#83 – Nick Bostrom: Simulation and Superintelligence

Aman Sanger, Arvid Lunnemark, Michael Truell, and Sualeh Asif are creators of Cursor, a popular code editor that specializes in AI-assisted programming. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep447-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/cursor-team-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Cursor Website: https://cursor.com Cursor on X: https://x.com/cursor_ai Anysphere Website: https://anysphere.inc/ Aman’s X: https://x.com/amanrsanger Aman’s Website: https://amansanger.com/ Arvid’s X: https://x.com/ArVID220u Arvid’s Website: https://arvid.xyz/ Michael’s Website: https://mntruell.com/ Michael’s LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3zIDkPN Sualeh’s X: https://x.com/sualehasif996 Sualeh’s Website: https://sualehasif.me/ SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Encord: AI tooling for annotation & data management. Go to https://encord.com/lex MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (09:25) – Code editor basics (11:35) – GitHub Copilot (18:53) – Cursor (25:20) – Cursor Tab (31:35) – Code diff (39:46) – ML details (45:20) – GPT vs Claude (51:54) – Prompt engineering (59:20) – AI agents (1:13:18) – Running code in background (1:17:57) – Debugging (1:23:25) – Dangerous code (1:34:35) – Branching file systems (1:37:47) – Scaling challenges (1:51:58) – Context (1:57:05) – OpenAI o1 (2:08:27) – Synthetic data (2:12:14) – RLHF vs RLAIF (2:14:01) – Fields Medal for AI (2:16:43) – Scaling laws (2:25:32) – The future of programming PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

6 Loka 20242h 37min

Ed Barnhart is an archaeologist and explorer specializing in ancient civilizations of the Americas. He is the Director of the Maya Exploration Center, host of the ArchaeoEd Podcast, and lecturer on the ancient history of North, Central, and South America. Ed is in part known for his groundbreaking work on ancient astronomy, mathematics, and calendar systems. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep446-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/ed-barnhart-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Ed’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@archaeoedpodcast Ed’s Website: https://archaeoed.com/ Maya Exploration Center: https://mayaexploration.org Ed’s Lectures on The Great Courses: https://thegreatcoursesplus.com/edwin-barnhart Ed’s Lectures on Audible: https://adbl.co/4dBavTZ 2025 Mayan Calendar: https://mayan-calendar.com/ SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex Notion: Note-taking and team collaboration. Go to https://notion.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (08:59) – Lost civilizations (16:04) – Hunter-gatherers (19:36) – First humans in the Americas (29:28) – South America (34:57) – Pyramids (42:01) – Religion (55:05) – Shamanism (57:02) – Ayahuasca (1:03:15) – Lost City of Z (1:08:09) – Graham Hancock (1:15:11) – Uncontacted tribes (1:21:12) – Maya civilization (1:37:00) – Mayan calendar (1:52:17) – Flood myths (2:20:46) – Aztecs (2:38:12) – Inca Empire (2:56:13) – Early humans in North America (3:02:10) – Columbus (3:06:46) – Vikings (3:10:55) – Aliens (3:15:23) – Earth in 10,000 years (3:31:33) – Hope for the future PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

