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Naval
The Methods of Mathematics Are Fallible
The Methods of Mathematics Are Fallible

The Methods of Mathematics Are Fallible

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Naval Ravikant, Brett Hall
·
2 Clips
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Apr 5, 2021
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Episode Transcript
0:00
Quickly compared to physics we have this domain called particle physics and the deepest Theory we have in particle physics is called the
0:07
standard model which describes all of the different fundamental particles that there are and the interactions between these fundamental particles the forces that exist between them and the gauge bosons which mediate the force between particles like electrons protons and neutrons.
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Now, what is matter made of we would say matter is made of these particles the particles
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describe it by the standard model of physics.
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But
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does that rule out the fact that these fundamental particles might themselves consist of even smaller
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particles? We have this idea of string
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theory so our knowledge of what the most fundamental
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particles are and what in reality the most fundamental particles are is different.
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So to in mathematics Deutsch explains that mathematics is a field where what we're trying to
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uncover is necessary truth.
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The subject matter of mathematics is necessary.
1:00
Earth in the same way that the subject
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matter of particle physics are the fundamental particles, but because
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the subject matter of
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fundamental particle physics are the fundamental
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particles. That doesn't mean you actually find the fundamental
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particles. All it
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means is that you have found the smallest particles that your biggest
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particle accelerators able to resolve
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but if you had an even bigger particle accelerator, you might find particles within those particles. This has been the history of particle physics, by the way,
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we used to think that atoms were fundamental then of course, we found that they contain nuclei and electrons.
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In the nuclei we found out there were protons and neutrons inside the protons and neutrons we found out they were made up of quarks. And that's where we're at. Right now. We're at the point where we say that the quarks a fundamental and the electrons are fundamental, but that
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doesn't mean that we're going to end particle physics right now. What we need are
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further theories about what might be inside of those really small particles
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comparing that to mathematics if necessary
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truth is the subject matter of
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mathematics our knowledge all of that necessary.
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Is is what mathematicians are engaged in their engaged in creating knowledge about necessary truth?
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And because a mathematician has a brain
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which is a physical object and all physical objects are subject to making errors of degradation via the second law of Thermodynamics
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or simply just the usual mental mistakes and errors that any human being makes a mathematician is just
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as fallible as anyone else
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then what they end up proving could
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be an error so
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So if a understand this point even mathematics is capable of error because mathematics is a creative act. We're never quite done. There could have been a mistake in your Axiom somewhere ultimately even mathematics the creative act and can have error within it.
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