Author Archives: Lex Fridman

#219 – Donald Knuth: Programming, Algorithms, Hard Problems & the Game of Life

Donald Knuth is a computer scientist, Turing Award winner, father of algorithm analysis, author of The Art of Computer Programming, and creator of TeX. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Donald’s Stanford Page: https://profiles.stanford.edu/donald-knuth
Donald’s Books: https://amzn.to/3heyBsC

PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
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Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
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SUPPORT & CONNECT:
– Check out the sponsors above, it’s the best way to support this podcast
– Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
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– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman
– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:02) – First programs
(30:26) – Literate programming
(33:35) – Beauty in programming
(39:30) – OpenAI
(48:41) – Optimization
(54:46) – Consciousness
(1:03:29) – Conway’s game of life
(1:16:16) – Stable marriage
(1:19:35) – Richard Feynman
(1:30:29) – Knuth-Morris-Pratt Algorithm
(1:40:02) – Hardest problem
(1:57:41) – Open source
(2:02:54) – Favorite symbols
(2:12:27) – Productivity
(2:20:08) – Meaning of life

#218 – Jaron Lanier: Virtual Reality, Social Media & the Future of Humans and AI

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Jaron Lanier is a computer scientist, composer, artist, author, and founder of the field of virtual reality. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Skiff: https://skiff.org/lex to get early access
– Novo: https://banknovo.com/lex
– Onnit: https://lexfridman.com/onnit to get up to 10% off
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EPISODE LINKS:
Jaron’s Website: http://www.jaronlanier.com/
Jaron’s Books: https://amzn.to/3tlhl9T

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(08:04) – What is reality?
(12:17) – Turing machines
(13:35) – Simulating our universe
(19:49) – Video games and other immersive experiences
(23:37) – Death and consciousness
(32:08) – Designing human-centric AI
(33:42) – Empathy with robots
(37:33) – Social media incentives
(49:53) – Data dignity
(57:26) – Jack Dorsey and Twitter
(1:09:10) – Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies
(1:13:51) – Government overreach and freedom
(1:24:06) – GitHub and TikTok
(1:26:16) – The Autodidactic Universe
(1:31:07) – Humans and the mystery of music
(1:37:17) – Defining moments
(1:48:03) – Mortality
(1:49:56) – The meaning of life

#217 – Rodney Brooks: Robotics

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Rodney Brooks is a roboticist, former head of CSAIL at MIT, and co-founder of iRobot, Rethink Robotics, and Robust.AI. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Paperspace: https://gradient.run/lex to get $15 credit
– GiveDirectly: https://givedirectly.org/lex to get gift matched up to $300
– BiOptimizers: http://www.magbreakthrough.com/lex to get 10% off
– Four Sigmatic: https://foursigmatic.com/lex and use code LexPod to get up to 60% off
– SimpliSafe: https://simplisafe.com/lex and use code LEX to get a free security camera

EPISODE LINKS:
Rodney’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/rodneyabrooks
Rodney’s Blog: http://rodneybrooks.com/blog/

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:33) – First robots
(28:58) – Brains and computers
(1:01:47) – Self-driving cars
(1:21:57) – Believing in the impossible
(1:32:47) – Predictions
(1:43:49) – iRobot
(2:11:11) – Sharing an office with AI experts
(2:23:21) – Advice for young people
(2:27:07) – Meaning of life

#216 – Vincent Racaniello: Viruses and Vaccines

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Vincent Racaniello is a virologist, immunologist, and microbiologist at Columbia. He is a co-author of the textbook Principles of Virology and co-host of This Week in Virology podcast. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Privacy: https://privacy.com/lex to get $5 added to your account
– Justworks: https://justworks.com
– Sun Basket: https://sunbasket.com/lex and use code LEX to get $35 off
– The Information: https://theinformation.com/lex to get 75% off first month
– Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex and use code LEX to get 1 month of fish oil

EPISODE LINKS:
Vincent’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/profvrr
Vincent’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/vincentracaniello
Vincent’s Podcast: https://www.microbe.tv/
Vincent’s Website: http://www.virology.ws/
Vincent’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profvrr

