In an information economy with the rise of artificial intelligence and robots, are humans being pushed to the margins of the workforce? Are we to look forward to a hopeful future, or a dark one? Listen in to hear Jay Richards provide his own insight on the development of technology and its role in the workplace, and how he envisions…
What are quantum Turing machines? In today’s Mind Matters News podcast, Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Paul Werbos explore the mind-boggling science of the quantum realm. Tune in to discover Werbos’s thoughts on historical scientists such as Albert Einstein and David Deutsch, the multiverse theory, and Schrödinger’s cat. Show Notes 01:48 | Introducing Dr. Paul Werbos 02:07 | David…
“Machines will never fall in love with each other, they will never say a prayer in earnest and they will never comprehend their own death,” writes Dr. Geoffrey Simmons. In today’s bingecast, Dr. Robert J. Marks talks with author and retired physician Simmons about his book, Are We Here to Re-Create Ourselves?: The Convergence of Designs. The two spin off…
Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Paul Werbos pick up where they left off: the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its research in machine intelligence. Dr. Werbos praises the NSF as “the greatest temple of truth in human history” – that is, until recently. What happened? Who is responsible for its recent failings? And is there hope for return to…
In today’s episode, Dr. Robert J. Marks continues his conversation with Dr. Paul Werbos, the inventor of the most commonly used technique to train artificial neural networks. Listen in as they turn to the National Science Foundation, its role in steering research in artificial intelligence, and the major turning points in machine intelligence that Dr. Werbos witnessed as a program…
The applications of artificial neural networks are legion. Today, Robert J. Marks talks with Dr. Paul Werbos, the man who invented the method used for over four decades to train artificial neural networks. The two discuss Werbos’s mathematical journey, the error backpropagation algorithm, and the slog of “making it” in scientific academic research. Show Notes 01:19 | Introducing Dr. Paul…
In this Bingecast episode, Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Michael Egnor explore the human brain and its relationship to the mind. Is the mind an emergent property of the brain? Is there neurological evidence for the soul? What have brain experiments taught us about free will and the human person? Can you still think in a coma? Show Notes…
It’s the curious conundrum of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Why do most of us have one consciousness? And what is the nature of consciousness in split personalities? In today’s final episode with guest Dr. Angus Menuge, Dr. Robert J. Marks engages Menuge on the question of unity of consciousness. Show Notes 00:30 | Introducing Dr. Angus Menuge 01:04 |…
What is it like to see a red rose? To smell a red rose? To feel pain? In this week’s podcast, Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Angus Menuge continue their discussion on philosophies of the mind, delving into competing definitions of consciousness. Show Notes 00:26 | Introducing Dr. Angus Menuge 01:01 | Phenomenal consciousness and qualia 07:25 | Experiencing…
The mind-body problem is much like the chicken-and-egg dilemma: Which came first? In today’s episode, Dr. Robert J. Marks sits down with Dr. Angus Menuge to discuss the basics of the mind-body problem, its philosophical history, and whether artificial intelligence ever has a chance at truly replicating the human mind. Show Notes 01:12 | Introducing Dr. Angus Menuge, professor and…
In this Bingecast episode, Dr. Thomas Furness – the grandfather of virtual reality – tells the story of how he became involved in the development of virtual reality. Listen in as he shares gripping stories about his time in the Air Force, and how virtual reality has been used in medicine, to help mitigate pain, and in making new and…
In this third and final episode with Dr. Bruce Gordon, host Michael Egnor picks Gordon’s brain on the overlaps between historical metaphysical perspectives and modern neuroscience. What does St. Thomas Aquinas have to say about metaphysical realities, and how does that compare to Plato’s idealism? Who is right? And what can near-death experiences and other phenomena tell us about the…
Continuing their discussion on idealism and the nature of reality, Michael Egnor and Bruce Gordon delve into the mystifying realm of quantum physics. What does quantum physics say about the nature of our reality? And how does this relate to philosophical theories about the world around us? Show Notes 00:23 | Introducing Dr. Bruce Gordon 03:03 | The mind-dependent character…
What is the fundamental nature of reality? Is reality more like a mind, or more like a physical object? What is panpsychism? Tune in to this week’s podcast to hear guest host Michael Egnor interview Dr. Bruce Gordon on idealism. Gordon explores different varieties of idealism, the insights of past philosophers, and the theories of contemporary thinkers. Show Notes 00:43…
Listen in as Robert J. Marks picks the mind of Professor Gregory Chaitin about Chaitin’s number – a number that has been called “mystical and magical”. How does this number work? Why do some people call it “Chaitin’s constant”? What is the usefulness of philosophizing in mathematics? Show Notes 00:27 | Introducing Gregory Chaitin and Chaitin’s number 01:32 | Chaitin’s…
What does it mean for something to be unknowable? Is creativity non-computable? Do all things have a level of consciousness? Jump into today’s podcast, where Robert J. Marks continues his discussion with Gregory Chaitin about mathematical theory and philosophy. Show Notes 00:23 | Introducing Gregory Chaitin 00:40 | What is unknowability? 06:07 | Does non-computable mean unknowable? 09:43 | A…
How are the fields of mathematics and academic research different today compared to years past? In this week’s podcast, Robert J. Marks and Gregory Chaitin discuss the challenges many mathematicians face today and the unfortunate trend toward bureaucracy that makes academic research difficult. Dropping names of mathematical geniuses past and present, they explore how technology and artificial intelligence are changing…
In the 1960s, mathematician and computer scientist Gregory Chaitin published a landmark paper in the field of algorithmic information theory in the Journal of the ACM – and he was only a teenager. Listen in as Robert J. Marks explores that paper with Chaitin, covering Chaitin’s definition of randomness and his philosophical interest in algorithmic information theory. Show Notes 00:27…
In this week’s Mind Matters episode, Robert J. Marks begins a conversation with mathematician and computer scientist Gregory Chaitin. The two discuss Chaitin’s beginnings in computer science, his thoughts on historic scientists in his field such as Leonard Euler and Kurt Gödel, and even the story of how a cold call to Gödel almost led to Chaitin meeting the famed…
In this bingecast episode, Robert J. Marks talks with Dr. John C. Lennox, professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford, about all things artificial intelligence. Should robots have rights? What are A.I.’s advantages and threats to humanity? And does theology have anything to say about all of this? Listen in as they discuss Dr. Lennox’s book 2084, and wrestle…