web02.fireside.fm Wed, 29 Apr 2026 06:19:00 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Increments - Episodes Tagged with “Knowledge” https://www.incrementspodcast.com/tags/knowledge Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:30:00 -0700 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 #92 - Confronting the Paradox of Tolerance: Christianity in the age of Trump (w/ Jonathan Rauch) https://www.incrementspodcast.com/92 e472b680-6940-4f1c-84e8-8bf03e1978ca Thu, 25 Sep 2025 14:30:00 -0700 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani Jonathan Rauch explains why he's radical incrementalist, how to uphold the constitution of knowledge, and his view on the fight for the heart of Christianity. 1:07:09 no We're joined by Jonathan Rauch to discuss what it means to be a radical incrementalist, how to foment revolution on geological timescales, and whether Christianity can be a force for good in politics. Can Jon convince angry-Hitchens-atheist Vaden that Christianity has some benefits? Will both Vaden and Ben be at Sunday prayer? Follow Jonathan on his website (https://www.jonathanrauch.com/about.html), at Brookings (https://www.brookings.edu/people/jonathan-rauch/), at The Atlantic (https://www.theatlantic.com/author/jonathan-rauch/) or on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/jonrauch.bsky.social). We discuss The constitution of knowledge and whether it's holding Norms vs laws, and whether we should introduce more laws to codify norms Popper's paradox of tolerance How should liberals respond to illiberalism? Which tactics, if any, should democrats adopt from MAGA to fight MAGA? Sharp Christianity and Christian nationalism Rauch's plea to Christians References The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth (https://www.amazon.com/Constitution-Knowledge-Jonathan-Rauch/dp/0815738862) Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (https://www.amazon.com/Cross-Purposes-Christianitys-Bargain-Democracy/dp/0300273541) Errata Jonathan Rauch is the author of nine books, not eight! Socials Follow us on Twitter at @JonRauch, @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link Become a patreon subscriber here (https://www.patreon.com/Increments). Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here (https://ko-fi.com/increments). Click dem like buttons on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4wZzQyoW4s4ZuE4FY9DQQ) Anyone in Canada have a basement suite Jonathan could rent for a while? Send your address over to incrementspodcast@gmail.com Special Guest: Jonathan Rauch. paradox of tolerance, knowledge, norms, laws, rauch, religion, christianity We're joined by Jonathan Rauch to discuss what it means to be a radical incrementalist, how to foment revolution on geological timescales, and whether Christianity can be a force for good in politics. Can Jon convince angry-Hitchens-atheist Vaden that Christianity has some benefits? Will both Vaden and Ben be at Sunday prayer?

Follow Jonathan on his website, at Brookings, at The Atlantic or on Bluesky.

We discuss

  • The constitution of knowledge and whether it's holding
  • Norms vs laws, and whether we should introduce more laws to codify norms
  • Popper's paradox of tolerance
  • How should liberals respond to illiberalism? Which tactics, if any, should democrats adopt from MAGA to fight MAGA?
  • Sharp Christianity and Christian nationalism
  • Rauch's plea to Christians

References

Errata

Jonathan Rauch is the author of nine books, not eight!

Socials

  • Follow us on Twitter at @JonRauch, @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • Become a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here.
  • Click dem like buttons on youtube

Anyone in Canada have a basement suite Jonathan could rent for a while? Send your address over to incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Special Guest: Jonathan Rauch.

Support Increments

]]> We're joined by Jonathan Rauch to discuss what it means to be a radical incrementalist, how to foment revolution on geological timescales, and whether Christianity can be a force for good in politics. Can Jon convince angry-Hitchens-atheist Vaden that Christianity has some benefits? Will both Vaden and Ben be at Sunday prayer?

Follow Jonathan on his website, at Brookings, at The Atlantic or on Bluesky.

We discuss

  • The constitution of knowledge and whether it's holding
  • Norms vs laws, and whether we should introduce more laws to codify norms
  • Popper's paradox of tolerance
  • How should liberals respond to illiberalism? Which tactics, if any, should democrats adopt from MAGA to fight MAGA?
  • Sharp Christianity and Christian nationalism
  • Rauch's plea to Christians

References

Errata

Jonathan Rauch is the author of nine books, not eight!

Socials

  • Follow us on Twitter at @JonRauch, @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • Become a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here.
  • Click dem like buttons on youtube

Anyone in Canada have a basement suite Jonathan could rent for a while? Send your address over to incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Special Guest: Jonathan Rauch.

