

#125
Mentioned in 97 episodes
The Beginning of Infinity
Explanations That Transform the World
Book • 2012
In this groundbreaking book, David Deutsch argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe and that improving them is the basic regulating principle of all successful human endeavor.
The book takes readers on a journey through various fields of science, history of civilization, art, moral values, and the theory of political institutions.
Deutsch explains how we form new explanations and drop bad ones, and discusses the conditions under which progress, which he argues is potentially boundless, can and cannot happen.
He emphasizes the importance of good explanations, which he defines as those that are 'hard to vary' and have 'reach', and argues that these explanations are central to the Enlightenment way of thinking and to all scientific and philosophical progress.
The book takes readers on a journey through various fields of science, history of civilization, art, moral values, and the theory of political institutions.
Deutsch explains how we form new explanations and drop bad ones, and discusses the conditions under which progress, which he argues is potentially boundless, can and cannot happen.
He emphasizes the importance of good explanations, which he defines as those that are 'hard to vary' and have 'reach', and argues that these explanations are central to the Enlightenment way of thinking and to all scientific and philosophical progress.
Mentioned by





























Mentioned in 97 episodes
Mentioned by 

as one of the smartest people alive, whose work on epistemology, evolution, quantum physics, and computation has influenced his thinking.


Naval Ravikant

4,211 snips
JD Vance's AI Speech, Techno-Optimists vs Doomers, Tariffs, AI Court Cases with Naval Ravikant
Mentioned by 

in relation to the concept of knowledge discovery and the unending pursuit of learning.


Lex Fridman

2,543 snips
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Mentioned by 

in the context of Jonny's work habits.


Chris Williamson

2,332 snips
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Mentioned by 

as two of the most important books he's read, providing a comprehensive worldview.


Naval Ravikant

2,124 snips
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Recommended by 

as a fascinating and enjoyable read that emphasizes the solvability of problems.


Dustin Moskovitz

1,198 snips
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Mentioned by 

as a book he carries with him and reads repeatedly.


Naval Ravikant

1,056 snips
David Deutsch: Knowledge Creation and The Human Race, Part 1
Recommended by 

, who suggests reading it for a deeper understanding of success.


Dan Koe

848 snips
How To Be The Main Character Of Your Own Life
Mentioned by 

when discussing humanity's potential if it overcomes current challenges.


Jimmy Carr

795 snips
#2326 - Jimmy Carr
Mentioned by 

as a book that shaped his thinking on explanations and the scalability of human understanding.


Gustav Söderström

656 snips
Gustav Söderström - How Spotify Thinks - [Invest Like the Best, EP.424]
Mentioned by 

as a book that influenced his thinking.


Greg Broadmore

637 snips
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Mentioned by 

as a book with an amazing idea but a difficult meme.


George Mack

596 snips
#721 - George Mack - Why Can No One Think Rationally Anymore?
Mentioned by 

as a book that substantially changed the trajectory of his life.


Andy Matuschak

560 snips
Intellectual Exoskeletons — Andy Matuschak
Recommended by 

and 

for its transformative effect on their worldviews and its exploration of scientific theory.


Naval Ravikant


Brett Hall

508 snips
The Beginning of Infinity, Part 1
Mentioned by 

when discussing the use of ChatGPT for learning complex topics.


Yusef

479 snips
#723 - Modern Wisdom Christmas Special - Reflecting On The Wildest Year
Mentioned by 

when discussing books he uses Blinkist for.


Lex Fridman

452 snips
#243 – Kevin Systrom: Instagram
Mentioned by ![undefined]()

when discussing the significance of humanity and our role in shaping the universe.

Jackson Dahl

449 snips
8: Steph Ango - Tools for Amplifying Our Light
Mentioned by 

among his favorite books on science and mathematics.


Gustav Söderström

437 snips
Lessons from scaling Spotify: The science of product, taking risky bets, and how AI is already impacting the future of music | Gustav Söderström (Co-President, CPO, and CTO at Spotify)
Mentioned by Speaker 2 when discussing the limitations of understanding evolution.

425 snips
The Deutsch Files II
Mentioned by Naval Ravikant as a book exploring concepts of wealth and resources.

363 snips
#666: In Case You Missed It: March 2023 Recap of "The Tim Ferriss Show"
Mentioned by 

as one of 

’s favorite books.


Harry Stebbings


Sam Altman

348 snips
20VC: Sam Altman on The Trajectory of Model Capability Improvements: Will Scaling Laws Continue | Semi-Conductor Supply Chains | What Startups Will be Steamrolled by OpenAI and Where is Opportunity