Mind Matters
Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis
Latest Articles
Is “New Media” Really the Answer?
Old and new media and the crisis of trust and expertise
Are People in a Persistent Vegetative State Mindless? Maybe Not
They often can and do think. Research in the area helps us understand the relationship between the mind and the brain better
How Two Dogs May Have Foiled a Kidnapping
Did these two dogs just follow their programming? Or do they really care? How do they come to care?
New Jersey Program Aims to Prevent Suicide— Just Not All Suicides
In New Jersey, the self-terminations of people with a prognosis of six months or less ceases to be “suicide” when facilitated by a doctor
Science Writer: Research Should Not Be Publicly Funded
He defends his view by pointing out that waste, futility, and fraud are too frequent outcomes of taxpayer funding
Does Our Humanity Really Depend on “Concept Cells”?
A recently discovered type of brain cell, thought to be unique to humans, codes for a variety of types of information around a single concept
Medical Journal Article Urges Mass Propaganda Against Fossil Fuel
Medical intellectuals may be clueless, but most people understand that modern society depends on the ubiquitous use of fossil fuels
US judge finds that Google’s online ad tech monopoly is illegal
LLMs Still Cannot be Trusted for Financial Advice
The limitations of Large Language Models (chatbots) are illustrated by their struggles with financial advice
Monday Micro Softy 23: Barnum’s Circus Receipts
Circus master Barnum's ticket seller had not kept proper track of the tickets sold. Can the limited information — and some algebra — help Barnum figure it out?
A Neurosurgeon Makes the Neuroscience Case for Free Will
Michael Egnor is concerned about the serious social implications of denying free will
Mind Rules, Not Matter, Biologists Say — in Journal Article
They argue that simple natural processes cannot explain embryological development. Instead, biology is directed by cognition
Snapchat Has Been Totally Exposed
Employees admit the harms of the camera app
The Nearly Unfathomable Complexity of Even a Mouse’s Brain
Mapping a small part of a mouse's brain required 1.6 petabytes of data, which is equivalent to 22 years of nonstop high-definition video
Terminator Genisys Review Part 8: The Evil Child Murders the Film
The screenwriters tried to adapt the Evil Child theme from horror films without allowing enough time to build the needed suspense
The Nature of Mind, Free Will, and Human Uniqueness: A Deep Dive
The book Minding the Brain sparks some interesting discussions about what is really unique about the human mind
How Do Individual Cells Make Decisions?
They have no brains but they solve problems for a purpose and make decisions. Claiming they “evolved” to do so doesn’t answer the question
Famed Ethics Prof Endorses Suicide for Old People in New York Times
Peter Singer supports suicide not just for those who are ill now but who fear that they might become so
Scientists Dare To Hint That the Mind Can’t Just Be the Brain
They start with astonishing facts about the brains of caterpillars and worms and end up discussing human near-death experiences
Reptilian Renaissance: How Did Reptiles Develop Intelligence?
Scientists used to think reptiles were dumb but then they looked more closely
Briefs
Consciousness in unborn children: Touching the third rail
U.S. government’s Global Engagement Center is shuttered
A brand new type of glitch: Errors that only AI can introduce…
A sober assessment of the deadly gain-of-function virus debate
Hype despite ongoing failure to build human-like AI = “scandal”
Can AI really decode dead languages? Or is it too late?
Journalist: Seizures gave me a healthy respect for the brain
Chinese Neanderthal technology raises some interesting questions
Science publishers start tackling the photoshopping problem
White House media discusses sit-in against seating changes
Videos
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
