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The Bayesian Conspiracy 252 – The 12 Virtues of Rationality, with Alex and David
Dec 10, 2025
A lively tour of Yudkowsky's Twelve Virtues, unpacking curiosity, relinquishment, lightness, and evenness. They explore argument as testing, empiricism, simplicity, humility, and precision. Scholarship, flow-like “the void,” and cooperation under uncertainty also feature. Personal reflections and a pitch for the Guild of the Rose round out the conversation.
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Episode notes
Childlike Curiosity That Never Died
- David describes himself as what happens when a child's curiosity never dies and uses that image to motivate lifelong inquiry.
- He treats curiosity as loving reality and wanting to 'hug it and know it all.'
Train Loved Ones To Test Claims
- Teach friends and family to argue by asking 'what evidence would change your mind' and propose fair tests.
- Use bets or simple stakes to make disagreements resolvable and socially graceful.
Simplicity Limits Failure Points
- Simplicity reduces failure points because each extra assumption creates a new chance to be wrong.
- Prefer models with fewer conditional steps to limit cascading errors.