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Category: complex adaptive systems

Sapience by Walden Hanes

Sapience by Walden Hanes

Here is his Facebook post discussing some of the AI research used in his book. “The opening scenes of my novel ๐—ฆ๐—”๐—ฃ๐—œ๐—˜๐—ก๐—–๐—˜ take place at the ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฏ, a research facility in 2036 that seeks to create ๐—ฆ๐˜†๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€, a theoretical form of Artificial Intelligence possessing human-like intuition and self-awareness. ย  “Early in the novel, the ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฏ pursues its goal using methods I imagined based on current ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด theory. I merged this probabilistic approach with aspects of the ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ…

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Body representations, peripersonal space and the self: Humans, animals, robots.

Body representations, peripersonal space and the self: Humans, animals, robots.

Title of the new ebook from Frontiers in Science. The blurb: “The human self has many facets: there is the physical body and then there are different concepts or representations supported by processes in the brain such as the ecological, social, temporal, conceptual, and experiential self. The basis is constituted by the ecological or sensorimotor self that deals with the configuration of the body in space and its action possibilities. A number of concepts like body schema or body image…

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How the Black Death Radically Changed the Course of History

How the Black Death Radically Changed the Course of History

link.medium.com/YRFzoB3Xr5 This article is relevant to our recent discussions and Zak Stein’s (see Edward’s recent post) suggestion that great destabilizing events open gaps in which new structures can supplant older, disintegrating systems–with the inherent risks and opportunities.

Living in the futureโ€™s past

Living in the futureโ€™s past

I watched a good documentary last night titled, Living in the Futureโ€™s Past, a project organized, produced, and narrated by Jeff Bridges. Itโ€™s available through your Albuquerque Public Library accountโ€™s access to Hoopla Digital, Amazon Prime video, and other services. It lays out the modern dilemma of having a pre-neolithic brain in a Neolithic era and posits several questions that align closely with the theme of our current discussion . The film has commentary from diverse scientific experts, including Daniel…

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Winter 2020 discussion prompts

Winter 2020 discussion prompts

What is humanityโ€™s situation with respect to surviving long-term with a good quality of life? (Frame the core opportunities and obstacles.) What attributes of our evolved, experientially programmed brains contribute to this situation? (What are the potential leverage points for positive change within our body-brain-mind system?) What courses of research and action (including currently available systems, tools, and practices and current and possible lines of R&D) have the potential to improve our (and the planetary life systemโ€™s) near- and long-term…

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Consciousness in Humanoid Robots

Consciousness in Humanoid Robots

New ebook from Frontiers in Science. The blurb: Building a conscious robot is a grand scientific and technological challenge. Debates about the possibility of conscious robots and the related positive outcomes and hazards for human beings are today no more confined to philosophical circles. Robot consciousness is a research field aimed to a unified view of approaches as cognitive robotics, epigenetic and affective robotics, situated and embodied robotics, developmental robotics, anticipatory systems, biomimetic robotics. Scholars agree that a conscious robot…

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Book: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

Book: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

In his new book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David J. Epstein investigates the significant advantages of generalized cognitive skills for success in a complex world. Weโ€™ve heard and read many praises for narrow expertise in both humans and AIs (Watson, Alpha Go, etc.). In both humans and AIs, however, narrow+deep expertise does not translate to adaptiveness when reality presents novel challenges, as it does constantly.ย  As you ingest this highly readable, non-technical book, please add your…

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History of complexity science

History of complexity science

Here’s an interesting infographic of the main concepts and thinkers in complexity science across time. Notice S. Kauffman is slated in the 1980s column, suggesting the graphic depicts when influential thinkers first make their marks.ย  https://www.art-sciencefactory.com/complexity-map_feb09.html

Ideas of Stuart Kauffman

Ideas of Stuart Kauffman

If you are familiar with complex systems theorist Dr. Stuart Kauffman’s ideas you know he covers a broad range of disciplines and concepts, many in considerable depth, and with a keen eye for isomorphic and integrative principles. If you peruse some of his writings and other communications, please share with us how you see Kauffman’s ideas informing our focal interests: brain, mind, intelligence (organic and inorganic), and self-aware consciousness. Do you find Kauffman’s ideas well supported by empirical research? Which…

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