Episode description

Very brief readings from and lengthy reflections upon David Deutsch's paper "The Philosophy of Constructor Theory" published here https://link.springer.com/article/10.... and available in full here: https://www.constructortheory.org/por... #physics #knowledge #philosophy #epistemology #daviddeutsch #science

Also available on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMCx2Com7LU

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Timestamps/chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:45 Predictions are not always possible

01:27 The Unpredictable

02:33 The Content of Future Theories

03:36 Better Theories Better Explain What Exists

04:31 The Principle of Testability

04:58 The Negation of an Explanation is Not an Explanation

06:04 Knowledge is the most significant entity in the universe

06:33 The Most Important Kind of Abstract Constructor Is Knowledge (Part 1)

07:22 The Most Important Kind of Abstract Constructor Is Knowledge (Part 2)

07:44 Physics is almost entirely the study of the effects of knowledge

08:40 Knowledge is not primarily about the content of minds

09:20 People are more significant than any religion realises

10:15 Wealth = Knowledge + Resources

11:15 Ultimately, Knowledge is the Only Scarce Resource

12:05 Knowledge determines which physical transformations happen

13:17 Knowledge is Information with Causal Power

14:13 Knowledge is Substrate Independent (Part 1)

15:11 Knowledge is Substrate Independent (Part 2)

16:01 Knowledge is Substrate Independent (Part 3)

16:12 Knowledge is Substrate Independent (Part 4)

17:01 Knowledge is Substrate Independent (Part 5)

17:44 Knowledge is Substrate Independent (Part 6)

18:34 Knowledge is Substrate Independent (Part 7)

19:35 The Role of Emotion in Objective Knowledge Creation

20:31 On Why People are Unique

21:16 Humans Routinely Defy Their Instincts

22:13 People are Universal Explainers

23:16 Human Brains obey the Laws of Physics

23:57 Many “Rationalists” Endorse the Supernatural

24:32 Good Explanations and Decision Making

25:33 Inexplicit Knowledge and Misconceptions

26:38 Quaila: We have them. We cannot describe them

27:42 Intuitions are conjectures

28:51 Either you have a Good Explanation or you don’t

29:45 Vibes can be an indication to investigate further

30:43 Knowledge is not just a “decision engine”

31:31 Obsession with guessing the future is irrational

32:15 A “simulation” of a mind is a mind.

33:08 We cannot predict the output of a creative entity

34:04 Knowledge Rekindles Light When Other Lights Go Out.