Many of us are avid readers, because reading helps us learn about important topics, and more importantly compels us to create things ourselves. But today's nonfiction is loaded with so many references and footnotes that their isn't much room left for the author's authentic opinion. I argue that many creators are researching themselves out of their opinion, leaving us with dry commentary devoid of what matters; the author's rich and messy experiences. I argue that we need the ...
Aug 16, 2023•28 min•Season 4Ep. 11
AI is getting impressive. But being impressed is not an objective measure of progress. For a technology to truly bear the mark of innovation it must enable us to create new things. I argue that few people are creating anything new with AI, rather they're just showcasing what it can do out of the box. I'll look at ChatGPT as an example, and put forward how I think AI should be used as a starting point for building something AI cannot do on its own. Support the show Become a Member nontr...
Aug 12, 2023•34 min•Season 4Ep. 10
In this episode I argue that true creativity demands that we have less options available in our attempt to build something new. I first acknowledge that creativity requires freedom, and freedom includes having a number of options, but then also discuss the problems that arise by having too many options. I will argue that creativity works better when we are constrained by good structures, and that what might first appear as a set of overly-restrictive constraints, in fact compels our creativity, ...
Jul 16, 2023•23 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In this episode we look at how neuroscience tries to explain human behaviour by identifying specific regions in the brain. I'll discuss how such targeted approaches are problematic in science, and how Neuroscience is just another example of a complex science acting as though it's far more simple and deterministic than it really is. We'll look at the myth of root causes, why nature doesn't localize behavior and what needs to change to study complex phenomena correctly. Support...
Jul 08, 2023•19 min•Season 4Ep. 8
We need to contribute to society in order to survive, and that means having a job. But many people hate their job, and find it difficult to feel fulfilled while earning a living. I believe there is a solution that exits at the interface between what we expect from the world and what the world expects from us. There is a way to remain focused on what we love, while still delivering on tasks we don't find enjoyable. Support the show Become a Member nontrivialpodcast.com Check out the Video Ve...
Jun 04, 2023•30 min•Season 4Ep. 7
In this episode I argue that intuition is more rigorous than precisely defined arguments, such as those constructed using mathematics. I talk about the cost of precision in real-world situations, offer an approach to formalize intuition, and suggest that when it comes to establishing the connection between our ideas and reality we should always let intuition lead. Support the show Become a Member nontrivialpodcast.com Check out the Video Version https://www.youtube.com/@nontrivialpodcast...
May 30, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In this episode I discuss deadlines, and the critical difference between the artificial ones we create to manage our lives, and the real ones dictated by nature. I discuss how our manufactured deadlines run counter to the natural rhythm humans use to create, and how we need to somehow reconcile our modern use of manufactured deadlines with the realization that good solutions only exist at nature's deadlines. I spend time describing nature's deadlines as high points in complexity, and p...
May 12, 2023•43 min•Season 4Ep. 5
In this episode I take a look at the notion of quality. How to define it and how to assess it in real world situations, and I’ll discuss what I think is a useful heuristic for sizing up both things and people that make their way into our lives. Support the show Become a Member nontrivialpodcast.com Check out the Video Version https://www.youtube.com/@nontrivialpodcast...
Mar 31, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 4
There are 2 main approaches to AI (symbolic vs connectionism), and they are very different in how they think about producing intelligence in the machine. One approach believes in programming what we know about the world into the machine, and the other ignores any pre-existing knowledge by relying on large datasets and correlation. There is a long-standing debate between which approach is best, despite only one of these approaches having much success. The reason this debase still exists is becaus...
Jan 14, 2023•41 min•Season 4Ep. 3
The modern narrative frames structure and systems as oppressive. As though we should never be held back by systems that interfere with our ability to express our unique selves. But being ourselves at all times with no system to govern our behavior is its own trap. The unfiltered and unstructured life is an unproductive and unfulfilled one. I argue that there is a difference between the real you and the true you, with the latter being realized through a system of ideals, and made possible thorugh...
