Deviant Robot: Meandering adventures into interesting ideas.

An interesting conversation with OpenAI's GPT3

I recently spent some time chatting to OpenAI's chat API and the resulting conversation was impressive and at times rather surprising.

Reading time 11min

‘Raena Believes that Extraterrestrials are Here to Help Us’ Street Epistemology review

Blog

Guest Appearances

‘Raena Believes that Extraterrestrials are Here to Help Us’ Street Epistemology review

Once again, I was invited to join the Street Epistemology review panel, this time to review a charming video by the even more charming Mark from Being Reasonable YouTube channel.

Reading time 1min

Deviant Robot appearing on a Street Epistemology Clubhouse Podcast

Video

Blog

Guest Appearances

Deviant Robot appearing on a Street Epistemology Clubhouse Podcast

I was recently invited to join a Street Epistemology Clubhouse Room hosted by the lovely Sound Epistemology channel. This recording was made available as a podcast and the YouTube video below.

Reading time 1min

Jacob Hohsfield - Postmormon: Leaving The Mormon Church

Video

Discourse

Jacob Hohsfield - Postmormon: Leaving The Mormon Church

In this episode of Deviant Discourse William talks to Jacob Hohsfield, an ex-Mormon missionary who left the church and is now actively perusing Street Epistemology.

Reading time 1min

Ideas

Tools

Street Epistemology

From climate change, vaccinations and the shape of the earth to the existence of ghosts, aliens, luck, karma and even god; Street Epistemology, is a conversational approach to that helps others honestly reflect on why they hold their beliefs.

Reading time 4min

Jon Warren - From Christianity to scepticism

Video

Discourse

Jon Warren - From Christianity to scepticism

Will speaks to Jon Warren about his journey from the bible belt of America to the world of scepticism and eventually to Street Epistemology. We also touch on the nature of truth, knowledge and the problems with tolerance of spiritual thinking even within sceptics.

Reading time 1min

Deviant Robot on a Street Epistemology review panel

Blog

Guest Appearances

Deviant Robot on a Street Epistemology review panel

I was recently invited to join a live stream panel for the Street Epistemology community, reviewing a conversation between prominent Street Epistemologist Anthony Magnabosco and two Mormon Elders.

Reading time 3min

Ideas

Experiments In Thought

The Brain in the Vat

There are lots of things we might be uncertain about, but one thing is for sure, we know we are real and the world is real. Right? You would know if you were just a brain in a vat; wouldn't you?

Reading time 3min

Ideas

Logical Fallacy

The Straw Man and The Steel Man

If you are finding it hard to make progress in a converation, it might just be that you are doing battle with Straw Men.

Reading time 3min

Ideas

Experiments In Thought

The Trolly Problem

We might not always do the right thing, but we can be pretty sure we know what the right thing to do is. Right?

Reading time 4min

Ideas

Experiments In Thought

The Happy Pill

Ask most people what they want in life, and most of the time they will say that they want to be happy. But do they? Would you take The Happy Pill?

Reading time 2min

Ideas

Tools

Building Rapport

The foundation to any productive conversation is rapport, a relaxed and friendly relationship in which people are free to communicate openly.

Reading time 4min

Thoughts

It's a kind of Magic

If you have ever found yourself wishing that like Harry Potter, the heroes of Dungeons and Dragons or the Dragonborn of Skyrim we live in a world with magic in it, Well I good news... I think we do.

Reading time 3min

Thoughts

The Infallibility of Parents

However many parents you have, however your specific configuration of parents works; and regardless of them being your biological parents or not; you don't get to choose them and they come a wide range of ability and aptitudes.

Reading time 3min

Ideas

Cognative Bias

Group homogeneity

When we find ourselves in a group, we might not always be aware of how the group effects how we think.

Reading time 2min

Thoughts

Labelled

From the moment you were born (and probably even before), many of the characteristics that combine to make you unique were being labelled.

Reading time 3min

Blog

A fork in the road ahead

The relaunch of Deviant Robot is underway, but unfortunately, there are several things that I can't make a start on just yet. Not only can I not make a start, but the future of the project is going to hinge upon something that's almost entirely out of my control.

Reading time 2min

Thoughts

Emotional Responses.

Everyone copes with misfortune differently. Those who fall apart and those that stare it coldly in the face are both dealing with it in their own way.

Reading time 4min