David Deutsch on Knowledge, Progress, and the Future of Everything

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, physicist and author David Deutsch joins us to explore the deeper principles behind knowledge, progress, and the future of humanity.

David is known for founding the field of quantum computation and, alongside Richard Jozsa, creating the first quantum algorithm that solves problems exponentially faster than classical methods. He’s also the originator of constructor theory—a bold framework aiming to redefine the foundations of physics.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why beauty and explanatory power are central to scientific progress—and how they guide us toward better theories.
• The challenges and promise of aligning AI with human values, and how critical thinking plays a key role.
• How education systems could be redesigned to foster creativity, curiosity, and deeper understanding.
• The case for optimism—not as wishful thinking, but as a rational stance grounded in our capacity for error correction and improvement.

This episode was originally published in April 2023.

On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures.

Full transcript, listed resources, and more: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

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