Mind Matters | Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

Latest Articles

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Jerry Bowyer
Date
November 8, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture

Tagged
Alcasan's Head (That Hideous Strength), Allegory of Love (book 1936), Annie Crawford, Bill the Blizzard (That Hideous Strength), Charles Williams, Derek Rishmawy, Descent into Hell (1937), Featured, Filostrato (That Hideous Strength), Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375), Il Filostrato (poem c.1335), Jane Studdock (That Hideous Strength), John the Baptist, Mark Studdock (That Hideous Strength), Mere Christianity (book 1952), N.I.C.E. (That Hideous Strength), Nick Bostrom, Paul Kingsnorth, Robin Phillips, Rod Dreher, Sanford Schwartz, Shane Morris, St. Anne (mother of Mary), That Hideous Strength (1945)}

For C.S. Lewis fans: AI is not N.I.C.E.

_{C.S. Lewis’s novel That Hideous Strength got drafted into the AI wars — on the wrong side} _{Jerry Bowyer
November 8, 2026

18

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

Tyranny rules through fear, using intimidation to maintain control

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post

Wesley J. Smith
Date
November 8, 2026

Categorized
Ethics, Law, Medicine and Health

Tagged
Assisted Suicide}

Assisted Suicide, Here We Come — in the Wake of the Midterms

_{The primary hope of preventing legalization in these states rests with the disability rights community, which sees — correctly, in my view — assisted suicide as targeting them} _{Wesley J. Smith
November 8, 2026

2

Ethics, Law, Medicine and Health}

Syringe with anaesthetic drug - Propofol, ready for infusion.

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post

Paul Nelson
Date
November 7, 2026

Categorized
Extraterrestrial life, Intelligent Design

Tagged
Design detection, George Gaylord Simpson, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Paul Nelson, SETI}

SETI and the Fermi Paradox Live Next Door to Intelligent Design

_{They all ask the same questions about life in the universe and deal with the same information base} _{Paul Nelson
November 7, 2026

2

Extraterrestrial life, Intelligent Design}

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post

News
Date
November 6, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Politics

Tagged
AI bubble, Alexei Oreskovic, Alison Durkee, Bruce Gil, Chatbot adoption, Data centers, Dina Powell McCormick, Elon Musk and government, Microchips}

The AI Bubble Is Popping and the Noise Is Loud

_{Political changes, particularly the rejection of data centers for high speed transmission, play a big role. But other questions loom} _{News
November 6, 2026

5

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Politics}

The financial graph dramatically plunges downward, next to a illuminated dollar symbol, symbolizing economic recession and market decline. ..Created with Generative AI, not depicting real subjects.

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post

Gary Varner
Date
November 6, 2026

Categorized
Science Fiction

Tagged
Backstory, Plot, Rules, Star Wars, The Force Awakens, Writer}

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

_{A writer can get away with violating some rules because no story is perfect} _{Gary Varner
November 6, 2026

7

Science Fiction}

A hand is typing on a laptop keyboard with colorful lines and numbers. Concept of creativity and innovation, as the hand is using the keyboard to input data or code

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post

News
Date
November 5, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Economics

Tagged
COSM 2026, cryptocurrency, David Bahnsen, Disruptive technologies, Featured, George Gilder, Inflation (book 2022), John Tamny, Money (book 2014), Money as concept, Publishing business, Steve Forbes, Steve Forbes (views), What's Ahead (podcast)}

COSM 2026: Top Forbes Editor To Ask Hard Questions Re the Economy

_{Steve Forbes — along with other distinguished panelists — will ask the big question: Is the economy in Takeoff, Glide Path, or Stall mode?} _{News
November 5, 2026

4

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Economics}

Red and green arrows on a stock market graph, showcasing economic uncertainty

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post

Kenneth Francis
Date
November 5, 2026

Categorized
Psychology

Tagged
Covid, Mind games, Psychology, Rules, TV/Broadcast propaganda}

Did the Covid Rules Play Games with People’s Minds?

