What happens when intelligence escapes the bounds of flesh and bone? In this episode, we explore post-biological civilizations—entities that may trade biology for digital minds, machine bodies, or stranger forms still—and ask what becomes of identity, purpose, and humanity when the body is no longer required.
Watch my exclusive video Antimatter Propulsion: Harnessing the Power of Annihilation — https://nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur–… Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isa… Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30. SFIA Discord Server: / discord Credits: Post-Biological Civilizations: Life Beyond Flesh and Bone Episode 498a; May 11, 2025 Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur Edited by: Ludwig Luska Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator Chris Zabriskie, “Unfoldment, Revealment” Phase Shift, “Forest Night” Lewis Gill, “The Phobos Diary” Stellardrone, “Red Giant” 0:00 Intro 1:24 The Physical Presence of Post-Biological Civilizations 3:38 Societal & Cultural Aspects of Post-Biological Life 5:08 The Scifi Path to Post-Biological Life 8:03 The Singularity and the Ultimate Transition 9:47 Many Paths to Post-Biological Life 17:50 The Fermi Paradox & Post-Biological Civilizations 27:39 Ethics & the Fate of Humanity 29:17 The Transition Process at a Civilizational Scale. Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur. Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: https://go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isa… Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.
SFIA Discord Server: / discord. Credits: Post-Biological Civilizations: Life Beyond Flesh and Bone. Episode 498a; May 11, 2025 Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur. Edited by: Ludwig Luska. Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images. Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator. Chris Zabriskie, \
New research shows that people’s sensitivity to their internal bodily signals influences how closely they align with group moral preferences in dilemmas.
Michael Levin is a Distinguished Professor in the Biology Department at Tufts University, where he holds the Vannevar Bush endowed Chair, and he is also associate faculty at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. Michael and the Levin Lab work at the intersection of biology, artificial life, bioengineering, synthetic morphology, and cognitive science. Michael also appeared on the show in episode #151, which was all about synthetic life and collective intelligence. In this episode, Michael and Robinson discuss the nature of cognition, working with Daniel Dennett, how cognition can be realized by different structures and materials, how to define robots, a new class of robot called the Anthrobot, and whether or not we have moral obligations to biological robots.
OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction. 02:14 What is Cognition? 08:01 On Working with Daniel Dennett. 13:17 Gatekeeping in Cognitive Science. 25:15 The Multi-Realizability of Cognition. 31:30 What are Anthrobots? 39:33 What Are Robots, Really? 59:53 Do We Have Moral Obligations to Biological Robots?
Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University. Join him in conversations with philosophers, scientists, weightlifters, artists, and everyone in-between.
Human cyborgs are individuals who integrate advanced technology into their bodies, enhancing their physical or cognitive abilities. This fusion of man and machine blurs the line between science fiction and reality, raising questions about the future of humanity, ethics, and the limits of human potential. From bionic limbs to brain-computer interfaces, cyborg technology is rapidly evolving, pushing us closer to a world where humans and machines become one.
“Disembodied Brains: Understanding our Intuitions on Human-Animal Neuro-Chimeras and Human Brain Organoids” by John H. Evans Book Link: https://amzn.to/40SSifF “Introduction to Organoid Intelligence: Lecture Notes on Computer Science” by Daniel Szelogowski Book Link: https://amzn.to/3Eqzf4C “The Emerging Field of Human Neural Organoids, Transplants, and Chimeras: Science, Ethics, and Governance” by The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Book Link: https://amzn.to/4hLR1Oe (Affiliate links: If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.) Playlist: • Two AI’s Discuss: The Quantum Physics… The hosts explore the ethical and scientific implications of brain organoids and synthetic biological intelligence (SBI). Several sources discuss the potential for consciousness and sentience in these systems, prompting debate on their moral status and the need for ethical guidelines in research. A key focus is determining at what point, if any, brain organoids or SBI merit moral consideration similar to that afforded to humans or animals, influencing research limitations and regulations. The texts also examine the use of brain organoids as a replacement for animal testing in research, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of this approach. Finally, the development of “Organoid Intelligence” (OI), combining organoids with AI, is presented as a promising but ethically complex frontier in biocomputing. Our sources discuss several types of brain organoids, which are 3D tissue cultures derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) that self-organize to model features of the developing human brain. Here’s a brief overview: • Cerebral Organoids: This term is often used interchangeably with “brain organoids”. They are designed to model the human neocortex and can exhibit complex brain activity. These organoids can replicate the development of the brain in-vitro up to the mid-fetal period. • Cortical Organoids: These are a type of brain organoid specifically intended to model the human neocortex. They are formed of a single type of tissue and represent one important brain region. They have been shown to develop nerve tracts with functional output. • Whole-brain Organoids: These organoids are not developed with a specific focus, like the forebrain or cerebellum. They show electrical activity very similar to that of preterm infant brains. • Region-specific Organoids: These are designed to model specific regions of the brain such as the forebrain, midbrain, or hypothalamus. For example, midbrain-specific organoids can contain functional dopaminergic and neuromelanin-producing neurons. • Optic Vesicle-containing Brain Organoids (OVB-organoids): These organoids develop bilateral optic vesicles, which are light sensitive, and contain cellular components of a developing optic vesicle, including primitive corneal epithelial and lens-like cells, retinal pigment epithelia, retinal progenitor cells, axon-like projections, and electrically active neuronal networks. • Brain Assembloids: These are created when organoids from different parts of the brain are placed next to each other, forming links. • Brainspheres/Cortical Spheroids: These are simpler models that primarily resemble the developing in-vivo human prenatal brain, and are particularly useful for studying the cortex. Unlike brain organoids, they do not typically represent multiple brain regions. • Mini-brains: This term has been debunked in favor of the more accurate “brain organoid”. These various types of brain organoids offer diverse models for studying brain development, function, and disease. Researchers are also working to improve these models by incorporating features like vascularization and sensory input. #BrainOrganoids #organoid #Bioethics #OrganoidIntelligence #WetwareComputing #Sentience #ArtificialConsciousness #Neuroethics #AI #Biocomputing #NeuralNetworks #ConsciousnessResearch #PrecautionaryPrinciple #AnimalTestingAlternatives #ResearchEthics #EmergingTechnology #skeptic #podcast #synopsis #books #bookreview #ai #artificialintelligence #booktube #aigenerated #documentary #alternativeviews #aideepdive #science #hiddenhistory #futurism #videoessay #ethics
