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24 April 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 Future of Intelligence

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Psychologist Paul Bloom joins Robert Wright to discuss Paul’s cute new baby, our uncertain AI future, whether eugenics is making a comeback, whether intelligence is overrated, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Can Trump and Iran Make a Deal?

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Robert Malley—a lead negotiator for Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal with Iran—and Robert Wright discuss what kind of deal between Trump and Iran is conceivable and what kinds of leverage both sides have.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Iran and the Demise of US Hegemony

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Robert Wright and American Prestige hosts Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner discuss the latest Middle East developments—including whether Trump and Iran can reach a peace deal, who’s winning the Hormuz blockade duel, and what it all means for America’s global standing. Plus: Is Anthropic’s Mythos really scary?

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Can AI Stop Wars?

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Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov discuss whether AI could help resolve international conflicts as the world edges toward catastrophe. Plus: Trump’s “act of war” in the Strait of Hormuz, a case for an Iranian tollgate, the AI model so dangerous Anthropic delayed its release, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Sizing up the AI Titans

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Shakeel Hashim, editor of the Transformer newsletter, joins Robert Wright to assess Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Demis Hassabis—and to discuss the senses in which their character does and doesn’t matter.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Iran War: A Debate

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Robert Wright and The Free Press reporter Eli Lake debate the Iran war in light of the history that brought us here—from the 1953 coup and its aftermath to the origins of Hamas and Hezbollah to Obama’s nuclear deal, to the Gaza war, etc.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Conservative Case Against the Iran War

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Curt Mills and Andrew Day of The American Conservative join Robert Wright to discuss the state of the war, hopes for ending it, Trump’s psychology, the Israel lobby’s role, the future of MAGA, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Averting a Superintelligence Takeover

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Robert Wright and ControlAI founder and CEO Andrea Miotti discuss the dynamics propelling us toward artificial superintelligence and how we can keep control of our future.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

The Iran War and the Singularity

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Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov connect the Iran war to the AI crisis: If tribal psychology keeps launching stupid wars, how will we coordinate globally on superintelligence? Plus: Trump’s hypnotic confidence, $20k drones vs. million-dollar missiles, Russia’s sovereign internet, Spanish cannabis clubs, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Israel, America, and the Iran War

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Robert Wright and journalist Ron Kampeas discuss the (il)logic of the Iran war, Joe Kent’s resignation, the MAGA rift over the Iran war, whether anti-antisemitism efforts are backfiring, and more.