Podcast Summary
Join Dr. Bret Weinstein and Dr. Heying on Locals for exclusive content: Listeners can get a free month on Locals using code 'dark horse 1 month', accessing past conversations, Q&A sessions, guest podcasts, and Discord.
The hosts of the Dark Horse Podcast, Dr. Bret Weinstein and Dr. Heather Heying, encourage their audience to join them on Locals using the code "dark horse 1 month" for a free month. They discussed the benefits of joining, including access to their past conversations, Q&A sessions, guest podcasts, and the Discord. They also mentioned upcoming content before three sponsored ads. The first sponsor, American Hartford Gold, is a precious metals dealer that helps individuals protect their wealth by diversifying with physical gold and silver. The second sponsor, Seed, is a probiotic designed to actually work, improving gut health and supporting overall wellness. The third sponsor, Thrive Market, offers organic and natural products at affordable prices, making healthy living more accessible.
Daily supplement and mission-based food company improving health and well-being: Seed offers a gut health supplement with 24 clinically studied strains for digestive relief and immune support, while Maui Nui Venison provides nutrient-dense red meat from free-roaming deer on volcanic soils, supporting ecosystems and communities.
Seed's daily symbiotic is a gut health supplement that offers numerous benefits, including relief from digestive discomfort, bloating, and constipation, as well as supporting gut immune function, fat breakdown, and clear skin. It's also broad spectrum probiotic and prebiotic, formulated with 24 clinically or scientifically studied strains. Seed is free from 14 major classes of allergens and is travel-friendly since it doesn't require refrigeration. Maui Nui Venison, on the other hand, is a mission-based food company offering nutrient-dense and protein-dense red meat. The deer live on volcanic rich soils, supporting remarkable plant diversity, and engage in true wild grazing. Maui Nui Venison is environmentally and socially responsible, as they help restore balance to vulnerable ecosystems and communities in Hawaii by harvesting a limited number of deer in a stress-free and humane way. They also donate meat to Hawaiian communities with food insecurity. Both Seed and Maui Nui Venison offer unique and impactful solutions to improve overall health and well-being.
The Value of Informational Advantages: Informational advantages, such as insider info or the ability to slow down awareness, can be exploited for profit or power, disrupting societal progress. Transparency and fairness in info access are crucial.
We are currently living in a "dark age" where it's increasingly uncertain what is true, and this is due in part to informational advantages some people hold over others. These advantages, such as insider information or the ability to slow down the awareness of others, can be used to make money or gain power. Nature, like markets, values informational advantages, which are always profitable, whether directly or indirectly. Our natural tendency to get smarter over time can be disrupted by others' desire to make us dumber, as they can then trade on this information. This discussion is a reminder of the importance of transparency and fairness in access to information. It's crucial to recognize and address the ways in which informational advantages can be used to exploit others and undermine the progress of society.
The creation of order comes with increasing chaos: Those who do their homework and upgrade their beliefs are in a better position to make sense and influence conversations
While the universe tends towards entropy, or disorder, the emergence of order, such as in living organisms or increasing complexity in information, does not violate this principle. Instead, the creation of order comes at the cost of increasing chaos or entropy in the surroundings. This concept can be applied to information and the human tendency to become smarter over time, which might seem to go against the trend towards disorder. However, there is a tension between the ease of disrupting sense-making and the advantage of being right. The luxury of being right means that those who do their homework and increase their tendency to be correct are in a better position to make sense and influence conversations. This requires a willingness to acknowledge when one is wrong and update one's beliefs accordingly. While it's impossible to be right all the time, the slight tendency to upgrade your model based on new information is essential for continued growth and learning.
The dangers of rigid rules in science: Science should be open to questioning and revision, rather than relying on outdated or limited rules as absolute truths.
Our tendency to seek out and adhere to static rules, even in the realm of science, can lead to errors and misconceptions. These rules, while initially helpful in guiding our understanding, can become outdated or limited as new information emerges. Furthermore, the entrenchment of these rules as authoritative truths can stifle progress and prevent us from truly engaging with the complexities of the world around us. The speaker argues that this rigidity is particularly problematic in the scientific community, where the pursuit of knowledge should be fluid and open to questioning. Instead, we should strive for a more nuanced and dynamic approach to understanding, one that acknowledges the limitations of our current knowledge and encourages ongoing exploration and revision.
Limits and Risks of Predictive Power: While seeking predictive power is important, it's crucial to acknowledge limitations and risks, especially on longer timescales. Use the precautionary principle and Chesterton's fence as guidelines, and be aware of black boxes in scientific work.
While striving for predictive power in models is ideal, there are limitations and risks involved, especially on longer timescales. The precautionary principle and Chesterton's fence serve as reminders that there might be unseen reasons for certain rules or phenomena. Additionally, the presence of black boxes in scientific work is acceptable as long as their existence is acknowledged and they are used responsibly, rather than as a cheat. Ultimately, there is no perfect rule for pursuing predictive power, and scientists must use heuristics while being aware of their potential pitfalls.
