#122
Mentioned in 102 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.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 102 episodes

Mentioned by
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Naval Ravikant
as one of the smartest people alive, whose work on epistemology, evolution, quantum physics, and computation has influenced his thinking.
4,236 snips
JD Vance's AI Speech, Techno-Optimists vs Doomers, Tariffs, AI Court Cases with Naval Ravikant
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Lex Fridman
in relation to the concept of knowledge discovery and the unending pursuit of learning.
2,543 snips
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Chris Williamson
in the context of Jonny's work habits.
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Naval Ravikant
as a book he carries with him and reads repeatedly.
1,080 snips
David Deutsch: Knowledge Creation and The Human Race, Part 1
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Dan Koe
, who suggests reading it for a deeper understanding of success.
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Jimmy Carr
when discussing humanity's potential if it overcomes current challenges.
796 snips
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Gustav Söderström
as a book that shaped his thinking on explanations and the scalability of human understanding.
668 snips
Gustav Söderström - How Spotify Thinks - [Invest Like the Best, EP.424]
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Dan Koe
to understand that problems are infinite.
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George Mack
as a book with an amazing idea but a difficult meme.
616 snips
#721 - George Mack - Why Can No One Think Rationally Anymore?
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Andy Matuschak
as a book that substantially changed the trajectory of his life.
562 snips
Intellectual Exoskeletons — Andy Matuschak
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Naval Ravikant
and
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Brett Hall
for its transformative effect on their worldviews and its exploration of scientific theory.
518 snips
The Beginning of Infinity, Part 1
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Yusef
when discussing the use of ChatGPT for learning complex topics.
479 snips
#723 - Modern Wisdom Christmas Special - Reflecting On The Wildest Year
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Jackson Dahl
when discussing the significance of humanity and our role in shaping the universe.
479 snips
8: Steph Ango - Tools for Amplifying Our Light
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Lex Fridman
when discussing books he uses Blinkist for.
455 snips
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Mentioned by Speaker 2 when discussing the limitations of understanding evolution.
426 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"

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