^ArchiveArticles

Artificial intelligence, connections and nucleus in concept of interconnected neurons. Abstract background with binary numbers, neural network and cloud computing.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 4, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning

Tagged
Artificial Intelligence, artificial neural networks, error backpropagation algorithm, Marvin Minsky, Paul Werbos}

How Marvin Minsky Inspired Artificial Neural Networks

_{And what Minsky said when a scientist seeking to further develop the field finally met him} _{News

June 4, 2021

6

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning}

Dr. Paul Werbos calls it “a soap opera you wouldn’t believe”: the story of how a young Werbos was inspired by the pioneering computer scientist to pursue the development of artificial neural networks, and how Minsky later could not support the effort for disbelief that there was a solution to its many problems. In this week’s podcast, Dr. Robert J. Marks interviewed Dr. Paul Werbos, famous for his 1974 dissertation which proposed training artificial neural networks through the use of a backpropagation of errors. The two discuss Werbos’s journey in the development of artificial neural networks and the role Marvin Minsky played throughout. This portion begins at 04:25. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Caitlin Cory
Date
June 3, 2021

Categorized
Censorship, Social Media, Technocracy

Tagged
banned from YouTUbe, censorship, Eric Metaxas, Florida, Free speech, Naomi Wolf, Scott Atlas, social media, Texas, YouTube}

Big Tech Scrubs Religious Radio Show From YouTube

_{This isn't the first time YouTube has infringed on free speech} _{Caitlin Cory

June 3, 2021

4

Censorship, Social Media, Technocracy}

YouTube removed an entire radio show from its platform this week, hosted by popular Christian author and social commentator Eric Metaxas, citing violations of their community standards. Metaxas – author of biographies on the lives of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther, and William Wilberforce, among many other books – announced the news to his social media pages on Tuesday. “It’s happened,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “Despite our going FAR out of our way to comply with their arbitrary ‘community standards’, YouTube decided to remove every single video we’ve ever done on the Eric Metaxas Show off their platform.” The Eric Metaxas Radio Show, humorously called “The Show About Everything”, has featured a host of big name guests, including former Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
June 1, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence

Tagged
Abstractions, Animal languages, dolphins, Language, Octopus intelligence, Philip Ball, Whale-X}

Can AI “Translate” Animal Languages Into Human Languages?

_{If we understood animal communications better, would they even seem like a language?} _{News

June 1, 2021

7

Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence}

That’s the question science writer Philip Ball, author of The Modern Myths: Adventures in the machinery of the popular imagination (2021), posed recently at The New Yorker. If a dolphin could talk, could we really understand its very different life experiences? Ball reports that some researchers are trying to translate dolphin communications (“dolphish”) into English: Today, animal-translation technologies are being developed that use the same “machine learning” approach that is applied to human languages in services such as Google Translate. These systems use neural networks to analyze vast numbers of example sentences, inferring from them general principles of grammar and usage, and then apply those patterns in order to translate sentences the system has never seen. Denise Herzing, the founder Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Robert J. Marks
Date
June 1, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence

Tagged
Alexa, Alfred Nobel, Artificial Intelligence, drones, Futurism, Gaming AI (book), George Dvorsky, George Gilder, Human exceptionalism, John Searle, Killer robots, Nikola Tesla, Paul Scharre, Roger Penrose, Selmer Bringsjord, Slaughterbots, The Case for Killer Robots, Thomas Edison, Topsy the elephant}

Chicken Little AI Dystopians: Is the Sky Really Falling?

_{Futurist claims about human-destroying superintelligence are uninformed and irresponsible} _{Robert J. Marks

June 1, 2021

5

Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence}

The article “How an Artificial Superintelligence Might Actually Destroy Humanity” is one of the most irresponsible pieces about AI I have read in the last five years. The author, transhumanist George Dvorsky, builds his argument on a foundation of easily popped balloons. AI is and will remain a tool. Computers can crunch numbers faster than you or me. Alexa saves a lot of time looking up results on the web or playing a selected tune from Spotify. A car – even a bicycle – can go a lot faster than I can run. AI is a tool like fire or electricity used to enhance human performance and improve lifestyles. Like fire and electricity, AI can be used for evil or Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 31, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Health, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Access consciousness, Angus Menuge, Consciousness, Elon Musk, Featured, Neuralink, Robert J. Marks}

