Singularity assumptions that should be questioned

The upcoming movie, Transcendence, looks like it will be interesting, but the trailer includes common assumptions about the singularity that I'm not sure are justified. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY-cc1MLAI4 To be sure, the assumptions are held by a lot of singularity believers.  Below I offer some reasons why these assumptions shouldn't be taken as self evident. Assumption 1: … Continue reading Singularity assumptions that should be questioned →

Merry Christmas!

Whatever Christmas means for you, whether it be a religious observance, a holiday for visiting with friends and family and exchanging gifts, or just a day off of work, I hope you have a great day! If you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a great Wednesday!

The History and Future of the Everything — Time

Wow!  If you enjoyed my little post the other day on perspectives on deep time, you'll definitely want to check this video out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XkV6IpV2Y0 An awesome blog entry with much the same content is at the Wait but why blog. Related articles Time: The History and Future of Everything (milkandcookies.com) [Video] The History and Future … Continue reading The History and Future of the Everything — Time →

Big Gods: An interesting read

A while back, I read Ara Norenzayan's book, 'Big Gods: How Religion Transformed Cooperation and Conflict'.  I'm posting this review somewhat from memory, but I've had a couple of conversations about it lately and I think it might be good to move the discussion here. In the book, Norenzayan asks an interesting question.  How did … Continue reading Big Gods: An interesting read →

Quantum Theory Won’t Save The Soul – Neuroskeptic | DiscoverMagazine.com

Could quantum mechanics save the soul? In the light of 20th century physics, is free will plausible? Such as been the hope of some philosophers, scientists (and pretenders to those titles) – but neuroscientist Peter Clarke argues that it’s just not happening, in an interesting new paper: Neuroscience, quantum indeterminism and the Cartesian soul via … Continue reading Quantum Theory Won’t Save The Soul – Neuroskeptic | DiscoverMagazine.com →

BBC News – Neanderthals could speak like modern humans, study suggests

An analysis of a Neanderthal\'s fossilised hyoid bone - a horseshoe-shaped structure in the neck - suggests the species had the ability to speak. This has been suspected since the 1989 discovery of a Neanderthal hyoid that looks just like a modern human\'s. But now computer modelling of how it works has shown this bone … Continue reading BBC News – Neanderthals could speak like modern humans, study suggests →

Google’s Android Dreams: Annoying, Not Apocalyptic : The New Yorker

A couple of weeks ago, shortly after the Amazon C.E.O. Jeff Bezos unveiled, on “60 Minutes,” that his company plans to deliver packages to customers with a swarm of autonomous, flying drones, Google made an announcement that seemed far less explosive: Andy Rubin, the former head of Android, would lead an “effort to create a … Continue reading Google’s Android Dreams: Annoying, Not Apocalyptic : The New Yorker →

Experience Earthrise with Apollo 8

When we think of Apollo missions, most people think about Apollo 11. But Apollo 8 was a major breakthrough mission, with humans going beyond low earth orbit for the first time, going hundreds of times further away from Earth than anyone had ever been, and orbiting another body (the moon) for the first time. Earthrise … Continue reading Experience Earthrise with Apollo 8 →