_{Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis}

^TagFeatured

Ants replicate intricate teamwork and precision like a circuit board, symbolizing tech innovation and development.

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
June 8, 2026

Categorized
Animal mind, Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
Emergent behavior, Featured, Swarm intelligence, Termites (swarm intelligence)}

Monday Micro Softy 82: When Bugs Break Up Fights…

_{A surprising amount of intelligence of use in the computer industry can be learned from watching insects} _{Robert J. Marks
June 8, 2026

7

Animal mind, Artificial Intelligence}

To solve last week’s puzzle, keep in mind that every termite is doing the same thing.

Young entrepreneur man working with a laptop isolated holding hands in pray near mouth, feels confident.

^{Type
post

Don Barger
Date
June 3, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Religion

Tagged
Don Barger, Featured, Innnovation, Leo XIV (Pope), Magnifica Humanitas}

Most Christian Innovators Have Not Read the Pope’s Letter

_{Don Barger
June 3, 2026

12

Artificial Intelligence, Religion}

The calling is to be involved, to be on the site, with your hands in the work, and building with theological clarity and human dignity at the center.

Group of the small termite on decaying timber. The termite on the ground is searching for food to feed the larvae in the cavity.

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
June 1, 2026

Categorized
Animal mind, Logic, Mathematics

Tagged
Emergent behavior, Featured, Pheromones, Swarm intelligence, Termites}

Monday Micro Softy 81: Termites Are Surprisingly Smart

_{Provided we agree to count swarm intelligence, which we also use in computer science} _{Robert J. Marks
June 1, 2026

7

Animal mind, Logic, Mathematics}

Swarm intelligence enables the colony to converge on the shortest and most efficient path to food without any individual being especially smart.

Tesla Model Y

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
May 30, 2026

Categorized
Self-Driving Cars

Tagged
Featured, Tesla Y}

My Tesla Y Does What Felt Like Sci-Fi 10 Years Ago

_{Its supervised self-driving is the most impressively engineered consumer product since the smartphone} _{Robert J. Marks
May 30, 2026

5

Self-Driving Cars}

One unusual feature is that driver attention is monitored and inattentive drivers can have the self-driving mode suspended.

AI and math concept

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
May 27, 2026

Categorized
Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics

Tagged
Andrew Sutherland, Erdős number, Featured, Flash of Genius (2008 film), Friedrich Gauss (1777‒1855), Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), OpenAI math proofs, Pascaline, Paul Erdős (1913–1996), Richard Feynman (1918–1988), Robert Kearns (1927‒2005), Roger Penrose, Terrence Tao, Unit distance problem}

What AI Has and Hasn’t Solved Recently in Math

_{We need to look at the distinction between horizontal and vertical innovation} _{Robert J. Marks
May 27, 2026

10

Artificial general intelligence (AGI), Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics}

AI displays very impressive horizontal integration (integrating existing concepts) but not vertical integration (entirely new inventions).

A photorealistic view of an abstract puzzle with a magnifying glass highlighting a missing piece shaped like a question mark, symbolizing problem-solving and critical thinking.

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 26, 2026

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Bill Newsome, Featured, Michael Egnor, Wilder Penfield (on abstract thought and epilepsy)}

Why Egnor Finds Neuroscientists’ Lack of Curiosity “Unbelievable”

_{It seems as if they simply do not want to know about findings that challenge materialism} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 26, 2026

4

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

Unfortunately, some of them spend a lot of time trying to discredit people who are willing to look at these questions.

A secret garden back door with a whimsical outdoor retreat.

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 22, 2026

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Bill Newsome, Concepts vs. percepts, corpus callosum, Featured, Michael Egnor, Split brain research (and unity of mind), Yair Pinto}

Do People With Split Brains Have Back Door Communications?

