TMS/EEG – A Stone in a Pond
TMS = Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (giving a magnetic pulse through the skull to the brain in a specific region). EEG = Electro-Encephalo-Graphy (recording voltage changes over brain regions). TMS is like throwing a stone in a pond (the brain). EEG is like looking at how the pond responds. This is probably the most interesting set Read the full article…
How can I Be Conscious?
When it’s about oneself, the question becomes somewhat more ‘urgent’ than the formal consciousness question. One delves into the own experience and doesn’t readily find an answer. A more personal take may be warranted. Here are a few ideas that may help. A warning first. Being personal, the question might confuse some. The solid ground Read the full article…
Are Emotions Motivations?
I feel motivated; therefore, I am (motivated). Motivation is a feeling. May all feelings/emotions be motivations? Feelings and emotions are experienced consciously. On top of this, emotions also have non-conscious and bodily components. Some use the terms interchangeably. Personally, I don’t care so much for the semantic difference since nothing human is purely conscious or Read the full article…
Healthcare Heaven
At least, my idea of it. What if healthcare would finally be based on a realistic view of the human being? At present, this can feel idealistic because it is – rightfully – so. Let’s take this for granted for the time of your reading this text, starting from mind-body unity and proper insight into Read the full article…
Consciousness as a Feeling
What if the feeling of consciousness is provoked by something deeper inside (non-conscious) that also provokes every other aspect we associate with consciousness? In that case, nothing would be self-provoked by consciousness as we consciously feel it. Would you then still call it so? After answering the question, note that much evidence shows it to Read the full article…
The Wrong Experts
The basic cognitive illusion makes us not see what is always there. Domain experts may be especially prone to this precisely because of their conceptual expertise. Thus, where the mind is invisibly involved, the experts of the day are occasionally the wrong experts. Experts are necessary. This text should not give another impression. We need Read the full article…
Compassion is not Pity
Compassion can be seen as Eastern Enlightenment in action. The term can also be used for ‘pity,’ which is very different, giving additional insight into Compassion. Compassion with a capital C ― see Compassion, basically. Pity can be excellent. In that case, it resembles Compassion. Being touched by suffering is human. Compassion is not meant Read the full article…
The Big Mistake: Mere-Ego vs. Total Self
To me, this is the biggest possible mistake. Unfortunately, it is made ubiquitously and runs culturally deep. Please also read about Inner Dissociation – Ego – Total Self. I think, therefore, I am. [Dixit René Descartes, °1596] But who is the I who thinks, therefore, is? If this isn’t clear, the rest follows in obscurity. Read the full article…
The Purpose of Consciousness
Did nature give us consciousness to get us out of a non-conscious Garden of Eden? Or was it to make us the masters of the universe? Or both? This text is pretty tentative. ‘Consciousness’ is not the clearest concept, nor is ‘purpose’ within natural evolution. Still, the issue can lead to some interesting thoughts. Nature’s Read the full article…
From Inner Dissociation to Many Why’s
The COVID era reminded me that most people usually do not profoundly look at themselves even though it’s what they would profoundly want. Why such a seeming contradiction? The religions-exercise Around 80% of people on the planet believe in a conceptual religious phenomenon — for instance, some God with a name or a face or Read the full article…
Why Reinforcement Learning is Special
This high-end view on Reinforcement Learning (R.L.) applies to Organic and Artificial Intelligence. Especially in the latter, we must be careful with R.L. now and forever, arguably more than with any other kind of A.I. Reinforcement in a nutshell You (the learner) perform action X toward goal Y and get feedback Z. Next time you Read the full article…
Levels of Abstraction in Humans and A.I.
Humans are masters of abstraction. We do it spontaneously, thus creating an efficient mental environment for ourselves, others, and culturally. The challenge is now to bring this to A.I. Abstraction = generalization Humans (and other animals) perform spontaneous generalization. From a number of example objects, we generalize to some concept. A concept is already an Read the full article…
The Danger of Non-Compassionate A.I.
There are many obvious issues, from killer humans to killer robots. This text is about something even more fundamental. About Compassion Please read Compassion, basically, or more blogs about Compassion. Having done so, you know the reason for the capital ‘C,’ which is what this text is mainly about. To intellectually grasp Compassion, one needs Read the full article…
What is Common Sense?
Common sense is, by definition, supposed to be sensible as well as common to most people. When trying to bring common sense to A.I., it becomes clear there is more under the hood than just a humming. Toward developing A.I., it’s imperative to listen intently to the humming. In Dutch (my language, spoken by a Read the full article…
AureLisa One-Pager to Philanthropy
Are you a philanthropist? Then you may be interested in the AureLisa promises enumerated here. Proper backing for each point is abundantly available in scientific and other publications (books, articles, blogs, white paper, etc.). We are serious. If you are too, please let us know. Our philanthropic take is to be robustly embedded in a Read the full article…
The Difference between Work and Job
A job is a job. Work is, broadly seen, the production of something meaningful within a specific structure and using energy. In this sense, work has been essential to life from the start of life itself. The essence of life is 1) to use energy, 2) to do so within a specific structure, and 3) Read the full article…
Popperian vs. Kuhnian
Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn were two heavyweights in the thinking-about-science of the 20th century. Popper saw scientific progress as a gradual drifting. Kuhn added to this a sudden shifting — as in ‘paradigm shift.’ One can broaden this dichotomy to thinking in general. Many people are continually inclined, in their thinking, to go from Read the full article…