Evolve Faster with Scott Ely

Latest Episodes:

EF9 (S1-E7): I Feel, Therefore I am: Capsized on the River Emotion Mar 12, 2019

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Elliott made a terrible mistake that's been haunting him ever since. As if rafting through Class V rapids without a paddle, Elliott's sanity is inches away from crashing into sharp rocks of guilt, shame and sadness. Where do we turn when it feels like our emotions have us hurtling out of control in dangerous waters? And is there any hope for recovery even once you’ve faced the reality of your situation head-on, in light of the power of these emotional currents? We all have emotions, but what are they and do we need them? David Hume felt we are nothing more than slaves to our passions. And maybe so! Countless theories like the Hurrah/Boo Theory show that we'll jump onto the emotional bandwagon of the masses almost instinctively. Why? To feel safe. But is there a way to break the secure chains of emotions? Is there a way to rationalize the irrational, reason the unreasonable and be ultimately be masters of our feelings?

EF8 (S1-E6): Without a Compass: All Who Sail the Seas of Identity Are Not Lost Feb 26, 2019

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(EF8) You're the sailor of the ship called you, and yet most people let their boats go into great disrepair and neglect. Feeling moored in the same spot for years with no clear understanding of the direction she needs to go, Lisa gets a unique opportunity to upgrade her identity boat with a chemical compass of sorts—a mysterious drug that will supposedly alter her complete identity—to supposedly better enable her to navigate through life’s rough waters. Could a change in your identity actually turn your entire life around for the better? Or are we destined to live with constant susceptibility to being lost in a sea of meaningless actions and emotions without any sort of compass to steer our ship? What defines our identity? John Locke thought it is our consciousness and the daily actions that shape who we are. Similarly, Erik and Joan Erickson created an entire step-by-step description of the phases each individual goes through. Finally, recent neuroscientific research manages to make a hard connection between various emotions we experience and our brain. Is there anything we can actually do to navigate the rough emotional waters of life any more effectively?

EF7 (S1-E5): Sleight of Mind: The Black Magic of Rhetoric Feb 12, 2019

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Edward, a marketing master and spokesperson for the dark arts of rhetoric and propaganda, is hired to educate a controversial businessman running for an important public office. It's Edward's job to bestow the black magic of verbal and written manipulation on the businessman to win the election. Where the tongue is quicker than the mind—and the pen sharp enough to cut—are these skills a well-respected art? Or are they just cheap mental tricks wielded by insincere charlatans? 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.

EF6 (S1-E4): Information Mainlining and the Folly of Modern Wisdom Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

The big question driving Episode EF6 is ... How do you acquire wisdom? Paul, a child prodigy who became a leading theoretical physicist in his early 30s, is facing a personal dilemma that is making him miserable—the realization that he might be woefully deficient in the one thing he most reveres. Although filled with endless knowledge, he isn't wise. But how? Isn't harnessing more and more information the key to becoming wise? In his attempt to figure it out, Paul might realize the obstacle he's facing isn't even close to being the final one. And can he feel like a complete person without it? The idea of wisdom goes back to Ancient Greece, from Socrates and Plato to modern day reinterpretations and research by sociologists like Monika Ardelt. In this episode's exploration of wisdom and how it manifests, the real questions come forth. Even if we can define wisdom, is that enough to come by it? Can anyone become truly wise in this world of rapidly changing information? And what will happen to the world if wisdom is actually declining in reverse proportion to the volumes of information available every day?

EF5 (S1-E3): The Truth is Clay in the Hands of a Sculptor Jan 15, 2019

Show notes

The big question driving Episode EF5 is...What is the Truth? Truman, an ordinary man with a regular job, is caught lying in a country where lying is illegal. Thanks to his actions, he ends up facing a mandatory Truth Course to get him back on the track. Terrified, Truman slowly realizes the truth is not what we all grew accustomed to believe. Is it possible that facts are nothing more than a piece of clay molded by someone's interests? Time is running out for Truman, and the sculptor of truth might hold the power to mold his future.

EF4 (S1-E2): The Decapitation of Reason: A Skeptic’s Guide Jan 01, 2019

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At the height of his success, a controversial philosopher named Ian Ament reveals a dangerous plan to do a head transplant swap with his brother. Nobody knows why and both the scientific and medical communities at large are concerned. In a tense live interview with a potential surgeon named Ross Hunter, Ament methodically explains his reasoning to the world. Yet his reasons only bring more questions. Is there something more behind Ament's plan? For the next 60 minutes of this interview, the historical arc of reason—and Ian’s head—are both on the chopping block as we wait to find out if the ax will fall.

EF3 (S1-E1): All Aboard the Experience Machine: Destination…Unknown Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

The big question driving Episode EF3 is... What am I supposed to do? You can't say we get to choose if we want to live this life or not. One day you're born, and that's it--your journey starts with zero preparation. Thus, it's natural we don't know what the hell we're doing, and we get lost. Should I go to college? Should I leave everything behind and start fresh? Because really, what are you supposed to do? In EF3, Jonathan finds himself forced between two paths: a meaningful life filled with risky choices, or a safe life full of regret. If only there were a way to make everything simple, like the life equivalent of an autopilot that steers the train through a secure, happy and perfect journey. He has just half a day, however, to find the solution to the puzzle we all face on a daily basis—What’s the right decision? 12 hours, millions of questions and no clear answer.

EF2 (Intro): Life is a Near-Death Experience (Welcome to The Evolve Faster Podcast) Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

In this introduction to the Evolve Faster Podcast, we’ll ride an hour-long roller coaster of a thought experiment designed to challenge your normal modes of conscious life experience. We’ll look at a psychological tendency that makes it difficult for you to break out of the mental auto-pilot in which you rarely acknowledge the fact that you could die around the next curve. Next, we’ll investigate what it means to Evolve Faster as a metaphor for personal and societal change. Finally, we’ll examine where the podcast will go from here into the regular seasons--groups of 10 (or so) themed episodes, written and produced in a unique fiction-meets-nonfiction format.

EF1 (Trailer): The Evolve Faster Podcast Trailer (Extended Version) Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

Everything is changing, yet the questions that drive us remain the same. Will humanity face the absurdity of our collective existential crisis in time? Join Scott Ely as he takes us deep into the rabbit hole with philosophical tales to reboot your mind, upgrade your life and explore your soul. To Evolve Faster is to see the fact that you will die someday as a formidable challenge, instead of a source of immense fear. Create your reality…before it creates you. Isn’t it time for an upgrade?

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