in these really well-worn
◼
►
tracks and there's no ability to even
◼
►
turn off the tracks mm-hmm it's
◼
►
sometimes the thing I have to kind of
◼
►
break out of or it's like what happened
◼
►
to me I feel like I just disappeared and
◼
►
this conversation is happening through
◼
►
my brain and my brain is just this very
◼
►
predictable machine which is like
◼
►
repeating the exact things that it is
◼
►
saying in the past like it's it's very
◼
►
hard to describe but it does feel like I
◼
►
lose myself and can kind of forget that
◼
►
I'm supposed to be here editing a
◼
►
podcast it's more like my brain has gone
◼
►
on some kind of autopilot because it's
◼
►
receiving the exact same inputs and
◼
►
hearing the exact same outputs that it
◼
►
would produce so I think this is a
◼
►
similar experience to what you're
◼
►
talking about but it's just yeah I think
◼
►
so too I intentionally especially when
◼
►
I'm doing the first edit I intentionally
◼
►
want to have something visual to do
◼
►
which is very often like playing a video
◼
►
game because it helps
◼
►
keep me actually more focused on the
◼
►
conversation I think that that's that's
◼
►
part of it is like break this little
◼
►
self-similar pattern by having something
◼
►
else that you're paying attention to
◼
►
that's like I can hear the podcast more
◼
►
clearly when I'm visually doing
◼
►
something else and I think that's part
◼
►
of the reason why I was gonna slightly
◼
►
modify this next question just to tone
◼
►
it down but I think it's kind of it's
◼
►
starkness and harshness is what makes
◼
►
the question work so I'm gonna read it
◼
►
as printed go for it would you accept a
◼
►
heart transplant from a rapist
◼
►
I mean I'm dying here right yeah I
◼
►
presume you like at doing it recreation
◼
►
yeah like it's not recreational heart
◼
►
transplant surgery yeah um yeah I would
◼
►
do that I would have no problem with
◼
►
that because I feel like it is a piece
◼
►
of meat I wouldn't accept a brain
◼
►
transplant from a rapist but like if we
◼
►
could take a rapist and cut him up into
◼
►
all the different pieces and distribute
◼
►
them all to people and you could save
◼
►
lives with those pieces like I don't see
◼
►
well let me ask her another question
◼
►
that's a good answer let me change the
◼
►
question on you hmm if a rapist died and
◼
►
left all their money to you in their
◼
►
will and the money wasn't gained by
◼
►
illegal means right would you accept the
◼
►
money from a rapist yes that's an easier
◼
►
one and I would say no but money's money
◼
►
like heart is a mate yeah your heart is
◼
►
made a lot isn't it is the Reese yes
◼
►
that is true you can use that as the
◼
►
title of the episode if you like oh
◼
►
you're doing the episode title fishing
◼
►
while we're doing it now that's that's
◼
►
terrible radiation I'm thinking of
◼
►
multiple things at once it you shouldn't
◼
►
be doing metacognition on the podcast
◼
►
will holder recording I was also
◼
►
imagining an elephant as I said the
◼
►
distinction here is okay so I I I'm
◼
►
gonna take your modification modify it
◼
►
again yeah I am a popper in need of
◼
►
life-saving surgery that I cannot pay
◼
►
for and a rapist dies and leaves me his
◼
►
money that I can use to pay for the
◼
►
surgery would I use the money to pay for
◼
►
the surgery yes even if it was
◼
►
ill-gotten money even if it was
◼
►
ill-gotten money I would use the money
◼
►
that had been left to me yeah presumably
◼
►
that this is like not an illegal
◼
►
situation I don't know exactly how that
◼
►
works no no yeah that no you're right
◼
►
you're not breaking the law
◼
►
right if I am not breaking the law and
◼
►
like a rapist leaves me some money that
◼
►
on a surgery to save my own life I would
◼
►
totally do that but the situation is now
◼
►
it's like I am CGP grey podcaster
◼
►
YouTube creator video game live streamer
◼
►
dog walker dog well that's dog walker
◼
►
actually by sheer number of hours that
◼
►
is now my heart is profession probably
◼
►
in that situation like a rapist dies and
◼
►
leaves me some money like that is just
◼
►
going immediately to a like a woman
◼
►
shelter right like I'm just redirecting
◼
►
that money straight away it's like yeah
◼
►
yeah money is money but the reason that
◼
►
the original scenario works is because
◼
►
it's a question about like saving your
◼
►
life it's nade yeah it's what you see
◼
►
it's innate must yeah that's what makes
◼
►
the the difference in that scenario
◼
►
fair answer would you brainy I am a bit
