You're listening to Robert Wright's Non-Zero Podcast.

Hi, Paul.

Hi, Bob.

How are you doing?

I'm great. Thank you. Good. Let me introduce this. I'm Robert Wright.

Publisher of the non-zero newsletter. This is a non-zero podcast. You're Paul Stephen, a professor at the University of Virginia. More specifically the John C. Jeffries Jr., distinguished professor of law at UVA.

You've taught a lot and written a lot about international law.

You've served in government in various departments, state defense, and so on.

And you've written a book that we're going to talk about called The World Crisis and International Law.

The subtitle is The Knowledge Economy and the Battle for the Future, published by Cambridge University Press.

Paul, let me start by telling you why I think the book is important in this conversation is important.

And then you can tell me why you think the book is important, because you may,

you actually may have a slightly different take on it than I do.

So I am somebody who thinks that the further evolution of global governance is critical for the sake of the planet.

You know, in my circles, kind of progressive. of global governance is critical for the sake of the planet.

You know, in my circles, kind of progressive circles, probably the most famous example is climate change,

which many people consider an existential problem.

I personally think there are, as important as that is,

there are a number of other issues that are as close to being existential as that is.

You know, biotech, you know, whether you want to just prevent the next pandemic or prevent

terrorists somewhere from genetically engineering and then releasing a bioweapon.

I think those, you know, that, those things require a certain amount of global governance.

...