Quantifying Thoughtfulness: Relationship between important Hubski user data reveals comment popularity rank misrepresentation. By Cadell Last (Hubski user: theadvancedapes)IntroductionHubski is a quickly growing social network and link aggregating service. The site focuses on promoting thoughtful discussion regarding a diverse number of topics including (but not limited to) music, politics, science, technology, history, space, and economics. … Continue reading
Author: Cadell Last
Hello. I'm probably drinking coffee and reading.
The Substrate of Mind
The Substrate of Mind The likelihood of a transition to a planet dominated by non-biological intelligence is essentially dependent on one large philosophical assumption: that the substrate of intelligence and consciousness is unimportant. Although I contend that this is currently an unanswerable question, the answer may define our future. Full Article: The Substrate of Mind … Continue reading The Substrate of Mind
Thoughts on the Future pt. 1
Thoughts on the Future pt. 1 This is my first post in an ongoing series about the future. In this entry, I discuss a few ideas including: exponential modeling, meta-system transitions, and the likely future of our species standard of living. Full Article: Thoughts on the Future pt. 1 on The Advanced Apes
Underselling Science
Underselling Science I am an atheist, and I care about the way non-religious belief is communicated by atheists to the public. Over the years, I have become increasingly disappointed with the way atheists explain our origins to the public. In the future, I hope that we stop underselling how much science knows about “how we … Continue reading Underselling Science
Great Ape Language
Great Ape Language There has been continuous great ape language research for the past few decades. What has this research told us about language in our closest relatives? What can future research reveal about the origins of language and communication throughout the animal kingdom? Cadell Last and Travis Steffens discuss. Full Podcast: Great Ape Language … Continue reading Great Ape Language
The Human Neocortex
The Human Neocortex In How To Create A Mind by Ray Kurzweil, the importance of the human neocortex is explored. What is important about the human neocortex? How did it evolve in our species? The answer to these questions can shed light on one of the most important evolutionary developments in the history of life on Earth. … Continue reading The Human Neocortex
What Is More of a Threat to Science: Scientific Racism or Unscientific Creationism?
As an evolutionary anthropologist, I am uniquely situated within science to encounter racist and/or creationist thought. Evolutionary anthropology produces the authoritative story of who we are and where we came from. As such, it is impossible to de-politicize the subject. It is also impossible to achieve complete objectivity. The narrative evolutionary anthropologists construct of our … Continue reading What Is More of a Threat to Science: Scientific Racism or Unscientific Creationism?
Top Science Discoveries of 2012
Top Science Discoveries of 2012 This is my personal top 25 discoveries and stories from the world of science this year. In terms of criteria I basically wanted to make a list of what I thought was interesting or important, and I wanted to try and equally represent discoveries in the environmental, physical, life, and … Continue reading Top Science Discoveries of 2012
Economic Evolution
Economic Evolution Big history can help us understand many aspects of humanity. When we analyze trends from a big historical perspective, we can better extrapolate the changes that we should expect in the future. Nowhere is this more evident than with the research of economist Robin Hanson. Hanson (1994; 1998; 2008a; 2008b) has conducted groundbreaking … Continue reading Economic Evolution