UnknownKnowns

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I talk about the ideas, current events, innovations, and other topics that interest me. Who am I? I am a High School Student committed to understanding the science of the world and philosophizing on any topic I come across.

Jiyen Northan


    • Sep 18, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 20 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from UnknownKnowns

    Framework For Human Truth

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2023 11:20


    If something is true for you, is it true for everyone else? Why can two otherwise reasonable people arrive at very different conclusions? In my senior year of high school I produced an original philosophical framework for analyzing "the Truth." I believe that to move beyond petty disagreement and into meaningful resolution we need to have a better, more realistic way of understanding what exactly it means for something to be "True." Links: Essay & Bibliography Music Credit: "In The Altitude," Kirk Osamayo, FMA, CC-BY "Ambient - Realization," Kirk Osamayo, ⁠FMA⁠, CC-BY Special thanks to JC Wright, James Hahn, and Dr. Kyle Broom for the support and inspiration while writing the essay.

    The Elephant in the Classroom

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2023 13:32


    In the current moment it feels like every field is being disrupted by AI, and that includes even the most stubborn of institutions. In the field of education, we are at an inflection point: adopt or reject? In this episode, I argue for the embrace of machine learning tools by educators and the education system at large, and I explain how the two actually go together much better than you might think. Sources/See Also: here. Instagram: unknown._.knowns Music Credit: "In The Altitude," Kirk Osamayo, FMA, CC-BY "Homeroad," Kai Engel, FMA, CC-BY

    Futureproofing Humanity: Future

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2023 19:16


    To conclude this series on how humans will have to adapt to survive the future, I wanted to further examine my ambitious idea for a technology which connects us in an even deeper way than ever before. To do this, I will try to resolve five essential obstacles to implementing something like this. Music Credit: "(Ambient) Realization", Kirk Osamayo, FMA, CC-BY. "In The Altitude," Kirk Osamayo, FMA, CC-BY.

    Futureproofing Humanity: The Present

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2022 22:12


    The present day sees humans more capable of changing ourselves and our environment than ever before. So, what can we do to change for the better? In this episode, I speculate on the adoption of a powerful new communication tool and social ethos which could create this positive change.   *Note* I accidentally chose a background song with a voice that plays periodically.    Music Credit & Sources

    Futureproofing Humanity: The Past

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2022 19:35


    Nukes, Bioweapons, and logistics collapse: these are just three threats that incredibly powerful human technologies have spawned. How must we as humans change our behaviors, society, or biology to use the power we attain through technology for good? Over three episodes, I will look at what makes for a humanity that can safeguard against our own destructive abilities, and what the future of our species might look like. Music Credit & Sources

    Morality: Evolved

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2022 16:35


    In this episode I build from my previous episode titled "Question of the Century: Is there Morality Without Religion?" With the goal of establishing a secular basis for religion and morality, I walk through the Ten Commandments from a practical,  evolutionary, standpoint and answer the question of "What or Who creates human morals?" Sources: shorturl.at/knC89 Music Credit (CC-BY): Axletree "Goldfinch: Flight to the North," Kai Engel "Remedy for Melancholy"

    Hitler and Putin: How History Repeats Itself

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2022 22:27


    In this episode, I cover the similarities between Vladimir Putin and Adolf Hitler in how they undermined democracy and utilized brinksmanship to rise to power, use ideology to justify their means and ends, and pursue a larger strategy. I also look at the differences in the way the rest of the world stood up to them.   Sources: https://bit.ly/3CGygs7    Music Credit (CC-BY): EXETEXE "Ronin," Kai Engel "Homeroad"

    The Ghost in the Voting Machine

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2022 15:55


    What if an advanced algorithm could vote for you? Humans are limited by time and attention, but machines? Not so much. If a computer could learn exactly how you behave, it could help you vote on every little matter without you noticing. In this episode, I imagine a world where this is the case. Sources here. Music Credit (CC-BY): EXETEXE "Ronin," Kai Engel "Homeroad" 

    Digital Luxury - A New Age of Consumerism

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2021 26:18


    In this episode, I argue that humanity should emphasize buying luxury goods which exist only online rather than physical products, which pollute. To better understand how this might work, I interviewed my expert friend Kai.   Sources: [1] [2]   Music: Axeltree "The Silent Grove," Jim Hall "Wanderlust," Kai Engel "Homeroad" All songs licensed CC BY  

