“I kept thinking about leverage—the mix of insight and access. Chappelle is exceptionally smart and perceptive, and his life has given him exposure to an enormous range of people and experiences. The point is that Chappelle has access and perspective. MAGA politicians and Trump have access, but not real insight.”
Rick Rosner: You should be aiming for people like Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton. When celebrities have projects coming out, they’re open to interviews. You’re a seasoned interviewer with an impressive track record. If celebs become part of your regular beat, you could be known as the interviewer who asks them questions that highlight their …
*Interview conducted in November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: So, I was doing a training session in journalism and came across a cool concept I hadn’t heard of before: pre-bunking. It’s like inoculating people by giving them bits of misinformation and having them reflect on it. Think of it like when you look at an AI-generated …
*Interview conducted in November, 2024.* Rick Rosner: Ever heard of Albert Beckles? If you Google him, you'll see that he was a successful bodybuilder for a long time. I used to go to Gold's Gym in North Hollywood, where he worked out. He'd still be ripped even in his mid-seventies. He'd be there with his …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1177: A Cher and Madonna Situation
*Interview conducted October/November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What about 2085? Rick Rosner: In 2085, everyone will have an all-purpose robot that does everything. It’ll be like a smartphone, but with more functions—a Swiss army knife of technology. They’ll be called “Obes,” I’d guess. They’ll start as “omnibots,” then shorten to “obots,” and eventually just “obes.” …
*Interview conducted October/November, 2024.* Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Is there any damage to your hair from dyeing your hair? Rick Rosner: It depends on how much you dye it. If you dye your hair repeatedly blonde, that’s super harsh if you’re starting from black or dark brown. So yes, you’ll—why are we talking about dyeing your …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 1154: Dyed Hair and Instruments
[Recording Start] Rick Rosner: We are 99 days away from the 2022 midterm elections in America, which hold comparable importance to the 2020 election that was pivotal in removing Trump from office. The current political climate remains tense, with Trumpian forces still active. If Republicans gain control of both the House and the Senate, they …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 772: 99 Days from the Mid-Term Elections
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: This is on the Turing test. Go ahead. Rick Rosner: So I mentioned I wanted to talk about the Turing test and we did get around to it but you did tell me you read Hawkins’s paper on it. You told me to read it and I didn't get around …
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: This is the other topic of consciousness. Go ahead. Rick Rosner: All right. We know that existence is inevitable because the rules of existence, the rules that prohibit certain kinds of existence, particularly contradictory existence aren't all encompassing enough to stop existence. We've postulated that anything that can exist does …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 770: Consciousness and the Rules of Existence
[Recording Start] Scott Douglas Jacobsen: You wanted to talk about consciousness in two different kinds of contexts. What do you think about it? Rick Rosner: All right. So, I just got done talking about our hopelessly divided country which includes a third of the country being persuaded to believe that any fertilized human egg deserves …
Continue reading Ask A Genius 769: Hopelessly Divided Consciousness
Rick Rosner 