THUNK
Josh Pelton
A show about things that tickle your brain.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Sep 10, 2015 • 5min
74. What Reason is For (Critical Thinking,
Is logic cold & impersonal? Are rational answers boring ones? Take a detour thru the Renaissance & find out.
Video: http://youtu.be/1-ozUrg7HnU Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/09/10/74.-What-Reason-is-For-(Critical-Thinking,.html
Aug 26, 2015 • 8min
73. Rigor (Critical Thinking, Part 2)
We rarely give the “critical” part of “critical thinking” its due. Rigor in thought is hard, but so important.
Video: http://youtu.be/l3uDwNUVieQ Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/08/26/73.-Rigor-(Critical-Thinking,-Part-2).html
Aug 12, 2015 • 7min
72. Logic (Critical Thinking, Part 1)
“Logic” isn’t just being reasonable; it’s a formal system of finding truth, like math. Why did nobody tell me?!
Video: http://youtu.be/_P5AkmnMf4E Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/08/12/72.-Logic-(Critical-Thinking,-Part-1).html
Jul 29, 2015 • 7min
71. Memory Palaces
“Sherlock” features a real mnemonic technique called a memory palace. But you don’t need to be Holmes to use it!
Video: http://youtu.be/f5zYrN7wt4Y Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/07/29/71.-Memory-Palaces.html
Jul 15, 2015 • 8min
70. Hume's Fork, Logical Positivism, and Quine
A brisk tour of British empiricism and Hume’s split between matters of fact and relations of ideas. A look at Hume’s attack on metaphysics and why theology struck him as illusion. The rise of logical positivism and its verification test are examined. Quine’s famous critique that toppled the analytic/synthetic divide gets unpacked.
Jun 17, 2015 • 8min
68. Star Wars, Canonicity, and John Dewey
The Star Wars Expanded Universe recently lost its canonicity; what does that really mean? Does John Dewey know?
Video: http://youtu.be/J3TR6qmFV-c Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/06/17/68.-Star-Wars,-Canonicity,-and-John-Dewey.html
Jun 3, 2015 • 7min
67. Good Guys, Bad Guys, and Fallacies
What do gun control and police brutality have in common? Some arguments for both contain the same logical fallacy.
Video: http://youtu.be/uHXc6RJO9cc Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/06/03/67.-Good-Guys,-Bad-Guys,-and-Fallacies.html
May 20, 2015 • 6min
66. Lockpicking and Security
Many believe locks = safety. Learn how they work, how they’re picked, and why security is more about deterrence.
Video: http://youtu.be/k72dPdmlC9s Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/05/20/66.-Lockpicking-and-Security.html
May 6, 2015 • 8min
65. The Real Dangers of AI
There are many absurd fictional AI-gone-haywire stories, but the real potential of general AI is unsettling.
Video: http://youtu.be/3X-9sCYEO3s Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/05/06/65.-The-Real-Dangers-of-AI.html
Apr 22, 2015 • 6min
64. The Argumentative Theory of Human Reason
If humans evolved reason to find truth, it’s weirdly flawed. But what if it evolved for the purpose of argument?
Video: http://youtu.be/Cduyyif7BVY Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2015/04/22/64.-The-Argumentative-Theory-of-Human-Reason.html
