The Portal

Latest Episodes:

13: Garry Kasparov - Avoiding Zugzwang in AI and Politics Nov 23, 2019

Show notes

In this cordially combative episode, Eric sits down with Russian chess legend, multiple-year champion and (inarguably) one of the greatest players of all time, Garry Kasparov. The two discuss transcending AI-induced demotivation, AI brilliancy (and lack thereof), the perilous time for global democracy in Russia, America and globally and Garry's penchant for risking his life for what he believes in. Beyond Chess, Garry is an active political dissident and truth seeker; founding the Russian "United Civil Front" and speaking out against Putin since his retirement from the game in 2005, he's an ardent defender of democracy in Russia and abroad. 1997 was also a watershed year for Garry; it was the year that AI - in the form of IBM's Deep Blue - was able to beat the best chess player in the world (Kasparov). Since then, Garry's been thinking deeply about the role of a newly positioned mankind in the world of a rising AI. From tech displacement to political unrest, please enjoy this wide ranging episode covering some of the most crucial issues of our time.

ExpressVPN: Visit expressvpn.com/PORTAL you can get an extra three months of ExpressVPN for free!

Four Sigmatic: Visit foursigmatic.com/PORTAL to get a 15% discount on all orders

SkillShare: Visit Skillshare.com/PORTAL and get two months free when you sign up

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12: Vitalik Buterin - The Ethereal Prince and His Virtual Machine Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Vitalik Buterin sits down with Eric to discuss ethereum, the wider world of crypto and heterodox economics.

Taking note of the new development of blockchain in 2010, Eric wrote an essay called “Go Virtual Young Man”. A few years later, a Thiel Fellow named Vitalik created a virtual machine with an idiosyncratic smart contract system and a currency. Ironically, Eric had recently become a Managing Director at Thiel Capital. Perennially circling each other intellectually, the two now sit down in person to discuss economic paradigm shifts, crypto and the future of online sovereignty and social coordination.

Wine Access: WineAccess.com/Portal to get $100 off your first purchase of $250 or more

Chili Technology: chilitechnology.com/PORTAL Save up to $300 on Chili sleep systems with 25% off the chiliPAD

(code: portalchili) or 15% off OOLER (code: portalooler)

Phlur: phlur.com/portal to get 20% off your FIRST custom Phlur sample set!

Blinkist: blinkist.com/portal try it FREE for 7 days AND save 25% off your new

subscription.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11: Sam Harris - Fighting with Friends Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

On this episode of The Portal, Eric talks to one of his closest friends, neuroscientist, philosopher and meditation-guru, Sam Harris. When Sam and Eric sit down they generally agree about a large number of things. So in this experiment of a session, Eric attempts to push the relentlessly reasonable and methodical Sam out of his comfort zone to highlight their genuine differences. These include: beliefs on religion, the logic of voting for unreasonable candidates, Jeffrey Epstein's demise, the competence of the press, the ethics of immigration and more.

Skillshare: Go to Skillshare.com/PORTAL to start your two months of unlimited access today

Boll and Branch: For a limited time get fifty dollars off when you go to Bollandbranch.com/PORTAL

Four Sigmatic: FourSigmatic.com/PORTAL and use discount code PORTAL to get a 15% discount on all orders

Express VPN: Get 3 extra free months when you sign up for a year using Expressvpn.com/PORTAL

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10: Julie Lindahl: Shaking the poisoned fruit of shame out of the family tree Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

Eric sits down with Julie Lindahl, author of "The Pendulum". What happens when an ethnically German girl growing up in Brazil gets curious to finally make sense of her family history to stop the cycle of dysfunction? Julie Lindahl’s new book "The Pendulum" shows us what it can take to find a portal out of inter-generational trauma. Eric welcomes his house-guest Julie Lindahl to tell her extraordinary story on this episode of The Portal. The episode is raw and recorded at home on a hand held device; there will be no video.

