We're sunsetting PodQuest on 2025-07-28. Thank you for your support!
Export Podcast Subscriptions
cover of episode Episode 4: What Makes a Good Explanation?

Episode 4: What Makes a Good Explanation?

2020/5/9
logo of podcast The Theory of Anything

The Theory of Anything
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
B
Bruce Nielsen
Topics
Bruce Nielsen: 本期节目深入探讨了什么是好的科学解释以及如何识别它们。他提出了几个关键原则：好的理论应该解决问题；好的解释难以改变且仍然有效；好的解释不应与其他好的解释冲突；好的解释应该解释先前理论的成功之处并预测其失效之处。他还通过多个例子（例如中世纪医学对懒惰的解释、帕利关于手表与石头的论证、创造论与进化论之争、现实主义与唯我论之争、以及对各种巧合的解释）来说明这些原则。 Cameo: Cameo 在讨论中积极参与，提出了自己的见解，并与 Bruce Nielsen 就一些例子进行了深入探讨，例如送奶问题的不同解释以及对“我们生活在模拟世界中”这一论点的质疑。 Carrie: Carrie 也参与了讨论，分享了她对一些例子的看法，例如中世纪医学对懒惰的解释以及对“仅仅是巧合”这一解释的理解。她还结合自身在制药公司工作的经验，谈到了医学研究中数据收集和解释的挑战。

Deep Dive

Chapters
The episode explores the characteristics of good explanations, contrasting them with bad ones and discussing why some explanations are preferred over others.

Shownotes Transcript

The postmoderns were wrong! Knowledge can progress, despite uncertainty!

What makes a good explanation vs a bad explanation? You probably intuitively recognize when an explanation is bad, but do you know why you prefer one explanation over another? Just what exactly is wrong with "because I said so" or "fairies did it"?

In Episode 3 Bruce and Cameo finally solved the problem of how we can make progress in knowledge despite our lack of certainty using Karl Popper's Theory of Knowledge. In this episode, we finally ask what makes a good explanation vs a bad explanation? And how can we recognize the good ones?  

This is part 4 of our 4 part series covering the Theory of Knowledge of Karl Popper as interpreted by physicist David Deutsch. Bruce explains this epistemology to Cameo and Carey, who are hearing it for the first time as we record. Will they agree with it or will they think it's a bunch of baloney? Find out by downloading this podcast. 

If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a 5-star rating.

Youtube Version with optional visuals):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSquq_JYI4c&list=PLbU2Yvjwp2jI0mTFUVLVtRw8MQJev0QYt&index=4)

Follow me on Twitter):

https://twitter.com/bnielson01)

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/four-strands/support)