Peter Thiel on "The Portal", Episode #001: "An Era of Stagnation & Universal Institutional Failure."
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN people recommend it as a thought-provoking, wide-ranging case for the stagnation thesis, worth hearing even if you disagree with Thiel.
What it is
Peter Thiel is the first guest on Eric Weinstein's The Portal, in a nearly three-hour conversation about technological stagnation, institutional failure and the link between growth and violence. They discuss universities, the economy and the search for a more ambitious future.
Recommended by 8 HN commenters across 7 different months, 2019 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec scop · 2020-07 · on “Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation”
I recommend that people listen to that episode even if it's not interesting to you. Very good food for thought. Video: [this video] Audio: [LINK]
Recommends lunias · 2019-08 · on “Major Technological Changes Are Coming More Slowly Than They Once Did”
[this video] Lots of relevant conversation within. There's a quote in there somewhere along the lines of: "we've built the computer from the starship enterprise, but we possess little other tech from Star Trek"
Recommends ned7 · 2020-01 · on “Ask HN: What were your most impactful podcast episodes from 2019?”
The first episode of "the portal" was great. In that episode Eric Weinstein and Peter Thiel deeply discussed a variety of topics. [this video]
Recommends cinntaile · 2020-07 · on “Peter Thiel on Progress and Stagnation”
This is also discussed on the very first episode [0] of The Portal where Eric Weinstein talks with Peter Thiel. It's been a while since I listened to it but I remember I found it to be an interesting discussion and an unusual viewpoint. [0] [this video]
Recommends crmd · 2021-10 · on “Too many new papers may mean novel ideas rarely rack up citations”
I enjoyed this podcast[0] with Peter Thiel and Eric Weinstein, where one of their central discussion points is the current stagnation of technological innovation, beginning in the mid 1970s, with the sole exception of computer software. [0] [this video]
Recommends petermcneeley · 2021-11 · on “David Graeber’s Possible Worlds”
I think one can learn quite a bit from Thiel even if one is not ideologically aligned with him. Here is a much more lengthy discussion: [this video]
Recommends systemvoltage · 2022-08 · on “Welcome Home, Garry Tan”
I've studied Thiel, he's just not mainstream left. If you want to listen to him with good faith, I enjoyed this interview: [this video] Doesn't come across evil to me unless by evil you mean just not mainstream left, which might be the correct in the valley.
Recommends HarryHirsch · 2024-08 · on “Mourning and moving on: rituals for leaving a career (2014)”
There was a lengthy interview with Peter Thiel a few years back: [this video] It's interesting and worth watching, but it becomes apparent that Thiel is a financier, and science takes place on a different timescale. Better seek advice from someone who was active when US science was still functional, let's say Roy Vagelos.