podcast – The Methods of Rationality Podcast
512 episodes — Page 1 of 11
Kindness To Kin
Kindness to Kin, by Eliezer Yudkowsky Original text here   Continue reading
A Harried Meeting (audio)
A short story by Ben Pace. Original can be found here. Donate to the fundraiser here! Harry sings karaoke here. Happy New Year. :) Continue reading
Unum 9: Carol’s Got a Nuke!
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about the season one finale of Pluribus. Rest assured that we can’t harm you without your consent (though we can look for loopholes to force you to join our club). Remember, your choices… Continue reading
House elves are crystalized cosmic power
A short story by Prerat. Original can be found here. Merry Xmas! Continue reading
Unum 8: Cuddle Puddle
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 8 of Pluribus. You’re welcome to join us in our giant cuddle puddle. Don’t worry, it’s way less sexy than it sounds. Remember, your choices are your own. Continue reading
Unum 7: Chekhov’s Spiky Palm Tree
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 7 of Pluribus. Please don’t walk through 100 kilometers of deadly jungle – we’re happy to give you a ride. Remember, your choices are your own. This episode had some scheduling… Continue reading
Unum 06: John Cena Said We Don’t Have to Eat People
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 6 of Pluribus. You’re welcome to consume human-derived protein, but we don’t think that’s likely. Remember, your choices are your own. Continue reading
Unum 05: It’s Not You, It’s We
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 5 of Pluribus. We hope you enjoy this exploration of the complexities of handling the unassimilated. Remember, your choices are your own. Continue reading
Unum 04: Can I Get My Heroin To Go?
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 4 of Pluribus. We hope you enjoy this exploration of the complexities of handling the unassimilated. Remember, your choices are your own. Continue reading
Unum 03: Would You Like a Cup of Coffee With Your Nuke?
Welcome back to Unum! We’re so happy you can join us! We’re eager to share this conversation about episode 3 of Pluribus. We hope you enjoy this exploration of the complexities of handling the unassimilated. Remember, your choices are your own. Continue reading
Unum 02: A Meeting of the Minds
Welcome back to Unum! Steven and Brian discuss the second episode, gush about their favorite parts, and have fun speculating wildly about what “reasonable” people might do in this situation. The format of this show will be full spoilers for the episode we’re covering and we’ll do an accelerated release… Continue reading
Unum 01: The Day The World Ended
Welcome to Unum! Steven loved Pluribus so much that he needed to talk about it and Brian was on board to join! The format of this show will be full spoilers for the episode we’re covering and we’ll do an accelerated release schedule to catch up with the show. We… Continue reading
Blindsided 12: I Prefer a World Where Someone’s Home
Join Brian and Steven as we wrap up our journey through the awesome and thought provoking world of Blindsight. Check out the awesome companion website sxp made! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. The starting quote for… Continue reading
Blindsided 11: Consciousness Is a Bug, Not a Feature
Join Brian and Steven as the scramblers and the vampire demon challenge the value of the very essence of of what makes us us. Check out the awesome companion website sxp made! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by… Continue reading
Blindsided 10: Ow! What the Hell??
Brian and Steven continue their journey into space madness. Buckle up – this one gets nuts! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website sxp made! The starting quote for this episode is:… Continue reading
Blindsided 09: Is It Wrong to Torture a Roomba?
Join Brian and Steven as we put jumper cables on this roomba to see if it feels pain! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website sxp made! The starting quote for this… Continue reading
Blindsided 08: We Got A Live One!
Join Brian and Steven as we wrangle up some aliens of dubious sentience so we can confine them and do some mad science at them! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website… Continue reading
Blindsided 07: Competitive Ecology
Hold on tight – Brian and Steven throw themselves back into the mysterious alien spacecraft after punching a hole in it with antimatter! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!… Continue reading
Blindsided 06: Madness-Inducing Meat-Grinder
Brian and Steven continue diving into the madness-inducing meat-grinder over and over. Come on and join the party! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website sxp made! The starting quote for this… Continue reading
Blindsided 05: Alien Space Ghosts!
Join Brian and Steven as they throw caution to the winds, don their Big Daddy costumes, and get ready to rumble with some space ghosts! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website… Continue reading
Blindsided 04: You Wanna Throw Down, Bro?!
Join Brian and Steven, who are maybe trapped inside of a Chinese Room. Or maybe banging on it from the outside. Who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website sxp… Continue reading
Blindsided 03: Theseus, are you there? It’s me, Rorschach
Join Brian and Steven as we talk with some maybe-super-smart aliens in our discussion of part 3 of Blindsight! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website sxp made! The starting quote for… Continue reading
Blindsided 02: Smile! You’re on Camera!
Join Brian and Steven on their expedition to the edge of the solar system with part 2 of Blindsight! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. (I read the wrong quote at the top of the episode. Whoopsie!)… Continue reading
Blindsided 01: Aliens, Vampires, and Children – oh my!
