#15 - David Deutsch: the fabric of explanations, optimism and creativity

David Deutsch is a physicist at the University of Oxford, widely considered one of the most profound thinkers alive today. He’s the author of The Beginning of Infinity and The Fabric of Reality, and a pioneer of quantum computing and Popperian epistemology, follow David on Twitter

We talk about the nature of truth, creativity, optimism, education, AGI, and why error correction is the key to human progress. Topics are outlined in the timestamps below.

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Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

03:13 – Can we eliminate error without ever knowing the final truth?

06:21 – Why knowledge is always incomplete

08:22 – Sam Harris, meditation, and mental frameworks

09:41 – The mind as an explanation-generator

13:22 – Anti-rational memes and the Enlightenment break

17:28 – What caused progress to finally take off?

20:29 – The nature of universal theories

23:43 – Epistemic patience vs persuasive narratives

27:16 – Institutions and pruning the “search tree” of ideas

30:21 – AGI, refusal to respond, and creative isolation

33:16 – Political promises and the irrationality of reelection incentives

37:45 – School vs justice systems: arbitrary rules and real freedom

41:43 – Creativity and the labor market

44:25 – Henry Ford and the problem of sameness

47:15 – Innovation, taxation, and punishment

50:16 – How to become a better problem solver

54:27 – Blind optimism vs blind pessimism

57:59 – Popper, Bronowski, and the power of explanation

1:01:22 – David’s most important lesson: Popperian epistemology