What Will Elon Musk’s Neuralink Really Change, If It Catches On

_{Neuralink’s computer chip implants may help restore function in people with motor or sensory disabilities} _{News

May 31, 2021

6

Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Health, Philosophy of Mind}

Finishing the third and final podcast of the series, “Unity of Consciousness,” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks and Angus Menuge, professor and chair of philosophy at Concordia University, had a look at entrepreneur Elon Musk’s implanted brain chip venture, the Neuralink: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Angus-Menuge-Episode-3-rev1.mp3 This portion begins at 14:28 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: Let me end our discussion together by asking you an outlier question. Elon Musk is developing something called Neuralink. It’s a chip which goes into the brain. Its immediate application is going to be for those that are handicapped. It is going to allow them communicate directly to objects that they can’t control normally because of their handicap. Read More ›

honey bees on honeycomb in apiary in summertime

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 31, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance

Tagged
Chatbots (Uplift), Eric Holloway, Featured, Hive mind concept, Soylent AI concept, Soylent Green (film), Uplift (chatbot)}

Can Uplift, a “Hive Mind” Chatbot, Solve Your Business Problems?

_{Eric Holloway sees the “Uplift” concept as a classic example of “Soylent AI” — borrowing the underlying idea from the classic sci-fi thriller, Soylent Green} _{News

May 31, 2021

3

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance}

That’s the claim, forwarded to us by a reader: Uplift is a collective intelligence research project (as well as an instance of an mASI System), in part with the goal of Uplifting humanity through digital transformation, collective intelligence, and governance. From complete automation, technology to outpace your competition, corporate and organizational e-governance. Michael Diverde, “A Unique Machine Intelligence” at The Human Machine Collective Intelligence Research Project (April 15, 2021) According to the Use Case provided, There are preliminary studies (Kelley) that show that AI-supported collective intelligence systems outperform human intellect across the board. Even a group of highly intelligent humans who trained together as a team and performed above the human standard were outpaced by a group of average humans Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
May 31, 2021

Categorized
Data Privacy, Ethics, Programming, Surveillance

Tagged
Big Tech (in culture wars), Big Tech corporate culture, Big Tech worldview, Calico (Google), Google search algorithms (bias), Self (as Big Tech's worldview), Worldview (of Big Tech companies)}

Does the Company Selling You Tech Have the Same Worldview As You?

_{A worldview is how we view the world and our place in it.} _{Andrew McDiarmid

May 31, 2021

5

Data Privacy, Ethics, Programming, Surveillance}

Much of the technology we interact with today is part of a larger group of ecosystems maintained by major tech companies. If you have an iPhone, for example, you’re often more likely to use a Macbook, watch AppleTV, or subscribe to Apple Music. If you shop on Amazon, you might also have their Echo digital assistant or a Ring video doorbell. And if you Chromebook, you’re likely to use Gmail and maybe have a Pixel. Fueled by brand loyalty, tech ecosystems are part of the workings of a healthy free market. But if you’re going to commit to a tech company by being part of their ecosystem, it’s important to compare the worldview of that company to your own and Read More ›

Human skull with a syringe holds in the mouth and vaccine bottle on space of brown paper, Bad side effect concept

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 31, 2021

Categorized
Ethics, Medicine and Health

Tagged
Abortion, Conscience rights, Euthanasia, Human embryos (14-day rule), Michael Egnor}

Michael Egnor: Stop Making Killing a Form of Cure

_{Euthanasia and abortion are not forms of medicine, he says} _{News

May 31, 2021

5

Ethics, Medicine and Health}

Recently, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor pleaded with medical colleagues to take a stronger stand on the rapid normalization of killing as a form of “cure” in our society: The medical profession should take a clear stand on this issue: doctors who deliberately kill — whether by abortion or by physician-assisted suicide or by euthanasia — are not practicing medicine when they kill. Medical practice always entails the maintenance of health, the treatment of disease, and the relief of suffering. Ending the life of a patient or of the child in his mother’s womb is neither the maintenance of health nor treatment of a disease nor the alleviation of any suffering. It is simply the killing of an innocent unwanted child. I Read More ›

Cells under a microscope. Cell division. Cellular Therapy. 3d illustration on a dark background

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 30, 2021

Categorized
Medicine and Health, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Angus Menuge, Cell (biology), Cell replacement (biology), Consciousness (and changing body), Featured, Robert J. Marks}

Why Don’t Changes to Our Bodies Create a Different Consciousness?

