web02.fireside.fm Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:32:41 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Increments - Episodes Tagged with “Explanations” https://www.incrementspodcast.com/tags/explanations Mon, 16 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0800 Vaden Masrani, a senior research scientist in machine learning, and Ben Chugg, a PhD student in statistics, get into trouble arguing about everything except machine learning and statistics. Coherence is somewhere on the horizon. Bribes, suggestions, love-mail and hate-mail all welcome at incrementspodcast@gmail.com. en-us episodic Science, Philosophy, Epistemology, Mayhem Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani Vaden Masrani, a senior research scientist in machine learning, and Ben Chugg, a PhD student in statistics, get into trouble arguing about everything except machine learning and statistics. Coherence is somewhere on the horizon. Bribes, suggestions, love-mail and hate-mail all welcome at incrementspodcast@gmail.com. no Philosophy,Science,Ethics,Progress,Knowledge,Computer Science,Conversation,Error-Correction Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani incrementspodcast@gmail.com #47 (Bonus) - Dualism, Reductionism, and Explanation Pancakes https://www.incrementspodcast.com/47 762ad0a7-96d2-4f2b-be8b-b0133e282e68 Mon, 16 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0800 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani Vaden goes on The Declaration podcast to argue about dualism, the reality of abstractions, emergence, and reductionism. 1:32:30 no Second holiday season bonus episode! Vaden joins Chesto on The Declaration (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-declaration-podcast/id1433998370) podcast to talk about monism, dualism, the reality of abstractions, emergence, and reductionism. This convo was recorded in 2019, but much of the content is evergreen and we think it still makes for interestin' listenin'. Except the sound quality, which leaves much to be desired. Thanks Blue Yeti. We discuss: - The mind-body problem - Why Vaden is a filthy pluralist and Chesto is a sober, sane, rational materialist - Reductonism vs dualism vs pluralism - The reality of abstractions - Why explanations are central to science - Would you get into a Star Trek transporter? - And, a little bit out of left field, some advice for talking about mental health References: - Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (https://smile.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567?sa-no-redirect=1) - Beginning of Infinity (https://www.amazon.ca/Beginning-Infinity-Explanations-Transform-World/dp/0143121359) - Chesto's instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mynameischesto/?hl=en) for your eyes and soundcloud (https://soundcloud.com/mynameischesto) for your ears. Errata: - In the Domino example from BOI the prime number was 641, not whatever number Vaden said - The Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977, not 1972 Contact us - Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani - Check us out on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4wZzQyoW4s4ZuE4FY9DQQ - Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link Are emails real? Tell us at incrementspodcast@gmail.com. Photo credit: https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2019/11/07/optimization-dominoes-and-frankenstein/ dualism, reductionism, explanations, abstractions, mind body problem Second holiday season bonus episode! Vaden joins Chesto on The Declaration podcast to talk about monism, dualism, the reality of abstractions, emergence, and reductionism. This convo was recorded in 2019, but much of the content is evergreen and we think it still makes for interestin' listenin'. Except the sound quality, which leaves much to be desired. Thanks Blue Yeti.

We discuss:

  • The mind-body problem
  • Why Vaden is a filthy pluralist and Chesto is a sober, sane, rational materialist
  • Reductonism vs dualism vs pluralism
  • The reality of abstractions
  • Why explanations are central to science
  • Would you get into a Star Trek transporter?
  • And, a little bit out of left field, some advice for talking about mental health

References:

Errata:

  • In the Domino example from BOI the prime number was 641, not whatever number Vaden said
  • The Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977, not 1972

Contact us

Are emails real? Tell us at incrementspodcast@gmail.com.

Photo credit: https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2019/11/07/optimization-dominoes-and-frankenstein/

Support Increments

]]> Second holiday season bonus episode! Vaden joins Chesto on The Declaration podcast to talk about monism, dualism, the reality of abstractions, emergence, and reductionism. This convo was recorded in 2019, but much of the content is evergreen and we think it still makes for interestin' listenin'. Except the sound quality, which leaves much to be desired. Thanks Blue Yeti.

We discuss:

  • The mind-body problem
  • Why Vaden is a filthy pluralist and Chesto is a sober, sane, rational materialist
  • Reductonism vs dualism vs pluralism
  • The reality of abstractions
  • Why explanations are central to science
  • Would you get into a Star Trek transporter?
  • And, a little bit out of left field, some advice for talking about mental health

References:

Errata:

  • In the Domino example from BOI the prime number was 641, not whatever number Vaden said
  • The Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977, not 1972

Contact us

Are emails real? Tell us at incrementspodcast@gmail.com.

Photo credit: https://www.johndcook.com/blog/2019/11/07/optimization-dominoes-and-frankenstein/

Support Increments

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