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Timo is working on ways of applying artificial intelligence in corporate learning and development, focusing on scaling self-actualization in his Ipseity project. In this conversation, he shares his personal catalyst for change triggered by a rough patch in his life and how discovering Jordan Peterson's lectures on psychology opened new avenues of self-reflection and personal development for him. The conversation delves into Timo's philosophical and psychological insights, his project on developing a chatbot to aid in personal development and self-transformation, and the potential of using technology to navigate complex personal growth. The discussion also touches on contemporary issues in cognitive science, the challenges of interpreting Jordan Peterson within academic circles, and the broader implications of tech-assisted self-help methodologies.

#chatbots #artificialintelligence #jordanpeterson #andreahiott #timoschuler

00:00 Introduction to Love and Philosophy
00:26 Journey to a PhD: From Swiss Post to AI in Learning
01:41 Exploring Self-Actualization and Personal Development
03:33 The Impact of Jordan Peterson on Personal Growth
13:12 Navigating Corporate and Environmental Realities
23:26 Embracing Complexity: From Psychological Entropy to Ipseity
29:06 Exploring Personal Growth and Anxiety
29:29 The Role of Love and Consciousness in Personal Development
30:57 Navigating Life's Complexity with Maps of Meaning
35:01 The Ship of Theseus: Understanding Self Through Change
37:05 Developing the Grateful Chatbot: A Technological Companion for Growth
41:50 The Future of AI in Personal Development and Social Sense-Making
50:24 Reflecting on the Journey and Future Aspirations

Ipseity Project

Timo on LinkedIn
 
Grateful Chatbots paper

Jacques Monod

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Paddy LeFlufy discusses the new organizational technologies in economics that could help us build a better tomorrow.

His conversation with philosopher Andrea Hiott delves into reimagining economic systems that (as we hear by the end) can be understood as grounded in love and care for humanity and the planet. Central to the dialogue are innovative models like Doughnut Economics and the Future Guardian, aimed at remedying ecological issues and fostering a harmonious relationship between humanity and the environment. Through a blend of personal reflection, economic reform, and the pursuit of regenerative models, this narrative emphasizes the importance of valuing interconnectedness and practice in actionable frameworks for a balanced, inclusive future.
#doughnut #futureguardians #paddyleflufy

Paddy's book is one of the Financial Times Best Books of 2023
It is called Building Tomorrow: https://paddyleflufy.com/building-tomorrow/

Doughnut Economics Action Lab: https://doughnuteconomics.org/

Future Guardians Model on Paddy's Substack

B Labs and B Corps: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/

00:00 Clip Exploring the Essence of Love and Its Impact
00:50 Introduction to Paddy LeFlufy: A Journey into Love of Humanity
01:49 Diving into 'Building Tomorrow': A New Economic Vision
03:52 Paddy's Unique Path: From Mathematics to Global Adventures
06:11 Awakening to Ecological Realities and the Power of Change
26:36 The Circular Economy and Future Guardians: Pioneering Sustainable Business Models
37:50 Redefining Profit and Stakeholder Alignment
38:29 The Circular Economy and Sustainable Business Models
39:33 Challenges and Changes in Corporate Structures
40:24 The Future Guardian Model: A New Paradigm
41:00 Examples of Progressive Companies and Potential for Change
41:49 Spreading the Future Guardian Model and Social Pressure
42:48 Alternative Organizational Models and Regenerative Organizations
46:29 From Incremental Changes to a New Economic System
49:55 Understanding Money Creation and Its Impact
54:14 Practical Steps Towards Positive Change
01:00:28 Personal Journeys and the Power of Individual Action
01:06:29 The Role of Love and Care in Transformative Change

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Paul Holdengraber, a renowned figure who has had conversations with some of the most influential figures of our times, discusses his unique approach and the pains and pleasures of life as a conversationalist. 
Andrea and Paul explore the profound impact of the art of conversation on forming deep connections. They also delve into Paul's background, influences, and the unpredictable paths life has taken him, from his parents' escape from the Nazis to his own philosophical and geographical journeys. Paul opens up about his recent jobless status, his reflections on care, conversation, and the power of listening, as well as contemplating the future in a rapidly changing world. Throughout, the discussion explores themes of transience, the creation of spaces for dialogue, and the importance of remaining open to the myriad possibilities life offers. The conversation weaves together topics such as the significance of digression, the therapeutic power of reminiscing on familial history, and the complexities of identity and human relationships.
#artofconversation #holdengraber #andreahiott

