Best Benjamin Rodriguez Podcasts (2026)

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2025 Highlight-o-thon: Oops! All Bests 1:40:17

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4d ago1:40:17

1:40:17

It’s that magical time of year once again — highlightapalooza! Stick around for one top bit from each episode we recorded this year, including: Kyle Fish explaining how Anthropic’s AI Claude descends into spiritual woo when left to talk to itself Ian Dunt on why the unelected House of Lords is by far the best part of the British government Sam Bowm…

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Stories Books and Café (Part 2) 29:20

19h ago29:20

29:20

Get him quiet is the easy part, once they’re listening, what are you going to say?By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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"Blacula" by P.C. Verrone + "Shahmeran" by Leyla Hamedi 21:15

1d ago21:15

21:15

This episode features "Blacula" by P.C. Verrone (©2025 by P.C. Verrone) read by Mirron Willis, and "Shahmeran" by Leyla Hamedi (©2025 by Leyla Hamedi) read by Justine Eyre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Adamant Press

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#232 – Andreas Mogensen on what we owe 'philosophical Vulcans' and unconscious beings 2:37:15

14d ago2:37:15

2:37:15

Most debates about the moral status of AI systems circle the same question: is there something that it feels like to be them? But what if that’s the wrong question to ask? Andreas Mogensen — a senior researcher in moral philosophy at the University of Oxford — argues that so-called 'phenomenal consciousness' might be neither necessary nor sufficien…

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Benjamin Theolonius Sanders (IQ) talks about sport, music, lineages and the voice as an instrument.

8d ago

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‘a round of silencewhere the voice of our oceansshore into one song’- from Please my dear neighbourby Benjamin Theolonius Sanders (IQ). In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 18th Decmber 2025, you will hear poet Benjamin Theolonius Sanders (IQ) talk about sport, music, lineages and the voice as an instrument. Benjamin Th…

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#231 – Paul Scharre on how AI-controlled robots will and won't change war 2:45:17

16d ago2:45:17

2:45:17

In 1983, Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet lieutenant colonel, sat in a bunker watching a red screen flash “MISSILE LAUNCH.” Protocol demanded he report it to superiors, which would very likely trigger a retaliatory nuclear strike. Petrov didn’t. He reasoned that if the US were actually attacking, they wouldn’t fire just 5 missiles — they’d empty the silo…

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Stories Books and Café (Part 1) 28:55

10d ago28:55

28:55

Todays limitations are tomorrows stylizations.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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AI might let a few people control everything — permanently (article by Rose Hadshar) 1:00:10

21d ago1:00:10

1:00:10

Power is already concentrated today: over 800 million people live on less than $3 a day, the three richest men in the world are worth over $1 trillion, and almost six billion people live in countries without free and fair elections. This is a problem in its own right. There is still substantial distribution of power though: global income inequality…

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Spoken Word - Live with Dominique Hecq, Eugen Bacon & Oz Hardwick

15d ago

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On a lovely Tuesday evening on the 2nd of December, upstairs of the Alderman pub in Brunswick, Melbourne poets Dominique Hecq, Eugen Bacon, and visiting from York, Oz Hardwick collaborated on a special performance of their poetry. Today you will be listening to a partial recording from that evening.By Dominique Hecq, Eugen Bacon & Oz Hardwick

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#230 – Dean Ball on how AI is a huge deal — but we shouldn’t regulate it yet 2:54:15

23d ago2:54:15

2:54:15

Former White House staffer Dean Ball thinks it's very likely some form of 'superintelligence' arrives in under 20 years. He thinks AI being used for bioweapon research is "a real threat model, obviously." He worries about dangerous "power imbalances" should AI companies reach "$50 trillion market caps." And he believes the agriculture revolution pr…

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"Review: When the Baby Sleeps" by Lyndsie Manusos + "The Short History of a Long Forgotten Ill-Fated Telenovela" by Dante Luiz 44:01

23d ago44:01

44:01

This episode features "Review: When the Baby Sleeps" by Lyndsie Manusos (©2025 by Lyndsie Manusos) read by Justine Eyre, and "The Short History of a Long Forgotten Ill-Fated Telenovela" by Dante Luiz (©2025 by Dante Luiz) read by Roxanne Hernandez. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

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Grant Caldwell on Haiku Part 2