    Death: What would it Feel Like?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2021 12:41


    Given the biological and neurological processes which happen to an individual right before death, I speculate on how the conscious self and the body would feel in the very moments before death. This episode's intent is to walk through my model and reasoning and is not a complete argument. Think of it as a primer to have you think about this yourself.   Music: Meydn "Pure Water," Kai Engel "Homeroad" All songs licensed CC BY

    On The Internet, Who Are You? - Internet Archetypes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2021 12:44


    Archetypes are said to be the most basic groupings of behaviors humans express. In this episode, I postulate whether the internet and social media reveal things about preexisting archetypes or creates totally new or reformed ones. Links: https://bit.ly/3hXXcmp, https://bit.ly/36RaQkL(referenced in podcast) Music: Axletree "Goldfinch: Flight to the North," Jim Hall "Wanderlust" All songs licensed CC BY

    Question of the Century: Is there Morality Without Religion?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2021 26:23


    This week's show is in collaboration with my 20th Century History Class. I talk about how religion faded from cultural relevance, how morality is created and shared, and how we can hope to share a common set of morals going forward.   Thought in a Hostile World   Music: Axletree "Goldfinch: Flight to the North," Meydan "Pure Water," Kai Engel "Remedy for Melancholy" All songs licensed CC BY

    Memory Without Experience

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2021 8:00


    In this episode I talk about memory during quarantine, and how having a lack of new experience and socialization causes us to recall events now with less detail.   Sources: LS, Mayo Clinic, NLM Music:  "Joy" Yakov Golman CC BY, "Homeroad" Kai Engel CC BY

    Economic Systems Pt.3: The Caliphates & Industrial Nations

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2020 29:10


    In this final (for now) episode of my series on monetary/economic history I talk about the economic mode of the Islamic Caliphates from around 800 - 1200 CE. Then I talk about how global trade and empire, coupled with industrialization created capitalism. While I don't go into detail about Capitalism itself, I discuss the philosophical and economic writings of Adam Smith, and later Karl Marx.   Music Credit: "Joy" by Yakov Golman CC BY, "Pure Water" by Meydan CC BY

    Economic Systems Pt.2: Classical Age

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2020 12:42


    This is the second part of my series on economic modes/climates throughout history. I talk about the Greek and Roman oligarchic/ slave owning societies. The next episodes in the series I plan to talk more about the theory and less on the history.   Music Credit: "Joy" by Yakov Golman CC BY, "Pure Water" by Meydan CC BY

    Appeasement: Making Concessions to a Weaker Enemy

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2020 23:12


    Today I am joined by my friend Lukas Schubert to talk about current and historical examples of Appeasement: the act of giving disproportionate concessions to a lesser political entity to avoid war. We offer a game-theory based solution to this problem.   Music Credit: "Joy" by Yakov Golman CC BY, "Pure Water" by Meydan CC BY

    Economic Systems Pt.1: The Beginning

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2020 9:10


    The first episode in a mini-series of episodes about economic theory and civilization. I talk about Neolithic settlements, the birth of economies, the Bronze Age civilizations, and the first economic policies.   Source: "Guns, Germs, and Steel" by Jared Diamond Music Credit: "Joy" by Yakov Golman CC BY, "Pure Water" by Meydan CC BY

    Escape the Draw of Conspiracy Theories

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2020 8:30


    It's likely that if someone believes in one conspiracy theory, they believe in multiple. Why is this? What makes some people more prone than others?   Sources: Scientific American and The Doubling Down of Ideals (Winslow Morgan) Music Credit: "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel CC BY, "Pure Water" by Meydan CC BY

    What is Climate Inactivism?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2020 7:17


    In this episode I talk about the reasoning behind, history of, and remedy for the belief that the climate always balances itself out.   Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/balance-of-nature-explained/ Music Credit: "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel CC BY, "Pure Water" by Meydan CC BY  

    The Evolution of Laziness

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2020 9:32


    After much procrastinating: my first episode! In this episode I ask: does evolution agree with laziness? I look at how energy is a driving force of evolution and how creatures evolve to save energy.   Music Credit: "Remedy for Melancholy" by Kai Engel CC BY, "Pure Water" by Meydan CC BY

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