Salvador Podcast

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tyler Cowen at the Mercatus Center last December. Here’s our conversation. Watch on Youtube or Twitter . Listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or any other podcast platform. Read the transcript . Click here to support my work. Timestamps 0:00 - We’re discovering talent quicker than ever 5:14 - Being in San Francisco is more important than ever 8:01 - There is...

Sarah Fitz-Claridge is a writer, speaker, and the founder of Taking Children Seriously together with David Deutsch . Taking Children Seriously is a new/different view of children—as being full people whose wishes matter just like ours do, whose lack of consent matters just as much as ours does, whose reasons for their wishes make sense, just like ours do, follow Sarah on Twitter We talk about coer...

Scott Aaronson is a theoretical computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, known for his pioneering work on quantum computing and computational complexity. He writes the widely read blog Shtetl-Optimized and has shaped how researchers and the public understand both the possibilities and limits of quantum technology. We talk about the reality of quantum computing, cryptography, AI pro...

Michael Huemer is a professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado Boulder and the author of Ethical Intuitionism , The Problem of Political Authority , and more six books. He is known for his clarity, rigor, and no-nonsense philosophical reasoning and is in my opinion one of the best philosophers alive, follow Mike on Twitter We talk about the logic of free will, the illusion of the self,...

Brett Hall is the host of the TokCast podcast, a physicist and teacher, and one of the most insightful explainers of David Deutsch’s philosophy. He’s been writing and speaking about Popperian epistemology, optimism, and the universal reach of explanation for over a decade, follow Brett on Twitter We talk about what makes people people, why consciousness might be rarer than we think, why explanator...

David Deutsch is a physicist at the University of Oxford, widely considered one of the most profound thinkers alive today. He’s the author of The Beginning of Infinity and The Fabric of Reality , and a pioneer of quantum computing and Popperian epistemology, follow David on Twitter We talk about the nature of truth, creativity, optimism, education, AGI, and why error correction is the key to human...

Garett Jones is an economist at George Mason University and the author of Hive Mind , 10% Less Democracy , and The Culture Transplant . His work explores how intelligence, institutions, and ancestry shape national prosperity — often in surprising ways, follow Garett on Twitter We talk about national IQ, smarter governance, immigration policy, and why “less democracy” might sometimes mean better re...

Johan Norberg is a Swedish author and historian of ideas. He’s a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and the author of Progress, In Defense of Global Capitalism, The Capitalist Manifesto and more recently Peak Human. His work explores the roots of prosperity, the case for open societies, and why freedom leads to human flourishing, follow Johan on Twitter We talk about what really drives progress,...

Leigh Brasington is a meditation teacher in the Theravāda Buddhist tradition and the author of Right Concentration: A Practical Guide to the Jhānas. He was authorized to teach by Ayya Khema and is known for his deep knowledge of jhāna practice and insight meditation. We talk about altered states of concentration, awakening without dogma, what it feels like to perceive without ego, and how practice...

Max More is a philosopher, futurist, and one of the world’s most influential advocates for cryonics and life extension. He’s the former CEO of Alcor and a leading thinker on transhumanism, personal identity, and long-term survival, follow Max on Twitter We talk about cryopreservation, memory, the limits of death, technological ethics, and why future generations might live radically longer and free...

Richard Y. Chappell is a moral philosopher and Associate Professor at the University of Miami. He works on effective altruism, utilitarianism, moral realism, digital minds, and the ethics of the far future. He co-authored An Introduction to Utilitarianism and writes at the blog Good Thoughts , follow Richard on Twitter We talk about doing good effectively, moral truth, AI consciousness, and why co...

Jac O’Keeffe is a spiritual teacher, author, and founder of the Association for Spiritual Integrity. She guides students on the path beyond ego, and speaks openly about awakening, trauma, power dynamics, and the mystery of consciousness. We talk about spiritual awakening, teacher-student dynamics, the traps of identity, and how integrity fits into the inner path. Topics are outlined in the timesta...

Avi Kahan is a writer and thinker exploring the relationship between science, metaphysics, and religious thought. His work touches on Judaism, psychology, and the philosophical foundations of belief. We talk about the metaphysics of God, the psychological architecture of religion, how science can take on religious roles, and why faith persists in the modern world. Topics are outlined in the timest...

BJ Campbell is the author of the Handwaving Freakoutery Substack and a systems engineer with deep experience in data analysis. His writing explores media dynamics, gun policy, polarization, and the complex incentives behind cultural panic, follow BJ on Twitter We talk about how freakouts form, how institutions lose trust, the mechanics of mass persuasion, and what we can do when truth breaks down....

Michael Strong is an educational entrepreneur, author, and co-founder of several ventures focused on liberating human potential — including the Academy of Thought and Industry and The Socratic Experience . He writes about innovation in education, startup cities, and moral development, follow Michael on Twitter We talk about how schooling shapes society, what freedom means in practice, and why crea...

Sam Kuypers is a physicist and researcher at the Conjecture Institute, working at the intersection of quantum theory, epistemology, and AI alignment. His work explores the deep structure of knowledge, the philosophy of time, and how models of understanding evolve, follow Sam on Twitter We talk about quantum information, how theories evolve, the failures of conventional education, and why clarity i...

Henry Holtz is a meditation teacher and engineer exploring non-duality, consciousness, and the paradoxes of awakening. His work brings together deep spiritual insight with direct, embodied experience, follow Henry on Twitter We talk about the nature of awareness, the illusion of self, the trap of seeking, and how spiritual awakening unfolds through deep honesty and surrender. Topics are outlined i...