In this episodeI interview Avisha Nessaiver aka Distilled Science following our back and forth over tiktok/Instagram on gen AI video.

I start out by interviewing him in general, then about an hour in we get into the AI stuff.

Timestamps below:

01:55 – The Science of Touch and Oxytocin

05:15 – Understanding Pain and Pleasure in Touch

08:09 – From Academia to Science Communication

11:08 – Innovations in Medical Technology

14:18 – Navigating the Challenges of Startups

17:12 – Misinformation and the COVID-19 Pandemic

20:04 – The Rise of TikTok as a Science Platform

22:59 – Debunking Misinformation in Science

26:07 – Reading and Understanding Scientific Literature

33:17 – The Importance of Context in Fitness Research

37:05 – Understanding Bone Density and Its Challenges

39:50 – Innovative Nutritional Experiments and Their Outcomes

49:36 – Optimizing Workouts and Sleep for Better Health

-------

58:10 – AI DEBATE STARTS HERE

1:01:41 – The Power of AI in Creative Storytelling

1:03:40 – Humour and Its Mechanics

1:07:12 – The Role of AI in Education

1:09:25 – Cognitive Tools and Learning

1:12:23 – The Importance of Statistical Literacy

1:16:13 – Navigating Misinformation in Politics

1:20:39 – The Challenge of Engaging with Opposing Views

1:25:55 – The Battle Against Misinformation

1:26:44 – The Future of Information Consumption

More of Distilled Science:
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@distilledscience?
https://www.instagram.com/distilledscience/
https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@DistilledScience⁩

More of me:
https://linktr.ee/Jacklawrence

This essay starts with a simple question: how do we know what is true? In answering this I examine the collapse of trust in society alongside the rise of ideology as a substitute for rationalism. I argue that rationalism only works if we have the time and resources to enable it, and that these criteria are no longer being met. I posit that much as the Enlightenment killed God, we are watching it happen again. Rationalism is dying - the framework of truth we had is now breaking under the weight of volume, complexity, mistrust and ideology.

What happens when rationalism fails? What happens when we kill God a second time?

If you'd like to read this piece, you can do so here: https://open.substack.com/pub/jacklawro/p/killing-god-a-second-time?r=k9z53&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

For more of me:
https://linktr.ee/Jacklawrence
https://substack.com/@jacklawro
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawro

You only have feelings. This is the paradigm argued for by Nick Shackleton Jones. Nick is the author of the book How People Learn, which offers an entirely new model for learning and cognition which he thinks can massively improve performance, learning, and education.

Nick is many things - he is an author, a speaker, a philosopher, a psychology lecturer, and has worked in both the academic and corporate worlds, including time at the BBC, Deloitte, PA consulting and others in positions centred around learning and innovation. He's a rare individual. I had so much fun talking to him. We talk about his ideas, philosophy, neuroscience, how best to learn, consciousness and AI, among many other things . There's a lovely mix of practical and intellectual stuff here, so I think there's something for everyone - please enjoy.

You can also find a video version of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/UdD6sbBeer4

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro
01:22 You don't have thoughts, you only have feelings
04:36 The philosophical foundations
06:10 But what about maths?
10:16 What does "think rationally" really mean?
15:06 What is philosophy driven by?
17:49 Mandatory Stoicism dig
20:19 Nietzsche's point
21:44 Memory Champions
23:25 The Affective Context Model
26:59 Definitions of Memory and Learning
30:43 School doesn't help learning
37:33 Education reform
43:17 Why does everyone have to get along?
46:59 What's the difference using Nick's approach?
54:32 Making yourself care about what you need to learn about
57:37 We talk about World of Warcraft for a bit
01:03:42 Video games and Learning Design
01:06:37 Won't we just end up with Minecraft experts?
01:15:34 Advice for teachers
01:18:00 Should we rethink what intelligence is?
01:23:38 The problem of language
01:28:46 The AI question
01:33:29 What will technology be doing with us 10,000 years from now?
01:34:57 Does AI inevitably make us dumber?
01:40:39 How does Nick avoid nihilism??
01:44:29 Pessimistic Meta-Induction
01:47:22 A joke about behaviourism
01:49:32 Does reality exist independently of our feelings?
01:54:58 What is Nick unsure of?
01:58:59 Why can't we create LLM's that have feelings?
02:03:34 Geniuses are affectation geniuses
02:05:49 Nietzsche's comedic life
02:12:08 What evidence could disprove Shackleton's paradigm?
02:18:09 Combating bad ideas online
02:25:28 Bad role models
02:30:15 The temptation of digital relationships for young men
02:32:09 The losing case for Reality
02:44:11 Where to find more of Nick's stuff

For more of Nick:
https://www.tiktok.com/@shackletonjones
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shackletonjones/

His book is called "How People Learn: A New Model of Learning and Cognition to Improve Performance and Education" and can be found on Amazon and other booksellers

For more of me:
https://linktr.ee/Jacklawrence
https://substack.com/@jacklawro
https://www.instagram.com/jack.lawro/
https://www.tiktok.com/@jack.lawro