The Singularity Discussion Series
by Singularity University
Explore the technologies shaping our future with the Singularity Discussion Series, from Singularity University. In each episode, leading experts dive deep into the current and future implications of exponential technologies—from AI and biotech to blockchain and quantum computing—and how their convergence is transforming industries, economies, and everyday life.Join us as we uncover the breakthroughs redefining what's possible and explore how leaders, innovators, and society can navigate this accelerating future.Visit su.org/events for to join us Live on Zoom for future conversations.
Episodes
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Bio-informed Innovation with Singularity Expert Robert Suarez
We hope you enjoy this pre-recorded conversation with Robert Suarez, a leading expert in bio-informed innovation and pioneer in applying nature's principles to business challenges.While many see biotechnology as limited to healthcare applications, Robert will reveal how biological principles can...
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FBL115: Robert Sapolsky - A Determined Future, With No Free Will
This week our guest is Stanford neuroscientist, Robert Sapolsky. You may know Dr. Sapolsky from his incredible 25-part lecture series on Youtube, his triumphant book, Behave, or his guest appearances on the Joe Rogan and Huberman Lab podcasts. And if you know him from any of these things, you may...
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FBL114: David Marx - Status & Culture in the Digital Age
This week our guest is Tokyo-based writer, David Marx, who recently wrote Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change. In this episode, we explore the ideas at the heart of David’s book as they relate to the modern technological...
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FBL113: Isabel Pedersen - The Adoption of Embodied Computing
Our guest is professor and director of the Digital Life Institute at Ontario Tech University, Isabel Pedersen, who specializes in the study of wearables, embodied computing, and similar technologies. In this episode, we take a tour through what Isabel calls the continuum of embodiment, starting...
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FBL112: Chris Ryan - The Modern World vs Evolution
This week our guest is author and podcast, Chris Ryan, who is well known for exploring the evolution of human society and behavior through his books, Sex at Dawn and Civilized to Death. In this episode, we take a candid tour through the many misconceptions and misunderstandings of early...
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FBL111: Lauren Wagner - Digital Trust & Safety
This week our guest is investor and researcher, Lauren Wagner, who has extensive experience shaping the trust and safety protocols at some of the world’s most influential platforms and institutes. In this episode, we explore the lessons Lauren has learned from her time at Cornell, Oxford, Meta…
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FBL110: Adam Waytz - Ethics & Minds in the Age of AI
This week our guest is psychologist and professor at Northwestern University, Adam Waytz, who specializes in the study of technology, ethics, and how people think about the minds of others. In this episode, we take a wide tour across many topics as we explore Adam’s different areas of interest…
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FBL109: Gabriella Rosen Kellerman: Tomorrowmind & the Future of Work
This week our guest is Harvard-train physician and Chief Innovation Officer at Betterup Labs, Gabriella Rosen Kellerman, who co-authored the recently released book Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection―Now and in an Uncertain Future. In this episode, we take a...
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FBL108: Tobias Rose-Stockwell - The Outrage Machine
This week our guest is writer and technology researcher, Tobias Rose-Stockwell, who has just published a brand new book: The Outrage Machine: How Tech Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy―And What We Can Do About It. In this episode, we explore Tobias’ book, which takes us on a journey…
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FBL107: Nicholas Kardaras - Navigating Digital Addiction
This week my guest is psychologist Nicholas Kardaras, a leading expert in the study of addiction, especially as it relates to digital technologies. In addition to running recovery centers in both Maui and Austin, he’s also the author of Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids and…
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FBL106: Adam Gazzaley - Digital Medicine for Distracted Minds
This week my guest is neuroscientist and entrepreneur, Adam Gazzaley, who co-authored the 2016 book The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, and whose company Akili Interactive has developed the world's first video game approved by the FDA for the medical treatment of ADHD. Adam...
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FBL105: Gerd Leonhard - Empowering Humanity Towards a Good Future
This week our guest is futurist and speaker, Gerd Leonhard, who authored the 2016 book Technology vs Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine. In this episode, we explore the ideas Gerd puts forth in his book, with a heavy emphasis on how the humanities are a necessary part of what he...