30 Syys 20243h 36min

Vivek Ramaswamy is a conservative politician, entrepreneur, and author of many books on politics, including his latest titled Truths: The Future of America First. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep445-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/vivek-ramaswamy-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Truths (new book): https://amzn.to/3XPgZJF Vivek’s X: https://x.com/VivekGRamaswamy Vivek’s YouTube: https://youtube.com/@VivekGRamaswamy Vivek’s Instagram: https://instagram.com/vivekgramaswamy Vivek’s Facebook: https://facebook.com/VivekGRamaswamy Vivek’s Rumble: https://rumble.com/VivekRamaswamy Vivek’s LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4e5g0uv Vivek’s other books: Woke, Inc.: https://amzn.to/4eqiDqs Nation of Victims: https://amzn.to/3Tu4259 Capitalist Punishment: https://amzn.to/3XOwi5c SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Saily: An eSIM for international travel. Go to https://saily.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex Ground News: Unbiased news source. Go to https://groundnews.com/lex Eight Sleep: Temp-controlled smart mattress. Go to https://eightsleep.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (12:50) – Conservatism (16:06) – Progressivism (21:41) – DEI (26:33) – Bureaucracy (33:25) – Government efficiency (48:34) – Education (1:02:59) – Military Industrial Complex (1:25:18) – Illegal immigration (1:46:53) – Donald Trump (2:08:18) – War in Ukraine (2:19:31) – China (2:30:42) – Will Vivek run in 2028? (2:42:21) – Approach to debates PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

25 Syys 20242h 51min

Vejas Liulevicius is a historian specializing in Germany and Eastern Europe, who has lectured extensively on Marxism and the rise, the reign, and the fall of Communism. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep444-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/vejas-liulevicius-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Vejas’s Courses: https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/vejas-gabriel-liulevicius Vejas’s Books: https://amzn.to/4e3R1rz Vejas’s Audible: https://adbl.co/4esRrHt SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex Notion: Note-taking and team collaboration. Go to https://notion.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex Eight Sleep: Temp-controlled smart mattress. Go to https://eightsleep.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (08:48) – Marxism (36:33) – Anarchism (51:30) – The Communist Manifesto (1:00:29) – Communism in the Soviet Union (1:20:23) – Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin (1:30:11) – Stalin (1:37:26) – Holodomor (1:51:16) – The Great Terror (2:04:17) – Totalitarianism (2:15:19) – Response to Darryl Cooper (2:30:27) – Nazis vs Communists in Germany (2:36:50) – Mao (2:41:57) – Great Leap Forward (2:48:58) – China after Mao (2:54:30) – North Korea (2:58:34) – Communism in US (3:06:04) – Russia after Soviet Union (3:17:35) – Advice for Lex (3:25:17) – Book recommendations (3:28:16) – Advice for young people (3:35:08) – Hope PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

20 Syys 20243h 37min

Gregory Aldrete is a historian specializing in ancient Rome and military history. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep443-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/gregory-aldrete-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Gregory’s Website: https://gregorysaldrete.com/ Gregory’s Books: https://amzn.to/3z6NiKC Gregory’s Great Courses Plus: https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/gregory-s-aldrete Gregory’s Audible: https://adbl.co/4e72oP0 SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex ExpressVPN: Fast & secure VPN. Go to https://expressvpn.com/lexpod OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (08:38) – Ancient world (22:34) – Three phases of Roman history (25:24) – Rome’s expansion (37:04) – Punic wars (45:36) – Conquering Greece (47:14) – Scipio vs Hannibal (50:21) – Heavy infantry vs Cavalry (53:57) – Armor (1:06:48) – Alexander the Great (1:12:49) – Roman law (1:22:29) – Slavery (1:30:09) – Fall of the Roman Republic (1:33:54) – Julius Caesar (1:38:33) – Octavian’s rise (1:48:25) – Cleopatra (1:56:47) – Augustus (2:24:57) – Religion in Rome (2:49:03) – Emperors (2:56:10) – Marcus Aurelius (3:02:21) – Taxes (3:05:29) – Fall of the Roman Empire (3:22:41) – Decisive battles (3:46:51) – Hope PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