Jan 10, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 2
We all depend on our environment to survive. We need food, water, friends, family, coworkers. We participate in the economy, pay for entertainment, post on social media. But all these things bear the seeds of our destruction. We need things to grow, but past a point these same things can destroy us. The real challenge in life is finding the right dosage for the things we depend on. Analytical approaches tend to fail when it comes to finding the right dosage. I offer an alternative based on compl...
Jan 08, 2023•44 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Hey everyone, Sean here from NonTrivial. Just a quick announcement for the upcoming season 4. In season 3, I used a book to anchor our conversations. I did this so that I could show how many of the core patterns we encountered in seasons 1 and 2 appear universally in many different contexts. In season 4 I will be returning to the original format of discussing the patterns themselves, without specifically using a book to showcase the example. In truth, not a lot changes, as the focus remains on t...
Jan 08, 2023•53 sec
In this episode I take a look at the nature of time, try to figure out what it is, what today’s physics can and cannot tell us, whether or not it’s an illusion, and how memory and consciousness might play a fundamental role in the realization of time. I discuss Einstein's Relativity, review some thought experiments related to time, and describe what I think is wrong with the current physics approaches to explaining what time is. In the end I offer some ideas regarding the problem of time. S...
Dec 12, 2022•51 min•Season 3Ep. 14
AI is a promising and inevitable technology. But today’s AI is too brittle to trust fully, and without trust we cannot push the needle on AI progress. So, must we wait around until AI is good enough before we can truly trust it? I argue that we have to trust AI before it can make the next great leap in intelligence. This has to do with the fact that genuine intelligence works via flawed people working in groups. I argue that the next paradigm in AI research will need to have humans and AIs coope...
Nov 12, 2022•42 min•Season 3Ep. 13
We define a thing’s value by its characteristics; what it does and doesn’t do. But a thing cannot adequately be defined outside its environment. There are countless dependencies that make a thing, a thing. We need to shift our focus “up” to a more holistic level if we are to move levers that produce positive outcomes. This is because nature chooses what survives by operating on parameters that form in aggregate. In this episode I use examples from Max Boot’s book War Made New: Technology, Warfar...
Oct 12, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Economists are known for attempting to treat economics like a genuine science. But upon closer inspection it becomes obvious that their methods are quite outdated. As a consequence, most of today's economists are providing an extremely naive "understanding" of our economy, and worse, damaging society's ability to improve people's lives. In this episode I'll use Eric Beinhocker's book The Origin of Wealth, Evolution, Complexity, and the Radical Remaking of Econo...
Sep 25, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 11
We've looked at one side of the equation, the changes we put in place at the societal level to possibly solve the gun problem in America. But what about the individuals who commit crimes in the first place? Is there something deeper to the gun problem that is making America the so-called "country of homicides"? Is there a higher moral standard or philosophy society is missing that might make individuals less likely to use guns in the first place? I argue there is a real utility to...
Aug 08, 2022•25 min•Season 3Ep. 10
The gun debate is one of America’s most polarized issues. Large mass shootings always bring this debate to the forefront, eliciting strong emotions from both sides of the aisle. Many believe the answer is stricter gun laws, while others see this as government overreach and believe average citizens can better protect themselves by keeping and bearing arms. I argue that neither of these choices are likely to be effective, and put forward a third option that better aligns to how information and dec...
Aug 02, 2022•48 min•Season 3Ep. 10
NonTrivial is of course free for all listeners, but I do offer bonus content to my Patreon subscribers. I'm publishing this week's bonus talk for free so regular listeners can get a taste of what this additional content sounds like. Enjoy. Given today’s networked economy, with its extreme wealth disparity, many wonder how they can contribute. How does one not get discouraged by the concentration of wealth? What can you do to exist within this kind of asymmetric economy and still find m...
Jul 26, 2022•23 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Many argue that the internet has destroyed more jobs than it’s created, and that as such our information economy has obliterated the middle class. The common “solution” proposed for this problem is to create systems that pay users for their data. If you join Twitter or Facebook (Meta) then you should somehow be compensated since it’s your data that make these companies successful. This is the argument Jaron Lanier makes in his book Who Owns the Future. I will argue that compensating users for da...
