Best Nonzero Podcasts (2025)

1
Must We Discuss Sydney Sweeney? (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom) 51:42

1h ago51:42

51:42

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Substack glory and livestream anxiety 02:58 Reading eugenics into a dopey jeans ad 11:37 Does Sydney Sweeney spell the end of “inclusive marketing”? 15:25 Bob vs. Paul on IQ and “general intelligence” 22:10 Paul reviews the new Billy Joel documentary 28:07 The Epstei…

1
Anatomy of a Man-Made Famine | NonZero World feat. Alex de Waal 40:54

3d ago40:54

40:54

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:30 Why Gaza’s famine is the "most intense" in decades 4:00 From food secure to starvation: How Gaza unraveled 7:26 Blinken's willful blindness to Israel's obstruction of aid 11:33 How the US muzzled its own famine warning system 15:05 The political power of the term "fa…

1
AP x NonZero - Gaza Awareness Week 43:16

3d ago43:16

43:16

The bi-monthly collaboration between AP and NonZero Newsletter returns. Subscribe now to AP and you'll also get a discounted membership to Nonzero! Get that Crusades series now! ⁠Part One Video⁠ 0:00 Derek and Danny plug their new Crusades series 2:55 This week’s shift in Gaza discourse 11:56 The real danger Gaza poses for Israel 21:41 Does the lef…

1
Inland Northwest Cube Fest Tournament Report 1:05:35

16h ago1:05:35

1:05:35

View all cards mentioned in this episode Back from a Cube adventure to the west coast, Andy and Anthony recap their drafts at the first Inland Northwest CubeFest. The event included four drafts with over 50 players and a chance for our hosts to draft some very different cubes from their local scene. They also started the weekend with a “Stone Soup”…

1
Bonus - The Unwinnable War in Taiwan w/ Jennifer Kavanaugh and Stephen Wertheim (Preview) 8:06

1d ago8:06

8:06

Subscribe now for the full episode! Jennifer Kavanaugh, senior fellow & director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, and Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join the program to talk about their piece, “The Taiwan Fixation: American Strategy Shouldn’t Hinge on …

1
Special - Democratizing the AHA w/ Alexander Aviña and Ahmad Shokr 32:32

2d ago32:32

32:32

Danny invites Alex Aviña and Ahmad Shokr to discuss recent goings on at the American Historical Association. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Daniel Bessner & Derek Davison

1
News - Israel Continues Starving Gaza, Thailand and Cambodia Ceasefire, Global Fresh Water Supply Dwindles 52:48

3d ago52:48

52:48

Subscribe now to skip the ads! Don’t forget to purchase our “Welcome to the Crusades” special series! Danny and Derek are monitoring the Liam Neeson-Pamela Anderson situation. Otherwise, in this week’s news: a new study says most countries are exploiting groundwater aquifers at an unsustainable rate (2:26); in Israel-Palestine, another Gaza ceasefi…

1
Gaza Awareness Week (Robert Wright, Derek Davison, and Daniel Bessner) 41:35

4d ago41:35

41:35

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Derek and Danny plug their new Crusades series 3:19 This week’s shift in Gaza discourse 12:20 The real danger Gaza poses for Israel 22:05 Does the left’s rhetoric on Israel miss the mark? 32:24 Elite media’s think tank problem 36:27 Is American imperialism really the…

1
Are We Taking AI Seriously Enough? (Robert Wright & Michael Walker) 37:14

5d ago37:14

37:14

On this crossover edition of the NonZero podcast, Bob is interviewed by Michael Walker of Novara Media on artificial intelligence. Video on Novara’s YouTube channel: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nonzero.org/subscribe…

1
E220 - The Perils of Competition With China w/ Michael Brenes 1:04:54

6d ago1:04:54

1:04:54

Subscribe now to skip the ads. Great Power Week continues here at American Prestige as historian Michael Brenes joins the show to talk about how prolonged competition with China threatens democracy, peace, and prosperity. They compare Biden and Trump’s respective approaches to China, whether the national security establishment is trying to manufact…

