yego.me
💡 Stop wasting time. Read Youtube instead of watch. Download Chrome Extension

We’re All Equal in Our Infinite Ignorance


2m read
·Nov 3, 2024

Induction also says that prediction is the main reason for the existence of science, but it's not; it's explanation. You want an explanation of what's going on, even if you can't necessarily predict with any certainty what's going to happen next. In fact, knowing what's going to happen next with some degree of certainty can be deflating, and the unknown can be far more fun than having absolute certitude about what tomorrow will bring.

This brings us to the related point: the science has never settled. We should always be free to have new creativity, a new conjecture. You never know where the best ideas are going to come from, and you have to take everything that's made in good faith seriously. So this idea that the science is settled or the science is closed is nonsense, and it implies that we can all agree upon the process with which we come up with new theories rather through creativity and conjecture.

The door is always open for new people with new ideas to come in and do that. As Popper said, we're all equal in our infinite ignorance. So even if someone claims expertise, they might even be valid in their claim to expertise. There's an infinite number of things they do not know, and those infinite number of things they do not know could affect the things they do know.

So, the child who is coming through school, who is not expert in anything, can still come up with an idea that can challenge the foundations of the greatest expert. Because the expert, like the child, is ignorant about a whole bunch of things. They could have error that does not preclude someone else who lacks that fine-tuned knowledge from being able to point out there's an error and here's a better idea.

More Articles

View All
A Gun Seizure at Miami International Airport | To Catch a Smuggler
[music playing] OFFICER HERNANDEZ: We’re going to have to take this back to the office. Yeah. That box will not be going to its final destination. I appreciate you carrying the heavy stuff. OFFICER HERNANDEZ: So when it comes to firearms in particular, …
How to MINE OPAL gems in the OUTBACK - Smarter Every Day 164
Hey, it’s me, Destin. Welcome back to Smarter Every Day. When you think about gemstones, people typically have their favorites. I happen to think that opal is one of the most fascinating stones there is. Think about it. If you think about a diamond or a s…
Picking hyperbola equation
So, we’re asked to choose the equation that can represent the hyperbola graphed below. This is the hyperbola graphed in blue, and I encourage you to pause the video and figure out which of these equations are represented by the graph here. All right, let…
Charlie Munger: 100 Years of Wisdom Summed Up in 12 Minutes
Studying Charlie Munger completely changed my life for the better, and I know it will do the same for you. Munger recently passed away just weeks shy of his 100th birthday, so I wanted to make this video as a tribute to him. I have spent countless hours s…
Creativity break: Why is creativity important in STEM jobs? | Algebra 1 | Khan Academy
I think my idea of how creativity works and STEM jobs has changed since I’ve gotten to college. Like, I used to think that all the mathematicians would be just locked away in some office and like typing on their computers or writing down equations by them…
Why Most People Will Never Be Able To Retire
Do you dream of the day when you can finally put your feet up, relax, and enjoy your golden years? Do you see yourself sitting on a comfy chair by the fireplace, reading stories to your grandkids? Well, tough luck, because most people in this generation w…