27 March 2026
The Iran War and the Singularity
Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov connect the Iran war to the AI crisis: If tribal psychology keeps launching stupid wars, how will we coordinate globally on superintelligence? Plus: Trump's hypnotic confidence, $20k drones vs. million-dollar missiles, Russia's sovereign internet, Spanish cannabis clubs, and more.
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In this video:
- Teaser
- Holy Week in Andalusia, and the Christian cross as branding
- Why Bob is skeptical of Trump’s diplomacy
- Trump’s hand got weaker and he doesn’t even know it
- Killing Iran’s navy chief won’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz
- Nikita: “I find him weirdly persuasive on a hypnotist kind of level”
- The Iran war’s secret winner: Vladimir Putin
- Bob checked back into AI podcasts and came out scared
- “Every time I see tribalism on parade, I think: we’re toast on AI”
- Russia’s Internet shutdowns
- Heading to Overtime
What’s Israel Thinking?
Robert Wright and British–Israeli Middle East expert Daniel Levy discuss Bibi’s aims for the Iran war—and how he’s using the Trump moment to pursue them. Plus: Iran’s strategy, Israel’s ongoing radicalization, the Gulf States’ dilemma, and more.
Iran’s War for a New Middle East Order
Hooman Majd, author of the memoir Minister Without Portfolio, joins Robert Wright to discuss Iran’s strategic goals, the prospects for regime survival, and the US’s missed opportunities for entente with Iran.
Israel, Iran, and Antisemitism
Robert Wright and Peter Beinart, publisher of The Beinart Notebook, discuss how Trump and Bibi’s war with Iran risks fueling antisemitism. Plus: Tucker vs Fuentes on Israel, the ADL’s counterproductive speech policing, the Epstein effect, and more.
Trump’s Gulf War
Derek Davison and Daniel Bessner of the American Prestige podcast join NonZero’s Robert Wright to discuss evolving US war aims and their chances of success.
Will Trump Pull the Trigger on Iran?
Robert Wright and Middle East expert Joshua Landis discuss the logic (or lack thereof) behind air strikes—and the implications for the US, Israel, and the wider region.
The AI Apocalypse Cometh?
Robert Wright and Paul Bloom discuss whether reports of AI acceleration are greatly exaggerated—and what’s at stake if they’re not. Plus, in Overtime: Bob’s Epstein files cameos and Paul’s big news.
Is the Singularity Near?
Robert Wright and Timothy B. Lee, author of the Understanding AI newsletter, discuss recent AI developments (more autonomous agents, more automated coding in the labs, Moltbook, etc.) that have fostered a sense that things are speeding up.
The Meaning of Moltbook
Psychologist and Small Potatoes EIC Paul Bloom joins Robert Wright to discuss the Moltbook phenomenon, the latest Epstein Files release, and more.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Israel, America, and the Iran War
Robert Wright and journalist Ron Kampeas discuss the (il)logic of the Iran war, Joe Kent’s resignation, the MAGA rift over the Iran war, whether anti-antisemitism efforts are backfiring, and more.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
The Allure and Danger of Agentic AI
Robert Wright and AI pause advocate (and Doom Debates host) Liron Shapira discuss Claude Code, OpenClaw and other AI developments—and whether they’ve brought us closer to doom. Plus: A civil(-ish) debate on Israel-Palestine.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Will the Iran War Spiral Out of Control?
Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov unpack the logic—and illogic—behind Israel’s and America’s strikes on Iran. Plus: the dopamine theory of MAGA foreign policy, how the Anthropic story got buried by the bombings, and more.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Is Anthropic Misanthropic?
Holly Elmore, executive director of PauseAI US, makes the case for naming and shaming people who are fueling an AI race whose perils they understand
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Agency, AI, and the MAGA Impulse
Nikita Petrov argues MAGA and similar movements are collective responses to a felt lack of agency. Robert Wright warns AI is about to make that feeling universal. Plus: Spanish rituals as a survival model, the “Claude Code hangover,” and Bob’s case for slowing AI development down.
Nonzero (The Wright Show)
The Grand Unified Theory of MAGA