Steven and Brian take their first real dive into the strange world of Blindsight. I hope you are having as much as we are. :) The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. Check out the awesome companion website… Continue reading
Blindsided 00: Announcement
Steven and Brian announce their latest reading project – Blindsight by Peter Watts! The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes. The first week we’ll be reading up until: “When it is dark enough, you can see the stars.… Continue reading
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) perfection
A movie that somehow did it all. You can find Matt at his regular media-analysis podcast at Doof Media. Continue reading
Cowboy Grak 5 pt2
Narrative about meta-narrative. Eneasz and Steven talk about the rest of Cowboy Grak 5, a Worth The Candle fanfic. Continue reading
Cowboy Grak 5 full audio available
Listen to the entirety of Cowboy Grak 5 over at https://askwhocastsai.substack.com/p/cowboy-grak-5-yet-another-fistful Continue reading
Cowboy Grak 5 pt1
Not everything is a reference! Eneasz and Steven talk about half of Cowboy Grak 5, a Worth The Candle fanfic. Continue reading
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch 06: Pondering Knowable Dreams
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven wrap up their adventures in the mind of Philip K Dick. We’re gonna keep this going with Blindsight! Come back in a week or two for … part of Blindsight. We’ll figure this out later. Also, did you happen across this looking for… Continue reading
HPMOR 10 Year Anniversary Parties
Want to run an HPMOR Anniversary Party, or get notified if one’s happening near you? Fill this out! Continue reading
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch: No New Episode
No new episode this week, y’all. We’ll be back to wrap up the show as soon as we can. In the mean time, check out some other awesome content like AskWho’s AI audiobooks and essays. Stay awesome and we look forward to chatting about the end of our PKD adventures.… Continue reading
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch 05: Peculiar Kafkaesque Dimensions
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven chew on the Chew-Z madness. The next episode will be delayed by a week, so come back in two weeks for the final three chapters, 11, 12, and 13! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch 04: Phantasmal Knowledge Discussion
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven discuss Barney’s trip down depression lane. Come back next week for chapters 9 and 10! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch 03: Parallel Knowledge Dimensions
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven continue their exploration the layers of madness that is the mind of Philip K. Dick. Come back next week for chapters 7 and 8! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch 02: Psychedelic Kindred Dreams
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven continue their exploration of the real and surreal while enjoying some psychedelic plants. Come back next week for chapters 5 and 6! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch 01: Pioneering Key Discourse
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven dive deep into the Earth’s surface to survive the first two chapters of The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch! Come back next week for chapters 3 and 4. Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
Man in the High Castle 07: Plunge into Kindred Dimensions
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven wrap up their reading of Man in the High Castle with the last 3 chapters. Things get exciting, then surreal, then weird, then even weirder, and everyone lives happily ever after. Come back in a week (or two) for the first two chapters… Continue reading
Man in the High Castle 06: Persistence Knows Defiance
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven continue their reading of Man in the High Castle, chapters 11 and 12. Stuff is getting real, people are getting shot, the Nazis are coming! Come back next week for the last 3 chapters! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR… Continue reading
Man in the High Castle 05: Postmodern Kafkaesque Drive
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven continue their reading of Man in the High Castle. Tensions continue to rise, super secrets are hinted at, and Julianna is planning to visit the guy who’s name is the the name of the thing (she wants to visit the Man in the… Continue reading
Man in the High Castle 04: Post-Knowledge Dystopia
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven continue their reading of Man in the High Castle. Couple of not too exciting chapters, but tension seem to be rising. Couple back next week for chapters 9 and 10! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
Man in the High Castle 03: Power Keeps Distorting
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven continue our reading of Man in the High Castle. We get the name of the thing in this one and everyone loses their mind when the German Chancellor dies. Come back next week for chapters 7 and 8! Also, did you happen across… Continue reading
Significant Digits audio is here!
AskWho is bringing Significant Digits into audio format via AI narration. The first episode is live today, and he’ll be doing one a week until completion. He’s using an AI-clone of my (Eneasz’s) voice for the bulk of it, which caused me some small amount of existential panic you can… Continue reading
Man in the High Castle: No New Episode
No new episode this week, sorry folks. Come back next week for chapters 5 and 6! Link to the John Stewart clip Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
Man in the High Castle 02: Politics Kill Dreams
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven continue our reading of Man in the High Castle. Lot’s of fun plot lines get started in these chapters. Come back next week for chapters 5 and 6! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
Man in the High Castle 01: Parallel Kafkaesque Dystopia
Welcome back to PKD! Brian and Steven kick off our second book, Man in the High Castle! So far it’s lots of fun, even if the world is a complete nightmare. Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find it here. Continue reading
Ubik 06: Pondering Kafkaesque Dimensions
Welcome back to PKD, the show where Brian and Steven dive into the weird world and weirder mind of Phillip K. Dick! In this episode, we wrap up Ubik and talk about some of the cool, mind-bending stuff it makes you think about. Come back next week for the first… Continue reading
Ubik 05: Probing Known Dimensions
Welcome back to PKD, the show where Brian and Steven dive into the weird world and weirder mind of Phillip K. Dick! In this episode, the weirdness keeps on coming! Come back next week for the last 4 chapters! Also, did you happen across this looking for HPMoR stuff? Find… Continue reading
Ubik 04: Perception Kaleidoscope Dimension
Welcome back to PKD, the show where Brian and Steven dive into the weird world and weirder mind of Phillip K. Dick! In this episode, things are getting super weird. Are they dead? Is everyone dead? Come back next week for chapters 11, 12, and 13! Note: I’m giving myself… Continue reading
Ubik 03: Phantasmal Kinetics Discussion
Welcome back to PKD, the show where Brian and Steven dive into the weird world and weirder mind of Phillip K. Dick! In this episode, the crew gets to the moon and shit goes sideways right away. Come back next week for chapters 8, 9, and 10! Also, did you… Continue reading