NonTrivial

In this episode I look at the online judgement directed at those who post reading lists. I argue that what really matters is not so much what you read, but how you read, since the information you are after can only be gleaned by reading many different books.

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In this episode, I discuss the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and the ongoing criticism regarding the performance of the Secret Service. I argue that while diversity is critically important, when forced, it ends up creating more problems than solutions. I show how both the Left and the Right are in fact committing the same transgression, assuming they know what diversity is supposed to look like. I argue that diversity must be allowed to emerge naturally, using proper definitions of merit.

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In this episode I talk about a study that says smarter people listen to less music.

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In this episode I discuss the problem with thinking we know what smart looks like.

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In this episode, I challenge the idea that we can learn effectively by "learning from scratch." I discuss how starting with the basics runs learning in the wrong direction, and how genuine learning only happens when we embed ourselves inside real environments. I use the difference in strength between bodybuilders and naturally strong individuals to highlight the problem with trying to design our learning artificially.

You can find my published book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D84YCHL5

video references for this episode
- face slap: https://youtu.be/yO-lKVDFusI?feature=shared&t=2191
- arm wrestling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmhQoyOf5Cs
- deadlifting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwiC60GLEfQ

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Members: Join for full access to additional talks, practical exercises, member Q&As, and more at dekyon.io.

Society has become a little too enamoured with analysis and explanation, at the cost of building real things. Nature only validates by making things that work. This is what true validation looks like; less talking, more pointing (at what has been made). In this episode I use Mike Tyson as an example of the difference between real and polished. 

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In this episode I discuss the increasingly popular idea that valuing death is irrational, and that death should be treated as a problem to solve. I argue that such a stance is itself irrational, and that death should be viewed more objectively as an essential piece to how nature works. I show how the death-as-a-problem stance suffers from being intractable, and fails to align to the fundamental roles that constraints and iteration play in successful systems. 

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In this episode I use a recent statement made by Sam Altman, regarding the emergence of intelligence, to highlight the outdated way both laymen and many scientists view AI specifically, and complexity more broadly. I argue that, despite what we are told, a truly scientific and rigorous theory or decision does not demand a causal explanation, and in fact such causal approaches are quite counter to doing good science today.

Sam Atlam's excerpt: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C60dq1Oyw_r/
Tweet: https://twitter.com/sean_a_mcclure/status/1789315878544453977

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Members: Join for full access to additional talks, practical exercises, member Q&As, and more at dekyon.io.

In this episode I discuss one of the core flaws in IQ research, showing how it violates basic logic (let alone any notion of complexity). I discuss how such studies are not mere niche areas of research, but rather directly affect people's lives through the policies they encourage.

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For video version: https://youtu.be/kAnnsjl-jyg

In this episode I discuss the problem with taking only the final/best parts of something, and using those parts as a system to run our lives. I look at the importance of "waste" and redundancy in natural systems, and how this runs counter to our modern world's obsession with stripped down efficiency. 

Apologies for audio quality on this episode. 

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Members: Join for full access to additional talks, practical exercises, member Q&As, and more at dekyon.io.