

The Theory of Anything
Bruce Nielson and Peter Johansen
A podcast that explores the unseen and surprising connections between nearly everything, with special emphasis on intelligence and the search for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) through the lens of Karl Popper's Theory of Knowledge.
David Deutsch argued that Quantum Mechanics, Darwinian Evolution, Karl Popper's Theory of Knowledge, and Computational Theory (aka "The Four Strands") represent an early 'theory of everything' be it science, philosophy, computation, religion, politics, or art. So we explore everything.
Support us on Patreon:
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David Deutsch argued that Quantum Mechanics, Darwinian Evolution, Karl Popper's Theory of Knowledge, and Computational Theory (aka "The Four Strands") represent an early 'theory of everything' be it science, philosophy, computation, religion, politics, or art. So we explore everything.
Support us on Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/brucenielson/membership
Episodes
Mentioned books

4 snips
Jan 17, 2021 • 29min
Episode 14: Theories of Artificial General Intelligence
Bruce and Cameo are joined by Dennis Hackethal, Ella Hoeppner, and Thatchaphol Saranurak as we discuss Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
In part 3, each of the guests talks about their own theories about Artificial General Intelligence and where they are taking their research.
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Link to "Evolution is exponentially more powerful with frequency-dependent selection" paper.

26 snips
Jan 11, 2021 • 1h 45min
Special Edition: Theory of Anything Hosts David Deutsch
This was recorded during the 24 hr. transcontinental Popperian ZOOM Meet 'n Greet of January 9th-10th, 2021 organized by OurKarlPopper.net. Bruce was asked to host a session with the subject of David Deutsch and how he brought a whole new generation to Karl Popper's philosophy. But at the last minute, we found out David Deutsch himself was attending. So we redid our plans to allow people to ask him questions.
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Youtube version with video
Check out our blog.

Jan 10, 2021 • 30min
Episode 13: Objections to Artificial General Intelligence
Bruce and Cameo are joined by Dennis Hackethal, Ella Hoeppner, and Thatchaphol Saranurak as we discuss Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
In part 2, among other things, we discuss various objections people make to AGI and why they can't be correct due to the existence of universality. We also discuss what a "Universal Explainer" is and if it is possible to create a quantum "oracle machine" which is a computer that can compute things that the Turning machine can't.

5 snips
Jan 3, 2021 • 38min
Episode 12: Artificial Intelligence vs Artificial General Intelligence
In the last episode, we showed that Artificial General Intelligence was possible according to the laws of physics. This episode is part 1 of a 3-part panel discussion among computer scientists interested in AGI. Bruce and Cameo are joined by Dennis Hackethal, Ella Hoeppner, and Thatchaphol Saranurak -- all interested in both AGI and Karl Popper's epistemology and believe Popper's theories can shed light on how to discover AGI.
In part 1, we discuss how AI (Artificial Intelligence) differs from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).

5 snips
Dec 27, 2020 • 1h 7min
Episode 11: The Turing Principle and Artificial General Intelligence
Part 3 of our series on Computational Theory. Using the theory we've built up, we now prove that Artificial General Intelligence is possible due to what is called "The Turing Principle" which is the most profound philosophical implication of Computational Theory.
Plus Cameo asks Bruce about how religious people look at these theories.
Youtube version with optional visuals
Note: Due to the nature of these Computational theory episodes, it might be helpful to see the Youtube visuals.

Dec 20, 2020 • 42min
Episode 10: What Use is Computational Theory?
In the last episode, we gave you the basic theory. Now we're going to show you how Computational Theory is actually used in real life. We'll discuss the various computational classes that exist and one special class in particular: NP-Complete. Using reducibility (as discussed in the previous episode) we can prove that this is a universal class of problems. This provides us evidence (but not a proof!) that many algorithms are too slow to be tractable (i.e. return a result in a useful amount of time.) Finally, we'll discuss the startling fact that some problems can't be computed at all because the laws of physics don't allow it.
Youtube version with optional visuals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVpM8XOwmz4
Note: Due to the nature of these Computational theory episodes, it might be helpful to see the Youtube visuals.

Dec 13, 2020 • 48min
Episode 9: Introduction to Computational Theory
Delve into the intriguing world of Computational Theory, where the intersection of mathematics and physics sparks fascinating conversations. Discover the significance of finite automata and their impact on machine capabilities. Explore the groundbreaking contributions of Turing and Church, alongside the revolutionary implications of Shor's algorithm in quantum computing. Finally, take a wild ride through the controversial ties between quantum physics and mysticism, challenging our understanding of reality and the nature of artificial intelligence.

Oct 11, 2020 • 53min
Episode 8: The Disneyfication of Star Wars
Unlike the universally acclaimed Marvel movies, Disney has struggled to turn their Purchase of the Star Wars franchise into the powerhouse they were hoping for. Why is there such strong split opinions on these movies? What did Disney do well and what did they get wrong?
We argue that good art is hard-to-vary, so it's easy to get something wrong that detracts from the overall movie. The recent Disney Star Wars movies aren't bad movies, but they aren't great Star Wars. We discuss how the movies slowly departed from the myth creation stories they started out as and how this impacted the overall storytelling.

Jul 5, 2020 • 47min
Episode 7: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Have you heard the old joke about how there are liar, damn liars, and then there are statisticians? In this episode, Cameo and Bruce discuss how statistics are widely used -- and misused -- in society.
Most people miss that statistics aren't really primarily used for true probabilities but instead are used as a way to mimic our lack of knowledge. Statistics, as a field, is often the study of ignorance, not straight probabilities. What are the ramifications of that? Find out in this episode.
If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a 5-star rating.
Youtube version with optional visuals:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZGAwUxO3CM&list=PLbU2Yvjwp2jI0mTFUVLVtRw8MQJev0QYt&index=7
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Jun 29, 2020 • 59min
Episode 6: Dancing the Ancient Forms
What's it like to leave your home, your family, and your country and go to a whole new land and culture -- possibly never to return home again? What challenges would you have to overcome? How much help would you receive? How would you blend your culture with the new one you just moved to?
What's it like to dance 2000-year-old ancient forms as a way to express your culture's ancient myths?
Sarika Nayak and her family left India for their careers and then started a family here. They didn't originally intend to put down permanent roots, but now they are working on becoming citizens. Sarika brought with her a love of dance and love of people. She teaches dance to others emphasizing dancing from her own culture -- both Bollywood and Hindu dancing.
In this episode, we talk with Sarika and learn what it's like to start a new life in a new culture and how she successfully integrated her love of both cultures.
If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a 5-star rating
Youtube version with optional video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wascWH6dTc&list=PLbU2Yvjwp2jI0mTFUVLVtRw8MQJev0QYt&index=6
Follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/bnielson01