The After On Podcast

By Rob Reid

What's The After On Podcast about?

We dive deep into the science, tech, and social issues explored in the novel "After On." It's NOT necessary to be an "After On" reader to listen, learn & enjoy this podcast!

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The After On Podcast episodes:

06.05.2023
60: Deep Fakes | Sam Harris and Zohaib Ahmed
Will the glittering dawn of the genai era be accompanied by a dark tsunami of pixel-perfect deep fakes? I discuss this prospect with Sam Harris, as well as the CEO of synthetic audio pioneer Resemble.ai.
03.08.2023
59: Generative AI | What’s New & What’s Next
My thoughts on what's happening in the mad world of generative AI, announcing my new home online at robreid.substack.com, and more.
02.28.2022
58: Recipes for Future Plagues | Kevin Esvelt
USAID’s new “DEEP VZN” program aims to discover new pandemic-grade viruses, then broadcast their genomes to the world, according to MIT evolutionary engineer Kevin Esvelt. He estimates that 30,000 people in dozens of countries could then easily assemble them.
10.08.2021
57: Octopus Intelligence (and more!) | Roger Hanlon
A wide-ranging discussion of cognition in octopuses & cuttlefish, plus many, many other topics with globally renowned sensory ecologist Roger Hanlon.
06.19.2021
56: A Massive Future for an Old Vaccine? | Megan Murray
Harvard epidemiologist Megan Murray tells us all about the anti-tuberculosis vaccine “BCG,” and the astonishing protection it may provide against Covid -- as well as looming future pandemics.
04.23.2021
55: Detecting Disease Outbreaks from Internet Traffic | Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
This is closely tied to a 4-hour collaboration between Sam Harris and me, which Sam is posting to his podcast's feed. I strongly recommend that episode too! But it's not "required" for you to get everything out of this fascinating...
02.02.2021
54: Announcing a New Season
This "episode" is just a quick new announcement of a new season of the podcast (finally)! And also of something very cool that I'm working on with fellow podcaster Sam Harris.
07.30.2019
53: The Case Against Reality | Don Hoffman (classic + updated)
Quantitative Psychologist Don Hoffman has a head-spinning take on the true nature of reality vs. what our senses report to us. This is a revisitation of our original interview, expanded with lots of new material recorded last week.
07.15.2019
52: Many Quantum Worlds | Sean Carroll
Quantum mechanics – and its eerie "Many Worlds" interpretation – are explored in terms that both poets & physicists can appreciate.
06.25.2019
51: On Consciousness | Annaka Harris
The baffling and fascinating mysteries connected to the phenomenon of consciousness are explored in this conversation with the deeply thoughtful science writer, Annaka Harris.
06.18.2019
50: About that TED Talk | Kevin Rose
This morning, TED posted a talk I just gave at their annual conference (on 11 days notice!). Kevin Rose interviewed me about my talk for his podcast. I’m posting his interview here as well.
05.28.2019
49: Canceling PTSD with MDMA (part 2) | Rick Doblin
The drug known as Molly, Ecstasy and MDMA may soon get regulatory approved for therapeutic use, thanks to a 34-year campaign waged by Rick Doblin. Rick and I discuss all of this, plus his own unique story.
05.21.2019
48: Canceling PTSD with MDMA (part 1) | Rick Doblin
The drug known as Molly, Ecstasy and MDMA may soon get regulatory approved for therapeutic use, thanks to a 34-year campaign waged by Rick Doblin. Rick and I discuss all of this, plus his own unique story.
04.30.2019
47. AI Boom, or Doom? | Stuart Russell
Stuart Russell’s textbook is used to teach AI in over 1,400 universities and 120 countries. If AI scares him, it should scare you too.
04.09.2019
46: Defeating Food Allergies | Kari Nadeau
The food allergy epidemic is mysterious, volatile, and growing fast. Kari Nadeau and her Stanford team are trying to halt it.
03.21.2019
45: End Games (part 2) | Naval Ravikant
A rampage killer with a knife can kill a few. With a gun, dozens. With a jetliner, way more. What might future tech enable? In Part Two of our conversation, Naval and I discuss "The Ender."And how to preclude this...
03.19.2019
44: End Games (part 1) | Naval Ravikant
Naval & I discuss a horrifying risk. We questioned whether to post this. Might it give someone ideas? Well, the bad guys already HAVE ideas. And cataclysms are only averted if we face them. There’s still time.
03.01.2019
43: Synthetic Neurobiology | Ed Boyden
Not yet 40, Ed Boyden has already concocted a panoply of tools, which are revolutionizing neuroscience research. He tells us all about optogenetics, expansion microscopy, and more.
12.30.2018
42: Live from Gainesville + the 2019 Plan
We start with a review of this podcast's 2019 roadmap. Then – recorded before a live audience in Gainesville, Florida – I'M the interviewee for once!
12.19.2018
41: The Medical Potential of Video Games | Adam Gazzaley
Both a recap and extensive update of last summer's conversation about neuroscience, consciousness, and the medical potential of video games.
11.28.2018
40: Our Interstellar Visitor | Avi Loeb
Did the product of an alien intelligence make a near-Earth approach last fall? Harvard Astronomy Department Chair Avi Loeb believes this is possible.
11.14.2018
39: Restoring Sight to the Blind | EJ Chichinilsky
Amazing work at Stanford could restore vision to the blind. Then later become a gateway some mind-blowing neural augmentation! We discuss the astounding neuroscience and engineering behind all this, with the professor who's making it happen.
10.24.2018
38: The Science & Practice of Happiness | Laurie Santos
This spring, Yale evolutionary psychologist Laurie Santos debuted a course about happiness, almost as an experiment. It became the most popular course in the university's 300+ year history. Listen carefully, because this episode could make you happier!
10.01.2018
37. On the Future | Astronomer Royal Martin Rees
Can humankind survive this century? Great Britain’s Astronomer Royal Martin Rees shares some of his profoundly original thinking on this fraught question.
09.13.2018
36. Mapping the Heavens | Priya Natarajan
Dark matter, dark energy, and black holes are the universe's three most massive mysteries. Literally! Yale astrophysicist Priya Natarajan takes us on a fascinating tour of them all.
08.22.2018
