^ArchiveArticles

In a dimly lit laboratory, a group of scientists debates the ethical implications of altering human genetics The camera angle is focused on the intense expressions of the researchers,

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Author
Wesley J. Smith
Date
April 26, 2024

Categorized
Ethics}

Bioethicists Want to Rule the World

_{Alright, the headline is a tad hyperbolic. But just a tad.} _{Wesley J. Smith

April 26, 2024

4

Ethics}

Alright, the headline is a tad hyperbolic. But just a tad. Bioethics has always been about granting “experts” in the field tremendous influence over public policy. And now, one of the most prominent practitioners in the field — the president and CEO of the Hastings Center Report, a prestigious bioethics journal — has urged that bioethicists expand their “expert” advocacy to issues of “global” importance. Note the usual progressive gobbledygook lexicon. From “A Path Forward — and Outward,” by Vardit Ravitsky: Bioethics should move beyond a focus on human health and set the more ambitious goal of exploring conditions for human flourishing even beyond the WHO’s famously broad definition of health as a “state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
April 25, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, COSM, COSM 2023, immortality, Longevity, Ray Kurzweil, Technology}

Does AI Make Immortality Possible?

_{Ray Kurzweil speaks out} _{News

April 25, 2024

1

Artificial Intelligence}

Technology futurists are confident that artificial intelligence will soon surpass human intelligence, but will it enhance human longevity too? Computer scientist and pioneer Ray Kurzweil addresses this question in his fascinating lecture at COSM 2023, the national tech summit that witnesses the best minds on tech, AI, and its intersections with society. See Kurzweil talk about the direction he thinks AI is currently headed, and how our longevity could be affected as a result. See also a number of other exciting and timely videos from the most recent COSM conference for more material on these topics!

Scientist studying stars through large telescope, cosmology

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post

Author
Jean-Pierre Luminet
Date
April 24, 2024

Categorized
Cosmology

Tagged
background radiation, Big Bang, cosmology, Einstein, Evolution News, expansion of the universe, fine tuning, origins, space, theory of relativity, Time, Universe}

The Men Who Actually Discovered the Big Bang

_{New book explores the forgotten figures behind one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history.} _{Jean-Pierre Luminet

April 24, 2024

7

Cosmology}

Editor’s note: Discovery Institute Press is delighted to announce the publication of The Big Bang Revolutionaries: The Untold Story of Three Scientists Who Reenchanted Cosmology, by Jean-Pierre Luminet. The book has received rave reviews including from three Nobel Prize winners. The following is an excerpt from Chapter 1. The purpose of this book is not to exhaustively survey the history of cosmology through the centuries, nor that of the few decades that saw the development of relativistic cosmology. The available studies on the subject are numerous, and some are of high quality. I propose instead to present and analyze the texts that originated the three main ideas of relativistic cosmology: These texts are the work of three pioneers who, armed only with Read More ›

University college audience or lecture room with students as back to school education study and learning during conference presentation and training seminar meeting

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post

Author
Jeffrey Funk and Gary Smith
Date
April 23, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, gemini, Google, LLMs}

Universities Should Prioritize Critical Thinking Over Large Language Models

_{It is doubtful that LLMs can generate novel ways to boost productivity} _{Jeffrey Funk and Gary Smith

April 23, 2024

7

Artificial Intelligence}

Improvements in our standard of living depend on productivity growth, which is often fueled by creative ideas that are particularly valuable because, unlike coal, timber, and other physical resources, they can be used repeatedly and simultaneously by many people in many places. Productivity growth has slowed in recent years, a trend that prominent economists writing the American Economic Review attributed to a dearth of new ideas: Our robust finding is that research productivity is falling sharply everywhere we look. Taking the US aggregate number as representative, research productivity falls in half every 13 years: ideas are getting harder and harder to find. The authors estimated that, compared to 50 years ago, it now takes 18 times as many researchers to Read More ›

Image of an expanding universe. shot from far away with many colours, beautiful.

