Josh Pelton

THUNK

A show about things that tickle your brain.

Author

Josh Pelton

Category

Education

Podcast website

thunkshow.com

Latest episode

Jan 30, 2026

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Episodes

164. Survey Results 06.03.2019

Survey Link - https://goo.gl/forms/RZQSnxPWjh83fZ4J2 Video: http://youtu.be/SsKONP7W2Z0 Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/03/06/164.-Survey-Results.html

163. Hacking vs. Design 13.02.2019

Creators are familiar with two different types of problem-solving: there’s the careful, deliberate kind…and there’s hacks. Video: http://youtu.be/dxdcshbE7AU Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/02/13/163.-Hacking-vs.-Design.html

162. Minimalism 30.01.2019

Minimalism is a philosophy that many find appealing, but what connection does it have to wealth? Video: http://youtu.be/TG7KyTgH1XA Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/01/30/162.-Minimalism.html

161. '13 Reasons Why' and Compatibilism 16.01.2019

“13 Reasons Why” attributes suicide to a number of causes, but omits a crucial aspect of the story: free will. Video: http://youtu.be/ngQ7Dh9-NFM Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/01/16/161.-'13-Reasons-Why'-and-Compatibilism.html

160. Theories of Truth, Part 2 02.01.2019

We default to correspondence theory to explain how truth works…could that be a relic of Enlightenment values? Video: http://youtu.be/6ftWQzbxsSY Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/01/02/160.-Theories-of-Truth,-Part-2.html

159. Theories of Truth, Part 1 19.12.2018

Philosophers aren’t just preoccupied with fundamental truths - they think a fair amount about what truth is. Video: http://youtu.be/lgDAQw3XJzE Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/12/19/159.-Theories-of-Truth,-Part-1.html

158. On the Virtues of Wiggle Room 28.11.2018

Allowing for little bit of “wiggle room” might seem frivolous, but it can have massive implications. Video: http://youtu.be/2qievobZhCc Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/11/28/158.-On-the-Virtues-of-Wiggle-Room.html

157. Issues With Infinity 21.11.2018

Scientists are used to seeing infinity in their equations, but refuse to accept it as an answer to them - why? Video: http://youtu.be/DmZ3HrZO-gQ Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/11/21/157.-Issues-With-Infinity.html

156. Less Wrong, Rationality, and Logicbros 01.11.2018

I focus a lot on improving my critical thinking skills & knowledge of bias, but I may just be honing deadly weapons to be wielded by the mad specter that sometimes possesses me. Video: http://youtu.be/Gtg9tQ4mqLc Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/11/01/156.-Less-Wrong,-Rationality,-and-Logicbros.html

155. Combinatorial Explosion and Flu Shots 17.10.2018

Influenza isn’t complex, but it uses the insane growth rate of f(x) = x! , one of the fastest-growing functions out there. The greatest benefit of the #flushot isn’t keeping you healthy, it’s retarding that combinatorial explosion enough to save lives. Get one. Video: http://youtu.be/s5CLpkTdiLM Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/10/17/155.-Combinatorial-Explosion-and-Flu-Shots.html

154. The Ethics of Placebo-Controlled Trials 03.10.2018

“Good” medical trials are placebo-controlled, but when might it be immoral to even perform such an experiment? Video: http://youtu.be/cpVxiGxs_yE Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/10/03/154.-The-Ethics-of-Placebo-Controlled-Trials.html

153. 'The Culture' and Hedonism 19.09.2018

Iain M. Banks’s “Culture” is a techno-utopia of hedonism, a concept much more philosophically complex than sex, drugs, and rock n roll. Video: http://youtu.be/LD7wdKeMhus Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/09/19/153.-'The-Culture'-and-Hedonism.html

152. Prediction Markets and Superforecasting 05.09.2018

Prediction markets: put your money where your mouth is. (Just don’t bet against the superforecasters.) Video: http://youtu.be/FVW0rqxX0CE Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/09/05/152.-Prediction-Markets-and-Superforecasting.html

151. Systems, Law, Rules and Standards 22.08.2018

Systems (e.g. checklists, plans, and laws) imbue us with positively superhuman capabilities, both for good and ill. Video: http://youtu.be/Q_wxmZzXGAc Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/08/22/151.-Systems,-Law,-Rules-and-Standards.html

150. Mutual and Common Knowledge 08.08.2018

Mutual and common knowledge: because simulating someone else simulating you is confusing…perhaps usefully so…. Video: http://youtu.be/27GIGEygzyo Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/08/08/150.-Mutual-and-Common-Knowledge.html

149. Solution Space and Tiling Trees 25.07.2018

Challenge: Examine enough potential answers to a problem to be confident in one of them. Solution: Tiling trees! Video: http://youtu.be/SydzpgrKYn4 Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/07/25/149.-Solution-Space-and-Tiling-Trees.html

148. Aristotle's Infinite Regress and Intuition 13.07.2018

Aristotle found a problem at the foundations of epistemology: an infinite regress of justification. Video: http://youtu.be/FEwbKkYMCuA Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/07/13/148.-Aristotle's-Infinite-Regress-and-Intuition.html

147. Grice's Maxims of Conversation 27.06.2018

How exactly does implication work? Philosopher Paul Grice might have had a couple decent ideas. Video: http://youtu.be/eGzV8pHO9Vg Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/06/27/147.-Grice's-Maxims-of-Conversation.html

146. Mental Illness and Creativity 14.06.2018

Everyone knows you have to be a little bit crazy to be a great artist, right? …right? Video: http://youtu.be/jq0bf16kiJM Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/06/14/146.-Mental-Illness-and-Creativity.html

145. Tit for Tat and Zero Determinant Strategies 31.05.2018

Tit for Tat: the king of Prisoner’s Dilemma strategies. Its simplicity masks its depth…but it can be beaten! Video: http://youtu.be/HiRb_IJE2zg Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/05/31/145.-Tit-for-Tat-and-Zero-Determinant-Strategies.html

144. Thinking Like a Bayesian 23.05.2018

Prediction is a lot like playing poker…so why do we treat it like it was a coin toss? Enter the Bayesians! Video: http://youtu.be/zXFnwYUPjGA Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/05/23/144.-Thinking-Like-a-Bayesian.html

143. Newcomb's Problem - Evidential and Causal Decision Theory 09.05.2018

Newcomb’s Problem: it’s like “Is a hotdog a sandwich?,” but WAY nerdier, with deep implications for rationality. Video: http://youtu.be/SQw2WmicDYA Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/05/09/143.-Newcomb's-Problem-Evidential-and-Causal-Decision-Theory.html

142. 'Rogue AI's' of the Present Day 25.04.2018

Many people are worried about rogue AI’s of the future, but what about the ones that already exist? Video: http://youtu.be/mI1wIDgxuRg Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/04/25/142.-'Rogue-AI's'-of-the-Present-Day.html

141. Von Neumann Probes 11.04.2018

A self-replicating 3D printer might be on the horizon, & with it, the exciting potential of Von Neumann probes! Video: http://youtu.be/aAPmm0EDhtU Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/04/11/141.-Von-Neumann-Probes.html

140. The End of History Illusion and Introspection 30.03.2018

You’ve changed a lot, but you’ve got yourself more or less figured out now, right? You and everyone else. Video: http://youtu.be/eCeD7VDJCYY Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2018/03/30/140.-The-End-of-History-Illusion-and-Introspection.html

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