Best Intellectual Mathematics Podcasts (2025)

1
Torricelli’s trumpet is not counterintuitive 56:39

5M ago56:39

56:39

There is nothing counterintuitive about an infinite shape with finite volume, contrary to the common propaganda version of the calculus trope known as Torricelli’s trumpet. Nor was this result seen as counterintuitive at the time of its discovery in the 17th century, contrary to many commonplace historical narratives. Transcript Torricelli’s trumpe…

1
The Deutsch Files IV 1:25:06

7M ago1:25:06

1:25:06

Connecting the Four Theories into a Unified Whole 0:34 Emergence Is Fundamental 3:18 Constructor Theory Could Transform Multiple Fields 8:30 Innovation Often Emerges Unexpectedly 22:46 Knowledge Evolves Independently Across Universes 29:31 Anti-Rational Memes Hinder Human Progress 31:10 The West Versus the Rest 37:32 Error-correcting Institutions 4…

1
4 Steps to the Immaterial [Narration] 4:55

8M ago4:55

4:55

Article here: Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribeBy Steve Patterson

1
Why We Need to Replace Mathematics [Narration] 5:25

8M ago5:25

5:25

Article here: Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribeBy Steve Patterson

1
The Deutsch Files III 59:18

1+ y ago59:18

59:18

Proving something about AGI is inherently impossible 0:00 Creativity is not just mixing things together 3:05 The superiority of explanatory knowledge 7:48 Knowledge laden information is more resilient than any physical object 12:36 The problems of cloning people 15:05 Objections to Taking Children Seriously 19:23 “Do what you like” is bad advice 38…

1
The Deutsch Files II 1:14:28

1+ y ago1:14:28

1:14:28

The universality of computation and explanation 0:00 The growth of knowledge begins with problems 4:56 Problems are clashes between ideas 9:57 Evolution is not the survival of the fittest 14:50 Bad philosophy in quantum theory 26:46 Free will is intimately connected with knowledge-creation 33:41 Wealth is not a number, it is a set of transformation…

1
The Deutsch Files I 54:53

1+ y ago54:53

54:53

Good Science Fiction is Hard to Vary 2:08 ChatGPT is Not a Step Towards AGI 5:36 Creativity is Fundamentally Impossible to Define 13:35 The Binary of Personhood and Non-Personhood 23:41 David Deutsch’s Life Philosophy 32:06 The Clash of Civilizations 44:03 — Transcript http://nav.al/deutsch-files-i Discuss on Airchat http://getairchat.com/arjun/deu…

1
Did Copernicus steal ideas from Islamic astronomers? 1:27:04

1+ y ago1:27:04

1:27:04

Copernicus’s planetary models contain elements also found in the works of late medieval Islamic astronomers associated with the Maragha School, including the Tusi couple and Ibn al-Shatir’s models for the Moon and Mercury. On this basis many historians have concluded that Copernicus must have gotten his hands on these Maragha ideas somehow or other…

1
David Deutsch: Knowledge Creation and The Human Race, Part 2 34:01

2y ago34:01

34:01

Popper’s Impact 0:00 Creative Guesses 2:18 Experiments, Demonstrations, and Measurements 4:25 Taking Theories Seriously 10:25 New Paradigms 15:58 Foundations of Science 23:30 The Enlightenment 25:39 Misinformation 29:45 — Transcript http://nav.al/david-deutsch-2By Naval

1
Operational Einstein: constructivist principles of special relativity 1:16:38

2y ago1:16:38

1:16:38

Einstein’s theory of special relativity defines time and space operationally, that is to say, in terms of the actions performed to measure them. This is analogous to the constructivist spirit of classical geometry. Transcript Oh no, we are chained to a wall! Aaah! This is going to mess up our geometry big time. Remember what Poincaré said: self-mot…

1
The Objectivity of Structure Outside our Concepts [Narration] 6:43

2y ago6:43

6:43

The world outside our mind is actually glued together; relations are mind-independent; and patterns are objectively real. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribeBy Steve Patterson

1
Ep. 106 - Living with the Robots | Dr. RollerGator 1:43:39

2y ago1:43:39

1:43:39

Trying to envision life alongside AI. How will our culture change? What will the norms be around beloved robots? Should we let the machines hijack our emotional circuitry? Will AI become the highest-level decision makers within governments? Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatterson.substack.com/subscribe…

1
Ep. 105 - The Philosophy of AI (pt 1) | Alexandros Marinos 2:15:56

2y ago2:15:56

2:15:56

The world is ablaze with discussion about the risks and benefits of AI like ChatGPT I have not been persuaded by the doomsdayers concerns about rogue AI, but that doesn't mean the technology is actually safe. I investigate some philosophical concepts surrounding AI with Alexandros Marinos. Get full access to Steve Patterson's Substack at stevepatte…

