Chris Lattner: The Future of Computing and Programming Languages [audio]

Post by scumcity » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 3:11 PM UTC

st1x7 wrote: post #2

Every time I run across an episode of this podcast I need to weigh in my interest in a great guest versus having to listen to Lex's monotone voice and meaning-of-life type questions. The disparity is amazing - the list of guests is easily the best out of any podcast that has guests that I've ever come across; and the delivery of the host is just about the worst I've come across too. I guess I'll listen to this one.

Post by 7373737373 » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 3:23 PM UTC

abeppu wrote: post #45

st1x7 wrote: post #2

Every time I run across an episode of this podcast I need to weigh in my interest in a great guest versus having to listen to Lex's monotone voice and meaning-of-life type questions. The disparity is amazing - the list of guests is easily the best out of any podcast that has guests that I've ever come across; and the delivery of the host is just about the worst I've come across too. I guess I'll listen to this one.

I think there's an unfortunate convergence of format and questioning. He asks a lot of the same questions of almost every guest. "Are we living in a simulation? What is consciousness? Etc." This feels like a waste of these guests if it's unrelated to their area of interest. In general, it smacks of lack of preparation. But perhaps this creates the opportunity for someone to make a series of supercuts, where Lex doesn…

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 3:32 PM UTC

iguy wrote: post #40

petercooper wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who occasionally interviews people, what are you really looking for? That is, what could Lex do better in your opinion?

I feel the same way at OP, amazing guests, but can't he push them a bit? What I'd like is more like what Tyler Cowen does, on non-tech subjects [1]. He gives the impression of having read all their books (and their opponents') not just having skimmed Wikipedia over breakfast. He keeps it moving, and often gets people a little bit off-balance, not aggressively, but enough to make people think afresh and not just repea…

Post by jcims » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 3:37 PM UTC

melling wrote: post #43

st1x7 wrote: post #2

Every time I run across an episode of this podcast I need to weigh in my interest in a great guest versus having to listen to Lex's monotone voice and meaning-of-life type questions. The disparity is amazing - the list of guests is easily the best out of any podcast that has guests that I've ever come across; and the delivery of the host is just about the worst I've come across too. I guess I'll listen to this one.

I’ve done a couple of his surveys and mentioned that I think those questions are a waste of time. Donald Knuth handled it well. Do we live in a simulation? Hanging out debating unanswerable questions all the time has zero value.

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Oct 19, 2020, 3:51 PM UTC

ayewo wrote: post #78

threatofrain wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s an appeal to the authority of credibility. The more you speak through the language of results, the more credible you are. It’s this appeal to credibility that people rely on when they choose doctors or lawyers.

You say it like credibility in those two contexts are a bad thing. Doctors and lawyers are about the only occupations where a professional’s mistake could cost a client his/her life. No other professions come close, which is part of why the training is long and the practitioners require a license to practice.