Charles C. Mann - Americas Before Columbus & Scientific Wizardry
Charles C. Mann is the author of three of my favorite history books: 1491. 1493, and The Wizard and the Prophet.
We discuss:
* why Native American civilizations collapsed and why they failed to make more technological progress
* why he disagrees with Will MacAskill about longtermism
* why there aren’t any successful slave revolts
* how geoengineering can help us solve climate change
* why Bitcoin is like the Chinese Silver Trade
* and much much more!
Timestamps
(0:00:00) -Epidemically Alternate Realities
(0:00:25) -Weak Points in Empires
(0:03:28) -Slave Revolts
(0:08:43) -Slavery Ban
(0:12:46) - Contingency & The Pyramids
(0:18:13) - Teotihuacan
(0:20:02) - New Book Thesis
(0:25:20) - Gender Ratios and Silicon Valley
(0:31:15) - Technological Stupidity in the New World
(0:41:24) - Religious Demoralization
(0:43:24) - Critiques of Civilization Collapse Theories
(0:48:29) - Virginia Company + Hubris
(0:52:48) - China’s Silver Trade
(1:02:27) - Wizards vs. Prophets
(1:07:19) - In Defense of Regulatory Delays
(1:11:50) -Geoengineering
(1:16:15) -Finding New Wizards
(1:18:10) -Agroforestry is Underrated
(1:27:00) -Longtermism & Free Markets
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dwarkesh.com
More description
Charles C. Mann is the author of three of my favorite history books: 1491. 1493, and The Wizard and the Prophet.
We discuss:
* why Native American civilizations collapsed and why they failed to make more technological progress
* why he disagrees with Will MacAskill about longtermism
* why there aren’t any successful slave revolts
* how geoengineering can help us solve climate change
* why Bitcoin is like the Chinese Silver Trade
* and much much more!
Timestamps
(0:00:00) -Epidemically Alternate Realities
(0:00:25) -Weak Points in Empires
(0:03:28) -Slave Revolts
(0:08:43) -Slavery Ban
(0:12:46) - Contingency & The Pyramids
(0:18:13) - Teotihuacan
(0:20:02) - New Book Thesis
(0:25:20) - Gender Ratios and Silicon Valley
(0:31:15) - Technological Stupidity in the New World
(0:41:24) - Religious Demoralization
(0:43:24) - Critiques of Civilization Collapse Theories
(0:48:29) - Virginia Company + Hubris
(0:52:48) - China’s Silver Trade
(1:02:27) - Wizards vs. Prophets
(1:07:19) - In Defense of Regulatory Delays
(1:11:50) -Geoengineering
(1:16:15) -Finding New Wizards
(1:18:10) -Agroforestry is Underrated
(1:27:00) -Longtermism & Free Markets
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dwarkesh.com
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