The Stephen Wolfram Podcast History of Science & Technology Q&A (June 4, 2025)
11 snips
Jun 10, 2025 The discussion dives into AI milestones, especially the rise of language models and their impact on various fields. Personal anecdotes about legendary physicists like Feynman and Heisenberg shed light on the intimate connections in the scientific community. The historical journey of cybernetics is explored, emphasizing its roots in understanding the brain. Additionally, reflections on creativity versus efficiency highlight the importance of savoring the creative journey, leaving listeners eager for more storytelling adventures.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AI Milestones and Computation
- AI breakthroughs like ChatGPT mark major historical milestones with unexpected success.
- Computation transformed from a tool to a conceptual framework influencing foundational science.
LLMs Enable Science of Philosophy
- LLMs can lead to scientific insights in neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy.
- They might enable repeatable, experimental approaches to traditionally abstract philosophical questions.
AI Success Inspired Evolution Models
- Wolfram struggled to model biological evolution computationally in the 1980s.
- Inspired by machine learning's success, he pushed the computations longer and achieved results.