Podcast Episodes

Determinative Decisions Before Birth: Genes and Names

Season 1 Episode 69

Nate is on vacation this week, so Maria is joined by journalist David Epstein, author of The Sports Gene and Range. They talk about a new company that offers comprehensive genetic sequencing on embry…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

The Game Theory of Reality TV (with Survivor’s Boston Rob)

Season 1 Episode 68

This week, Maria interviews reality TV legend Boston Rob. Rob has been on Survivor six times, and has also appeared on The Amazing Race, The Traitors, and Deal or No Deal Island. He’s a master strate…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Where the Puck Is Going: Why Maximum Gerrymandering May Be Inevitable

Season 1 Episode 67

As Texas embarks on a rare round of mid-decade redistricting and California threatens to answer with its own, Nate and Maria analyze the history, politics, and game theory of gerrymandering.

For more…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

What’s the Optimal Personality for AI?

Season 1 Episode 66

This week Nate and Maria discuss the release of GPT-5, the latest model from OpenAI. This model promises to be faster, smarter, and more useful while also reducing hallucinations and sycophancy. It a…

Published on 3 months ago

Grand Theft Automated: How to Save a Trillion Lives from Cautionary Tales

Season 1

A radical thought experiment transforms the lives of a new breed of philanthropists, as they follow the logic of altruism to extraordinary lengths. The most famous convert to the Effective Altruism m…

Published on 3 months ago

America’s New AI Strategy

Season 1 Episode 65

With all the frenzy last week around Jeffrey Epstein and ColdplayGate, you might have missed an important story: Trump’s new AI Action Plan. Released alongside three new executive orders on AI, the p…

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

You Play Better When You’re Having Fun (with Leo Margets and Erik Seidel)

Season 1 Episode 64

To wrap up our coverage of the World Series of Poker, we bring you a poker interview extravaganza. This year, Leo Margets became the second woman ever to make it to the Main Event final table—and the…

Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago

The Butterfly Effect in Poker. Plus: How To Think About Conspiracies.

Season 1 Episode 63

Nate and Maria share some updates from the final days of the World Series of Poker, and reflect on the importance of making peace with randomness. Then: the Trump administration’s sudden about face o…

Published on 3 months, 4 weeks ago

Why did COVID Decision-Making Go So Wrong? (with David Zweig)

Season 1 Episode 62

Early in the COVID pandemic, the US closed schools and sent kids home. And then, the schools stayed closed—even as they began to reopen in other parts of the world. Experts and officials claimed that…

Published on 4 months ago

Live from Aspen! Zohran Mamdani’s Win, and How To Communicate Probabilities

Season 1 Episode 61

Nate and Maria take a quick break from the World Series of Poker to tape a live episode at the Aspen Ideas Festival. They give some updates on a scandal at the World Series, then discuss Zohran Mamda…

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago