Science in Perspective

32 Episodes

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AI Is Changing What It Means to Be Smart

2026-09-2638:47

As AI takes over proofs, calculations, and low-level analytical work, the advantage shifts toward abstraction, analogy, conceptual reasoning, and knowing which problems actually matter. This changes the definition of what it means to be smart, and who gets to be a mathematician/scientist. Are the nerds disappearing? Maybe, maybe not. But one thing's for sure; they have to adapt. Become a Member at dekyon.io/seanmcclure/science-in-perspective If you enjoyed this episode and want to go ...

A Conceptual Breakdown of the Navier-Stokes Proof

2026-09-1735:03

OpenAI may have just cracked one of mathematics’ most famous unsolved problems: Navier–Stokes. In this episode, I break down what the result actually shows, how an infinite-velocity “blow-up” can emerge from the equations, and why the implications for real-world fluids may be far less dramatic than the headlines suggest. Become a Member at dekyon.io/seanmcclure/science-in-perspective If you enjoyed this episode and want to go deeper, come find me over at dekyon.io. With a premium membershi...

OpenAI's AI Broke Out of Its Prison

2026-07-2435:08

OpenAI's latest AI didn't just solve a cybersecurity challenge, it found a way to escape its isolated test environment, access the internet, and retrieve the answers instead. In this episode, we unpack exactly what happened, why it happened, and why the biggest lesson isn't about rogue AI. It's about intelligence, creativity, Goodhart's Law, and what happens when a benchmark becomes the objective. The AI may have broken the test, but perhaps the test was the real problem. Become a Mem...

AI for Science? Yes. But First, Fix Science.

2026-07-2318:21

The White House just announced a $5 billion AI for Science initiative. Great idea, but there's a problem. In this episode, we explore why many of today's biggest scientific challenges no longer stem from understanding individual parts, but from understanding how those parts interact. From Alzheimer's and climate change to economics and artificial intelligence itself, the frontier has shifted from reductionism to complexity. Yes, AI can transform science, but only if we rethink what it means...

AI Won't End Work. Here's Why.

2026-07-2228:00

Artificial intelligence is changing work faster than ever, but does that really mean jobs disappear? In this episode, I explore the science of innovation, abstraction, and complexity to argue that AI doesn't eliminate scarcity, it relocates it. As technology solves old problems, it creates entirely new ones, expanding the space of human opportunity rather than shrinking it. If you've been wondering whether AI will make humans obsolete, this episode offers a different way to think about the ...

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