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The Joe Rogan Experience

#2417 - Ben van Kerkwyk

with Ben van Kerkwyk

Published November 25, 2025
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About This Episode

Joe Rogan and Ben explore evidence for advanced ancient civilizations, focusing on the lost Egyptian Labyrinth at Hawara, mysterious underground structures beneath the Giza Plateau and Sphinx, and megalithic sites in Peru and Bolivia like Tiwanaku and Ollantaytambo. They discuss geological and geodetic data suggesting extreme antiquity for some monuments, sacred geometry and astronomical encoding in the Great Pyramid, and the possibility that humanity has risen to high levels of technology before being reset by cataclysms. The episode also covers academic resistance to these ideas, the role of new scanning technologies, and even legendary technologies like Solomon's Shamir.

Topics Covered

Labyrinth of Hawara Sphinx erosion Tunnels beneath the Sphinx Younger Dryas Great Pyramid geodetic model Sacred Geometry Megalithic architecture Tiwanaku and Pumapunku Lake Titicaca strandline Academic gatekeeping

Disclaimer: We provide independent summaries of podcasts and are not affiliated with or endorsed in any way by any podcast or creator. All podcast names and content are the property of their respective owners. The views and opinions expressed within the podcasts belong solely to the original hosts and guests and do not reflect the views or positions of Summapod.

Quick Takeaways

  • Multiple independent subsurface scans at Hawara suggest a huge multi-level underground labyrinth with a 40-meter-long metallic tic-tac-shaped object in a central atrium-like chamber.
  • Groundwater and political resistance in Egypt are major obstacles to excavating the Labyrinth and many suspected tunnels and chambers beneath the Giza Plateau and Sphinx.
  • Geologists like Robert Schoch argue that the Sphinx enclosure shows thousands of years of rainfall erosion, implying it predates dynastic Egypt by many millennia.
  • The Great Pyramid appears to encode highly accurate geodetic and astronomical data, including the Earth's polar radius, equatorial circumference, and precessional numbers at a 43,200:1 scale.
  • Ancient texts from multiple cultures speak of pre-flood civilizations with extremely long-lived humans, suggesting deep time for complex societies well before the known historical record.
  • Megalithic stonework in Peru and Bolivia shows clear technological layering: extremely precise, massive blocks underlying much cruder Inca-era cobblestone and mud-mortar repairs.
  • Evidence from Lake Titicaca, including tilted ancient shorelines and submerged structures, points to dramatic changes in water level and possible very ancient high-altitude ports like Tiwanaku.
  • Unexplained features like stone "nubs", precision tubular drilling, and mirror-finished granite in places like Barabar Caves indicate unknown stoneworking techniques.
  • Academic establishments often resist disruptive interpretations to protect existing narratives, but internet platforms have enabled independent researchers to surface new evidence and analyses.
  • Legends such as Solomon's Shamir-a stone-cutting, possibly radiation-like technology-mirror modern discoveries of rock-eating organisms and hint at lost or mythologized technologies.

Podcast Notes

Introduction and recap of previous conversation

Setting up this follow-up episode

Joe greets Ben and notes they barely scratched the surface last time[0:13]
• Joe says they immediately planned another episode because there was so much left to discuss

Re-introducing the Labyrinth and Sphinx topics

Joe reminds listeners Ben wanted to talk about the Sphinx and the Labyrinth[0:20]
They reference the "40-meter metallic tic-tac shaped thing" underground that Joe finds baffling[0:28]
• Joe calls the underground metallic object "nuts" and says he can't get over it