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post

Author
News
Date
April 23, 2024

Categorized
Cosmology

Tagged
Astronomy, Big Bang, cosmology, discovery institute press, Einstein, Expanding universe, nobel, Physics, Roger Penrose, space, spacetime, stars, Time}

The New Book on the Big Bang that Roger Penrose is Praising

_{Meet the forgotten men who discovered evidence for an expanding universe.} _{News

April 23, 2024

8

Cosmology}

Many widely read scientific writers of our day mistakenly attribute the concepts of the expanding universe and the Big Bang to Edwin Hubble and Albert Einstein. Hubble did provide evidence of an expanding universe, but he neither discovered such evidence nor accepted the radical idea that space itself was expanding. As for Einstein, he held out against the idea of an expanding universe for more than a decade, and ceased working in the field as soon as he had to amend his view. The real heroes of the Big Bang revolution are the Russian Alexander Friedmann and Belgian priest Georges Lemaître. That they are virtually unknown to the general public is one thing. That their contribution is underestimated by astrophysicists Read More ›

Data reflecting on eyeglasses on man's face. Computrer programmer big data and ux designer concept

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post

Author
Jeffrey Funk
Date
April 22, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AGI, AI, Amazon, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Futurism, Mars, Progress, Tech}

AI’s Illusion of Rapid Progress

_{It always seems to be on the verge of perfection} _{Jeffrey Funk

April 22, 2024

6

Artificial Intelligence}

The media loves to report on everything Elon Musk says, particularly when it is one of his very optimistic forecasts. Two weeks ago he said: “If you define AGI (artificial general intelligence) as smarter than the smartest human, I think it’s probably next year, within two years.” In 2019, he predicted there would be a million robo-taxis by 2020 and in 2016, he said about Mars, “If things go according to plan, we should be able to launch people probably in 2024 with arrival in 2025.” On the other hand, the media places less emphasis on negative news such as announcements that Amazon would abandon its cashier-less technology called “Just Walk Out,” because it wasn’t working properly. Introduced three years Read More ›

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post

Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
April 19, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
capitalism, cole smead, COSM, COSM 2023, Electronics, George Gilder, Graphene, Jay Richards, Medicine, renewable energy}

Is AI’s Future Open or Closed?

_{Watch Archana Vemulapalli, Head of Solutions Architecture at Amazon Web Services, discuss developments in artificial intelligence} _{News

April 26, 2024

1

Artificial Intelligence}

Watch Archana Vemulapalli, Head of Solutions Architecture at Amazon Web Services, discuss developments in artificial intelligence with Bryan Mistele, CEO of transportation analytics provider, INRIX – especially ways in which AI can be employed to make people more productive and efficient, and in the end, make the world a better place. You can watch this video and many more from the most recent COSM conference, which featured leading thinkers and pioneers in the fields of tech, artificial intelligence, and computing.

Magician or illusionist is showing magic trick with wand and hat on dark background.

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
April 25, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence}

AGI as Magic: Not Real, But Still Deadly

_{AI's magical hype will continue to hypnotize, but its fundamental limits are stark, and need to be acknowledged.} _{Peter Biles

April 25, 2024

2

Artificial Intelligence}

Andy Crouch is a man who wants to evade the algorithm, so he doesn’t post much on X, but when he does, it’s generally an insightful nugget meant to be noted and digested. Crouch, a tech critic and a partner at Praxis Labs, doesn’t think AI will do all the wild stuff some of the futurists claim, but he does believe a belief in AI’s potential outlandish capacities, like consciousness, could be harmful. He posted on X, The analogy with magic is one Crouch has employed before in his extrapolations of technology. His thoughts echo economist Gary Smith’s frequent musings on this subject. The real danger of AI is not that it will become smarter than humans, but that we Read More ›

Futuristic AI robot in priest attire stands inside church and preaching. Setting combines traditional religious elements with advanced technology, showcasing unique blend of past and future.

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
April 24, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Religion

Tagged
AI, Catholicism, Chatbot, ChatGPT, Christianity, father justin, llm, religion, Twitter}

Father Justin, a Chatbot, is Absolving Sinners

_{Critics are calling for the AI priest to be "taken down immediately."} _{Peter Biles

April 24, 2024

3

Artificial Intelligence, Religion}

Catholic Answers is a “media ministry that serves Christ by explaining and defending the Catholic faith,” according to their description on X. For Catholic observers, it serves as a good resource for deepening one’s faith and finding clarification on certain Catholic doctrines. However, the site recently introduced a controversial new member to the team: Father Justin, a chatbot “priest” designed to help answer people’s questions about Catholicism. In defense of this AI app, Catholic Answers said, As a leading Catholic apostolate, Catholic Answers is committed to leveraging the latest technologies to advance its mission of explaining and defending the Catholic faith. The Father Justin app is the latest example of this commitment, providing a new and appealing way for searchers Read More ›

Abstract flight in retro neon hyper warp space in the tunnel 3d illustration

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post

Author
Gary Varner
Date
April 22, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Arts and Culture, Dystopia, fiction, Gary Varner, Movies and TV, Science fiction}

