In this bonus episode James Franklin interviews Anton Garrett about his connections to major figures in probability theory, particularly E.T. Jaynes and David Stove. Garrett used Jaynes’s work on probability to solve problems in statistical mechanics during his doctorate at Cambridge and Jaynes led him to the work of R.T. Cox. Cox showed that the rules of probability are essential for true-or-false propositions, providing a foundation for objective probability theory.
Garrett knew Jaynes as a shy but brilliant physicist who applied the “maximum entropy method” to astrophysics, leading to significant advancements in deblurring images. He also recalls Jaynes’s love for music and his quiet demeanor, contrasting with his confident academic writing.
The two also discuss David Stove, whom Garrett met at the University of Sydney. Stove criticized Karl Popper’s philosophy of science, arguing that Popper’s rejection of inductive logic was flawed. Stove believed that induction, when done correctly, aligns with probability theory and is essential to scientific reasoning.
Garrett also reflects on Stove’s concerns about political correctness (or “woke culture”) in academia, which he believes is damaging free thought.
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