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The First Principles Method Explained by Elon Musk

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Elon Musk explains that reasoning by analogy, while easier, limits innovation by sticking to past norms. The first principles method, borrowed from physics, involves breaking down problems to their fundamental truths and building solutions up from there, enabling radical advancements.

Full Transcript (Bilingual)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV3sBlRgzTI
Translation: zh-CN

[00:00] and then uh I think it's also important.
然后,我认为也重要的是。

[00:02] and then uh I think it's also important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy.
然后,我认为也重要的是从第一性原理出发进行推理,而不是类比。

[00:05] so the normal way that we conduct Our Lives is we we we we Reason by analogy.
所以我们通常的生活方式是,我们,我们,我们通过类比来推理。

[00:09] um it's we're doing this because it's like something else that was done or it's like what um other people are doing.
嗯,我们这样做是因为它像已经做过的其他事情,或者像其他人在做的事情。

[00:17] me too type ideas yeah.
我也是类型的想法,是的。

[00:20] SL yeah slight iterations on on on a theme.
SL,是的,对一个主题的轻微迭代。

[00:24] um and and uh and it's because it's it's kind of mentally easier to Reason by analogy rather than from first principles.
嗯,而且,而且,而且,因为通过类比推理比从第一性原理推理在精神上更容易。

[00:33] but by first principles is kind of a physics way of looking at the world.
但第一性原理是一种看待世界的方式,有点像物理学。

[00:36] and what that really means is you kind of boil things down to the most fundamental truths.
而这真正意味着的是,你将事物归结为最基本的真理。

[00:41] and and say okay what do we sure as true or or as sure as possible is true.
然后说,好的,我们确定什么是真实的,或者尽可能确定什么是真实的。

[00:49] and then reason up from there.
然后从那里向上推理。

[00:52] uh that takes a lot more mental energy.
呃,这需要更多的精力。

[00:55] um give me an example of that like what's one thing that you've you've done that on that you feels work for you sure so.
嗯,给我举个例子,比如你做过的一件让你觉得有效的事情,当然了。

[01:00] on that you feel is work for you sure so um somebody could say um in fact people.
这让你觉得可行,当然,所以嗯,有人可能会说,嗯,事实上,人们。

[01:03] um somebody could say um in fact people do uh that battery packs are really expensive and that's just the way they will always be cuz that's the way they've been in the past um you're like well no that's that's pretty dumb you know because if if uh if you applied that reasoning to anything new that then you wouldn't be able to to ever get to that new thing right um so um you know it's like you can't say oh you know horses nobody wants a car because horses are great and we're used to them and they can eat grass and there's lots of grass all over the place and you know there's not like a there's no gasoline that people can buy so people are never going to never get never going to get cars right um people did say that you know um and and for Batteries they would say oh it's going to cost you know historically it's cost six $600 per $600 um uh per kilowatt hour and
嗯,有人可能会说,嗯,事实上,人们确实认为电池组非常昂贵,而且它们将永远是这样,因为它们过去一直是这样,嗯,你可能会想,嗯,不,那太愚蠢了,你知道,因为如果,如果,如果你把这种推理应用到任何新的事物上,那么你就永远无法达到那个新事物,对吧,嗯,所以,嗯,你知道,就像你不能说哦,你知道,马,没有人想要汽车,因为马很棒,我们习惯了它们,它们可以吃草,而且到处都是草,你知道,没有像,没有汽油可以买,所以人们永远不会,永远不会得到汽车,对吧,嗯,人们确实说过,你知道,嗯,对于电池,他们会说哦,你知道,历史上它的成本是每千瓦时600美元,每千瓦时600美元,嗯,嗯,每千瓦时,而且

[02:03] Uh per kilowatt hour and so it's not going to be much better than that in the future and you say no okay.
每千瓦时,所以它在未来不会比这好多少,然后你说不,好的。

[02:07] What what what are the batteries made of?
电池是什么做的?

[02:09] So so first principles would be say okay what are the material constituents of the batteries?
所以,首先的原则是说,好的,电池的材料成分是什么?

[02:12] What is the spot market value of the material constituents?
原材料的市场现货价是多少?

[02:16] So you can say okay it's got Cobalt nickel aluminum carbon um and some polymers for separation and a steel can.
所以你可以说,好的,它有钴、镍、铝、碳,还有一些用于分离的聚合物和一个钢罐。

[02:23] So break that down in on a material basis and say okay what if we bought that in London Metal Exchange?
所以,从材料角度来分解一下,然后说,如果我们从伦敦金属交易所购买这些材料,会怎么样?

[02:27] What would each of those things cost like oh jeez uh it's like $80 uh per kilowatt hour.
这些东西每一样会花费多少?哦,天哪,大约是每千瓦时80美元。

[02:37] Mhm so clearly you just need to think of clever ways to take those materials and combine them into the shape of a battery cell.
嗯哼,所以很明显,你只需要想出巧妙的方法,将这些材料组合成电池单元的形状。

[02:45] And you can have batteries that are much much cheaper than anyone realizes.
然后你就可以拥有比任何人想象的都要便宜得多的电池。

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