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The danger of self-replicating nanobots | Neil Gershenfeld and Lex Fridman

Lex Fridman Podcast full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDjOS0VHEr4
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Neil Gershenfeld is the director of the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms.

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Michael Levin: Unconventional Embodiments: model systems… (ECSU OIST)

Youtube caption.

On 11th of December 2025, Michael Levin gave a talk as part of the ECogS Conference hosted by The Embodied Cognitive Science Unit at OIST.

Title: Unconventional Embodiments: model systems and strategies for addressing mind-blindness.

Abstract: One of the most salient aspects of any agent’s environment is the question of how many, what kind, and what degree of agency exists in it. It is as relevant to biological organisms as to robots in human environments. It is also critical for scientists, philosophers, and engineers, as well as for human societies which will increasingly contain modified, synthetic, and hybrid beings of every possible description. In this talk I will argue that our evolutionary history has left us with significant mind-blindness, which makes it difficult for us to recognize minds of unfamiliar scales, problem spaces, or embodiments. I will describe our lab’s work to develop conceptual tools for recognizing and communicating with diverse intelligences. I will also present recent data from our new synthetic proto-organisms, in which we test those ideas by creating and studying the behavioral properties of beings who have not been specifically selected for them. I will conclude the talk with a speculative idea about the latent space from which novel intrinsic motivations ingress into physical, biological, and computational systems.

Godlike Aliens: Masters of the Cosmos?

Science Fiction often shows us alien civilizations so advanced they are godlike, but how realistic are they, and what would such entities be like?

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Credits:
Alien Civilizations: Godlike Aliens.
Science & Futurism with Isaac Arthur.
Episode 341, May 5, 2022
Written, Produced & Narrated by Isaac Arthur.

Editors:
Andrew Nelson.
Curt Hartung.
David McFarlane.

Cover Art:
Jakub Grygier https://www.artstation.com/jakub_grygier.

Graphics:

Continue reading “Godlike Aliens: Masters of the Cosmos?” | >

The science of consciousness

Humans know they exist, but how does “knowing” work? Despite all that’s been learned about brain function and the bodily processes it governs, we still don’t understand where the subjective experiences associated with brain functions originate.

A new interdisciplinary project seeks to find answers to these kinds of big questions around consciousness, a fundamental yet elusive phenomenon.

The MIT Consciousness Club is co-led by philosopher Matthias Michel, the Old Dominion Career Development Professor in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, and Earl Miller, the Picower Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

How ancient philosophers would shape AI | Brendan McCord

We made this video in partnership with the Cosmos Institute, a network of thinkers and builders advancing human flourishing in the AI era.

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Artificial intelligence is transforming our world, prompting us to revisit fundamental philosophical questions about human existence and purpose. In this interview, Brendan McCord, founder of the Cosmos Institute, examines how philosophical insights from thinkers like Aristotle, John Stuart Mill, and Alexis de Tocqueville can inform our approach to AI, ensuring it enhances rather than undermines human flourishing.

McCord outlines three crucial steps to align AI with the principles of autonomy, reason, and decentralization. By drawing on ancient wisdom, we can navigate the complexities of modern technology and create a future where innovation and human values coexist.

Reflecting on the transformative ideas from Copernicus to Turing, this interview offers a roadmap for finding our place in the cosmos amidst the AI revolution. Explore how we can build a society that prioritizes human potential in the age of technology.

Continue reading “How ancient philosophers would shape AI | Brendan McCord” | >

Youth with mental health conditions share strikingly similar brain changes, regardless of diagnosis

An international study—the largest of its kind—has uncovered similar structural changes in the brains of young people diagnosed with anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD and conduct disorder, offering new insights into the biological roots of mental health conditions in children and young people.

Led by Dr. Sophie Townend, a researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, the study, published today in the journal Biological Psychiatry, analyzed from almost 9,000 children and adolescents—around half with a diagnosed mental health condition—to identify both shared and disorder-specific alterations in brain structure across four of the most common psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence.

Among several key findings, the researchers identified common brain changes across all four disorders—notably, a reduced surface area in regions critical for processing emotions, responding to threats and maintaining awareness of bodily states.

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