1
8 Players, 8 Cubes, 1 Weekend, 1 Cabin 1:02:40

8d ago1:02:40

1:02:40

View all cards mentioned in this episode After spending a long weekend in a cabin in the woods with 8 friends playing 8 Cubes, Andy and Anthony recap their drafts. Each player brought a cube to share which they drafted back to back over course of the weekend. Discussed in this episode: Regular Cube Sacred Geometry Cube 100 Ornithopters Documental T…

1
Bonus - The Era of Great Power Competition w/ Stacie Goddard (Preview) 10:12

8d ago10:12

10:12

Danny and Derek speak with Stacie Goddard, the Betty Freyhof Johnson '44 Professor of Political Science at Wellesley College, about her piece for Foreign Affairs, “The Rise and Fall of Great-Power Competition.” They discuss the “great powers” of today, the shift from liberal hegemony to great power competition, Trump’s disposal of multilateralism a…

1
A Culture of Empire | Always at War x American Prestige 45:35

9d ago45:35

45:35

Prestigeheads: Today we bring you a very special episode from our friends over at the Quincy Institute's Always at War show, which can be found here and on all podcast apps. Check it out! In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by American Prestige's Daniel Bessner to discuss how Americans have come to u…

1
Trump's Plan for Global AI Dominance | NonZero World feat. Robert Wright 45:19

10d ago45:19

45:19

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:30 Trump’s AI Action plan 4:00 The contradictions inherent to Trump's plan 6:25 How Trump’s anti-globalism undermines his AI goals 10:52 Anthropic’s leaked memo: Ideals vs Persian Gulf cash 13:06 Bob: Dario Amodei is the true AI ideologue 17:17 How AI “safety” became a …

1
A Culture of Empire | Always at War x American Prestige 44:46

10d ago44:46

44:46

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by American Prestige's Daniel Bessner to discuss how Americans have come to understand — and however begrudgingly, accept — the costs and consequences of our nation’s military empire. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney …

1
News - Thai-Cambodian Border Clash, Gaza Starvation, ICJ Climate Ruling 45:35

11d ago45:35

45:35

Subscribe now to skip the ads. Don’t forget to buy our “Welcome to the Crusades” miniseries! Danny and Derek also rail against the war pigs, but lack the heavy riffs. This week: the International Court of Justice rules that wealthy nations must take action on climate change or bear responsibility (1:20); clashes escalate on the Thai-Cambodian borde…

1
Is the New Syria Unravelling? (Robert Wright & Joshua Landis) 56:04

11d ago56:04

56:04

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 Josh’s hopes for post-Assad Syria—revisited 4:12 The challenge(s) facing the Syrian government 8:58 What’s driving Syria’s sectarian violence? 19:44 Josh’s personal window into the al-Sharaa regime’s brutality 22:51 The new regime’s church vs state problem 29:44 How …

1
Jeffrey Epstein, MechaHitler, and Other Ills (Robert Wright & Paul Bloom) 1:12:29

13d ago1:12:29

1:12:29

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:28 The full reason for Bob’s absence—revealed 6:41 What’s the real story with Trump and Epstein? 15:02 A peek down the Epstein rabbit hole 31:18 Grok goes full Nazi-pornbot 40:15 The promise and perils of AI companions 47:55 Bob on dealing with cancer in the age of AI 1…

1
E219 - The CIA’s Imperial History, Pt 2 w/ Hugh Wilford 1:03:44

14d ago1:03:44

1:03:44

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get more content. Hugh Wilford, professor of history at California State University, Long Beach, is back on the program to conclude the discussion of his book The CIA: An Imperial History. In this episode they talk about figures like Edward Lansdale and James Angleton, “regime maintenance,” counterinsurgency, the a…