27d ago

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This is part 2 of a conversation with Grant Caldwell about his new book of haiku, The Soundless Sound, and about haiku in general.By Grant Caldwell is interviewed by Di Cousens

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China Town 29:11

29d ago29:11

29:11

I never regret doing it, but I always dread doing it.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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#229 – Marius Hobbhahn on the race to solve AI scheming before models go superhuman 3:03:18

30d ago3:03:18

3:03:18

We often worry about AI models “hallucinating” or making honest mistakes. But what happens when a model knows the truth, but decides to deceive you anyway to achieve a goal of its own? This isn’t sci-fi — it’s happening regularly in deployment today. Marius Hobbhahn, CEO of the world’s top research organisation focused on AI deception (Apollo Resea…

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Jennifer Mackenzie -- The Wallace Line: A Poem.

29d ago

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Jennifer Mackenzie lives in Naarm/Melbourne, and is a poet and occasional editor and reviewer. The Wallace Line: A Poem follows her previoius collections, Borobudur and Navigable Ink, in a series of what has become the home of her Imagination, Indonesia. She has appeared at a number of conferences and festivals across Asia, and has launched The Wal…

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"Futakuchi onna speaks of the Kamaitachi" by Betsy Aoki + "Bleed For Me, Bro" by Sharang Biswas 36:32

1M ago36:32

36:32

This episode features "Futakuchi onna speaks of the Kamaitachi" by Betsy Aoki (©2025 by Besty Aoki) read by Roxanne Hernandez, and "Bleed For Me, Bro" by Sharang Biswas (©2025 by Sharang Biswas) read by Stefan Rudnicki. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Adamant Press

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Rob & Luisa chat kids, the 2016 fertility crash, and how the 50s invented parenting that makes us miserable 1:59:09

1M ago1:59:09

1:59:09

Global fertility rates aren’t just falling: the rate of decline is accelerating. From 2006 to 2016, fertility dropped gradually, but since 2016 the rate of decline has increased 4.5-fold. In many wealthy countries, fertility is now below 1.5. While we don’t notice it yet, in time that will mean the population halves every 60 years. Rob Wiblin is al…

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#228 – Eileen Yam on how we're completely out of touch with what the public thinks about AI 1:43:24

1M ago1:43:24

1:43:24

If you work in AI, you probably think it’s going to boost productivity, create wealth, advance science, and improve your life. If you’re a member of the American public, you probably strongly disagree. In three major reports released over the last year, the Pew Research Center surveyed over 5,000 US adults and 1,000 AI experts. They found that the …

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Stadium Way 24:25

1M ago24:25

24:25

We got cups getting cracked before gta6?!By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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Sarah St James on performance, transitioning and representation

1M ago

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‘I found myself inside myself’- from Cluster B, to AuADHD by Sarah St James. In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 20th November 2025, you will hear poet Sarah St James talk about performance, transitioning and representation.Content Warning: This episdoe contains references to mental health, drug use and suicide. Sarah …

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"Primordium" by Erica Ruppert + "Make of Your Chest a Place for Birds" by James L. Sutter 43:28

2M ago43:28

43:28

This episode features "Primordium" by Erica Ruppert (©2025 by Erica Ruppert) read by Stefan Rudnicki, and "Make of Your Chest a Place for Birds" by James L. Sutter (©2025 by James L. Sutter) read by Scott Peterson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Adamant Press

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Spoken Word - Readings from The Big Verse: Readings Poetry Gala

2M ago

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Today (13 Nov 2025), we are presenting are sumptous smorgasbard of poems read by poets featured at the event - Big Verse: The Readings Poetry Gala. This is happening 14th November at 8pm at the All Nations Church in Carlton. Get your tickets from the Readings website.The blurb says Big Verse will transport you through the rambunctious and political…

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Donut Man 24:30

2M ago24:30

24:30

You can dig all you want and you're not going to dig up a seven.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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OpenAI: The nonprofit refuses to be killed (with Tyler Whitmer) 1:56:06

2M ago1:56:06

1:56:06

Last December, the OpenAI business put forward a plan to completely sideline its nonprofit board. But two state attorneys general have now blocked that effort and kept that board very much alive and kicking. The for-profit’s trouble was that the entire operation was founded on the premise of — and legally pledged to — the purpose of ensuring that “…

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Grant Caldwell On Haiku Part 2

