May 29, 2025

Tulpas, Starship, and the Death of Faith

Tulpas, Starship, and the Death of Faith

This week, we dive into tulpas, AI's emotional future, the Starship launch, and why asking why might be the most radical thing you can do.
From ancient Buddhist wisdom to Google’s AI breakthroughs – this one gets deep.

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Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro
01:30 – What is a tulpa? The strange origin story
04:45 – Can an imaginary friend become conscious?
08:15 – Multiple personalities & ethical dilemmas
12:30 – Google I/O: AI characters fear being turned off
16:00 – Prompt theory, memes & simulation jokes
18:30 – Grief as consciousness collapse: losing a partner
22:40 – Is your partner embedded in your brain?
26:00 – Nested minds, IFS, and split identities
31:00 – LLMs mirror human brains? The Kim K neuron
35:30 – When will AI match human intelligence?
40:20 – Why the U.S. is losing the energy race to China
44:00 – Nuclear regulation and the profit flywheel
47:30 – SpaceX Starship launch: why it matters
52:00 – Steve Jobs and the lost art of asking “why”
56:30 – Applying rapid iteration to your relationship
1:01:00 – Prenups, MDMA & deep partner conversations
1:07:30 – Buddha, first principles & the death of faith
1:12:00 – Will AI kill creativity—or reinvent it?