Know Thyself E167 - Donald Hoffman: The Greatest Discovery About Reality & the Consciousness Behind It
31 snips
Oct 14, 2025 
In this insightful discussion, cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman explores groundbreaking ideas about perception and consciousness. Known for his claim that reality is an illusion shaped by evolutionary fitness, he dives into the limits of human perception and how different states of consciousness reveal varying realities. Hoffman introduces concepts like trace logic, which connects observer experiences and explores the implications of consciousness in science and ethics. He also speculates on technologies beyond our space-time interface and reflects on his personal health challenges, emphasizing humility and connectedness.
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Evolution Favors Fitness, Not Veridical Seeing
- Evolutionary game theory shows organisms are shaped for fitness, not truth.
- Hoffman argues the probability we evolved to see objective reality is effectively zero.
No Theory Explains Everything
- Scientific theories start with assumptions and cannot be final.
- Great theories can reveal the limits of their own assumptions.
Multiplayer VR Thought Experiment
- Hoffman proposes a multiplayer VR thought experiment to reveal subjective perception.
- Different headsets could make players believe they shared the same world while experiencing different games.