_{The sense of consciousness remains single and united despite ceaseless bodily change} _{News

May 30, 2021

6

Medicine and Health, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

In the third podcast of the “Unity of Consciousness” series, Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviews Angus Menuge, professor and chair of philosophy at Concordia University, on unique features of human consciousness, including the question of why there really can’t be two of you. But Dr. Marks asks one final question: If consciousness is simply generated by the body, as materialists think, why don’t changes to our bodies create different consciousnesses? https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Angus-Menuge-Episode-3-rev1.mp3 This portion begins at 11:06 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: There are cells that change quite a lot. And then there are cells that don’t change a lot, for example, neurons. That is, you keep the same neurons. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 29, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Philosophy, Science

Tagged
Barack Obama, Drake Equation, Drake Equation (updated), Extraterrestrials (ET), Frank Drake, Matt Williams, Sabine Hossenfelder, Science fiction, Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), Steven Novella}

Sixty Billion Stars. And No Aliens? What Now?

_{Are we approaching a crisis of faith in ET?} _{News

May 29, 2021

4

Arts & Culture, Philosophy, Science}

At Universe Today, Matt Williams asks if it is time to update the Drake Equation, by which you could settle — in your own mind — how likely the aliens are. It began to be developed nearly sixty years ago at a conference at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. And everyone took for granted that we would be hearing from the aliens soon. That was the basis of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) — keeping the hope alive. Rather than being an actual means for quantifying the number of intelligent species in our galaxy, the purpose of the equation was meant to frame the discussion on SETI. In addition to encapsulating the challenges facing scientists, Read More ›

3d rendered medically accurate illustration of a grey alien holding the earth

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 29, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Environment, Law

Tagged
Final Offer (short film 2018), Negotiations (in fiction), Science fiction}

When the Human Race Is Down to Its Final Offer … Sci-fi Saturday

_{The downbeat human lawyer and the alien corporate lawyer in Final Offer achieve artful comedy by the too-little used technique of witty dialogue, NOT gags} _{News

May 29, 2021

13

Arts & Culture, Environment, Law}

“Final Offer” at DUST by Mark Slutsky (July 19, 2018, 11:23 min) “A down-on-his-luck lawyer awakes in a doorless room to find he’s been selected to negotiate on behalf of the human race.” Review: Henry, a lawyer accustomed to late night barhopping, wakes up in a strange boardroom: “Henry, you have been selected to represent your species in what is almost surely the biggest trade agreement in the history of your planet.” “My planet?” Well, it’s science fiction. The corporate lawyer (Anna Hopkins) announces that her client — an alien the very sight of which causes our hero (Aaron Abrams) to retch — wishes to “acquire” Earth’s oceans. Or appropriate them if a few minutes of negotiations don’t work for Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 29, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Abby and Brittany Hensel, Angus Menuge, Conjoined twins, Dualism (and personal identity), Featured, Individuality, Michael Egnor, Personal identity, Robert J. Marks, Too-Many-Thinkers Problem in philosophy}

Life in the Plural: If There Were Two of You, Would “You” Exist?

_{According to philosopher Angus Menuge, there can’t be two of you, because two things cannot be one thing.} _{News

May 29, 2021

5

Neuroscience, Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind}

In the third podcast of the series, “Unity of Consciousness,” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviews Angus Menuge, professor and chair of philosophy at Concordia University, on unique features of human consciousness, including the fact that our experiences are a unity, which has prompted some interesting thought experiments, for example those of Richard Swinburne. But here’s another one: What if there really were two of you? https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Angus-Menuge-Episode-3-rev1.mp3 This portion begins at 06:49 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: What is the idea of “too many thinkers” in philosophy? Angus Menuge (pictured): The simple view of personal identity is that your soul or your mind is always you. That’s a dualist view. Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 29, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Religion, Science

Tagged
Eden (short film 2018), Science fiction}

What Would the Ruins of “Eden” Be Like?: Sci-fi Saturday

_{Scavenging for artifacts on a ruined planet, a space drifter comes across the ruins of a high-tech civilization} _{News

