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30 January 2026

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Glenn Loury (Brown University, Hoover InstitutionLate Admissions, Self-Censorship) and John McWhorter (Columbia University, Lexicon ValleyNew York Times)

On The Glenn Show, Glenn and John continue their debate about affirmative action. Glenn points out areas outside of academia where he thinks affirmative action would be appropriate. They debate the use of employment tests that show a disparate racial impact. Glenn uses his own graduate economics program as an example of how standards can be revised, not lowered, to promote diversity. Do opponents of affirmative action overvalue qualification? John quotes Zora Neale Hurston, who said that blacks must compete even if the game is rigged. They close by examining whether efforts to lower the black crime rate are a kind of affirmative action.

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Recorded:May 20    Posted:May 20, 2013
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The Glenn Show | May 20, 2013 | Glenn Loury & John McWhorter

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)

New World Disorder

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

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)

The Past and Future of Digital Media

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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.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Minneapolis Shooting Rorschach Test

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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)

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.

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Is Space Still the Final Frontier?

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Robert Wright and Joel Achenbach, author of a recent Slate deep dive on America’s new moon program, discuss the history and future of NASA—and its Elon-friendly new chief. Plus: The prospects for a Star Trek future, Mars, aliens, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

2025: A Year-End (And Quarter-Century-End) Reckoning

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Robert Wright and Paul Bloom look back on the past year, and the past quarter century, and ahead to 2026—and 2050.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

What Era Are We Living In?

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Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov grapple with the weirdness of our time—discussing whether Covid broke reality, the alienness of AI, the prospect of human obsolescence, why we need planetary unity pronto, and more!

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Does Trump have a coherent foreign policy?

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Robert Wright reviews the year in US foreign policy with Connor Echols of Responsible Statecraft and Andrew Day of The American Conservative.