Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

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youth-creating-prayer-post-on-snapchat-stockpack-adobe-stock-1066520662-stockpack-adobestock
Youth creating prayer post on Snapchat

Snapchat Has Been Totally Exposed

Employees admit the harms of the camera app
Losing a streak, for the hyperconnected fifteen-year-old, may feel tantamount to losing a friendship. Read More ›
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A detailed image of a laboratory white mouse on a structure that mimics neural pathways, highlighting the role of DNA sequencing and genetic research in neuroscience 8K , high-resolution, ultra HD,up3

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
If it takes a hundred scientists to map a cubic millimetre of a mouse’s brain, even the material world — never mind the immaterial world of the mind — is not likely to have a simple explanation. Read More ›
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Blurred silhouette of a child behind a glass door in the darkness (symbolizing sadness, loneliness, horror or fear)

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
Making John Connor a villain also removes Sarah’s motivation to fight Skynet. Without that, she’s just another generic tough girl fighting an army of robots. Read More ›
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A human head with glowing neurons in the brain. Generative AI

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
Many philosophers have concluded both from experience and careful consideration that mental phenomena cannot be reduced to neural mechanisms. Read More ›
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human cells in a blue background, 3d illustration

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
Material cells can only make decisions if specifically structured to follow a blueprint with rules of engagement. Where is the blueprint? Read More ›
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Surdose

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
Do the philosophers not understand how bigoted and anti-intrinsic dignity of life their relativistic assumptions are about when a life is worth continuing? Read More ›
mix-media-3d-render-brain-blue-fire-smoke-effect-on-the-blac-305614166-stockpack-adobestock
Mix Media 3D Render - Brain blue fire smoke effect on the black background

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
Whether they continue to push the boundary, or someone else does, they can only bring up so many unaccounted-for facts before it’s time for a revolution. Read More ›
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Smart Turtle with Glasses: A Hilarious and Adorable Reptile Portrait

Reptilian Renaissance: How Did Reptiles Develop Intelligence?

Scientists used to think reptiles were dumb but then they looked more closely
Maybe if we are looking for general principles underlying the development of intelligence, we would be wise to leave evolution out of it for a bit. Read More ›
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Silhouette of Ancient Greek Galley Ship at Sunset, Majestic Ocean Scene

The Ship of Theseus: The Mystery of Personal Identity

If all your parts are slowly replaced, in what sense are you still you? A Mind Matters podcast discussion explores that
Walter Myers, an engineer and philosopher, sees the human soul as soul is what ultimately grounds human identity in something more than matter. Read More ›
Fetuses in Vials artificial grown, in vitro fertilization of babies, embryo growth future technologies, human cloning vials, fetuses test tubes, babies grown laboratories 3D illustration

How ‘Expedience Ethics’ Busts Through Moral Limits

Under the new definition, an embryo isn’t considered an embryo if it is to be used as research fodder rather than gestated. Read More ›
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Highly detailed close up portrait of an adult Raven in Yellowstone National Park, species name Corvus corax

At Quanta: High Bird Intelligence Developed on a Different Path

High intelligence developing on different paths is consistent with convergent evolution. It’s also consistent with design in nature
It is ironic that otherwise intelligent people must play the “we’re just another animal” game while demanding attention for ideas that only humans can give. Read More ›
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Close up of an AI Artificial Intelligence GPU chip on motherboard. Concept of LLM, Large Language Models.

Large Language Models: A Lack-of-Progress Report

They will not be as powerful as either hoped or feared
LLMs are enormously expensive yet it is increasingly clear that they will never be reliable enough to be trusted in complex situations where mistakes are costly Read More ›
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Glowing blue and white nebula with stars in deep space.

Is the Human Race Evolving Toward a Final Spiritual Unity? Part 2

Teilhard thought that evolution needed to be seen from the inside, viewing humans not only as observers of evolution but also as its products
Teilhard noted the same weakness in evolution theory as Thomas Nagel does today: Excluding the origin of mind and consciousness makes it at best half a theory. Read More ›
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Omega Centuri the largest star cluster in the Earth's sky

Is the Human Race Evolving Toward a Final Spiritual Unity? Part 1

Philosopher and paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin thought so but many other thinkers have found his Omega point too simplistic
His writings caught the imagination of many religiously minded people but they seemed more profound than they really were. Read More ›
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Contrasting Headwear Symbolizing White Hat and Black Hat SEO Techniques

Terminator Genisys Review, Part 7: Now John Connor Is the Bad Hat

Why don’t Hollywood screenwriters understand the importance of what the audience thinks is at stake?
The way writers make fantasy engaging — and sci-fi is a form of fantasy — is by anchoring the hard-to-grasp concepts with familiar ideas. Read More ›
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3d rendered illustration of the human brain anatomy

Did the Enlargement of the Human Brain Depend on Two Genes?

The genes, unique to humans, spurred brain growth when introduced in mice and chimpanzee stem cells
While it is quite true that the human brain is very large by animal standards, there is no simple one-on-one relationship between brain size and intelligence. Read More ›
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Nobel Prize Medal on a Velvet background

University Science War: Ideas vs “Dollars per Net Square Footage”

Katalin Karikó, obscure and mistreated at the University of Pennsylvania, won the Nobel Prize. Shouldn’t we have some questions?
Karikó’s story, as outlined in her book, highlights a big problem with universities: ideas matter less than sheer numbers of papers published. Read More ›
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Template collage of weird alive hand hold pencil write fiction storytelling book use vintage typewriter

Famed Reclusive Novelist to Release New Novel in the Fall

How can writers and creators today attain success in their fields?
The challenge today is finding the quiet apart from the online world needed to create valuable work while leveraging the new digital ecosystem for its benefits. Read More ›
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Businesswoman interviewed for a podcast

Information Imperialism: The Battle for Free Access Heats Up

Headline incidents are only one part of an international trend toward attempted government control of the news stream
Regardless of who emerges as the victor in the battle between government censors and independent creators, the traditional media landscape is now history. Read More ›