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Recent Videos

July 19, 2024

Tyler Cowen on Talent, the Importance of Stamina, and Predicting Succ…

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a fascinating discussion with economist, professor, and bestselling author Tyler Cowen about how to find talented people. This was recorded in 2022 around the launch of his book 'Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, …

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July 12, 2024

A Deep Dive on René Girard with David Gornoski

This week on Upstream, we're releasing a 2019 interview with David Gornoski and Erik Torenberg on the Village Global podcast, offering a deep dive into René Girard's Mimetic Theory, exploring its far-reaching societal impacts and surprising connections to ancient rituals …

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July 6, 2024

Noah Smith on 2024 Election Strategy, American Civil Service, and Cas…

In this week’s episode of Upstream, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss America's future. They cover the 2024 presidential race, the Chevron ruling from the Supreme Court, and the polarization of the education system. Noah and Erik also discuss where …

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June 28, 2024

Bret Weinstein on Evolutionary Biology, Markets, Moral Progress, and …

This week on Upstream, we’re airing an interview with evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein from 2020, originally from the Village Global podcast. They discuss Weinstein's work on evolutionary trade-offs, the intersection of markets and moral progress, as well as future governance. …

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June 22, 2024

Richard Hanaia on Trump's Genius, Antisemitism, and Election Predict…

In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Richard Hanania delve into the surprising support for Donald Trump within Silicon Valley, contrasting it with earlier elections. They explore reasons behind this shift, such as anti-wokeness sentiments, dissatisfaction with left economic …

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June 14, 2024

Balaji Srinivasan and Glen Weyl on Decentralized Governance, Politics…

In 2019 Erik Torenberg sat down with Balaji Srinivasan and Glen Weyl to talk about the future of a decentralized world. They cover decentralized governance, politics, voting, and more. This conversation was recorded orginally for Village Global's Venture Stories. beehiiv: …

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June 7, 2024

Mike Solana on Thinking Freely and What Tech Means for Culture

In 2020 Erik Torenberg sat down with Mike Solana, then VP at Founders Fund (now the Editor In Chief of @pirate-wires ) to go deeper into his commitment to controversial ideas and freedom. He discusses the dynamics of America's culture …

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May 31, 2024

Noah Smith on Wokeness, Right Wing Muckrakers, and Class vs Identity

Todays episode features a conversation between Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discussing the recent angry posts on X from David Austin Walsh, a history postdoc at Yale, and what this controversy says about elite overproduction in the US. They also …

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May 24, 2024

AI in the Techno-Economic War with China with Vinod Khosla, Todd Youn…

In this episode of Upstream, we're publishing this session recorded live at The Hill & Valley Forum in May 2024 hosted by Jacob Helberg, and featuring Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures, and Senator Todd Young (R-IN). Khosla and Young dive …

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May 17, 2024

Bryan Caplan on Housing Regulation, Fertility, and Crime

This week on Upstream, Erik sits down with Jonathan Haidt to discuss his book, The Anxious Generation. The conversation covers the effects of social media on teen mental health, culture, politics, education, and more. beehiiv: Head to https://Beehiiv.com and use …

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