Eric Weinstein on Challenging “Reality,” Working with Peter Thiel, and Destroying Education to Save It
“We need to realize that we know how to impart expertise, but we don’t know how to impart creativity or genius.” – Eric Weinstein
My guest this episode is my friend, Eric Weinstein (@ericrweinstein), managing director of Thiel Capital, a Ph.D in mathematical physics from Harvard, and a research fellow at the Mathematical Institute of Oxford University. We recorded at my house after Eric emailed me this question: “Wanna try a podcast on… psychedelics, theories of everything, and the need to destroy education in order to save it?”
He’s brilliant and hilarious. If you enjoyed my podcasts with Derek Sivers or Sam Harris, you’ll love this one.
We cover a lot of ground, including:
Living from first principles rather than the “consensus reality”
The genius of Kung Fu Panda
What it’s like working with Peter Thiel and how Peter hired him
How to innovate when you risk being crucified by close-minded communities (and experts)
His favorite books
Why one of his favorite documentaries is about pornographers
And much more…
Also, be sure to check this out. Here is the Johns Hopkins psychedelic research I’m backing. Check out the supporters from tech and business.
Listen to it on iTunes.
Stream by clicking here.
Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.
Want to hear another podcast related to Peter Thiel? — Listen to the podcast where Peter discusses differentiation, value creation, competition and much more. It is a treasure trove (stream below or right-click here to download):
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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What is a philosophy or mindset that you find fascinating, but you struggle to apply to your life? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
Enjoy!
Selected Links from the Episode
Drugs over Dinner
Learn more about Thiel Capital
Simonyi Lectures and Unification in Physics: Geometric Unity
Migration for the Benefit of All by Eric Weinstein
Geometric Marginalism
Learn more about equal temperament
Learn more about the Overton window
Read Eric Weinstein’s Quora post regarding Kung Fu Panda
The Emperor of Scent by Chandler Burr
Ringing the alarms in Mortgage Backed Securities in 2001-2005-2009: Perimeter Institute Keynote
Debunking the myth of Americans unable and unwilling to do science and engineering at the National Academy of Science
Heraclitean Fire by Erwin Chargaff
Kayfabe Essay
Learn more about T4 bacteriophage
Learn more about the Milgram experiment and the Asch conformity experiment
Rate it X, a documentary about pornographers
Winning a bet against a Nobel laureate
Connect with Eric Weinstein
Show Notes
The unique career of Eric Weinstein and how he accidentally became an economist [5:23]
How a mathematician found a place at Thiel Capital [8:03]
Examples of first-principle thinking and facing criticism [13:28]
When Eric Weinstein started experimenting with different musical instruments [17:18]
On learning languages, even when they don’t seem useful [21:58]
Explaining the Overton Window [29:58]
Kung Fu Panda and the question of, “How does an innovator leave a successor when it’s his time to go?” [36:33]
How autodidacts can pave a path for successors [40:43]
How someone in a low-agency area can see the world like those in high-agency areas [44:28]
Most gifted books [47:18]
Advice for those contemplating a move to the Bay Area [49:58]
The key to understanding the philosophy behind Peter Thiel’s Zero to One [51:33]
Can people be taught to see things that other people don’t see? [54:23]
How Thiel Capital approaches problems to find creative solutions [59:18]
Canonical design and creating commonplace solutions [1:01:58]
If you were to design a class for a group of students between 9th grade and college, what would it look like? [1:06:38]
When you think of the word successful, who is the first person who comes to mind and why? [1:14:43]
What purchase of $100 or less has most positively affected your life in recent memory? [1:18:33]
Morning rituals and work cycles [1:20:33]
If you could have one billboard anywhere, with anything on it, what would it say? [1:25:18]
Advice to Eric Weinstein’s 30-year-old self and what his life was like at that time [1:26:43]
An ask or request for the audience [1:28:28]
Eric Weinstein’s first experience with psychedelic drugs [1:31:33]
People Mentioned
Peter Thiel
Charles Simonyi
Marcus du Sautoy
Richard Dawkins
Noam Chomsky
Paul Dirac
Mark O’Connor
