Elon Musk and Silicon Valley Drug Culture

In "The Time of Monsters" podcast, Jeet Heer interviews Jacob Silverman about the culture of substance use in Silicon Valley, particularly among tech elites like Elon Musk. They explore the historical context, tracing it back to the 1960s counterculture and LSD research, and discuss how performance-enhancing drugs have become commonplace. The conversation touches on ideological currents like libertarianism, accelerationism, and transhumanism, as well as the potential dangers of deregulation and the unequal impact of drug policies. They also examine the science fiction-influenced vision of transcending human limitations through technology and genetic engineering, and the role of AI as a substitute for religion in Silicon Valley.