People's perception of well-being in closed societies: Despite anecdotal evidence suggesting dissatisfaction, it's unclear if people in closed societies truly feel that way due to survival tactics or actual conditions. Continued research is necessary for a clearer understanding.
People's perception of their well-being in closed societies, like North Korea, is a complex issue. While we may not have access to their actual thoughts, anecdotal evidence from those who have escaped suggests a high level of dissatisfaction. This could be due to the Stockholm Syndrome phenomenon, where individuals adopt the perspective of their captors to ensure their survival. This evolutionary response makes sense as human beings are wired to detect signs of well-being. In the context of being held captive, one's minute-to-minute well-being depends on the captors' sympathetic view of the individual. However, it's important to note that these perspectives may not be representative of the entire population. This raises questions about the accuracy of the information we have and the true state of mind of people living in such societies. The lack of transparency and freedom to express opinions makes it challenging to gain a clear understanding of the situation. Ultimately, the complexity of the issue highlights the importance of continued research and exploration to gain a more comprehensive understanding.
Understanding Stockholm Syndrome during the COVID crisis: Individuals can be manipulated into adopting harmful beliefs and behaviors through fear and social pressure, even if it goes against their best interests, a phenomenon known as Stockholm Syndrome.
The human mind, when under the influence of powerful forces, can lead individuals to adopt beliefs and behaviors that may not align with their best interests, even if it means accepting falsehoods or limiting their own autonomy. This phenomenon, known as Stockholm Syndrome, was evident during the COVID crisis as people were manipulated into conformity through fear and social pressure. This goes against the initial assumption that progress and intelligence would prevent individuals from deviating from a beneficial path. However, when well-being and harm are controlled by others, they may deliberately reverse the parameters to maintain their power. This insight can be applied to various situations, including historical events like Maoist China and contemporary issues like cults or authoritarian regimes. Understanding this psychological process can help us navigate complex social environments and protect our individual freedoms.
Suppressing insights in favor of false narratives: In environments where truth-telling is costly, individuals may be incentivized to conform to false narratives, a phenomenon rooted in our evolutionary past but exploited by those in power to control information and create compliance gradients.
In environments where the cost of speaking the truth is high, and the cost of conforming to a false narrative is rewarded, individuals may be incentivized to suppress their insights and embrace a pseudo-predictive model. This phenomenon, as discussed, can be traced back to our evolutionary past where understanding our environment led to better resource extraction and preservation, which in turn led to survival. However, in modern times, those in power can manipulate this gradient to control information and create a compliance gradient, leading individuals to embrace falsehoods. It's important to note that there are two levels of informational advantage: recognizing falsehoods and being insightful. The former is easier to achieve with privileged access to information, while the latter requires a program of study and a deep understanding of complex issues. The challenge lies in the fact that rent-seeking elites can disrupt our ability to make sense of the world by controlling the flow of information, but they cannot be enlightened.
The power of collective knowledge in public universities: Public universities foster truth seeking and advancements in knowledge, but access to privileged info isn't enough for survival during crises. Balance faith and science, be humble and confident, and expand knowledge through various methods.
The collective effort of a public university system has historically led to greater truth seeking and advancements in knowledge compared to private institutions working in isolation. However, having access to privileged information can provide an advantage, but it may not be enough to disrupt civilization and ensure survival during a potential catastrophe. It's crucial to maintain a balance between faith and science, humility and confidence, and be open to moving between modes as necessary. Ultimately, recognizing the limitations of our knowledge and continuously expanding it through a combination of methods is essential for navigating the complexities of our world.
The balance between confidence and humility in problem-solving: Confidence fuels belief in abilities, while humility keeps us open to new information. Finding the right balance is crucial for effective problem-solving and learning.
Both confidence and humility are essential qualities for individuals, especially in the context of problem-solving and learning new things. Confidence allows us to believe in our abilities and ideas, while humility keeps us grounded and open to new information. A good scientist, for instance, needs to switch between being excited about new discoveries and critically evaluating them. Similarly, ingredients like socialism or humility are necessary but can be overused or underused depending on the context. The key is to find the right balance and use them at the right time. Humility is not self-sabotage but an essential ingredient that should be present in our thinking process. The ratio of confidence to humility will vary depending on the domain, familiarity, and external factors.
Preventing Ideas from Reaching Their Potential: Intellectual obstructionism and double standards can hinder progress by preventing superior ideas from gaining traction. Recognize and address these obstacles to ensure all voices are heard and progress is not hindered.