Parul Sehgal of The New York Times stated “In these pieces, plucked from the last 20 years, Holt takes on infinity and the infinitesimal, the illusion of time, the birth of eugenics, the so-called new atheism, smartphones and distraction. It is an elegant history of recent ideas. There are a few historical correctives — he dismantles the notion that Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, was the first computer programmer. But he generally prefers to perch in the middle of a muddle — say, the string theory wars — and hear evidence from both sides without rushing to adjudication. The essays orbit around three chief concerns: How do we conceive of the world (metaphysics), how do we know what we know (epistemology) and how do we conduct ourselves (ethics)”. [ 6 ]
Steven Poole of The Wall Street Journal commented “…this collection of previously published essays by Jim Holt, who is one of the very best modern science writers”. [ 7 ]
New research shows that moral conviction speeds up political decision-making and activates emotional and cognitive brain regions—especially in people with lower self-awareness about their own judgment accuracy.
“The meaningful difference,” argues Silverstein, “comes down to our lifespan. For humans, our mortality defines so much of our experience. If a human commits murder and receives a life sentence, we understand what that means: a finite number of years. But if a UI with an indefinite lifespan commits murder, what do life sentences mean? Are we talking about a regular human lifespan? 300 years? A thousand? Then there’s love and relationships. Let’s say you find your soulmate and spend a thousand years together. At some point, you may decide you had a good run and move on with someone else. The idea of not growing old with someone feels alien and upsetting. But if we were to live hundreds or thousands of years, our perceptions of relationships and identity may change fundamentally.”
“One of the best” because — in addition to having a well-crafted, suspenseful, and heartfelt narrative about love and loss — thoughtfully engages with both the technical and philosophical questions raised by its cerebral premise: Is a perfect digital copy of a person’s mind still meaningfully human? Does uploaded intelligence, which combines the processing power of a supercomputer with the emotional intelligence of a sentient being, have a competitive edge over cold, unfeeling artificial intelligence? How would uploaded intelligence compromise ethics or geopolitical strategy?
“Underrated” because was produced by — and first aired on — AMC+, a streaming service that, owing to the dominance of Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, has but a fraction of its competitors’ subscribers and which, motivated by losses in ad revenue, ended up canceling the show’s highly anticipated (and fully completed) second season in exchange for tax write-offs. Although has since been salvaged by Netflix, […] its troubled distribution history resulted in the show becoming a bit of a hidden gem, rather than the global hit it could have been, had it premiered on a platform with more eyeballs.
Still, the fact that managed to endure and build a steadily growing cult following is a testament to the show’s quality and cultural relevance. Although the concept of uploaded intelligence is nothing new, and has been tackled by other prominent sci-fi properties like Black Mirror and Altered Carbon, is unique in that it not only explores how this hypothetical technology would affect us on a personal level, but also explores how it might play out on a societal level. Furthermore, takeis a nuanced one, rejecting both techno-pessimism and techno-optimism in favor of what series creator Craig Silverstein calls “techno-realism.”
Convergent engagement of neural and computational sciences and technologies are reciprocally enabling rapid developments in current and near-future military and intelligence operations. In this podcast, Prof. James Giordano of Georgetown University will provide an overview of how these scientific and technological fields can be — and are being — leveraged for non-kinetic and kinetic what has become known as cognitive warfare; and will describe key issues in this rapidly evolving operational domain.
James Giordano PhD, is the Pellegrino Center Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry; Chief of the Neuroethics Studies Program; Co-director of the Project in Brain Sciences and Global Health Law and Policy; and Chair of the Subprogram in Military Medical Ethics at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC. Professor Giordano is Senior Bioethicist of the Defense Medical Ethics Center, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences; Distinguished Stockdale Fellow in Science, Technology, and Ethics at the United States Naval Academy; Senior Science Advisory Fellow of the SMA Branch, Joint Staff, Pentagon; Non-resident Fellow of the Simon Center for the Military Ethic at the US Military Academy, West Point; Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Health Promotions, and Ethics at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, GER; Chair Emeritus of the Neuroethics Project of the IEEE Brain Initiative; and serves as Director of the Institute for Biodefense Research, a federally funded Washington DC think tank dedicated to addressing emerging issues at the intersection of science, technology and national defense. He previously served as Donovan Group Senior Fellow, US Special Operations Command; member of the Neuroethics, Legal, and Social Issues Advisory Panel of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA); and Task Leader of the Working Group on Dual-Use of the EU-Human Brain Project. Prof. Giordano is the author of over 350 peer-reviewed publications, 9 books and 50governmental reports on science, technology, and biosecurity, and is an elected member of the European Academy of Science and Arts, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK), and a Fulbright Professorial Fellow. A former US Naval officer, he was winged as an aerospace physiologist, and served with the US Navy and Marine Corps.
