E65: Bret Weinstein on Evolutionary Biology, Markets, Moral Progress, and More
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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. beehiiv: Head to https://beehiiv.com) and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months.

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Intro

(00:27) Bret Weinstein's Background and Career

(04:37) The Concept of Trade-Offs in Evolution

(06:21) Implications of Evolutionary Trade-Offs

(10:03) The Fourth Frontier and Human History

(11:05) Understanding Evolutionary Rules and Their Broader Impact

(16:08) The Lek Paradox and Biological Puzzles

(18:52) Sponsor: Babbel | beehiiv

(23:41) Market Dynamics and Economic Trade-Offs

(32:40) Sponsor: Squad

(37:53) The Metaphor of Fitness Landscapes in Evolutionary Biology

(38:47) Civilization's Trade-offs and Sustainability

(39:37) The Concept of Game B

(41:56) Revolutionary Change Without Revolution

(44:03) The Role of Technology in Civilization

(45:44) Exploring Game B Examples

(47:39) Challenges and Opportunities for Game B

(50:30) Moral Progress

(57:00) Shamans vs. Priests and the Importance of Valley Crossing

(01:01:20) Human Adaptation and Evolution

(01:04:39) The Role of Jealousy and Evolutionary Instincts

(01:06:08) Debates with Prominent Thinkers

(01:11:42) Evolutionary Biology and the Future of Governance

(01:14:13) Wrap

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