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FBL104- David Auerbach: Humanity is Shaped by Meganets We Don’t Control
This week our guest is author David Auerbach, who was a software engineer at Microsoft and Google during their rise to become the dominant companies they are today. In this episode, David and I discuss his latest publication, Meganets: How Digital Forces Beyond Our Control Commandeer Our Daily...
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FBL103 - Edward A. Lee: How Humans and Machines Co-Evolve
This week our guest is distinguished professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley, Edward A. Lee, who has written extensively about the relationship between humans and technology in books such as Plato and the Nerd and The Coevolution. In this episode, Edward lays out...
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FBL102: Nita Farahany – Thinking Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology
This week our guest is Nita Farahany, a Distinguished Professor at Duke University where she heads the Science, Law, and Policy Lab. The research she conducts in her lab specifically focuses on the implications of emerging neuroscience, genomics, and artificial intelligence; and, as a testament…
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FBL101: Anne Scherer - How AI is Shaping You and Your Life
This week my guest Anne Scherer, a professor of marketing at the University of Zurich who specializes in the psychological and societal impacts that result from the increased automation and digitization of the consumer-company relationship. In this episode we focus on the details Anne covers in,...
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FBL100: Peter Diamandis - Unraveling the Future - AI, Biotech, Quantum and the Singularity
To celebrate our 100th episode, we welcome one of the co-founders of Singularity himself, Peter Diamandis. And although his educational background at MIT and Harvard Medical school is impressive enough, Peter has also built and invested in many successful companies and organizations dedicated to...
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FBL99: Karl Friston - How Free Energy Shapes the Future of AI
This week my guest is professor of neuroscience at University College London, Karl Friston. Viewed by many as one of the world’s most influential neuroscientists, Friston rose to prominence when he pioneered one of the key techniques that allows neuroscientists to analyze brain activity. And as…
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FBL98: Jean Twenge - How Generations Are Shaped By Technology
This week my guest is Jean Twenge, a renowned psychologist, professor, and author who has been one of the world’s leading researchers investigating generational differences and the impacts of technology. This includes her books The Narcissism Epidemic, Generation Me, and my personal favorite…
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FBL97: Nessa Carey - Epigenetics & Gene Editing
This week our guest is British biologist, Nessa Carey, who has researched and written extensively about the latest trends in molecular biology and biotechnology for several decades now. This includes her 2011 book, the Epigenetics Revolution, and her more recent 2019 book, Hacking the Code of…
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FBL96: Mikes Berners-Lee - Understanding Climate Change
This week my guest is professor and fellow of the Institute for Social Futures at Lancaster University, Mike Berners-Lee. With a brother who is often referred to as the inventor of the internet, Mike Berners-Lee carries on his family’s legacy of scientific brilliance through the domain of climate...
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FBL95: Sander van der Linden - Foolproof in the Age of Misinformation
This week my guest is Sander Van Der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Cambridge where he has also directed the Social Decision-Making Lab since 2016. In this episode we explore Sander’s latest publication, Foolproof, in which he details the many ways in which humans…
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FBL94: Max Borders - Decentralizing the Social Singularity
This week our guest is philosopher and author, Max Borders, who founded the non-profit Social Evolution in order to solve social problems through innovation, and who has also authored three books deeply exploring humanity’s movement to a society of decentralized governance. In this episode, we...