◼
►
squeamish about accepting a heart
◼
►
transplant rapist but I am also a bit
◼
►
squeamish about dying from heart disease
◼
►
when I don't have to so the eternal void
◼
►
that'll wait - yeah - bit squeamish
◼
►
about that if someone changed your life
◼
►
by lying to you would it be a good Act
◼
►
mmm God I say yes here's a problem I
◼
►
have with that quite the the phrasing of
◼
►
that question yeah this reminds me of
◼
►
like sometimes in movies when you you
◼
►
are given the like the all-seeing
◼
►
perspective and you know something for
◼
►
sure and when you're watching it like
◼
►
that changes how you perceive characters
◼
►
in a movie it's like oh but you know for
◼
►
sure this thing did or did not happen so
◼
►
I feel like that question is starting
◼
►
out by positing there like this will for
◼
►
sure always be a net positive if this
◼
►
person lies to you and I feel like the
◼
►
real world is much more complicated than
◼
►
that but I under the premise that this
◼
►
question is asking I think the answer is
◼
►
is yes but I'm I'm very hesitant to say
◼
►
that as like social stamp of approval
◼
►
for lying to make people feel better
◼
►
exactly I think the answer is yes but
◼
►
they took a tremendous risk I think
◼
►
there are far far fewer situations where
◼
►
even things like White Lies but like
◼
►
lying to make someone better I think
◼
►
there are fewer ways that actual
◼
►
works then people think it works right
◼
►
that's why I feel hesitant about this
◼
►
just because it's like I don't want
◼
►
people to hear me like writing a check
◼
►
that I'm not really going to cash I'm
◼
►
agreeing under very narrow circumstances
◼
►
this next question is a bit similar to
◼
►
something we've already discussed and
◼
►
it's also high-stakes trolley problem
◼
►
here no no no the trolley problem if you
◼
►
could save the planet by wiping out half
◼
►
the population of the human race should
◼
►
you wait the planet I don't know I guess
◼
►
they're saying is it ok to kill half the
◼
►
humans in the world if they're all going
◼
►
to die otherwise do you mean the planet
◼
►
like we're saving Mother Earth because
◼
►
I'm not real interested in that but is
◼
►
my alternative we can move everybody to
◼
►
Mars and not save the planet and like ah
◼
►
well whatever it's just like Antarctica
◼
►
into the sea it goes ok yeah so you're
◼
►
taking the planet a bit as just at the
◼
►
rock but like if the question is would
◼
►
you kill half of everybody to save
◼
►
everybody like I can barely understand
◼
►
how the answer could possibly be no I
◼
►
wouldn't do that well some people would
◼
►
take the position that it's not my role
◼
►
to kill other humans yet alone half the
◼
►
humans so if we're all going to die so
◼
►
be it it was God's will well you know
◼
►
you you can die with them or you can die
◼
►
for them that makes no sound like we're
◼
►
all going to die anyway if you can just
◼
►
have half the people die and half the
◼
►
people survive that is obviously better
◼
►
the problem I have with this as well as
◼
►
like once you start talking about the
◼
►
complete extinction of everybody it's
◼
►
like a tragedy without any parallel when
◼
►
you talk about like the complete
◼
►
extinction of conscious human experience
◼
►
from the universe there's like nothing
◼
►
you can possibly put on the opposite end
◼
►
of that scale except for maybe a puppy
◼
►
it's just too big it's hard to imagine
◼
►
anything that could counterbalance that
◼
►
should your estate own the emails in
◼
►
oh I thought you just say yes of course
◼
►
next question it's funny I have had this
◼
►
is like a thing for the show for a while
◼
►
back I think this there is so much
◼
►
weirdness in the digital world around
◼
►
people dying I think the answer is
◼
►
legally it is the case that like you
◼
►
your emails and things become just part
◼
►
of it but there's I read awhile back
◼
►
like Facebook has this whole process
◼
►
about like memorializing pages and you
◼
►
know what is the process for when
◼
►
someone dies on Facebook like what is
◼
►
going to happen like your estate might
◼
►
CGP graves personal emails are really
◼
►
like saucy and interesting or
◼
►
controversial we could turn these into a
◼
►
book and squeeze another five hundred
◼
►
thousand pounds out of his estate mm-hmm
◼
►
and that's not very fair on you because
◼
►
when you died you didn't want that to
◼
►
happen they were like your conversations
◼
►
yeah they should just like disappear
◼
►
like you have not be capitalized and
