How Sam Harris Became Sam Harris (plus, many a thought on terrorism and AI risk)

Hit play, below, to hear an unhurried interview with author, podcaster and neuroscientist Sam Harris. Few have denounced President Trump at greater length, or on more certain terms than Sam. He is equally denunciatory about political correctness which, he believes, threatens free speech and anyone he deems soft on Islamic terrorism. All this triggers gales of outrage on the left and the right alike making Sam, in his way, a unifying figure. I should note his fans also span the spectrum.

This is the sixth episode of my podcast series (co-hosted byTom Merritt), which launchedhere on Boing Boinglast month. The series goes deep into the science, tech, and sociological issues explored in mynovelAfter On but no familiarity with the novel is necessary to listen to it.

In our interview, Sam and I have a deep discussion about nihilistic terrorism a major preoccupation of his, and of my novel. We also spend about an hour discussing the journey that shaped his unusual worldview.

Oddly for a strong student at a top school (Stanford), Sam dropped out of college for ten years. Oddly for a 10-year dropout, he suddenly returned to finish his philosophy degree with honors. Oddly for a philosophy major, he then got a Ph.D. in neuroscience, while flat-out bizarrely for a neuroscientist writing a bestselling geopolitical book (The End of Faith). Yes, drugs were involved. As were entire years spent in silent meditation, plus boundless hours steeping in spirituality. Which (to give the lifeless colt a parting thwack) is a rather odd pastime for an atheist.

Although hes written five bestsellers, Sams podcast now reaches more people in a week than his books have reached over the past decade and a half. Our interview wont have that reach! But its a thorough exploration of Sams history, and of much of his philosophy.

You can subscribe to the podcast within any podcast app.Simply use your app's search function (type in "After On") to find and subscribe.To subscribe via your computer on iTunes,just click here, then click the blue View on iTunes button (on the left side of the page), then click Subscribe (in a similar location) in the iTunes window.Or follow the feed https://afteron.libsyn.com/rss

Photograph of Sam Harris by Christopher Michel