Angus Fletcher on Storythinking and Primal Intelligence

In his second appearance on Singularity.FM, Professor Angus Fletcher returns to dive even deeper into the story of human intelligence. [See the first interview here.] Fletcher is no ordinary guest. A rare hybrid of neuroscientist and Shakespearean scholar, he has advised DARPA, Hollywood, and the U.S. Army, where his narrative-based research earned him the Commendation Medal for groundbreaking work with Special Operations. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore the core ideas behind his bestselling book “Storythinking” and his upcoming book “Primal Intelligence” (Penguin, 2025) — and why story is not just for telling, but for thinking. We unpack how story rewires our brains, restores purpose, and can even help individuals — and entire nations — reclaim their agency in an increasingly automated world. You’ll learn: Why narrative, not logic, is humanity’s true superpower. How imagination, intuition, emotion, and common sense form a “primal intelligence” that Angus believes AI will never replicate. Why content isn’t king — context is. How “plot twists” can transform trauma into growth — individually and collectively. What happens when the U.S. military tests ancient storytelling theories on modern warriors. From ancient wisdom literature to cutting-edge neuroscience, from baking bread with ChatGPT to surviving in war zones, this conversation doesn’t just span disciplines — it connects the dots that matter most to our future. This interview is not about AI. It is about being human in the age of AI.