Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

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amateur-observatories-interior-views-vintage-engraving-stockpack-adobe-stock
Amateur observatories, Interior views, vintage engraving.
Type
post
Author
News
Date
September 22, 2023
Categorized
Science
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“Consensus” Doesn’t Always Mean Science

Real scientific discovery happens within a culture of free speech and open dialogue
News
September 22, 2023
1
Science

Robert J. Marks, host of the Mind Matters podcast, recently put out an article at Newsmax discussing “scientific consensus,” and how that term has been used to bully dissenting scientific viewpoints and even establish political and social policy. Marks writes, Consensus was used as a reason to stifle debate during the COVID crisis. Facebook and YouTube saw opposition to the government narrative as disinformation. Posts against consensus were censored and users were banned. Pre-Musk Twitter had a policy concerning tweets about climate change: “Misleading advertisements on #Twitter that contradict the scientific consensus on #climatechange are prohibited, in line with its inappropriate content policy.” The word pairing “scientific consensus” is a destructive science-stifling oxymoron. -Robert J. Marks, Consensus Doesn’t Equal Science | Newsmax.com Read More ›

view-of-universe-with-stars-and-amazing-colorful-and-deep-blue-dark-stockpack-adobe-stock
View of universe with stars and amazing colorful and deep blue dark
Type
post
Author
Andrew McDiarmid
Date
September 21, 2023
Categorized
Physics
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The Universe and its Mathematical Structure

Do humans project mathematics upon nature or vice versa?
Andrew McDiarmid
September 21, 2023
2
Physics

This past June, we published an article featuring a conversation between physicist Lawrence Krauss and novelist Cormac McCarthy, where they discussed whether mathematics was “discovered or invented.” Robert J. Marks went on to write his own thoughts on the question shortly thereafter. If you’re further interested in mathematics and whether there is an actual correspondence between math and the natural world, consider watching new podcast episode featuring Dr. Melissa Cain Travis. Do humans project mathematical order onto nature? Or was it there all along? On a new episode of ID the Future, I conclude a three-part conversation with Dr. Melissa Cain Travis about her recent book Thinking God’s Thoughts: Johannes Kepler and the Miracle of Cosmic Comprehensibility.  In Part 3, we look Read More ›

robot-with-glass-laptop-stockpack-adobe-stock
robot with glass laptop
Type
post
Author
William A. Dembski
Date
September 21, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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ChatGPT is Getting More Impressive

Nonetheless, human intelligence remains qualitatively different from artificial intelligence.
William A. Dembski
September 21, 2023
12
Artificial Intelligence
I continue to maintain that human intelligence is qualitatively different from artificial intelligence. Read More ›
the-complexity-of-digital-ethics-background-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
The complexity of digital ethics background. generative AI
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 20, 2023
Categorized
Neuroscience, Panpsychism, Peer Review, Philosophy of Mind
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Leading Consciousness Theory Slammed as “Pseudoscience.” Huh?

Integrated Information Theory’s panpsychist leanings are the 124 neuroscientist critics’ real target
Denyse O'Leary
September 20, 2023
5
Neuroscience, Panpsychism, Peer Review, Philosophy of Mind
Curiously, the coverage at Nature doesn’t address the critics’ concerns about IIT’s panpsychism. But it’s at Nature’s doorstep whether or not it’s noted. Read More ›
robot-production-line-at-artificial-intelligence-factory-mass-production-of-machines-with-metal-skeleton-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Robot production line at artificial intelligence factory, mass production of machines with metal skeleton. Generative AI.
Type
post
Author
News
Date
September 20, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
Tagged

Mythic AI is Dangerous

The evidence is inconclusive (at best) that AI could ever think or interact like a human being.
News
September 20, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

Computer scientist and tech entrepreneur Erik Larson recently launched a Substack account where he’ll be covering AI, tech, and human exceptionalism in the digital age. A new post from the channel discusses the dangers of “mythical AI” and how the evidence is inconclusive (at best) that AI could ever think or interact like a human being. Here’s an excerpt: In spite of the almost religious fervor about the mental powers of AI, we have at best inconclusive evidence that AI systems will get smart like humans—the so-called general intelligence attributed to us has so far proven entirely elusive for machines. It’s an open question whether future AI can really achieve general, or human-level, intelligence. To date, we have evidence that AI Read More ›

businessman-in-split-personality-concept-high-quality-photo-stockpack-adobe-stock
Businessman in split personality concept. High quality photo
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 19, 2023
Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind
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Split Mind: The Strangest Theory in Neuroscience?

