Steven Pinker
Canadian cognitive psychologist and psycholinguistWikipedia
128
MENTIONS
82
EPISODES
74
PODCASTS
Search complete. 128 mentions across 82 episodes found for "Steven Pinker".
Sep 14, 2026
Dave SmithHOST
The fact it...
Dave SmithHOST
Oh, Steve Pinker maybe? I don't know.
Dave SmithHOST
Yeah, it might've been Steven Pinker.
Jamison DanceHOST
It says Steven Pinker-
Tristan HarrisGUEST
And common knowledge is a specific term.
Tristan HarrisGUEST
It comes from Steven Pinker.
Tristan HarrisGUEST
It's when everyone knows that everyone knows.
Tristan HarrisGUEST
It's not when I know.
speaker_0NARRATOR
Let's listen more deeply.
speaker_1HOST
Today we are taking cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker's controversial theories on evolutionary psychology and, well, we're applying them to this ultimate human mystery.
speaker_2HOST
Right.
speaker_2HOST
The mystery of why we actually like music.
Steven DevincenziGUEST
Do you feel like the world's getting better after, after hearing these statistics?
Charlie BaxterHOST
So I really like the book, uh, is it- Steven Pinker-
Steven DevincenziGUEST
Yeah
Charlie BaxterHOST
...
EvanHOST
yeah.
Alexander BatthyányGUEST
I think maybe you saw this a year ago, about a year ago, in Wall Street Journal, there was a brief debate between Charles Murray, Steven Pinker, and myself.
Alexander BatthyányGUEST
And Steven Pinker said, basically what you're doing is you're looking into clouds and you see beautiful figures which only exist in your mind.
Alexander BatthyányGUEST
And I'm sure in some cases...
Alexander BatthyányGUEST
I'm very sure this happens.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
And I want to just look at it from the linguistics point of view.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
Steven Pinker has a book about shared understanding, about common knowledge, what he calls common knowledge.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
The difference between what everyone knows and what everyone knows that everyone knows.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
And he uses this story about the emperor or new clothes.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
Because at those moments, when the people know that everyone there, they're thinking the same thing and they know that what is going on, they can mobilize against the dictators.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
And this is the Iranian version.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
You know, Steven Pinker did not say what happened to that boy who shouted, the emperor is naked.
Arash SohrabiGUEST
In Iran, we know what happened to that boy.
Kelly BulkeleySOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
And so I think that's part of it today, too, is that we just know more things that could get us maybe than, [chuckles] than at a, any other time of, of history, so...
Sean King O'GradyHOST
That makes me think a little of, like, I don't know, maybe, like, ten years ago, everyone was talking about Steven Pinker talking about this.
Sean King O'GradyHOST
Five years ago, right around the time of the pandemic, Rupert Bregman w- was talking about this a lot, about how it may seem like we're living in the most dangerous time in history, but it's actually one of the safest times in history.
Sean King O'GradyHOST
We just have exactly that, more access to more data about bad things happening, and we also like to look at those instances of bad things happening.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
Does not compute.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
Like what? Steven Pinker only counts things when they are immediate and obvious threats and is unable to think two steps ahead.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
Quote, Steven Pinker.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
As Newport points out, harping on doom for the species changes the subject from immediate and obvious threats from AI, such as enabling bioterrorism, undermining truth-seeking institutions, and breaching cybersecurity.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
Andy Masley.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
It is terrifying to really absorb the future shock of this, which is why there is of course an enormous market for writers who are willing to sell people excuses to keep pretending that things will be basically normal.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
End quote.
Type 3 AudioNARRATOR
I believe I can be fully done with both Cal Newport and Steven Pinker now.
Zvi MowshowitzHOST
Does not compute.
Zvi MowshowitzHOST
Like what? Steven Pinker only counts things when they are immediate and obvious threats and is unable to think two steps ahead.
Steven PinkerSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
Steven Pinker As Newport points out, harping on doom for the species changes the subject from immediate and obvious threats from AI, such as enabling bioterrorism, undermining truth-seeking institutions, and breaching cybersecurity.
Andy MasleySOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
Andy Masley It was only a few years ago that enabling bioterrorism or cyberattacks was seen as the ridiculous doomer position distracting from the immediate obvious threats of AI at the time.
Zvi MowshowitzHOST
Newport calls on everyone to cast out rationalists, explicitly.
Chiao-Chu YuanSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
You don't have to believe the most apocalyptic scenarios to understand that inventing superintelligence is unlike anything we've ever done before as a species.
Chiao-Chu YuanSOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
It is terrifying to really absorb the future shock of this, which is why there is of course an enormous market for writers who are willing to sell people excuses to keep pretending that things will be basically normal.
Zvi MowshowitzHOST
I believe I can be fully done with both Cal Newport and Steven Pinker now.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
Does not compute.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
Like, what? Steven Pinker only counts things when they are in immediate and obvious threats and is unable to think two steps ahead.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
Quote Steven Pinker.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
As Newport points out, harping on doom for the species changes the subject from immediate and obvious threats from AI, such as enabling bioterrorism, undermining truth-seeking institutions, and breaching cybersecurity.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
Andy Masley.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
You don't have to believe the most apocalyptic scenarios to understand that inventing superintelligence is unlike anything we've ever done before as a species.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
End quote.
Type Three AudioNARRATOR
I believe I can be fully done with both Cal Newport and Steven Pinker now.
72 more episodes mention Steven Pinker.
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