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Noam Chomsky - "The machine, the ghost, and the limits of understanding"

Andy80o · lecture · Watch on YouTube

Consciousness & cognitionPhilosophy & ethicsScientific method & science communication

What it is

Noam Chomsky's 2011 University of Oslo lecture on Newton's contributions to the study of mind. He argues Newton abandoned mechanical explanation and lowered the bar for scientific intelligibility, with consequences for the limits of human understanding. Q&A starts at 45:33.

Why Hacker News recommends it

Recommended as a lucid, insightful lecture on the limits of human knowledge and the study of mind, one commenter calling it among the best lectures ever.

  • 2 people recommended it
  • 2 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2013, last 2022

What HN commenters said

  1. “I like this one: , one of the best lectures ever.”

    Chomsky on Newton abandoning mechanical philosophy and lowering the bar.

    mrwnmonm, 2021-03 · Strong recommendation · in “Translating Newton’s Principia”

  2. “Chomsky's surprisingly insightful thinking on the limits of human knowledge, and the consequences”

    Chomsky on limits of human knowledge and consequences.

    Supermancho, 2022-09 · Recommendation · in “Quantum tunneling makes DNA more unstable”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: chomsky, newton, mind-body problem, limits of knowledge, history of science

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