Until recently the possibility that we are living in a computer simulation was largely limited to fans of The Matrix with an over active imagination or sci-fi fantasists. But now some are arguing that strange quirks of our universe, like the indeterminateness of quantum theory and the black hole information paradox are evidence that our reality is in actuality a created simulation. Moreover, tech guru Elon Musk has come out supporting the theory, arguing that “”we are most likely in a simulation””. Should we take the idea that we are living in a computer simulation seriously?
Category: Neuro-Science
Meet Alain de Botton | A philosopher of the modern times | Leaders in Action Society
Consciousness cannot be reduced to brain activity: Doctor Raymond Tallis on the mind-body problem
Professor Tallis—a philosopher, poet, novelist, cultural critic, retired medical physician and clinical neuroscientist—discusses the relationship between mind and brain, as well as the big questions about the nature of reality.
Psychedelics: Chemicals, Consciousness, and Creativity
Could psychedelics make you more creative? Shift your mind, connect you to others, and help you access a younger, more malleable version of yourself? Activist Rick Doblin, neuroscientist Gül Dölen, and musician Reggie Watts join Brian Greene for a mind-bending and multidisciplinary conversation about the promises and pitfalls of these “magic” molecules and their impact on creativity, connection, and consciousness.
Should We Fear A Lonely Life? | The Age of Loneliness (Full Documentary) | Only Human
This documentary investigates the social isolation in modern society that many people of all age and class suffer from.
AlphaGo – The Movie | Full award-winning documentary
With more board configurations than there are atoms in the universe, the ancient Chinese game of Go has long been considered a grand challenge for artificial intelligence.
On March 9, 2016, the worlds of Go and artificial intelligence collided in South Korea for an extraordinary best-of-five-game competition, coined The DeepMind Challenge Match. Hundreds of millions of people around the world watched as a legendary Go master took on an unproven AI challenger for the first time in history.
Directed by Greg Kohs and with an original score by Academy Award nominee Hauschka, AlphaGo had its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. It has since gone on to win countless awards and near universal praise for a story that chronicles a journey from the halls of Oxford, through the backstreets of Bordeaux, past the coding terminals of DeepMind in London, and ultimately, to the seven-day tournament in Seoul. As the drama unfolds, more questions emerge: What can artificial intelligence reveal about a 3000-year-old game? What can it teach us about humanity?
Your Symphony of Selves (Interview with Jordan Gruber)
For the tenth episode of the Integral Stage Authors Series, Layman is joined by Jordan Gruber, J.D., to discuss Your Symphony of Selves, a new book he co-authored with Dr. James Fadiman. Layman and Jordan explore the themes of the book, reflecting on the history and the psychospiritual implications of the “multiple self” concept, the resistance the concept has received in both popular and academic contexts, the intersection of the multiplicity of identity with the “higher self” and “no self” traditions, practical ways to work with our multiplicity, and much more.
Is Consciousness Primary to Reality? (Documentary)
Is consciousness a fundamental aspect of reality? This documentary follows and the recent return of “panpsychism” as a respectable theory in philosophy and science. Part of the Waking Cosmos series.
Joseph Chilton Pearce – The Crack in the Cosmic Egg
We interviewed Joseph Chilton Pearce at The Monroe Institute in Favor, Virginia as part of the 40 Days and 40 Nights Video Tour in October 2011. For nearly half a century, Joe has been probing the mysteries of the human mind. Author of The Crack in the Cosmic Egg, Exploring the Crack in the Cosmic Egg, Magical Child, Magical Child Matures, Bond of Power, and Evolution’s End, one of his overriding passions remains the study of what he calls the “unfolding” of intelligence in children.
He is a self-avowed iconoclast, unafraid to speak out against the myriad ways in which contemporary American culture fails to nurture the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual needs and yearnings of our young people. Part scholar, part scientist, part mystic, part itinerant teacher, Pearce keeps in close touch with the most brilliant men and women in each field. He creates a unique synthesis of their work and translates the results into a common language.
His most recent book, Death of Religion and the Rebirth of Spirit: A Return to the Intelligence of the Heart (2007), is critically important for where we are now. Our organized religions are stuck in centuries of a particular way of thinking that makes it very difficult to address the changes going on the world of thought today. Over and over on this tour we met brilliant thinkers and scientists who are making the journey from the intellect to the heart along an unchartered and unmapped path. In our interview, Joe shows us the importance of living from the heart, regardless of what the mind says.
The Remarkable Results of Microdosing: James Fadiman
In this entertaining talk from SAND18, James Fadiman, “America’s wisest and most respected authority on psychedelics and their use,” describes the citizen science of his recent investigations into the effects of microdosing, and shares some fascinating stories from the hundreds he has gathered in his ongoing research.