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FBL93: Angus Fletcher - Why Storytelling Will Prevent AI Dominance
This week our guest is Professor of Story Science at Ohio State University’s Project Narrative, Angus Fletcher, who pulls on his background of literature and neuroscience to understand how brains and machines process story and narrative. Angus has recently made some extremely bold claims…
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FBL92: Zak Stein - Transforming Education to Prevent Catastrophe
This week our guest is writer, educator, and futurist, Zak Stein, who is well known for co-founding the Consilience Project with Daniel Schmachtenberger, as well as his recent publication, Education in a Time Between Worlds: Essays on the Future of Schools, Technology, and Society. In this…
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FBL91: Connor Leahy - The Existential Risk of AI Alignment
This week our guest is AI researcher and founder of Conjecture, Connor Leahy, who is dedicated to studying AI alignment. Alignment research focuses on gaining an increased understanding of how to build advanced AI systems that pursue the goals they were designed for instead of engaging in…
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FBL90: Zoltan Istvan - The Current State of Transhumanism
In this episode we check back in with one-time presidential candidate and author of The Transhumanist Wager, Zoltan Istvan, to see how his views have changed since we last talked. This included exploring his changing views in ethics thanks to his study at Oxford, the incredible changes that…
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FBL89: Elizabeth Renieris - How Data Distracts Us From Human Rights
This week’s guest is lawyer, author, and Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, Elizabeth M. Renieris. In this episode, we explore Elizabeth's brand new book, Beyond Data: Reclaiming Human Rights at the Dawn of the Metaverse. This takes us on a tour...
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FBL88: Justin Hendrix - Democracy in the Digital Age
This week our guest is research scientist and adjunct professor, Justin Hendrix, who is the CEO and editor of Tech Policy Press (https://techpolicy.press/), a non-profit media community dedicated to exploring the intersection of technology and democracy. In this episode, Justin and I enjoy a wide...
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FBL87: Rosalind Picard - Engineering Emotion & AI
This week I’m honored to be joined by MIT Professor, Rosalind Picard, who not only founded the field of affective computing, but is easily considered one of the most impactful inventors alive. In this episode, we explore affective computing and its many impacts on society. This takes on a tour...
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FBL86: Christopher Nguyen - Knowledge-First AI, GPT3, and More
This week my guest is entrepreneur and technologist, Christopher Nguyen, who–in addition to starting his own companies–has spent four decades working at some of the world’s biggest tech giants. In this episode we explore many facets of AI, including Christopher’s ideas around knowledge-first AI,...
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FBL85: Sandra Matz - Lessons From a Computational Social Scientist
This week my guest is computation social scientist and professor at Columbia University, Sandra Matz, who recently published her book, The Psychology of Technology: Social Science Research in the Age of Big Data. In this episode, we explore many different ways in which technology and psychology…
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FBL84: David Rose - Using Augmented Reality to Gain Supersight
Our final guest of 2022 is entrepreneur, product innovator, and lecturer at MIT, David Rose. Pulling on an extensive background as VP at Warby Parker and as a long-time explorer of ambient technologies, David recently released his book Supersight: What Augmented Reality Means for Our Lives, Our...
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FBL83: Danielle Citron - Fighting for Data Privacy and Protection
This week our guest is Distinguished Professor in Law at the University of Virginia, Danielle Citron, who recently released her book The Fight for Privacy: Protecting Dignity, Identity, and Love in the Digital Age. Danielle’s book, as well as this episode, explores the darker side of technology…
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FBL82: Orly Lobel - The Equality Machine & Techno-optimism
This week our guest is law professor, author, and distinguished speaker, Orly Lobel, who recently published her latest of three books, The Equality Machine: Harnessing Digital Technology for a Brighter, More Inclusive Future. In this episode we explore the thread that weaves through Orly’s work,...
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FBL81: Rama Chellappa - Can We Trust AI?
This week my guest is Rama Chellappa, a pioneering AI researcher and distinguished professor at John Hopkins University who recently published his book, Can We Trust AI? In this episode we try to tackle the question posed by Rama’s book from many angles, exploring topics such as the transparency…
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FBL80: David Wood - Principles of the Singularity
This week our guest is David Wood, a long-time futurist and renowned transhumanist thinker. David has authored 10 books on the subject of our technological future, including his recently published book Singularity Principles: Anticipating and Managing Cataclysmically Disruptive Technologies. In...
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FBL79: Gloria Mark - Understanding Attention in the Digital Age
This week our guest is Dr. Gloria Mark, who is Chancellor's Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. In addition to having a PhD in psychology and acting as a visiting senior researcher at Microsoft since 2012, Gloria has recently authored the book Attention Span, which...
