^ArchiveArticles

Data graph chart 3d render light dots background banner finance wallpaper ai generated

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post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
January 30, 2024

Categorized
Psychology, Science

Tagged
Alec Tyson, Brian Kennedy, File drawer effect, Genetic Literacy Project, Henry Miller, p-hacking, Replication issues in science, S. Stanley Young, Trust in science (2023 Pew study)}

Scientists Attempt an Honest Look at Why We Trust Science Less

_{Contemplating the depressing results of a recent Pew survey, a molecular biologist and a statistician take aim at growing corruption in science} _{Denyse O'Leary

January 30, 2024

5

Psychology, Science}

The article, unfortunately, doesn’t address the way the panic around COVID leaned heavily on claims about “the science” — which likely discredited science. Read More ›

Ancient city of Babylon with the tower of Babel, bible and religion. AI generated, human enhanced

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post

Author
News
Date
January 30, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Psychology, Religion

Tagged
Artificial General Intelligence as idol, William Dembski on AI as idol}

Dembski: Does the Squawk Around AI Sound Like the Tower of Babel?

_{Well then, maybe that’s just what it is, he argues, in a new series of short essays} _{News

January 30, 2024

4

Artificial Intelligence, Psychology, Religion}

Dembski sees the breathless and implausible claims for computers that think like people as the modern equivalent of ancient idols. Here are some highlights. Read More ›

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post

Author
News
Date
January 29, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Economics

Tagged
Brian Heater, Brian Will (startup advice), Economic conditions for tech startups (2023), Jessica Nix, Mary Ann Azevedo, Miles Nidal, Tech startups in 2023, Uber (turns profit 2023), Zack Whittaker}

Business Media Report That 2023 Was a Bad Year for Tech Startups

_{News

January 29, 2024

5

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Economics}

Running a business is more about mindset than skillset and no technology can make up for fundamentally mistaken ideas about how to run a business. Read More ›

Robot hand typing on the computer. The concept of artificial intelligence replacing a human in dealing with another human. Ai generative

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post

Author
Richard W. Stevens
Date
January 29, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, ai fraud, Artificial Intelligence, Copyright, Crime, Fake, Law}

Human Impersonation AI Must Be Outlawed

_{I didn't used to think that AI systems could threaten civilization. Now I do.} _{Richard W. Stevens

January 29, 2024

8

Artificial Intelligence}

It must be declared a serious felony, akin to attempted mass murder, to produce, sell, possess, or use any AI-powered human impersonation system. Read More ›

Person is looking for way out of psychedelic maze. A surreal labyrinth in magical forest. Human consciousness is at dead end, searching for solutions. Created with Generative AI

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post

Author
Michael Egnor
Date
January 29, 2024

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Christof Koch (doubts about physicalism), Consciousness (why hard to explain), Consciousness as not understandable, Franz Brentano and intentionality, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951), M. R. Bennett, P.M.S. Hacker, Philosophical Foundations of Neuroscience (Wiley 2022), Physicalism (and consciousness), Wittgenstein on consciousness}

Leading Neuroscientist Wavers on Physical View of Consciousness

_{On Closer to Truth, Christof Koch said last month, “Consciousness cannot be explained only within the framework of space and time and energy, but we need to postulate something additional”} _{Michael Egnor

January 29, 2024

6

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Science is as dependent on the concept of public truth as the great religions are. Thus, when private truth rapidly gains power, it is just as vulnerable. Read More ›

male and female gender symbols on blackboard

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post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
January 28, 2024

Categorized
Biology, Censorship, Evolution

Tagged
American Anthropological Association, Canadian Anthropology Society, Carole Hooven (gender wars), Colin Wright (gender wars), Daniel Nuccio, Evolution theory and binary sex, Evolutionary biologists and gender wars, Jerry Coyne (gender wars), Paradox Institute, Public vs. private truth (not truth vs. falsehood), Richard Dawkins (gender wars), Sex (as binary in humans), Zachary Elliott}

The Cancel Culture Mob Comes For the Evolutionary Biologists

_{Denyse O'Leary

January 28, 2024

5

Biology, Censorship, Evolution}

Science is as dependent on the concept of public truth as the great religions are. Thus, when private truth rapidly gains power, it is just as vulnerable. Read More ›

Stars nebula in space. Elements of this image furnished by NASA

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post

Author
News
Date
January 27, 2024

Categorized
Astrobiology, Cosmology

Tagged
Dirk Schulze-Makuch (wager), Extraterrestrials (as easier to spot now), Fermi Paradox, Great SIlence, Ian Crawford (wager), John Ball, Zoo Hypothesis (Dirk Schulze-Makuch)}

Science Wager: Extraterrestrials Will Be Spotted Within 15 Years

_{An astrobiologist had made the bet with a planetary scientist, after they whittled down ET theories to two possibilities: They’re hiding or they’re not out there} _{News

January 27, 2024

4

Astrobiology, Cosmology}

Dirk Schulze-Makuch thinks ET is hiding (the Zoo Hypothesis) but planetary scientist Ian Crawford takes the position that they are just not out there. Read More ›

Spooky silhouettes of aliens and bright light in background. 3D rendered illustration.

