Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg Knowledge Management and Deugenesis (with Jeremy Nixon)
Jeremy Nixon, founder of Consilience and former machine learning researcher at Google Brain, dives into the intriguing world of knowledge management. He discusses the creation of personal knowledge indexes and the benefits of structured reflection for decision-making. The power of abstraction, how constraints can fuel creativity, and the fascinating concept of deugenesis get explored. Nixon illustrates how immersion in experiences, like gaming, influences cognitive patterns and how elite athletes harness visualization techniques for peak performance.
01:40:39
Build an External Brain
- Externalize your beliefs and knowledge in a living document like "The Index".
- Regularly update this document as your understanding evolves, creating an external brain.
Active Recall Through Writing
- Improve comprehension and retention by writing down what you read in your own words.
- Identify knowledge gaps by comparing your writing to the source material, facilitating deliberate practice.
Visual Spaced Repetition
- Standard spaced repetition struggles with complex, interconnected concepts.
- Integrating visual representations into flashcards might improve spaced repetition's effectiveness for such material.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Evolving Beliefs: The Dynamic Learning Index
02:06 • 18min
The Power of Abstraction in Learning
19:49 • 5min
Exploring Personality Traits Through Recursive Decomposition
25:06 • 4min
Navigating Complexity through Simplification
28:56 • 18min
The Tetris Effect and Cognitive Integration
46:59 • 3min
Innovating with Generative Models in Machine Learning
50:21 • 5min
Harnessing Visualization Techniques for Athletic Excellence
55:47 • 2min
The Power of Constraints in Creativity and Innovation
58:12 • 3min
Unlocking Creativity through Constraints
01:01:14 • 23min
Deugenesis: Redefining Immortality and Knowledge
01:24:13 • 16min
#25976
Mind Gym
An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
Gary Mack
David Casstevens
In 'Mind Gym', Gary Mack and David Casstevens provide a comprehensive guide to cultivating a champion's mindset.
The book explores how mental fitness is crucial for success, offering practical lessons and anecdotes from elite athletes.
It covers principles like the seven C's of mental toughness and emphasizes the importance of self-confidence and belief in oneself.
#43586
Mathematical Creation
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Henri Poincaré
Henri Poincaré's "Mathematical Creation" is a seminal essay that explores the creative process in mathematics.
Poincaré reflects on his own experiences and those of other mathematicians, examining the role of intuition, subconscious processing, and insight in mathematical discovery.
He emphasizes the importance of allowing problems to incubate in the mind, suggesting that breakthroughs often occur unexpectedly.
The essay offers valuable insights into the nature of creativity and the role of the subconscious in problem-solving.
It remains a significant contribution to the understanding of the creative process in mathematics and beyond.
#1993
• Mentioned in 13 episodes
Expert Political Judgment
How Good Is It? How Can We Know?
Philip E. Tetlock
In this book, Philip E. Tetlock evaluates the predictive abilities of experts by analyzing 27,451 verifiable predictions made by 284 world-renowned experts over more than 20 years.
He finds that expert predictions are often no better than random guesses and identifies two types of thinkers: 'hedgehogs,' who are confident in their single, overarching idea, and 'foxes,' who are more eclectic and adaptable.
Tetlock argues that foxes are generally more accurate in their predictions due to their ability to consider multiple perspectives and adapt to new information.
The book also explores how the media often favors hedgehogs for their confident and decisive statements, despite their lower accuracy.
#439
• Mentioned in 39 episodes
The art of learning
An Inner Journey to Optimal Performance
Josh Waitzkin
The Art of Learning takes readers through Josh Waitzkin’s unique journey to excellence in both chess and Tai Chi Chuan.
The book explains how a well-thought-out, principled approach to learning separates success from failure.
Waitzkin discusses how achievement is a function of a lifestyle that fuels a creative, resilient growth process.
He shares his methods for systematically triggering intuitive breakthroughs, honing techniques, and mastering performance psychology.
The book also emphasizes the importance of embracing defeat, making mistakes work for you, and turning weaknesses into strengths.
It is divided into sections that cover his rise in chess, his transition to Tai Chi, and the similarities in preparation and execution between the two disciplines.
#113
• Mentioned in 100 episodes
Antifragile
Things That Gain from Disorder
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Albino Santos Mosquera
Genís Sánchez Barberán
In 'Antifragile', Nassim Nicholas Taleb delves into the concept of antifragility, arguing that some systems not only withstand stress and disorder but actually benefit from them.
The book builds on ideas from his previous works, such as 'Fooled by Randomness' and 'The Black Swan', and is part of his five-volume philosophical treatise on uncertainty, 'Incerto'.
