consciousness
We Need Ecstasy and Opioids in Place of Prozac and Xanax
If we’re going to treat psychological suffering as effectively as we treat pneumonia and broken bones, we’d better think outside the box.
Panpsychism Is Crazy, but It’s Also Most Probably True
The idea is just as ‘crazy’ as Einstein telling us that time slows down at high speeds, or Darwin saying that our ancestors were apes.
How does meditation work?
Two meditation pioneers, Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson, answer that question in their new book, Altered Traits.
“Flatliners:” deep questions, shallow answers
The “pseudo-science" of this remake barely registers a pulse.
Science Is Starting to Explore the Gray Zone Between Life and Death
French researchers recently roused a patient out of a vegetative state.
Will AI Ever See the World As Humans Do?
AI won't really resemble humanoids. Instead, AI will create a world that countries and large companies can live in.
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Does E.T. have extra-terrestrial rights?
Exploring the ramifications of consciousness in alien life.
Two Theories of Time, and What They Mean for Time Travel
When it comes to time, and what the heck it actually is, there's a clash of ideas between physics and neuroscience.
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Are we more than just our bodies? Philosophers argue over zombies.
Philosophers David Chalmers and Daniel Dennett argue over “philosophical zombies,” created to question the nature of human consciousness.
Even AI Creators Don’t Understand How Complex AI Works
'Deep learning' AI should be able to explain its automated decision-making—but it can't. And even its creators are lost on where to begin.
AI is evolving on its own. Does that make it dangerous?
Philosopher Daniel Dennett believes AI should never become conscious — and no, it's not because of the robopocalypse.
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4 min
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Hey Bill Nye! Does Consciousness Transcend the Brain?
If you cloned yourself perfectly, would the clone have the same mind? At the heart of this question is an investigation into what – and where – consciousness is.
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4 min
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The Natural Origins of Supernatural Experiences
Altered states of consciousness are documented across cultures, from shamans to Silicon Valley coders. As different as these experiences seem, there are four neurological features they all have in common.
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5 min
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Your Mind Isn’t Confined to the Inside of Your Skull
Where is your mind? Professor Daniel Siegel answers this question with a more revolutionary one: Where isn't your mind?
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6 min
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Automation Nightmare: Philosopher Warns We Are Creating a World Without Consciousness
Philosopher and cognitive scientist David Chalmers warns about an AI-dominated future world without consciousness at a recent conference on artificial intelligence that also included Elon Musk, Ray Kurzweil, Sam Harris, Demis Hassabis and others.
On the Origins of Genius: How Human Consciousness Evolved
The human mind is like a Turing machine, says Daniel Dennett. It's made up of unthinking cogs – but when combined in the right order, their motion gives rise to consciousness.
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7 min
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Extending Descartes to Embody Our Social Rational Souls
Descartes’ solitary, inward-facing mindset misconstrues the social nature of our thinking. Social Cartesianism better captures the soul of what matters in distinguishing humans from animals or machines.
So. The Universe Does Revolve Around Us, According to Some
Skeptic John Horgan identifies new theories of matter and the universe that reveal human narcissism.
Practicing Skills In Your Sleep Can Be as Effective as Physical Training
Just imagining movement fires the same neurons as if we were actually moving. A new study shows we can wake our sleeping mind to practice motor skills in our dreams.
Scientific mystery: Man living with 90% of his brain missing
The man who lives a functional life with most of his brain filled with water challenges what we know about the brain.