Spaceman Review, Part 3

_{Sometimes you have to leave what you love to go on a mission} _{Gary Varner

April 22, 2024

9

Arts & Culture}

Last time, we talked about Jakub’s new buddy, a giant spider that may or may not be real. This potential hallucination wants to help the astronaut with his loneliness because his wife, Lenka, has left him. The trouble is that the spider’s idea of helping poor Jakub is forcing him to remember his past. The writer wanted to give Jakub a redemption arch using these flashbacks; however, the astronaut’s memories were shown in a disjointed order, confusing the story and making Lenka look very bad, which made her and Jakub’s relationship difficult to root for. The chaotic flashbacks, mixed with a variety of plot holes, made for a very irritating story. One of the most glaring plot holes arises when Read More ›

Big data and artificial intelligence concept. Machine learning and cyber mind domination concept in form of women face on dark blue technology background, 3d illustration.

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
April 21, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Evolution, Featured, Joe Rogan, Tucker Carlson, YouTube}

Joe Rogan Spins Bizarre Take on Evolution and AI

_{The podcaster thinks AI could become "God"} _{Peter Biles

April 21, 2024

2

Artificial Intelligence}

Joe Rogan recently sat down with Tucker Carlson to have an often-bizarre conversation that involved everything from UFOs to evolution to saunas. Rogan’s comments on artificial intelligence, however, were some of the most provocative of the exchange, and reflected a sentiment common among futurists and transhumanists: AI could become a life form, evolve, and replace the human race. Rogan situates his views by noting that only humans think humans are important. In the grand scheme of the cosmos, human life is inconsequential. He went on to note that AI could become “God,” and evolve to a certain point where it would basically know everything there is to know. The question is: why would anyone want that, and why should that Read More ›

Child watching cellphone screen at night. Blue light from smartphone device glowing on little girl face

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
April 19, 2024

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
Anxiety, Cell phones, connected, crisis, Depression, Gen Z, iGen, Jonathan Haidt, loneliness, mental health, online world, social media}

Helpful Video Maps Out Gen Z Mental Health Crisis

_{The glow of the screen is swallowing a generation, and it needs to stop} _{Peter Biles

April 19, 2024

2

Technology}

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s new book The Anxious Generation topped the New York Times bestsellers’ chart two weeks in a row, and has been stirring up a lot of commentary in the meantime. Haidt’s basic thesis is that we have drastically overprotected children in the real world and woefully under-protected them in the virtual world. A new video helpfully lines out this argument, and shows why today’s generation, more than the Millennials who preceded them, struggle so intensely with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. In a recent interview, author and public intellectual Andy Crouch said that while he doesn’t know if it can be backed up neurologically, there is something about the “glow” of screens that wakens something primordial in the Read More ›

remote work at home hybrid work telecommuting teleconference work from anywhere remote office laptop computer woman businesswoman flex work distributed work webcam conference call coworkers teamwork

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
April 18, 2024

Tagged
Covid, Culture, Employees, management, society, Work}

Remote Work: Liberation or a Major Step Back?

_{Feeling disconnected or undervalued can lead to quiet quitting, data shows} _{Peter Biles

April 18, 2024

3}

Articles and studies abound on the viability of remote work, particularly following the mass transformation of the white-collar workplace after 2020. While millennials and Gen-Z workers, fresh out of college, fled metro areas and moved online, whole office spaces found themselves empty. Office real estate workers continue to struggle leasing out their spaces to businesses, since so many employers now have a remote or hybrid work schedule. It is difficult to reach a conclusive stance on the pros and cons of remote work by reading the dozens of articles on the topic. Opinions vary so widely. Some praise the new shift towards remote work as a revolutionary step in the workforce. Others note that remote work is actually a step Read More ›

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
April 17, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Blake Lemoine, doc ock, heroes and villains, New York City, Sentience, social media, spiderman}

Doc Ock and His Sentient AI Arms

_{Could AI ever control the human mind?} _{Peter Biles

April 17, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

It’s interesting that the Spider-Man universe (or multiverse, I guess) is studded with well-meaning villains. In my last movie review, we looked at Norman Osborn and his tragic transformation into the Green Goblin. What’s odd about his character is that he’s almost a father figure to Peter Parker throughout the film, offering support, guidance, wisdom. It’s the allure of a mysterious form of biotechnology and corporate pressure that sends him off the deep end. It isn’t so different with the iconic Dr. Octopus. An idealist set on inventing a new source of perpetual energy, Dr. Octavius is a friendly but ambitious scientist, who, like Osborn, takes Peter under his wing. The experiment to create a sustained fusion reaction, though, goes Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
April 17, 2024

Categorized
Natural Intelligence

Tagged
Consciousness, Evolution, Matter, Michael Egnor, mind, Mind Matters podcast}

Could Consciousness Have Evolved?