2M ago

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This is part 2 of a conversation with Grant Caldwell about his new book of haiku, The Soundless Sound, and about haiku in general.By Di Cousens talks to Grant Caldwell

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#227 – Helen Toner on the geopolitics of AGI in China and the Middle East 2:20:02

2M ago2:20:02

2:20:02

With the US racing to develop AGI and superintelligence ahead of China, you might expect the two countries to be negotiating how they’ll deploy AI, including in the military, without coming to blows. But according to Helen Toner, director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology in DC, “the US and Chinese governments are barely talking at…

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The Alley 26:31

2M ago26:31

26:31

Put on some Chet Baker.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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#226 – Holden Karnofsky on unexploited opportunities to make AI safer — and all his AGI takes 4:30:19

2M ago4:30:19

4:30:19

For years, working on AI safety usually meant theorising about the ‘alignment problem’ or trying to convince other people to give a damn. If you could find any way to help, the work was frustrating and low feedback. According to Anthropic’s Holden Karnofsky, this situation has now reversed completely. There are now large amounts of useful, concrete…

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Di Cousens on poetry, photography and remembering Judith Rodriguez

2M ago

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Di Cousens OAM is a poet and photographer based in Melbourne. Past poetry publications include Days Pass Without Name, Free Text Space, House Red and The Freedom to Be. She is also the author of academic articles and a book in Tibetan studies. Her poetry has been published in journals and anthologies and her photographic portraits of poets are used…

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"The Versions of Yourself That You're Better Off Without" by Aimee Ogden + "Body? Glass" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu 51:28

2M ago51:28

51:28

This episode features "The Versions of Yourself That You're Better Off Without" by Aimee Ogden (©2025 by Aimee Ogden) read by Susan Hanfield, and "Body? Glass" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu (©2025 by Osahon Ize-Iyamu) read by Mirron Willis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Adamant Press

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#225 – Daniel Kokotajlo on what a hyperspeed robot economy might look like 2:12:01

2M ago2:12:01

2:12:01

When Daniel Kokotajlo talks to security experts at major AI labs, they tell him something chilling: “Of course we’re probably penetrated by the CCP already, and if they really wanted something, they could take it.” This isn’t paranoid speculation. It’s the working assumption of people whose job is to protect frontier AI models worth billions of dol…

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George Vassilacopoulos on Ashpoems: When Poetry and Philosophy Meet -- Part Two

2M ago

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George Vassilacopoulos was born in Greece and migrated to Australia in 1974. He taught philosophy at La Trobe University, and has published books and articles on (European) philosophy, Indigenous sovereignty, and (Greek Australian) history. Ashpoems (re.press, 2025) is his fifteenth poetry collection, the first in English.Ashpoems is available here…

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Crowdfunding for our comic book adaptation is now live! Plus, hear from our artist Matias De Vincenzo. 18:42

2M ago18:42

18:42

Crowdfunding for the comic book adaptation of this audio drama is now LIVE through Kickstarter! Check it out here! (Full link is at the bottom.) You can get a special early bird rate when you support our comic book within the first two days of the campaign. Plus, at the end of this episode, hear from our artist Matias De Vincenzo! With stunning art…

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Lynette Natasha on dualities, not-belonging, family and food.

2M ago

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‘where the lazy susan spins tirelesslycarrying the love you put on plates’- from Photograph by Lynette Natasha In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 16 October 2025, you will hear poet Lynette Natasha talk about politics, performance and playwriting. During the podcast, Lynette Natasha talks about Cartograpgy of the Void…

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North-East 28:40

3M ago28:40

28:40

If you have money, you can afford to break the rules, because you can pay to not deal with them.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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"Stillborn" by Shantell Powell + "Courtney Lovecraft's Book of the Dead" by Sam J Miller 55:22

3M ago55:22

55:22

This episode features "Stillborn" by Shantell Powell (©2025 by Shantell Powell) read by Susan Hanfield, and "Courtney Lovecraft's Book of the Dead" by Sam J Miller (©2025 by Sam J Miller) read by Stefan Rudnicki. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Adamant Press

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We're making a comic book and need your help! The Kickstarter for The Day Everything Changed #1 launches Oct. 22! 3:29

3M ago3:29

3:29

Surprise! We're making a comic book based on The Day Everything Changed, and we need your help to make it happen with our Kickstarter campaign to fund it! Check it out here! (Full link is at the bottom.) You can sign up now to be notified when the campaign officially launches on October 22. Now is your chance to experience our hit post-apocalyptic …