The lost Egyptian Labyrinth at Hawara and the mysterious metallic object

Discovery history and ancient descriptions of the Labyrinth

Ben explains the "great lost labyrinth of ancient Egypt" was described by Herodotus, Diodorus Siculus, Pliny the Elder, Strabo and others[2:07]
• Ancient authors said the Labyrinth surpassed the pyramids in magnificence, with multiple levels, around 3,000 rooms, and giant courtyards with pillars
• Strabo described the roof as a single piece of stone, which Ben interprets as a description of extremely tight stone joints rather than literal one-piece construction
Traditional location at Hawara and early excavations[2:47]
• The Labyrinth was long theorized to be at Hawara near the Fayoum in Egypt
• Flinders Petrie excavated Hawara in the late 1800s/early 1900s and found huge stone slabs he thought were foundations of a quarried-away structure
• Ben says Petrie was likely standing on the roof of the top layer of the Labyrinth, about 10 meters below ground, but never got inside

Modern scanning expeditions and evidence of the underground structure

Matahar expedition with ground penetrating radar and sonic techniques[3:28]
• Around 2015-2017, Louis de Cordier led the Matahar expedition with the Egyptian government, using established subsurface techniques
• They detected massive cyclopean walls meters thick forming a labyrinthine structure below the current water table
• Ben notes the water table is about 5 meters below surface, while the Labyrinth begins around 9-10 meters down
Alleged suppression of the Matahar findings[3:17]
• Ben recounts Louis de Cordier's claim that the report was buried and suppressed by Zahi Hawass, who allegedly threatened the team with national security sanctions if they talked
• After waiting a few years, Cordier finally released the report, effectively declaring "we found the Labyrinth"

Space-based scans and the 40-meter metallic "tic-tac" object

Independent space-based scanning projects corroborate a huge multi-level structure[4:13]
• Ben says at least two companies used different space-based techniques-one statistical model, one using high-frequency photography plus seismic/Doppler-like data-to scan Hawara
• Both scans independently revealed a large underground structure 60-70 meters deep with three or four levels that correlate between the datasets
Description of the central atrium and metallic object[4:58]
• In a massive central atrium-like room 40-50 meters long connecting levels, scans show an unidentified freestanding metallic object about 40 meters long
• The report describes the object as "tic-tac-shaped" and of an unidentified metal unlike anything the interpreter had seen before
Speculative discussion about a buried UFO[5:15]
• Joe repeatedly calls it a UFO and jokes about it being a recovered spacecraft hidden in Egypt
• They imagine the implications if excavation publicly revealed a non-human craft, including geopolitical and security concerns
• Joe half-jokingly suggests bringing in special forces or even "occupying Hawara" to secure and study the site

Tourism and economic potential of revealing the Labyrinth

Joe argues revealing the Labyrinth and possible "spaceship" would massively boost Egyptian tourism[6:06]
• They speculate Egypt could charge very high fees, even $10,000 per person, for special-permission tours to see the object
Ben notes Egyptian authorities have begun offering expensive special-permission access to certain sites[6:30]

Interstellar objects, UFOs, and paradigm-shifting discoveries

Discussion of comet AI/3I Atlas and interstellar objects

They reference a comet (3I Atlas) off-gassing nickel alloy and described as a giant nickel the size of Manhattan headed toward the sun[7:10]
• Ben says NASA released images and says it behaves like a comet, though it's "doing a lot of weird stuff"
Avi Loeb-style idea that "anything can be a spaceship"[7:28]
• They allude to the argument that any interstellar object could be an engineered craft and note we have only a tiny sample of such objects to compare

Potential for buried discoveries to "blow the dam" on history

Ben suggests that fully revealing the Labyrinth and structures under Giza could destroy current historical narratives like a house of cards[8:04]
• He emphasizes that if Herodotus' Labyrinth is verified, preserved, and shown to have been submerged for around 50 years, it will force reevaluation of Egyptology assumptions

Ancient textual accounts of tunnels and chambers under the Sphinx and pyramids

Arab and classical accounts of underground structures

Ben cites Arab historian Al-Masoudi, called the "Herodotus of the Arabs", who wrote of tunnels and ruins beneath the Sphinx[11:00]
• Al-Masoudi described tunnels extending from beneath the Sphinx in three directions
Other Arab accounts of entering pyramids and getting lost underground[11:19]
• Ben says several Arab historians from around 600 AD onward wrote about entering the pyramids and getting lost in tunnels and chambers beneath them