00:00 Welcome to the Library: A Night of Conversation
00:29 Paul Holdengraber: A Man of Many Conversations
00:59 Exploring the New York Public Library with Paul
02:27 The Art and Power of Conversation
02:56 Paul's Unique Path: From Philosophy to Public Programming
05:12 Digression as a Form of Revelation
10:59 Returning to Roots: Conversations on Identity and Place
17:16 The Solitary Journey of a Conversationalist
22:16 Navigating Friendships and the Fear of Intimacy
26:42 Creating Landscapes of Conversation
32:03 From Hitchhiking to Hosting Influential Conversations
36:17 Unveiling the Art of Conversation and Personal Insights
37:40 Exploring Fame, Influence, and Personal Connections
38:56 The Craft of Creating Meaningful Conversations
40:26 Personal Reflections and Family Dynamics
52:09 The Power of Listening and the Art of Interviewing
59:26 Navigating Life's Transitions and Future Uncertainties
01:06:09 The Journey of Self-Discovery and Community Support
01:09:46 Contemplating New Beginnings and Creative Outlets

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Bryant Park Photo: By Jean-Christophe BENOIST - Own work, CC BY 3.0

The Philosophy of Travel

New York Public Library LIVE with Paul Past Events

NYPL You Tube

Adam Phillips, On Kissing Tickling and Being Bored

Transcript of Was the 20th Century a Mistake with Werner Herzog

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A biographical look into the lairs of modern neuroscience. Part 1 of a research conversation on the hippocampus. And notes for a tale of how McGill University, the invasion of Prague, and UCL pulled two expats together towards discoveries and writings that have changed a scientific framework.

Lynn Nadel has been doing influential research about memory and the hippocampus for decades. He is the co-author with Nobel Prize winner John O'Keefe of The Hippocampus As a Cognitive Map, one of the first books to open new fields of research relative to a part of the brain called the hippocampus, known for its role in both memory and navigation.

Nadel and O'Keefe met at McGill University at a time when the place was buzzing with the books, papers and people creating what we now study as neuroscience.

McGill University in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s can look a bit like the superhero headquarters of what would develop into modern neuroscience. Once you begin to list all the people who were working there at that time and all the threads that have since influenced the filed, from Wilder Penfield and Brenda Milner to Donald Hebb to John O'Keefe and Lynn Nadel, one begins to see how much of the work being done today was oriented from that starting point.

University of Arizona page

Lynn Nadel

John O'Keefe Nobel Lecture

Henry Moliason (H.M.)

Brenda Milner

Peter Milner, author of Physiological Psychology

Donald Hebb

Wilder Penfield

Ronald Melzac

Suzanne Corkin

Bob Mueller & John Kubie

Jim Ranck

Soviet Invasion of Prague

University College London

The Hippocampus as a Cognitive Map

Hippocampus History on Mastadon

Psych Review story on bjks podcast

McGill University Neuro

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This is a conversation between Andrea Hiott and Daniel Ari Friedman discussing various themes related to cognition, perception, action, and the concept of Active Inference. The conversation starts with Daniel's time with Deborah Gordan studying ants. Then they delve into the understanding of different terminologies and concepts relative to complexity, the individual and collective behaviour. They dive deep into Karl Friston's active inference and into relative terms like predictive processing, predictive coding and the role and application of models and 'maps' in scientific research. Daniel explains the principles of active inference in relation to cognition and perception and how it can be viewed as a scale-free (or better scale-friendly) framework. They also discuss the importance of semantics in their fields and the role of the Active Inference Institute. The conversation is reflective and philosophical, touching on the intersection between cognitive science, neuroscience, and environmental interaction. They come to words like 'service' and 'love' before it ends.

Relative to way-making research: System 3 representations and a discussion of affordances (a fence post or a rock does not have them)

Podcast artwork by Daniel Ari Friedman

Daniel's personal site

Research site

Postdoc review

Active Inference Institute

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Andrea & Daniel discuss:

scale-free and scale-friendly.
Individual and Collective behaviour of ants.
Complex systems.
Bioinformatics.
How we can find real boundaries, and how not-so-real boundaries can be modelled.
Uncertainty.
Language as a model.
The difference between predictive processing, predictive coding, and active inference.
Why a fence post does not have affordances.
Affordance beyond Gibson.
Perception as inbound regularities. Action as outbound regularities.
 