◼
►
used and manipulated and liquidated and
◼
►
I may be a little extreme in this
◼
►
position but I feel very strongly that a
◼
►
lot of our digital lives should be
◼
►
treated the same way that we treat
◼
►
thoughts in our heads yeah I know that
◼
►
that is not practical for a whole bunch
◼
►
of reasons but that is partly why like I
◼
►
pause there because there's something
◼
►
about like there's something about that
◼
►
question that feels a little bit like
◼
►
when you die should the complete record
◼
►
of all of the thoughts you ever had in
◼
►
your life be available to your estate
◼
►
and it's like well of course you know in
◼
►
one sense I'm dead it doesn't really
◼
►
matter to me but on the other senses
◼
►
like wow it feels like an incredible
◼
►
invasion so much of an invasion that
◼
►
even though I will be dead it's like
◼
►
while I'm alive that would that would
◼
►
feel like whoa I can't believe this is
◼
►
going to happen so it's been weighing
◼
►
down on you because I was gonna say
◼
►
you're dead surely you don't care but
◼
►
you're saying it's weighed down on you
◼
►
while you're alive so much that it
◼
►
shouldn't have been the case there's
◼
►
also a society question here like should
◼
►
the record of everyone's thoughts be
◼
►
available when that person dies and like
◼
►
I'm not sure that would be good for
◼
►
I guess there is something about this
◼
►
which I just feel like a large number of
◼
►
like the stuff that lives on a person's
◼
►
phone is very similar in my head to the
◼
►
stuff that lives in the person's brain
◼
►
and you in the course of your life are
◼
►
making decisions about what parts of
◼
►
that do you want to externalize or not
◼
►
you take a picture of say an adorable
◼
►
Audrey and then you make a decision
◼
►
about whether or not that adorable
◼
►
Audrey photo is going to be for you or
◼
►
it's going to be for the world on
◼
►
Instagram and the state question there
◼
►
feels like does the world or your does
◼
►
your estate get to have access to all of
◼
►
the Audrey photos that you took and made
◼
►
some decision about keeping for you
◼
►
during the course of your life as
◼
►
opposed to just the ones that you decide
◼
►
to put out in the world there so and I
◼
►
don't have a good answer but I think
◼
►
that I think the legal answer is yes
◼
►
this question like on the face of it
◼
►
might be one way you say oh I'm not
◼
►
going there but maybe otherwise should
◼
►
stupid people be prevented from voting
◼
►
I'm happy to go there my position on
◼
►
this is if we lived in a perfect world
◼
►
only people who are informed on the
◼
►
topic should be voting on that topic but
◼
►
I can't conceive of any way in the real
◼
►
world you could implement anything like
◼
►
that that wouldn't be worse than the
◼
►
problem you're trying to solve so I'm
◼
►
gonna give a hard no on preventing
◼
►
stupid people from voting because I just
◼
►
think that there's not anything that you
◼
►
could do that doesn't just immediately
◼
►
become another tool in the like
◼
►
gerrymandering voter suppression arsenal
◼
►
of politics here's a here's my question
◼
►
I don't want this to come out the wrong
◼
►
way my question would be should stupid
◼
►
people be prevented from having babies I
◼
►
don't mean because they'll have like a
◼
►
dumb baby I don't mean it I mean you
◼
►
don't mean because you're like Brady
◼
►
Himmler right now no I mean it more in
◼
►
the context of they could be bad parents
◼
►
I sometimes say really bad parenting and
◼
►
I I guess what I sometimes think is
◼
►
shouldn't people like have to get a
◼
►
license for this like they do get a
◼
►
license to drive a car we have to maybe
◼
►
a better way to ask the question that
◼
►
would upset less people would be should
◼
►
stupid people be allowed to have puppies
◼
►
because that's getting to the same
◼
►
problem at slightly lower stakes but I
◼
►
sometimes think people have been given
◼
►
responsibility for things in the world
◼
►
at a time when they don't seem equipped
◼
►
to exercise that responsibility it seems
◼
►
crazy to me that you you don't even have
◼
►
to just like take a like a course like
◼
►
an evening class or anything before you
◼
►
have a baby the shame of this problem
◼
►
has a lot of the same issues of like
◼
►
preventing stupid people from vote which
◼
►
is like oh the details of this system
◼
►
really matter here's the thing I'm not
◼
►
even convinced that an evening course in
◼
►
parenting would teach anybody anything