Social Evolution

Imagine picking up your smartphone one morning to find only two apps: one red one blue. Your smartphone’s operating system now only runs these two apps. You’d probably think it sucks. In the USA, we run on DOS (the democratic operating system) with only two apps. Many fetishize voting and elections, but these have become circuses to go with all the bread. We labor under the illusion that we are “free,” but we have outsourced our primary responsibilities to a corrupt cartel in Washington. In this episode, Porch and Max discuss the evolution of the Republic, the problems of political power, and the woeful shortcomings of democracy. The fundamental question: can we do better than monopolies on violence? * Two-Party System [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-party_system] * Constitutional Government [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution] * Separation of Powers - Check & Balances [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_powers] * Founding Father of the United States [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Founding_Fathers_of_the_United_States] * Democratic republic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_republic] * Scapegoating [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scapegoating] & René Girard [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Girard] * Tristan Harris [https://www.tristanharris.com/] * Daniel Schmactenberger [https://civilizationemerging.com/] * The Social Dilemma [https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/] * The Social Singularity [https://www.amazon.com/Social-Singularity-decentralization-prosperity-apocalypse-ebook/dp/B07DDPVCM1] by Max Borders [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxborders/] * First past the post voting [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting] * American civil religion [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_civil_religion] * Campaign finance reform in the United States [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_reform_in_the_United_States] * Tammany Hall [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammany_Hall] * Republic, Lost [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic,_Lost]by Lawrence Lessig [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Lessig] * United States presidential primary [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_primary] * Lobbying and special interests [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobbying] * Parliamentary system [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_system] * Westphalian sovereignty [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westphalian_sovereignty] * City-states [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City-state] * Settled agriculture and the Neolithic Revolution [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution] * James C. Scott [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._Scott] * Theories on the origins of the state [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_formation] * James Madison [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Madison] * Thomas Hobbes: Moral and Political Philosophy [https://iep.utm.edu/hobmoral/] * Philosopher King [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher_king] * Majoritarian democracy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majoritarian_democracy] and majority rule [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majority_rule] * Liberal democracy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_democracy] * John Rawls and reasonable pluralism [https://iep.utm.edu/rawls/] * Freedom of religion [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion] * Ninth Amendment to the US Constitution [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution] * Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution] * George Mason [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mason] and Anti-Federalism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Federalism] * Consent of the governed [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consent_of_the_governed] * Social contract theory [https://iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/] * Ward republic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ward_republic] * Territorial expansion of the US [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_evolution_of_the_United_States] * Jane Jacobs [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs] and the Monstrous Hybrid [https://jebkinnison.com/2016/04/29/jane-jacobs-monstrous-hybrids-guardians-vs-commerce/] * Bootleggers and Baptists [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bootleggers_and_Baptists] * G.K. Chesterton and Chesterton’s Fence [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton#Chesterton] * Traditionalist conservatism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionalist_conservatism] * Progressivism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressivism] * Political spectrum models [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_spectrum#Multi-axis_models] - Nolan chart [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Chart] * The consistency of libertarianism [https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/the-consistency-of-libertarianism/] * Glenn Greenwald [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Greenwald] * Joe Rogan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Rogan] * Mohair [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohair] * Rational ignorance [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_ignorance] & rational irrationality [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_irrationality] * Path dependency [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Path_dependence] * Political polarization [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_polarization] and radicalization [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicalization] * Tribalism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribalism] and groupthink [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupthink] * States rights [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States%27_rights] * Horeshoe theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_theory] * Emergency powers [https://www.britannica.com/topic/emergency-powers] * 9/11 attacks [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks] * Mass surveillance [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_surveillance] * 2021 US Capitol Attack [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_United_States_Capitol_attack] * Domestic terrorism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_terrorism] * Cognitive bias [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_bias] * Approval voting [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting] * Ranked-choice voting [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranked_voting] * Blockchain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain], cryptocurrencies [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptocurrency], and smart contracts [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_contract] * On-chain Governance [https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/onchain-governance.asp] * Holacracy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holacracy] * Liquid democracy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_democracy] * Quadratic voting [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadratic_voting] * Glen Weyl [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Weyl] * Vatalik Buterin [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitalik_Buterin] * Janeček method [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D21_%E2%80%93_Jane%C4%8Dek_method] * Collective action problem [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_action_problem] * Decentralized autonomous organization [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralized_autonomous_organization] * Alex Tabarrok’s [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Tabarrok] Dominant Assurance Contract [https://www.cato-unbound.org/2017/06/07/alex-tabarrok/making-markets-work-better-dominant-assurance-contracts-some-other-helpful/] * Vote trading [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote_trading] * Sociality [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociality] * Mutual organization [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_organization] * Non-zero sum games [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-sum_game] * Organizational mission [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mission_statement] * Corporatist economics and Fascism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism#Corporatist_economic_system] * Minarchism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night-watchman_state] * Code forking [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork_(software_development)] * Open-source software [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_software] and Linux [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux] * Network effect [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_effect] * Antifragility [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antifragility] from Taleb [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassim_Nicholas_Taleb] * Federalism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism] and Subsidiarity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiarity] * Availability cascade [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Availability_cascade] * Localism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localism_(politics)] * Polyarchy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyarchy], polycentricity [https://asp.mercatus.org/system/files/Polycentricity.pdf], and panarchy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_%C3%89mile_de_Puydt#Panarchy] * Circle of concern and circle of influence [https://www.habitsforwellbeing.com/the-circle-of-concern-and-influence/]

Are we living through a moral panic about Social Media? Many folks are concerned about misinformation while for others censorship is the main concern. Social media companies seem stuck in a dilemma where they’re damned whatever they do. Does the magnitude of the problems measure up to the handwringing on either side? Is our ability to make sense of things lost in this hall of mirrors? Some argue that algorithms create asymmetries between enfeebled humans and awesome AIs. Others say these concerns are overblown and that partisans are scapegoating social media companies for the failures of legacy governance. Join us for what turned out to be, in moments, a heated exchange. You will not be bored. Strap in and hang on. (And of course: like, share, and hit subscribe.) * The Facebook Files - Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-facebook-files-11631713039] * The Social Dilemma [https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/] * Limbic Hijacking [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala_hijack] * Operant conditioning chamber aka “skinner box” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning_chamber] * Filter Bubble [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble] * Propaganda [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda_(book)] by Edward Bernays [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays] * “We shape our tools and our tools shape us” [https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/06/26/shape/] * Marshall Macluhan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan] * Critical Theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_theory] * A Propoganda Model [https://chomsky.info/consent01/] by Noam Chomsky [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky] * B.F.  