Will MacAskill Interview (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

A foundation set up by Cari Tuna and Dustin Moskovitz, working with GiveWell to broaden research into a wider variety of causes beyond global health, including climate change and policy reform.

An organization that provides a contract for entrepreneurs to legally commit to donating a percentage (at least 2%) of their equity or profits when exiting their company, facilitating 'giving later'.

A highly recommended charity that directly transfers cash to the poorest people in the world, particularly in Kenya, with about 90% of the money directly reaching recipients via mobile phones.

An organization that supports underserved students, mentioned as an example of a cause that complements approaches to helping the poor.

An online platform by Kelly Starrett (likely referring to The Ready State, previously MobilityWOD), focused on improving human movement and mobility.

A non-profit charity evaluator that conducts in-depth research to identify and recommend the most effective charities, focusing on evidence-based impact.

An international humanitarian organization, mentioned as having received $5 billion in donations after the Japanese earthquake despite stating they did not need money.

A university where Peter Singer taught and faced protests, mentioned in a discussion about public perception of his controversial stances.

An education-focused non-profit, mentioned for its work with underserved students and its effective method of concretizing abstract donations.

A controversial American hate group known for its extreme ideology, mentioned as an example of a subculture Louis Theroux explored.

A renowned university in the UK where Will MacAskill is an associate professor of philosophy.

A non-profit co-founded by Will MacAskill that encourages people to pledge at least 10% of their income to the most effective charities.

A publication that featured a cover story on Peter Singer's ideas about redistributing wealth for the greater good.

A prestigious university where Will MacAskill completed his undergraduate studies in philosophy.

A highly recommended charity by GiveWell, which distributes long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets, saving a life for approximately $3,500.

A GiveWell-recommended charity focused on treating schistosomiasis, a parasitic worm infection common in school children, which is very cheap to treat and improves health and education outcomes.

A U.S. government agency, mentioned in the context of survivalists being certain the government will 'crack down'.

An elite college within Oxford, known for its extremely difficult entrance exam and for providing extensive funding for fellows to pursue their research.

A GiveWell-recommended charity that deworms school children, treating parasitic worm infections that affect billions worldwide, at a cost of about 50 cents per child.

An organization that Will MacAskill helped set up, which evaluates charities based on their effectiveness in helping animals.

A non-profit co-founded by Will MacAskill, offering career advice to help individuals maximize their positive social impact over their working lives.

A charity evaluator that primarily focuses on the financial efficiency of charities, such as overhead costs, which Will MacAskill argues is not the best metric for effectiveness.

A philanthropic foundation, mentioned as a potential location for a billboard message regarding Bill Gates' involvement in AI safety.

An international organization, mentioned in the context of the Baruch Plan following WWII, proposing UN supervision of nuclear materials.

A technology company mentioned as a place where technologists leading Wealthfront gained experience.

A cloud storage company, mentioned as a successful startup that emerged from Y Combinator, illustrating the potential for rapid growth and wealth generation.

A technology company that acquired reCAPTCHA from Luis von Ahn.

A Y Combinator alumnus company making remittances cheaper by enabling mobile-to-mobile money transfers with a lower fee (3%) compared to traditional services like Western Union (10%).

A set-it-and-forget-it investing service that provides institutional-grade financial services at a low cost using smarter software.

A home-sharing company, mentioned as a successful Y Combinator alumna that grew rapidly, demonstrating the power of for-profit models in achieving large scale.

A prestigious startup accelerator program in Silicon Valley, which 80,000 Hours participated in as a non-profit, receiving a grant instead of investment.

A telecommunications company that developed mobile phones in the 1970s, leading to long-term positive trickle-down effects in regions like sub-Saharan Africa.

A company producing athletic, sweat-wicking dress shirts that don't require ironing or steaming, highly recommended for travel.

A language-learning platform, currently with over 100 million users, offering free language education by crowdsourcing translations for paying clients, creating a dual-impact model.

A financial services company known for its money transfer services, criticized for high fees (10%) on remittances compared to newer services like Wave.

A social media company, mentioned in relation to its co-founder Dustin Moskovitz, who is involved in the Good Ventures foundation.

A Dutch primatologist and ethologist, author of 'Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes'.

Entrepreneur and CEO, quoted for his statement about AI 'summoning the demon,' reflecting extreme concern about AI safety.

Co-founder of Facebook and co-founder of Good Ventures, a foundation working with GiveWell to expand charity research.

A co-founder of Duolingo and creator of CAPTCHA and reCAPTCHA, known for his innovative approach to technology and social impact.

Associate Professor in Philosophy at Lincoln College, Oxford, co-founder of the Effective Altruism movement, and author of 'Doing Good Better'.

A close friend and academic mentor of Will MacAskill, who also became a professor at Oxford and greatly influenced Will's career trajectory.