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(10:24) – Microbiology by numbers
(15:47) – From bacteria to an organism
(23:46) – AlphaFold 2
(27:44) – Simulating an evolutionary arms race
(53:11) – The most terrifying virus
(1:14:54) – SARS-CoV-2
(1:29:38) – Coronaviruses and Influenza. What’s the difference?
(1:35:45) – Vaccines
(1:41:43) – Lex on his reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine shot
(1:47:39) – Modern vaccines
(1:52:39) – How does mRNA vaccine work?
(1:55:26) – Are mRNA vaccines safe?
(2:21:52) – Lex on trust in authority
(2:36:59) – Ivermectin
(2:43:39) – Hydroxychloroquine
(2:48:22) – Variants and mutations
(2:55:20) – Testing
(3:03:27) – How does COVID-19 spread?
(3:06:37) – Masks
(3:15:05) – Bret Weinstein vs Sam Harris
(3:18:39) – This Week in Virology
(3:28:19) – Advice for young people
(3:30:42) – Meaning of life

#215 – Wojciech Zaremba: OpenAI Codex, GPT-3, Robotics, and the Future of AI

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Wojciech Zaremba is a co-founder of OpenAI. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Paperspace: https://gradient.run/lex to get $15 credit
– Indeed: https://indeed.com/lex to get $75 credit
– Blinkist: https://blinkist.com/lex and use code LEX to get 25% off premium
– Grammarly: https://grammarly.com/lex to get 20% off premium
– Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/lex and use code LEX to get special savings

EPISODE LINKS:
Wojciech’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/woj_zaremba
Wojciech’s Website: https://wojzaremba.com/
OpenAI’s Website: https://openai.com/

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:57) – The Fermi paradox
(14:59) – Systems of government
(17:36) – Life, intelligence, and consciousness
(24:49) – GPT language model
(27:02) – Engineering consciousness
(31:19) – Is there an algorithm for intelligence?
(38:41) – Neural networks and deep learning
(51:32) – Human reward functions
(56:26) – Love is part of the human condition
(58:53) – Expanding our circle of empathy
(1:02:58) – Psychedelics and meditation
(1:14:25) – Ilya Sutskever
(1:21:42) – How does GPT work?
(1:31:35) – AI safety
(1:38:21) – OpenAI Codex
(1:51:54) – Robotics
(2:01:11) – Developing self driving cars and robots
(2:12:02) – What is the benchmark for intelligence?
(2:15:04) – Will we spend more time in virtual reality?
(2:17:18) – AI Friendships
(2:26:48) – Sleep
(2:29:22) – Generating good ideas
(2:35:47) – Advice for young people
(2:40:31) – Getting started with machine learning
(2:43:44) – What is beauty?
(2:47:35) – Death
(2:54:23) – Meaning of life

#214 – Jed Buchwald: Isaac Newton and the Philosophy of Science

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Jed Buchwald is a historian and philosopher of science at Caltech. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– GiveWell: https://www.givewell.org/ and use code LEX to get donation matched up to $1k
– Theragun: https://therabody.com/lex to get 30 day trial
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– Fundrise: https://fundrise.com/lex
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EPISODE LINKS:
Jed’s Caltech page: https://bit.ly/38eLLRF
Jed’s Books: https://amzn.to/2WoxGPi

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(06:34) – How does science progress?
(22:48) – Theory of Everything
(34:40) – Consciousness
(38:15) – Most Beautiful Moments in Science
(46:00) – Isaac Newton
(1:12:13) – Competition in Science
(1:22:47) – Newton’s Career
(1:35:58) – Importance of Data
(1:42:17) – Alchemy
(1:46:31) – Newton and Religion
(1:49:44) – Showing Newton the future
(1:54:28) – Newton and Einstein

#213 – Barry Barish: Gravitational Waves and the Most Precise Device Ever Built

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Barry Barish is a theoretical physicist at Caltech and the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– MUD\WTR: https://mudwtr.com/lex and use code LEX to get 5% off
– GiveDirectly: https://givedirectly.org/lex to get gift matched up to $300
– BiOptimizers: http://www.magbreakthrough.com/lex to get 10% off
– Four Sigmatic: https://foursigmatic.com/lex and use code LexPod to get up to 60% off
– Magic Spoon: https://magicspoon.com/lex and use code LEX to get $5 off

EPISODE LINKS:
Barry’s Nobel Prize entry: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2017/barish/facts/
Barry’s Caltech profile: https://pma.caltech.edu/people/barry-c-barish
LIGO’s Website: https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/
LIGO’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/LIGO

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(08:27) – Early Math and Physics questions
(18:02) – Enrico Fermi
(24:34) – Birth of the Nuclear Age
(29:42) – The Fermi Paradox
(34:45) – Gravity
(51:28) – Philosophical Implications of General Relativity
(58:34) – Detecting Gravitational Waves
(1:01:47) – LIGO
(1:34:45) – Nobel Prize
(1:49:34) – Black Holes
(2:01:53) – Space Exploration
(2:09:48) – Books
(2:18:37) – Advice for young people
(2:24:33) – Meaning of life