Skinner [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._Skinner] * Blank Slate [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_rasa] * Evolutionary Psychology [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_psychology] * IQ and susceptibility to misinformation [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cognitive-ability-and-vulnerability-to-fake-news/] * Propaganda [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propaganda] * A/B split testing [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A/B_testing] * Click-through rate [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click-through_rate] * Search engine optimization (SEO) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization] * Conversion rate optimization (SRO) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_rate_optimization] * Online Advertising networks [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertising_network] and Ad exchanges [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_exchange] * Unexplainability and Incomprehensibility of AI [https://mindmatters.ai/2020/02/unexplainability-and-incomprehensibility-of-ai/] * GPT-3 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3] * RSS Newsreader [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS] * Moral panic [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_panic] * Steel Man Argument [https://constantrenewal.com/steel-man/] * Viral phenomenon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_phenomenon] * Hooked: How to Build Habit Forming Products [https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Products-ebook/dp/B00LMGLXTS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=] by Nir Eyal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nir_Eyal] * Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PG2W6DC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0] also by Nir Eyal * Nudge theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory] * Clickbait [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickbait] * NPR Bias [https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/npr/] * Instagram in the News: Mental Health Risks for Teen Girls [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/girls-women-and-wellness/202110/instagram-in-the-news-mental-health-risks-teen-girls] * Conspiracy theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_theory] * Internet meme [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_meme] * Political polarization [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_polarization] * Understanding the Blue Church [https://medium.com/deep-code/understanding-the-blue-church-e4781b2bd9b5] by Jordan Hall [https://twitter.com/jgreenhall] * A brief explanation of the cathedral by Curtis Yarvin [https://graymirror.substack.com/p/a-brief-explanation-of-the-cathedral] * The Prussion Welfare State [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Socialism_(Germany)] * High modernism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_modernism] * Technocracy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocracy] * FDR [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt]’s Fireside Chats [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireside_chats] * Psychographic segmentation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychographic_segmentation] * Facebook needs, wants, must have regulation, Zuckerberg says [https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2020-02-17/facebook-needs-regulation-zuckerberg] * Regulatory capture [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_capture] * Deregulation of the Radio Broadcast Industry [https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/78827] * Big 3 TV Networks [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Three_TV_Networks] * Walter Cronkite [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cronkite] * Citizen journalism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_journalism] * Cyperphunk manifesto [https://www.activism.net/cypherpunk/manifesto.html] * Socrates on writing [https://fs.blog/an-old-argument-against-writing] * Print and the persecution of witches [https://www.yalehistoricalreview.org/print-and-the-persecution-of-witchcraft/] * Spiral Dynamics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics] * Plato’s Authoritarianism [https://www.mingkunwu.com/politics-ir/plato-as-an-authoritarian-thinker] * Public choice theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_choice] * Platonism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonism] * Relativism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/relativism/] * Rawls’ Reasonable Pluralism [https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100407350] * Daniel Schmactenberger [https://civilizationemerging.com/about/] * Occam’s Razor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam%27s_razor] * Lab-leak vs zoonotic origins of SARS-Cov-2 [https://www.science.org/content/article/lab-leak-and-natural-origin-proponents-face-civilly-forum-pandemic-origins] * Crony Capitalism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crony_capitalism] * Chinese Communist Party - The Great Firewall [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall] * Elizabeth Warren Call on Facebook to Stop the Deliberate Spread of Disinformation [https://www.warren.senate.gov/oversight/letters/warren-carper-whitehouse-schatz-call-on-mark-zuckerberg-and-facebook-to-stop-the-deliberate-spread-of-climate-disinformation-on-the-companys-social-media-platforms] * Frances Haugen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Haugen] * The Hypocrisy of The Social Dilemma [http://www.mediastudies.asia/the-hypocrisy-of-the-social-dilemma-life-in-todays-media-matrix-a-commentary-by-hans-georg-moeller/] * Tristan Harris [https://www.tristanharris.com/] * Cambridge Analytica Controversy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook%E2%80%93Cambridge_Analytica_data_scandal] * Sensemaking in the Era of Authoritarian Media [https://www.aier.org/article/sensemaking-in-the-era-of-authoritarian-media/] by Max Borders * Hot to make your iphone black & white [https://betterhumans.pub/how-to-make-your-iphone-black-and-white-and-why-you-should-42e70deb92c7#:~:text=To%20turn%20your%20phone%20black,bury%20that%20setting%20in%20there!] * Less Wrong [https://www.lesswrong.com/] * Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters [http://amazon.com/dp/B08PY44J1P/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1] by Steven Pinker [https://stevenpinker.com/] * Sequences [https://www.lesswrong.com/tag/sequences] by Eliezar Yudkowsky [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliezer_Yudkowsky] * Critical thinking [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_thinking] * The dubious rise of ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment, explained [https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22663127/ivermectin-covid-treatments-vaccines-evidence] by Kelsey Piper * Bayesian inference [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayesian_inference] * The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth [https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-constitution-of-knowledge-review-credentials-versus-fruits-11634077515] by Jonathan Rauch [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Rauch] * CGP Grey [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2C_jShtL725hvbm1arSV9w] * Kurzgezagt [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsXVk37bltHxD1rDPwtNM8Q] * Prediction Market [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prediction_market] * Distributed ledger [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_ledger] & blockchain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain] * Falsifiability [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falsifiability] * Open Science [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_science]

