Category: Religion | Page 6

dachsund dog portrait studio looking up.

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News
Date
June 13, 2021

Categorized
Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Religion

Tagged
C. S. Lewis, Christof Koch, Human exceptionalism, Panpsychism (vs. materialism)}

Do Any Dogs Go To Heaven? If So, Why?

_{Neuroscientist Christof Koch was troubled as a child by the Catholic tradition that dogs like his beloved Purzel did not go to heaven} _{News
June 13, 2021

5

Natural Intelligence, Philosophy of Mind, Religion}

In recent articles, we’ve discussed well-known neuroscientist Christof Koch’s Integrated Information Theory (IIT) of consciousness which, as he acknowledges, takes a panpsychist (everything is conscious to some degree) approach to the mind. He has explained his reasoning at MIT Press Reader: Materialists must see human consciousness as an illusion — but then whose illusion is it? Panpsychism allows humans to have actual consciousness but, he says, “experience may not even be restricted to biological entities but might extend to non-evolved physical systems previously assumed to be mindless — a pleasing and parsimonious conclusion about the makeup of the universe.” His perspective is gaining popularity in science. One, perhaps unexpected, factor that he mentions as shaping his overall approach was youthful Read More ›

Statue of Saint Anselm and the towers of the Cathedral of Aosta, the Cattedrale di Aosta de Corso Pere-Laurent in Aosta. Aosta Valley. Italy. Europe

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Robert J. Marks and Samuel Haug
Date
June 7, 2021

Categorized
Mathematics, Religion

Tagged
Anselm of Canterbury, Axioms, Definitions, God's existence, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Kurt Gödel, Kurt Gödel (belief in God), ontological proof, Theorems}

Gödel Says God Exists and Proves It

_{Here is a line-by-line explanation of his proof} _{Robert J. Marks and Samuel Haug
June 7, 2021

8

Mathematics, Religion}

Kurt Gödel, an intellectual giant of the 20th century, offered a mathematical proof that God exists. Those who suffer from math anxiety admire what the theorem (shown below) claims to do, but have absolutely no idea what it means. Our goal is to explain, in English, what Gödel’s existence of God proof says. Gödel’s proof shows the existence of God is a necessary truth. The idea behind the truth is not new and dates back to Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109). Great scientists and philosophers, including Descartes and Leibniz, have reconsidered and refined Anselm’s argument. Gödel appears to be the first, however, to present the argument using mathematical logic. Lexicography In any development of a mathematical theory, there are foundational axioms Read More ›

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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 ›

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News
Date
May 24, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Religion, Surveillance, Technocracy

Tagged
Big Tech, Erik J. Larson, Heather Zeiger, Myth of Artificial Intelligence (book), Norbert Wiener, Rod Dreher, Surveillance Capitalism (book)}

How Much of Your Income — and Life — Does Big Tech Control?

_{Erik J. Larson reviews the groundbreaking book Surveillance Capitalism, on how big corporations make money out of tracking your every move} _{News
May 24, 2021

7

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Religion, Surveillance, Technocracy}

In a review of Shoshana Zuboff’s groundbreaking Surveillance Capitalism (2019), computer science historian Erik J. Larson recounts a 1950s conflict of ideas between two pioneers, Norbert Wiener (1894-1964) and John McCarthy (1927–2011). Wiener warned, in his largely forgotten book The Human Use of Human Beings (1950), about “new forms of control made possible by the development of advancing technologies.” McCarthy, by contrast, coined the term “artificial intelligence” (1956), implying his belief in “the official effort to program computers to exhibit human-like intelligence.” His “AI Rules” view came to be expressed not in a mere book but in — probably — hundreds of thousands of media articles warning about or celebrating the triumph of AI over humanity. If you are skeptical Read More ›

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Heather Zeiger
Date
May 23, 2021

Categorized
Law, Religion, Technocracy

Tagged
Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Featured, Freedom of religion}

Why the Chinese Communist Party Feels It Must Destroy Religion

_{Persecution of religious groups is not based on what they actually teach but on whether their separate existence could pose a threat to the Communist Party} _{Heather Zeiger
May 23, 2021

