E65: Bret Weinstein on Evolutionary Biology, Markets, Moral Progress, and More

This week on Upstream, we’re airing an interview with evolutionary biologist Bret Weinstein from 2020, originally from the Village Global podcast. They discuss Weinstein's work on evolutionary trade-offs, the intersection of markets and moral progress, as well as future governance. beehiiv: Head to https://beehiiv.com and use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months. 🔥 Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://hmplogxqz0y.typeform.com/to/JCkphVqj -- RECOMMENDED PODCAST: 🎙️ Second Opinion - A new podcast for health-tech insiders from Christina Farr of the Second Opinion newsletter. Join Christina Farr, Luba Greenwood, and Ash Zenooz every week as they challenge industry experts with tough questions about the best bets in health-tech. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1759267211 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A8NwQE976s32zdBbZw6bv - 🎙️ History 102 with WhatifAltHist Every week, creator of WhatifAltHist Rudyard Lynch and Erik Torenberg cover a major topic in history in depth -- in under an hour. This season will cover classical Greece, early America, the Vikings, medieval Islam, ancient China, the fall of the Roman Empire, and more. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-102-with-whatifalthists-rudyard-lynch-and/id1730633913 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36Kqo3BMMUBGTDo1IEYihm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@History102-qg5oj - SPONSORS: BEEHIIV | BABBEL | SQUAD 🐝 Head to beehiiv, the newsletter platform built for growth, to power your own. Connect with premium brands, scale your audience, and deliver a beautiful UX that stands out in an inbox. A special offer is at https://beehiiv.com: use code "UPSTREAM" for 20% off your first three months 🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at https://babbel.com/torenberg 💥 Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Intro (00:27) Bret Weinstein's Background and Career (04:37) The Concept of Trade-Offs in Evolution (06:21) Implications of Evolutionary Trade-Offs (10:03) The Fourth Frontier and Human History (11:05) Understanding Evolutionary Rules and Their Broader Impact (16:08) The Lek Paradox and Biological Puzzles (18:52) Sponsor: Babbel | beehiiv (23:41) Market Dynamics and Economic Trade-Offs (32:40) Sponsor: Squad (37:53) The Metaphor of Fitness Landscapes in Evolutionary Biology (38:47) Civilization's Trade-offs and Sustainability (39:37) The Concept of Game B (41:56) Revolutionary Change Without Revolution (44:03) The Role of Technology in Civilization (45:44) Exploring Game B Examples (47:39) Challenges and Opportunities for Game B (50:30) Moral Progress (57:00) Shamans vs. Priests and the Importance of Valley Crossing (01:01:20) Human Adaptation and Evolution (01:04:39) The Role of Jealousy and Evolutionary Instincts (01:06:08) Debates with Prominent Thinkers (01:11:42) Evolutionary Biology and the Future of Governance (01:14:13) Wrap -- FOLLOW ON X: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg (Erik) https://twitter.com/BretWeinstein (Bret) https://twitter.com/Upstream__Pod (Upstream) https://twitter.com/TurpentineMedia (Turpentine)