12 Syys 20240s

Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States and the Republican candidate in the 2024 US Presidential Election. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep442-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/donald-trump-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Trump’s Truth: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump Trump’s X: https://x.com/realDonaldTrump Trump’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realdonaldtrump Trump’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump Trump’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realdonaldtrump Trump’s Website: https://www.donaldjtrump.com SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Ground News: Unbiased news source. Go to https://ground.news/lex Encord: AI tooling for annotation & data management. Go to https://encord.com/lex Eight Sleep: Temp-controlled smart mattress. Go to https://eightsleep.com/lex NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (09:19) – Psychology of winning and losing (12:01) – Politics is a dirty game (13:38) – Business vs politics (16:15) – War in Ukraine (18:03) – Kamala Harris interview on CNN (18:46) – Trump-Harris debate (21:43) – China (23:57) – 2020 election (32:13) – Project 2025 (33:03) – Marijuana (35:24) – Joe Rogan (39:04) – Division (46:10) – Communism and fascism (49:46) – Power (51:47) – UFOs & JFK (52:26) – Jeffrey Epstein (54:05) – Mortality and religion (55:35) – Lex AMA PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

3 Syys 20241h 12min

Cenk Uygur is a progressive political commentator and host of The Young Turks. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep441-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/cenk-uygur-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Cenk’s X: https://x.com/cenkuygur The Young Turks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheYoungTurks The Young Turks Website: https://tyt.com/ The Young Turks on X: https://x.com/TheYoungTurks Justice Is Coming (Cenk’s book): https://tyt.com/justice SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Saily: An eSIM for international travel. Go to https://saily.com/lex Policygenius: Life insurance. Go to https://policygenius.com/lex AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://drinkLMNT.com/lex NetSuite: Business management software. Go to http://netsuite.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (14:27) – Progressivism (20:37) – Communism (35:24) – Capitalism (41:27) – Corruption (46:13) – Money in politics (1:03:00) – Fixing politics (1:22:11) – Meritocracy & DEI (1:33:10) – Far-left vs far-right (2:07:43) – Donald Trump (2:28:00) – Joe Biden (2:46:27) – Bernie Sanders (2:59:56) – Kamala Harris (3:07:25) – Harris vs Trump presidential debate (3:20:55) – RFK Jr (3:30:37) – The Young Turks (3:38:49) – Joe Rogan (3:48:30) – Propaganda (3:55:46) – Conspiracy theories (4:03:33) – Israel-Palestine (4:13:20) – Hope PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

30 Elo 20240s

Pieter Levels (aka levelsio on X) is a self-taught developer and entrepreneur who has designed, programmed, launched over 40 startups, many of which are highly successful. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep440-sc See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/pieter-levels-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: Pieter’s X: https://x.com/levelsio Pieter’s Techno Optimist Shop: https://levelsio.com/ Indie Maker Handbook: https://readmake.com/ Nomad List: https://nomadlist.com Remote OK: https://remoteok.com Hoodmaps: https://hoodmaps.com SPONSORS: To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: Shopify: Sell stuff online. Go to https://shopify.com/lex Motific: Generative ai deployment. Go to https://motific.ai AG1: All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://drinkag1.com/lex MasterClass: Online classes from world-class experts. Go to https://masterclass.com/lexpod BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://betterhelp.com/lex Eight Sleep: Temp-controlled smart mattress. Go to https://eightsleep.com/lex OUTLINE: (00:00) – Introduction (11:38) – Startup philosophy (19:09) – Low points (22:37) – 12 startups in 12 months (29:29) – Traveling and depression (42:08) – Indie hacking (46:11) – Photo AI (1:22:28) – How to learn AI (1:31:04) – Robots (1:39:21) – Hoodmaps (2:03:26) – Learning new programming languages (2:12:58) – Monetize your website (2:19:34) – Fighting SPAM (2:23:07) – Automation (2:34:33) – When to sell startup (2:37:26) – Coding solo (2:43:28) – Ship fast (2:52:13) – Best IDE for programming (3:01:43) – Andrej Karpathy (3:11:09) – Productivity (3:24:56) – Minimalism (3:33:41) – Emails (3:40:54) – Coffee (3:48:40) – E/acc (3:50:56) – Advice for young people PODCAST LINKS: – Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast – Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr – Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 – RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ – Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 – Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips

20 Elo 20240s