ToKCast

My preferred way to experience this is the video version version which is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpTxBkmr4LE .  There is another version also published alongside this without any music - I don't think it is as good, but if you prefer "no music" - there is a version without that here: https://youtu.be/Ky4vMllidvM​   Note that episode 60 of the podcast is just "Episode 59 without the music" as well.    In either case this episode seeks to answer the question "What is a person?" in the context of our best scientific and philosophical understanding of evolution by natural selection, the theory of computation (including quantum computation), the theory of epistemology - how knowledge is created - and finally quantum theory - in particular the Everettian multiverse understanding of it in its most modern incarnation, as explained primarily by David Deutsch in "The Beginning of Infinity" and invoking the concept of fungibility. The concept of "personhood" has been historically a very tricky idea; either mired in the murky waters of mysticism, or reduced by the near vacuousness of physicalism. This document attempts to provide a video essay on the topic given our most up to date notions of what is true in philosophy, mathematics, morality, epistemology and physics. Time stamps will be available soon. Credit for the music goes to “Ketsa” - https://ketsa.uk/​ where their music can be downloaded for free on a Creative Commons License here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa​ and my own track breakdown is as follows: Track List and Times Save Ourselves (00:05​) Deliverance (03:02​) Astral Travel (06:22​) Blazing Stars (09:42​) Blessed Time (12:54​) Dancing by Twilight (38:30​) Wild Rivers (41:46​) Hear me out (44:42​) Gilded Moon (48:27​) Deep Math (53:58​) Built from Nothing (57:11​) Details for the creative commons license can be found at https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa​ and at the end of the video.

Dive into the concepts of beginnings and infinity, inspired by Churchill, as the dialogue unfolds. Explore innovative solutions to global challenges like climate change, contrasting technology with tradition. Journey through history, reveling in Eratosthenes' groundbreaking Earth measurements and the quest for a unifying theory in particle physics. Delve into the fascinating relationship between mathematics and reality, and reflect on the philosophical nature of knowledge and ignorance. A vibrant exploration of human creativity and the dynamic journey of discovery awaits!

The podcast discusses existential risks such as supervolcanoes and asteroids, exploring how to remain optimistic. It also delves into economic aspects of international relations, effective altruism, and philosophical perspectives on societal control in the face of existential threats.

The final part of the penultimate chapter. Here we cover "The parable of Europium" and other memorable pessimists from David's formative years. Some analysis of the present concerns about climate change and the rational problem solving - and optimistic approach as contrasted to the standard pessimistic lines.

What does it mean for something to exist?

Marx, Engels and Diamond present to us a vision of people as being in some sense impotent in the grand historical scheme - subject merely to natural forces and thus able to be predicted by a kind of natural law. This reductive view of people and their place in history (and the cosmos) leads to terrible historical ideas that bleed into pessimistic political ideologies. The truth instead is not bleak. People - in the form of their creative capacity to explain the world in which they find themselves leads to them being shapers of history. They are agents of change: powerful and good. We are reaching a crescendo of "The Beginning of Infinity".

This is additional material about Chapter 6 of "The Beginning of Infinity" - but goes into some additional areas. I compare Greek Gods to Blockchain (in a sense). I think "The Jump to Universality" is a particularly poorly understood chapter. I hope this inspires many to go back and re-read that part of the book. Again. And again.

Easter Island, Incans, Llamas and Australia. Resources and knowledge, creativity and stasis. We begin to bring together the chapters that have come before as we move into the crescendo of "The Beginning of Infinity". Images (on Youtube) all used under a creative commons licence. All music composed by me.

What does the watchword of today "sustainable" really mean when taken seriously? In this episode we compare two titans of science communication: David Attenborough and Jacob Bronowski - for although they have inspired generations of scientists and those interested in science, their underlying philosophies could not have been more different. What are those philosophies and what consequences could they have if they were to drive actual policy? Also - a diversion on aspects of Australian and British history.

The 50th episode! This is the third part (given there was a part 0, introduction) referring to chapter 16 of "The Beginning of Infinity" with substantive readings. We get into how memes evolved in non-human animals and then how these memes, and genes at some point allowed for a jump to universality. Specifically the universality of explanatory knowledge - which is a quality of a special kind of software - that which runs on our brains, or otherwise known as "a person's mind".