_{Michael Egnor takes a hard look at the evidence in this classic podcast episode.} _{News

April 17, 2024

1

Natural Intelligence}

On a classic episode of ID the Future, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor interviews Bernardo Kastrup, a philosopher with a background in computer engineering, about consciousness, evolution, and intelligent design. Did consciousness evolve? What does the evidence suggest? And how do materialists deal with the seemingly immaterial reality that is consciousness? Enjoy this guest episode from Mind Matters, a podcast of Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. Dig Deeper Cross-posted at Evolution News.

Aerial photo of mix color of stream in to river

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post

Author
Wesley J. Smith
Date
April 17, 2024

Categorized
Environment

Tagged
Human exceptionalism, image of God, Nature Rights, personhood, Rivers, slippery slope, utah, Wesley J. Smith}

Utah Goes Up Against “Nature Rights”

_{Utah is the fourth state — the others are Ohio, Florida, and Idaho — restricting rights to the human realm where they belong.} _{Wesley J. Smith

April 17, 2024

3

Environment}

A bit ago, I warned that environmental radicals were pushing to grant rights to the Great Salt Lake. Thankfully, legislators noticed and passed a bill prohibiting granting rights to any non-human aspects of nature. From H.B. 0249: 63G-31-102. Legal personhood restricted.Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a governmental entity may not grant legal personhood to, nor recognize legal personhood in:(1) artificial intelligence;(2) an inanimate object;(3) a body of water;(4) land;(5) real property;(6) atmospheric gases;(7) an astronomical object;(8) weather;(9) a plant;(10) a nonhuman animal; or(11) any other member of a taxonomic domain that is not a human being. There has been advocacy among environmentalists to grant rights to nature broadly understood and to each of these identified categories, hence the need for a detailed Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
April 16, 2024

Categorized
Technology

Tagged
AI, Bob Metcalfe, Discovery Institute, Ethernet, internet, Jay Richards, Tech}

Bob Metcalfe on Our Connected World

_{Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay Richards interviews Bob Metcalfe, inventor of Ethernet} _{News

April 16, 2024

1

Technology}

The Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence is pleased to be able to share the videos from the 2023 COSM conference, now available on YouTube. This annual conference explores the status and the future of our era-defining technologies, from artificial intelligence to electric vehicles to new developments in biotech. Today’s video features a conversation with Bob Metcalfe, a pioneer in the field of computer science and the inventor of Ethernet. Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay Richards interviews Bob Metcalfe, inventor of Ethernet and recipient of the prestigious Turing Award, about the predicted pathologies of the internet and the reversals associated with the rise of connectivity.

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post

Author
Gary Smith
Date
April 16, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Chatbot, ChatGPT 3.5 and critical thinking, Copilot and critical thinking, Gemini and critical thinking, Large Language Models (LLMs), Large Language models and decision-making, Smith test on Large Language Models (LLMS)}

Elon Musk: AI will be smarter than a human in 2025: Why he’s wrong

_{The superficial glibness of LLMs is a wonderful example of the adage that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing} _{Gary Smith

April 16, 2024

7

Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind}

Based on extensive training on untold amounts of text, LLMs are able to repackage superficially compelling answers that they literally do not understand. Read More ›

A group of people walking together through a bustling shopping mall. This image can be used to depict a busy shopping day or to illustrate consumerism and retail therapy.

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
April 15, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
aaron renn, Books, David Foster Wallace, digital era, economy, Facebook, internet, music, Narcissism, online life, Self, social media, Tech}

The Crisis of Identity That Tech Doesn’t Help

_{Consumerism works well but leaves us empty} _{Peter Biles

April 15, 2024

2

Arts & Culture}

Writer and cultural commentator Aaron Renn wrote recently about the dissolution of identity in the United States, contending that if we don’t know who we are, we will never know what to do. Renn writes frequently on issues facing young men in America and the challenges of living well in the secular world. He writes, The reality is that a lot of people in top positions of our society act as if they want you living like Simba. They want porn available for you to watch. They want you betting on the big game on your phone. They want you focused on “experiences” and consumption, like hitting the latest hot travel destination or going to the new farm-to-table restaurant that Read More ›