Best Computational Logic Podcasts (2025)

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Kate Crawford: Mapping Empires 1:15:08

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28m ago1:15:08

1:15:08

Kate Crawford’s Long Now Talk traces an historical arc from Renaissance perspective to AI image models, illustrating how shifts in representational power shape empires, economies—even our shared sense of reality.During the talk, Crawford gives a tour through her detailed artwork Calculating Empires. Through examples ranging from Liebig’s critique o…

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Episode 124: Popper's Evolutionary Theory of Knowledge 1:21:06

17m ago1:21:06

1:21:06

aka "The Popper vs Campbell Beatdown!" At long last! The showdown you've all been waiting for! These two giants of epistemology meet in the ring and fight it out for dominance! Bruce continues his exploration of evolutionary epistemology, or the idea that all knowledge creation in nature is analogous to natural selection. Specifically, Bruce discus…

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Rustan Leino - part II 51:56

1h ago51:56

51:56

I'm delighted to (continue to) talk to ⁠Rustan Leino⁠, one of the world's premier program provers, probably best known for the ⁠Dafny⁠ programing and verification language. We have a casual chat about program logics, some of the history of Dafny, and some deeper thoughts about inductive predicates and how to do program specification right. A couple…

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#750: re:Invent 2025 - Day 3 Wrapup 22:42

5d ago22:42

22:42

It is the end of re:Invent! Simon and Jillian share some updates and also take a moment to reflect on 2025.By Amazon Web Services

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#749: re:Invent 2025 - Swami Sivasubramanian Keynote 27:07

1d ago27:07

27:07

Simon and Jillian catch you up on the highlights from today's keynote PLUS all the "pre:Invent" announcements that took place prior to the event!By Amazon Web Services

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#748: re:Invent 2025 - Matt Garman Keynote 39:14

2d ago39:14

39:14

In this episode, Matt Garman's 2025 re:Invent keynote unveils exciting AI advancements, including Amazon Nova to Lite, a cost-effective reasoning model, and Amazon Nova 2 Sonic, a new speech-to-text model. The keynote also covers Security, Storage, Compute, Networking, and a whole lot more!By Amazon Web Services

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Episode 123: Campbell vs Deutsch: Incremental vs Cosmic Significance 39:50

3d ago39:50

39:50

Bruce compares Donald Campbell’s evolutionary epistemology and David Deutsch’s ideas on infinite knowledge growth. What is knowledge growth? Is it a rare thing limited to only biological evolution and human ideas, as Deutsch seems to argue? (Does he argue that?) Or is it a ubiquitous process that happens all around us at all levels of nature as Cam…

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Rustan Leino - part I 1:24:04

4d ago1:24:04

1:24:04

I'm delighted to talk to Rustan Leino, one of the world's premier program provers, probably best known for the Dafny programing and verification language. We have a casual chat about program logics, some of the history of Dafny, and some deeper thoughts about inductive predicates and how to do program specification right. A couple things mentioned:…

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Episode 122: The Case Against Logical Fallacies 1:01:03

10d ago1:01:03

1:01:03

In this shorter episode Bruce takes a deep dive into logical fallacies. How useful are logical fallacies? Does pointing out a logical fallacy help correct errors? Does doing so make us more rational? Can we become more logical by avoiding ad hominem attacks, not straw-manning or appealing to authority, and avoiding slippery slopes? And is there a d…

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#747: Unpacking Automated Reasoning: From Mathematical Logic to Practical AI Security 38:02

11d ago38:02

38:02

Discover how AWS leverages automated reasoning to enhance AI safety, trustworthiness, and decision-making. Byron Cook (Vice President and Distinguished Scientist) explains the evolution of reasoning tools from limited, PhD-driven solutions to scalable, user-friendly systems embedded in everyday business operations. He highlights real-world examples…

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Intelligent Systems: Digital Culture Shock 38:33

16d ago38:33

38:33

In this conversation, Dr. Katharina Reinecke explores the intersection of technology and culture, discussing how cultural assumptions shape the design and functionality of technology. She delves into the implications of self-driving cars, the importance of understanding diverse user experiences, and the challenges posed by a predominantly Western p…

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Episode 121: Beliefs 2:43:26