_{Some neuroscientists think that split brain communications can thus be explained that way. Michael Egnor disagrees} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 22, 2026

7

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

The simpler explanation, he says, is that percepts, perceptions travel through axons. Conceptions don’t travel through axons because they’re not material.

image illustrates striking representation of human mind, divided into two contrasting halves. One side features blue brain against pink background, while other s orange brain yellow

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 20, 2026

Categorized
Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Featured, Michael Egnor, Popular Mechanics, Roger Sperry (1913–1994), Split brain research}

The Astonishing Fact That Split Brain Patients Reveal

_{Perception (what we take in from the world around us) can be split but conception (ideas) are not split. And no one has two minds} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 20, 2026

5

Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind}

A misguided article in Popular Mechanics gave neurosurgeon Michael Egnor a chance to shed light on a unique fact about people with split brains here.

Glass of beer and pizza on wooden table. Beer and food concept. Ale.

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
May 19, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Cell biology, Environment

Tagged
Featured, Human brain organoids, Organoid intelligence}

Organoid Intelligence?: That’s AI Powered by Pizza and Beer

_{It may help us address environmental impact issues posed by AI} _{Robert J. Marks
May 19, 2026

3

Artificial Intelligence, Biology, Cell biology, Environment}

If organoid computing succeeds, the next generation of computers may need both software updates and daily feedings.

AI Bubble risk and Economic technology bubbles fear and Artificial intelligence overhyped Stock market speculation and overvalued technologies economy as inflated speculative valuation of Tech.

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
May 16, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Media

Tagged
AI hype, Citation bluffing, Featured, Small-silo ignorance}

When AI Headlines Sound Apocalyptic or Miraculous, Time to Slow Down

_{Most authors of AI hype articles have never taken a foundational computer science course, have never written code, and have never run AI software} _{Robert J. Marks
May 16, 2026

5

Artificial Intelligence, Media}

Here are a dozen tips for detecting fake and misleading articles about artificial intelligence.

Domestic parrot in a cage looks at its reflection in the mirror. Beautiful parrot, close-up, selective focus, pet. Parrot and mirror. Colored bird

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 14, 2026

Categorized
Evolution, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Featured, Royal Society}

What Is Consciousness Actually Supposed To Do?

_{The Royal Society offers sixteen theories of the evolutionary function of consciousness. The trouble is, it's not clear what consciousness even is} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 14, 2026

17

Evolution, Philosophy of Mind}

Some of the theories of animal mind are interesting but no one really has any idea how consciousness originated.

a digital photorealistic illustration from an eye-level perspective Imagine a dystopian cityscape with towering screens displaying Big Brothers

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 9, 2026

Categorized
Censorship, Education, Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
chatbots, Featured, George Orwell (1903–1950), Julia (1984 character), Matt Johnson, Nineteen Eighty Four (1949), Winston Smith (1984 character), Yohei Igarashi}

The Surest Way to Squelch Intellectual Freedom: Make It Impossible

_{As reading and writing skills plummet, the chatbot may turn out to be a bigger enemy of intellectual freedom than the censor} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 9, 2026

4

Censorship, Education, Large Language Models (LLMs)}

Automated writing leads to a decline in intellectual skills for the same reasons as automated walking would lead to a decline in motor skills.

Colorful space galaxy cloud nebula. Stary night cosmos. Universe spiral science astronomy. Supernova background wallpaper

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
April 29, 2026

Categorized
Cosmology, Intelligent Design, Philosophy

Tagged
Carl Sagan (1934–1996), David Berlinski, Featured, Fred Hoyle (1915–2001), John Keats (1795–1821), Jonathan Witt, Larry Krauss, Stephen Meyer, The Story of Everything (film), Timothy McGrew}

How Do You Cram the Universe Into A Story — and Keep it Focused?

_{Philosopher Stephen Meyer narrates the film but never gets in the story’s way} _{Denyse O'Leary
April 29, 2026

4

Cosmology, Intelligent Design, Philosophy}

At last, the end of materialism escapes the lecture room; it becomes a story about real people in real time in the midst of a civilizational struggle.

A young person engages with a virtual reality headset, interacting with an AI chatbot interface, set against a vibrant blue background, showcasing technology potential. XDMCP

^{Type
post

Peter Biles
Date
February 20, 2026

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Featured, social media, Technology}

Are Young People Getting Tired of AI?

