Mind Matters | Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

_{Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis}

spread of digital brain connections. Artificial intelligence and the idea of neural networks. Concept for mapping the brain's neuronal connections and connectome. Generative AI

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 24, 2026

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Brain stem (and mind), Consciousness, Dorothea Olkowski, Jaak Panksepp (1943-2017), Mark Solms, Michael Egnor}

Is “The brain is a computer!” One of Science’s Biggest Mistakes?

_{If so, the mistake throws a wrench into claims that conscious computers can ever be built} _{Denyse O'Leary
July 24, 2026

6

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

The messy processes of the brain that enable the various layers of consciousness bear no relationship to what happens in computers.

Science professor giving lecture to class

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post

Casey Luskin
Date
July 24, 2026}

Papers: Argumentation and Surprise Are Best Ways to Do Good Science

_{Type
post

Casey Luskin
Date
July 24, 2026}

Hospital staff operating an automated external defibrillator AED during a code blue, emergency response

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 23, 2026}

A Genuine Science-Based Debate About Near-Death Experiences?

_{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 23, 2026}

Latest Articles

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post

News
Date
July 22, 2026

Categorized
Animal mind, Evolution

Tagged
Asocial brain hypothesis, Cephalopods, Ectotherms, Endotherms, Featured, Jess Cockerill, Lisa Hendry, Octopus (intelligence), Octopus brain, Social brain hypothesis}

Maybe Being a Loner Helps the Octopus Be Smart?

_{With the asocial brain hypothesis, researchers ask us to think beyond traditional explanations for why some animals display unexpected intelligence} _{News
July 22, 2026

4

Animal mind, Evolution}

An octopus holding a plastic bottle , generative ai

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 21, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Creativity, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
AI fiction, ChatGPT, Geoff Bagwell, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), Romance fiction}

Are Fictionbots Triumphing Over Writers?

_{At The Spectator, Geoff Bagwell tells us that AI is destined to destroy the creative writing industry as bots take writers’ jobs} _{Denyse O'Leary
July 21, 2026

5

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Creativity, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

An open book with pages creatively folded to form a heart, a symbol of knowledge, love, and storytelling, resting on a wooden surface with a blurred background of bookshelves.

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post

Peter Biles
Date
July 20, 2026

Categorized
Education

Tagged
Featured, Literacy}

Horowitch and Harrington Chime in on the “Post-literate Society”

_{Is the age of longform reading truly over?} _{Peter Biles
July 20, 2026

5

Education}

books in colored covers swirl on a blue background, copy space

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post

Gary Smith
Date
July 20, 2026

Categorized
Economics, Education

Tagged
Cyril Northcote Parkinson (1909‒1993), Featured, Parkinson's Law, Pomona College, University bureaucracy}

Parkinson’s Law Is the Key to Understanding Bureaucratic Bloat

_{The experience of one small university offers a useful example} _{Gary Smith
July 20, 2026

6

Economics, Education}

File cabinets overflowing with orange folders and documents, symbolizing bureaucracy and disorganization

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post

Robert J. Marks
Date
July 20, 2026

Categorized
Mathematics

Tagged
Featured, Monday Microsofties}

Monday Micro Softy 88: Flipping Gold Coins

_{Computer programmers must be good at math. The solution to this week's Micro Softy uses math — but you don’t need to know the math to impress your friends} _{Robert J. Marks
July 20, 2026

5

Mathematics}

Stack of american gold coins background. US half Dollar coin with eagle. Concept of a stable banking system and economy.

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post

Jeffrey Funk
Date
July 20, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
Academic analyses, AI, Data centres, Microsoft, Slop, Tech bros, Zuckerberg and Palihapitiya}

Even the Tech Bros Are Turning Against AI

_{Some claim the problem is AI slop} _{Jeffrey Funk
July 20, 2026

6

Artificial Intelligence}

AI developer working on data models, surrounded by data visualizations

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post

News
Date
July 19, 2026

Categorized
Evolution, Psychology

Tagged
Darwinian Fairytales (1995), David Stove (1917-1994), Denyse O'Leary, Evolutionary psychology, Gad Saad, Michael Egnor, Suicidal Empathy (book 2026)}

Who, Exactly, Is the Subject of Evolutionary Psychology?