21d ago2:43:26

2:43:26

In our previous episode covering Strevens' critique of Popper, we briefly touched on why Bruce believes it it a mistake for CritRats to say they don't believe in beliefs. This time Bruce takes a deep dive into beliefs -- and walks back his previous statement a bit. Do humans need beliefs? Are beliefs dangerous? What is the critical rationalist posi…

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#746: AWS Regional Planning Tool, MCP Proxy for AWS, and Lots More!!! 30:01

23d ago30:01

30:01

There are so many updates this week you might need two cups of coffee! Simon and Jillian guide your way.By Amazon Web Services

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Measure Functions and Termination of STLC 21:42

24d ago21:42

21:42

In this episode, I talk about what we should consider to be a measure function. Such functions can be used to show termination of some process or program, by assigning a measure to each program, and showing that as the program computes, the measure decreases in some well-founded ordering. But what should count as a measure function? The context for…

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Episode 120: Popper on Trial 1:51:16

25d ago1:51:16

1:51:16

This week Bruce puts Popper on trial. Specifically, through the lens of Michael Stevens’s book, The Knowledge Machine, which argues that science works because it follows the “iron law of explanation” where scientists must (at least in public) put aside philosophy, politics, and theology and only follow empirical evidence. Bruce asks, how compatible…

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Who is Francis Crick? 50:26

27d ago50:26

50:26

This conversation delves into the life and legacy of Francis Crick, co-discoverer of the DNA structure. Dr. Matthew Cobb, the guest, explores Crick's multifaceted personality, his poetic inspirations, collaborative nature, and his later pursuits in consciousness. The discussion also touches on the controversies surrounding his work, particularly re…

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#745: Accelerating Cloud Migration: How Occidental Petroleum Transformed with Terraform and AFT 20:19

25d ago20:19

20:19

This episode features a deep dive into Occidental Petroleum’s cloud migration journey, emphasizing automation and scalability. Brian Moore, a Cloud Architect at Occidental Petroleum, discusses how they used Terraform and AFT to streamline account provisioning, manage complex network architectures, and improve operational efficiency. The conversatio…

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Filters, unfiltered 1:13:44

1M ago1:13:44

1:13:44

I chat with Phil Z about a good number of things, including, occasionally, about the notion of filter which comes up quite a bit in logic, and other areas of mathematics. But as usual, we cover a bunch of other subjects, like "what even are we doing here?" and "why do we define things at all?"

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Lynn Rothschild: Nature’s Hardware Store 1:16:23

30d ago1:16:23

1:16:23

What if the solutions to humanity’s greatest challenges — on Earth and beyond — have already been invented by nature? In this forward-looking talk, evolutionary biologist and astrobiologist Dr. Lynn Rothschild explores how life’s patterns, materials, and mechanisms, refined over billions of years, can serve as a blueprint for building better future…

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Mathematics and Humanity: The Untold Stories of the Great Math War 43:33

1M ago43:33

43:33

This conversation explores the intersection of mathematics and human experience, focusing on historical figures, philosophical debates, and the ethical implications of scientific progress. Jason Socrates Bardi discusses his book 'The Great Math War', which delves into the personal stories of mathematicians, the challenges of teaching math, and the …

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#744: Amazon Bedrock AgentCore, Amazon EC2 Capacity Manager, and so much more! 31:36

1M ago31:36

31:36

Simon and Jillian walk you through all the new and interesting updates.By Amazon Web Services

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The Future of Physics: Portals to a New Reality 48:44

1M ago48:44

48:44

In this conversation, Dr.Vlatko Vedral discusses the complexities of quantum mechanics and its implications for our understanding of reality. He explores the stagnation in physics, the importance of thought experiments, and the potential for new discoveries through technological advancements. Vlatko emphasizes the need for adventurous research and …

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Episode 119: New Right vs Libertarianism w/Logan Chipkin 1:54:33

1M ago1:54:33

1:54:33

This week we interview Logan Chipkin. Logan is a writer and author of several books. Recently he co-authored and published The Sovereign Child about raising children without coercion, and The Lords of the Cosmos, which tells the story of progress through the lens of good philosophy. Logan is also the president of Conjecture Institute, which is a br…

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#743: The Frugal Architect w/ Werner Vogels: The Ocean Cleanup's mantra: Start simple and iterate relentlessly 40:45

