Why Population Collapse is Closer Than You Think - Stephen J. Shaw - #996
Modern Wisdom
09/20/25
•173m
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Stephen J. Shaw is a data scientist and filmmaker.
Birth rates in Western countries are collapsing, a trend even Elon Musk calls an existential threat. But what’s the true cause? Is it economics, fear of the future, cultural shifts, or something deeper? And more importantly, can anything actually reverse the decline?
Timestamps:
(0:00) Global Birth Rate Decline is Keeps Stephen Up at Night
(6:47) Why We Should Care About Birth Rates
Why are Falling Birth Rates So Concerning?
(18:29) What Will the Population Look Like in 50 Years?
What Stephen Thinks the Population Will Looks Like in 50 Years
(30:07) Why It’s Now Harder to Become a Parent
(35:25) Why Women Over 30 are Less Likely to Become a Mother
(44:55) What Factors are Causing Drops in Birth Rate?
(59:50) Stephen Thoughts on Involuntary Childlessness
(01:15:14) The Clash Between Those Who Want Children and Those Who Don’t
(01:22:58) Are Antinatalists Evil?
(01:30:02) What are the Macro Impacts on Birth Rate Decline?
(01:46:59) Does Stephen Think Discussing Birth Rates is Right Wing Coded?
(01:59:47) Stephen’s View on the Societal Half-Life
(02:04:15) Would IVF or Adoption Stop Declining Birth Rates?
(02:18:31) What Interventions Don’t Work?
(02:24:44) Young People Want to Put Themselves First
(02:41:56) How We Can Learn Start Boosting Birth Rates
(02:49:27) Find Out More About Stephen
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Previous Episode
Born to Lie: How Humans Deceive Ourselves & Others - Lionel Page - #995
September 18, 2025
•103m
Lionel Page is a professor at the University of Queensland and an author.
Why is human communication so complicated? For something we rely on every day, you’d think it would be simple, but language, tone, and context make it one of the most complex skills we have. So what makes communication so difficult, and what are some practical ways to get better at it?
Expect to learn just how much of our lives are filled with strategic games, what most people do not understand when they think about human reasoning, why human communication is so complex, why we rely so heavily on ambiguity and innuendo, if coalitions and social connection are so important why do some people feel tension socially, if democracy is better understood as a coalition game than a truth-seeking exercise, and much more...
Timestamps:
(0:00) What Do We Use Reason For?
(5:13) Why Do We Deceive Ourselves?
(15:11) Does Deception Damage Our Reputation?
(24:33) Why Social Games are Hard to Navigate
(34:05) The Sydney Sweeney Controversy
(39:37) How Venting Masks Judgement
(46:41) Communicating is More Complicated Than a Chess Game
(01:01:33) Why We Feel the Need to Belong
(01:13:49) Using Coalition Psychology to Understand Politics
(01:26:40) Are We Aware We’re Playing Psychological Games?
(01:39:38) Find Out More About Lionel
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#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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Next Episode
The Modern Sex Work Debate - Bonnie Blue & Louise Perry - #997
September 22, 2025
•133m
Louise Perry is a writer, Press Officer for the campaign group We Can’t Consent To This and an author.
Bonnie Blue is a British pornographic actress and online content creator.
Louise is the author of The Case Against The Sexual Revolution and Bonnie is the world’s most extreme example of the sexual revolution in action, so I figured it might make for an interesting discussion. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a calm, regulated, deep dive into modern sex culture and feminism.
Expect to learn whether Louise thinks Bonnie’s work should be illegal, whether British women are being given a bad name to potential immigrants, whether Bonnie’s fertility problems contributed to her trajectory in life, whether the sexual revolution made women freer or more vulnerable, if Louise thinks that Bonnie is a psychopath, the difference between sex work and performance art and much more...
Timestamps:
(0:00) Why Does Bonnie Do Sex Work?
(10:50) Bonnie’s Thoughts on What It’s Really Like Sleeping With Lots of Men
(16:34) What Motivates Bonnie?
(21:37) Why Bonnie Doesn't Mind Women Hating Her
(27:42) Louise’s Opinion on Bonnie’s Work
(38:53) Is Bonnie’s Fame Culturally Damaging?
(52:06) Is Bonnie Teaching Men Safe and Consensual Sex?
(01:00:40) Should We Watch More Porn?
(01:07:46) What Has Bonnie Lost Through Sex Work?
(01:14:49) Bonnie’s Approach to Criticism
(01:25:06) How Does Bonnie’s Work Affect Her Family Life?
(01:33:14) Why is Bonnie Sensitive About Pregnancy?
(01:43:39) What Makes Bonnie So Interesting?
(01:52:52) Why Do People Think Bonnie is a Victim?
(01:58:36) Louise’s Analysis of Bonnie
(02:02:55) Louise and Bonnie’s Steelman Arguments
(02:11:19) What Happens Next?
Sponsors:
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Extra Stuff:
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Episodes You Might Enjoy:
#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson
#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
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