💡 Consciousness, Creativity, and Godlike AI

What’s popular and new this week in Nautilus. [View in browser](| [Join Nautilus]( EDITORS' CHOICE Together with Did a friend forward this? [Subscribe here.]( Hello there Nautilus readers, and thanks for dropping by. This Sunday, we talk consciousness, creativity, and God-like AI with essayist Meghan O’Gieblyn. Today’s popular stories highlight 10 of late philosopher Daniel Dennett’s brilliant insights, and explain why relativity didn’t win Einstein a Nobel. Plus, our latest stories reveal why scientists should assume, by default, that insects are conscious; and why neuroscientist Anil Seth’s intellectual hero was none other than Daniel Dennett. Be sure to check out your question of the day (on hypnosis) and today’s free story (on 10 timeless papers) below. Have a nice day! —Brian Gallagher [TECHNOLOGY]( Consciousness, Creativity, and Godlike AI American writer Meghan O’Gieblyn on when the mind is alive. BY STEVE PAULSON These days, we’re inundated with speculation about the future of artificial intelligence—and specifically how AI might take away our jobs, or steal the creative work of writers and artists, or even destroy the human species. [Continue reading →]( Popular This Week [PHILOSOPHY]( 10 Brilliant Insights from Daniel Dennett A glimpse of a mind jammed to the rafters with ideas. BY DAN FALK [Continue reading →]( [PHILOSOPHY]( This Philosopher Helped Ensure There Was No Nobel for Relativity Henri Bergson’s debate with Albert Einstein reached and swayed the 1921 Nobel committee. BY JIMENA CANALES [Continue reading →]( The latest from Nautilus ZOOLOGY Insects and Other Animals Have Consciousness A new consensus emerges. BY DAN FALK [Continue reading →]( [PHILOSOPHY]( I Never Stopped Learning from Daniel Dennett Reflections on a philosopher who believed we can solve the problem of consciousness. BY ANIL SETH [Continue reading →]( ADVERTISEMENT Get Your Very Own Personal Bartender It’s only natural to want to kick back with a cocktail after a long day. After all, animals get drunk all the time, as [this Nautilus story]( explains. Thankfully, we don’t have to forage for fermented berries to get a buzz, especially now that we’ve got the [Bartesian Professional Cocktail Machine](. With five glass containers for your favorite spirits, [this little wonder]( whips up a variety of cocktails in a flash. Best of all, it’s [20% off]( for a limited time. [SHOP AMAZON]( WE ARE CURIOUS TO KNOW... Can you describe an experience of being hypnotized? Let us know! Reply to this newsletter with your response, briefly explaining your choice, and we’ll reveal the top answers. (This question was inspired by [“Consciousness, Creativity, and Godlike AI.”]() Top Answers to Our Previous Question (On Whether You’d Wish to Have a Great Magic Trick You’ve Experienced Explained) • Yes! It would not spoil it for me. I am fascinated with illusions, magic, and psychology. Aren’t magic and psychology the same? – Cheri B. Don’t Stoop to Their Level Get rid of weeds without stooping, kneeling, or breaking your back with [Grampa’s Weeder](, the old-school tool that’s been around [since 1913](. [SHOP AMAZON]( Your free story this Sunday! [COMMUNICATION]( 10 Timeless Papers That Challenged Our Thinking My favorite readings for my students. BY JOHN HORGAN Ash Jogalekar, a chemist and science writer, recently posted a list of “academic papers” that “stand as timeless testaments to both great thinking and great writing.” [Continue reading for free→]( Tales From the Underground “I can imagine the most surreal creature and there is a chance—however small—that it exists there.” That’s painter Carlos Hiller quoted in Cara Giaimo’s [story]( “What an Artist Sees in the Deep Sea” about the curious marine life thriving deep beneath the waters surrounding Costa Rica. There, undersea mountains provide a home to “everything from millennium-old corals to brand new baby octopuses.” Hiller accompanied scientists on an expedition to this mysterious ecosystem and painted what he saw over the course of 20 days at sea. Now you can [watch]( or [listen]( to the story of his odyssey, and who better to read about undersea mountains than the lead singer of an underground rock band? Join Tina Hallady of the Philly punk group Sheer Mag as she takes you on a voyage to the bottom of the ocean, through the eyes of an artist. You can also check out Sheer Mag’s latest album Playing Favorites from Jack White’s Third Man Records and catch them [on tour]( throughout May. [WATCH]( [LISTEN]( P.S. Karl Marx was born on this day in 1818. With Frederick Engels, he authored The Communist Manifesto. Though the radical social arrangement “has been a failed experiment,” with even China’s economic upsurge stemming from “controlled capitalism,” wrote John Horgan, “I nonetheless make my students read the first section of this infamous polemic because it does a great job [detailing the upside as well as downside of capitalism](. Capitalism, Marx and Engels acknowledge, has undermined repressive institutions such as religions and monarchies while promoting literacy and female equality; the problem is that it inevitably leads to devaluation of workers. This 19th-century analysis of capitalism remains all-too-relevant. Aren’t the billionaire tech bros producing their own ‘gravediggers’?” Today’s newsletter was written by Brian Gallagher Thanks for reading. [Tell us](mailto:brian.gallagher@nautil.us?subject=&body=) your thoughts on today’s note. Plus, if you find our content valuable, consider [becoming a member]( to support our work, and inspire a friend to sign up for [the Nautilus newsletter](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 NautilusNext, All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from [nautil.us](. Our mailing address is: NautilusNext 360 W 36th Street, 7S, New York, NY 10018 Don't want to hear from us anymore? [Unsubscribe](