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Videos

May 15, 2025

The Bronze Age Collapse and History's Selective Memory

Today on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg conversation with Samo Burja where they discuss the Bronze Age collapse, technological advancements in ancient civilizations, and the nuanced history of the Roman Empire, along with a detailed analysis of contemporary geopolitical dynamics, particularly focusing on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and its implications for…

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May 10, 2025

Why Industrial Revolutions Stall

Today on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg conversation with Samo Burja on this week’s Live Players. They discuss the potential industrial revolutions in history, particularly in the Roman Empire and Song Dynasty China, their technological advancements, economic factors, and the reasons these revolutions didn't reach full fruition. — 📰 Be…

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May 8, 2025

America’s Tech Strategy w/ Qasar Younis, Sen. Jack Reed, and Josh Wolfe

This week, we’re featuring a panel discussion from the 2025 Hill and Valley Forum with Josh Wolfe (Lux Capital), Senator Jack Reed (RI), and Qasar Younis, Founder and CEO, Applied Intuition They address talent attraction and retention, China's espionage and surveillance state, immigration policies, dual-use technologies, and the challenges and…

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April 26, 2025

Palantir CEO Alex Karp & Rep. Ritchie Torres on Innovation & The West | Hill and Valley Forum 2024

Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, and Congressman Richie Torres discuss higher education, Palantir's fearless culture, and the importance of contrarianism in driving innovation at the 2024 Hill and Valley Forum. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess — RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: 🎙️‪The Hill & Valley The Hill…

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April 24, 2025

Helen Toner OpenAI Reflections, Adaptation Buffers, and AI in Warfare

This week on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode of The Cognitive Revolution. Nathan Labenz interviews Helen Toner, director at CSET, about her experiences with OpenAI, the concept of adaptation buffers for AI integration, and AI's role in military decision-making. They discuss the implications of AI development, the need for regulatory…

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April 20, 2025

Trump V2: Tariffs, American Dynamism, Higher Ed | Byrne Hobart

In this episode, Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart discuss the economic consequences of Trump's tariffs, OpenAI's recent innovations, and their implications for white collar work. They also explore the potential market shifts, the resilience of the US dollar as a reserve currency, and the state of elite higher education institutions…

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April 20, 2025

💸 The INVENTION That Rewrote Finance Rules

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April 17, 2025

The Problem With Reserve Currencies and Switching to Crypto w/ Lyn Alden

This week on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg’s 2024 interview with Lyn Alden. Lyn discusses her book 'Broken Money', the impact of the global reserve currency, inflation, interest rates, and provides advice for navigating an uncertain economic future. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess —…

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April 16, 2025

The barriers to entrepreneurship are FALLING - here's why! 🔨

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April 15, 2025

📉 Less RELIGION didn't equal more REASON.

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April 14, 2025

DEBUNKING the 'China Needs Imports' Myth 💥

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April 13, 2025

🔍 Has secular optimism lost its spark? 😮

Ross Douthat explains how the psychology of secularism has changed from Obama-era hope to today's multipolar uncertainty.

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April 13, 2025

Ross Douthat on Atheism’s Decline, The New Right, and Consciousness

Today on Upstream, Ross Douthat joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his new book 'Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious,' exploring the decline of new atheism, the intellectual defense of institutional religion, and the intersection between traditional Christianity, Silicon Valley, and modern materialism. This episode originally aired on Moment of Zen…

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April 11, 2025

US vs CHINA: The REAL Path to Victory isn't WEAPONS 🔥 It's MANUFACTURING POWER.

The US needs to OUTPRODUCE China 2-3x to win. 🏭

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April 11, 2025

China’s Energy Problem w/ Samo Burja

Today on Upstream, we’re releasing a 2024 conversation between Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja. They discuss China's approach to energy security, exploring why China isn't pursuing energy independence despite significant oil production capability and the potential for further development. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess…

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April 9, 2025

😱 This is SCARIER than Climate Change or AI? 📉

We have NO KNOWN force that stops fertility from reaching ZERO. The end of humanity?

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April 8, 2025

😲 Communist China's SHOCKING embrace of capitalism! 🇨🇳

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April 6, 2025

🔥 'The crazies now rule our civilization' 🔥

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April 5, 2025

AI Managers, US vs China Analysis, and AI Art w/ Byrne Hobart

Today on Upstream, we’re sharing an episode of The Riff (originally aired on April 1, 2025). Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart explore the shifting dynamics of global trade between China and the US, the potential for AI to replace senior rather than junior roles in the workplace, and the economic…

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April 4, 2025

🌏 'Pacific allies are MORE MUSCULAR than European ones' 💪

Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan & Australia are ALL rearming! VDH explains why.

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April 3, 2025

Abundance Agenda, The New Right, and 2008 Retrospective w/ Noah Smith

Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith discuss the Abundance Agenda by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, the impact of the 2008 recession, Obama's presidency, and shifts in political ideology, focusing on the 'New Right' and its cultural and economic implications, while also touching upon the economic recovery strategies…

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April 2, 2025

🗺️ WHERE WILL THE DMZ BE? Ukraine-Russia endgame explained 🇺🇦🇷🇺

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March 29, 2025

Elon Musk’s Network Effects and Checking in on Chinese AI w/ Byrne Hobart

This week on Upstream, we're releasing an episode of The Riff (originally aired onMarch 25, 2025) where Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart discuss Don Jr.'s leveraging of the Trump brand, Dustin Moskovitz's departure to address AI risks, economic impacts of various policies, and geopolitical considerations with a focus on AI…

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March 27, 2025

Dark Triad, Romantic Partner Selection, and Dating Advice w/ Rob Henderson

Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg interviews author Rob Henderson about modern romance, discussing evolutionary psychology, the attraction to dark triad men, dating apps, and practical advice for men seeking romantic partners. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess 🙏 Help shape our show by taking our…

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