Some researchers claim that mathematics proves we can never guarantee a superintelligent AI will be safe.

Is that really true?

In this episode, I examine one of the most influential arguments in AI safety and argue that it rests on a fundamental misunderstanding. The limits of formal computation are not the same as the limits of intelligence. Treating them as equivalent transfers mathematical limits from computation to an entirely different level of description, where they no longer apply.

Further Watching
Roman Yampolskiy: AI Can’t Be Controlled — and We’re Building It Anyway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ4PaUbhdhs

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If you enjoyed this episode and want to go deeper, come find me over at dekyon.io. With a premium membership you get the full Science in Perspective experience: interactive visualizations of the key concepts, a study space to learn the fundamentals behind each episode, and an "Ask an Episode" feature where you can dialogue with an AI about the details and start connecting ideas across the whole show.

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Do gifted programs actually help children succeed, or do they rest on an overly simplistic view of intelligence? In this episode, I examine the evidence behind gifted education, IQ, and standardized testing, then explore a different perspective: that intelligence is not an individual trait locked inside a skull, but a deeply social phenomenon emerging from networks, culture, and collective problem-solving; something that tells us what we should really be doing with the "gifted". Inspired by the recent New York Magazine article The Mirage of the Gifted Child.

Become a Member at dekyon.io/seanmcclure/science-in-perspective

If you enjoyed this episode and want to go deeper, come find me over at dekyon.io. With a premium membership you get the full Science in Perspective experience: interactive visualizations of the key concepts, a study space to learn the fundamentals behind each episode, and an "Ask an Episode" feature where you can dialogue with an AI about the details and start connecting ideas across the whole show.

There's also notes, transcripts, deep-dive articles, and a community of folks thinking through this stuff alongside you. It's where the episode stops being something you just listened to and becomes something you truly understand. So head to dekyon.io, click on the science in perspective app, and become a member today.

Why do institutions rely on resumes, tests, degrees, and credentials?

Because they need scalable ways to evaluate people. But these are often just proxies for the qualities they actually care about.

In this episode, we explore gatekeeping, Goodhart's Law, credentialism, peer review, and the possibility that AI could help institutions assess people more directly, moving beyond cheap signals toward genuine capability.

Topics include:

Gatekeeping and proxies
Goodhart's Law
Education and hiring
Peer review
AI-assisted evaluation
Logic, debate, and critical thinking

Become a Member at dekyon.io/seanmcclure/science-in-perspective

If you enjoyed this episode and want to go deeper, come find me over at dekyon.io. With a premium membership you get the full Science in Perspective experience: interactive visualizations of the key concepts, a study space to learn the fundamentals behind each episode, and an "Ask an Episode" feature where you can dialogue with an AI about the details and start connecting ideas across the whole show.

There's also notes, transcripts, deep-dive articles, and a community of folks thinking through this stuff alongside you. It's where the episode stops being something you just listened to and becomes something you truly understand. So head to dekyon.io, click on the science in perspective app, and become a member today.