The AI theorist who thinks consciousness is a software agent — and that God, AGI, and the apocalypse are all pointing at the same thing.
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Is materialism holding science back? | Adam Frank, Lisa Feldman Barrett, Michael Levin
Lisa Feldman Barrett, Michael Levin and Adam Frank discuss whether science should abandon its materialist framework.
Could a different metaphysics help science to progress further?
With a free trial, you can watch the full debate NOW at https://iai.tv/video/science-beyond-t… centuries, we’ve assumed that science has banished the transcendent and established that reality is entirely physical. But critics argue there are signs that a rigorous materialism might be holding science back. Increasingly, “emergence” is used to account for everything from consciousness to spacetime – a convenient placeholder for what materialist science may be unable to explain. Physicists like Heisenberg and Hawking concluded that science gives us models of reality, rather than final descriptions of its true nature, while there are scientists working in everything from biology to computer science who suggest that dualism is a productive metaphysical framework for their research. Materialism may have enabled science to reach beyond the dogmas of religion, but there are now those who are restlessly probing the limits of materialism itself. Does science need to assume a materialist account of the world or might this have fundamental limitations? Could a different metaphysics help science make progress on key questions, from the origin of life to the mysteries of quantum gravity? Or would abandoning materialism risk returning us to the myths of superstition and religion? #science #materialism #metaphysics Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the most cited scientists in the world for her research on the psychology and neuroscience of emotions. Adam Frank is an astrophysicist who explores the origins of stars, civilizations and consciousness, and is a leading figure in astrobiology and the search for alien life. Michael Levin is a synthetic biologist whose pioneering work in regenerative biology involves building biological robots to probe the nature of life, intelligence and evolution. Güneş Taylor hosts. The Institute of Art and Ideas features videos and articles from cutting edge thinkers discussing the ideas that are shaping the world, from metaphysics to string theory, technology to democracy, aesthetics to genetics. Subscribe today! https://iai.tv/subscribe?utm_source=Y… 0:00 Intro 1:34 Science cannot reveal objective reality 5:28 — History shows that materialism is one of many philosophies of science 8:59 There are some mathematical facts which are discovered, not chosen 12:14 Does materialism prevent mythical and superstitious views of reality? 14:56 There is no 3rd person view of the universe 18:05 Is science truly reproducible? For debates and talks: https://iai.tv For articles: https://iai.tv/articles For courses: https://iai.tv/iai-academy/courses.
For centuries, we’ve assumed that science has banished the transcendent and established that reality is entirely physical. But critics argue there are signs that a rigorous materialism might be holding science back. Increasingly, “emergence” is used to account for everything from consciousness to spacetime – a convenient placeholder for what materialist science may be unable to explain. Physicists like Heisenberg and Hawking concluded that science gives us models of reality, rather than final descriptions of its true nature, while there are scientists working in everything from biology to computer science who suggest that dualism is a productive metaphysical framework for their research. Materialism may have enabled science to reach beyond the dogmas of religion, but there are now those who are restlessly probing the limits of materialism itself.
Does science need to assume a materialist account of the world or might this have fundamental limitations? Could a different metaphysics help science make progress on key questions, from the origin of life to the mysteries of quantum gravity? Or would abandoning materialism risk returning us to the myths of superstition and religion?
#science #materialism #metaphysics.
New Quantum Processing Technology Points to Life After the Transistor, Maybe
Research finds that encoding 1s and 0s with electrons’ quantum spin is fast and power-efficient.
Treating age‐related loss of muscle mass and function: Where should we be focusing?
Aging human breast atlas reveals cancer susceptibility
The team used advanced imagining techniques to analyse breast tissue from more than 500 women aged 15 to 86 years old. The tissue included biopsies taken from women for non-cancer-related reasons.
Combining these images with details of the hormone receptors and immune cells present, as well as the tissue architecture, the researchers were able to map how breast tissue changes over time in unprecedented detail. Their findings point to reasons why breast cancer risk increases with age and why tumors in younger women differ biologically.
The author added: “Our map revealed that as women age, their breast tissue goes through major changes, with the most dramatic changes occurring at menopause. There are changes, too, during their twenties, possibly linked to pregnancy and childbirth, but these are far less pronounced.”
The map revealed that all types of cells become fewer in number and divide far less often. Milk-producing structures known as lobules shrink or disappear, while the ducts that that carry milk become relatively more common, with the supporting layer around them becoming thicker. Fat cells increase while blood vessels decrease.
