SMBC: Do humans have feelings?

Apropos to the previous post, albeit from a different angle. Hovertext: "This comic was posted in order to increase my social status, acquire wealth, and thus improve the reproductive fitness of my offspring." Click through for full sized version and red button caption. via SMBC I've noted many times before that emotions and other instinctual … Continue reading SMBC: Do humans have feelings? →

What would it mean for a machine to suffer?

One of the dividing lines I often hear in discussions about whether we should regard an artificially intelligent machine as a fellow being is, does it have the capacity to suffer?  It's an interesting criteria, since it implies that what's important is that there be something there for us to empathize with.  But it raises an interesting question. … Continue reading What would it mean for a machine to suffer? →

Consciousness is composed of non-consciousness

The components of a thing are not individually the thing. For example, the components of the chair I type most of my blog posts from are not the chair itself, but the wood of the frame, the springs for the back and bottom, some metal parts for the reclining mechanism, the fabric coverings, cushions, etc. … Continue reading Consciousness is composed of non-consciousness →

Is reality an illusion? If so, does it matter?

Donald D. Hoffman, a psychologist at the University of California, Irving, has been getting a lot of attention recently for his views, that evolutionary evidence indicates that reality is an illusion, that the only thing that exists are conscious minds. This is a modern version of an ancient concept, called idealism.  The earliest writings about … Continue reading Is reality an illusion? If so, does it matter? →

Let artificial intelligence evolve? Probably fruitless, possibly dangerous.

Michael Chorost has an article at Slate about artificial intelligence and any dangers it might present.  I find myself in complete agreement with the early portions of his piece, as he explains why an AI (artificial intelligence) would be unlikely to be dangerous in the way many fear. To value something, an entity has to be able … Continue reading Let artificial intelligence evolve? Probably fruitless, possibly dangerous. →

When were the earliest parts of the Bible written?

The NY Times has an interesting article about a study which purports to show that literacy may have been far more prevalent in pre-Babylonian exile Judah than many had thought.  The implication, it's believed, is that Biblical minimalist scholars who thought that no part of the Bible was composed until after the exile, are wrong. But … Continue reading When were the earliest parts of the Bible written? →

The unavoidable complexity of morality

I've written before on why science can't determine morality.  This isn't a particularly controversial position (even if many of Sam Harris or Michael Shermer's followers find it so).  No one seems to have found an intellectually rigorous answer to David Hume's is/ought divide, that you can't derive an ought from an is.  To logically determine … Continue reading The unavoidable complexity of morality →

The power of symbolic thought

One of the things I've pondered a few times on this blog is our ability to recognize another intelligence, such as an extraterrestrial intelligence.  On the face of it, this seems straightforward.  Do they form societies, use technology, manipulate their environment, and overall show signs of intelligence? Except an alien intelligence may be so different from … Continue reading The power of symbolic thought →

The reliability hierarchy of expert opinion

There's been a mild amount of angst on the internet in recent days over a couple of well known science communicators espousing nonsense on matters outside of their field.  The first was Bill Nye, who made comments about philosophy that most charitably could be described as uninformed.  The second was Neil deGrasse Tyson's tweets about biology expressing … Continue reading The reliability hierarchy of expert opinion →