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post

Author
Gary Varner
Date
January 27, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
aliens, Arts and Culture, Dystopian, Gary Varner, Movies, ripley, Science fiction, tv}

Alien Resurrection, Part 2: Trying to Recover After a Retcon

_{The writers of the show never seemed to agree on how smart these aliens really are.} _{Gary Varner

January 27, 2024

8

Arts & Culture}

A problem for the franchise as a whole is that there’s been no consistent measurement for these creatures’ intelligence. Read More ›

abstract illustration of the cosmos on the theme of the origin of life in the universe with stars, comets and nebulae

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 27, 2024

Categorized
Cosmology, Philosophy, Science

Tagged
Alan Boyle, Avi Loeb, Brian Koberlein on ET life, Cosmology (current problems), Fine tuning of Earth as coincidence, Fine tuning of universe (as illusion), Foundational Questions Institute (FQI), Jason Steffen, Liz Kruesi, Multiverse concept and evidence, Paul Halpern}

Five Trends That Help Us Make Sense of Space Science Today

_{News

January 27, 2024

5

Cosmology, Philosophy, Science}

It’s worth keeping all the biases, hopes, uncertainties, and value judgments in mind when we are told that we should “trust the science.” Read More ›

three dolphins close up portrait underwater while looking at you

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 26, 2024

Categorized
Animal mind, Human exceptionalism, Language

Tagged
Arik Kershenbaum, Dolphins (signature whistles), Herbert S. Terrace, Killian Fox, Language (human vs animal), Why Animals Talk (Penguin 2024)}

Why Animals Don’t Really Have Anything Much to Say

_{News

January 26, 2024

5

Animal mind, Human exceptionalism, Language}

Terrace attempted to teach infant chimpanzee Nim Chimpsky to form a sentence but conceded defeat. His apparent early successes were traced to human prompting. Read More ›

Human brain with electric impulses in purple

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post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
January 26, 2024

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Altered States of Consciousness (MIT Press 2018), Marc Wittmann, Mind research (as gaining respectability)}

Are Researchers Taking Mystical Experiences More Seriously Now?

_{Denyse O'Leary

January 26, 2024

4

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

One challenge is that many people know only the materialist dismissals, not the evidence that is ignored or dismissed. Read More ›

Escherichia Coli , E. Coli Bacterial Strains, Health and Food Safety microcosm, organismal and human biology science and research.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 26, 2024

Categorized
Biology, Natural Intelligence

Tagged
Bacteria (memory), Cell intelligence (memory in bacteria), E coli and memory, Iron and memory in E coli, Memory in bacteria, Souvik Bhattacharyya st al.}

Bacteria Have Memories? Well, That’s What Some Researchers Found…

_{News

January 26, 2024

3

Biology, Natural Intelligence}

According to the researchers, they can form and pass along iron-based memories to later generations of cell division. Read More ›

Archaeological excavations and finds (bones of a skeleton in a human burial), a detail of ancient research, prehistory.

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post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
January 25, 2024

Categorized
Archeology, Censorship, Media, Paleontology, Peer Review

Tagged
Advanced ancient civilization (Hancock), Ancient Apocalypse (2023), Andrew McDiarmid, Aylin Woodward, Casey Luskin on Berger and homo Naledi, Daniel Sandweiss, Documentaries (challenged documentaries), Graham Hancock, homo Naledi controversy, Lee Berger, Rising Star cave system, Unknown: Cave of Bones (2023)}

Scientists Spar Over What a Netflix Science Documentary Should Be

_{Should “Ancient Apocalypse” be relabeled “science fiction” if archeologists don’t think the documentary writer’s claims are valid?} _{Denyse O'Leary

January 25, 2024

5

Archeology, Censorship, Media, Paleontology, Peer Review}

Berger’s confidence about homo Naledi’s intelligence rankles colleagues but he is as entitled to a documentary for his case as they are to oppose it. Read More ›

Evil robot head with glowing red eyes in data center, Ai generated image

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post

Author
Eric Holloway
Date
January 25, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Ethics

Tagged
Artificial intelligence and evil, Artificial intelligence as sleeper agent, Conservation of Information Problem, Halting problem and "friendly" AI, Model collapse}

Can AI Really Start Doing Evil Stuff All By Itself?