9

Law, Religion, Technocracy}

The U.S. Department of State’s just-released 2020 Annual Report on the state of religious freedom around the world devotes 136 pages to China. That’s because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses an extensive network of surveillance cameras coupled with facial recognition software — as well as cell phone tracking, internet and message monitoring, and biometric profiling — to persecute adherents of non-state-sanctioned organizations. Advances in collecting and storage of massive amounts of data to be sifted by algorithms have made this possible. In 2020, according to the report, the CCP used the COVID-19 pandemic to suppress religion through monitoring house church locations, shutting down online services, and creating bureaucratic barriers to opening buildings for worship. Through this “stability maintenance program,” Read More ›

double exposure of the Passion of the Christ

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Michael Egnor
Date
May 16, 2021

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Religion

Tagged
Andrew Newberg, Featured, Neurotheology, Spirituality (mind vs. brain)}

The Brain Prosperity Gospel: Can “Neurotheology” Be Real Science?

_{The study of the neuroscience of mental states, including religious belief, is a reasonable pursuit but neurotheology, as a science, faces huge obstacles} _{Michael Egnor
May 16, 2021

5

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Religion}

Neurotheology is the study of the neuroscience associated with spiritual experience. It is a growing field. In a recent essay, Andrew Newberg, a prominent researcher, discusses recent advances: The field of neurotheology continues to expand from its early origins several decades ago to the present day. In its simplest definition, neurotheology refers to the field of scholarship that seeks to understand the relationship between the brain and our religious and spiritual selves. As I always like to say, it is important to consider both sides of neurotheology very broadly. Thus, the “neuro” side includes brain imaging, psychology, neurology, medicine, and even anthropology. And the “theology” side includes theology itself, but also various aspects related to religious beliefs, attitudes, practices, and Read More ›

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News
Date
April 25, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Mathematics, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Technocracy

Tagged
1984 (book), George Orwell, totalitarianism}

How Orwell’s 1984 Can Be Seen As an Argument for God’s Existence

_{Atheism is not only fundamental to the power of the Party in 1984 but is also its central weakness} _{News
April 25, 2021

5

Arts & Culture, Mathematics, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Technocracy}

University of Nebraska political science prof Carson Holloway (pictured) asks, “Does discrediting the existence of God promote enlightened thinking or a lack of objective reality?” Unpacking the social structure in George Orwell’s classic totalitarian dystopia, 1984 (1949), he observes that not only does the Party have the power of life and death but the atheistic Party faithful fear death as utter annihilation: Atheism is the moral basis of the Party’s unlimited hold on its own members because it makes them terrified of death as absolute nonexistence. Like any government, the Party in 1984 has the power to kill disobedient subjects. Party members, however, view death not just as the end of bodily life, but as a complete erasure of their Read More ›

Spiral aloe vera with water drops, closeup

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Eric Holloway
Date
April 25, 2021

Categorized
Ethics, Philosophy of Mind, Religion, Surveillance

Tagged
Communism, design in nature}

How Did One Man Gain the Strength to Turn Away From Nihilism?

_{Chambers was quite willing to accept that he had joined, essentially, a terrorist organization, so long as he could see it as for the greater good} _{Eric Holloway
April 25, 2021

5

Ethics, Philosophy of Mind, Religion, Surveillance}

American writer Whittaker Chambers (1901–1961) sparked McCarthyism (a witch hunt against suspected Communists at high levels in the U.S. government in the early 1950s), during the trial of State Department official Alger Hiss. Senator Joseph McCarthy began his eponymous crusade against communists largely because Chambers had exposed Hiss as a Communist spy. Chambers, a senior editor at Time Magazine, knew that Hiss was a spy because Chambers himself was a spy who worked closely with Hiss and was in fact a very close friend. Which begs the question, why would a spy turn in his closest friend, as well as imperil himself? To understand the question and provide an answer, Chambers wrote an account of his conversion experience, and the Read More ›

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Michael Egnor
Date
April 18, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy, Religion, Science

Tagged
Featured, Five Ways (Aquinas), Jerry Coyne, Prime Mover, Thomas Aquinas}

Why the Universe Itself Can’t Be the Most Fundamental Thing

_{Atheist biology professor Jerry Coyne is mistaken in dismissing my observation that proofs of God’s existence follow the same logical structure as any other scientific theory} _{Michael Egnor
April 18, 2021