The idea that we might all have separate, undetected consciousnesses in each half of our brain supports materialism but there’s little evidence for it
Denyse O'Leary
September 19, 2023
5
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind
he subtle abnormalities displayed by patients whose brains were split in half revealed an uncomfortable truth: The mind is a unity. Read More ›
Minding the Brain
Type
post
Author
News
Date
September 19, 2023
Categorized
Philosophy of Mind
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The Mind is More than the Brain

A new anthology, out today, features 25 philosophers with fresh insights on the mind-body problem.
News
September 19, 2023
4
Philosophy of Mind
Their provocative conclusion? The mind is indeed more than the brain. We will be offering brief excerpts here in weeks to come. Read More ›
fall-college-campus-university-student-dorm-with-autumn-leaves-stockpack-adobe-stock
Fall College Campus. University student dorm with autumn leaves
Type
post
Author
News
Date
September 18, 2023
Categorized
Education

Where Are All the Men?

Physicist Lawrence Krauss notes that men are vanishing from the sciences
News
September 18, 2023
2
Education

Noted physicist Lawrence Krauss wrote an article in Quillette noting how men are vanishing from science and academia. Despite the perception that STEM and related fields are male dominated, Krauss shows how, due to decades of affirmative action programming and cultural shift, that’s no longer the case. He writes, As April Bleske-Rechek and Michael Bernstein have shown, while men still occupy three quarters of STEM positions (despite the fact that the percentage of women in STEM has more than doubled since 1980), the situation is precisely reversed in the fields of health, education, administration, and literacy. While massive efforts are underway to correct the imbalance between men and women in STEM, there have been no concomitant efforts to increase the numbers Read More ›

business-audit-stock-financial-finance-management-on-analysis-data-strategy-with-graph-accounting-marketing-or-report-chart-economy-investment-research-profit-concept-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Business audit stock financial finance management on analysis data strategy with graph accounting marketing or report chart economy investment research profit concept. Generative AI
Type
post
Author
Eric Holloway
Date
September 18, 2023
Categorized
Machine Learning
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Life According to the Turing Machine

Is there more to the world than just data and digits?
Eric Holloway
September 18, 2023
8
Machine Learning
"Virtually just like real life!" as advertisements proclaimed. All it did was give John a headache, and feeling he'd just wasted a couple of hours of his life. Read More ›
hurricane-katrina-heading-towards-new-orleans-louisiana-in-2005-elements-of-this-image-furnished-by-nasa-stockpack-adobe-stock
Hurricane Katrina heading towards New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005 - Elements of this image furnished by NASA
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post
Author
News
Date
September 17, 2023
Categorized
Events
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Niall Ferguson on the “Politics of Catastrophe”

How can we better respond when disaster strikes?
News
September 17, 2023
2
Events

In today’s featured video, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jay Richards interviews Niall Ferguson, Senior Fellow of Hoover Institution and author of “Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe,” about the history of disasters and how we should think about them. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) COSM is an exclusive national summit on the technologies remaking the world as we know it. The mission of the conference is to stimulate debate and deliberation amongst industry leaders, illuminating the synergy between Seattle and the world and providing a scene of civilized conversation and exchange. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) We’ve been sharing a number of lectures from past COSM conferences. This video is just one of many you can find at the Bradley Center’s YouTube page. Read More ›

doctor-defibrillating-critical-patient-in-hospital-stockpack-adobe-stock
Doctor Defibrillating Critical Patient In Hospital
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 17, 2023
Categorized
Media, Medicine and Health, Peer Review, Philosophy of Mind, Science
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Near-Death Experience Study: Brain Is Active After Death

Science media are making surprisingly few efforts to attack or explain away the team’s findings
Denyse O'Leary
September 17, 2023
6
Media, Medicine and Health, Peer Review, Philosophy of Mind, Science
In their Discussion, the authors conclude, “The recalled experience surrounding death now merits further genuine empirical investigation without prejudice.” Read More ›
stained-glass-collage-of-stores-from-the-bible-stockpack-adobe-stock
Stained glass collage of stores from the Bible
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
September 17, 2023
Categorized
Transhumanism
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AI as Refashioned Religion

