Noah Birnbaum's Quick takes
By Noah Birnbaum @ 2025-07-16T16:56 (+4)
nullNoah Birnbaum @ 2025-07-16T16:57 (+33)
Probably(?) big news on PEPFAR (title: White House agrees to exempt PEPFAR from cuts): https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5402273-white-house-accepts-pepfar-exemption/. (Credit to Marginal Revolution for bringing this to my attention)
Noah Birnbaum @ 2025-08-26T17:30 (+16)
Very random but:
If anyone is looking for a name for a nuclear risk reduction/ x-risk prevention org, consider (The) Petrov Institute. It's catchy, symbolic, and sounds like it has prestige.
NickLaing @ 2025-08-27T21:46 (+7)
Unfortunately it also sounds Russian, which has some serious downsides at the moment....
Lucius Caviola @ 2025-08-28T18:27 (+3)
Perhaps this downside could be partly mitigated by expanding the name to make it sound more global or include something Western, for example: Petrov Center for Global Security or Petrov–Perry Institute (in reference to William J. Perry). (Not saying these are the best names.)
Benjamin M. @ 2025-08-30T01:03 (+1)
For me at least, that implies an institute founded or affiliated with somebody named Petrov, not just inspired by somebody, and it would seem slightly sketchy for it not to be.
OscarD🔸 @ 2025-08-30T15:37 (+4)
Although there is the Alan Turing Institute, Ada Lovelace Institute, Leverhulme Centre, Simon Institute, etc.
Noah Birnbaum @ 2025-09-05T00:33 (+3)
Looking back on old 80k podcasts, and this is what I see (lol):
Bella @ 2025-09-05T23:51 (+8)
They're both great episodes, though — relistened to #138 last week :)