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7 March 2026

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Trump’s Gulf War

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner of the American Prestige podcast join NonZero’s Robert Wright to discuss evolving US war aims and their chances of success. Play entire video

Is Anthropic Misanthropic?

Holly Elmore, executive director of PauseAI US, makes the case for naming and shaming people who are fueling an AI race whose perils they understand

The AI Apocalypse Cometh?

Robert Wright and Paul Bloom discuss whether reports of AI acceleration are greatly exaggerated—and what’s at stake if they’re not. Plus, in Overtime: Bob’s Epstein files cameos and Paul’s big news.

Agency, AI, and the MAGA Impulse

Nikita Petrov argues MAGA and similar movements are collective responses to a felt lack of agency. Robert Wright warns AI is about to make that feeling universal. Plus: Spanish rituals as a survival model, the “Claude Code hangover,” and Bob’s case for slowing AI development down.

Is the Singularity Near?

Robert Wright and Timothy B. Lee, author of the Understanding AI newsletter, discuss recent AI developments (more autonomous agents, more automated coding in the labs, Moltbook, etc.) that have fostered a sense that things are speeding up.

The Grand Unified Theory of MAGA

Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov discuss whether MAGA can be seen as a coherent global phenomenon. Plus: The paradox of international nationalism; Burkean conservatism vs. Silicon Valley libertarianism; and the crumbling rules-based order.

New World Disorder

Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner of the American Prestige podcast join NonZero’s Robert Wright to discuss Trump’s latest foreign policy eruptions.

The Past and Future of Digital Media

Robert Wright talks with Mike Pesca, host of the long-running daily podcast The Gist, about new technological challenges to independent journalists and the perils of opining on Israel.

The Minneapolis Shooting Rorschach Test

Robert Wright and Paul Bloom discuss the killing of Renee Good—and what it says about the state of the nation. Plus: Trump & Hitler compared (carefully); Elon & a madman compared (less so); Should professors fear AI?

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Will the Iran War Spiral Out of Control?

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Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov unpack the logic—and illogic—behind Israel’s and America’s strikes on Iran. Plus: the dopamine theory of MAGA foreign policy, how the Anthropic story got buried by the bombings, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Will Trump Pull the Trigger on Iran?

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Robert Wright and Middle East expert Joshua Landis discuss the logic (or lack thereof) behind air strikes—and the implications for the US, Israel, and the wider region.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Meaning of Moltbook

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Psychologist and Small Potatoes EIC Paul Bloom joins Robert Wright to discuss the Moltbook phenomenon, the latest Epstein Files release, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Case Against AI

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Alex Hanna and Emily Bender, co-authors of the book The AI Con, join Robert Wright to discuss and debate AI—including whether LLMs are more than “stochastic parrots” (a term Emily coined), AI’s present and future impact on society, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

AI After Us

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Robert Wright and Daniel Faggella, host of the podcast The Trajectory, discuss the fate of humankind in a world of increasingly powerful AI—including the “succession” scenario.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

AI Consciousness: The Hard Problem

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Robert Wright and AI researcher Cameron Berg discuss whether AIs are (or may someday be) sentient–including why it matters, why it’s such a hard question to answer, and what Cameron’s innovative LLM experiments tell us about it.