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"Blood-Orange" by L.M. Harris + "Safe Face" by Ash Huang 26:04

3M ago26:04

26:04

This episode features "Blood-Orange" by L.M. Harris (©2025 by L.M. Harris) read by Janina Edwards, and "Safe Face" by Ash Huang (©2025 by Ash Huang) read by Justine Eyre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Adamant Press

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#224 – There's a cheap and low-tech way to save humanity from any engineered disease | Andrew Snyder-Beattie 2:31:11

3M ago2:31:11

2:31:11

Conventional wisdom is that safeguarding humanity from the worst biological risks — microbes optimised to kill as many as possible — is difficult bordering on impossible, making bioweapons humanity’s single greatest vulnerability. Andrew Snyder-Beattie thinks conventional wisdom could be wrong. Andrew’s job at Open Philanthropy is to spend hundreds…

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Grant Caldwell's Soundless Sound Part 1

3M ago

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Grant Caldwell talks to Di Cousens about his new book of haiku, The Soundless Sound. This is Part 1 of 2 interviews.By Di Cousens talks to Grant Caldwell

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Sunset Lounge 26:01

3M ago26:01

26:01

When things smell how other things taste, the world feels inside out.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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Inside the Biden admin’s AI policy approach | Jake Sullivan, Biden’s NSA | via The Cognitive Revolution 1:05:58

3M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Jake Sullivan was the US National Security Advisor from 2021-2025. He joined our friends on The Cognitive Revolution podcast in August to discuss AI as a critical national security issue. We thought it was such a good interview and we wanted more people to see it, so we’re cross-posting it here on The 80,000 Hours Podcast. Jake and host Nathan Labe…

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George Vassilacopoulos on Ashpoems: When Poetry and Philosophy Meet -- Part One

3M ago

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George Vassilacopoulos was born in Greece and migrated to Australia in 1974. He taught philosophy at La Trobe University, and has published books and articles on (European) philosophy, Indigenous sovereignty, and (Greek Australian) history. Ashpoems (re.press, 2025) is his fifteenth poetry collection, the first in English. Ashpoems is available her…

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Lookout Drive 26:46

3M ago26:46

26:46

You just don't know, you just don't know, you know.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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Maree Gladwin on languages, women in science and lesbian feminist poets.

3M ago

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‘I am her beloved carrion.’- from Vulture my love by Maree Gladwin. In this episode of 3CR's Spoken Word show which aired on Thursday 18 September 2025, you will hear poet Maree Gladwin talk about writing poems in a second language, teaching poetry, women in science, ecology and lesbian feminist poets.Maree Gladwin is a queer poet, musician and art…

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Lagoon 23:39

4M ago23:39

23:39

Fire as like a savior, like, you know, it's like God itself, you know?By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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#223 – Neel Nanda on leading a Google DeepMind team at 26 – and advice if you want to work at an AI company (part 2) 1:46:49

4M ago1:46:49

1:46:49

At 26, Neel Nanda leads an AI safety team at Google DeepMind, has published dozens of influential papers, and mentored 50 junior researchers — seven of whom now work at major AI companies. His secret? “It’s mostly luck,” he says, but “another part is what I think of as maximising my luck surface area.” Video, full transcript, and links to learn mor…

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Angelos 56:22

4M ago56:22

56:22

Part of the beauty of the world is that things die and things go away.By Mario Rodriguez, Joshua Benjamin

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"Finishing Touches" by Adam-Troy Castro + "Autogas Ferryman" by Champ Wongsatayanont 57:32

4M ago57:32

57:32

This episode features "Finishing Touches" by Adam-Troy Castro (©2025 by Adam-Troy Castro) and "Autogas Ferryman" by Champ Wongsatayanont (©2025 by Champ Wongsatayanont), both read by Stefan Rudnicki. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Adamant Press

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#222 – Can we tell if an AI is loyal by reading its mind? DeepMind's Neel Nanda (part 1) 3:01:11

4M ago3:01:11

3:01:11

We don’t know how AIs think or why they do what they do. Or at least, we don’t know much. That fact is only becoming more troubling as AIs grow more capable and appear on track to wield enormous cultural influence, directly advise on major government decisions, and even operate military equipment autonomously. We simply can’t tell what models, if a…