From Skynet to Singularitarian fantasy, AI is back in vogue with much hype and hand-wringing. Mainstream media don’t really know how to talk about it in a way that brings as much light as heat. In fact, even AI researchers have difficulty unpacking concepts like, well, intelligence. Philosophers stand by with critical eyes. Michael and Max talk about the stickier issues as they try to find footing in a fog of mystery and misinformation. What is cognition? What are morals? Are we recreating conscious minds or just spinning out more sophisticated algorithms? Such questions linger as the industry speeds along, whether or not we have ready answers. Conversations like this help us burn the proverbial candle at both ends. * Artificial Intelligence [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence] * Intelligence [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence] * Boston Dynamics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Dynamics] dog Spot [https://www.bostondynamics.com/products/spot] * A Collection of Definitions of Intelligence [https://arxiv.org/abs/0706.3639] by Marcus Hutter [http://www.hutter1.net/] and Shane Legg * Metalhead [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metalhead_(Black_Mirror)] episode of Black Mirror [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mirror] with killer robot dogs * Instrumental Rationality [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rationality-instrumental/] * Intelligence Quotient [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient] and g factor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_factor_(psychometrics)] the psychometric of general human intelligence * Multiple Intelligences [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_multiple_intelligences] and developmental psychologist, Howard Gardner [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Gardner] * Technological Singularity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity] * The Age of Spiritual Machines [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Age_of_Spiritual_Machines] and The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singularity_Is_Near] by Ray Kurzweil [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil] * Exponential growth [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_growth] * Symposium: 'Will Spiritual Robots Replace Humanity?' [https://news.stanford.edu/news/2000/march29/robots-329.html] on April 1st, 2000 * Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us [https://www.wired.com/2000/04/joy-2/] by Bill Joy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Joy] * GPT-3 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3] an AI text generator * Moore’s law [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_law] * Moore’s Law is not dead and AI is ready to explode [https://siliconangle.com/2021/04/10/new-era-innovation-moores-law-not-dead-ai-ready-explode/] * IJ “Jack” Good [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._J._Good] and the Intelligence Explosion FAQ [https://intelligence.org/ie-faq/] * AlphaGo [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaGo] project [https://deepmind.com/research/case-studies/alphago-the-story-so-far] from DeepMind [https://deepmind.com/] at Google * Lee Sedol [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Sedol] * AlphaZero [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaZero] project [https://deepmind.com/blog/article/alphazero-shedding-new-light-grand-games-chess-shogi-and-go] from Deepmind * Thomas Thwaites: How I built a toaster - from scratch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ODzO7Lz_pw] * I, Pencil [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I,_Pencil] by Leonard Read [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Read] * 2001 A Space Odyssey [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)] * Terminator [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_(franchise)] * Dystopia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia] * “We are as gods and might as well get good at it.” [https://quotefancy.com/quote/1587848/Stewart-Brand-We-are-as-gods-and-might-as-well-get-good-at-it] — Stewart Brand [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stewart_Brand] * Stuart J. Russell [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_J._Russell] * The myth of King Midas and the curse of his Golden Touch [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midas#Golden_Touch] * The Sorcerer’s Apprentice [https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Sorcerer%27s_Apprentice] * Paperclip Maximizer [https://www.lesswrong.com/tag/paperclip-maximizer] * Superintelligence [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superintelligence] * Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superintelligence:_Paths,_Dangers,_Strategies] by Nick Bostrom [https://www.nickbostrom.com/] * Descartes Errror [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descartes%27_Error] and The Feeling of What Happens [https://www.hedweb.com/bgcharlton/damasioreview.html] and the somatic marker hypothesis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_marker_hypothesis] from Antonio Damasio [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Damasio] * The Elephant and the Rider [https://www.creativehuddle.co.uk/post/the-elephant-and-the-rider] from Jonathan Haidt [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Haidt] * Dual process theory — System 1 & System 2 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_process_theory] * The prefrontal cortex [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prefrontal_cortex] * Reinforcement learning [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement_learning] * Skinner box [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operant_conditioning_chamber] * Playing Atari with Deep Reinforcement Learning [https://deepmind.com/research/publications/2019/playing-atari-deep-reinforcement-learning] * Neocortex [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neocortex] * Cortical column [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortical_column] * How to Create a Mind [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Create_a_Mind] by Ray Kurzweil * On Intelligence: How a New Understanding of the Brain will Lead to the Creation of Truly Intelligent Machines [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Intelligence] by Jeff Hawkins [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Hawkins] * Predictive model of the brain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictive_coding] * B. F. Skinner [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._F._Skinner] and behaviorism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behaviorism] * Noam Chomsky [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noam_Chomsky] and the cognitive revolution [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_revolution] * Neural networks [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_network] * Machine learning [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning] * Writing Successful Reward Functions [https://nealanalytics.com/blog/writing-successful-reward-functions/] * Search engine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine] * Image classifier [https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/extensions/spatial-analyst/image-classification/what-is-image-classification-.htm] * Homeostasis [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeostasis] * Instrumental Convergence [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrumental_convergence], the orthogonality thesis [https://arbital.com/p/orthogonality/], and the superintelligent will [https://www.nickbostrom.com/superintelligentwill.pdf] * Externalities [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externality] * The Chinese Room Argument [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/chinese-room/] from John Searle [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Searle] * Oracle AI [https://www.lesswrong.com/tag/oracle-ai] * Deep Learning [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_learning] * Artificial general intelligence [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_general_intelligence] * AI safety conference in Puerto Rico [https://futureoflife.org/2015/10/12/ai-safety-conference-in-puerto-rico/] * Tristan Harris [https://www.tristanharris.com/] * Iason Gabriel on Foundational Philosophical Questions in AI Alignment [https://futureoflife.org/2020/09/03/iason-gabriel-on-foundational-philosophical-questions-in-ai-alignment/] with Future of Life Institute [https://futureoflife.org/] * Morality [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality], ethics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics], and meta-ethics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta-ethics] * Moral anti-realism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/moral-anti-realism/] * Justice as Fairness [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_as_Fairness] by John Rawls [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rawls] * AI Alignment Problem, aka, the Control Problem [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_control_problem] * Ethics of technology [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_of_technology] * “We shape our tools and our thereafter our tools shape us” [https://mcluhangalaxy.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/we-shape-our-tools-and-thereafter-our-tools-shape-us/] * Daniel Schmactenberger [https://civilizationemerging.com/about/] * Laws of Robotics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws_of_robotics] * Friendly AI [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_artificial_intelligence] * Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Compatible] by Stuart J. Russell [http://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~russell/] * Asliomar AI Principles [https://futureoflife.org/2017/08/11/ai-principles/] * Complexity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_system] * Darwin Machine [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin_machine] * Universal Darwinism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Darwinism] * The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alignment_Problem] by Brian Christian [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Christian] * Moral Constructivism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_constructivism#:~:text=In%20normative%20ethics%2C%20moral%20constructivism,is%20the%20result%20of%20constructivism.] * Blockchain [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain] * Decentralization [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decentralization] * Code is Law [https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2000/01/code-is-law-html] by Lawrence Lessig [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Lessig] * Nudge theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nudge_theory] from Richard Thaler [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Thaler] and Cass Sunstein [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein] * Spiral Dynamics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics] * John Nash [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash_Jr.] and game theor [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_theory] * David Gauthier [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gauthier] and social contract theory of morality [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_contract] * Ahimsa [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahimsa] * The Golden Rule [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule] * John Stuart Mill [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stuart_Mill] * No-harm principle [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primum_non_nocere] * Categorical imperative [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categorical_imperative] from Immanuel Kant [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant] * Negative Utilitarianism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_utilitarianism] * Communicative