Paris Marx is joined by James Vincent to discuss why we’re seeing humanoid robots everywhere, the motivations to pursue an all-purpose robot, how close we are to achieving that goal, and the social implications if we were to achieve it.
Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.
The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Kyla Hewson.
Also mentioned in this episode:
James wrote about what kicking robots can tell us about the state of modern robotics
Rodney Brooks makes a case for the difficulty in teaching robots human dexterity
Here is an in-depth look at what Agility Robotics has been working on
More than a dozen health and environmental groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency over its rollback of a rule that fought climate change. The “endangerment finding”, states that the buildup of heat-trapping pollution in the atmosphere endangers public health. The rollback is widely seen as a major setback to efforts to combat the climate crisis.array(3) {
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How did PFAS chemicals, once used in popular stain-resistant carpets, end up in the water and environment in parts of Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina? FRONTLINE, The Associated Press, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Post and Courier and AL.com investigate what happened with these forever chemicals and the ongoing health impacts.array(3) {
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Trump sought $163 billion in cuts, including slashing the EPA by 54 percent, HUD by 44 percent, and the CDC by 41 percent, but even his most loyal House allies let the effort stall under the cover of the budget process. A separate bipartisan attempt to shore up Obamacare subsidies for 24 million Americans also fizzled, with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick warning that letting them lapse would be bad policy and worse politics. The throughline is inertia: Congress will not enact maximalist right-wing cuts, but it will not pass incremental fixes either. Plus, a handoff to the debut of How To!: "How to Be a DJ, Not a Playlist," featuring the DJ with hooks for hands, Tom Nash, on craft, resilience, and commanding a room. Produced by Corey Wara Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig Do you have questions or comments, or just want to say hello? Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com For full Pesca content and updates, check out our website at https://www.mikepesca.com/ For ad-free content or to become a Pesca Plus subscriber, check out https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ For Mike's daily takes on Substack, subscribe to The Gist List https://mikepesca.substack.com/ Follow us on Social Media: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Instagram https://www.instagram.com/pescagist/ X https://x.com/pescami TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@pescagist To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist
On Feb. 18, 1776, John Adams writes to Abigail and confides in her about a delicate diplomatic mission to Canada. He throws a little shade at the Catholic leadership in Canada and Southerners and admires his wife's mastery of the French language.
Most Democratic politicians are scared to criticize each other. They also fear dinging former presidents, or the various groups that make up the party’s broad coalition. And too many Dem candidates are afraid to color outside the lines, even if voters want them to be less establishment and more like regular people. Can the party get it together before the midterms? Plus, Trump’s threat of war against Iran, and his reported intent to kill Netflix’s bid to takeover Warner Discovery—potentially giving him power over CBS, CNN, Fox, and TikTok.
Tickets are now on sale for our LIVE shows in Dallas on March 18 and in Austin on March 19. Plus, we have a handful of seats still available for tonight's show in Minneapolis. TheBulwark.com/Events.
European leaders, national security policymakers, and reporters convened at a historic hotel in Munich, Germany, over the weekend for the annual national security pilgrimage known as the Munich Security Conference.
Hello! Today, we have a big episode with two parts. First is an interview about a new book by Emily Galvin Almanza, a former public defender in California who has worked with nonprofits the Stanford Three Strikes Project and the Bronx Defenders. More recently, she is the co-founder and executive director of Partners for Justice, a nonprofit creating a new collaborative model of public defense. Her new book The Price of Mercyis finally out and she stopped by to talk about the criminal justice system and a recent op-ed she wrote about free buses in New York City.
In the second half, we welcomes Bharat Ramamurti, the former deputy director of the National Economic Council of the United States under the Biden Administration and a recent college graduate and thinker named Anuraag Routray about a recent paper they wrote about how to fix the sports betting industry without going full narc on everyone. Enjoy!
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodbye.substack.com/subscribe
AI is shifting from something you prompt to something that can proactively work for you. Ravi Gupta sits down with technologist Michael Simon to unpack OpenClaw—an open-source, always-on AI agent that connects to your email, calendar, and other tools to function more like a chief of staff than a chatbot. They explore what this unlocks (from daily briefings to real automation), why it could be economically disruptive fast, and the new security and safety risks that come with always-on agents. The takeaway: the upside is real—but so is the need for boundaries, before the tech reshapes work and life faster than we’re ready for.
Join Washington Examiner Senior Writer David Harsanyi and Federalist Editor-In-Chief Mollie Hemingway as they examine Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's embarrassing performance at the Munich Security Conference, discuss President Barack Obama's radical role in dividing the country, and recount Mollie's volatile encounter with Jesse Jackson. Mollie and David also dive into the latest Olympics scandals and reflect on Robert Duvall's best roles.
Pre-order Mollie's book Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court and Restored the Constitutionhere.
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