Four Sigmatic: FourSigmatic.com/PORTAL and use discount code PORTAL to get a 15% discount on all orders

Chili Pad chilitechnology.com/portal and use code “PORTALCHILI”

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9: Bryan Callen - Cracking Wise Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

Eric sits down with friend, philosopher, comic, actor and fighter Bryan Callen for a wide ranging conversation on camaraderie, conflict and comedy. Over the course of 2+ hours, the two discuss difficult topics like the holocaust, gender dynamics and the legacy of the enlightenment on the eve of the 2020 presidential election. Bryan and Eric oscillate between levity and intensity as they navigate these hard-to-broach topics. Hilarity and good insights ensue.

Four Sigmatic: FourSigmatic.com/PORTAL and use discount code PORTAL to get a 15% discount on all orders

Skillshare: Skillshare.com/PORTAL for 2 months of Skillshare free

ExpressVPN: ExpressVPN.com/Portal for 3 months free

Wine Access: WineAccess.com/Portal for $150 off

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8: Andrew Yang - The Dangerously Different Candidate The Media Wants You To Ignore Oct 02, 2019

Show notes

In this episode of the Portal, Eric checks in with his friend Andrew Yang to discuss the meteoric rise of his candidacy; one that represents an insurgency against a complacent political process that the media establishment doggedly tries to maintain. Andrew updates Eric on the state of his campaign and the status of the ideas the two had discussed as its foundation when it began. Eric presents Andrew with his new economic paradigm; moving from an 'is a [worker]' economy to a 'has a [worker]' economy. The two also discuss neurodiverse families as a neglected voting block, the still-strong but squelched-by-the-scientific-establishment STEM community in the US, and the need to talk fearlessly - and as a xenophile - about immigration as a wealth transfer gimmick.

Sponsors:

Reverse-Sponsor:https://www.drbronner.com/

Skillshare: Skillshare.com/PORTAL for 2 months of Skillshare free

Boll and Branch: BollandBranch.com $50 off with promo code: PORTAL No risk, 30 day trial period with free shipping

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7: Bret Easton Ellis - The Dark Laureate of Generation X Sep 30, 2019

Show notes

Eric sits down with Bret Easton Ellis; the two Gen X’ers graduated from rival high schools in a disaffected 1982 Los Angeles that inspired Ellis’ first novel “Less Than Zero”. In this conversation, they reflect on LA, Generation X, and the different notions of childhood held by Gen x and Millennials.

Sponsors:

Phlur: phlur.com/portal for 20% off

Boll and Branch: BollandBranch.com $50 off with promo code: PORTAL No risk, 30 day trial period with free shipping

Four Sigmatic: FourSigmatic.com/PORTAL and use discount code PORTAL to get a 15% discount on all orders

Skillshare: Skillshare.com/PORTAL for 2 months of Skillshare free

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6: Jocko Willink - The Way of the Violent Intellectual Sep 07, 2019

Show notes

Jocko Willink is a man who radiates decency. He is also part of a community of warriors drawn to test themselves in the crucible of deadly combat against an evil and implacable foe. Eric sits down with Jocko Willink to learn how this cerebral Navy SEAL and hero of the battle of Ramadi against ISIS managed to bring military discipline home to the fight for personal freedom in peacetime writing kids books that teach ‘extreme ownership’ and radical accountability to children.

Give warriors a chance, and then subscribe to The Portal to be sure to catch our next and future episodes when they drop.

Sponsor:

Netsuite: netsuite.com/portal

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5: Rabbi Wolpe - “So a Rabbi and an atheist walk into a podcast...” Aug 31, 2019

Show notes

Beyond New Atheism: is a constructive adult relationship possible between atheism and religion?

On this episode of the portal, Eric hosts leading conservative rabbi David Wolpe and explores the possibilities for, and problems with, a new synthesis of atheism and religion in our modern era that avoids special pleading.

Sponsors of this episode of The Portal:

Skillshare: https://www.skillshare.com/portal

ExpressVPN: https://www.expressvpn.com/portal

Netsuite: https://www.netsuite.com/portal

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4: Timur Kuran - The Economics of Revolution and Mass Deception Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

What if everything we are taught in economics 101 is not only wrong, but may even be setting us up for populism, dictatorship or revolution? On this episode of the Portal, Eric is joined by renegade Economist Professor Timur Kuran whose theory of Preference Falsification appears to explain the world wide surge towards populism, and is now threatening to rewrite the core tenets of modern economics. This could well be the most important economist you’ve never heard of.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected