The Bottom Turtle Podcast

Dr Ray and Oyani Discuss Causal Structure and World Building

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In this episode, Oyani and Dr. Ray use the no mentation without representation principle introduced in the previous episode to discuss the similarities between minds and computer algorithms.  They then discuss what it means to navigate the conceptual space when solving a problem using thought experiments involving crossword puzzles and optimization algorithms.

The basis of their argument is that minds and computers are similar in that both physical systems are subsets of the universe that can be placed in many configurations.  Also, in both cases, the configuration of the systems depend on the input data they receive and how they process information.  In the case of a computer, the software placed on the system affects how the system processes data.  For beings of mind, the state of mind determines how the system processes data and thus affects the configuration of its physical system. 

Given these symmetries, the process of solving a problem can be understood in terms of optimizing objective functions by searching in the space of configurations.  The hosts also discuss how this perspective gives insight into the questions of self and what it means to be socialized so that composite minds can be created.  This leads into discussions of reformulating the golden rule in terms of optimization, what is evil from the perspective of an information processor, and the importance of cooperation.     

So join us if you're interested in discussions about ethics, socialization, and problem solving from the perspective of an information processor.  Also, don't forget to leave a review.

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As always, stay turtlin' my friends!

If you enjoy the podcast, please support us by leaving a review, rating the podcast, and/or telling a friend.  

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In this episode, Dr. Ray and Oyani discuss the process of navigating the conceptual space using the no mentation without representation principle.  Here,  mentation refers to mental states and representation refers to physical states.  The purpose of this principle is to bridge our understanding of the conceptual and physical spaces.

To demonstrate their point, the hosts use the thought experiment of telling someone a secret. If someone is told a secret, they can physically carry that secret by walking into another room and telling another person.  This is no different than if it the secret was written on a piece of paper, carried into another room, and handed to someone.  Therefore, the act of communicating is the act of changing something's physical configuration. It is also true that one changes their own physical configuration as they think.  As one thinks, they are traversing a trajectory in the space of all configurations their system could be in.  The state of happiness is a different physical configuration from the state of sadness.  But to go from one to the other, one must know how to program their physical system from one to the other.  This is the process of navigating the conceptual space.

The hosts further discuss the role of feelings when navigating the conceptual space.  Feelings act as a physical measurements that informs one about their location in the conceptual space.  To effectively navigate it, one must be honest about their feelings; they tell you what conceptual neighborhood you're in. 

So, if you find these ideas interesting and want to hear more, check out the episode.  Also, don't forget to leave a review!

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And you can leave us an email at: [email protected] 

As always stay turtlin' my friends! 

If you enjoy the podcast, please support us by leaving a review, rating the podcast, and/or telling a friend.  

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Welcome back to The Bottom Turtle Podcast! In this episode Oyani and Dr. Ray use the degree of freedom soup, introduced in the previous episode, to discuss the simulation hypothesis.  They also discuss the usefulness of the hypothesis  as a tool for discussing the limits of what can be known about reality. 

Beyond the discussion about the truth of living in a simulation, the hosts also ask if it really matters.  Assuming the model put forth by Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom that we are beings in an ancestral program of reality, the hosts ask if it matters given that there are still consequences.  If it is the case that a powerful civilization discovered how to create consciousness and placed it in a computer, is there any difference from regular life since we would still be minds navigating a degree of freedom soup who can feel? 

The hosts also discuss the implications of the matrix on the simulation hypothesis and how societies construct a consensus when constructing a model of reality using the scientific method.  They also give their version of the simulation hypothesis by stating in the affirmative that we are in a simulation that is constructed by our physical systems as it models the degree of freedom soup.  Basically, as minds trapped in bodies, we are trapped in our simulations of hard reality ( that which exists independent of any single mind and is the origin of data inputs for the model). 

So join us if you're interested in an alternative perspective on the simulation hypothesis.  Also, don't forget to leave a review.

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As always, stay turtlin' my friends!

If you enjoy the podcast, please support us by leaving a review, rating the podcast, and/or telling a friend.  

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Welcome to the first episode of The Bottom Turtle Podcast!  Join hosts visual designer Oyani Onimiya and theoretical physicist Dr. Shannon Ray as they discuss the nature of reality from the perspective of information. 

The purpose of this podcast is to develop a language for conceptualizing reality using nothing but the concept of information.  The episode begins by introducing the bottom turtle anecdote.  The hosts then introduce their central argument for addressing the problem of infinite regression by asking the question what is the extent to which one can be certain about what reality is.  That is, a complete answer to the question of reality must be accompanied by a degree of certainty (which is equivalent to providing a degree of uncertainty).  This train of thought is continued by suggesting that as minds, we are trapped in our models of reality that are generated by our human systems. 

To further motivate the assertion that minds are trapped in models of reality, the concept of the degree of freedom soup is introduced.  This is a thought tool for conceptualizing the universe without filtering it through a mind.  Minds conceptualize reality based on how their systems gather, store, and access information. Therefore, an octopus, a human, and a bear all conceptualize the same room differently, but no one conceptualization is more true than another.  Therefore, the degree of freedom soup is meant to break the illusion that what we see is reality. 

If you find these ideas intriguing and want to hear more, join us in the discussion by clicking the episode.  Also,  don't forget to leave a review.

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and you can email us at [email protected]

Stay turtlin' my friends !

If you enjoy the podcast, please support us by leaving a review, rating the podcast, and/or telling a friend.  

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If you have any questions or ideas you want discussed on the show, leave us an email at [email protected] 

The Bottom Turtle Podcast trailer

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