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Ted Chiang on Free Will, Time Travel, Many Worlds, Genetic Engineering, and Hard Science Fiction – #19

Sep 19, 2019
Renowned science fiction writer Ted Chiang discusses the philosophical implications of science in his stories. They delve into topics such as the illusion of free will, varieties of time travel, perfect memory and life logging, investment in OpenAI, and the role of privilege and luck.
01:17:00

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Ted Chiang prioritizes logical coherence and explores philosophical concepts in his science fiction writing.
  • Ted Chiang holds a compatibilist view on free will, understanding it as the result of life experiences being processed through cognition.

Deep dives

Ted Chang's Writing Style: Striving for Internal Scientific Consistency

Ted Chang is known for his writing style that emphasizes the importance of maintaining deep internal scientific consistency in his stories. He focuses on ensuring that the scientific ideas central to his stories are logically coherent and consistent, even if the casual reader may not immediately pick up on these details. While some hard science fiction writers prioritize technical details and engineering aspects, Ted Chang's approach is more concerned with exploring broader philosophical and theoretical concepts. He believes that good science fiction should embody the scientific mindset and worldview, representing how scientists think about and understand the universe. His stories often examine the broader implications of science and philosophy, tackling topics like free will and consciousness.

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