35: Empowering the Acre | Andrew Youn
Andrew Youn's One Acre Found is bringing food security to hundreds of thousands of families throughout Central Africa. Now THAT'S an inspiring startup!
07.31.2018
34: Ancient DNA | David Reich
The genetic code of Neanderthals, archaic humans, and other elders is reconfiguring much of our understanding of human history. And it could just save hundreds of thousands of modern human lives per year.
07.16.2018
33: The Evolution of Beauty | Richard Prum
A bold and brilliant refutation of the common wisdom about sexual attraction, aesthetics, and more. Rick Prum is an evolutionary heretic. And the wellspring of his unorthodox ideas is ... Charles Darwin himself.
07.01.2018
Announcement | On the Future of this Podcast
The full lowdown on where this podcast is going from here.
06.26.2018
31: Expanding DNA's Alphabet (by half!) | Floyd Romesberg
Floyd Romesberg added two letters to DNA's ancient four-letter alphabet. He got this running in cells. And coding proteins. His cell lines have passed it down hundreds of generations. Now what?
06.12.2018
30. De-extinction, The Whole Earth, and Way More|Stewart Brand
Over six consecutive decades, Stewart Brand has impacted society, tech and science in outlandishly diverse ways. This truly unhurried conversation explores the scope of his intensely original American life.
06.08.2018
Jordan Harbinger | Bonus Episode
An examination of the science of psychopathy from my buddy Jordan Harbinger’s terrific podcast. This bonus episode is in addition to the two new original episodes I’m creating this month.
05.29.2018
28: Exponential Medicine | Daniel Kraft
Key aspects of medical technology are improving even faster than computers. What are the ramifications for our health? For our lifespans? Dr. Daniel Kraft has tremendous insights into all of this - particularly as it relates to cancer.
05.15.2018
27. Depression: The Psychedelic Cure | Katya Malievskaia & George Goldsmith
The largest-ever clinical trial of a psychedelic drug will soon begin in Europe and North America. The drug is psilocybin - the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. The target is treatment-resistant depression.
04.30.2018
26: Reality Isn't | Don Hoffman
Quantitative Psychologist Don Hoffman has a head-spinning take on the true nature of reality vs. what our senses report to us. Is it the most counterintuitive insight since Pythagoras figured the Earth is round?
04.17.2018
25. A Night at the Battery
In this very atypical episode, the tables turn and I'm the interviewee! We discuss all of my creative projects, including this podcast series. Recorded live at The Battery in San Francisco.
04.03.2018
24: BioEngineering |George Church
George Church helped found 22 companies, and co-invented the paradigm-shattering gene editing technique CRISPR. In our interview, he delivers a sweeping survey of the world of synthetic biology, and makes some astounding predictions
03.20.2018
23: AI & Robotics - Their Present and Future| Rodney Brooks
Rodney Brooks is a founding luminary of TWO vital domains in tech: robotics and AI. He's the father of the Roomba, the long-time head of MIT's AI lab, and a serial entrepreneur. Few can rival his breadth & depth in...
03.06.2018
22: Creating the 6th, 7th & 8th Sense | David Eagleman
Neuroscientist David Eagleman has done groundbreaking work on how we perceive time. Now he hopes to radically expand the pantheon of human senses.
02.20.2018
21: Neural Imaging and ... Telepathy? | Mary Lou Jepsen
After stints at Google and Facebook, serial entrepreneur Mary Lou Jepsen is ready to upend the worlds of medical imaging and ... telepathy. Yup, TELEPATHY. Give it a listen!
01.17.2018
20: Radical Life Extension | Aubrey de Grey
Aubrey de Grey is a highly credentialed scientist who believes it's within our grasp to REVERSE human aging in the next few decades. Dozens of scientists are now executing on his plan, funded by extremely smart backers including Peter Thiel.
01.02.2018
19: A Lightning Tour of the After On Universe
A wide-ranging set of excerpts from the After On audiobook, read brilliant folks including John Hodgman, Felicia Day, Jesse Cox, Tom Merritt. Back to "normal" episodes next week, promise! :-)
12.22.2017
18: It's Really After On
This week, Broadway's own January LaVoy and legendary fantasy writer Patrick Rothfuss read/perform the the opening of the After On audiobook (plus quite a bit more). With some notes & observations from the author.
12.13.2017
17: The Past Present & Future of Cryptocurrency | Coinbase Co-Founder Fred Ehrsam
Whether you’re a cryptocurrency novice or expert, this episode will teach you a ton. My guest, Fred Ehrsam, founded the world’s largest platform for storing & trading Bitcoin and more. Just us for a full crypto education!
11.29.2017
16: The Promise & Peril in YOUR Genes | Robert Green
You will soon have access to a dizzying battery of facts about your health. Some could be horrid or positive on a life-changing scale! But most will be wildly ambiguous. Should you peek? NOTE: This is NOT just hypothetical.
11.21.2017
15. Music Piracy | The Extraterrestrial Threat
A vast alien civilization is so into American pop music, it recently committed the biggest copyright violation since the dawn of time. Against us! How should humanity respond? A special (and rather playful) episode with John Hodgman.
11.14.2017
14: The Future (if any) of Jobs | Andrew McAfee
Andy McAfee of MIT is a leading thinker about how robotics and other automation will influence the future of work and jobs. We touch on some scary stuff - plus some delightful notes of optimism!
10.31.2017
13: Medium, Twitter, and Networked Words | Ev Williams
Ev Williams co-founded and ran both Twitter and Blogger.com, and is now the founder/CEO of Medium. He’s a deep thinker about ideas morph & travel, and is carving out a place for thoughtful, serious writing online.
10.24.2017
12. TED Talks + Organization | Chris Anderson
You've probably seen a TED Talk or two (or 500!) online. Chris runs the TED organization, and has some fascinating thoughts both on how we're wired to process oratory, and how we might build a better world.
10.17.2017
11. Space Archaeology | Sarah Parcak
Sarah Parcak is a pioneer in the emerging field of space archaeology. In 2016 she won the TED Prize to launch a “citizen science” platform, which is finding lost sites and fighting archaeological looting throughout the world.

