web02.fireside.fm Sun, 05 Apr 2026 08:01:29 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Increments - Episodes Tagged with “Truth” https://www.incrementspodcast.com/tags/truth Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:30:00 -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 #98 (C&R Chap 10, Part III) - What is truth? https://www.incrementspodcast.com/98 0fea7698-ecf2-427d-94a1-bee55e1d72dd Mon, 16 Feb 2026 16:30:00 -0800 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani The boys dive into a discussion on objective truth. What is Truth, really? Why is The Correspondence Theory of Truth the only game in town here? 1:24:54 no "What is Truth?", said jesting podcasters, who then stuck around for an answer. Back at it again with The Conjectures and Refutations Series (part three) on Chapter 10: Truth, Rationality, and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge. Can we say what truth is, even if we can never be certain we've found it? If not, can we say that science is approaching truth? How would we ever know? And why are so many theories of truth untrue? We discuss Ben's early reflections on Abigail Shrier's book Bad Therapy Why did Popper feel the need to answer this particular "what is" question? Can asking "what is truth" be a demogogic and bad-faith question? The correspondence theory of truth vs The pragmatic theory of truth vs The coherence theory of truth Alfred Tarski's formalization of the correspondence theory of truth Are there problems with the correspondence theory? The disagreement between Vaden and Deutsch on truth References Daniel Bonevac on the Correspondence theory of truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlG_VaN1LHQ Tarki's 1944 paper (https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54c161ffe4b063fc8ab03446/t/54c3c492e4b03dfa2a2e40f8/1422115986189/Tarski+-+The+Semantic+Conception+of+Truth.pdf) on the semantic conception of truth Tarki's 1933 paper (http://www.thatmarcusfamily.org/philosophy/Course_Websites/Readings/Tarski%20-%20The%20Concept%20of%20Truth%20in%20Formalized%20Languages.pdf) "On the concept of truth in formalized languages" Deutsch's 2022 talk on truth: Musings about Truth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ-opI-jghs) # Socials Follow us on Twitter at @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) It would be both useful, coherent, and correspond to our happiness if you signed up for our patreon or discord. Hit us up at incrementspodcast@gmail.com truth, pragmatism, popper, science, conjectures and refutations "What is Truth?", said jesting podcasters, who then stuck around for an answer. Back at it again with The Conjectures and Refutations Series (part three) on Chapter 10: Truth, Rationality, and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge. Can we say what truth is, even if we can never be certain we've found it? If not, can we say that science is approaching truth? How would we ever know? And why are so many theories of truth untrue?

We discuss

  • Ben's early reflections on Abigail Shrier's book Bad Therapy
  • Why did Popper feel the need to answer this particular "what is" question?
  • Can asking "what is truth" be a demogogic and bad-faith question?
  • The correspondence theory of truth vs The pragmatic theory of truth vs The coherence theory of truth
  • Alfred Tarski's formalization of the correspondence theory of truth
  • Are there problems with the correspondence theory?
  • The disagreement between Vaden and Deutsch on truth

References

  • Daniel Bonevac on the Correspondence theory of truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlG_VaN1LHQ
  • Tarki's 1944 paper on the semantic conception of truth
  • Tarki's 1933 paper "On the concept of truth in formalized languages"
  • Deutsch's 2022 talk on truth: Musings about Truth # Socials
  • Follow us on Twitter at @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

It would be both useful, coherent, and correspond to our happiness if you signed up for our patreon or discord. Hit us up at incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Support Increments

]]> "What is Truth?", said jesting podcasters, who then stuck around for an answer. Back at it again with The Conjectures and Refutations Series (part three) on Chapter 10: Truth, Rationality, and the Growth of Scientific Knowledge. Can we say what truth is, even if we can never be certain we've found it? If not, can we say that science is approaching truth? How would we ever know? And why are so many theories of truth untrue?