1M ago40:45

40:45

When Boyan Slat found more plastic than fish on a dive in Greece, he asked a simple question: "Why can't we just clean this up?" He was 16.What began as a humble project funded with pocket money has grown into a global initiative, removing millions of pounds of plastic from the world's rivers and oceans in the last decade. But simple questions don'…

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AI vs Human Intelligence: The Emergent Mind 50:25

1M ago50:25

50:25

In this conversation, Drs. Gaurav Suri and Jay Mcclelland delves into the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence and human cognition, exploring similarities and differences, the evolution of AI from rule-based systems to learning models, and the concept of emergence in both fields. The discussion also touches on the efficiency of hu…

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The Giant Leap 56:57

2M ago56:57

56:57

In this conversation, Dr. Caleb Scharf discusses the evolution of space exploration, drawing parallels to historical figures like Darwin. He explores the implications of humanity's expansion into space, the challenges of microgravity, and the allure of Mars as a potential habitat. Scharf emphasizes the interconnectedness of space exploration with o…

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#742: Amazon Quick Suite, AWS MCP, and lots more! 30:35

2M ago30:35

30:35

Stay up-to-date, with almost 60 new updates this week!!By Amazon Web Services

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Episode 118: Christian Transhumanism (with Micah Redding) 2:26:45

2M ago2:26:45

2:26:45

This week we talk to Micah Redding, the host of the Christian Transhumanist podcast. We discuss: What is the significance of a singularity? What is free will from a many worlds perspective? Does Omega Point cosmology solve the problem of evil? And most importantly, will my sweet dog Jojo join me in the afterlife?…

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Dinosaurs with Rachel Ignotofsky 30:30

2M ago30:30

30:30

In this engaging conversation, Rachel Ignotofski discusses her new book Dinosaurs, exploring the fascination with these ancient creatures, the impact of mass extinctions, and the evolution of life on Earth. She highlights the importance of paleontology, the legacy of Mary Anning, and the artistic choices made in illustrating the book. The discussio…

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#741: Modernizing Edge Infrastructure: Booking.com's Journey with AWS CloudFront and Lambda@Edge 1:03:45

2M ago1:03:45

1:03:45

In this episode of the AWS Podcast, host Jillian Forde discusses the migration journey of Booking.com to AWS with Ali and Sarah. They explore the challenges faced by Booking.com , the benefits of using CloudFront and Lambda at Edge, and the importance of observability and cost optimization. The conversation also delves into chaos engineering practi…

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Blaise Agüera y Arcas: What is Intelligence? 1:14:40

2M ago1:14:40

1:14:40

Blaise Agüera y Arcas’s talk took us on a journey through What is Intelligence?, his groundbreaking new work connecting the evolutionary dots between life, computation, and symbiogenesis. He explores how, in our symbiotic world, things combine to make larger things all the time. We might think of humanity in terms of the individual — but we're alre…

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Charlatans with Quico Toro 39:52

2M ago39:52

39:52

By Breaking Math

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#740: AWS News: EC2 Instance Attestation, S3 Conditional Deletes, and more! 31:46

2M ago31:46

31:46

Simon and Jillian keep you up to date with over 70 new releases and capabilities!By Amazon Web Services

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Episode 117: Jonathan Rauch 1:52:31

2M ago1:52:31

1:52:31

This week we had the absolute honor of interviewing Jonathan Rauch. Rauch is an extremely influential public intellectual (journalist and author) who is also a Popperian. His 1993 book, Kindly Inquisitors, makes the epistemic case for free speech. It is a stone cold classic that will be with us for a long time. In his 2021 sequel, The Constitution …

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Economica with Victoria Bateman 1:04:48

2M ago1:04:48

1:04:48

In this conversation, economist Dr. Victoria Bateman discusses the critical role of women in shaping economic prosperity throughout history. She argues that women's choices, independence, and labor have been overlooked in traditional economic narratives. The discussion covers various themes, including the impact of women's marriage decisions on pop…

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#739: Applying Multi-region Strategies on AWS 41:18

2M ago41:18

41:18

Amazon Application Recovery Controller (ARC) Region Switch - https://docs.aws.amazon.com/r53recovery/latest/dg/region-switch.htmlBy Amazon Web Services

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#738: AWS News: Global Cross-Region Inference, Aurora Limitless and lots more. 25:01

2M ago25:01

25:01

Simon and Jillian keep you up to date with all the latest releases and capabilities!By Amazon Web Services

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Episode 116: The Knowledge Machine 2:17:28