_{Neurosurgeon Michael Egnor and science writer Denyse O’Leary offer some thoughts about why the discipline does not make sense} _{News
July 19, 2026

6

Evolution, Psychology}

Human evolution

^{Type
post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
July 19, 2026

Categorized
Ethics, Medicine and Health

Tagged
Euthanasia, France}

France Legalizes Euthanasia

_{This may merely be the launching pad for an ever more expansive euthanasia regime} _{Wesley J. Smith
July 19, 2026

2

Ethics, Medicine and Health}

Vials with Sodium pentobarbital used for euthanasia and lethal inyecion in a hospital, conceptual image

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
July 19, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI immigrants vs. natives}

With AI, It’s Verify. Then Verify the Verification

_{Advice for AI Natives} _{Robert J. Marks
July 19, 2026

5

Artificial Intelligence}

AI hallucinations and incorrect outputs. False information and fabricated contents. Businessman using generative AI on a laptop computer.

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post

Gary Varner
Date
July 18, 2026

Categorized
Cosmology

Tagged
Kylo Ren and Poe, Star Wars, Stormtroopers, The Empire}

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review Part 4

_{Finn finds himself alone, so he begins stripping off his armor as he wanders the desert} _{Gary Varner
July 18, 2026

6

Cosmology}

Sand dunes in Sahara desert, Libya

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 17, 2026

Categorized
Animal mind, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Cats, Felines, Michael Egnor, soul}

Do Cats Have Souls? Some Reflections

_{At the close of his article, Richard Stevens asks, “As humans have an immortal mind, might some animals have such a mind beyond biology, too?"} _{Denyse O'Leary
July 17, 2026

5

Animal mind, Philosophy of Mind}

Captivating close up portrait of a shorthair cat with expressive soulful eyes set against a futuristic vibrant tetradic color scheme showcasing the natural beauty and elegance of the feline subject

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post

News
Date
July 17, 2026

Categorized
Censorship, Media, Politics, Social Media

Tagged
Ariel Zilber, Bluesky, Charlie Kirk, Elon Musk (and Twitter), Ethan Toven-Lindsey, Jack Dorsey, Justinas Vainilavičius}

Do Readers Remember Bluesky, the Kinder, Gentler Twitter?

_{It is still playing catchup in terms of user numbers} _{News
July 17, 2026

4

Censorship, Media, Politics, Social Media}

A breathtaking panoramic view of the deep blue ocean stretching to the horizon beneath a vibrant sky filled with fluffy white clouds. Gentle waves shimmer in the sunlight, creating a peaceful seascape

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
July 16, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Science

Tagged
Featured, Measurements}

Today’s Computer Chips — Measured in Beard-Seconds

_{Could we use beard-seconds as a measurement? Actually, we could} _{Robert J. Marks
July 16, 2026

8

Artificial Intelligence, Science}

Biological and science background

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post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
July 16, 2026

Categorized
Media

Tagged
Jimmy Wales, Jordan Boyd, Larry Sanger, Wikipedia}

So What Went Wrong With Wikipedia?

_{The whole business strikes some of us as a wildly Woke example of what can go wrong in an information society} _{Denyse O'Leary
July 16, 2026

4

Media}

Wiki button

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post

News
Date
July 16, 2026

Categorized
Medicine and Health

Tagged
Centenarians, David Attenborough (1926– ), Dick Van Dyke (1925–), George Burns (1896–1996), Mel Gibson (1956–)}

More humans are living to be 100 years of age

_{It is a logical outcome of a general improvement in health care} _{News
July 16, 2026

3

Medicine and Health}

Healthy, smiling 100 years old woman.

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post

News
Date
July 15, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Media

Tagged
A. N. Wilson, C. S. Lewis, Magician's Nephew (Lewis 1966), Magician’s Twin (book 2012), Magician’s Twin phrase}

Who Coined the Phrase “the Magician’s Twin”?

_{The pitfalls of relying on AI for your facts} _{News
July 15, 2026

3

Artificial Intelligence, Media}

Frustrated professional struggling with unreliable AI chatbot responses at night office

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post

Georgios Mappouras
Date
July 13, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
Nick Bostrom, Recursion problem, Simulation hypothesis}

Do We Really Live in an AI Simulation?

