The Pattern is Not the Path episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 8, 2021 · 39 MIN

The Pattern is Not the Path

from NonTrivial · host Sean McClure

In this episode I argue that the detailed patterns we study cannot be used as the basis for improving things. The inspection of bird's wings does not lead to human flight, the admiration of a wise man's character traits cannot tell you how to achieve inner peace, and the government's preoccupation with desired outcomes cannot be used to direct funding, and other examples. It's likely going to challenge some deep-seated beliefs you have about how things work, but I'll be supporting my argument with known properties and mechanisms related to information, uncertainty, risk and complexity.Support the showBecome a Member at dekyon.io/seanmcclure/nontrivialPremium members get access to the full member app. This includes data visualizations of the core concepts in each episode, a Study Space for learning fundamentals, and premium articles on Techniques and Mindsets.Members can also save personal notes, explore episode summaries and transcripts, search across episodes, track watch history and progress, and participate in the community forum. Premium membership includes ongoing support.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 8, 2021

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In this episode I argue that the detailed patterns we study cannot be used as the basis for improving things. The inspection of bird's wings does not lead to human flight, the admiration of a wise man's character traits cannot tell you how to achieve inner peace, and the government's preoccupation with desired outcomes cannot be used to direct funding, and other examples. It's likely going to challenge some deep-seated beliefs you have about how things work, but I'll be supporting my argument...

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The Pattern is Not the Path

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