Actually After Hours #2: Coming to America with Joel Becker

Actually After Hours #2: Coming to America with Joel Becker

Author: The 80,000 Hours team March 18, 2024 Duration: 1:30:46

You can check out the video version of this episode on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFEb8ICWJQQ

In this episode of our new podcast project, Matt Reardon, Bella Forristal, and Arden Koehler sit down with Joel Becker to find out what’s great about America, what was not so great about FTX, and invite you to port back to the time when Arden might have been CEO.

You can learn more about Joel's current projects at https://joel-becker.com/ and follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/joel_bkr

Here's where to find episode #100 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast on dealing with anxiety, depression, and imposter syndrome: https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/depression-anxiety-imposter-syndrome/

Matt also beseeches you to listen to Joe Carlsmith already: https://joecarlsmith.substack.com/archive

You can also find Joel’s best friend and Matt’s former flatmate Mr. Mushu at https://www.instagram.com/its_mr.mushu/

Further topics include:

  • All possible reasons militate in favour of moving to America
  • American politics being justified in its savagery
  • Joel’s review of our famous podcast on depression and anxiety
  • The FTX fellows and visitors programme in the Bahamas
  • The [vampiric?] energy of America
  • Is sports net negative?
  • Living in filth and eschewing the typical mind fallacy
  • How much should we be working on our meta-preferences?
  • Arden on being CEO of 80,000 Hours
  • Ruminating on the powers of non-aphantastics
  • Why do kids want to draw?
  • Are people sleeping on crayons?
  • Our favourite foundational EA materials

From the team behind 80,000 Hours comes 80k After Hours, a companion podcast that ventures beyond the main feed's structured career advice. Here, the researchers and producers gather for more informal, wide-ranging conversations that reflect their ongoing curiosities. You'll hear discussions that dig into the nuances of effective altruism, grapple with complex ideas in philosophy and policy, and explore unexpected topics in culture and science-all through the lens of how we might better understand and improve the world. The tone is conversational and exploratory, often feeling like you're listening in on a lively lunch debate among experts who don't take themselves too seriously. While the core mission of finding impactful ways to do good remains, this podcast allows for the tangents, personal reflections, and deeper dives that don't always fit a standard format. It’s a space for the team to think out loud, test arguments, and share the interesting, sometimes quirky, material they're engaging with in their own work. For listeners of the main show, it offers valuable background and new perspectives; for newcomers, it provides an accessible entry point into a community of ideas focused on practical problem-solving and self improvement. Tune in for a blend of thoughtful documentary-style analysis, societal deep dives, and candid chats that aim to be both intellectually substantive and genuinely enjoyable.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

80k After Hours
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