NonTrivial
Nontrivial is a podcast that looks to uncover deep patterns in life, discussing them at the intersection of science, complexity, and philosophy.
Episodes
96 episodes
Infinite Palaces: The True Potential of the Mind
In this episode I discuss the potential of the human mind in terms of assumed versus actual boundaries. People frame their mental potential in terms of space and time complexity (although most don't call it that); in other words, they assume th...
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Season 6
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Episode 18
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27:37
Hover and Wait: It Eventually Works
You can read more effectively by hovering above words and waiting until the text you thought would be too much to comprehend materializes in the mind. But if you try, sometimes it seems to work and sometimes it doesn't. But if you learn to hove...
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Season 6
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Episode 17
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21:46
Be Niche, and Grow
In this episode I discuss how to be more niche in your life and with your projects, and why that's the only way to truly grow.
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Season 6
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Episode 16
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21:13
You Should Be Reading at the Speed of Thought
In this episode I discuss how standing too close to the techniques we use can end up ruining their ability to help us.
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Season 6
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Episode 15
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23:55
You Only Need the Title to Make the Rest Work
In this episode I argue that all that is required to produce your best work is the title of that work. The title captures the essence of what you're hoping to communicate, while everything else can be achieved automatically. The "everything els...
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Season 6
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Episode 14
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24:46
Work, Play, One Life
Most of us want some kind of work-life balance. We tend to assume this means creating a distinct separation between when we work and when we play. In this episode I argue that balance is more naturally achieved when we bring work and life toget...
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Season 6
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Episode 13
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23:50
You Should Probably be Caring Less
In this episode I argue that it often makes more sense to go through life caring less. In today's society we are told we need to care more about how we look, how we speak, what we contribute to, etc. But we all care by default, and the real cha...
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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22:59
You Have to Pick Up the Sword
In this episode I talk about the need to realize that we are always in a war of some kind. This is true for our personal lives as much as society. If we stand for anything, than we must accept that messy friction is a part of life, and that emb...
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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20:32
What You Read Doesn't Matter
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 di...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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20:01
Diversity Works if You Don't Force It
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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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24:07
Is Music Only for Dumb People?
In this episode I talk about a study that says smarter people listen to less music.
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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26:14
What Does "Smart" Look Like?
In this episode I discuss the problem with thinking we know what smart looks like.
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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29:23
You Can't Learn from Scratch
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 re...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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33:27
The Difference Between Real and Polished
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 be...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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19:26
Is Death Irrational?
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 ...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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26:17
Nature is not Magic, Just Different: Why AI Shouldn't Surprise You
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...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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31:52
Round and Round We Go: The Circularity of IQ
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...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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28:18
Low Dimensional Thinking
For video version: https://youtu.be/kAnnsjl-jygIn 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 redunda...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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27:34
Protecting Your Reputation is a Tragedy
Reputations are things people tend to protect. But protecting our reputation means blocking our values from being known, which I argue invites the wrong opportunities into our lives. Having a life filled with wrong opportunities means never hav...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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29:53
People Who Understand Beethoven Don’t Play Beethoven
Many people proclaim to understand something because they study it. But you cannot know a thing by studying the thing, you have to create the thing. Playing Beethoven is replicating what you see in front of you, it is not creating the thing you...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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21:28
Bet What You Know
Placing bets means wagering something of value on the outcome of an uncertain event with the hopes of achieving a payoff. The decisions we make in life are akin to placing bets, and as with all bets, access to good information is what inc...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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28:03
Get Yourself Triggered
Getting triggered means someone experiences a strong emotional reaction to a particular stimulus or event. But there is a good side to being triggered. Getting triggered can compel us towards positive action. We can deliberately trigger ourselv...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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24:23
Stop Trying to Be Your Hero
A lot of people try to be their hero. But not only can we not do what our heroes do, our heroes cannot do what we do. It is our unique abilities that make us bring value to the world. The same thing can be achieved in countless ways, and those ...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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30:39
Don’t Let Schooling Turn You Into an Idiot
Math education consists primarily of learning rules to arrive at results. But these tricks bypass what is really happening. They can lead to a superficial grasp of mathematical concepts and hinder deeper learning and problem-solving abilities. ...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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23:43
Nothing Happens Without Critical Mass
Important things see the light of day, not by some plan or deterministic outline, but by making changes en-route to the goal. It's adaptability that matters in the face of real world situations. Finding the right mix of people, places and thing...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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31:37