_{A new article suggests teens are not universally excited about the blossoming technology} _{Peter Biles
February 20, 2026

3

Artificial Intelligence}

Julie Jargon wrote an interesting piece for The Wall Street Journal about teen attitudes towards AI and found that their view of it isn’t so optimistic as many might assume.

Glass lightbulb with golden gears inside, set against a backdrop of mathematical equations, symbolizing innovation, problem-solving, and the mechanics of ideas

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
February 8, 2026

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Alexander Batthyány, Andrew McDiarmid, Featured, Michael Egnor, New Age movement, Terminal lucidity}

Toward a True — and Also Scientific — Picture of the Human Mind

_{Alexander Batthyány offers a personal anecdote about Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Sir John Eccles that might help point the way} _{Denyse O'Leary
February 8, 2026

8

Philosophy of Mind}

Batthyány also expressed concern that a non-material/spiritual understanding of topics like terminal lucidity risks being taken over today by New Age nonsense.

Businessman looking at a magnifying glass over a network of small people.

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
February 6, 2026

Categorized
Medicine and Health, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Alexander Batthyány, Andrew McDiarmid, Brain–magnifying glass analogy, Featured, Michael Egnor, Terminal lucidity, Threshold (book 2023), William James (1842–1910)}

Consciousness… a Computer or a Magnifying Glass?

_{At ID the Future, Egnor and Batthyány offer some further thoughts on the ongoing mystery: How does the human mind clear at the point of death?} _{Denyse O'Leary
February 6, 2026

6

Medicine and Health, Philosophy of Mind}

Neither shortage of oxygen nor the presence of relatives account for the sudden release from confusion or dementia.

Cornell University

^{Type
post

News
Date
February 4, 2026

Categorized
Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Cornell University, Featured, Heterodox Academy, Michael Egnor, Randy Wayne}

An Evening With Michael Egnor at Cornell

_{The linked talk alone was worth coming to hear, but the Q&A truly did not disappoint} _{News
February 4, 2026

3

Philosophy of Mind}

Egnor continued to reference the scientific research at the foundation of his talk and repeatedly challenged his questioners.

A close-up shot of a clear crystal ball with a rainbow spectrum inside casting a shadow

^{Type
post

Denyse O'Leary
Date
February 3, 2026

Categorized
Medicine and Health, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Psychology

Tagged
Alexander Batthyány, Andrew McDiarmid, Charles Murray, Featured, Michael Egnor, Steven Pinker, Terminal lucidity}

How Sudden Lucidity at Death Became a Science Topic

_{Psychologist Alexander Batthyány and neurosurgeon Michael Egnor discuss the implications of clear consciousness despite deadly illness} _{Denyse O'Leary
February 3, 2026

6

Medicine and Health, Neuroscience, Philosophy of Mind, Psychology}

Serious research on terminal lucidity will immensely damage the sort of materialism that Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker champions.

deepfake parrot - stochastic parrot for large language models and artificial intelligence technology

^{Type
post

Gary Smith
Date
January 5, 2026

Categorized
Large Language Models (LLMs)

Tagged
Featured, Large Language models as unreliable}

Large Language Models (LLMs) Are Inherently Frail and Unreliable

_{From my recent tests, things have not improved much. Even an apparent improvement did not last long. See for yourself} _{Gary Smith
January 5, 2026

7

Large Language Models (LLMs)}

Post-training might stabilize the responses to specific inquiries but then the bot can just go off the rails again, as my tests showed.

Wild west town street. Ai art.

^{Type
post

Robert J. Marks
Date
January 5, 2026

Categorized
Logic

Tagged
Air pressure, Featured, GunsmokeNet.com, James Arness}

Monday Microsofty 60: Here’s a Puzzle From Gunsmoke

_{Told to “get out of Dodge” after a shooting, a gunslinger does so at a nearly inexplicable time. Can you solve the puzzle?} _{Robert J. Marks
January 5, 2026

6

Logic}

To solve Microsofty 59, recall that direction of air flow is due to pressure — not size. Which tire is under more pressure?