Reason Is Fun #2 - Physics of Inexplicit Ideas
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May 23, 2023 
David Deutsch traces how inexplicit, nonverbal knowledge led him to questions about quantum physics and the observer problem. The conversation ranges from meaning in computer programs and interpretations of quantum mechanics to consciousness, language, evolution, and the surprising know-how behind catching a ball.
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Meaning Lives In Physical Structure
- Meanings of words cannot be encoded solely as words because that creates an infinite regress.
- Inexplicit knowledge is physically instantiated in changing configurations of the brain rather than as verbal definitions.
Pizza Conversation That Changed Minds
- David Deutsch recounts asking Bryce DeWitt about the Everett interpretation over pizza.
- DeWitt answered clearly and Deutsch left convinced the world is like Everett described.
Consciousness Path Led To Quantum Computers
- Deutsch describes how his search into consciousness spawned the idea of quantum computation.
- Early thinking about consciousness led him to propose machines we now call quantum computers.