_{We need to first talk to the man in the mirror before we go around blaming transistor circuit boards for what’s wrong in the world} _{Eric Holloway

January 25, 2024

5

Artificial Intelligence, Ethics}

Far from being independent superintellects, AIs — without human input — are subject to Model Collapse, where they start reprocessing information into nonsense. Read More ›

think outside the box on school green blackboard . startup education concept. creative idea. leadership.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 24, 2024

Categorized
Philosophy, Politics, Science

Tagged
Charles Truehart, Forrest M. Mims III (1944–), Forrest Mims (as one of 50 best science brains), Forrest Mims (Scientific American affair), Getting Started in Electronics (book), Maverick Scientist (Make Community 2024)}

Citizen Scientist Forrest Mims Tells His Remarkable Life Story

_{In his new book “Maverick Scientist,” he details the ups and downs of an extraordinarily productive life in science, with few credentials to hide behind} _{News

January 24, 2024

5

Philosophy, Politics, Science}

When Scientific American withdrew its offer of a column, on learning that Mims doubted Darwinism, we all learned what matters most to the science elite. Read More ›

Capturing the intricate structure of microtubules within a cell, showcasing their role in cellular transportation. Metamorphosis, life, happiness

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
January 24, 2024

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Physics

Tagged
Louis deBroglie (1892–1987), Microtubules (and consciousness), Orch OR theory, Quantum theories of consciousness, Rob Sheldon (on quantum consciousness), Roger Penrose (on consciousness), Stuart Hameroff (on consciousness), The Emperor’s New Mind: (Oxford 1989)}

How Quantum Theory Relates To Consciousness

_{Experimental physicist Rob Sheldon explains the background to Hameroff and Penrose’s contested quantum consciousness theory, which is beginning to be tested} _{Denyse O'Leary

January 24, 2024

3

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Physics}

“Penrose consciousness,” in Sheldon’s view, escapes the paradoxes of non-computable problems that plague the trendy Universal Turing Machine model of the brain. Read More ›

3d rendering of Human cell or Embryonic stem cell microscope background.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 24, 2024

Categorized
Biology, Global Technology, Information Theory

Tagged
Adam Frank (on biology and information), Albert Einstein on World War IV (attributed), Amedeo Balbi, Biosphere information flow, Flash drive (empty weight vs. full), Information as immaterial, Life and information, Manasvi Lingam, Technosphere vs. biosphere, USB stick (empty weight vs. full)}

How Life Differs From Matter: It Intentionally Uses Information

_{News

January 24, 2024

3

Biology, Global Technology, Information Theory}

Information is immaterial by nature which makes it difficult to predict. Read More ›

Particle, quantum entanglement (quantum correlation). Quantum mechanics . 3d illustration

^{Type
post

Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
January 23, 2024

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Physics

Tagged
Bird navigation and quantum processes, Brain organoids and Orch Or Theory, Consciousness and quantum processes, Dorje C. Brody, George Musser, Orch Or Theory (OOT) of consciousness, Quantum processes and consciousness, Roger Penrose, Stuart Hameroff, Unpaired electrons}

The Theory That Consciousness Is a Quantum System Gains Support

_{Hameroff and Penrose’s Orch Or Theory sees consciousness as the outcome of a quantum collapse of a wave function} _{Denyse O'Leary

January 23, 2024

5

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Physics}

How a quantum theory of consciousness will work out is anyone’s guess but here’s a prediction: It won’t help the cause of materialism much. Read More ›

In a dystopian future, a group of people wearing white, futuristic clothing stands inside a virtual reality, an ominous reminder of the uncertain fate of humanity

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post

Author
Peter Biles
Date
January 23, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
apple, apple vision pro, Books, Dystopia, Iron Man, Movies and TV, Science fiction, sicentific american, stories, transhumanism}

Tech Billionaires and Their Science Fiction Dreams

_{They're mistaking cautionary tales for instruction manuals.} _{Peter Biles

January 23, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

Tech investors and entrepreneurs are self-fulfilling old prophecies. One also thinks of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a dystopian classic published in 1953. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
January 23, 2024

Categorized
Medicine and Health, Neuroscience

Tagged
Coursera, Engram and memory, Jacob Berry, Kendra Cherry, L Autore et al., Memory improvement advice, Memory loss causes, Memory research, Robert N. Kraft, Shelby Bradford}

Forget Stuff? Relax. Your Mind Is Likely Functioning As It Should

_{Recent research suggests that memories can sometimes be in a “dormant” stage due to interference} _{News

January 23, 2024

5

Medicine and Health, Neuroscience}

One group that worries a lot about memory loss is seniors fearing dementia. In most cases, their memory lapses likely originate in other causes. Read More ›