Episode 113: Pascal, Probability, and Pitchforks

David and Tamler break down what may be the best argument that it's rational to believe in God: Pascal's Wager. (No, we're not just trolling our Sam Harris listeners.) Does the expected value of believing in God outweigh the probability that you're wrong? How does belief work--can you just turn it on and off? What if you believe in the wrong God? This leads to a wide-ranging discussion on decision theory, instrumental rationality, artificial intelligence, transformative experiences, and whether David should drop acid. Your brain AND your future self will love this episode! Support Very Bad Wizards Links: 2017 BP MS 150: Mr. Tamler Sommers - National MS Society Prose&Cons - YouTube Why people are so bad at thinking about the future. On Intertemporal Selfishness: How the Perceived Instability of Identity Underlies Impatient Consumption | Journal of Consumer Research | Oxford Academic "Homer's Soul" by Paul Bloom and David Pizarro Pascal's Wager - Wikipedia Pascal's mugging - Wikipedia Transformative Experience by L.A. Paul, in conversation with Paul Bloom. "Transformative Experience: by L. A. Paul [amazon.com affiliate link]