Taleb provides examples from various fields, including science, economics, and history, to illustrate how antifragility can be achieved and how it contrasts with fragility and robustness.
He also discusses strategies like the barbell strategy and optionality, and critiques modern society's attempts to eliminate volatility, which he believes are harmful.
The book is praised for its revolutionary ideas and multidisciplinary approach, though it has also received criticism for its style and some of the author's views on mental health and other topics.
#24
• Mentioned in 214 episodes
Influence
The Psychology of Persuasion
Robert Cialdini
In this highly acclaimed book, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini explains the psychology behind why people say yes and how to apply these insights ethically.
The book outlines six universal principles of influence: Reciprocation, Commitment and Consistency, Social Proof, Liking, Authority, and Scarcity.
The new and expanded edition includes a seventh principle, Unity, along with new research, insights, and examples.
Cialdini uses memorable stories and relatable examples to make the subject accessible and easy to understand, helping readers become more skilled persuaders and defend themselves against unethical influence attempts.
#5190
• Mentioned in 5 episodes
Intellectuals and society
A Study of Teachers in India
Kameshwar Choudhary
This book by Kameshwar Choudhary delves into the social and educational landscape of India, specifically examining the roles, influences, and challenges faced by teachers.
It provides an in-depth analysis of how teachers contribute to and interact with the broader societal fabric in India.
#11
• Mentioned in 294 episodes
The 4 Hour Workweek
Tim Ferriss
In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth.
The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results.
The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.
#6
• Mentioned in 350 episodes
Deep Work
Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Cal Newport
In 'Deep Work', Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work—professional activities in a state of distraction-free concentration—is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy.
The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains why deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful, while the second part presents four rules to transform your mind and habits to support this skill.
These rules include 'Work Deeply', 'Embrace Boredom', 'Quit Social Media', and 'Drain the Shallows'.
Newport provides actionable advice and examples from various successful individuals to help readers master the skill of deep work and achieve groundbreaking results.
#151
• Mentioned in 82 episodes
The Black Swan
The Impact of the Highly Improbable
Nassim Nicholas Taleb
David Chandler
Nassim Taleb
The Black Swan is a landmark book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb that investigates the phenomenon of highly improbable events with massive impacts.
These events, termed Black Swans, are unpredictable, have a significant impact, and are rationalized after the fact to appear less random.
Taleb argues that humans are hardwired to focus on specifics rather than generalities, leading to a failure to consider what we don’t know.
The book delves into cognitive biases, the limitations of mathematical models, and the importance of robustness and antifragility in navigating a world filled with uncertainty.
The second edition includes a new essay, 'On Robustness and Fragility,' offering tools to navigate and exploit a Black Swan world.
#1901
• Mentioned in 13 episodes
The Road to Reality
A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe
Roger Penrose
#396
• Mentioned in 43 episodes
The Inner Game of Tennis
Timothy Gallwey
This book, first published in 1974, focuses on the 'Inner Game' played within the mind of the player, against obstacles such as self-doubt, nervousness, and lapses in concentration.
Gallwey introduces the concept of two selves: Self 1, the thinking brain that analyzes and judges, and Self 2, the 'feeling and doing' brain that can master skills naturally if not interfered with by Self 1.
The book provides strategies for achieving 'relaxed concentration' and overcoming internal mental and emotional obstacles, making it relevant not only to tennis but also to other areas of life such as music, writing, work, and personal relationships.
Read the full transcript here.
What is "The Index"? What are some benefits of externally compiling and organizing one's knowledge? When is spaced repetition useful? How can we co-opt our visual systems to boost memory? Would we all be more interested in producing an external personal knowledgebase if we could feel on a visceral level how much information is constantly being forgotten? How and when should we move up and down the ladder of abstraction? What sorts of problems can be solved by simulation? What is a generative model (as opposed to a predictive model)? How can constraints improve creativity? How useful are credentials as a guide to how much a person knows and whether or not a person is "allowed" to have an opinion on a topic? What do credentials actually signal about a person? What are "fox" and "hedgehog" thinking? What is deugenesis?
Jeremy is the founder of Consilience, an immersive information retrieval company. Previously he did machine learning research at Google Brain and studied Applied Mathematics at Harvard University. Jeremy works relentlessly towards aggregating knowledge, acquiring knowledge, and creating new knowledge. Find him on Twitter at @jvnixon or email him at jnixon2@gmail.com.
Staff
- Spencer Greenberg — Host / Director
- Josh Castle — Producer
- Ryan Kessler — Audio Engineer
- Uri Bram — Factotum
- Janaisa Baril — Transcriptionist
Music
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