#293 – Donald Hoffman: Reality is an Illusion – How Evolution Hid the Truth

Donald Hoffman is a cognitive scientist at UC Irvine and author of The Case Against Reality. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
- Calm: https://calm.com/lex to get 40% off
- LMNT: https://drinkLMNT.com/lex to get free sample pack
- InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off
- MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lex to get 15% off
- Indeed: https://indeed.com/lex to get $75 credit

EPISODE LINKS:
Donald's Twitter: https://twitter.com/donalddhoffman
Donald's Website: http://cogsci.uci.edu/~ddhoff/
Documents & Articles:
1. Could a Neuroscientist Understand a Microprocessor?: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005268
2. Conscious Agent Networks: https://chrisfieldsresearch.com/CA-circuits-CSR-rev2.pdf
3. The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Argument in Quantum Theory: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-epr/
Books:
1. The Case Against Reality: https://amzn.to/3MhW4Wt
2. Vision: https://amzn.to/3Q4ibTm

PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman
YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips

SUPPORT & CONNECT:
- Check out the sponsors above, it's the best way to support this podcast
- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman
- Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:
Here's the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) - Introduction
(08:04) - Case against reality
(19:33) - Spacetime
(43:57) - Reductionism
(1:04:23) - Evolutionary game theory
(1:32:46) - Consciousness
(2:28:06) - Visualizing reality
(2:43:23) - Ephemerality of life
(2:51:48) - Simulation theory
(2:57:30) - Difficult ideas
(3:12:32) - Love
(3:16:07) - Advice for young people
(3:18:26) - Meaning of life

Donald Hoffman is a cognitive scientist at UC Irvine and author of The Case Against Reality. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:

– Calm: https://calm.com/lex to get 40% off

– LMNT: https://drinkLMNT.com/lex to get free sample pack

– InsideTracker: https://insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off

– MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/lex to get 15% off

– Indeed: https://indeed.com/lex to get $75 credit

EPISODE LINKS:

Donald’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/donalddhoffman

Donald’s Website: http://cogsci.uci.edu/~ddhoff/

Documents & Articles:

1. Could a Neuroscientist Understand a Microprocessor?: https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005268

2. Conscious Agent Networks: https://chrisfieldsresearch.com/CA-circuits-CSR-rev2.pdf

3. The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Argument in Quantum Theory: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qt-epr/

Books:

1. The Case Against Reality: https://amzn.to/3MhW4Wt

2. Vision: https://amzn.to/3Q4ibTm

PODCAST INFO:

Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8

RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/

YouTube Full Episodes: https://youtube.com/lexfridman

YouTube Clips: https://youtube.com/lexclips

SUPPORT & CONNECT:

– Check out the sponsors above, it’s the best way to support this podcast

– Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman

– Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman

– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman

– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman

– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman

– Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman

OUTLINE:

Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.

(00:00) – Introduction

(08:04) – Case against reality

(19:33) – Spacetime

(43:57) – Reductionism

(1:04:23) – Evolutionary game theory

(1:32:46) – Consciousness

(2:28:06) – Visualizing reality

(2:43:23) – Ephemerality of life

(2:51:48) – Simulation theory

(2:57:30) – Difficult ideas

(3:12:32) – Love

(3:16:07) – Advice for young people

(3:18:26) – Meaning of life