science

60 posts

No, machines will never be conscious!

Are we closer to understanding the nature of consciousness than we were twenty years ago? Ever since Chalmers posed ‘the hard problem’ of consciousness, of why sentient organisms have subjective experiences, the debate has gone in circles. Papers on the subject variously conclude, There really is a hard problem, there […]

Science and religion

Beyond Science and Religion web interview with David Lorimer

(Editor’s note: The following introductory text is taken from webtalkradio.net) In Greek mythology, Procrustes was a robber who forced travelers to lie down in a bed and then made them fit by stretching or shortening their limbs.  (Procrustes  eventually suffered the same fate at the hands of Theseus).  In Thomas […]

Death and the Human Animal

Here Mary Midgley, now in her 90s, reflects on the profound implications of attempting to abolish death. The more one thinks it through, the less desirable the prospect seems. An earlier version of this article appeared in Philosophy Now, March-April 2012 Till lately, people discussing death didn’t have to consider […]

Finding a New Central Purpose

Do you have a purpose, in your life, or in your work, or both? Perhaps this is something you never ask yourself. Or perhaps it changes from day to day as you try to grapple with the challenges that life seems to throw at you. I have found that having […]

Dolphins Talk When Performing a Team Task

Do dolphins have language skills similar to ours? Do the vocalizations of bottlenose dolphins mean anything? Are the dolphins conveying useful information or just having a good time? While primates such as chimpanzees can be taught sign language, there is a great deal of scepticism as to whether they are […]