Neuroscientist, author, and meditator, mentioned for his work on the self and a conversation about the trolley scenario.

The founder of Y Combinator, whose essays and advice are highly regarded within the YC community, serving as foundational 'scripture' for startups.

Co-founder of Microsoft and prominent philanthropist, used as an example of someone who first built immense wealth before becoming a major donor, prompting the 'give now or give later' debate.

A highly influential academic philosopher who spent his entire life at All Souls College in Oxford and authored 'Reasons and Persons,' a work that deeply influenced MacAskill.

A prominent investor and co-founder of LinkedIn, mentioned for being on QuestBridge's advisory board.

A Catholic saint and missionary, mentioned in a provocative comparison with Bill Gates regarding the scale of impact in philanthropy.

An influential philosopher and author known for his arguments on the moral importance of non-human animals and fighting global poverty, challenging people to donate most of their income.

An Oxford professor of psychology and co-author of the book 'Mindfulness', championed for his scientific approach to meditation.

An American politician, mentioned as someone who reportedly used 'Chimpanzee Politics' to amass power and overcome political opponents.

Co-founder of Good Ventures, a foundation collaborating with GiveWell to research various impactful causes.

An academic at Oxford who, along with Will MacAskill, co-founded Giving What We Can in 2009.

A journalist and co-author of the book 'Mindfulness', known for promoting meditation concepts in an accessible way.

Mobility expert mentioned for his work on seating the femur in the pelvis and addressing hip restrictions relevant to lower back pain.

A mutual friend of Tim Ferriss and Will MacAskill, described as a philosopher with an interest in Stoic philosophy.

A renowned American writer, quoted for his advice: 'Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.'

A British documentary filmmaker acclaimed for his 'Wild Weekends' series, exploring various subcultures by interacting with subjects in a bumbling, naive manner which encourages them to reveal themselves.

A book written by Sam Harris, mentioned in connection with discussions of the self and meditation.

A book by Daniel Gilbert that explores how humans are notoriously bad at predicting what will make them happy.

A book by Frans de Waal, recommended for understanding human biases, tribalism, and hardwired desires to fight and dominate through the lens of chimpanzee behavior.

Will MacAskill's book that introduces the concept of the '100-fold multiplier', explaining how a dollar can have a significantly greater impact when given to the poorest.

A book by Derek Parfit, which Will MacAskill considers one of the most important books of the 20th century, discussing the non-continuing self and its implications.

A book co-authored by Mark Williams and Danny Penman, recommended by Will MacAskill as an accessible, science-backed introduction to mindfulness meditation for improving mood and self-control.

A book by Robert Cialdini (likely a misattribution by Will, likely referring to Robert Levine or Robert Cialdini's Influence), recommended by Will MacAskill for its in-depth look at principles of persuasion as a meta-skill.

A brand of inversion tables and gravity boots used for spinal decompression and traction, recommended for alleviating lower back pain.

A type of exercise machine featuring wooden rungs on a conveyor belt, allowing for a low-impact, full-body climbing workout.

A small device that allows for lower back traction on the ground, offering an alternative for spinal decompression when inversion tables or boots are not feasible.

An African country mentioned as the primary region where GiveDirectly operates, transferring cash to its poorest citizens.

One of the poorest countries in the world, mentioned in the context of receiving significant humanitarian aid after an earthquake, contrasting with Japan's situation.

An African country mentioned as an example where lives can be saved at low cost, such as by distributing insecticide-treated bed nets.

A country in Europe, mentioned by Tim Ferriss as the destination for a family trip that inspired his thinking about intrinsic motivation in charitable giving.

A soft tissue system/movement-based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves, potentially helpful for pelvic and back issues.

A type of challenge-response test used in computing to determine whether or not the user is human, originally created by Luis von Ahn.

A technological field discussed for its potential future impact, with concerns about risks from generalized AI and the need for proactive safety measures.

A thought experiment similar to Pascal's Wager but without infinite stakes, illustrating how rational decision-making based purely on expected value can lead to seemingly absurd actions when low probabilities are combined with very large, but finite, payoffs.

An ancient philosophy and religion mentioned for its similar concept of a non-static self, as discussed in Derek Parfit's 'Reasons and Persons'.

A hypothetical type of AI that can understand, learn, and apply intellectual tasks across a wide range of tasks similarly to human intelligence, associated with significant risks and upsides.

A community and movement dedicated to using time and money as effectively as possible to make the world a better place, applying a scientific approach to doing good.

A philosophical argument by Blaise Pascal suggesting that one should believe in God due to the potentially infinite reward if God exists, regardless of how small the probability.

A documentary series where Louis Theroux immerses himself in various subcultures, often in the US, to uncover their beliefs and lifestyles, prompting viewers to reflect on their own biases.

A hormone often used to reset sleep cycles, particularly after travel or for sleep regulation.

Regulations from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that prevent companies investing money from using client testimonials.