7

Philosophy, Religion, Science}

Jerry Coyne has posted in reply to my observation that God’s existence can be demonstrated by the ordinary methods of science. That is to say, all proofs of God’s existence are scientific theories in the sense that they have the same logical structure as any other scientific theory that proposes explanations for the natural world. Scientific theories are inductive in that they depend upon evidence in the natural world to reach a conclusion. Thus demonstrations of God’s existence, for example Thomas Aquinas’s Five Ways, are scientific theories in the sense that Newton’s Law of Gravitation, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution are scientific theories. Scientific theories can demonstrate the existence of things outside of nature Read More ›

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David Zeiger
Date
April 17, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Religion, Science

Tagged
Unbelievable (book)}

Sci-fi Saturday: New NBC X-files Clone “Debris” Feels Disjointed

_{Perhaps that’s intentional, though many critics aren’t getting it yet} _{David Zeiger
April 17, 2021

2

Arts & Culture, Religion, Science}

Debris by J. H. Wyman (TV series, 2021, 13 episodes): “Two agents from two different continents, and two different mindsets, must work together to investigate why.” Debris, J. H. Wyman’s third major foray into science fiction (Fringe, and Almost Human being the others), seems to be getting a cool reception from critics and viewers alike. But maybe it needs time to coalesce. However, time and a forgiving audience are in short supply these days in the crowded entertainment landscape. The show’s premise is that an alien spacecraft has broken up in our solar system and crashed to earth, creating the “Debris” of the title. Of course, these artifacts cause strange “advanced technology” effects (not magic) and our government agents must Read More ›

World mental health day concept: Silhouette of human standing to worship God in meadow autumn sunset background

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Michael Egnor
Date
April 11, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy, Religion

Tagged
Big Bang, Black hole, Deductive reasoning, Evidence, Featured, First Way (Aquinas), Five Ways (Aquinas), Inductive reasoning, Jerry Coyne}

Here’s Why an Argument for God’s Existence Is Scientific

_{The form of reasoning and the type of evidence accepted is the same as with Newton’s theories or Darwin’s} _{Michael Egnor
April 11, 2021

7

Philosophy, Religion}

Atheist evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne is a fountain of nonsensical arguments against the existence of God. If a scholar wanted to write a review paper on the most ridiculous arguments against God’s existence so far in the 21st century, he would need look no further than Coyne’s blog. Coyne’s latest post denying God’s existence takes issue with an essay by Samuel Benson in the Deseret News in which Benson makes the case that invoking both a miracle and a scientific achievement in the development of the COVID vaccine is not necessarily contradictory. Benson points out that the natural world, properly understood, can only be explained using both science and theology. In support of his view, he quotes the president of Read More ›

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News
Date
April 11, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy, Religion, Science

Tagged
Atheism, Big Bang, Carl Sagan, Contact (book), Contact (film), Cosmic fine-tuning, DNA, Featured, Fine-tuning, Michael Egnor, Multiverse, Return of the God Hypothesis (book), Steve Meyer}

Why Should We Believe Atheists on the Subject of God?

_{Logic and evidence both point to the existence of God, whatever atheists may think} _{News
April 11, 2021

4

Philosophy, Religion, Science}

Noting a recent article by philosopher Steve Meyer at The Federalist, neurosurgeon Michael Egnor comments, The public square is replete with books and articles written by atheist scientists claiming that cosmology or genetics or evolution properly understood disproves the existence of God. These atheist scientists profoundly misunderstand the implications of their science; they couldn’t be more wrong. As in his new book, The Return of the God Hypothesis, Dr. Meyer points to three particularly clear advances in modern science. Michael Egnor, “The God Hypothesis Versus Atheist Science Denial” at Evolution News and Science Today (April 5, 2021) The three arguments he addresses are ● The Big Bang: “The existence of a moment of beginning of our universe in an almost Read More ›

White, grey and pink mandelbrot fractal.

