Book · 2016 · Science
The Emperor's New Mind
Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics
- mentions
- 9
- people
- 7
- podcasts
- 4
- episodes
- 8
- recommendations
- 4
Beneath all this technicality is the feeling that it is indeed quote unquote obvious.
Lex Fridman · Lex Fridman Podcast · Mar 2020 Listen at 1:26:50 What they say about it
- Discussing Roger Penrose books“the emperor's new mind”6
The best things said about it
That book blew my mind as a teenager when I read it.
Steve Levitt People I (Mostly) Admire · Apr 2024 He tried to show that it fundamentally...
Children are not afraid to pose basic questions that may embarrass us as adults to ask.
Lex Fridman Lex Fridman Podcast · Mar 2020 Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
7 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
Roger Penrose's influential work explores the intersections of physics, consciousness, and the philosophy of mind, famously challenging the notion that human brains operate merely like computers. On The Tucker Carlson Show, Amjad Masad brought up the book to question the common consensus that human thought can be reduced to computational processes, and he similarly referenced it during an a16z Podcast appearance to debate how scientists and philosophers view the brain. Demis Hassabis discussed on the Lex Fridman Podcast his fascinating debates with Sir Roger regarding whether consciousness is entirely computational, noting that he had read the book himself. On the same podcast, Lex Fridman concluded an episode by reading a passage of wisdom from the text, while Eric Weinstein described a later book by Penrose as an essential owner's manual for understanding fundamental physics equations. Neal Stephenson also highlighted Penrose's deep scientific writing during his appearance. Additionally, Reid Hoffman mentioned interviewing the author long ago about the book's core themes during a discussion on mathematics and consciousness. Finally, Steve Levitt shared on People I (Mostly) Admire that reading the book as a teenager completely blew his mind, a sentiment echoed by Sarah Hart during their conversation about numbers and mathematics.
Every mention
Amjad Masad His name is, sir, Roger Penrose. I love how the British kind of give the sir title. Someone who's accomplis… 2
“Like one of my favorite one is uh the uh Roger Penrose um Emperor's New Mind where he wrote a book about how everyone in the sort of philosophy of mind space uh and perhaps the larger scientific ecosystem start thinking about the brain in terms of a computer. And in that book he tried to show that it fundamentally”
“His name is, sir, Roger Penrose. I love how the British kind of give the sir title. Someone who's accomplished. The. He wrote this book called The Emperor's New Mind.”
Lex Fridman and now let me leave you with some words of wisdom that roger penrose wrote in his book the emperor's new m… 2
“in his book the emperor's new mind roger writes that quote children are not afraid to pose basic questions that may embarrass us as adults to ask”
“and now let me leave you with some words of wisdom that roger penrose wrote in his book the emperor's new mind beneath all this technicality is the feeling that it is indeed quote unquote obvious”
Eric Weinstein Now that wall needs an owner's manual which Roger Penrose has written called the road to reality 1
“Now that wall needs an owner's manual which Roger Penrose has written called the road to reality”
Neal Stephenson gravitation you know is one of those or another one is um the road to reality by roger penrose which is jus… 1
“gravitation you know is one of those or another one is um the road to reality by roger penrose which is just incredibly deep it starts with like two plus two equals four”
Demis Hassabis he he thinks that consciousness is more than just a computation uh do you think all of it the whole shebang… 1
“he he thinks that consciousness is more than just a computation uh do you think all of it the whole shebang is can be can be a competition yeah i've had many fascinating debates with uh sir roger penrose and obviously he's he's famously and i read you know emperors of new mind and and uh and his books uh”
Reid Hoffman Now, um now consciousness is an interesting question because you got some very smart people, Roger Penrose,… 1
“Now, um now consciousness is an interesting question because you got some very smart people, Roger Penrose, um who I actually interviewed way back when on Emperor's New Mind, speaking of mathematicians.”
Steve Levitt yeah his book so I don't know it's the same book that we have both read called the emperor's new mind yeah… 1
“yeah his book so I don't know it's the same book that we have both read called the emperor's new mind yeah exactly that's exactly the book that book blew my mind as a teenager when I read it”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“so i wrote this book through my scientific career i thought you know when i'm retired i have enough time to write a sort of a popular book which i will explain my ideas and puzzles”
“so I wrote this book called the emperor's new mind which was supposed to be saying well you know we everybody seems to be thinking one thing but yeah little kid notices it let the Emperor it doesn't have any clothes”