Edgar Cayce, Halls of Records, and ARE investigations

Overview of Edgar Cayce and his predictions[11:35]
• Ben describes Cayce as an American psychic nicknamed the "Sleeping Prophet" who entered trance states and made predictions
• Cayce spoke of three "Halls of Records" containing Atlantean caches of information and also gave stock market predictions
• Joe notes that if someone really had psychic powers, exploiting the stock market would be logical; Ben says people did make money from Cayce's predictions
Formation and activities of the Edgar Cayce Foundation (ARE)[12:26]
• Profits from Cayce's work led to the creation of the Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE), which still exists
• ARE has been searching for the Halls of Records and trying to verify Cayce, especially a Hall of Records said to be beneath the paws of the Sphinx

Claims of tunnels beneath the Sphinx and institutional gatekeeping

Early 1990s ground-penetrating radar near the Sphinx[13:05]
• Ben says GPR around the Sphinx in the early 1990s (linked to John Anthony West's work) indicated large, regular chambers beneath the Sphinx
Relationship between Zahi Hawass, Mark Lehner, and ARE[13:34]
• Ben highlights a contradiction: publicly Hawass and Lehner denounce Atlantis ideas, but privately they worked with ARE on drilling and searches at the Sphinx since the 1970s
Shore expedition and alleged exploration under the Sphinx[13:48]
• Ben recounts the 1990s "Shore Expedition" (Joseph Shore, Joseph Jahoda, Boris Said) which had a five-year permit to do extensive work on the Giza Plateau
• Boris Said, a friend of John Anthony West and producer of "Mysteries of the Sphinx", filmed Hawass entering a tunnel under the rump of the Sphinx claiming it had never been opened
• Ben says this footage vanished amid legal disputes between Shore and Said, and only Arabic press mentions Hawass later announcing discoveries of three tunnels under Giza before going silent
Rediscovery of lost footage showing Hawass under the Sphinx[15:41]
• Decades later, someone digitized a VHS fundraising tape Boris had made, containing the lost shots of Hawass in a tunnel in the Sphinx's body
• Ben obtained and published this footage, showing Hawass saying they were inside the Sphinx exploring a tunnel whose destination was unknown
Backfilling and possible concealment of Sphinx tunnels[16:18]
• Ben says today the rear entrance of the Sphinx is backfilled: where Hawass once stood in a cavity, the sand/dirt level now nearly reaches that height
• Joe finds it suspicious that the tunnel would be refilled unless something significant was found or structural collapse occurred

Human timeline extension, pre-flood longevity, and cycles of cataclysm

Ancient texts describing very long human lifespans

Ben notes many civilizations describe pre-flood humans living hundreds or thousands of years[20:44]
• He cites the Sumerian Kings List and Egyptian king lists, and mentions biblical figures like Noah living around 600 years

Evidence humans may be much older than standard models suggest

Ben says fossil skulls and teeth morphology push Homo sapiens back slightly beyond 300,000 years, and possibly 700,000-800,000 years for related clades[20:48]
• He notes other Homo species with larger brains than ours existed for millions of years, and we do not know their full capabilities

Accumulation of knowledge and inevitability of civilization

Ben emphasizes humans' unique ability to build on ancestors' knowledge, leading inevitably toward civilization over long timescales[22:07]
• He gives the example of one generation perfecting a spear and the next generation specializing in throwing it better

Climate cycles, glacial periods, and destruction of earlier civilizations

Ben notes cycles of glaciation and interglacial warm periods over hundreds of thousands of years provide many opportunities for civilizations to arise and be wiped out[21:49]
• He describes the Eemian interglacial about 120,000 years ago as a long, stable warm period with sea levels 3-4 meters higher than today, similar to or more stable than the Holocene
• Subsequent glaciations, meltwater floods, and especially the Younger Dryas would likely leave almost nothing of a civilization except the hardest stone