May 29, 2021

13

Arts & Culture, Religion, Science}

“Eden” (2018) at DUST (May 20, 2021) by Kristian Bakstad, 11:51 min: “Deep in the recesses of space, a lone scavenger hunts for a valuable artifact on a desolate planet. When he discovers an abandoned facility, he ventures inside hoping for his big payday; but instead encounters a mad man and the remnants of a religious cult.” Review: This one got a lot of negative reviews but the studio has been around for a while, so let’s have another look. The lead character (Christoff Lundgren) is agreeably scuzzy, batting around in space. The opening portrays his lifestyle well: His tracking system detects something that might be evidence of a ruined advanced ET civilization to scavenge. He needs something he can Read More ›

Woman wearing gloves with biohazard chemical protective suit and mask. She crossed her arms with unhappy face.

^{Type
post

Author
Heather Zeiger
Date
May 28, 2021

Categorized
Medicine and Health, Science, Technocracy

Tagged
Anthony Fauci, Chinese Communist Party (CCP), COVID-19 (dissent from official claims), COVID-19 lab leak hypothesis, Hubei, media, Nicholas Wade, SARS-CoV-2, Wet markets, Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Zeynep Tufecki}

Covid-19 Lab Leak Theory Upgraded from Conspiracy to Plausible

_{Many scientists were discouraged from openly discussing the possibility of a lab leak, which hindered serious investigation} _{Heather Zeiger

May 28, 2021

12

Medicine and Health, Science, Technocracy}

Could the SARS-CoV-2 virus have originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology? The public was informed, until quite recently, that the “scientific consensus” was that the virus that causes COVID-19 likely passed from animal to human and was neither designed nor accidentally released from a lab in Wuhan. However, this “consensus” has turned out to be anything but. Several scientists have voiced their concern over the lack of transparency on the part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), imploring that the “lab leak” hypothesis should not be thrown out. They were largely ignored. Some scientists have even said that they experienced “very intense, very subtle pressures” to avoid advancing the lab leak theory. It’s advancing anyway, as more evidence accumulates. Read More ›

Divided young couple busy with their smartphones each

^{Type
post

Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
May 28, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Data Privacy, Surveillance

Tagged
Apple (company), Apple (sales strategy), Appropriate Technology, iPhone12, Magnetism (in phone chargers), Steve Jobs (aesthetic sense), Technology (lifestyle management)}

The (Magnetic) Force Is Strong With Apple — Here’s How to Resist

_{To keep the magnetic force in check between Big Tech and us, we must first establish who is boss over our technology} _{Andrew McDiarmid

May 28, 2021

5

Arts & Culture, Data Privacy, Surveillance}

With the iPhone 12, Apple has introduced a new line of accessories that use magnetism to quickly attach and charge the phone. The company has used magnets for years to connect charging adapters and cases. Now they’re adding it to more products with the bet that iPhone users will find the lure of magnetic connection irresistible. As a natural phenomenon, magnetism is as old as dirt and yet it still amazes us when we see it in action. There’s another kind of magnetism at work here, too. It’s the pull of attraction between Apple’s devices and the people who use them. Like many longtime Apple customers, I have felt this attraction since 2008 when I purchased my first iPhone, the 3G. Read More ›

Double exposure. A curly-haired brunette is standing in the doorway of the theater. Poster events, personality psychology. Cloak and reincarnation. Fasting alcoholic fears. Bifurcation. Made in camera

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 27, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Angus Menuge, Consciousness, Consciousness (thought experiments), Consciousness as unity, Featured, Michael Egnor, Richard Swinburne, Robert J. Marks}

Why Do We Stay the Same Person Over Time? Why Not Split Up?

_{It would be a total fluke if all the different clouds of atoms that produce your brain would always produce the same consciousness. But they do} _{News

May 27, 2021

6

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

In the third podcast of the series, “Unity of Consciousness,” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviews Angus Menuge, professor and chair of philosophy at Concordia University, on unique features of human consciousness, including the fact that our experiences are a unity, despite being scattered across many brain regions and even if our brains are split in half: But now let’s do some thought experiments, as proposed by Oxford philosopher Richard Swinburne: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Angus-Menuge-Episode-3-rev1.mp3 This portion begins at 04:55 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Angus Menuge: There’s another problem raised by [philosopher] Richard Swinburne: He imagines that he’s going to have an operation where each of his cerebral hemispheres is placed in another person. So Read More ›

Human brain model for education in laboratory.