1
Big Story Moments with Joe Anderson 1:14:13

15d ago1:14:13

1:14:13

View all cards mentioned in this episode Andy and Anthony talk with Joe Anderson, proprietor of Cali Cube Champs, host of Joe’s Week in Magic, and a model local cube scene organizer about their theory of Cube Design and some of their favorite game moments. Discussed in this episode: Support Lucky Paper on Patreon Lucky Paper Cube Fellowship Applica…

1
Bonus - The US-China Film Relationship w/ Erich Schwartzel (Preview) 9:23

15d ago9:23

9:23

Subscribe now for the full episode! Danny welcomes back to the show Erich Schwartzel, reporter at the Wall Street Journal, for a conversation about the film industry connection between the US and China. They start in the mid-90s as China’s economy opens up, how distribution in China of US films opened more windows of profit earning, US studios’ sel…

1
Why China Won't Invade Taiwan | NonZero World feat. Dan Grazier 40:19

17d ago40:19

40:19

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:30 Why a Chinese invasion of Taiwan is so unlikely 4:01 Taiwan’s terrain: A defender’s dream, an invader’s nightmare 10:55 Why Taipei might be the hardest city in the world to conquer 12:45 Dan: China would need nearly 5 million soldiers to have a chance 14:18 The 2027 …

1
News - Israel Bombs Damascus, Militant Violence in Haiti, France Withdraws Troops from Senegal 49:30

18d ago49:30

49:30

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our content! Derek is in the shop for maintenance, so Danny presents the news with the Quincy Institute’s Alex Jordan. This week: Israel bombs the Syrian Defense Ministry in Damascus (0:39) as Netanyahu’s corruption trial carries on (7:05), plus US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemns settlers kil…

1
Golden Oldie: Do We Live in a Simulation (Robert Wright & Preston Greene) 1:11:24

18d ago1:11:24

1:11:24

0:00 A brief message from Bob 1:45 Why many intelligent people think we’re living in a simulation 12:44 The philosophical argument that you’re probably not real 28:24 How cosmic rays might (and might not) reveal that reality is fake 36:18 Preston’s dire warning against trying to determine if we’re in a simulation 50:06 Is the simulation hypothesis …

1
Golden Oldie: The Nature of Time (Robert Wright & Lee Smolin) 1:05:32

20d ago1:05:32

1:05:32

0:00 A brief message from Bob 1:55 What Lee means when he says "time is fundamental" 11:40 Understanding the universe as a network 25:59 A (very) tentative theory of consciousness 37:42 Did the laws of physics evolve? 45:23 Is the universe fine-tuned for the emergence of life? 57:21 Applying Lee's theories of time to everyday life Robert Wright (No…

1
E218 - The History of America’s Entrepreneurial Work Ethic w/ Erik Baker 1:04:00

21d ago1:04:00

1:04:00

Subscribe now to skip the ads and get all of our content! Pull yourselves up by your bootstraps, rise ‘n grind, and find your calling as we welcome historian Erik Baker to the program to talk about his book Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America. The group explores the Protestant work ethic and Jeffersonian yeoman f…

1
The ABC’s of Midrange 59:27

22d ago59:27

59:27

View all cards mentioned in this episode Continuing on their archetype breakdown series, Andy and Anthony talk about midrange decks. They talk about the theory behind the tempo based meta-game and where midrange decks fit. They talk about ways to think of midrange in different cube environments, or if it even makes sense to. They also discuss strat…

1
Bonus - Politics in Korea and the United States w/ E. Tammy Kim (Preview) 9:25

23d ago9:25

9:25

Subscribe now for the full episode. Danny and Derek welcome back to the show E. Tammy Kim, contributing writer at The New Yorker, to talk about current Korean politics as well as some domestic issues. They get into the transitional moment of America’s relationship with East Asia, the changeover from President Yoon to Lee in South Korea, the effect …

1
A Journey Into the New Cold War | NonZero World feat. Neysun Mahboubi 40:39

24d ago40:39

40:39

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:30 Why Neysun brings American students and scholars to China 3:05 Visiting China after Covid 5:17 Balancing US and Chinese red lines 11:03 When Neysun's students pushed Chinese officials on human rights 14:09 Do US students fear career risks for going to China? 16:08 Cu…