_{The hive mind is hard-wired for many behaviours} _{Kenneth Francis
November 5, 2026

5

Psychology}

Table games of chance, including tic tac toe, are set up in large size to entertain the party guests

^{Type
post

Jeffrey Funk
Date
November 4, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance

Tagged
2008 financial bubble, AI bubble, Anthropic market position, Bond market and AI companies, CoreWeave, Firmus Technologies, Irrational Exuberance (book 2000), Nvidia market strength, OpenAI market position, Robert Shiller, Situational Awareness}

Is The AI Bubble Really Popping Now?

_{The bond (and stock?) market says yes} _{Jeffrey Funk
November 4, 2026

6

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance}

Soap bubble in front of stock market screen representing fragility of financial markets, economic speculation, risk, and market trend forecasting

^{Type
post

Walter Myers III
Date
November 4, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Behaviorism, COSM 2026, eliminative materialism, Emergent Mind (book 2025), Featured, Functionalism, Gaurav Suri, Identity theory, Jay Richards (COSM 2026), Property dualism, substance dualism}

COSM 2026: Tackling a Big Question — What Makes a Mind?

_{AI has turned an old philosophical question into an urgent one. A COSM 2026 panel will feature the claim that the mind is like a computer} _{Walter Myers III
November 4, 2026

5

Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind}

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
November 3, 2026

Categorized
Education, Evolution

Tagged
August Weismann (1834–1914), Charles Darwin (1809–1882), Evolution methods, Featured, Francis Crick (1916-2004), Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744–1829), Jessica Riskin, Lamarckism, Power of Life (book 2026)}

Change: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Is No Longer a Figure of Fun

_{It is suddenly becoming acceptable for mainstream academics to platform alternatives to Darwin’s theory} _{Denyse O'Leary
November 3, 2026

6

Education, Evolution}

Statue en bronze de Lamarck à Paris. France

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post

News
Date
November 3, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Technology

Tagged
Andrew Mayne, ARPANET, Bob Metcalfe (COSM 2026), COSM 2026, Ethernet, Featured, George Gilder, Harry Lewis, Ken MacWilliams, Metcalfe’s Law, Pat Gelsinger, Simon Hill, Turing Award (Bob Metcalfe)}

COSM 2026: Meet the Guy Who Made the Internet Seamless

_{Bob Metcalfe will be there to listen to offer some thoughts on where we are now and where we are headed} _{News
November 3, 2026

4

Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Technology}

Aerial view cityscape at night with skyline and connectivity link of light grid concept of connection

^{Type
post

Kenneth Francis
Date
November 3, 2026

Categorized
Religion

Tagged
Atheism, Bats, Consciousness, Fear, god, Thomas Nagel}

Is Theophobia the Weirdest Kind of Fear?

_{Surely a feeling of terror of the devil would make more sense} _{Kenneth Francis
November 3, 2026

5

Religion}

Atheism. Torn sheet of paper with the inscription.

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post

Robert J. Marks
Date
November 2, 2026

Categorized
Mathematics, Probability

Tagged
Featured, Monday Microsofties}

Monday Microsofty 103: The Achepocalypse-Now Virus

_{What effect do false positives have on the significance of test results?} _{Robert J. Marks
November 2, 2026

5

Mathematics, Probability}

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
November 1, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Cryptocurrency, Politics, Social Media, Technology

Tagged
AnotherNation (network state), Balaji Srinivasan, Marc Andreessen, Network State (book 2022), Praxis (network state), Sebastian Widmann, Taylor Lorenz, Zuzalu (network state)}

Some Tech Bros Want To Found States That Exist Mainly Online

_{Trust folks in Silicon Valley to dream big. Some are flirting with abandoning nations and starting a Network State (or States)} _{Denyse O'Leary
November 1, 2026

5

Artificial Intelligence, Cryptocurrency, Politics, Social Media, Technology}

Global financial risk management, interconnected business sectors across countries, datadriven analysis of international trade risks, corporate decisionmaking technology.

