"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg
You’ll hear consequential ideas here first, and in the mainstream months later. Upstream is a curated nexus feed from the Turpentine podcast network, bringing you expert-level conversations hosted by some of the most compelling thinkers in the world including Noah Smith, Samo Burja, Byrne Hobart, Erik Torenberg, and Nathan Labenz. Guests include Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, Dario Amodei, Brian Armstrong, David Sacks, Sam Harris, Katherine Boyle, Curtis Yarvin, and many more unmissable conversations.
Upstream is part of the Turpentine podcast network. To learn more: turpentine.co
51
E88: The Fertility Apocalypse w/ Samo Burja
This week on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja explore the global demographic crisis, examining plummeting fertility rates worldwide and their potentially catastrophic implications for humanity's future.
59 min
52
E87: Embodied Minds and Cognitive Agents with D...
In this episode, Dr. Michael Levin, Distinguished Professor of Biology at Tufts University, joins Nathan Labenz of The Cognitive Revolution Podcast to discuss embodied minds, his research into limb regeneration and collective intelligence, cognitive light cones, and much more.
81 min
53
E86: Techno-capitalism with Bryan Johnson
Bryan Johnson joins Antonio Garcia Martinez and Erik Torenberg to discuss the deeper spiritual beliefs behind the "Don't Die" movement in the face of AI and the inadequacy of human clock speed.
61 min
54
E85: Analyzing Everything with Byrne Hobart and...
This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a conversation between Patrick McKenzie and Byrne Hobart where they navigate the compelling terrains of in-app purchases and restaurant economics.
84 min
55
E84: Let’s Fix Social Media with Jonathan Haidt
In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg sits in with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt to discuss his book, 'The Anxious Generation.'
55 min
56
E83: How Patty McCord Built Netflix’s Culture
This week on Upstream, former Netflix HR executive Patty McCord sits down with Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich to dive deep into the creation and impact of Netflix's renowned culture deck, hailed as a pivotal document in Silicon Valley.
62 min
57
E82: America’s Future with Palmer Luckey
This week on Upstream, we revisit a 2023 conversation between Jacob Helberg, Delian Asparouhov, Christian Garrett and Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries and Oculus VR where they discuss the intersection of Silicon Valley and U.S. defense technology.
66 min
58
E81: Status, Sacred, and Neglected Truths with ...
In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg is joined by economist and futurist Robin Hanson.
81 min
59
E80: Financial Plumbing with Patrick McKenzie a...
In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg interviews Patrick McKenzie (patio11) about the intricacies of the financial system, focusing on banking, money laundering, and regulatory compliance.
51 min
60
E79: How Civilizations Cycle & Collapse | Samo ...
This week on Upstream, we’re featuring a discussion between Samo Burja, Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg about the inherent differences between civilizations and their impact on history and politics.
56 min
61
E78: Fertility, Healthy Humans, and Ending Gene...
Erik Torenberg is joined by Noor Siddiqui, founder and CEO of Orchid, to explore groundbreaking advancements in reproductive technology, especially the world's first whole genome embryo screening.
65 min
62
E77: Academic Fraud & the Spiritual Quest for ...
Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja are joined by Ben Landau-Taylor, a Senior Analyst at Bismarck Analysis.
57 min
63
E76: "The CEO is Always Responsible” | This Won...
This week on Upstream, we’re dropping the first episode of Logan Bartlett, Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, and Zach Weinberg's newest podcast This Won’t Last.
84 min
64
E75: The Future of AI-Enabled Companies with Om...
Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg are joined by Omar Shams, the founder of Mutable AI, for a deep dive into Omar’s great piece, The AI Organization. In this conversation, they explore the potential of AI to transform organizational productivity, the limitations of financial metrics in GDP, and AI's role in political processes and societal structures.
64 min
65
E74: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei Talks Scaling L...
Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith are joined by Dario Amodei, CEO and Co-founder of Anthropic.
59 min
66
E73: Brian Armstrong on Crypto in 2024, Politic...
Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, joins Erik Torenberg, Dan Romero, and Antonio Garcia Martinez on Moment of Zen in August 2024 to talk about the company's evolution and the broader crypto landscape. Armstrong discusses Coinbase's focus on product development, their efforts in Washington D.C., why he listens to Balaji Srinivasan, and strategies for increasing global crypto adoption.
56 min
67
E72: Eoghan McCabe on San Francisco, Tech Leade...
In this episode of Upstream, Erik Torenberg sits down with Eoghan McCabe who opens up about his journey entering Silicon Valley, leading Intercom, shifting company culture, and becoming politically engaged.
49 min
68
E71: Marc Andreessen on Higher Education and Te...
In this episode of Upstream, we’re releasing an interview from 2021 with Marc Andreessen, Sriram Krishnan, and Aarthi Ramamurthy. They discuss the higher education system's inefficiencies, high costs, and lack of competition, and explore innovative education models including cohort-based learning and unbundling education components.
27 min
69
E70: Katherine Boyle on Religion, Journalism, a...
In this episode of Upstream, we revisit a 2020 conversation with Erik Torenberg and Katherine Boyle exploring the intersection of religion and media in this tech-driven world.
53 min
70
E69: Balaji Srinivasan on the Rise of the Tech ...
Last week, Erik Torenberg sat down with Balaji Srinivasan to discuss the vibe shift to the right in Silicon Valley, particularly after the attempted assassination of President Trump.
98 min
71
E68: Tyler Cowen on Talent, the Importance of S...
This week on Upstream, we’re releasing a fascinating discussion with economist, professor, and bestselling author Tyler Cowen about how to find talented people.
51 min
72
E67: A Deep Dive on René Girard with David Gor...
This week on Upstream, we're releasing a 2019 interview with David Gornoski on the Village Global podcast. We take a deep dive into René Girard's Mimetic Theory, exploring its far-reaching societal impacts and surprising connections to ancient rituals and myths.
79 min
73
E66: Noah Smith on 2024 Election Strategy, Amer...
In this week’s episode of Upstream, Noah Smith and Erik Torenberg discuss America's future. They cover the 2024 presidential race, the Chevron ruling from the Supreme Court, and the polarization of the education system. Noah and Erik also discuss where wokeness goes from here, and the potential outcomes of integrating more conservatives into the civil service through initiatives like Project 2025.
55 min
74
E65: Bret Weinstein on Evolutionary Biology, Ma...
This week on Upstream, we’re airing an interview with evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein from 2020, originally from the Village Global podcast. They delve into Weinstein's work on evolutionary trade-offs, the intersection of markets and moral progress, as well as future governance.
71 min
75
E64: Richard Hanania on Trump's Genius, Antisem...
In this episode of Upstream, Erik interviews Richard Hanania about the evolving political landscape in the U.S., focusing on the changing dynamics within both the Republican and Democratic parties
68 min