Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard Steven Pinker Returns (on common knowledge)
Steven Pinker, a cognitive psychologist and bestselling author, dives into the fascinating world of common knowledge and its implications. He uncovers how long-term data can foster a sense of optimism, contrasting starkly with negative headlines. Pinker explains the role of conventions in social coordination, highlights the surprising benefits of public philanthropy, and delves into the unpredictable strategies of human behavior, all while easing concerns over the future of AI. An insightful conversation that explores the intersection of psychology, communication, and societal norms!
01:57:03
Data Beats Headlines
- Tracking long-term data reveals steady global improvements that headlines hide.
- Availability bias makes vivid recent events feel more important than slow positive trends.
Common Knowledge Changes Coordination
- Common knowledge is recursive: I know that you know that I know, and so on, and it changes coordination.
- Public, conspicuous information converts private beliefs into common knowledge and reshapes relationships.
Emperor's New Clothes Example
- The emperor's new clothes shows everyone saw the truth but lacked common knowledge until a child blurted it out.
- That public revelation shifted deference to ridicule and ended the emperor's authority.
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Intro
00:00 • 4min
Berkeley, Silicon Valley, and the Tech Reaction
04:14 • 4min
Optimism, Data, and Progress Trends
08:36 • 4min
Defining Common Knowledge
12:43 • 4min
Recursive Mentalizing: Rock Paper Scissors
16:57 • 4min
Emperor's Clothes, Money, and Protests
21:01 • 4min
Institutions, Conventions, and Coordination
25:09 • 4min
Ad break
29:19 • 6min
Euphemism, Denial, and Relationship Signals
34:50 • 5min
Focal Points and Schelling's Insights
39:24 • 5min
Markets, Beauty Contests, and Super Bowl Power
44:03 • 4min
Super Bowl Ads and Network Effects
48:10 • 5min
Primaries, Momentum, and Philanthropy Hierarchy
53:10 • 4min
Publicity Paradoxes and Cooperative Evolution
57:23 • 4min
Coordination in Nature: Coral Spawning Example
01:01:43 • 4min
Ad break
01:05:48 • 5min
Scientific Uncertainty and COVID Policy Tradeoffs
01:10:36 • 4min
Academia, Free Speech, and Political Polarization
01:15:02 • 4min
Why Not Panic About AI
01:19:08 • 5min
Moralism, Mob Justice, and Closing Thoughts
01:24:08 • 4min
Home Life: Spaghetti, Rain, and Dandruff
01:28:21 • 4min
Hiking, Sweat, Milk, and Skincare
01:32:21 • 4min
Ad break
01:36:22 • 5min
Handicap Stall Ethics and Health Updates
01:41:25 • 4min
Bathroom Etiquette Debate and Practical Tips
01:45:28 • 4min
Practice, Motivation, and Changing in Relationships
01:49:30 • 4min
Honesty, Means vs Ends, and Giggle Test
01:53:47 • 4min
Top Iconic Ads: Apple 1984 and More
01:57:57 • 4min
Outro
02:02:06 • 6min
#1457
• Mentioned in 19 episodes
When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows
Steven Pinker
#246
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The better angels of our nature
Why Violence Has Declined
Steven Pinker
In this book, Steven Pinker presents a detailed argument that violence has significantly decreased over the course of human history.
He uses extensive data and statistical analysis to demonstrate this decline in various domains, including military conflict, homicide, genocide, torture, and the treatment of children, homosexuals, animals, and racial and ethnic minorities.
Pinker identifies four key human motivations – empathy, self-control, the moral sense, and reason – as the 'better angels' that have oriented humans away from violence and towards cooperation and altruism.
He also discusses historical forces such as the rise of the state (which he terms 'Leviathan'), the spread of commerce, the growth of feminist values, and the expansion of cosmopolitanism, which have contributed to this decline in violence.
#2824
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The Stuff of Thought
Language as a Window into Human Nature
Steven Pinker
In *The Stuff of Thought*, Steven Pinker delves into the intricacies of language to uncover insights about human nature.