Erosion evidence on the Giza Plateau and implications for extreme antiquity

Severe erosion on middle pyramid complex masonry

Ben points out massive erosion (2-3 feet) on core limestone blocks at the middle pyramid complex, many of which are 200-300 ton stones that have even toppled from walls[25:43]
• He stresses this is interior core masonry that was once protected by granite casing, not exposed outer faces

Limestone tombstone erosion studies as a benchmark

Ben explains that erosion rates have been studied using dated limestone tombstones in various climates[26:07]
• In normal weathering environments with significant rainfall (e.g., ~40 inches/year), it takes on the order of 100,000+ years to erode limestone faces back by 2-3 feet
• Since Egypt gets far less rain than those studied locales, similar erosion there suggests even greater age or periods of much heavier rainfall

Sphinx enclosure rainfall erosion controversy

Ben recaps Robert Schoch's 1990s geological assessment of the Sphinx enclosure[29:20]
• The Sphinx was carved from a limestone outcrop (a yardang) inside a man-made enclosure, whose walls show deep vertical channels consistent with prolonged rainfall erosion
• Schoch concluded only thousands of years of rain in a wetter climate could produce these patterns, implying a pre-4,000 BC origin for the Sphinx
Academic backlash against Schoch's dating[32:14]
• Ben says Schoch was mocked by mainstream archaeologists like Mark Lehner, who demanded pottery shards as chronological evidence and rejected the geological argument
• Schoch was conservative in suggesting ~12,000 years; Ben thinks erosion evidence may support tens of thousands of years of exposure
Face of the Sphinx vs. eroded body and enclosure[32:38]
• Joe notes a key inconsistency: if wind and sand erosion shaped the body and enclosure, the exposed face should be more eroded, yet it is relatively intact
• Ben agrees and says the most plausible explanation is that the Sphinx's face was re-carved in dynastic times (possibly by Khafre or earlier), while the original body predates them and suffered rainfall erosion

Climate and the Aramat branch of the Nile

Discovery of an extinct Nile branch aligning with valley temples[34:45]
• A recent study identified an extinct Nile branch, the Aramat branch, up to a kilometer wide, running past sites like Dashur, Saqqara, Abusir, Abu Ghurob, and Giza
• All valley temples associated with the major pyramids were built along the shores of this branch, implying a very different hydrological landscape before it dried up between roughly 4,000-3,500 BC
Ben questions the standard logistics of granite transport by boat under current Nile flood conditions[36:24]
• He notes historical photos show that even before dams, many annual floods produced only shallow pools, inconsistent with moving hundreds-of-tons blocks three months a year by boat to valley temples

Great Pyramid as a geodetic and sacred geometry monument

Sacred numbers and their recurrence across cultures

Ben notes that the number 432 (and related 43,200, 432,000) recurs in many traditions and measurements[40:02]
• Examples include 86,400 seconds in a day (so 43,200 seconds in 12 hours), the Sumerian kings list totaling 432,000 years with one king ruling 43,200 years, the Kali Yuga length in some traditions, and the sun's radius being about 432,000 miles
Great Pyramid as a 43,200:1 scale model of the Northern Hemisphere[41:02]
• If you take the pyramid's height (including its socle) times 43,200, you get the Earth's polar radius from center to North Pole within a small error margin
• If you take the pyramid's perimeter times 43,200, you get the Earth's equatorial circumference within about 300 feet, which is within both survey error and daily gravitational variation

