Alexander Wept, for There Were No More Podcasts to Go On
Dear Magicians,
Let me be clear about something: the landscape of digital influence has become a psychological trap that I’ve observed with increasing concern, particularly among those I once considered close intellectual allies. And I want to explore this phenomenon with the kind of radical honesty we desperately need.
There’s a famous story about Alexander the Great, who reportedly wept after conquering the known world by the age of thirty because there were no more worlds left to conquer. This brings me to a modern, amusing, and profoundly troubling parallel: “Alexander wept, for there were no more podcasts to appear on.” This isn’t just clever wordplay — it’s a devastating indictment of what the pursuit of influence has done to our intellectual discourse. We’ve created an ecosystem where appearing on podcasts has become a form of conquest, where the metric of success isn’t the quality of ideas exchanged but rather the size of the audience reached.
I’ve watched, with fascination and dismay, as formerly rigorous thinkers have gradually transformed their platforms into engagement machines. The pattern is always the same: substantive discussion gives way to provocative soundbites, nuanced analysis yields to viral moments, and the relentless pursuit of attention becomes the driving force behind every decision.
What’s particularly troubling is how this attention economy has begun to infect the next generation. When I see influencers posting their children’s Instagram accounts on YouTube, I’m reminded of how this system perpetuates itself — how we’re essentially programming future generations to measure their worth in likes and shares.
The most insidious aspect of this dynamic is how it shapes not just what people say but what they allow themselves to think. I’ve found myself — and I say this with complete intellectual honesty — self-censoring to maintain certain relationships and open particular doors. This is precisely the kind of moral compromise that erodes the foundations of genuine discourse.
Let’s be even more specific: When I see respected platforms giving airtime to individuals who promote dangerous conspiracy theories about ethnic or religious groups while carefully avoiding similar statements about others, we’re witnessing not just hypocrisy but a form of moral cowardice that’s become normalized in the pursuit of engagement.
What’s the solution? For me, it’s been a process of conscious decoupling from this attention economy. I’ve begun declining invitations from high-profile podcasts — not out of arrogance, but out of a commitment to intellectual honesty. The relief I’ve felt in saying “no” has been profound, not just in terms of time saved but in the liberation from the constant calculation of how each appearance might affect my relationships, my reputation, and my future opportunities.
Let me be clear: I’m not exempt from criticism here. I’ve engaged in behavior I now regret — posting content without proper attribution and chasing engagement at the expense of substance. I’ve removed such content from my platforms, but the more significant point isn’t about specific posts — it’s about the system that encourages such behavior in the first place.
In the end, perhaps Alexander’s tears were premature. There are still worlds to conquer — not in the realm of viral content or podcast appearances, but in the pursuit of genuine understanding and authentic dialogue. That’s the territory I choose to explore, even if the path is less traveled and the metrics less impressive or noticeable.
Until next time, have a M.A.G.I.C. Week,
Brian
Appearance
Speaking of meaningful conversations, please enjoy my 2023 episode of the Jordan Peterson Podcast.
I’m going back again soon — this time I’ll be in person with Jordan and plan to ask him a bunch of questions myself. Let me know what you want me to ask him.
Genius
Two extraordinary cases demonstrate scientists’ determination to survive cancer in unconventional circumstances. In 1999, Dr. Jerri Nielsen discovered breast cancer while serving as the only physician at Antarctica’s South Pole Station during winter isolation. She performed her own biopsy with station staff assistance and began self-administered chemotherapy after an emergency airdrop of supplies. She was eventually evacuated in a dangerous winter rescue mission, though sadly passed away in 2009 when her cancer returned.
Two decades later, in 2020, virologist Dr. Beata Halassy faced recurring breast cancer at a previous mastectomy site. Wanting to avoid another round of chemotherapy, she leveraged her scientific expertise to treat herself using oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) — using viruses to attack cancer cells. Drawing on her virology background, she grew and self-administered these cancer-fighting viruses in her lab. The unconventional approach proved successful — she has remained cancer-free for four years, with her case documented in a 2023 medical journal.
Both cases highlight the remarkable intersection of medical expertise, personal determination, and scientific innovation when doctors become their own patients under challenging circumstances. Yet may people, some scientists included are outraged at this form of self-experimentation. What do you think?
Image from Nature.com
Image
Galaxies come in a range of shapes and sizes, and astronomers use this fact to classify them based on their appearance. NGC 1512 is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 38 million light years away from Earth in the constellation Horologium which is greek for a pendulum clock. The galaxy displays a double ring structure, with a small inner ring around the galactic nucleus and an extended inner disc with at least 200 clusters with recent star formation activity.
Image from Michael Adler
Conversation
Join Kelsey Johnson, a brilliant astronomer and philosopher, as she explores the profound connections between science, philosophy, and religion. Discover how the cosmos can offer insights into our existence and the future of humanity. Prepare to be inspired as Kelsey shares her passion for knowledge and her unique perspective on the universe’s mysteries.
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