_{A formal logical analysis explains why the hypothesis is self-undermining} _{Georgios Mappouras
July 13, 2026

8

Artificial Intelligence}

Digital twin technology illustration of an airplane with holographic simulation model, representing aviation, flight simulation, aerospace innovation, and smart maintenance ai new

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post

Robert J. Marks
Date
July 13, 2026

Categorized
Mathematics

Tagged
Alan Turing, code-breaking, Sherlock Holmes}

Monday Micro Softy 87: Are You As Good a Detective As You Think?

_{Here’s a test from the world of codebreaking} _{Robert J. Marks
July 13, 2026

7

Mathematics}

Sherlock Holmes in a snowy cityscape

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post

Casey Luskin
Date
July 12, 2026

Categorized
Evolution, Neuroscience

Tagged
brain, Evolution}

Science Journal: Humans’ Big Brains Evolved “For No Particular Reason”?

_{The human brain, the most complex object in the known universe, arose “for no particular reason”?} _{Casey Luskin
July 12, 2026

5

Evolution, Neuroscience}

Evolution of the human brain from a smaller, primitive brain to the larger, more complex brain of modern humans

Podcast

The concept of the human brain. The right creative hemisphere versus the left logical hemisphere. Education, science and medical abstract background.

^{Type
podcast

Joe McDonald
Date
July 17, 2026}

How Cognitive Principles Can Inform Better Technological Design

_{Type
podcast

Joe McDonald
Date
July 17, 2026}

Briefs

Orcas surprise researchers by exploding dead sunfish

Type: brief; News
Date: July 23, 2026
Categorized: Animal mind
Tagged: Orcas

Neanderthals are still getting smarter…

Type: brief; Denyse O'Leary
Date: July 21, 2026
Categorized: Philosophy of Mind
Tagged: Neanderthal man, Tom Schoenemann

Interoception: Is it really a new sixth sense?

Type: brief; News
Date: July 15, 2026
Categorized: Medicine and Health
Tagged: Fiona MacDonald, Interoception, Proprioception

Relax. You do NOT have a lizard brain

Type: brief; News
Date: July 15, 2026
Categorized: Evolution, Neuroscience
Tagged: Carl Sagan (1934–1996), Reptilian brain

Authors be warned: AI scams are much cleverer today

Type: brief; News
Date: July 15, 2026
Categorized: Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Law
Tagged: AI scams, Guy de la Bédoyère, Writers

Can a pagan religion thrive without a supernatural element?

Type: brief; News
Date: July 12, 2026
Categorized: Environment, Medicine and Health, Religion
Tagged: Air conditioning, Sarah Salviander

Who expected this? Luddites are Cool now?

Type: brief; Denyse O'Leary
Date: July 10, 2026
Categorized: Politics, Technology
Tagged: Andrew Maynard, Luddites, Summer of Ludd, Vittoria Elliott

Did a bot retract Max Planck’s papers?

Type: brief; News
Date: July 10, 2026
Categorized: Media, Science
Tagged: Mahdi Khelfaoui, Max Planck (1858–1947), Retraction, Springer Nature, Yves Gingras

SpringerNature sells Scientific American to Canadian firm

Type: brief; News
Date: July 7, 2026
Categorized: Business and Finance, Media
Tagged: Bron Maher, Featured, GeraNova Bruckmann, LabX Media Group, Leslie Eastman, Scientific American, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, SpringerNature

Videos

Robot Women 2

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Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 21, 2022}

Science Uprising 10: Asking the Impolite Questions About AI

_{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 21, 2022}

Aerial view over Cupertino in Bay Area, California on a sunny day.

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News
Date
February 11, 2022}

Is It Really the End for Silicon Valley or Just a Reboot?

_{Type
post

News
Date
February 11, 2022}

Robots dancing in the park. Artificial intelligence industry in China.

^{Type
post

Heather Zeiger
Date
November 12, 2021}

COSM 2021: Kai-Fu Lee Tries His Hand at Future Casting

_{Type
post

Heather Zeiger
Date
November 12, 2021}

Empty cinema hall with red seats. Movie theatre

^{Type
post

Caitlin Cory
Date
October 21, 2021}

Ari Emanuel, COSM 2021: Movie Nite’s Changed; It’s Not Just COVID

_{Type
post

Caitlin Cory
Date
October 21, 2021}