I am listening to this- I agree it's really interesting. Does anyone know whether there been an "investigation" (can't think of a better word here) into the account of the CFAR workshop they attended? CFAR is still operating, that said, I don't see much EA funding going to it at least recently. Thanks!
Robert Evans has made an in depth four part series on the Zizians, which includes a lot of background on Rationality in the bay area, CFAR, and a lot of the ideas leading up to the murders (first three episodes).
Part One: The Zizians: How Harry Potter Fanfic Inspired a Death Cult
Part Two: The Zizians: Birth of a Cult Leader
Part Three: How The Zizians Went Full On Death Cult
Part Four: The Zizian Murder Spree (or Exactly How Harry Potter Fanfic Killed A Border Patrol Agent)
In my opinion this gives a pretty good perspective of how outside people perceive the Rationalist and EA communities.
In EA community building I have long argued against offering activities at EA events that map onto "cultish" behaviour in this sense. This includes:
These can quickly generate a feeling of connectedness between even complete strangers. They also can easily touch on things better handled in a safe setting with a professional therapist. For outsiders looking at the events, they can easily be read as cult behaviour, and are not worth the weirdness points in my opinion.
I also think that the EA community has been to reluctant in the past to do media outreach and PR for the EA brand itself, and this has resulted in an often negative image among people aware of the existence of these communities.
Here’s a much less intellectual podcast on the Rationalists, Zizians, and EA from TrueAnon, more on the dirtbag left side of things (for those who’re interested in how others see EA)