He examines how words reflect our thoughts and emotions, discussing topics such as metaphors, taboos, and the relationship between language and thought.
Pinker argues that language is a window into human nature, revealing both universal and culturally specific aspects of human cognition.
#225
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On liberty
John Stuart Mill
Published in 1859, 'On Liberty' is a seminal work by John Stuart Mill that argues for the protection of individual freedoms from the tyranny of the majority and government interference.
Mill uses utilitarian philosophy to justify the value of liberty, emphasizing the importance of freedom of thought, discussion, and action.
He introduces the 'harm principle,' which states that individuals should only be restrained from acting when their conduct may harm others.
The essay is structured into five chapters, each addressing different aspects of liberty, including the liberty of thought and discussion, individual liberty, the limits of authority, and practical applications of his theories.
Mill argues that protecting individual liberties is essential for societal progress and the avoidance of social stagnation.
#871
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The Blank Slate
Steven Pinker
#351
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Enlightenment Now
Steven Pinker
In 'Enlightenment Now', Steven Pinker presents a comprehensive argument that the values of the Enlightenment—reason, science, and humanism—have been instrumental in the progress of human society.
He challenges the prevailing pessimism in modern discourse by presenting empirical evidence that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness are on the rise globally.
Pinker uses data and graphs to illustrate improvements in various aspects of human life, such as increased life expectancy, reduced child and maternal mortality, and advancements in medicine and technology.
He also addresses the psychological biases that lead people to underestimate these improvements and emphasizes the importance of continuing to uphold Enlightenment ideals to ensure further progress.
#132
• Mentioned in 105 episodes
The selfish gene
Lalla Ward Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
In 'The Selfish Gene', Richard Dawkins presents a gene-centred view of evolution, arguing that genes are the primary units of selection and that they behave selfishly to ensure their own replication.
The book explains concepts such as kin selection, inclusive fitness, and the evolutionarily stable strategy, highlighting how these mechanisms can lead to altruistic behaviors in organisms.
Dawkins emphasizes that the 'selfishness' of genes is a metaphorical concept, describing their evolutionary consequences rather than any intentional behavior.
The book has been influential in shaping modern evolutionary thought and remains relevant today.
#14
• Mentioned in 308 episodes
Sapiens
A Brief History of Humankind
Yuval Noah Harari
This book surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens.
It divides human history into four major parts: the Cognitive Revolution, the Agricultural Revolution, the Unification of Humankind, and the Scientific Revolution.
Harari argues that Homo sapiens dominate the world due to their unique ability to cooperate in large numbers through beliefs in imagined realities such as gods, nations, money, and human rights.
The book also examines the impact of human activities on the global ecosystem and speculates on the future of humanity, including the potential for genetic engineering and non-organic life.
#4070
• Mentioned in 8 episodes
The Sense of Style
Steven Pinker
In 'The Sense of Style', Steven Pinker offers a practical and entertaining guide to writing, emphasizing the importance of clarity, empathy, and coherence.
He challenges traditional usage guides by applying insights from linguistics and cognitive science to improve writing skills.
The book is filled with examples of effective and ineffective prose, providing readers with tools to enhance their writing style.
#856
• Mentioned in 28 episodes
Rationality
From AI to Zombies
Eliezer Yudkowsky
Steven Pinker (When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows: Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life) is a cognitive psychologist, psycholinguist, and author. Steven returns to the Armchair Expert to discuss how in general things have gotten better, that tracking the data can make one more optimistic than reading headlines, and the differences between private knowledge and common knowledge. Steven and Dax talk about how evolved language generates common knowledge, the role of conventions and ritual in human coordination, and the power of Super Bowl advertisements. Steven explains the counterintuitive fact that announcing one’s philanthropy actually does more good, why we have to expose ourselves to a universe of ideas to find out which ones are good, and why he’s not afraid of AI.
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