Evolve Faster with Scott Ely

Latest Episodes:

EF29 (BTP-EF9): Waging War Between Reason and Emotions and the Importance of Leaving Things Unresolved — Behind the Podcast of Episode EF9 Sep 03, 2019

Show notes

EF29 is a Behind The Podcast about Episode EF9 (I Feel, Therefore I am: Capsized on the River Emotion). The driving question of this episode (and this AMA) for you to think through is ... Can rationality and emotions coexist? We tend to put people (and ourselves) into two groups: people who are rational, and people who are emotional. So what should you strive being? A rational or emotional person? Rationality is usually more encouraged as too many emotions can blur your mind. But is it that simple?

EF28 (AMA-EF8): Drugs, Consciousness Manipulation and Cheating Your Way To a Better You — Ask Me Anything for Episode EF8 Aug 27, 2019

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EF28 is an Ask Me Anything about Episode EF8 (Without a Compass: All Who Sail the Seas of Identity Are Not Lost). The sixth episode of the first season of the Evolve Faster Podcast Episode is driven by the big question Who Am I? Many people use drugs to make quick “fixes” to their identity. But if there was a drug that could instantly change you once and for all, would you take it?

EF27 (BTP-EF8): Who are You and is it Possible to Upgrade Your Identity as an Adult? — Behind the Podcast of Episode EF8 Aug 20, 2019

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EF27 is a Behind The Podcast of Episode EF8 (Without a Compass: All Who Sail the Seas of Identity Are Not Lost). The driving question of this episode is ... Can you change your identity? Or the shorter philosophical classic, who are you? Although you know your name, vital statistics, and other necessary information — you likely still ask yourself from time to time 'who am I?' What do we mean when we ask this seemingly simple, but infinitely deep, question? And is it possible that the answer could change over time, implying that your identity can evolve?

EF26 (AMA-EF7): The Impossibility of Honest Politicians and Protecting Our Kids from The Most Insidious Fake News — Ask Me Anything for Episode EF7 Aug 13, 2019

Show notes

EF26 is an Ask Me Anything about Episode EF7 (Sleight of Mind: The Black Magic of Rhetoric). The driving question of this episode (and this AMA) for you to think through is ... can we trust reason? In an online world now overcome with fake news, reason and rational thinking would seem to be an obvious bet for an antidote. But how many times did you find yourself in a situation where your reasoning was unreasonable to somebody else? Does this mean it’s not a consistent tool we can trust in all situations? Or are there other skills you need to develop in your critical thinking toolbelt in order to fight fire with rhetorical fire?

EF25 (BTP-EF7): The Power of Propaganda and Rhetoric to Divide Us and the Quest for a Better World — Behind the Podcast of Episode EF7 Aug 06, 2019

Show notes

EF25 is a Behind The Podcast (BTP) looking back at Episode EF7 (Sleight of Mind: The Black Magic of Rhetoric). The driving question of this episode is ... can we trust reason? Since perfected by the ancient Greeks, rhetoric has slowly devolved from a respected art into a manipulative tool used in marketing, politics and any other walk of life where mental and verbal coercion pays. Rhetoric, propaganda and the strategic use of logical fallacies are mental and verbal manipulations similar to the dark arts of black magic, in that they create smoke and mirrors to change minds to believe mistruths. And unlike a magician who deceives to entertain, these dark wizards act maliciously in pursuit of profit and power over others.

EF24 (AMA-EF6): Is Less Really More When it Comes to the Pursuit of Wisdom or is Ignorance Bliss? — Ask Me Anything of Episode EF6 Jul 30, 2019

Show notes

This is an Ask Me Anything (AMA) about Episode EF6 (Information Mainlining and the Folly of Modern Wisdom). The driving question of this episode is ... is wisdom necessary for leading a satisfying life? It certainly seems useful, but what exactly do you get from it? And does prudence require you to know more than the basic math back from elementary school? Or maybe, wisdom trumps traditional knowledge and a person can be wise no matter the number of books read?

EF23 (BTP-EF6): Scaling Mount Wisdom Without Suffocating Under an Avalanche of Ego — Behind The Podcast of Episode EF6 Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

Is it possible to learn to be wise? This is a Behind The Podcast (BTP) of Episode EF6 (Information Mainlining and the Folly of Modern Wisdom). The driving question of this episode (and this BTP) for you to think through is ... what is wisdom?

EF22 (AMA-EF5): Defeating Fake News and Critical Thinking as the Superpower the World Needs Most — Ask Me Anything of Episode EF5 Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

This is an Ask Me Anything (AMA) looking back at Episode EF5 (The Truth is Clay in the Hands of a Sculptor). The driving question of this episode (and this AMA) for you to think through is ... what is the truth? Without knowing the truth, what can we do? Somewhere deep in our DNA, there's a code that says we always need to seek honesty, we need to fight for trustworthiness. So then why is there so much dishonesty in the news and our collective discourse?

EF21 (BTP-EF5): Should Lying be Made Illegal and the Importance of Figuring Out Why You Believe What you Believe — Behind the Podcast of Episode EF5 Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

This is a Behind The Podcast (BTP) of Episode EF5 (Season 1, Episode 3 of the Evolve Faster Podcast) titled The Truth is Clay in the Hands of a Sculptor. The driving question of this episode (and this BTP) for you to think through is … what is the truth? Without knowing the truth, what can we do? Somewhere deep in our DNA, there's a code that says we always need to seek honesty, we need to fight for trustworthiness. So we do our best to seek justice we all believe to be the same. When we attack someone for telling a supposed “lie”, we don’t do it because we want to hurt the person. Instead, we’re doing it because we want him or her to be “right” as well. Because, if there’s a single correct path and you are already on that path, then it’s logical you must help anyone who isn’t.

EF20 (AMA-EF4): The Declining Value of Information and Taking Risks to Determine What is the Truth — Ask Me Anything of Episode EF4 Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

Episode EF20 is an Ask Me Anything (AMA) looking back at Episode EF4, which was Season 1, Episode 2 of the Evolve Faster Podcast titled 'The Decapitation of Reason: A Skeptic’s Guide.' That episode of the first season of the Evolve Faster Podcast Episode was driven by the big question 'How can we know anything?'

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