1
News - Houthis Resume Red Sea Attacks, New IDF Strikes in Lebanon, Deadly Kenya Protests 52:03

25d ago52:03

52:03

Remember that today is the last day to order our limited edition “Robo Washington Crossing the Delaware” poster! Paid subscribers get a 50% discount! AP’s retirement account is entirely tied to copper, so we’re not sure how long we have to do this. In this week’s news: Yemen’s Houthi/Ansar Allah fighters have resumed attacks on commercial ships in …

1
Golden Oldie: Obama, Trump, and Tribalism (Robert Wright & Greg Gutfeld) 1:02:40

25d ago1:02:40

1:02:40

0:00 A brief message from Bob 1:51 Greg’s new book, The Gutfeld Monologues 10:49 How going to Berkeley pushed Greg toward conservatism 17:03 Trumpism creates strange ideological bedfellows 26:10 Bob offers a magic solution to the freedom vs. security dilemma 32:19 Was Obama right to avoid the phrase “Islamic radicalism”? 47:56 Trump’s savvy use of …

1
Iran Regime Change...Again? 27:35

26d ago27:35

27:35

Courtney and Alex discuss America's long and sordid history of pursuing regime change around the world in light of the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran, which triggered bipartisan calls from Washington for the Trump administration to try and topple the government in Tehran. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Court…

1
Golden Oldie: What is consciousness for? (Robert Wright & David Chalmers) 1:09:00

27d ago1:09:00

1:09:00

0:00 A brief message from Bob 1:49 Why consciousness is so weird 11:29 Is consciousness like your brain’s shadow? 19:10 If David was a zombie, would anyone know? 23:21 Bob’s wacky theory about consciousness 44:49 Is consciousness what collapses the quantum wave function? 1:02:59 Can there be a true science of consciousness? Robert Wright (Nonzero, …

1
E217 - The Human Cost of Economic Sanctions w/ Mark Weisbrot 56:58

28d ago56:58

56:58

Subscribe now⁠ to skip the ads. ⁠Get your limited edition "Robo Washington" poster now⁠. Subscribers get a 50% discount! Economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) Mark Weisbrot joins the show to talk about economic sanctions and how they affect people’s lives. They discuss the effect of sanctions on migration f…

1
Special - Where Things Stand After the Iran-Israel War w/ Sina Azodi 44:21

28d ago44:21

44:21

Subscribe today to skip the ads and for access to all of our special episodes. Derek speaks with Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East Politics at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University, to reflect on where things stand after the recent Iran-Israel war. They talk about the tactics used by both sides…

1
Cubing in Unsanctioned Spaces and The Ten-Year-Old Child Test 1:02:24

29d ago1:02:24

1:02:24

View all cards mentioned in this episode After five full years of Lucky Paper Radio, Andy and Anthony reflect on how their local playgroup, the podcast, and the broader cube community have evolved. They talk about their recent experience of keeping a weekly Cube night going without a local game store and how you can make it work. They also talk abo…

1
Bonus - Demolition Man, Batman Returns, and the Security State w/ Daniel Waters (Preview) 11:42

30d ago11:42

11:42

Subscribe now for the full episode. Get your limited edition "Robo Washington" poster now. Subscribers get a 50% discount! Danny and Derek speak with writer and director Daniel Waters about the films Demolition Man and Batman Returns, both screenplays of his. They discuss the state of screenwriting now vs. when Daniel first arrived in Hollywood, th…

1
Is diplomacy with Iran dead? | NonZero World feat. Alan Eyre 40:04

1M ago40:04

40:04

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nonzero.org 0:30 Are US-Iran talks dead? 4:24 Do normal Iranians care about the nuclear program? 6:40 Understanding Iran’s enrichment red line 9:42 Assessing the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities 12:25 Iran's decision to kick out inspectors 15:38 Could Iran build a bomb in secret? …

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