I am writing a short story which explores artificial intelligence and the very human quest for meaning. I have been writing a series of articles on Foes of Reality exploring neurobiology, religion and spirituality. As part of this series, and for your enjoyment this evening, I am sharing an excellent excerpt from the series Red Dwarf, courtesy of a Foes-fan. Red Dwarf was a British sci-fi comedy that first aired in 1988.
Biology of Belief: Brain Bits I
I am writing a short story which explores artificial intelligence and the very human quest for meaning. The following article is part of a series exploring neurobiology, religion and spirituality. Please note that I use the following working definition of terms (inspired by neuro-scientist and author Andrew Newberg). They are as follows: The sacred: (subjective) what an individual perceives as a “divine being”, ultimate “reality” or ultimate “truth”. Spirituality: (subjective) the feelings,
The Biology of Belief: Are We Wired to Believe?
The following article is part of a series exploring neurobiology, artificial intelligence and the very human quest for meaning. Accurate numbers are hard to come by, but one thing is clear: the number of “believers” is on the rise. The newly elected pope Francis I presides over 2.1 billion Catholics worldwide (give or take a few hundred million) and their ranks are growing. Not as quickly as Islam – the fastest growing
Eight Things You Need to Know (That Your Droid Won’t Tell You)
The relationship between a Jedi Knight and his (or her) droid is a special one: not often understood by your family, or even your master. Like all serious relationships, there’s a depth and complexity that lingers just below the surface: thoughts and feelings that fester, late at night, after the beeping has died down. Presented below (and with Valentine’s Day in mind) are eight things your droid won’t tell you that you
Review: Extinction
Author: Mark Alpert Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (2/12/13) Genre: Science Fiction/Near Future/Thriller There’s a certain symmetry to a well-written thriller: a set of elements that – properly measured – result in something both predictable and surprising. When I started reading Extinction by Mark Alpert so soon after finishing Nexus, I knew that the comparisons would be inevitable: both novels are thrillers, both are near-future speculative fiction and both offer up apocalyptic, or at
Interview with AI brainiac and Pink Noise author Leonid Korogodski – part II
Leonid and I met at Chicon7 where he sat on a panel about “wetware”. A doctoral graduate of MIT in Mathematics, Leonid intimately understands the challenges of artificial intelligence, but does not shy away from imagining the possibilities. Earning a C in English as a Second Language (when he talks, he sounds like a cross between Star Trek’s Chekov and a gentle, kinder Lord Sauron) this did not stop him from writing
