Episode · Modern Wisdom · 2021-04-10
Chris Williamson & Thomas Moynihan: books mentioned on Modern Wisdom #306
A History Of Existential Risk - Thomas Moynihan - #306
Thomas Moynihan is a historian and an author. Humans may have only had the ability to destroy ourselves for the last hundred years or so, but thinkers have been hypothesising about the potential end of existence for thousands of years.
Thomas Moynihan discussed Reasons and Persons by Derek Parfit. Chris Williamson recommended Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom, Human Compatible by Stuart Russell, and X-Risk by Thomas Moynihan, and discussed The Precipice by Toby Ord.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Reasons and Persons
Discussed“so in the in the 80s uh he wrote this uh book called reasons and persons uh and it's you know this kind of voluminous uh meticulous tone of uh you know kind of um uh very detailed ethical philosophy”
Where to get it
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The Precipice
Discussed“as tobiod says in the precipice we are shuffling currently along this cliff edge”
Where to get it
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Human Compatible
Recommended“uh uh what is it human compatible by stuart russell which came out last year that's also fantastic”
Where to get it
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X-Risk
Recommended“but this thomas moynin x-risk how humanity discovered its own extinction dude you've done a really really good job with this”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (1) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Plugged X-Risk
“yes so i i often get this when uh people uh read my book they they uh are surprised that um it has this well it attempts it attempts to have this this hopeful message”