Jul 24, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In part II of Imprecise Destinations we continue our look at democracy by discussing so called "monitory democracy" as it exists today. We'll see both its strengths and weaknesses, and lead into some ultimate questions about the universality of democracy going forward. I end the episode with a look into how we can mathematically model democracy and play around with some scenarios on the NonTrivial Playground. Support the show Become a Member nontrivialpodcast.com Check out the Vid...
Jul 15, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode I take a look at the topic of democracy. Using John Keane's book The Life and Death of Democracy I show that the usual Western narratives we've been taught about democracy fall short of reality. I discuss the many contributions to assembly and representation that came to us from a variety of societies throughout history, and challenge the perhaps quixotic picture many of us have of this form of government. I also highlight democracy's strengths, and end with a look...
Jul 11, 2022•2 hr 39 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode I take a look at leadership, specifically the idea of the “strong” leader. Those individuals who stand by their convictions, and dominate the room with their charisma and commanding attitudes. These are often the people we gravitate towards when we see them on screen giving their speeches. These are the people we often help bring to power. But history shows that it’s often the calm, tranquil and reasoned leader who fares much better when it comes to bringing about positive change...
Jun 16, 2022•2 hr 41 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In this episode I look at the "delusions" that happen when a large number of people get together in groups. We'll explore a number of prominent economic bubbles and end-of-times cults to reveal the core properties of groups that lead to mania. I discuss the Terra Luna collapse as a recent example, explore human biases, and ultimately show that the so-called "delusions" that occur in groups is really just one of the costs to complex tractability. Support the show Become a...
May 30, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In this episode I take a look at the sordid history of the library. The library has been a beacon of knowledge, and a marker of civilization for hundreds of years. But the library’s journey from the scriptoriums of medieval monasteries to massive cultural institutions like The Library of Congress has been perilous. This is a journey that touches on many modern concerns we have around information, including propaganda, censorship, access, elitism and the conquests of both political leaders and ri...
Apr 27, 2022•1 hr 27 min•Season 3Ep. 5
David Deutsch, in his book, The Beginning of Infinity, argues that “good” explanations are how knowledge grows, and thus good explanations are what lead to progress. Deutsch believes that the Enlightenment was only possible because of Western society’s quest for good explanations. As such, Deutsch believes quite optimistically that humanity’s ability to “cure all evils” has infinite reach, as long as we keep searching for good explanations. Deutsch disregards philosophies that are “explanationle...
Apr 17, 2022•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this episode I talk about the role that magic, superstition, irrationality has played in human progress, specifically the so-called Enlightenment. I will use the life of Paracelsus, the Swiss physician, alchemist and lay theologian of the German Renaissance, as an exemplar of one who paved the way for progress, yet believed wholeheartedly in things that today we would not associate with intellectual advancement. I want to show how much of science and engineering came not from some departure f...
Apr 03, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 3
The way we normally think of technology is as an extension of what humans do in the absence of technology. Technology extends our eyes, ears and muscles, and also our memories and even our thinking. But in this episode I argue that technology and humanity are actually one in the same; that technology is not an extension of humanity but rather an integral, and inevitable, part of human evolution. I'll be touching on a number of fundamental patterns and concepts, including external stressors,...
Mar 27, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this episode I talk about systems that reach out into their environment for new resources, but are unable to backfill their growth with sustainability. This is a common pattern throughout many fields of science, but is perhaps less recognized in other areas, such as business. I will show how the infamous WeWork fiasco of 2019 was a manifestation of this pattern in the world of business and VC investments. I will discuss the book The Cult of We by Elliot Brown and Maureen Farrell to highlight ...
Jan 19, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Now that we’ve discussed many of the core patterns at the intersection of science, complexity and philosophy, I want to showcase how these patterns play out across countless areas in life. To do this, I’ll be taking NonTrivial on a slightly different path where I plan on discussing a new book each week. It won’t be a review of the book as much as showcasing how deep and familiar patterns are occurring throughout its narrative. This is obviously not what the authors of these books are trying to c...
Jan 07, 2022•1 min
