Bruce Damer

Date: 2014-10-14 | Duration: 3h 0m

Episode Overview

Bruce Damer, computer scientist and researcher into the origins of life, joins Joe for a nearly three-hour exploration of deep science and consciousness. Damer — who hosts the Levity Zone podcast and pioneered digital life research — discusses his hot spring theory for the chemical origins of life, the Terence McKenna archive (papers lost in a fire and salvaged to Esalen), asteroid mining and space colonization, and whether artificial intelligence represents a fundamentally new entity coiling around the planet. They explore whether asteroid mining with humans is worth the cost versus robotic missions, and how 5-billion-year-old space rocks could unlock the chemical history of the solar system. Damer brings rare warmth to frontier science.

About Bruce Damer

Dr. Bruce Damer is a polymath scientist, designer, and author renowned for his innovative work at the intersection of astrobiology and consciousness. With over a decade of experience designing space missions for NASA, he also develops biochemical models for the origin of life at UC Santa Cruz, contributing significantly to our understanding of life's beginnings. As the curator of the DigiBarn computer museum, Damer passionately preserves the history of vintage computing, showcasing its impact on technology and culture. Known for his explorations beyond conventional boundaries, he seeks to uncover insights that benefit humanity and align with our planet's ecological needs, making him a captivating figure in both scientific and creative circles.

Key Moments

– Origins of Life and Hot Spring Theory
– Terence McKenna Archive and Esalen
– Asteroid Mining and Space Resources
– Artificial Intelligence as Planetary Organism
– Levity Zone Podcast
0:00:00 – Bruce Damer — excited to be on the podcast
0:18:22 – Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle — worth getting
0:59:36 – Technology coiling around the planet — squeezing out natural world
1:20:32 – Why get 5-billion-year-old asteroid rock — with humans or robots?
1:58:22 – Terence McKenna's papers went to Esalen after a fire destroyed them
2:55:25 – Find Bruce at Damer.com and on YouTube as Bruce Digi

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 Thanks for doing this, man. My pleasure. I'm very excited. My pleasure, man. All right, here we go. Joe Rogan Podcast, check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience. Train by day, Joe Rogan Podcast by night, all day. Starting point is 00:00:17 There's only been two people ever that Dennis McKenna has recommended for this podcast, you and Josh Wickerham. So that puts you in very lofty company. Aye, aye, aye. Dahmer, that's the way? Dahmer. Bruce Dahmer. Or if you're French, it's Dahmer. Starting point is 00:00:37 Is that how your family pronounces it? Is that the correct way? Dahmer is the best. But do your friends call you Dahmer? Does anybody give you full respect in the french heritage no no that's a thousand years ago they gave it up after a while they gave it up after they invaded britain oh 1066 that's clever that's a good move uh you've got a very unusual background man i mean dennis would not stop raving about you and then when i started Starting point is 00:01:01 doing research on you i was like you were this is the craziest story of all time not not the craziest but it's pretty crazy you were in burning man during katrina with you were partying in burning man with people who work in the pentagon yes when katrina went down yep camp plyagon that is the most ridiculous thing. That gives me great discomfort to know the people who work in the Pentagon are partying at Burning Man. Rocking. We called for Blackhawks, but we got the order denied. But that's a whole other, that's a whole story. Well, when Katrina was happening, you guys were amongst the people that were in burning man the very few that had a Starting point is 00:01:45 connection to the outside world correct we had a you know where our camp was doing the wi-fi and the internet for burning man for the public and emergency networks the private network and so we had a dish and we could take over satellites so one of our guys took over a recon satellite is that legal is that legal or ...

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Frequently asked about this episode

Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #561?

Bruce Damer was the guest on JRE #561. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #561?

On Joe Rogan Experience #561 with Bruce Damer, topics include Origins of Life and Hot Spring Theory, Terence McKenna Archive and Esalen, Asteroid Mining and Space Resources, and Artificial Intelligence as Planetary Organism.

Where can I read the transcript for JRE #561?

The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #561 with Bruce Damer is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.