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 27, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
A Thousand Brains (book), Calum Chace, Henry Markram, human brain, Intelligence (in life forms), Jeff Hawkins, Mammalian brain, Neocortex, Numenta, Paul D. MacLean, Steven Byrnes, Triune brain concept, Will Douglas Heaven}

Intelligence: A Thousand Brains — or a Thousand Theories?

_{What does the iconic mammalian neocortex do that equivalent systems in birds and octopuses can’t do? That’s not clear} _{News

May 27, 2021

6

Artificial Intelligence, Natural Intelligence, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Jeff Hawkins, inventor of PalmPilot (a smartphone predecessor) and co-founder of Numenta (2005), does not lack confidence. After an interview with him in connection with his new book, A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence (Basic Books 2021), Will Douglas Heaven tells us at MIT Review, “Neuroscientist and tech entrepreneur Jeff Hawkins claims he’s figured out how intelligence works—and he wants every AI lab in the world to know about it”: He’s not the first Silicon Valley entrepreneur to think he has all the answers—and not everyone is likely to agree with his conclusions. But his ideas could shake up AI. Will Douglas Heaven, ““We’ll never have true AI without first understanding the brain”” at MIT Technology Review (March Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
News
Date
May 26, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Angus Menuge, Consciousness (unity of consciousness), Michael Egnor, Robert J. Marks, split-brain surgery, Sybil (1976 film)}

How Split-Brain Surgery Underlines the Unity of Consciousness

_{At one time, some thought that if the brain were split, consciousness would be too, but that did not turn out to be true} _{News

May 26, 2021

6

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

In the third podcast of a series, “Unity of Consciousness,” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviews Angus Menuge, professor and chair of philosophy at Concordia University, on unique features of human consciousness. They started with the fact that our experiences are a unity despite being scattered across many brain regions. But it’s a remarkable fact that our consciousness remains single even when our brains are split in half: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Angus-Menuge-Episode-3-rev1.mp3 This portion begins at 03:04 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: Let’s talk about the split brain operation where a neurosurgeon goes in and separates the right and left hemispheres. As I understand it, the signal for the epileptic fits starts on Read More ›

3D rendering of a conceptual images of office cubicles where workers where replaced by artificial intelligence.

^{Type
post

Author
Stephen Berger
Date
May 26, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Intelligence

Tagged
Artificial Intelligence, employment, Future, metaphysics, Unemployment}

Will AI Ever Replace Human Beings? Why Do You Ask?

_{A better question might be: Why do we want to know the future of artificial intelligence?} _{Stephen Berger

May 26, 2021

9

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Natural Intelligence}

The question of whether a machine can ever fully replace a human can only have one, predefined answer. My question is, why bother asking the question? You already know the only answer you will accept! Read More ›

^{Type
post

Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
May 26, 2021

Categorized
Data Privacy, Programming, Surveillance

Tagged
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, Data (as form of control), Dell XPS 13, Google (aiming at students), Google (harvesting student data), Google Chromebook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Make it Stick (book), Pixelbook Go, Zenbook}

How Google’s Chromebook Erodes Your Digital Freedom

_{A Chromebook is designed to serve up Google services, allowing Google outsized control of your computing experience and your digital identity.} _{Andrew McDiarmid

May 26, 2021

6

Data Privacy, Programming, Surveillance}

This month, Chromebook turns ten years old. It’s a good time to take a look at Google’s latest Chromebook offering and show you why you can do better. Much better. Although the Pixelbook Go has a hefty price tag and is lighter, thinner, and faster than ever, it’s still just a Chromebook. Here’s why using a Chromebook weakens your computing power, erodes your digital freedom, and reduces your ability to learn and think. “I’ve got the power,” goes the famous 90’s song by Snap!, but you wouldn’t be able to sing that with confidence holding a Chromebook. Somewhere between netbook and notebook, the Chromebook is a physical manifestation of the Google ecosystem, giving customers who already use Google services a Read More ›