Encoding of Earth's oblate spheroid shape and geodetic ratios

Ben explains Earth is an oblate spheroid: flattened at poles and bulging at the equator due to centrifugal force of rotation[43:56]
• This leads to different circumferences and radii north-south vs. east-west, with about a 21 km difference across the equator vs. poles as one cited figure
Pyramid perimeter ratios match quarter-second latitude/longitude at equator[46:49]
• The pyramid sits on a 55 cm-high socle extending beyond the casing stones, giving two slightly different perimeter lengths
• Ben says that at the equator, a quarter of one second of latitude (north-south) matches the casing-stone perimeter and a quarter second of longitude (east-west) matches the socle perimeter, encoding the latitude/longitude ratio

Ratios, coincidence arguments, and broader sacred geometry

Ben distinguishes between arbitrary numerology and robust ratios that are unit-independent[49:55]
• He argues the repeated appearance of specific sacred numbers in timekeeping, architecture, and myths points to an ancient common knowledge system rather than random pattern-seeking

108 as another sacred ratio connecting sun and moon

Ben notes both sun and moon share a diameter-to-distance ratio of 1:108 relative to Earth[52:06]
• Moon diameter (~2,160 miles) ×108 ≈ Earth-moon distance; sun diameter (~864,000 miles) ×108 ≈ Earth-sun distance, with 864,000 again echoing 86,400 seconds per day
• He points out that 108 appears in temple designs (e.g., 108 pillars) and religious traditions worldwide

Peru and Bolivia: layered megalithic architecture and possible extreme antiquity

Three architectural layers in the Sacred Valley and Cusco region

Ben presents Jesus Gamarra's classification: Hanan Pacha (oldest monolithic bedrock carving), Uran Pacha (megalithic block work), and Ukun Pacha (Inca cobblestone/mud-mortar)[1:00:08]
• He notes the oldest layers are carved directly into living rock with channels and shapes, above which sit seamless megalithic walls, and finally much cruder Inca masonry on top

Sacsayhuaman, Ollantaytambo, and clear tech differentials

Sacsayhuaman includes giant megalithic blocks up to ~200 tons with tight joints, overlain or flanked by much rougher Inca work[1:02:36]
• Ollantaytambo has ~80-90 ton granite blocks forming a "sun temple" at the top of a steep mountain, with crude small stones infilling gaps when big blocks fell or were missing
• Ben describes "tired stones"-enormous abandoned granite blocks along the route from the distant quarry, showing work was suddenly halted

Tiwanaku and Pumapunku: high-altitude ports and precision stonework

Tiwanaku/Pumapunku's altitude and context[1:06:35]
• Tiwanaku and Pumapunku sit on the Altiplano at about 12,500 feet, above the tree line, and are widely considered port complexes on ancient Lake Titicaca
Precision and odd features at Pumapunku[1:07:21]
• Ben highlights H-blocks and playful right-angle cutouts, mirror-like surfaces, and narrow channels with small, precise drill holes inside, suggesting some mechanical attachment or function

Dating Tiwanaku: competing evidence and strandline tilt

Mainstream carbon dating vs. Arthur Posnansky's work[1:08:18]
• Conventional archaeology dates Tiwanaku around 1100 AD based on a few carbon samples, but older samples (~1500 BC) are dismissed as unreliable
• Arthur Posnansky spent 50 years at Tiwanaku and dated it to ~15,000 BC using geological evidence, astro-archaeological alignments, and extinct fauna like toxodon remains
Ancient shoreline and uplift evidence around Lake Titicaca[1:11:55]
• H.S. Bellamy documented a 400-mile strandline indicating a former lake level where Tiwanaku would have been a peninsula or island port; today the shoreline is ~10 miles away
• The strandline is noticeably tilted today, implying significant long-term tectonic uplift and deformation not plausible over just ~1000 years
Recent Bolivian astro-archaeological study confirming ancient alignment[1:14:48]
• Ben recounts a Bolivian team using the Astronomical Almanac who confirmed Posnansky's alignment calculations for the Kalasasaya solar observatory, indicating a date around 10,000 BC or earlier cycle equivalents
• He says the Bolivian head of archaeology who endorsed this lost his job, and official dates for Tiwanaku remain unchanged

