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Why Pessimism Makes Dumb Ideas Sound Smart - David Deutsch - #1164

Modern Wisdom

Why Pessimism Makes Dumb Ideas Sound Smart - David Deutsch - #1164

David Deutsch is a British physicist, a pioneering researcher in quantum computation, and author. Expect to learn how David has changed his views on the limits of human potential in recent years, why people should have an optimistic view of the world, which current problem most people are unnecessarily pessimistic about right now, what the largest issues…

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Notes

  1. Why Does David Deutsch Call Misunderstanding Your Fault? at 1:13

    David Deutsch agrees that whenever someone does not understand you, the fault is yours, not theirs, unless they are a golden retriever. Full answer

  2. Why Does David Deutsch Say Drop Certainty? at 4:41

    David Deutsch says people should look to correct errors and should not look for certainty. Full answer

  3. Why Does David Deutsch Reject All Certainty? at 13:21

    David Deutsch says people should aspire not to have any certainty. People should aspire to uncertainty. Full answer

  4. Why Does David Deutsch Dismiss the Fermi Problem? at 22:18

    David Deutsch says the Fermi problem is not the kind of problem he likes. We do not know whether we are alone in the universe. We might be or we might not be. Full answer

  5. Did Turning From Nuclear Power Cause the Climate Problem? at 34:59

    David Deutsch says fear of artificial intelligence is not a justified fear. Full answer

  6. Why Can't We Write a Grandmaster's Chess Program? at 40:11

    David Deutsch says use only the old theory and you will say AGI is impossible in that way. Know what we know and you will see why it is possible. Full answer

  7. Why Does David Deutsch Call Creativity Unimpressive? at 44:22

    David Deutsch says creativity by itself is not an impressive thing. He uses the word to mean the ability to create new knowledge. Full answer

  8. Why Are School Exams Such Bad Stand-ins? at 49:47

    David Deutsch says education is judged by how well and how accurately you fill the bucket. Full answer

  9. Why Does David Deutsch Reject Compulsory Education? at 53:35

    Chris Williamson asks what a better approach is for somebody who wants to learn a lot from people who know a lot, and whether people should exit formal… Full answer

  10. Why Did Popper Say to Marry a Problem? at 1:03:27

    David Deutsch says diversity is the key to a good life, and he does not think any formula applies to everybody, or even to any two people. Full answer

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