Zev Weinstein: The Next Generation of Big Ideas and Brave Minds | Lex Fridman Podcast #158

Zev believes continued growth is only possible if society empowers 'real thinkers' who are prepared to radically restructure existing notions and frameworks. He acknowledges the past century's unprecedented growth but remains hopeful that fundamental thinking can break current stagnation and solve problems like 'embedded growth obligations.'

Zev expresses fear about appearing publicly due to the internet's intolerance of inconsistency but states he is fully prepared to be inconsistent. He believes changing one's mind from scrutiny is the only way to form true conceptions, and this process will continue throughout his life. He sees it as an obligation for his generation to embrace such an open-minded approach.

He believes labels hinder abstract thought and that modern politics often revolves around defending existing ideologies rather than inventing new ones. Zev aims to be 'political' in a generative sense, by inventing new 'spectrums' of thought, but admits to being very afraid of its inherent dangers and responsibilities.

Zev says he is currently inspired by Thomas Aquinas, not necessarily for his specific religious ideas, but for introducing scientific methods during a historically dark period. He admires Aquinas's ability to drive progress and question broken systems skillfully without overtly contradicting established powers.

Zev fundamentally disagrees with Nietzsche's immoralism, positing that morality is a proxy for the 'fitness and stability of a civilization.' Ethical norms like 'don't steal, don't murder' are seen as necessary for society to function, and similar moral notions have evolved convergently across cultures. He concludes that good will always be more stable than evil, unless all life is destroyed.

He argues that anything objectively true cannot be simultaneously true for one person and untrue for another, thereby serving as a universal foundation. Science, as the search for truth, is thus a tool for stability, fostering common ground and reducing unwarranted internal conflict within cultures that value it.

Zev suggests that although classical mechanics implies a completely predictable future if all information about a system were known (a 'fate'), human decisions are still 'legitimate' within that predictable system. Since such a supercomputer is impossible to build, our decisions are, for all practical purposes, 'up to us,' despite the underlying determinism.

He believes both are essential. 'Thinkers' like Einstein or Newton bring meaning to humanity by observing and understanding universal principles, while 'doers' like Kary Mullis make life possible and good through technological invention. Zev acknowledges a personal inclination towards scientific thought to bring meaning, but stresses the societal need for both.

Zev firmly believes mathematics is 'completely discovered and completely fundamental to all experience.' He considers the expression of math, like symbols, to be the only 'invented' component, which can 'smudge' the underlying universal beauty of mathematical truth. He sees arrogance in believing human-invented aspects are on par with discovered universal truths.

Music became a personal challenge for Zev due to his lack of natural ear or pitch. He learned music theory first, which allowed him to 'instantiate' music on various instruments easily and access the brain's 'dopamine loops.' He sees it as a powerful self-teaching tool, proving that 'nothing one can't really teach themself in this era.'

With the collapse of old systems (like universities), he advises young people to 'invest in oneself,' with an obligation towards humanity as a whole. This involves creating new paths and resisting being 'squashed by the debris' of decaying systems, using their voices as an important force for articulating patterns in this struggle.