Plausible Fiction: Accounting for Actualizing Potential

Explore a thought-provoking 50-minute lecture from the Naturalistic Approaches to Artificial Intelligence Workshop at UCLA's Institute for Pure & Applied Mathematics, where David Spivak of the Topos Institute introduces the concept of "plausible fiction" (PF) as a methodology for actualizing potential. Delve into how caring and attention play crucial roles in developing potential, whether in parenting, mathematics, or other fields. Learn about the dual application of PF methodology - both as a framework for understanding the theoretical aspects of the presentation and as a practical tool for increasing the likelihood of actualizing potential in real-world scenarios. Discover how category theory and conceptual mathematics could potentially serve as foundational elements for developing a technical system to support the actualization of plausible fiction. Recorded in November 2024, this presentation bridges philosophical concepts with mathematical frameworks to explore how we might better understand and facilitate the process of turning potential into reality.