Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

Karl Friston on What Is Life, Consciousness, the meta-Hard Problem, and the Free Energy Principle

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Apr 26, 2021

In this discussion, Karl Friston, a British neuroscientist renowned for his work at University College London, dives into the complexities of consciousness and existence through the lens of the free energy principle. He unpacks the importance of balancing work and life while revealing how his daily routines help him navigate this challenge. The conversation also explores the relationship between brain function, perception, and decision-making amid uncertainty, all while addressing philosophical inquiries about sentience and the nature of reality. A thought-provoking blend of science and existential musings!

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ANECDOTE

Friston's Morning Routine

Karl Friston's daily routine involves a long period of solitary contemplation in the morning.
He avoids talking to others before noon, preferring to focus on problem-solving in his conservatory.

ANECDOTE

Jaimungal's Anxiety

Curt Jaimungal shares a personal experience of anxiety and panic attacks triggered by uncertainty about a perceived sound.
This led to a fear of psychosis and difficulty sleeping, highlighting the impact of uncertainty on mental well-being.

ADVICE

Managing Existential Angst

Share anxieties in a safe, bounded group setting, either therapist-led or self-help.
This can be enormously therapeutic, especially during times of uncertainty and change.

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YouTube link: https://youtu.be/2v7LBABwZKA

Karl Friston is a British neuroscientist at University College London and an authority on the free energy principle and predictive coding theory.

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LINKS MENTIONED: Iain McGilchrist's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-SgOwc6Pe4 Donald Hoffman's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmieNQH7Q4w Anil Seth's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hUEqXhDbVs Stuart Hameroff's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLo0Zwe579g Machine Learning Street Talk's interview with Karl Friston (not mentioned but an informative watch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkR24ieh5Ow

TIMESTAMPS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:45 Balancing work and life with an h-index of 200+ 00:04:33 Daily routine 00:05:55 How to choose which problems to work on? 00:10:13 Defining "deflationary" and "self-evidencing" 00:14:33 Equilibrium vs non-equilibrium steady state 00:20:52 Why is it called the Free Energy Principle? 00:27:20 What is the Free Energy Principle? (two answers) 00:41:15 Is causation and time required for the FEP? 00:46:03 FEP incomplete because it doesn't incorporate relativity? 00:57:21 Schrödinger, entropy, gradient flow, and life 00:59:01 Why is the Free Energy Principle infamous for being esoteric? 01:01:00 Is FEP a TOE? A theory of everything? 01:03:20 Do atoms have "beliefs" in a Bayesian sense? 01:04:54 List of different fields FEP has implications for (physics, biology, AI, etc.) 01:17:47 On Occam's Razor and Artificial Intelligence 01:25:38 Newcomb's paradox 01:29:05 FEP - a Law of Nature or a different way of compressing? 01:36:50 Jordan Peterson's "order and chaos" and the FEP 01:50:51 Using brain structure to infer about the world 02:07:12 On hierarchies and modelling different "things" (tools don't behave like apples) 02:13:59 The importance of "shared narratives" 02:18:37 Religion as aiding "shared narratives" 02:22:43 Politics needs 50 / 50 splits on issues 02:25:53 The existence of free will and definition of it 02:28:43 Self fulfilling prophecies 02:31:37 Schizophrenia, Curt, and Karl 02:45:48 "You are your own existence proof." 02:48:03 Can you think yourself into non-existence? 02:51:33 Definition of generative model 02:54:06 Donald Hoffman's consciousness model 02:54:34 Quantum consciousness and Penrose's Orchestrated OR 02:59:41 What does FEP say about consciousness? 03:09:48 The meta-Hard Problem of Consciousness 03:15:22 Anna Lukomsky: Idealism vs Physicalism 03:28:13 Joanne Dong: Explain the meaning of life via the FEP 03:34:23 Monotheism vs Polytheism in terms of FEP and psychology 03:38:50 Faraz Honarvar: Do our actions matter to the world? 03:47:20 Final words on Schizophrenia and existential anxiety from studying different metaphysics

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