rationality [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communicative_rationality] from Jürgen Habermas [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCrgen_Habermas] * Hippocratic oath [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath] * Mutually assured destruction [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_assured_destruction] * Warrior monk [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior_monk] * Non-attachment [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detachment_(philosophy)] * Desire [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desire] * Biofeedback [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedback] * Social reality [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_reality] * Network effect [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_effect] * Brain-computer interface [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interface] * Agent-based models and simulations [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent-based_model] * Why deep-learning AIs are so easy to fool [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03013-5] * Moravec’s Paradox aka “the hard things are easy and the easy things are hard” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moravec%27s_paradox] * Adversarial machine learning [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adversarial_machine_learning] * Deduction vs. Induction vs. Abduction [https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/deduction-vs-induction-vs-abduction] * AI Winter [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_winter] & hype-cycle [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gartner_hype_cycle] * Common Sense [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_sense] * Creativity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity] * Analogy and Analogical Reasoning [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/reasoning-analogy/] * Inference to the best explanation [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/abduction/] aka abductive inference aka hypothesis generation * Cognitive science [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_science] * Competitive vs. Complementary Cognitive Artifacts [https://philosophicaldisquisitions.blogspot.com/2016/09/competitive-cognitive-artifacts-and.html]

Higher states of consciousness, whether through psychedelics or meditative practice, straddle the cognitive and the sacred. As we enter a “psychedelic renaissance,” we must do so not in a bacchanalian frenzy, but with respect and discernment. Michael and Max explore their personal experiences as well as the value of higher states in both personal transformation and contemporary life. Removing taboos around psychedelic substances, which are still illegal in most jurisdictions, starts with frank discussions around risks, benefits, and the need for wisdom. * Psychedelics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug] * Entheogen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entheogen] * Ego death [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_death] * Set and Setting [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_and_setting] * Psychological Shadow [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_(psychology)] * Varieties of Religious Experience [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Varieties_of_Religious_Experience] by William James [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_James] * Vedanta [https://iep.utm.edu/adv-veda/] * Ahimsa [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahimsa] * The Immortality Key [https://www.amazon.com/Immortality-Key-Uncovering-History-Religion/dp/1250207142] by Brian C. Muraresku [https://www.brianmuraresku.com/] * Doors of Perception [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors_of_Perception] by Aldous Huxley [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley] * How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan [https://michaelpollan.com/books/how-to-change-your-mind/] * The [https://www.thepsychedelicrenaissance.com/] Psychedelic [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hygieias-workshop/201908/the-psychedelic-renaissance] Renaissance [https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-science-of-the-psychedelic-renaissance] * Appolonian and Dionysian [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollonian_and_Dionysian] * Eleusinian Mysteries [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleusinian_Mysteries] * Phenomenology [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_(philosophy)] * The Omega Point [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Point] and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Teilhard_de_Chardin] * Terrence McKenna Omega Point [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flDH-S9sEAo] * Where do ideas come from? [https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/opinion/where-do-ideas-come-from]with Alan Moore [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Moore] * Imagination and Hypothesis generation [https://junkyardofthemind.com/blog/2020/4/13/imagination-and-hypothesis-generation] * Adult Development [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_development] * Second Tier [https://spiraldynamicsintegral.nl/en/1st-vs-2nd-tier/] * Mystical Experiences [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholarly_approaches_to_mysticism#Mystical_experience] * Nondualism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondualism] * Model of hierarchical complexity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_of_hierarchical_complexity] * Is stage theory BS? [https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1199720657209567&id=100015149321507] - Nora Bateson [https://batesoninstitute.org/nora-bateson/]