1
David Deutsch: Knowledge Creation and The Human Race, Part 1 43:50

2+ y ago43:50

43:50

Introduction 0:00 The Human Race 2:11 Knowledge Creation 12:34 AGI 15:50 Taking Children Seriously 23:30 Good Explanations 27:49 Quantum Computers 36:35 — Transcript http://nav.al/david-deutschBy Naval

1
Review of Netz’s New History of Greek Mathematics 52:04

2+ y ago52:04

52:04

Reviel Netz’s New History of Greek Mathematics contains a number of factual errors, both mathematical and historical. Netz is dismissive of traditional scholarship in the field, but in some ways represents a step backwards with respect to that tradition. I argue against Netz’s dismissal of many anecdotal historical testimonies as fabrications, and …

1
The “universal grammar” of space: what geometry is innate? 32:22

3y ago32:22

32:22

Geometry might be innate in the same way as language. There are many languages, each of which is an equally coherent and viable paradigm of thought, and the same can be said for Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. As our native language is shaped by experience, so might our “native geometry” be. Yet substantive innate conceptions may be a preco…

1
Vitalik: Ethereum, Part 2 25:00

3y ago25:00

25:00

The elder statesman of smart contract blockchains 0:00 The Ethereum community 1:22 The DAO hack 2:34 Vitalik’s finest and worst moments in protocol politics 5:18 Becoming a Twitter memelord 7:45 Vitalik’s influence on Eth today 8:59 It’s getting harder to do big things in Eth 10:38 Goals outside Ethereum 12:17 Crypto needs the good-natured 15:00 Ru…

1
Vitalik: Ethereum, Part 1 46:07

3y ago46:07

46:07

Introduction 0:00 Haseeb’s background 0:22 Vitalik’s background 2:43 A blockchain you can build any app on top of 7:02 Eth trades efficiency for transparency 10:18 Like plain text, Eth is simple and efficient 12:41 Only high-value transactions can afford the blockchain 13:08 Doing away with ‘trusted’ third parties 14:09 Trading performance for secu…

1
“Repugnant to the nature of a straight line”: Non-Euclidean geometry 30:40

3y ago30:40

30:40

The discovery of non-Euclidean geometry in the 19th century radically undermined traditional conceptions of the relation between mathematics and the world. Instead of assuming that physical space was the subject matter of geometry, mathematicians elaborated numerous alternative geometries abstractly and formally, distancing themselves from reality …

1
The Beginning of Infinity, Part 2 52:52

3+ y ago52:52

52:52

Transcript http://nav.al/infinity-1By Naval

1
To a Caveman Very Few Things Are Resources 2:56

3+ y ago2:56

2:56

Transcript http://nav.al/cavemanBy Naval

1
Knowledge Makes the Existence of Resources Infinite 2:31

3+ y ago2:31

2:31

Transcript http://nav.al/infinite-resourcesBy Naval

1
Groups Never Admit Failure 2:08

3+ y ago2:08

2:08

Transcript: http://nav.al/failureBy Naval

1
Making Something Social Destroys the Truth of It 2:28

3+ y ago2:28

2:28

Transcript http://nav.al/socialBy Naval

1
Free Markets Provide the Best Feedback 2:31

3+ y ago2:31

2:31

Transcript http://nav.al/feedbackBy Naval

1
The Poverty of Compromise 2:58

3+ y ago2:58

2:58

Transcript http://nav.al/compromiseBy Naval

1
Ep. 104 - "No Longer a Christian" | Isaac Deitz 1:51:43

3+ y ago1:51:43

1:51:43

Wonderful conversation with my old friend Isaac Deitz who shares his personal religious journey. After decades of being a Christian, he no longer identifies with that label. In my opinion, that's only because "Christian" is a terrible term nowadays. By some metrics, Isaac is a raging Christian. By others, he is a heretic. In that respect, I am comi…

1
Innovation Requires Decentralization and a Frontier 2:53

3+ y ago2:53

2:53

Transcript: http://nav.al/decentralizationBy Naval

1
Don’t Rely on Credibility Stamps 1:44

3+ y ago1:44

1:44

Transcript http://nav.al/credibilityBy Naval

1
One Einstein Is Worth A Legion Of PhD Drones 1:22

3+ y ago1:22

1:22

Transcript http://nav.al/einsteinBy Naval

1
Rationalism 2.0: Kant’s philosophy of geometry 30:00

3+ y ago30:00

30:00

Kant developed a philosophy of geometry that explained how geometry can be both knowable in pure thought and applicable to physical reality. Namely, because geometry is built into not only our minds but also the way in which we perceive the world. In this way, Kant solved the applicability problem of classical rationalism, albeit at the cost of mak…