Submerged temple and structures in Lake Titicaca

Ben and Joe discuss a reported submerged pre-Incan temple found beneath Lake Titicaca[1:17:13]
• Reported features include a 660-foot-long temple, terraces, a pre-Incan road, and a long containing wall found after hundreds of dives in 65-100 feet of water
• Ben notes this implies past lake levels significantly lower than today, adding to evidence of large water level swings and long timelines

Stone nubs, global megalithic similarities, and unknown tools

Nubs as a global megalithic signature

Ben and Joe review "nubs"-small protrusions on many ancient stones in Egypt, Peru, and elsewhere-whose function is unknown[1:19:51]
• Ben observes that such nubs are not a byproduct of wedge-and-feather quarrying and must be formed deliberately or by some other process
• They note nubs sometimes appear on bedrock surfaces, not just on moved blocks, and can vary widely in size and consistency
Speculations about nubs' purposes[1:22:59]
• Theories mentioned include lifting bosses, mounting points for structures or tools, heat expansion points in geopolymer casting, or elements in resonance-based stone-working

Japan, China, India: parallel megalithic features

Japan's Asuka megaliths and imperial palace walls[1:25:37]
• Ben notes Japanese sites like the Asuka megaliths and the imperial palace show polygonal megalithic masonry similar to Peruvian examples
Yangshan quarry in China and massive unfinished blocks[1:26:58]
• They mention the Yangshan quarry with partially detached blocks of thousands of tons; a popular story says a ruler ordered an enormous stele that workers ultimately abandoned as impractical
Barabar Caves in India: mirror-finished granite chambers[1:32:56]
• Ben describes the Barabar Caves as granite chambers carved into outcrops with mirror-flat walls within thousandths of an inch tolerance and complex internal shapes
• Later rough inscriptions attribute them to a king gifting them to a sect to shelter from monsoons, but the text says nothing about how such precision work was done

Academic resistance, the internet, and changing discourse

Establishment gatekeeping and generational dynamics

Joe and Ben discuss figures like Zahi Hawass and how long-standing authorities may see alternative ideas as threats to their status and narratives[1:37:54]
• Joe argues that instead of resisting, they could embrace new findings and still credit Egyptians, just with a much older, richer history

Role of internet and popular podcasts in widening the talent pool

Ben notes that before, only universities and societies controlled discourse; now independent researchers can reach large audiences online[1:41:37]
• He suggests that by exposing ideas to millions, the internet can surface highly capable "obsessed polymaths" who might not be in academia but can meaningfully contribute
Joe criticizes academic "bitchiness" and reputation attacks[1:46:06]
• He describes some academics as acting like authoritarian gatekeepers who attack heterodox ideas to protect their own prestige and curricula

Implications of a cyclical, catastrophic human history

Why a lost-civilization model matters today

Ben says shifting from a linear "Stone Age to Space Age" narrative to a cyclical one (rise, catastrophe, reset) could fundamentally change how humans view risk and long-term planning[1:47:26]
• He hopes that if people internalize that advanced civilizations have been wiped out before by natural forces, they might prioritize mitigating such risks over short-term concerns

Joe links this to current focus on environmental impacts

Joe notes we obsess over pollution and emissions, but if civilization has been destroyed by external catastrophes beyond our control, that knowledge is also crucial[1:50:59]
• He finds it "crazy" that fear of embarrassment or loss of authority could motivate hiding evidence of such past cataclysms from humanity

Closing and brief extra segment on Solomon's Shamir

Joe's appreciation and plug for Ben's work

Joe says he loves Ben's UnchartedX channel, calls this his favorite subject, and praises other researchers like Jimmy Corsetti and Graham Hancock[2:54:07]
• Ben gives his social media handles: UnchartedX1 on Twitter and UnchartedX7 on Instagram

