A list of podcasts I have done, mostly as part of the Into the Abyss podcast with Todd Decker.
Ontological Pluralism
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | April 2022
Jared and Todd talk about ontological pluralism: What exists? How do we categorize what exists? Are those categories intrinsic or man-made? A related idea is perspectival realism. We discuss the ideas of William Wimsatt and Scott Page, among others. Is reality monistic, dualist, pluralistic? Is the question even meaningful? And what (if any) practical implications would there be?
Website | Apple | Spotify
Personality
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | October 2022
Jared, Jack, and Todd discuss the study of personality, in particular comparing two prominent models: the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator and the Big Five Personality Traits. While Myers–Briggs is more widely used, notably in the workplace, the Big Five is preferred in academia. Why is that? We discuss factor analysis, the nature of models, and the consistency and stability of personality. Would you rather see yourself as a thinking person or a disagreeable person? Should we think of certain personality traits as better or worse than others or are all personality traits equally valuable?
Website | Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Theory of Constructed Emotion
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | May 2021
Jared and Todd discuss the theory of constructed emotion and the work of Lisa Feldman Barrett. In contrast to a location-based understanding, in which discrete emotion categories consistently and specifically correspond to distinct brain regions, constructionism proposes that such emotion categories are constructed of more general brain networks not specific to those categories. We discuss degeneracy, the difference between affect and emotion, different forms of dualism, affinities to the philosophies of Kant and Wittgenstein, and the ways concepts and words have meaning.
Website | Apple | Spotify
Judgment and Decision Making
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | March 2021
Jared and Todd talk about the study of judgment and decision making, the work of Kahneman and Tversky, System 1 and System 2, heuristics and biases, naturalistic decision making, prospect theory and value functions, loss aversion, anchoring, and nudge theory.
Website | Apple | Spotify
Tolkien: His World and Stories
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | January 2021
Jared and Todd discuss the stories and worldbuilding of J.R.R. Tolkien as found in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and others. We discuss the Tolkien cosmogony and pantheon, Eru Ilúvatar, the Music of the Ainur, the Valar and the Maiar, the importance of myth for Tolkien, and the possibility of Tolkien’s world as viable myth for the modern age. We discuss the books and films and their cultural impact, the importance of song, the desire for power (even for ostensibly good purposes), the surrender of control to fate or grace, Christ figures, creation and sub-creation, industry and nature, the scars of war, our Baggins and Took natures, hope in hopelessness, infinite resignation and faith, hastiness, and the gift of death.
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The Art of Prediction
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | December 2020
Mike, Jared, and Todd discuss prediction. What skills and practices make people “superforecasters”? How do prediction betting markets like PredictIt work? Brier scores and how to quantify the accuracy of probabilistic predictions. What are the limitations of prediction, for people and for algorithms? How might the practices of probabilistic predicting also encourage intellectual honesty and improve social discourse?
Website | Apple | Spotify
Thinking About Values
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | October 2020
Jared and Todd talk about values, where values come from, how we decide which values to embrace, and how we’re motivated to change. We also discuss models for how individuals and societies can have conflicting values and how they harmonize them, with varying degrees of success.
Website | Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Aesthetics – Experience, Judgment, and Salvation
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | July 2020
Jared and Todd discuss aesthetics, aesthetics experiences, personality and sensitivity to aesthetic experiences, judgment, Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate, Immanuel Kant, the subjective universal, aesthetic objectivity, Schopenhauer and Platonism, how beauty will save the world, Hamilton, community from shared aesthetic experiences, and modern art.
Website | Apple | Spotify | YouTube
Into The Abyss – May 30 2020
Into the Abyss with Todd Decker | May 2020
Todd, Jack, and Jared discuss relationships, values, Lord of the Rings, science fiction and fantasy, Mormon cultural influence, aesthetics, the nature of disagreements, Effective Altruism, Neoreaction, and personality cults.
Website | Apple | Spotify | YouTube
JT Peterson 