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Welcome to The Methods of Rationality podcast – the internet’s first source for Rationalist Fiction in audio format.

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Tables of Contents to our various projects are in the menu at the top.

Latest episodes below.



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RSS feed that loads the narrated audio of the chapters Steven & Brian will be discussing just before the discussion episode.



Blindsided 12: I Prefer a World Where Someone’s Home

Join Brian and Steven as we wrap up our journey through the awesome and thought provoking world of Blindsight.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

The starting quote for this episode is: “You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.” —Einstein

The end quote for this episode is… Nothing. Thanks for listening and thank you to Peter Watts for writing this wonderful mind fuck of a story! ❤️

Blindsided 11: Consciousness Is a Bug, Not a Feature

Join Brian and Steven as the scramblers and the vampire demon challenge the value of the very essence of of what makes us us.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

The starting quote for this episode is: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote:“You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.” —Einstein

The last quote in the book is: Species used to go extinct. Now they go on hiatus.” —Deborah MacLennan, Tables of our Reconstruction

But we’ll be reading the notes and references too.

Blindsided 10: Ow! What the Hell??

Brian and Steven continue their journey into space madness. Buckle up – this one gets nuts!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.” —Einstein

Blindsided 09: Is It Wrong to Torture a Roomba?

Join Brian and Steven as we put jumper cables on this roomba to see if it feels pain!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?” —Pierre Troubetzkoy

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.” —Emerson M. Pugh

Blindsided 08: We Got A Live One!

Join Brian and Steven as we wrangle up some aliens of dubious sentience so we can confine them and do some mad science at them!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?” —Pierre Troubetzkoy

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “If I can but make the words awake the feeling” —Ian Anderson, Stand Up

Blindsided 07: Competitive Ecology

Hold on tight – Brian and Steven throw themselves back into the mysterious alien spacecraft after punching a hole in it with antimatter!

The book doesn’t have chapters in the traditional sense, but it does have natural stopping points separated by quotes.

Check out the awesome companion website sxp made!

The starting quote for this episode is: “You have eyes, but you do not see” —Jesus the Nazorean

This episode’s discussion ends at the quote: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them” —Einstein

For next week, stop reading when you get to the quote: “Why should man expect his prayer for mercy to be heard by What is above him when he shows no mercy to what is under him?” —Pierre Troubetzkoy