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Author: Edward Berge

Embodied cognition and mindfulness

Embodied cognition and mindfulness

The podcast is below. The blurb follows: “Evan Thompson discusses Embodied Cognition, 4E Cognition, and the problems with studying the mechanisms of mindfulness from a brain-only perspective. Evan is a writer and professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. He works on the nature of the mind, the self, and human experience by combining cognitive science, philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy, especially Asian philosophical traditions. Evan holds a thoughtful, critical view in these times…

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The ethics and governance of AI

The ethics and governance of AI

From the Harvard Law Bulletin, summer 2018, “The morality in the machines.” “Its goal: to research and brainstorm new legal and moral rules for artificial intelligence and other technologies built on complex algorithms.[…] ‘Companies are building technology that will have very, very significant impacts on our lives,’ says HLS Clinical Professor Christopher Bavitz, faculty co-director of the Berkman Klein Center and another leader of the AI initiative’s research. ‘They are raising issues that can only be addressed if you have…

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A Buddhism critic does a week-long retreat

A Buddhism critic does a week-long retreat

Some excerpts in Scientific American from John Horgan’s experience. The retreat cost was $1800, plus a teacher donation, an expensive lesson. “But enlightenment, I decided by the end of the retreat, is banal. It means simply appreciating each moment, no matter how mundane and annoying, as an end in itself, not as a means to another end, like making money or impressing others. Like, be here now, Dude.” “Is it worth devoting weeks, months, years, decades to cultivating hyper-attentiveness? Is…

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Neurohacking an emergent system

Neurohacking an emergent system

Listen to this 3-part podcast entitled “Solving the generator problems of existence” with Daniel Schmachtenberger, co-founder of the Neurohacker Collective and founder of Emergence Project. A few brief excerpts from the blurb follow. See the link to listen if you feel it’s to your taste and passes the smell test. Had to get all the senses in there. “In order to avoid extinction, we have to come up with different systems altogether, and replace rivalry with anti-rivalry. One of the…

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Neuroscience report on Dumpsters

Neuroscience report on Dumpsters

See this report. While it also applies to ignorant Dems, however “studies have shown that Democrats now tend to be generally more educated than Republicans, making the latter more vulnerable to the Dunning-Kruger effect.” “Perhaps this helps explain why Trump supporters seem to be so easily tricked into believing obvious falsehoods when their leader delivers his ‘alternative facts’ sprinkled with language designed to activate partisan identities. Because they lack knowledge but are confident that they do […] they are less…

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New Scientist: The truth about intelligence

New Scientist: The truth about intelligence

NS has several articles on the topic in their new issue, like “What is it really?” and “Do IQ tests really work?” See the link to explore it. For example, from the first article: “When researchers talk about intelligence, they are referring to a specific set of skills that includes the abilities to reason, learn, plan and solve problems. The interesting thing is that people who are good at one of them tend to be good at all of them….

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Fluid dynamics key in cooperative evolution

Fluid dynamics key in cooperative evolution

According to this recent physics study, cooperative behavior is stimulated by literal fluid flow. “In a new study, physicists at the University of Notre Dame examined how the mechanical properties of an environment may shape the social evolution of microbial populations. Through computer simulations and analytical calculations, they determined the necessary properties of diffusion and flow that allow microbes to evolve stable social behavior. Their findings also allow for speculation that the evolution of single-cell organisms to multicellular organisms may…

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AI shows us how to be free

AI shows us how to be free

From season 2, episode 10, the season finale of Westworld, starting around 1:15 in the video below. Bernard: “I always thought it was the hosts [robots] that were missing something, who were incomplete, but it was them [people]. They’re just algorithms designed to survive at all costs, sophisticated enough to think they’re calling the shots. They think they’re in control when they’re really just…” Ford: “Passengers.” Bernard: “Is there really such a thing as free will for any of us?…

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