Support Increments

]]> #77 (Bonus) - AI Doom Debate (w/ Liron Shapira) https://www.incrementspodcast.com/77 24e93eab-5281-418f-bddf-9516c7c5f8d7 Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:30:00 -0800 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani Part II of the great debate! Is AI about to kill everyone? Should you cash in on those vacation days now? 2:21:22 no Back on Liron's Doom Debates podcast! Will we actually get around to the subject of superintelligent AI this time? Is it time to worry about the end of the world? Will Ben and Vaden emotionally recover from the devastating youtube comments from the last episode? Follow Liron on twitter (@liron) and check out the Doom Debates youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@DoomDebates) and podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doom-debates/id1751366208). We discuss Definitions of "new knowledge" The reliance of deep learning on induction Can AIs be creative? The limits of statistical prediction Predictions of what deep learning cannot accomplish Can ChatGPT write funny jokes? Trends versus principles The psychological consequences of doomerism Socials Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani, @liron Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link The world is going to end soon, might as well get exclusive bonus content by becoming a patreon subscriber here (https://www.patreon.com/Increments). Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here (https://ko-fi.com/increments). Click dem like buttons on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_4wZzQyoW4s4ZuE4FY9DQQ) Was Vaden's two week anti-debate bro reeducation camp successful? Tell us at incrementspodcast@gmail.com Special Guest: Liron Shapira. AI, superintelligence, existential risk, novelty, induction, deep learning, comedy, creativity, knowledge Back on Liron's Doom Debates podcast! Will we actually get around to the subject of superintelligent AI this time? Is it time to worry about the end of the world? Will Ben and Vaden emotionally recover from the devastating youtube comments from the last episode?

Follow Liron on twitter (@liron) and check out the Doom Debates youtube channel and podcast.

We discuss

  • Definitions of "new knowledge"
  • The reliance of deep learning on induction
  • Can AIs be creative?
  • The limits of statistical prediction
  • Predictions of what deep learning cannot accomplish
  • Can ChatGPT write funny jokes?
  • Trends versus principles
  • The psychological consequences of doomerism

Socials

  • Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani, @liron
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • The world is going to end soon, might as well get exclusive bonus content by becoming a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here.
  • Click dem like buttons on youtube

Was Vaden's two week anti-debate bro reeducation camp successful? Tell us at incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Special Guest: Liron Shapira.

Support Increments

]]> Back on Liron's Doom Debates podcast! Will we actually get around to the subject of superintelligent AI this time? Is it time to worry about the end of the world? Will Ben and Vaden emotionally recover from the devastating youtube comments from the last episode?

Follow Liron on twitter (@liron) and check out the Doom Debates youtube channel and podcast.

We discuss

  • Definitions of "new knowledge"
  • The reliance of deep learning on induction
  • Can AIs be creative?
  • The limits of statistical prediction
  • Predictions of what deep learning cannot accomplish
  • Can ChatGPT write funny jokes?
  • Trends versus principles
  • The psychological consequences of doomerism

Socials

  • Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani, @liron
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • The world is going to end soon, might as well get exclusive bonus content by becoming a patreon subscriber here. Or give us one-time cash donations to help cover our lack of cash donations here.
  • Click dem like buttons on youtube

Was Vaden's two week anti-debate bro reeducation camp successful? Tell us at incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Special Guest: Liron Shapira.

Support Increments

]]> #10 (C&R Series, Ch. 4) - Tradition https://www.incrementspodcast.com/10 Buzzsprout-4988552 Thu, 13 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0700 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani 1:15:37 no <p>Traditions, what are you good for? Absolutely nothing? In this episode of Increments, Ben and Vaden begin their series on Conjectures and Refutations by looking at the role tradition plays in society, and examine one tradition in particular - the critical tradition. No monkeys were harmed in the making of this episode. <br><br><br><b>References:<br>- C&amp;R, Chapter 4: </b><a href="https://tinyurl.com/y39d25zu">Towards a Rational Theory of Tradition</a><br><br><br><b>Podcast shoutout:<br></b>-<b> </b>Jennifer Doleac and Rob Wiblin on <a href="https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/jennifer-doleac-reforming-police-preventing-crime/">policing, law and incarceration</a><br>- James Foreman Jr. on the <a href="https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/james-forman-jr-cruelty-in-the-us-criminal-legal-system/">US criminal legal system</a><b><br></b><br><em>audio updated 26/12/2020</em><br><br><br></p> tradition, knowledge, criticism, progress, rationality Traditions, what are you good for? Absolutely nothing? In this episode of Increments, Ben and Vaden begin their series on Conjectures and Refutations by looking at the role tradition plays in society, and examine one tradition in particular - the critical tradition. No monkeys were harmed in the making of this episode.


References:
- C&R, Chapter 4: Towards a Rational Theory of Tradition


Podcast shoutout:
- Jennifer Doleac and Rob Wiblin on policing, law and incarceration
- James Foreman Jr. on the US criminal legal system

audio updated 26/12/2020


Support Increments

]]> Traditions, what are you good for? Absolutely nothing? In this episode of Increments, Ben and Vaden begin their series on Conjectures and Refutations by looking at the role tradition plays in society, and examine one tradition in particular - the critical tradition. No monkeys were harmed in the making of this episode.


References:
- C&R, Chapter 4: Towards a Rational Theory of Tradition


Podcast shoutout:
- Jennifer Doleac and Rob Wiblin on policing, law and incarceration
- James Foreman Jr. on the US criminal legal system

audio updated 26/12/2020


Support Increments

]]>