Meanwhile, changes occur in the immune environment. Younger breasts have more B cells and active T cells, which helps them identify and kill cancer cells. As tissue ages, these types of cells decline in number, replaced by other types of immune cell that indicate a more inflammatory and potentially less protective immune environment. ScienceMission sciencenewshighlights.
Cracking the code of p53 fragility: Why the genome guardian is prone to failure
The protein p53 is often called the guardian of the genome for its central role in preventing cancer. Yet paradoxically, it is also one of the most frequently mutated and dysfunctional proteins in human tumors.
A longstanding mystery has been why p53—unlike its closely related paralogs p63 and p73—is so prone to misfolding and forming toxic aggregates. A new study published in Communication Chemistry now provides a detailed molecular explanation for this vulnerability.
Led by researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the D’Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR), the University of Campinas (Unicamp), and the Federal University of Tri ngulo Mineiro (UFTM), the team mapped the protein’s internal landscape at residue-level resolution using high-pressure NMR spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations.
Cytokine-armored CAR-T cell therapy helps eliminate aggressive brain tumors in preclinical study
Scientists at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed a new cytokine-armored CAR-T cell therapy that helps the immune system better attack aggressive brain tumors in mice while reducing dangerous side effects that have long limited immune-based treatments for glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant brain cancers.
The therapy works by reprogramming CAR-T cells to release immune-stimulating proteins, called IL-12 and DR-18, that activate the body’s own immune system, strengthening the overall anti-cancer response. In mouse models, the approach improved tumor control, including against cancers made up of mixed cell populations that often escape therapies.
Researchers also found that pairing the treatment with a second CAR-T strategy targeting VEGF, a protein that drives abnormal blood vessel growth and contributes to swelling in glioblastoma, helped reduce side effects while preserving strong anti-tumor activity.
Insectoid Aliens — Hive Minds, Swarms, and Alien Evolution
Forget little green men — the galaxy’s most likely aliens may be hives and swarms. From biology to starships, insectoid life could shape civilizations stranger than ours.
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Grab one of our new SFIA mugs and make your morning coffee a little more futuristic — available now on our Fourthwall store! https://isaac-arthur-shop.fourthwall… our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur Support us on Patreon: / isaacarthur Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-a… Facebook Group:
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/ discord Credits: Insectoid Aliens — Hive Minds, Swarms, and Alien Evolution Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur Editor: Thomas Owens Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images Music Courtesy of Stellardrone & Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic Chapters 0:00 Intro 3:30 Hive Reproduction Strategy 6:10 Insectoid Evolutionary Paths 13:47 Signals in the Swarm 16:53 Sensory Worlds 18:13 Intelligence & Individuality in Hive Species 19:35 Privacy 22:08 Hive Architecture & Technology 20:54 Alien Ecology & Predators 23:21 Cultural & Political Models 24:31 Spacefaring Adaptations 25:52 Final Thoughts.
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Credits:
Insectoid Aliens — Hive Minds, Swarms, and Alien Evolution.
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur.
Editor: Thomas Owens.
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images.
Music Courtesy of Stellardrone & Music by Epidemic Sound: http://nebula.tv/epidemic.
Chapters.
0:00 Intro.
3:30 Hive Reproduction Strategy.
6:10 Insectoid Evolutionary Paths.
13:47 Signals in the Swarm.
16:53 Sensory Worlds.
18:13 Intelligence & Individuality in Hive Species.
19:35 Privacy.
22:08 Hive Architecture & Technology.
20:54 Alien Ecology & Predators.
23:21 Cultural & Political Models.
24:31 Spacefaring Adaptations.
25:52 Final Thoughts
Stelarc on Transhumanism: We Are in a Time of Circulating Flesh!
“We are in a time of circulating flesh.”
Stelarc said that to me 13 years ago. In 2026, it reads less like art criticism and more like a status report.
He had grown an ear on his arm. He had hung himself from hooks 25 times. He had let strangers on the internet choreograph his muscles through electrical stimulation, his body remote-controlled across continents.
Most people called it spectacle. I think it was inquiry.
Because long before deepfakes, before voice cloning, before AI agents wearing our faces, was already asking the question we now cannot avoid:
Where does the body end and the network begin?