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Neuroscience & Mind

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The interior of ancient buildings in the Qin and Han dynasties of China
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John Searle (1932–2025): A Titan Passes

Searle’s most famous argument is undoubtedly the Chinese Room argument, first presented in his essay “Minds, Brains, and Programs” (1980). Read More ›
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empty classic red chinese room
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Farewell to John Searle, Philosopher of Mind and Language

His Chinese Room thought experiment, an argument for why computers can seem clever without having minds, was widely understood among the lay public. Read More ›
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Concept change transformation evolution adaptation personal societal shifts narrative progression consciousness continuity transition resilience
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Consciousness and Intelligent Design: Dr. Simmons on Coast to Coast Tonight

He tells us, “My patients have contacted me from all over the world having heard me on this show on previous occasions.” Read More ›
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People gathered around the red navigation pointer pin. Meeting place concept. A long awaited meeting, a company of friends, acquaintance via the Internet. Event or holiday. Organization of joint trip
Image Credit: Andrii Yalanskyi - Adobe Stock

Are We Looking for Consciousness in the “Wrong Part” of the Brain?

Al of this reasoning assumes that human consciousness — the human mind — is local. Located in one single place. It probably isn’t. Read More ›
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Conceptual image of a large stone in the shape of the human brain
Image Credit: Orlando Florin Rosu - Adobe Stock

Doctor’s Diary: To Whom Are You Talking When You Talk to Yourself?

A comment by a national radio show host recently caught my attention. “So, I said to myself, SELF! What would you do under these circumstances?” Read More ›
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Cash Register Drawer Close Up
Image Credit: pixelrobot - Adobe Stock.

In Science, the Cost of Defending Materialism Is Rising

Neuroscientist Àlex Gómez-Marín raises — in the very venue that hosts, say, Roger Penrose and Sabine Hossenfelder — the validity of telepathy research. Read More ›
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Laboratory Mouse
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Even in Mice, Decision-Making Is More Complex than We Thought

If it’s this complex in mice, what are we to make of simplistic representations of human thinking in pop psychology textbooks? Read More ›
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Photo credit: Aubrey Gemignani, courtesy of NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Science Without Materialism: Yes, It Would Still Work

What if we assume that our minds really are immaterial? Math still adds up, physics and chemistry are still true, logic still works. Read More ›
Darwin
Photo credit: Fernando Venzano, via Unsplash.

Darwinism’s “Simplest” and “Most Destructive Implication”

Imagine that: killing as a “cost-saving strategy.” I think of Canada more and more as the haunted twin of the United States, and a warning to us. Read More ›
tunnel
Photo source: Alexander Mils, via Unsplash.

Near-Death Experiences Cannot Just Be Explained Away

In some cases, patients who had NDEs while in a state of clinical death report dates and numbers that are later found to be accurate, Read More ›

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