How AI fits into the transhumanist utopian dream, and where that dream might have come from
Peter Biles
September 17, 2023
3
Transhumanism
AI's greatest threat may not be its sophistication, but our own over-reliance on it. As a technology, it has its uses and benefits. As a religion, it fails. Read More ›
gallipoli-canakkale-turkey-close-up-of-an-octopus-eye-octopus-vulgaris-cuvier-1797-generative-ai-stockpack-adobe-stock
Gallipoli, Canakkale, Turkey; close up of an octopus eye (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797). Generative AI
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 16, 2023
Categorized
Evolution, Natural Intelligence
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Octopus Intelligence Shakes Up Darwin’s Tree

There does not seem to be a Tree of Intelligence, which deepens the mystery of intelligence
Denyse O'Leary
September 16, 2023
7
Evolution, Natural Intelligence
The octopus is a short-lived, exothermic, invertebrate loner - how can it be intelligent? Yet it is. Read More ›
psychology-stockpack-adobe-stock
Psychology.
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 16, 2023
Categorized
Cosmology, Environment, Human exceptionalism
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Theoretical Physicist Admits That Humans Are Unique

In his forthcoming book, Marcelo Gleiser challenges us to acknowledge our responsibility to save the planet
Denyse O'Leary
September 16, 2023
6
Cosmology, Environment, Human exceptionalism
Gleiser is safer than some near the Third Rail in science —admitting an immaterial reality— because he approaches it under cover of saving the planet. Read More ›
silhouettes-of-people-observing-stars-in-night-sky-astronomy-concept-stockpack-adobe-stock
Silhouettes of people observing stars in night sky. Astronomy concept.
Type
post
Author
Peter Biles
Date
September 16, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
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Another Non-Computable Trait: Spiritual Longing

You can't program spiritual longing into a computer, not matter how savvy the algorithm.
Peter Biles
September 16, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind
Why do we feel the drive to make some overarching sense of our lives? You can't program spiritual longing into a computer, not matter how savvy the algorithm. Read More ›
3d-rendering-abstract-multicolored-fractal-light-background-with-bright-center-stockpack-adobe-stock
3D rendering abstract multicolored fractal light background with bright center
Type
post
Author
Denyse O'Leary
Date
September 15, 2023
Categorized
Panpsychism, Philosophy, Science
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If Panpsychism Is Now Mainstream, Is Fine-Tuning Next?

In his new book, panpsychist Philip Goff argues for fine-tuning of the universe and cosmic purpose
Denyse O'Leary
September 15, 2023
6
Panpsychism, Philosophy, Science
Can Goff get science gatekeepers to accept fine-tuning simply by slamming traditional religion? If he does, we will certainly know that things are changing. Read More ›
telecommunications-tower-antenna-and-satellite-dish-and-city-at-night-as-background-stockpack-adobe-stock
Telecommunications tower, antenna and satellite dish and city at night as background
Type
post
Author
News
Date
September 15, 2023
Categorized
Technology
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The Future of 5G

Feutsch says that one of the great benefits of 5G will not only be faster speeds, but much lower latency
News
September 15, 2023
2
Technology

In today’s featured video from a past COSM conference, Jay Richards interviews Andre Fuetsch, President of AT&T Labs and Chief Technical Officer at AT&T, about the future of 5G communications. Feutsch says that one of the great benefits of 5G will not only be faster speeds, but much lower latency. This will be a “game changer” for latency-sensitive applications such as autonomous vehicles, drones, and online gaming that require real time information. Andre Feutsch oversees the global technology direction for AT&T. This includes network planning, the company’s innovation road map, AT&T Labs, AT&T Foundry, and the intellectual property organization. His responsibilities include spearheading the design of the company’s next-generation 5G wireless infrastructure and software-defined networking (SDN) initiative. (REGISTER NOW FOR Read More ›

COSM2022-Wed-174A9344-Peter-Thiel-George-Gilder
Type
post
Author
News
Date
September 14, 2023
Categorized
Artificial Intelligence
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AI: Intelligent, Conscious, or Merely Evil? 

Venture capitalist Peter Thiel addresses burning questions surrounding AI at last year's COSM conference
News
September 14, 2023
2
Artificial Intelligence

In today’s featured video, watch Peter Thiel from COSM 2022 speak on how we should think about artificial intelligence. Is it really intelligent and even conscious? And is it likely to be a force for good, or does it have the dangerous potential to control us? Listen in to learn more on this broad and often contentious topic. Peter Thiel is an internationally known venture capitalist and investor. (REGISTER NOW FOR COSM 2023) COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it. From artificial intelligence to 5G and WiFi6, from tokenized time to blockchain, from cloud computing to the quantum revolution, and from biotech to the nanotech revolution, COSM brings together some Read More ›