We discuss

  • Ben's early reflections on Abigail Shrier's book Bad Therapy
  • Why did Popper feel the need to answer this particular "what is" question?
  • Can asking "what is truth" be a demogogic and bad-faith question?
  • The correspondence theory of truth vs The pragmatic theory of truth vs The coherence theory of truth
  • Alfred Tarski's formalization of the correspondence theory of truth
  • Are there problems with the correspondence theory?
  • The disagreement between Vaden and Deutsch on truth

References

  • Daniel Bonevac on the Correspondence theory of truth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlG_VaN1LHQ
  • Tarki's 1944 paper on the semantic conception of truth
  • Tarki's 1933 paper "On the concept of truth in formalized languages"
  • Deutsch's 2022 talk on truth: Musings about Truth # Socials
  • Follow us on Twitter at @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

It would be both useful, coherent, and correspond to our happiness if you signed up for our patreon or discord. Hit us up at incrementspodcast@gmail.com

Support Increments

]]> #74 - Disagreeing about Belief, Probability, and Truth (w/ David Deutsch) https://www.incrementspodcast.com/74 03508f9b-3a2a-4b15-9b23-fe30083b431b Tue, 01 Oct 2024 09:30:00 -0700 Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani full Ben Chugg and Vaden Masrani We talk with David Deutsch about whether the concept of belief is a useful lens on human cognition, when probability and statistics are actually useful, and whether he disagrees with Karl Popper about the truth. 1:32:02 no What do you do when one of your intellectual idols comes on the podcast? Bombard them with disagreements of course. We were thrilled to have David Deutsch on the podcast to discuss whether the concept of belief is a useful lens on human cognition, when probability and statistics should be deployed, and whether he disagrees with Karl Popper on abstractions, the truth, and nothing but the truth. Follow David on Twitter (@DavidDeutschOxf) or find his website here (https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/). We discuss Whether belief is a fruitful lens through which to analyze ideas Whether a non-quantitative form of belief can be defended How does belief bottom out epistemologically? Whether statistics and probability are useful Where should statistics and probability be used in practice? The Popper-Miller theorem Statements vs propositions and their relevance for truth Whether Popper and Deutsch disagree about truth References The Popper-Miller theorem. See the original paper (https://www.nature.com/articles/302687a0) David's 2021 talk on the correspondence theory of truth (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ-opI-jghs) David's talk on physics without probability (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfzSE4Hoxbc). Hempel's paradox (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven_paradox) The Beginning of Infinity (https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Infinity-Explanations-Transform-World/dp/0143121359) Knowledge and the Body-Mind Problem (https://www.amazon.ca/Knowledge-Body-Mind-Problem-Defence-Interaction/dp/0415135567) Socials Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani, @DavidDeutschOxf Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link Believe in us and 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) What's the truth about your belief on the probability of useful statistics? Tell us over at incrementspodcast@gmail.com. Special Guest: David Deutsch. probability, statistics, truth, belief, epistemology, certainty, mathematics What do you do when one of your intellectual idols comes on the podcast? Bombard them with disagreements of course. We were thrilled to have David Deutsch on the podcast to discuss whether the concept of belief is a useful lens on human cognition, when probability and statistics should be deployed, and whether he disagrees with Karl Popper on abstractions, the truth, and nothing but the truth.

Follow David on Twitter (@DavidDeutschOxf) or find his website here.

We discuss

  • Whether belief is a fruitful lens through which to analyze ideas
  • Whether a non-quantitative form of belief can be defended
  • How does belief bottom out epistemologically?
  • Whether statistics and probability are useful
  • Where should statistics and probability be used in practice?
  • The Popper-Miller theorem
  • Statements vs propositions and their relevance for truth
  • Whether Popper and Deutsch disagree about truth

References

Socials

  • Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani, @DavidDeutschOxf
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • Believe in us and 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

What's the truth about your belief on the probability of useful statistics? Tell us over at incrementspodcast@gmail.com.

Special Guest: David Deutsch.

Support Increments

]]> What do you do when one of your intellectual idols comes on the podcast? Bombard them with disagreements of course. We were thrilled to have David Deutsch on the podcast to discuss whether the concept of belief is a useful lens on human cognition, when probability and statistics should be deployed, and whether he disagrees with Karl Popper on abstractions, the truth, and nothing but the truth.

Follow David on Twitter (@DavidDeutschOxf) or find his website here.

We discuss

  • Whether belief is a fruitful lens through which to analyze ideas
  • Whether a non-quantitative form of belief can be defended
  • How does belief bottom out epistemologically?
  • Whether statistics and probability are useful
  • Where should statistics and probability be used in practice?
  • The Popper-Miller theorem
  • Statements vs propositions and their relevance for truth
  • Whether Popper and Deutsch disagree about truth

References

Socials

  • Follow us on Twitter at @IncrementsPod, @BennyChugg, @VadenMasrani, @DavidDeutschOxf
  • Come join our discord server! DM us on twitter or send us an email to get a supersecret link
  • Believe in us and 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

What's the truth about your belief on the probability of useful statistics? Tell us over at incrementspodcast@gmail.com.

Special Guest: David Deutsch.

Support Increments

]]>