Consciousness is a central feature of our humanity, yet consciousness is a mystery. Conscious experience comprises every aspect of our waking lives, yet we have a hard time explaining its nature. We know that our brains and bodies are made up of energy and matter. We also know that if we get a big bonk on the head, we can disturb the energy and matter in such a way as to LOSE consciousness. So what is the nature of the relationship between mental properties (such as itchy feeling) and physical properties (such as firing neurons)? For millennia, humans have been trying to bridge this ‘explanatory gap.’ And as we enter the age of AI, questions about the nature of consciousness will become more relevant as we create artificial beings who will think and feel like us. * Artificial Intelligence [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence] * Sentience [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentience] * Bishop Berkeley (Idealism) [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/berkeley/] * The Technological Singularity [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity] * Phenomenal Consciousness [http://faculty.philosophy.umd.edu/pcarruthers/Explaining-the-phenomena.htm] * Qualia [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qualia-knowledge/] * Animal Consciousness [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_consciousness#:~:text=Animal%20consciousness%2C%20or%20animal%20awareness,object%20or%20something%20within%20itself.] * Reductionism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism] * Physicalism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/physicalism/] * Subjective/Objective Distinction [https://keydifferences.com/difference-between-objective-and-subjective.html] * Epistemology [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/] * Mental Properties [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_state] * Grits [https://www.thekitchn.com/grits-22956033] * Causal completeness/closure [https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/causal-closure-physical-domain] * The Explanatory Gap [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explanatory_gap] * “What it is Like to be a Bat?" [https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/iatl/study/ugmodules/humananimalstudies/lectures/32/nagel_bat.pdf]” * Cartesian Theater [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartesian_theater] * Nanotechnology [https://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology.htm] * Penrose Microtubules [https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140116085105.htm] * Cartesian Dualism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/dualism/] * Eliminativism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/materialism-eliminative/] * Paul [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Churchland] and Patricia Churchland [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Churchland] * Consciousness Explained [https://www.amazon.com/Consciousness-Explained-Daniel-C-Dennett/dp/0316180661] by Daniel Dennet [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Dennett] * Conscious by Annaka Harris [https://annakaharris.com/conscious/] * The Conscious Mind [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conscious_Mind] by David Chalmers [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Chalmers] * Folk Psychology [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/folkpsych-theory/] * Causal Overdetermination [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/mental-causation/] * Emergentism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergentism] * Panpsychism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/panpsychism/] * I Am a Strange Loop [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_a_Strange_Loop] by Douglas Hofstadter [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Hofstadter] * What is it like to be a Thermostat? [http://consc.net/notes/lloyd-comments.html] * Multiple Drafts Theory [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiple_drafts_model] * Recursion [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recursion_(computer_science)] * Fractals [https://fractalfoundation.org/resources/what-are-fractals/#:~:text=Fractals%20are%20infinitely%20complex%20patterns,systems%20%E2%80%93%20the%20pictures%20of%20Chaos.] * fMRIs [https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/fmribrain#:~:text=Functional%20magnetic%20resonance%20imaging%20(fMRI,that%20occur%20with%20brain%20activity.&text=fMRI%20may%20detect%20abnormalities%20within,found%20with%20other%20imaging%20techniques.] * Complexity and Consciousness [https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.282.5395.1846#:~:text=While%20each%20conscious%20state%20is,short%20time%20is%20exceedingly%20large.] * Substrate Independence [https://www.edge.org/response-detail/27126] * Emulation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulation] * Ems (Emulation) - The Age of Em [https://ageofem.com/] by Robin Hanson [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hanson] * Agnosticism [https://engine.presearch.org/search?q=Agnosticism] * Conscious Universe [https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/universe-conscious-ncna772956] * Panpsychism Redux [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panpsychism] (Porcelli’s Page!) * The Tao of Physics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tao_of_Physics] by Fritjof Capra [https://www.fritjofcapra.net/] * Wilber’s Quantum Questions [https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Questions-Mystical-Writings-Physicists/dp/1570627681] * Dancing Wu Li Masters [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dancing_Wu_Li_Masters] * Interdependent Co-arising (Pratītyasamutpāda) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prat%C4%ABtyasamutp%C4%81da] * Indra’s Net [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indra%27s_net] * Vedanta [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vedanta] * Mythopoetic Thought [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythopoeic_thought] * Phenomenology [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/] * Meditation [https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/] * Edmund Husserl [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/husserl/] * Naturalism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/naturalism/] * Psychonautics [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychonautics] * Physicalism [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/physicalism/] * Paradigm Shift [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradigm_shift] and Thomas Kuhn [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kuhn] * Ineffability [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ineffability] * Epistemic Status of Unobservable Entities [https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/constructive-empiricism/#ObseDist]