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FBL78: James Bridle - Using Nature to Rethink Artificial Intelligence
This week our guest is writer, artist and technologist, James Bridle. Famous for trapping a self-driving car with salt in the mountains of Greece, his artworks have been commissioned by numerous galleries and institutions and have been exhibited worldwide. His writing on literature, culture and...
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FBL77: Brett Johnson - America’s Most Wanted Cybercriminal
This week our guest is Brett Johnson, who was listed on America’s Most Wanted list in 2006 for cyber-crime and who the secret service once declared as the “original internet godfather.” Since serving his jail sentence and leaving behind his criminal past, Brett has become a leading consultant on...
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FBL76: David Carroll - Cambridge Analytica & Data Privacy
This week our guest is David Carroll, a professor of media design at the New School in New York City who gained worldwide renown when he decided to engage in a legal battle with the Cambridge Analytica. For those who may not know, Cambridge Analytica was involved in a massive data scandal using...
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FBL75: Peter Ward - The Failures and Opportunities of Immortality
This week our guest is business and technology reporter, Peter Ward. Earlier this year, Peter released his book The Price of Immortality: The Race to Live Forever, where he investigates the many movements and organizations that are seeking to extend human life, from the Church of Perpetual Life…
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FBL74: Azeem Azhar: How Exponential Technologies are Transforming Society
This week our guest is author and podcaster, Azeem Azhar, who has a robust background as an investor, founder, and regulator in the tech space, including several years working with the World Economic Forum on the Global Future Council on Digital Economy and Society. Azeem spends much of his time...
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FBL73: Michael Shermer - Exploring Skepticism, Freespeech, and Conspiracies
This week our guest is Michael Shermer, who founded Skeptic Magazine and is the executive director of the Skeptic’s Society. Michael’s written many books over the years, including Heavens on Earth, which explores technologists efforts towards immortality; Giving the Devil His Due, which is a...
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FBL72: Steven Parton - A Short Message From the Host
Hi everyone, Just wanted to make a quick episode to let you know we're taking a short break for these next few weeks, but we'll be back with a steady stream of more episodes on October 2nd. I also wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all of those who take time to listen every week. With…
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FBL71: Kevin Roose - Futureproof in the Age of Automation
This week our guest is Kevin Roose, a tech columnist for The New York Times and author of several books including his latest Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation. In this episode, Kevin and I discuss how the world’s tendency towards automation is leading to the end of many...
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FBL70: Mark Mills - The Digital Cloud & the Convergence of the Roaring 2020s
This week our guest is Mark Mills, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who recently authored The Cloud Revolution: How the Convergence of New Technologies Will Unleash the Next Economic Boom and A Roaring 2020s. In this episode, Mark and I discuss how the latest advancements in materials,...
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FBL69: David Weinberger - Using Technology To Thrive in Chaos
This week our guest is author and technologist, David Weinberger, who has spent years lecturing at Harvard as well as acting as a fellow and senior researcher at the renowned Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society. And just prior to covid, David released his latest book, Everyday Chaos:...
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FBL68: Nir Eyal - Avoid Distraction & Control Your Attention
This week our guest is lecturer, investor, and author, Nir Eyal, whose previous two books include Hooked: How To Build Habit Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Nir has a lot of experience teaching and discussing these subjects, so we were able...
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FBL67: Jacob Ward - How AI Shapes Our Choices & Bad Habits
This week our guest is NBC technology correspondent, Jacob Ward, who recently released his book, The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back. In this episode we focus broadly on the ways in which technology and AI are learning from the worst instincts of…
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About this show
Explore the technologies shaping our future with the Singularity Discussion Series, from Singularity University. In each episode, leading experts dive deep into the current and future implications of exponential technologies—from AI and biotech to blockchain and quantum computing—and how their convergence is transforming industries, economies, and everyday life.Join us as we uncover the breakthroughs redefining what's possible and explore how leaders, innovators, and society can navigate this accelerating future.Visit su.org/events for to join us Live on Zoom for future conversations.
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Singularity University
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