The Beginning of Infinity
by David Deutsch · first published 2008
85% recommend14% neutral1% critical
Why HN recommends it
Argues that progress comes from good explanations and criticism, drawing on Popperian epistemology, quantum physics and optimism about problem-solving; suits readers who want to rethink science and knowledge.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"A bold and all-embracing exploration of the nature and progress of knowledge from one of today's great thinkers. Throughout history, mankind has struggled to understand life's mysteries, from the mundane to the seemingly miraculous. In this important new book, David Deutsch, an award-winning pioneer in the field of quantum computation, argues that explanations have a fundamental place in the universe. They have unlimited scope and power to cause change, and the quest to improve them is the basic regulating principle not only of science but of all successful human endeavor. This stream of eve
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…over a factor of a hundred. Maybe - progress & growth keep happening faster and faster. 8. The growth of humanity and its descendants will stop forever within a thousand years or so. False - see _The Beginning of Infinity_ by David Deutsch. 9. Our descendants will colonize millions of star systems within ten thousand years or so. True, if we don't fuck up - again, see _The Beginning of Infinity_. 10. The nearest intelligent…
on “Wild Ideas” ↗…recognize this. There is a sophisticated information exchange going with respect to how flowers evolved to attract pollinators. Co-evolution with information exchange across species. See David Deutsch's 'The Beginning of Infinity' for a fascinating discussion on objective beauty...
on “Bees and flowers communicate using electrical fields, researchers discover” ↗…isn't a scientific idea; it's a philosophical one. It is potentially 'falsifiable' by criticism, however. The best modern Popper proponent is David Deutsch. See his books The Fabric of Reality and The Beginning of Infinity. They're both packed with interesting ideas and arguments. He says that Popper did indeed solve the problem of induction. And here's a recent paper of his on the logic of experimental testing: https://arxiv.org/abs/1508.02048
on “The Paradox of Karl Popper” ↗…new topic on the intersection of biology and technology. Even though the book was written 25 years ago it feels completely fresh. I'm sure anyone who reads this site would enjoy it. David Deutsch's The Beginning of Infinity. If you know him, it's probably because Deutsch did some pioneering work in Quantum computing back in the day, but this book covers everything from physics to biology to computing to art with a grand…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗There are no resource limits, only limits to the creativity of people to create explanations that allow us to transform raw materials from one state to another. See The Beginning of Infinity by Deutsch and More From Less by McAfee.
on “Modernity is incompatible with planetary limits: a PLAN for the future” ↗The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch and The Three-Body Problem Trilogy by Liu Cixin. I especially recommend reading this combination. Both books fill up with optimism about humanity. First one by providing framework for…
on “Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?” ↗All the things by Christopher Alexander(Start with timeless way...explore the pattern language...move on to Nature of order...then others.) Zen and Lila by Pirsig Beginning of Infinity by Deutsch.
on “Ask HN: Mind bending books to read and never be the same as before?” ↗The ones that stand out: Fiction: Project Hail Mary. Non-fiction: The Beginning of Infinity, David Deutsch
on “Ask HN: What are some of the best books you have read in 2022?” ↗We are lucky we can surf in NYC. It takes me one hour get to the ocean, and since there is no signal in the subway, it's a great opportunity to read. I made a video about optimism, based on "The Beginning of Infinity," by David Deutsch (https://youtu.be/PiKU6Nm1p8E). The book dives into the endless potential of explanatory knowledge, describing how problems are inevitable but soluble. As a YC founder, this book has…
on “Surfing, NYC, and the Beginning of Infinity [video]” ↗Another book that has several chapters related to GEB is David Deutsch's "The Beginning of Infinity." It's a very accessible read, and for me, eye-opening in more than one way.
on “Gödel and the limits of logic” ↗…typically have 'reach'. Thus in order to solve parochial problems people typically create fundamental theories which automatically apply to all sorts of other problems, including important ones. The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch is a fascinating read which has a lot to say about this sort of thing.
on “Work on unimportant problems” ↗…unknown (think of Copenhagen (lack of) interpretation of quantum mechanics, and its (in)famous motto: "Shut up and calculate"!) If you are interested in this line of reasoning, I found David Deutsch ("The beginning of infinity") and Karl Popper ("Conjectures and Refutations") two passionate (and opinionated) voices!
on “The Rise of Computer-Aided Explanation” ↗+1 for The Beginning of Infinity, awesome book that really gets to the heart of scientific thinking and process. On a different note, I am just finishing up Snowflower and the Secret Fan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_Flower_and_the_Secret_Fan).…
on “YC’s Summer Reading” ↗2016 was the year I ended up reading most books that I have ever read in any year of my life so far! These are the ones I liked the most: 1. The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World by David Deutsch. It makes a bold claim that we will always be at the beginning of the infinite progress that lies ahead. History has proven again and again that…
on “Ask HN: What was the best book you read in 2016?” ↗The Nature of Order by Christopher Alexander (also The Timeless Way of Building) Lila by Pirsig (If you've read ZMM and left Lila unread you've left a lot on the table) The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutch Antifragile by Taleb Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Yudkowski. Particularly Chapter 39. The two Political Order and Political Decay books by Fukuyama Life's Ratchet…
on “Ask HN: What books fundamentally changed the way you think about the world?” ↗