Ep. 94: fiction, flow, and imagining the impossible. | Steven Kotler.

Watch our interview with Steven Kotler on Youtube.

Flow is a well-known and valuable psychological state in which time seems to drop away and you become completely immersed in the present moment. Though its usefulness in achieving individual excellence has been studied extensively, much less attention has been paid to how it can aid in cooperation. Well tonight we're joined by a guest who has tried to fill that gap by writing "The Devil's Dictionary", a fascinating novel which also explores topics around climate change, mass extinction, and the future of humanity. Steven Kotler is one of the world’s foremost experts on human peak performance and the New York Times bestselling author of "The Art of Impossible" and "The Rise of Superman".

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Pairs Well With

• Dr. Gena Gorlin on the psychology of ambition, achievement, and greatness.
• Samo Burja on live players and society.   
• Scott Young on ultralearning, brain-computer-interfaces, and AI in education.
• Zanele Njapha on the importance of learning and unlearning in preparing for the future.

Key Moments

• Why fiction gives us a unique vehicle for exploring important topics. 
• Steven's newest novel, "The Devil's Dictionary", and how it it relates to his previous book "The Last Tango in Cyberspace."
• How science fiction shapes the imagination, and therefore, the future. 
• "The Devil's Dictionary" describes near-future humans with remarkable cross-species empathy. What would that look like, and how would it change the world? 
• Would it be wrong to eat lab-grown human meat? 
• In light of developments in vertical farming, lab-grown meat, and climate change, what is the future of agriculture? 
• If it's someday possible to genetically engineer superhumans, what sorts of ethical and practical issues might emerge?