"Upstream" with Erik Torenberg
by Erik Torenberg
Latest episode
E141: The Bronze Age Collapse and History's Selective Memory
E141: The Bronze Age Collapse and History's Selective Memory
About this podcast
You’ll hear consequential ideas here first, and in the mainstream months later. Upstream is a curated nexus feed from the Turpentine podcast network, bringing you expert-level conversations hosted by some of the most compelling thinkers in the world including Noah Smith, Samo Burja, Byrne Hobart, Erik Torenberg, and Nathan Labenz.
Guests include Marc Andreessen, Balaji Srinivasan, Dario Amodei, Brian Armstrong, David Sacks, Sam Harris, Katherine Boyle, Curtis Yarvin, and many more unmissable conversations.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 143 episodes
- E141: The Bronze Age Collapse and History's Selective Memory · 1 h 3 min · Episode 143Today on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg conversation with Samo Burja where they discuss the Bronze Age collapse, technological advancements in ancient civilizations, and…
- E140: Why Industrial Revolutions Stall · 46 min · Episode 142Today on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg conversation with Samo Burja on this week’s Live Players. They discuss the potential industrial revolutions in history…
- E139: America’s Tech Strategy w/ Qasar Younis, Sen. Jack Reed, and Josh Wolfe · 30 min · Episode 141This week, we’re featuring a panel discussion from the 2025 Hill and Valley Forum with Josh Wolfe (Lux Capital), Senator Jack Reed (RI), and Qasar Younis, Founder and CEO…
- E138: Palantir CEO Alex Karp & Rep. Ritchie Torres on Innovation & The West | Hill and Valley Forum 2024 · 30 min · Episode 140Alex Karp, CEO of Palantir Technologies, and Congressman Richie Torres discuss higher education, Palantir's fearless culture, and the importance of contrarianism in driving…
- E137: AI Safety vs Speed: Helen Toner Discusses OpenAI Board Experience, Regulatory Approaches, and Military AI [The Cognitive Revolution] · 1 h 20 min · Episode 139This week on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode of The Cognitive Revolution. Nathan Labenz interviews Helen Toner, director at CSET, about her experiences with OpenAI, the…
- E136: Trump V2: Tariffs, American Dynamism, Higher Ed | Byrne Hobart · 1 h 2 min · Episode 138In this episode, Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart discuss the economic consequences of Trump's tariffs, OpenAI's recent innovations, and their implications for white collar work…
- E135: The Problem With Reserve Currencies and Switching to Crypto w/ Lyn Alden [From the Archives] · 58 min · Episode 137This week on Upstream, we’re sharing Erik Torenberg’s 2024 interview with Lyn Alden. Lyn discusses her book 'Broken Money', the impact of the global reserve currency, inflation…
- E134: Atheism’s Decline, Consciousness, and The New Right w/ Ross Douthat · 57 min · Episode 134Today on Upstream, Ross Douthat joins Erik Torenberg to discuss his new book 'Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious,' exploring the decline of new atheism, the intellectual…
- E133: China’s Energy Problem w/ Samo Burja · 57 min · Episode 135Today on Upstream, we’re releasing a 2024 conversation between Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja. They discuss China's approach to energy security, exploring why China isn't pursuing…
- E132: AI Managers, US vs China Analysis, and AI Art w/ Byrne Hobart · 52 min · Episode 134Today on Upstream, we’re sharing an episode of The Riff (originally aired on April 1, 2025). Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart explore the shifting dynamics of global trade between…
- E131: Abundance Agenda, The New Right, and 2008 Retrospective w/ Noah Smith · 1 h 8 min · Episode 133Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith discuss the Abundance Agenda by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, the impact of the 2008 recession, Obama's presidency, and shifts…
- E130: Elon Musk’s Network Effects and Checking in on Chinese AI w/ Byrne Hobart · 60 min · Episode 132This week on Upstream, we're releasing an episode of The Riff (originally aired on March 25, 2025) where Erik Torenberg and Byrne Hobart discuss Don Jr.'s leveraging of the Trump…
- E129: Dark Triad, Romantic Partner Selection, and Dating Advice w/ Rob Henderson · 1 h 2 min · Episode 131Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg interviews author Rob Henderson about modern romance, discussing evolutionary psychology, the attraction to dark triad men, dating apps, and…
- E128: US-Europe Relations, How Japan Can Strengthen The Yen, and Predicting AI’s Growth Effects w/ Noah Smith · 53 min · Episode 130Today on Upstream, Erik Torenberg and Noah Smith analyze America's European withdrawal, China's selective globalization strategy, and tempers expectations about AI's economic…
- E127: The Tech Right and How The Left Can Fix Itself w/ Jon Askonas · 45 min · Episode 129Today on Upstream, we’re airing Erik Torenberg’s conversation with Jon Askonas. They explore the emerging coalition between MAGA supporters and Silicon Valley tech leaders…
- E126: Data Center Economics and AI Energy Requirements w/ Patrick McKenzie and Azeem Azhar · 1 h 14 min · Episode 128Today on Upstream, we’re releasing Patrick MacKenzie's interview with Azeem Azhar which originally aired in February 2025 on Complex Systems. They discuss the economics and…
- E125: Palantir’s Politics, Elon’s Approach to DOGE, and AI’s Effects on Writing w/ Byrne Hobart · 56 min · Episode 124Today on Upstream, Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg dive into the wide-ranging effects of technological change on media and society. They cover the AI debate, blogging's social…
- E124: How to Have A Philosophical Marriage w/ Agnes Callard and Arnold Brooks · 1 h 9 min · Episode 126Today on Upstream, we’re releasing an episode from Modern Relationships which originally aired on February 28, 2025 where Erik Torenberg interviews philosophy professors Agnes…
- E123: Trump & The Game of Populism w/ Samo Burja · 56 min · Episode 125Erik Torenberg and Samo Burja discuss the limitations of populist politics, the difficulty populists face in effecting change despite electoral wins, and the influence of digital…
- E122: Victor Davis Hanson on What Trump Thinks of Zelensky and Predicting Geopolitics · 35 min · Episode 124In this Upstream episode, Erik Torenberg sits down with military historian Victor Davis Hanson. They discuss the future of Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, the evolution of the…
