The Four Strands

This week we'll revisit The Fabric of Reality to discuss Chapter 13 - The Four Strands.

This chapter explores the history of four fundamental theories; quantum physics, Popperian epistemology, computation, and Darwinian evolution, and the striking parallels in how they have been received.
Deutsch examines how revolutionary theories can be widely accepted in practice yet resisted as explanations of reality. He challenges Thomas Kuhn's account of scientific revolutions, explores the influence of philosophical assumptions, the persistence of outdated ideas, and the explanatory gaps that remain when each theory is considered in isolation.

If this is your first time attending we meet in the cafe of the Barbican Cinema. Look for people with copies of The Fabric of Reality.

Please read the chapter before attending.