The Appendix That Reshaped Two Fields, 22 Years Later

Dangerous Ideas - Thinkers Who Paid · Oct 9, 2026 · 21m

A 1965 grad student buries a radical idea in his dissertation appendix-will it reshape two fields 22 years later?

The Appendix That Reshaped Two Fields, 22 Years Later

This episode explores the journey of an idea that began as a few hidden pages in a dissertation and eventually transformed how we understand rational thought. What happens when a concept ahead of its time finally finds its moment?

Person: John Pollock

Date: 1965

Location: Berkeley

Topic: Analytic philosophy

- John Pollock completed a triple major in physics, mathematics, and philosophy at the University of Minnesota.

- His…