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.