ArchiveArticles
Is ChatGPT a Dead End?
There is still no known path to Artificial General Intelligence, including ChatGPT.
Claim: What consciousness studies needs is more Darwinism
The Darwinian view of the evolution of the human mind is, at best, a ladder with no upper rungs
Okay, Never Mind. Sam Altman Returns to OpenAI
The OpenAI CEO is back after a brief absence.
The Likely Reason the Human Mind Has No History
Our efforts to explain the origin of the human mind fall flat because we are looking for an origin that probably doesn’t exist
Directed Goals in Living and Evolving Systems
Nearly every action that an organism does is for something.
New Book Looks at Design in Nature From a Catholic Viewpoint
Catholic thinkers who reject Darwinism don’t focus so much on its claims about universal common descent as on its utter inability to account coherently for the human mind
If Science Were Just Bookkeeping, Fine-Tuning Wouldn’t Matter
Astrophysicist Marcelo Gleiser wishes we would just quit asking questions about why the universe is fine-tuned — as if we could…
Aliens Review, Part 3
Ripley saves the day
The Explicitly Human Experience of Growing Up as a Twin
A philosopher muses on growing up as one of a set of two people
Our Brains Don’t Really Rewire, Neuroscientists Caution
Professors Tamar Makin (Cambridge) and John Krakauer (Johns Hopkins) say that when the brain adapts to losses, it uses “latent capacities,” not new ones
Reflections on “Are Atoms Conscious?” and Philip Goff
Can we admit consciousness without giving into theism?
Attempt To Tackle Censorship in Science Begins Well, Falls Flat
Scientists, we are told, censor “for the greater good.” Well yes, but ALL censors say that. Has anyone ever censored explicitly “for the greater harm”?
Beauty is Non-Computable
Taking some time to reflect on the beautiful things in the world can lead to genuine thanksgiving.
Everyday Evidence of the Mind’s Reality: the Placebo Effect
The placebo effect — you get better because you think you will — may be getting stronger, as researchers manipulate it more effectively
What Mission Impossible Tells Us About AI Mythology
If you’re looking for an intelligent take on existential risk and superintelligent AI, the latest Mission Impossible movie is not for you.
Is Science Slipping Away on Us by Degrees?
Science writers weigh in on misrepresentation of science history, reasons for loss of trust, and whether physics is ripe for a revolution
What Do Bees’ Joy and Pain Really Tell Us About Insect Minds?
If sentience, like intelligence, can be independent of phylogeny (place in Darwin’s tree of life), the conventional picture of evolution might need rethinking
Graphene’s Moment Has Arrived
Is there a way to create high quality graphene at a low cost?