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0:00 Teaser
0:59 A paywall bait masterclass
8:11 Is Paul feeling the AI acceleration?
16:00 The Freddie deBoer AI challenge
26:23 What would a true AI revolution look like?
31:51 Bob: We’re failing the AI test
39:59 Has AI really made much of a difference?
50:59 Heading to Overtime
Robert Wright (Nonzero, The Evolution of God, Why Buddhism Is True) and Paul Bloom (https://smallpotatoes.paulbloom.net, University of Toronto, The Sweet Spot, Against Empathy). Recorded February 16, 2026.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NonzeroPods
Paul’s newsletter:
Overtime titles:
0:00 Bob’s appearance(s) in the Epstein files
17:17 Paul’s bittersweet (but mostly sweet) news
27:06 Is Elon betting on the wrong bots?
30:24 Hamnet and Kim’s Convenience
33:06 Will Carney walk his talk?