^{Type
post

Kenneth Francis
Date
November 1, 2026

Categorized
Media

Tagged
Communication, media, Psychology, Semiotics, symbols, Visuals}

The Power Semiotics Has on the Mind

_{Signs and symbols can influence our behaviour} _{Kenneth Francis
November 1, 2026

5

Media}

Film studio with cameras and movie equipment exposing edge of facade

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 31, 2026

Categorized
Evolution, Philosophy of Mind, Psychology

Tagged
Agner Fog, Featured, Glenn Reynolds, H. Allen Orr, Meme concept, Meme Machine (1999), Simon Bennett, Stephen Jay Gould (1941–2002), Streisand effect, Susan Blackmore}

Whatever Happened to Dawkins’s Famous Darwinian “Memes”?

_{His materialist theory of information transmission was wildly popular but, after a couple of decades, it has disappeared, almost without a trace} _{Denyse O'Leary
October 31, 2026

5

Evolution, Philosophy of Mind, Psychology}

Portrait of angry cat on blue background. Generative AI

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post

Gary Varner
Date
October 31, 2026

Categorized
Science Fiction

Tagged
Disney, Frog in kettle, Lucas, Rushed, Star Wars, Sun}

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review Part 19

_{Poe blew up the chamber keeping the sun contained inside the planet, so now the planet is about to explode} _{Gary Varner
October 31, 2026

6

Science Fiction}

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
October 30, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Computer Security, Crime, Data Privacy

Tagged
AI journalists, Coyotec, CYbersecurity breaches, Entravision, Jason Clinton, Jessica Lipsky, Liability and AI mishaps, Neverskilling, Richard Stevens, Rogue AI agents, Sam Altman, White House and AI}

Monday Microsofty 104: Feigned vs. Real Interest

Understanding Conscience Not Consciousness

Are Different Colors Associated With Varied Near-Death Experiences?

Latest Articles

For C.S. Lewis fans: AI is not N.I.C.E.

Assisted Suicide, Here We Come — in the Wake of the Midterms

SETI and the Fermi Paradox Live Next Door to Intelligent Design

The AI Bubble Is Popping and the Noise Is Loud

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

COSM 2026: Top Forbes Editor To Ask Hard Questions Re the Economy

Did the Covid Rules Play Games with People’s Minds?

Is The AI Bubble Really Popping Now?

COSM 2026: Tackling a Big Question — What Makes a Mind?

Change: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Is No Longer a Figure of Fun

Is Theophobia the Weirdest Kind of Fear?

Monday Microsofty 103: The Achepocalypse-Now Virus

The Power Semiotics Has on the Mind

Whatever Happened to Dawkins’s Famous Darwinian “Memes”?

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Review Part 19

Should We Trust the Tech Bros as Far as We Can Throw Them?

Kids and AI: Dad Wishes He’d Said No Even to the X-box

The Strange Phenomenon of Imaginary Friends and Other Weird Things

Podcast

Where Is Heaven? What Physics and Math Tell Us About Multiple Dimensions

Briefs

Voyager 1: Launched in 1977, now one light day from Earth…

Do 3 lines of math show that time travel is impossible?

Are the companies that own AI a bigger threat than the tech?

News agency notes rise in machine-driven attacks on “secure” data

MIT psychologist: Beware the chatbot’s artificial empathy

Spotted! Indie Canadian news outlet sniffs out phantom AI “writer”

Parents enlist AI to monitor what goes on at school boards

Is AI really making us more productive? That’s unclear

Can machines reason? Depends on what you mean by “reason”

Videos

Douthat Exits New York Times, Final Podcast Hosts Biohacker Bryan Johnson

Science Uprising 10: Asking the Impolite Questions About AI

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

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