How AI pioneer Doug Hofstadter wrote Gödel, Escher, Bach

Douglas Hofstadter talks about how he came to write his Pulitzer Prize–winning book Gödel, Escher, Bach.

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[peter.g]

Wow, this is an amazing interview. 100% signal, 0% noise, and explained with shocking clarity. Thanks a lot!

[BP-lewc]

It's amazing that this interview even exists, one thousand thanks to you people!!

[connobora]

GEB is a fabulous book. One of my all time favorites. The way Doug has been able to discuss so many aspects and still intertwine in a beautiful way is such legendary writing. I read it so many years back but I still relate to the concept of strange loops in everyday life. Thanks for sharing this.

[f.demascio]

GEB is still in my top 3 favorite books.

[scottekim]

Have you read GEB? Or wanted to? I'm thinking about making a follow-up video for those who want to read Gödel, Escher, Bach, but find it's length and density daunting. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing that.

[jtd]

I'd like to read Professor Gebstadter's reportedly similar book (mentioned in the bibliography). I'd probably need to live on an alternate-history Earth to find a copy, however. In seriousness, thanks for sharing this. I also very much enjoyed Le Ton Beau de Marot in which he discusses (among other things) the writing of GEB and the translation of GEB into other languages.

[glenliesegang]

Atoms are reactive with "discreet levels" which hold for a while, information about local environment and electromagnetic fields.

DNA holds digital code in base 64.
How do kilobytes of digital information arise as whole clusters of bits from random processes, which are incapable of creating "meaningful sequences which refer outside of and with a random connection to" what is outside of that code itself?

[smartarsetube]

It was interesting hearing how the books came about, but the final comments about AI demonstrate a complete lack of understanding. AI on current technology can never have anything like conscious awareness, simply because the architecture is based on encoding, and that precludes any meaning attaching to the data until it is re-translated.

[zenicv]

If your Dad is a nobel prize winner who could critique your work……Having said that currently there is a pseudo scientific cottage industry surrounding “sentience” of machines.