343 | Tom Griffiths on The Laws of Thought
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Release Date: 02/09/2026
343 | Tom Griffiths on The Laws of Thought
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
For all that human beings spend a lot of their time thinking, it's far from obvious what that process actually entails. Part of it amounts to classical logical reasoning. But an even bigger part involves reasoning with probability and uncertainty. And some of it is governed by unavoidable limitations on time and accuracy. Psychologist and computer scientist Tom Griffiths suggests that we have thought about it enough to feel that we have come to understand some general principles, which he explains in his new book . Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MINDSCAPE at...
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AMA | Feb 2026
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Welcome to the February 2026 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number -- based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good -- and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic. Enjoy! Blog post with AMA questions and transcript: Note that Mindscape now has a new hosting provider, . (Actually a return home, as that was my first host when...
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342 | Rachell Powell on Evolutionary Convergence, Morality, and Mind
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
I talk with philosopher Rachell Powell about how minds and social forms arise under evolution.
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341 | Stewart Brand on Maintenance as an Organizing Principle
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
I talk with technologist Stewart Brand about the importance of taking maintenance seriously.
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340 | Rebecca Newberger Goldstein on What Matters and Why It Matters
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
I talk with philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about what it means for us to matter to ourselves and others.
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339 | Ned Block on Whether Consciousness Requires Biology
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
I talk with philosopher Ned Block about whether machines can ever truly be conscious.
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Holiday Message 2025 | The Romance of the University
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Happy Holidays everyone!
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AMA | December 2025
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape for December 2025.
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338 | Ryan Patterson on the Physics of Neutrinos
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
I talk with physicist Ryan Patterson about how we detect neutrinos and what we have learned from them.
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337 | Kevin Zollman on Game Theory, Signals, and Meaning
Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
I talk with philosopher Kevin Zollman about how game theory helps us understand the human and biological worlds.
info_outlineFor all that human beings spend a lot of their time thinking, it's far from obvious what that process actually entails. Part of it amounts to classical logical reasoning. But an even bigger part involves reasoning with probability and uncertainty. And some of it is governed by unavoidable limitations on time and accuracy. Psychologist and computer scientist Tom Griffiths suggests that we have thought about it enough to feel that we have come to understand some general principles, which he explains in his new book The Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of Mind.
Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code MINDSCAPE at this link and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/
Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2026/02/09/343-tom-griffiths-on-the-laws-of-thought/
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Tom Griffiths received his Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University. He is currently Professor of Psychology and Computer Science at Princeton University, Director of the Computational Cognitive Science Lab, and Director of the Princeton Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence. He is the co-author of Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions, as well as the upcoming The Rational Use of Cognitive Resources.