3M ago2:17:28

2:17:28

This week Bruce take a deep critical rationalist dive into Michael Strevens’s book, The Knowledge Machine: How Irrationality Created Modern Science, which is an attempt to describe how science is a self-correcting system designed to create knowledge based on explanation. The book is somewhat critical of Popperian falsification, though the reading o…

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#737: Accelerate your GenAI innovation journey on AWS with Innovation Sandbox solution 31:50

3M ago31:50

31:50

In this episode, we will dive deep into Innovation Sandbox on AWS, a new AWS solution offering that transforms the management of temporary sandbox environments, by offering a ready-made solution that enables customers to reduce sandbox setup time from weeks to hours while automating spend controls, security policies, and usage monitoring. Learn how…

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TREE(3) and the Kruskal theorem, Part II 22:43

3M ago22:43

22:43

We give the proof the Tree Theorem. It's cute!

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Blueprints with Marcus du Sautoy 59:39

3M ago59:39

59:39

In this conversation, Marcus Du Sautoy explores the intricate relationship between mathematics and various forms of art, including music, literature, and visual arts. He discusses how mathematical concepts such as prime numbers, symmetry, and randomness influence creative processes and artistic expressions. Through examples from renowned artists li…

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#736: AWS News: New Amazon Bedrock APIs, New EC2 Instance Types and Lots More. 22:44

3M ago22:44

22:44

Simon takes you through a big list of cool new things - something for everyone.By Amazon Web Services

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Unequal with Eugenia Cheng 46:49

3M ago46:49

46:49

In this conversation, Eugenia Cheng discusses the importance of making math accessible and engaging for everyone, particularly those who have been discouraged by traditional education methods. She emphasizes the intersection of math and art, the dangers of oversimplifying complex issues with numbers, and the need for a more nuanced understanding of…

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Episode 115: Is Falsification Falsifiable? 1:55:30

3M ago1:55:30

1:55:30

This week we consider: Is falsification falsifiable? Was Popper a “naive falsificationist”? Why do so many people think he was? (Including at least one of his own students!) Is falsification itself a philosophical theory that makes it immune from falsification? Does the Duhem-Quine problem, or the assertion that theory exist in an interwoven web of…

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TREE(3) and the Kruskal theorem 13:19

3M ago13:19

13:19

Let's talk about that most legendary of large numbers: TREE(3). Or rather, let's talk about the theorem that is used to show that such a number exists. We're going to try to go in more depth than the Numberphile video (though I do recommend it!). We're going back to basics a bit, with some short and sweet episodes without animations.…

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#735: The Frugal Architect w/ Werner Vogels: Zillow's Chief Architect on why cheap ≠ frugal 41:47

3M ago41:47

41:47

Frugality wasn't something Craig Link learned on the job, it was passed down from his father, who would calculate the cost-benefit of driving for cheaper gas and meticulously track every tank's miles per gallon in a worn notebook tucked into the glove box. He would also pack sandwiches, toss them in a cooler, and store them in the back seat. These …

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Breaking Math: When Math Meets a Technology Glitch 4:14

3M ago4:14

4:14

This week’s episode isn’t our usual deep dive—it’s a behind-the-scenes update. On Monday, Breaking Math vanished from Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and more without warning. After digging in, we discovered a strange RSS glitch that merged our feed with another podcast. In this quick update, Autumn shares: What happened behind the scenes when the show di…

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#734: AWS News: OpenAI, Amazon Elastic VMware Service, and Lots More. 42:53

4M ago42:53

42:53

A bumper crop of new and improved things for you to take advantage of.By Amazon Web Services

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Schematic Affine Recursion, Oh My! 18:49

4M ago18:49

18:49

To solve the problem raised in the last episode, I propose schematic affine recursion. We saw that affine lambda calculus (where lambda-bound variables are used at most once) plus structural recursion does not enforce termination, even if you restrict the recursor so that the function to be iterated is closed when you reduce ("closed at reduction")…

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The Stunner: Linear System T is Diverging! 21:03

4M ago21:03

21:03

In this episode, I shoot down last episode's proposal -- at least in the version I discussed -- based on an amazing observation from an astonishing paper, "Gödel’s system T revisited", by Alves, Fernández, Florido, and Mackie. Linear System T is diverging, as they reveal through a short but clever example. It is even diverging if one requires that …