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News
Date
March 7, 2021

Categorized
Mathematics, Religion

Tagged
Anselm of Canterbury, Evolution, Featured, Gregory Chaitin, Incompleteness theorems (Gödel), Kurt Gödel (belief in God), Robert J. Marks, Saint Anselm}

How Kurt Gödel Destroyed a Popular Form of Atheism

_{We don’t hear much about logical positivism now but it was very fashionable in the early twentieth century} _{News
March 7, 2021

6

Mathematics, Religion}

In this week’s podcast, “The Chaitin interview I: Chaitin chats with Kurt Gödel,” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviewed mathematician and computer scientist Gregory Chaitin. Earlier, we noted his comments on the almost supernatural awareness that the great mathematicians had of the foundations of reality in the mathematics of our universe. Yesterday, we heard Chaitin’s recollection of how he (almost) met the eccentric genius Kurt Gödel (1906–1978). One way that Gödel stood out from many of his contemporaries was that he believed in God. He even wrote a mathematical proof of the existence of God. https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-124-Gregory-Chaitin.mp3 This portion begins at 17:16 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes, and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: One of the things Read More ›

Silhouette of human with universe and physical, mathematical formulas

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News
Date
March 5, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Religion

Tagged
Carl Friedrich Gauss, Featured, Georg Cantor, God's existence, Gregory Chaitin, infinity, Kurt Gödel, Leonhard Euler, Robert J. Marks, Srinivasa Ramanujan}

Gregory Chaitin on the Great Mathematicians, East and West

_{Himself a “game-changer” in mathematics, Chaitin muses on what made the great thinkers stand out} _{News
March 5, 2021

12

Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Religion}

In this week’s podcast, “The Chaitin interview I: Chaitin chats with Kurt Gödel,” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviewed mathematician and computer scientist Gregory Chaitin on the almost supernatural awareness that the great mathematicians had of the foundations of reality in the mathematics of our universe: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-124-Gregory-Chaitin.mp3 This discussion begins at 8:26 min. A partial transcript, Show Notes and Additional Resources follow. Robert J. Marks: There are few people who can be credited without any controversy with the founding of a game changing field of mathematics. We are really fortunate today to talk to Gregory Chaitin (pictured) who has that distinction. Professor Chaitin is a co-founder of the Field of Algorithmic Information Theory that explores the properties of Read More ›

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News
Date
February 28, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy, Religion, Surveillance

Tagged
1984 (book), 2084 (book), Atheism, C. S. Lewis, Featured, George Orwell, God's existence, immortality, John Lennox, Robert J. Marks, That Hideous Strength (book), transhumanism}

Why Oxford’s John Lennox Wrote a Book on AI Promises and Threats

_{His book 2084 leans on George Orwell’s 1984 but takes its inspiration from C. S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength} _{News
February 28, 2021

12

Artificial Intelligence, Philosophy, Religion, Surveillance}

Recently, Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks interviewed Oxford mathematician John Lennox on his latest book 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity (2020). He focused on why Lennox chose that theme and how far we have caught up with George Orwell’s 1984. Here are some excerpts from the combined interviews in “John Lennox on Artificial Intelligence and Humanity”: https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-123-John-Lennox.mp3 A partial transcript follows, along with highlights, Show Notes, and Resources: Robert J. Marks (starting at roughly 1:40 min): Many of Orwell’s predictions about communism were proven. So what will be the effects of AI a century later in the year 2084? Replacing George Orwell is Dr. John Lennox who has written 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future Read More ›

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Michael Egnor
Date
February 28, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy, Religion, Science

Tagged
Atheism, Cosmic fine-tuning, Featured, Fine-tuning, God's existence, Inverse gambler's fallacy, Multiverse, Philip Goff, Steven Novella, Universe}

We Don’t Live in a Multiverse Because the Concept Makes No Sense

_{Neurologist Steven Novella and philosopher Philip Goff, both atheists, agree that there are many universes besides the one we live in} _{Michael Egnor
February 28, 2021

5

Philosophy, Religion, Science}

Cosmic fine-tuning is the observation that many of the values of the variables in the fundamental laws of physics specifically permit the existence of sentient life (life like us) within a very narrow margin of error. The likelihood of this happening by chance seems vanishingly small. It seems as if Someone expected us. How can we explain this? The fact that God created the universe explains fine-tuning. But for atheists, it’s a real conundrum. As a result, at Neurologica blog, neurologist Steven Novella (pictured) and philosopher Philip Goff have been discussing the most popular atheist explanation for fine-tuning, the “multiverse.” That is, there are countless universes out there, each with its own parameters, and ours just happens to be one Read More ›