What's The After On Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The After On Podcast episodes:

60: Deep Fakes | Sam Harris and Zohaib Ahmed

59: Generative AI | What’s New & What’s Next

58: Recipes for Future Plagues | Kevin Esvelt

57: Octopus Intelligence (and more!) | Roger Hanlon

56: A Massive Future for an Old Vaccine? | Megan Murray

55: Detecting Disease Outbreaks from Internet Traffic | Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

54: Announcing a New Season

53: The Case Against Reality | Don Hoffman (classic + updated)

52: Many Quantum Worlds | Sean Carroll

51: On Consciousness | Annaka Harris

50: About that TED Talk | Kevin Rose

49: Canceling PTSD with MDMA (part 2) | Rick Doblin

48: Canceling PTSD with MDMA (part 1) | Rick Doblin

47. AI Boom, or Doom? | Stuart Russell

46: Defeating Food Allergies | Kari Nadeau

45: End Games (part 2) | Naval Ravikant

44: End Games (part 1) | Naval Ravikant

43: Synthetic Neurobiology | Ed Boyden

42: Live from Gainesville + the 2019 Plan

41: The Medical Potential of Video Games | Adam Gazzaley

40: Our Interstellar Visitor | Avi Loeb

39: Restoring Sight to the Blind | EJ Chichinilsky

38: The Science & Practice of Happiness | Laurie Santos

37. On the Future | Astronomer Royal Martin Rees

36. Mapping the Heavens | Priya Natarajan

35: Empowering the Acre | Andrew Youn

34: Ancient DNA | David Reich

33: The Evolution of Beauty | Richard Prum

Announcement | On the Future of this Podcast

31: Expanding DNA's Alphabet (by half!) | Floyd Romesberg

30. De-extinction, The Whole Earth, and Way More|Stewart Brand

Jordan Harbinger | Bonus Episode

28: Exponential Medicine | Daniel Kraft

27. Depression: The Psychedelic Cure | Katya Malievskaia & George Goldsmith

26: Reality Isn't | Don Hoffman

25. A Night at the Battery

24: BioEngineering |George Church

23: AI & Robotics - Their Present and Future| Rodney Brooks

22: Creating the 6th, 7th & 8th Sense | David Eagleman

21: Neural Imaging and ... Telepathy? | Mary Lou Jepsen

20: Radical Life Extension | Aubrey de Grey

19: A Lightning Tour of the After On Universe

18: It's Really After On

17: The Past Present & Future of Cryptocurrency | Coinbase Co-Founder Fred Ehrsam

16: The Promise & Peril in YOUR Genes | Robert Green

15. Music Piracy | The Extraterrestrial Threat

14: The Future (if any) of Jobs | Andrew McAfee

13: Medium, Twitter, and Networked Words | Ev Williams

12. TED Talks + Organization | Chris Anderson

11. Space Archaeology | Sarah Parcak

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