Increments
Vaden Masrani, a senior research scientist in machine learning, and Ben Chugg, a PhD student in statistics, get into trouble arguing about everything except machine learning and statistics. Coherence is somewhere on the horizon.
Bribes, suggestions, love-mail and hate-mail all welcome at [email protected].
- Update frequency
- every 19 days
- Average duration
- 81 minutes
- Episodes
- 92
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
#11 - Debating Existential Risk
Vaden's arguments against Bayesian philosophy and existential risk are examined by someone who might actually know what they're talking about, i.e., not Ben. After writing a critique of our conversat…
#10 (C&R Series, Ch. 4) - Tradition
Traditions, what are you good for? Absolutely nothing? In this episode of Increments, Ben and Vaden begin their series on Conjectures and Refutations by looking at the role tradition plays in society…
#9 - Facial Recognition Technology with Stephen Caines
The talented Stephen Caines punctures the cloud of confusion that is Ben and Vaden's conception of facial recognition technology. We talk about the development and usage of facial recognition in the …
#8 - Philosophy of Probability III: Conjectures and Refutations
On the same page at last! Ben comes to the philosophical confessional to announce his probabilistic sins. The Bayesians will be pissed (with high probability). At least Vaden doesn't make him kiss an…
#7 - Philosophy of Probability II: Existential Risks
Back down to earth we go! Or try to, at least. In this episode Ben and Vaden attempt to ground their previous discussion on the philosophy of probability by focusing on a real-world example, namely t…
#6 - Philosophy of Probability I: Introduction
Don't leave yet - we swear this will be more interesting than it sounds ...
... But a drink will definitely help. Ben and Vaden dive into the interpretations behind probability. What do people mean w…
#5 - Incrementalism Revisited: Defund the Police
In their first somber episode, Ben and Vaden discuss the protests and political tensions surrounding the murder of George Floyd. They talk about defunding the police, the importance of philosophy in …
#4 - The Hubris of Computer Scientists
Are computer scientists recklessly applying their methods to other fields without sufficient thoughtfulness? What are computer scientists good for anyway? Ben, in true masochistic fashion, worries th…
#3 - Incrementalism vs Revolution: Prison Abolition
Ben persuades Vaden that all prisoners should be let loose. Vaden convinces Ben that he shouldn’t use the word “vista” so regularly. At least they stay on topic this time.
References:
#2 - Consequentialism II: Strange Beliefs
An attempt to clean up the mess we made last episode. Ben still doesn't figure out how not to yell into his microphone, and Vaden finally realizes what Ben was saying and it was … perhaps not so inte…
#1 - Consequentialism I: Epistemic Modesty
We attempt to talk about Epistemic Modesty: broadly, the idea that one should be modest in their beliefs when other people (with similar credentials) disagree with them. Vaden however, entirely immod…
#0 - Introduction
Ben and Vaden attempt to justify why the world needs another podcast, and fail.