I heart Hofstadter

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I heart Hofstadter

Uploaded by: Prepoceros
Video Description:
In which I receive a package containing Douglas Hofstadter's new book _I am a Strange Loop_ and ramble on about a few of his other books.
I read _Gödel, Escher, Bach_ once when I was 16 and again a couple years ago in a reading group at HMC. Mmm, it's fantastic. Even holding the book in my hands gives me almost a visceral delight. Read it -- you'll see what I mean. I made a concerted effort to do this in one take, but my camera wi
ll only stay on for about 4.5 minutes when it's hooked up to the computer. Boo. P.S. They took away the Science & Technology category, didn't they? Le sigh. My videos don't fit your silly categories!
P.P.S. "Please check your video description." Um, check it for what? This brings back very very bad memories, YT.

Tags for this video: bach beau de douglas escher GEB g ödel hofstadter language le loop marot math metamagical prepoceros strange themas ton

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Funny how G.E.B. ... ( 1 year ago by rezonatix3)

Funny how G.E.B. fans always encounter serious difficulties when attempting to explain what the book is about: "Um, it's difficult to describe exactly what G.E.B. is about. I mean, from the title, 'G
ödel, Escher, Bach', it's about math, art, and music, and the connections between them. ... It talks about ... okay, here's what it says about itself ... So that's a pretty good description of what it is. It's ... [sigh] ... it's about math ..." Oh well, nice try. :) And a good book, by all means.

How would you ... ( 1 year ago by Prepoceros)

How would you describe it? =)

Possibly by means ... ( 1 year ago by rezonatix3)

Possibly by means of New Statesman's metaphor: "a first-class workout in the best mental gymnasium in the world". As you said, it's very clever, but cleverness has to be experienced to be understood and appreciated, and it can only be experienced when the thinker puts his or her mental muscles to some real work. Those who have the motivation and inclination to do so, will be richly rewarded in reading this book. Those who don't will not know what they're missing.

Now I get it! (-; ... ( 1 year ago by leporidus)

Now I get it! (-; Man, I'm getting real slow, feels like I'm a googolplex years old.

Yeah, it took you ... ( 1 year ago by jjuran)

Yeah, it took you forever! ;-)

what a waspy fox. ( 1 year ago by teflonmagnet)

what a waspy fox.

You strongly remind ... ( 1 year ago by gucker07)

You strongly remind me of my next door neighbour, you look very similar and your whole style, the way you speak/act, your voice etc. is also very, very similar. Not sure why I'm telling you this you but I think it's fascinating. You have a doppelganger.

I'm currently ... ( 1 year ago by tedperkins)

I'm currently reading this book. I was very excited by the title and the description of it--I think it was written up in the paper, but I don't remember. Any, I-ness is a big topic for me. Not because it is about "me", but because I strongly feel that ultimately, the idea of "me" is an illusion.

Whoa, that's cool. ... ( 1 year ago by Prepoceros)

Whoa, that's cool. I only rarely meet people who remind me of myself.

Enjoyed the video, ... ( 1 year ago by iamastrangeloop)

Enjoyed the video, I love Hofstadter too...now reading IAASL for the second time.

'Crappy lighting' - ... ( 10 months ago by fl1ghtsim)

'Crappy lighting' - Yes! 'Dishevilled appearance' - Not a bit of it. If I was as young and good looking as you I would *never* apologise for my appearance! GEB is brilliant - I think I've been reading it for years as I keep forgetting it and having to come back. You reminded me of myself trying to explain why GEB is sooo good. It's very difficult to condence information about such a huge work.

(part II) I think ' ... ( 10 months ago by fl1ghtsim)

(part II) I think 'self-referential' is the phrase you're looking for at the end of the vid? It reminded me of the reader who wrote to DH at Scientific American about his parrot who he trained to say 'I don't understand anything I'm saying'! Brilliant stuff! Didn't know about the IAASL book. I must buy it. Thanks for you entertaining vid and enjoy your latest purchase

I want to date you. ( 10 months ago by dionysian83)

I want to date you.

Really nice too see ... ( 10 months ago by F00dTube)

Really nice too see this on youtube.

I just read Strange ... ( 9 months ago by fodads)

I just read Strange Loop... I finished it in 7 days at a 50 pg per day pace. I didnt read G.E.B, and I dont know if I will. You said yourself, the book is "pompously clever", and that's the way I felt about strange loop. I'm moving on! I'm reading a book now called The Molecules Within Us. yes yes, molecular biology. that is where the party is at! p.s. you're cuuuuuuuuute haha

I'm reading GEB at ... ( 8 months ago by sowhatfixxxer)

I'm reading GEB at the moment... it hasn't failed to amaze me yet... I enjoyed this video (thanks), I'll have to check out the rest of his work. Hope all is well... -CHEERS!

Hofstadter is ... ( 8 months ago by ZombieJesusBrainz)

Hofstadter is actually a bit of a typography dork too. I expect that was very very deliberate.

I'll start reading ... ( 8 months ago by askeluv)

I'll start reading it soon, and I'm so much looking forward to it!!

It's not about math ... ( 8 months ago by TuringTest1)

It's not about math. It's not about music. It's not about art. It's all about how inanimate matter can achieve consciousness. If you want some good rebuttals to Hofstadter's arguments try John Searl's Chinese room thought experiment and Roger Penrose's "The Emperors New Mind". GEB is one of the best books ever written in my opinion though, so I'm a bit biased.

Yes I have read I ... ( 7 months ago by isoMorpheus)

Yes I have read I am a strange loop. And I read GEB when I was 17, it is always priceless to talk to GEB readers, especially ones who fell in love with it. I wonder how you got to know about GEB when you were 16, I personally is more philosophically inclined and was introduced to it by my philosophy professor. Oh, Hofstadter is making an appearing tomorrow(today is Saturday January 19, 2008) in Philosophy Talk. Hopefully I'll be able to call up there and ask him some questions.

I read an interview ... ( 4 months ago by isotropic)

I read an interview where he credits my friend (Uriah K) for giving him the idea for I am a strange loop when i read that i was beside myself. COOL!

yes yes yes yes! ( 4 months ago by isotropic)

yes yes yes yes!

i love GEB -- one ... ( 2 months ago by dylz)

i love GEB -- one of my favorite books ever. the way meaning arises out of meaningless components is really fascinating, and the way hofstadter portrayed it was really beautiful and really heightened my appreciation for so many of the elegant things in our world. hofstadter is quite incredible with the wordplay in his dialogue as well. i loved the crab canon and the ant fugue most particularly.

Awesome! I wish the ... ( 1 month ago by fastfret1)

Awesome! I wish the world was full of intelligent girls like you. Intelligence is sexy Oh, and GEB is an awesome book indeed.

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I heart Hofstadter

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