Marcus Davis on Rethink Priorities

Marcus Davis on Rethink Priorities

Author: The 80,000 Hours team December 13, 2022 Duration: 1:00:54

In this episode of 80k After Hours, Rob Wiblin interviews Marcus Davis about Rethink Priorities.

Links to learn more, highlights and full transcript.

They cover:

  • Interventions to help wild animal
  • Aquatic noise
  • Rethink Priorities strategy
  • Mistakes that RP has made since it was founded
  • Careers in global priorities research
  • And the most surprising thing Marcus has learned at RP


Who this episode is for:

  • People who want to learn about Rethink Priorities
  • People interested in a career in global priorities research
  • People open to novel ways to help wild animals

Who this episode isn’t for:

  • People who think global priorities research sounds boring
  • People who want to host very loud concerts under the sea

Click here to read Rethink Priorities’ Leadership Statement on the FTX situation.


Get this episode by subscribing to our more experimental podcast on the world’s most pressing problems and how to solve them: type ‘80k After Hours’ into your podcasting app. Or read the transcript below.


Producer: Keiran Harris
Audio mastering: Milo McGuire and Ben Cordell
Transcriptions: Katy Moore


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
Podcast Episodes
Actually After Hours #1: Bean Counting with Chana Messinger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:25
Matt, Bella, and Cody sit down with Chana Messinger to find out what she does, how to insulate ourselves from harsh realities, and whether pub trivia is complete waste of time.You can find Chana’s long-defunct blog at: h…
Career review: AI safety technical research [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
In this episode of 80k After Hours, Benjamin Hilton reads his AI safety technical research career review.Here’s the original piece if you’d like to learn more.You might also want to check out:The AI safety starter packOu…