ToKCast

Exploring the nature of proof and mathematics as a creative enterprise; the frustration of David Hilbert's hopes for a firm foundation in mathematics; the world-shattering results of Kurt Godel; the history of proof; Roger Penrose's viewpoint on whether human brains are computers in the Turing sense.

The podcast explores the importance of free speech, free trade, and democracy in society. It discusses case studies of North Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq, South Korea, and China, highlighting the evolution of culture. The episode emphasizes protecting liberty in Western nations and bringing it to nations without it. It also touches on the topics of immigration and the preservation of error correction.

Physicist Chiara Marletto discusses her journey in quantum theory and information. Topics include: finding Everett, the power of quantum information, the universe as information, the Simulation Hypothesis, the second law of thermodynamics, the AI Apocalypse, passionate knowledge, the Fine Tuning Problem, constructor theoretic knowledge, and experimental testing of quantum gravity.

The podcast explores the unique perception of mathematics, its treatment as a subject, and the allure of mathematicians. It delves into the criterion of existence and the limitations of human knowledge. It also discusses Plato's perspective on the nature of mathematics, struggles of learning as we get older, and controversies in mathematics.

Explore the different aspects of Bayesianism, including Bayes' Theorem, Bayesian Statistics, Bayesian Reasoning, and Bayesian Epistemology. Dive into topics such as substrate independence, expliclt knowledge, explanatory universality, rational decision theory, measurement and uncertainty, and the limitations of probabilities and confidence intervals in scientific experiments.

This podcast episode introduces Chapter 10 of David Deutsch's book 'The Fabric of Reality', challenging assumptions about mathematics and exploring fallibility. It also discusses the concept of the brain as a computer, explores fallibilism and the distinction between abstract and physical entities, and reflects on zeal, evangelism, and critical thinking. The chapter delves into the complexity of physics and mathematics, the incorporation of a deeper theory, and the existence and effects of abstract entities.

The podcast discusses the 'feminisation' of Western militaries and the impact of diversity and inclusion ideologies. It explores the contrasts in military power between Western nations and potential enemies like China and Russia. The speaker questions the shift away from defense and the role of the military in society. Additionally, it delves into the woke movement's impact on gender portrayal, the parallels between traditional parenting roles in North Korea and cancel culture, and the feminization of the military.

The podcast discusses the role of knowledge in transforming physical reality, the nature of knowledge as explanatory and transformative, the impact of emotions and intuition on decision making, the significance of good explanations, and the connection between physics, computing, and the unpredictability of creative entities.

This is a "return to regular format" episode in one respect - readings from and reflections upon "The Fabric of Reality" but also a departure from regular formatting in another respect: I teach a bunch of simple mathematics. This is for those who might think "quantum computation" and "quantum algorithms" will be forever beyond me. They are not! I begin with (quite literally) primary school mathematics level stuff (what's a prime number, what is the "fundamental theorem of arithmetic") and very gradually move up into algebra and some modular arithmetic and present examples using real numbers of what the problem is and then lead us to a place where we can glimpse the solution (which is Shor's Algorithm). I do not promise to bring the listener to a graduate quantum physics-degree-level of proficiency in quantum information theory and cryptography - but you will gain quite some insight. I refer to the following more in-depth expositions of all this and hopefully bridge the gap I think is there between "I know a little bit of maths and physics" and the kind of thing the following more "high level" videos offer (which I present in order of increasing technical difficulty) 1. The PBS Infinite Series on all this stuff is brilliant. In particular this introduction:    • How to Break Cryp...   and this video focussed more narrowly on Shor's algorithm:    • Hacking at Quantu...   2. Here is Peter Shor himself explaining the history of his work:    • The Story of Shor...   3. Artur Ekert's graduate level free online course on Quantum Information Theory: https://www.youtube.com/@ArturEkert/v... in particular his lecture focussed on Shor's Algorithm:    • IQIS Lecture 6.9 ...   (which, aside from "The Fabric of Reality" itself, served as the basis for this episode).

I recommend the version found here that contains visuals and music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlvgxEBekP4 However the same message will come through on this audio only podcast.   Full Credit for all ideas to: James (Jim) Pierce Naval and Nivi and David Deutsch With mistakes all my own   See also James' website (and relevant article) here: https://www.james-pierce.com/writings/effortless-stoicism His instagram account including the original "Effortless Stoicism" video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CuuDzL9sKOG/ His Twitter and relevant thread here: https://twitter.com/jimmpierce/status/1190810962493788160?s=20   Naval and Nivi's work on "How to get rich" where you can download their podcast from Naval's website here: https://nav.al/rich   Or the Youtube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-TZqOsVCNM   See also Akira The Don's outstanding magical version along with other original music featuring Naval here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nX7x9AzwUTaGMFNVAxrLNXUJrKFotQ84Y   And my new favorite Naval/Nivi/Akira song here: https://www.meaningwave.com/blogs/meaningwave/akira-the-don-naval-ravikant-ft-nivi-you-will-need-to-rent-your-time-to-get-started-single