Contending with the loss of autonomy in the Age of AI
Recovering autonomy and escaping the existential vacuum.
23
05, 2017
9
05, 2017
On sun, ocean, and our hidden nature
The sun shines upon the depths: what is illuminated may also be hidden, especially to ourselves.
17
04, 2017
Technology addiction and self-alienation (Claudia Dreifus, New York Times)
The use of technology can lead to estrangement from others and ourselves.
19
03, 2017
The healing arts of writer and physician (Gavon Francis, Aeon)
The healing arts of writer and physician: how both treat the ailments and bolster the hopes of our humanity.
5
03, 2017
Are the humanities “useless”? If so, do they still provide a use?
Are the humanities "useless"? If so, do they still provide a use? Said Hui Shih to Chuang-tzu: “These sayings of yours are useless.” “It is only with people who know about the useless that there is any point in talking about uses. In all the immensity of heaven and earth, a man uses no more than [...]
28
02, 2017
Science and (the absence of) happiness
Science and (the absence of) happiness: to what degree do science and technology condition our sense of happiness? During the last few generations humankind has made an extraordinary advance in the natural sciences and in their technological application and has established humanity's control over nature in a way never before imagined.... People are proud of these achievements, [...]
22
02, 2017
Humanities in the Age of Big Data
Humanities in the Age of Big Data: an historian tries to unravel the consequences for ourselves and our way of life. Dataism is a new ethical system that says, yes, humans were special and important because up until now they were the most sophisticated data processing system in the universe, but this is no longer [...]
8
02, 2017
The lily and the river
The lily and the river: how much do we presume about our knowledge of the future, and how firmly rooted is our knowledge of our origins? Two fables from Renaissance scientists and polymaths: The lily set itself on the bank of the river Ticino, and the current swept away both the bank and the lily. Leonardo da [...]
7
02, 2017
From Bethlehem to Bedlam: classifying the incurables through science (Amanda Ruggeri, BBC Culture)
From Bethlehem to Bedlam: classifying the incurables through science. What was founded as a place open to those in need became a palatial institution that housed those deemed mentally unsound. From the article: By the 17th Century, the asylum was well-known enough to appear in numerous Jacobean dramas and ballads. Often – as in Shakespeare’s plays [...]
28
01, 2017
The busyness of business, the practice of inwardness (R. Hougaard, J. Carter, G. Dybkjaer, Harvard Business Review)
The busyness of business, and the practice of inwardness: how business leaders are profiting from the ancient method of mindfulness, as it leads to more rewarding decisions. From the article: Research has found that mindfulness training alters our brains and how we engage with ourselves, others, and our work. When practiced and applied, mindfulness fundamentally alters the operating [...]