#212 – Joscha Bach: Nature of Reality, Dreams, and Consciousness

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Joscha Bach is a cognitive scientist, AI researcher, and philosopher. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Coinbase: https://coinbase.com/lex to get $5 in free Bitcoin
– Codecademy: https://codecademy.com and use code LEX to get 15% off
– Linode: https://linode.com/lex to get $100 free credit
– NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/lex to get free product tour
– ExpressVPN: https://expressvpn.com/lexpod and use code LexPod to get 3 months free

EPISODE LINKS:
Joscha’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/Plinz
Joscha’s Website: http://bach.ai

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(07:15) – Life is hard
(09:38) – Consciousness
(16:24) – What is life?
(26:33) – Free will
(40:38) – Simulation
(42:49) – Base layer of reality
(58:24) – Boston Dynamics
(1:06:43) – Engineering consciousness
(1:17:12) – Suffering
(1:26:06) – Postmodernism
(1:30:25) – Psychedelics
(1:43:40) – GPT-3
(1:52:22) – GPT-4
(1:58:47) – OpenAI Codex
(2:01:02) – Humans vs AI: Who is more dangerous?
(2:17:47) – Hitler
(2:22:44) – Autonomous weapon systems
(2:30:11) – Mark Zuckerberg
(2:35:47) – Love
(2:50:00) – Michael Malice and anarchism
(3:06:57) – Love
(3:11:05) – Advice for young people
(3:15:42) – Meaning of life

#211 – Brian Muraresku: The Secret History of Psychedelics

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Brian Muraresku is the author of The Immortality Key. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex and use code Lex25 to get 25% off
– GiveWell: https://www.givewell.org/ and use code LEX to get donation matched up to $1k
– NI: https://www.ni.com/perspectives
– Indeed: https://indeed.com/lex to get $75 credit
– MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lex to get 15% off

EPISODE LINKS:
Brian’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/brianmuraresku
Brian’s website: https://www.brianmuraresku.com
Immortality Key (book): https://amzn.to/3iNYBfB

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(09:46) – Who or what is God?
(25:15) – Terence McKenna’s DMT Trips
(29:58) – Psychedelics were the source of collective intelligence
(40:30) – Psychedelics in ancient alcohol
(43:30) – The Immortality Key
(46:16) – Jesus and psychedelic wine
(58:56) – Role of rituals in human society
(1:02:37) – Human confrontation with death
(1:05:15) – The future of the human experience
(1:17:07) – The role of religion in society
(1:22:54) – The future of psychedelics research
(1:26:05) – Fasting and meditation as religious experiences
(1:29:44) – Neuralink and BCIs
(1:36:42) – Is LSD a crutch or an aid in creative work
(1:39:21) – Nietzsche said God is dead
(1:41:48) – Creatures people meet while on psychedelics
(1:47:18) – Consciousness
(1:53:41) – Books or movies that made an impact
(1:57:39) – Meaning of life

#210 – Matt Walker: Sleep

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Matt Walker is a sleep scientist at Berkeley, author of Why We Sleep, and the host of a new podcast called The Matt Walker Podcast. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
– Stamps.com: https://stamps.com and use code LEX to get free postage & scale
– Squarespace: https://lexfridman.com/squarespace and use code LEX to get 10% off
– Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lex and use code LEX to get 1 month of fish oil
– BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off
– Onnit: https://lexfridman.com/onnit to get up to 10% off

EPISODE LINKS:
Matt’s Podcast: https://themattwalkerpodcast.buzzsprout.com/
Matt’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sleepdiplomat
Matt’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmattwalker
Matt’s Website: https://www.sleepdiplomat.com/

OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(09:56) – Putin moment: Lex takes Matt’s sunglasses
(10:17) – Fascination with sleep
(14:26) – Why do we sleep?
(22:58) – Computer vision for driver assistance
(32:19) – Consciousness is fundamental
(40:25) – Lex on human to robot connection
(42:52) – Scent of a Woman is better than “John Wick”
(54:33) – Distinction between coffee and caffeine
(1:20:17) – The science of ‘sleeping on it’
(1:34:10) – Lex on his sleeping schedule
(1:59:14) – Chronotypes
(2:06:44) – How to overcome insomnia
(2:24:07) – Diet and sleep
(2:33:03) – Where do dreams come from?
(2:46:41) – How sleep affects emotions
(2:53:35) – Meaning of life