Return to discuss Solomon's Shamir after a false outro

Introduction to the Shamir legend[2:54:46]
• Joe reads a description of Solomon's Shamir as a worm or substance capable of cutting or disintegrating stone, iron, and diamond, used to build the First Temple without metal tools
• The Shamir is said to have been kept wrapped in wool in a lead container, which would burst and disintegrate under its "gaze"
Modern rock-eating worm and speculative connections[2:56:09]
• Jamie notes a recently discovered rock-eating worm in the Philippines with some similarities to the Shamir description
• Joe and Ben speculate the Shamir might encode a memory of some radiation-like or exotic technology, given the lead shielding and destructive effect on containers
Bird connection in the Shamir myth[2:58:02]
• They mention Talmudic accounts where an angel gives the Shamir to a hoopoe bird, and someone observes the bird using it to carve nests in rock, leading to Solomon obtaining it
• Joe jokes that the Shamir is essentially a "lightsaber from aliens" delivered via a bird, blending legendary and technological imagery

Lessons Learned

Actionable insights and wisdom you can apply to your business, career, and personal life.

1

When new evidence challenges entrenched narratives, clinging to authority and reputation often prevents progress, whereas openly updating your views can transform a threat into an opportunity for leadership.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where am I defending an existing belief or position mainly to protect my ego or status rather than because the evidence truly supports it?
  • • How might admitting "we were partly wrong" in one area of my work or life actually increase others' trust and respect for me?
  • • What is one domain this year where I could deliberately invite strong counter-evidence and be prepared to revise my story if needed?
2

Complex problems-whether in history, business, or personal life-are rarely solved from within a single discipline; breakthroughs come when you combine perspectives, data, and tools from very different fields.

Reflection Questions:

  • • What current challenge in my life or work am I trying to solve using only one type of expertise or viewpoint?
  • • How could bringing in a completely different discipline or kind of thinker (engineer, artist, historian, operator, etc.) change how I frame this problem?
  • • Who outside my usual circle could I ask for input this month to get a radically different lens on an issue I'm stuck on?
3

Thinking on longer timescales-decades to millennia-changes what you consider important, revealing slow, compounding risks and opportunities that short-term thinking simply cannot see.

Reflection Questions:

  • • If I zoomed out and thought in terms of 50 or 100 years instead of the next 12 months, what threats or patterns would suddenly look much more serious?
  • • How might my priorities change if I assumed my decisions today would significantly affect people several generations from now?
  • • What is one decision I'm making this week that I could re-evaluate explicitly from a 10-20 year perspective instead of a 1-2 year perspective?
4

Public access to information and platforms can surface highly capable, obsessive learners whose contributions rival or exceed those of traditional credentialed experts.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Which areas of knowledge that matter to me am I still treating as "closed" or reserved only for accredited experts?
  • • How could I better leverage independent researchers, niche communities, or long-form content to deepen my understanding of a topic I care about?
  • • What is one subject where I could purposely sample high-quality non-institutional voices and compare their arguments to the mainstream view?
5

Assuming that "we already know the full story" is dangerous; the more we learn about the past, the more we see how incomplete and provisional our current models really are.

Reflection Questions:

  • • Where in my own life do I act as if the story is already written and there is nothing new left to discover?
  • • How might I behave differently in my career or relationships if I treated my current understanding as a rough draft instead of a final verdict?
  • • What is one belief I hold strongly that I will actively try to falsify or stress-test over the next month?
6

Recognizing that advanced civilizations may have been reset by natural catastrophes reframes resilience from a personal trait into a civilizational design goal.

Reflection Questions:

  • • In what ways am I and my organization fragile to low-probability, high-impact events that we mostly ignore?
  • • How could I start building redundancy or fail-safes now so that a single shock does not erase years of accumulated progress?
  • • What small habit or system could I implement this week that would make me meaningfully more resilient to unexpected disruption?

Episode Summary - Notes by Taylor

#2417 - Ben van Kerkwyk
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