One of the problems with following election news here in the US, is that the various media outlets often try to convey a sense of drama in the outcome, even when it's not really there. For this reason, I try not too pay much attention to most of the prognosticators out there. Their track record been … Continue reading Sites for tracking the US election
The challenges of copying a mind
Michael Graziano has an article at the Atlantic looking at the plausibility of mind copying. He doesn't beat around the bush, going all in with the title: Why You Should Believe in the Digital Afterlife, although the actual text of the article is more nuanced, and echoes what I hear from most neuroscientists. As a neuroscientist, … Continue reading The challenges of copying a mind
Thoughts from a Baton Rouge native
I rarely comment on contemporary news. Usually we as the public have incomplete information, which often shows any immediate commentary to be wrong when the facts eventually come out (if they ever do). Unfortunately, by the time they do, the public has often lost interest. But with the recent killing of a black man by police in my … Continue reading Thoughts from a Baton Rouge native
Damasio’s theory of consciousness
Antonio Damasio is a neuroscientist and neurologist who has published a number of theories about how the brain and mind work. Unlike many theories of mind, his are thoroughly grounded in neuroanatomy. Central to Damasio's theory of consciousness is the idea of biological value, that which helps in preserving homeostasis, which of course aids in … Continue reading Damasio’s theory of consciousness
Is there a moral arc to history?
The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice. As someone who isn't able to find an objective basis for morality, I've often wondered what that means for the above statement from Martin Luther King. It certainly feels like we're making moral progress, that the status of previously oppressed or marginalized people … Continue reading Is there a moral arc to history?
Real Science vs. Fake Science
One of the best and most succinct explanations of the difference between real science and pseudoscience that I've seen.
SMBC: A treatise on machine ethics
via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal A better question might be, if a robot has conflicting programming, what will it do? That seems to be where most human moral dilemmas arise, when our instincts are in conflict.
What would evidence for the non-physical look like? A possible answer.
In the last post, I pondered what distinction between the physical and non-physical, noting that I've historically resisted the label of "physicalist" or "materialist" maintaining that, if any evidence for the non-physical ever did become available, I'd accept its existence. I finished my post asking what that evidence might look like? And if even asking … Continue reading What would evidence for the non-physical look like? A possible answer.
What is physicalism?
One label that often gets applied to me is "materialist", or sometimes "physicalist." It's a label that, while it probably gives an accurate idea of my conception of reality, I've generally resisted. Why? Because if there were ever any evidence for anything non-physical, I would accept its existence. Consequently, I've often felt that a better label … Continue reading What is physicalism?
When did the Roman Empire actually fall?
Yesterday was the anniversary of the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453, for which apparently there is now a Muslim debate about whether it fulfilled Muhammad's charge for Muslims to conquer that city. I can't say I have any opinion in that particular matter. But something I do find interesting is that, in describing the event, … Continue reading When did the Roman Empire actually fall?
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