Intellectual obstructionism and double standards can hinder progress and prevent superior ideas from gaining traction in various contexts. Intellectual obstructionism refers to anything that prevents an idea from being heard or reaching its full potential. One form of this is the concept of "standing," which requires one to have a certain level of authority or permission to raise an objection. However, this model can be easily abused and used to silence voices, especially when the externalities of an issue are not yet clear. Double standards, on the other hand, allow for selective enforcement of rules, creating a complex set of standards that can make it impossible for individuals to enter the conversation at the right moment. These issues can be particularly problematic in emergent conversations where the right points need to be introduced at the right time for the conversation to be smart and beneficial for all parties involved. Ultimately, it's important to recognize and address these obstacles to ensure that all voices are heard and that progress is not hindered.
Reevaluating academic barriers to entry: Arbitrary academic barriers, such as degrees and publication records, should be reconsidered for their long-term effectiveness and predictive power. Focus on effective research over time, rewarding creativity and intellectual curiosity.
The traditional barriers to entry in academic conversations, such as advanced degrees from prestigious institutions and publication records, should be reevaluated and compared to a simple rubric based on the long-term effectiveness and predictive power of research. The speaker argues that these arbitrary barriers can hinder the progress of truth and prevent the exploration of new ideas. He also criticizes the current state of academic publishing, where many papers lack clear hypotheses and are not hypothesis-driven, making it difficult to distinguish good research from irrelevant or redundant work. The speaker suggests that institutions should focus on building a system that prioritizes and rewards effective research over time, allowing for more freedom and creativity in the pursuit of knowledge. This approach would help prevent "dark ages" and "Cartesian crises" in various fields. The ultimate goal is to create a system that fosters the discovery of truth and encourages intellectual curiosity and innovation.
The Pursuit of Predictive Power vs. the Pursuit of Truth: Universities prioritize grants, publications, and other metrics over the pursuit of truth, creating a culture where scientists may hesitate to challenge the status quo, even if it could lead to important discoveries.
The drive for predictive power in scientific research, while valuable, can be counterproductive when it comes to academic advancement, particularly during tenure reviews. This is because universities often prioritize grants, publications, and other metrics over the pursuit of truth, even if it goes against the conventional wisdom. This can create a culture where scientists are hesitant to challenge the status quo, even if it could lead to important discoveries. This was illustrated using the example of a climate scientist who found an anomaly in the data used to support the climate crisis narrative. By speaking out about the potential issues with the data, they could face pushback from their peers and even threats to their tenure. This dynamic can create an environment that resembles a "dark age" of scientific inquiry, where the pursuit of funding and prestige takes precedence over the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.
The importance of understanding the origins of Covid-19 and the validity of treatments and vaccines: Stay informed and demand transparency to prevent future deceptions and harms from vaccines and treatments based on potential misinformation about Covid-19 origins
The understanding of the origins of Covid-19 and the validity of certain treatments and vaccines have been subjects of intense debate, with many people becoming aware of potential deceptions and consequences in these areas. The consensus on the lab leak theory as the most likely origin of SARS-CoV-2 was a significant shift, but recent attempts to rewrite the narrative and downplay the lab leak theory are concerning. If the truth about these matters is suppressed or distorted, it can have far-reaching implications, including unnecessary risks and harms from vaccines and the denial of effective treatments. It's crucial that we remain vigilant and demand transparency to prevent similar deceptions in the future.
Manipulating Scientific Consensus: Scientific consensus can be easily manipulated, undermining trust in institutions and the importance of track records. Institutions themselves can contribute to this problem by revising conclusions or pretending to hold different positions.
The public's acceptance of scientific consensus can be easily manipulated and reversed, even when there is a well-established track record. The discussion highlighted the case of a scientific debate where the consensus was that a laboratory origin was the most likely explanation, but there has been a recent surge in attempts to revise this conclusion and promote natural origins instead. This reversal is problematic as it undermines the trust in scientific institutions and the importance of track records in ensuring progress. The institutions themselves can also be part of the problem, as they may attempt to revise their conclusions or even pretend they held a different position in order to maintain their power and credibility. This behavior is detrimental to the public's well-being and should be closely monitored and addressed.
Join Locals for intimate Q&A sessions with the group: Engage with the group on Locals for exclusive content and live chats, use code 'dark horse 1 month' for a free month.
The group is encouraging their audience to engage with their content on Locals, a social media platform, where they hold regular Q&A sessions. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, from environmental issues to leadership and beyond. By joining Locals and using the code "dark horse 1 month," listeners can access these intimate conversations and engage with the group and other audience members in real time. The benefits of joining Locals include access to exclusive content and the ability to follow and engage in live chats. The group also expressed gratitude to their sponsors, American Hartford Gold and Seed, and Maui Nui Venison. They will be taking a break from public appearances until April 17th, but will continue to provide content on Locals in the meantime. Overall, the message is to join Locals, engage with the community, and support the group's sponsors.