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News
Date
February 21, 2021

Categorized
Religion, Science

Tagged
Apologetics, Featured, For a Greater Purpose (book), Freedom of religion, Robert J. Marks, Walter Bradley, William Dembski}

How Walter Bradley Broke Down Campus Anti-Christian Prejudice

_{Bradley has been a very successful mechanical engineering researcher but he has never lost sight of larger goals, such as religious freedom at universities} _{News
February 21, 2021

7

Religion, Science}

In Thursday’s podcast, “The Life of Walter Bradley With William Dembski (Part II),” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks and design theorist William Dembski reflect on the biography they have written about a remarkable engineer, Walter Bradley, For a Greater Purpose: The Life and Legacy of Walter Bradley. In Part I, they discussed Bradley’s work in helping develop appropriate industries using sustainable technologies in the developing world. Here in Part II, they look at the way Bradley politely but effectively insisted on respect for the rights of religious students and faculty, as well as others. And got it. Robert J. Marks: When Walter Bradley was a professor, one of the things that he wanted to do was to talk Read More ›

hedef başarısı ve birlik beraberlik ruhu

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News
Date
February 14, 2021

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind, Religion, Science

Tagged
Appropriate Technology, Brian Thomas, Cell phones, coconuts, Featured, Haiti, Origin of life, Robert J. Marks, Walter Bradley, William Dembski}

Walter Bradley: Finding a Life of Greater Purpose

_{Bradley has been a pioneer in the development of appropriate technologies for developing regions of the world} _{News
February 14, 2021

11

Philosophy of Mind, Religion, Science}

In last week’s podcast, “The Life of Walter Bradley With William Dembski (Part I),” Walter Bradley Center director Robert J. Marks and design theorist William Dembski discuss the biography they have written about a remarkable engineer, Walter Bradley, For a Greater Purpose: The Life and Legacy of Walter Bradley. It also helps explain why we call ourselves the Walter Bradley Center, as we seek to extend Dr. Bradley’s work. https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-121-William-Dembski.mp3 A partial transcript follows. This transcript begins at 02:55. Show notes and links follow. Before getting down to the main business, design theorist William Dembski, possibly the best known theorist of design in nature, told Robert Marks that he plans a second edition of his Cambridge University Press book, The Read More ›

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Robert J. Marks
Date
February 2, 2021

Categorized
Religion, Science

Tagged
Blaise Pascal, Claude Shannon, Donald Knuth, Featured, Francis COllins, Isaac Newton, Leonhard Euler, Richard Feynman, Thomas Bayes}

Five Surprising Facts Re Famous Scientists We Bet You Never Knew

_{How about juggling, riding a unicycle, and playing bongo? Or catching criminals or cracking safes?} _{Robert J. Marks
February 2, 2021

8

Religion, Science}

We know what famous scientists like Einstein are famous for but we don’t know much about who they are. Here are five personal life facts about scientists who made a big difference to our understanding of the world that you probably didn’t know. The most interesting one is saved for last. 1.Isaac Newton dressed as a bum to mingle with the unwashed and catch criminals. Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727) was the father of classical physics and an inventor of calculus. When students take their first college classes in calculus and physics today, they study the concepts Newton developed in the 17th century. But Newton also wrote over a million words on Biblical prophecy. He was also the Warden and Read More ›

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Robert J. Marks
Date
January 22, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Religion

Tagged
AI Church, Anthony Levandowski, Featured, Uber, Way of the Future (church), Waymo}

The President Pardons the Founder of a Church That Worships AI

_{On his last day in office, departing President Trump pardoned Anthony Levandowski} _{Robert J. Marks
January 22, 2021

2

Artificial Intelligence, Business and Finance, Religion}

Anthony Levandowski has an interesting history He transitioned from Silicon Valley wunderkind to inept theologian to convicted felon. Now he is free, due to a pardon given by Donald Trump in Trump’s last day in office. If you are an orthodox materialist, you believe our brains are computers made of meat. Artificial intelligence, brains made out of silicon, will therefore match and eventually exceed human capabilities and become godlike. So it might make sense to form a church that worships this future AI god. That’s what Anthony Levandowski did in 2019. His church was christened Way of the Future. Levandowski reasoned “What is going to be created [by AI] will effectively be a god … if there is something a Read More ›