Buckminster Fuller: "Unity is plural and at minimum two."

Deborah Gordan
Gordon's paper Wittgenstein and Ant Watching

Karl Friston
Chris Fields Research
Competency in Navigating Arbitrary Spaces as an Invariant for Analyzing Cognition in Diverse Embodiments

Active Inference

For Paulo Sayeg: https://philpapers.org/versions/IENPPU

For RJ Cordes & Dean Tickles:
https://zenodo.org/records/8266281

Lars Sandved Smith

You Tube Video

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 Give Love & Philosophy

Pattern, Meaning, & Integration with Jeremy Lent: Happy New Year !

A discussion with the author of The Patterning Instinct and Web of Meaning. Podcast posting soon on all platforms. This is a mostly uncut video without introduction. Wishing you all the very best of patterns, meanings, integrations and regenerations for 2024.

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Jeremy Lent's website

Deep Transformation Network

Towards way-making research in philosophy (as this is a research channel towards that philosophy), this conversation is especially helpful regarding the following:

The notion of polarity as not being dualistic. Jeremy's comments are very helpful here as a way to understand how the parts of a whole come to recognize one another, doing so as though they were not part of the same whole even while always being so.

“the patterns between things are often more important than the things themselves”

“the distinction we make between science and spirituality is a false distinction”

"I come up with a way of we can use language to define spirituality from the perspective of system science.  And we can look at spirituality itself as really being like,  an approach of seeking meaning in the connections between things rather than the things themselves."

Also especially helpful is the talk about dynamic patterns and strange attractors (what Jeremy calls natural attractors).

“Anytime we make sense of something, the best thing we can do is then having made sense of it to let that go and accept the next experience that might slightly shift the way of making sense of it.”

"It is not that the self is a delusion, it is that the fixed self is a delusion."

Love and Philosophy Website

Love and Philosophy YouTube Channel

Andrea Hiott

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Andrea and Michael explore the complex relationships between dichotomies, the environment, robotics, and science. Their conversation delves into philosophical and scientific perspectives on how to understand and work with nature and technology harmoniously, aiming towards a nuanced understanding of ecological and technological terms and their impact on collective and individual well-being. The discussion also touches on personalized medicine, the implications of biological modeling, and the philosophical implications of competition and cooperation within systems. The overarching theme addresses the importance of nurturing ecological and technological relationships that promote clarity and understanding of our world and ourselves. Photo @tuftsu

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#michaellevin #clarity  #nature #robots #andreahiott #loveandphilosophy #beyonddichotomy #medicine #individualizedcare

00:00 Introduction to the Conversation with Mike Levin
00:20 Exploring Dichotomies and Nature's Influence
02:02 The Significance of Art and Nature in Personal Life
04:04 Bridging Ecological and Technological Perspectives
05:40 Understanding Bioelectric Modulations and Natural Systems
07:06 Redefining the Natural vs. Technological Dichotomy
11:45 Envisioning a Healthier Relationship Between Ecology and Technology
16:02 Expanding Perspectives: From Anthrobots to Cognitive Landscapes
23:34 The Role of Language and Perspective in Understanding Biobots
27:52 Exploring the Multifaceted Nature of Biobots
28:02 The Diverse Perspectives on Biobots and Their Cognitive Properties
28:19 Biobots vs. Proto-Organisms: A Cognitive Science Perspective
28:25 Understanding Biobots: Goals, Preferences, and Experiments
28:37 The Machine Metaphor in Medicine and Its Implications
29:12 Perspectives and Empirical Frameworks in Understanding Complexity
29:22 The Role of Frames in Interpreting and Controlling Systems
38:08 Personalized Medicine and the Future of Biomedical Engineering
42:30 The Philosophical Underpinnings of Personalized Medicine
52:50 Concluding Thoughts on Suffering, Evolution, and Personalized Medicine

Mike Levin's Lab: https://drmichaellevin.org

Michael Levin's research channel: / @drmichaellevin

The papers discussed:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s4146...
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...

Michael Levin at Tufts

Google Scholar

 https://loveandphilosophy.com/

Andrea Hiott is a philosopher and cognitive scientist developing the navigational approach to mind — the view that mind is “the body’s navigational action in all spaces of life, from the geographical to the emotional to the social to the virtual.” She hosts the Love & Philosophy (Beyond Dichotomy) podcast and Substack, and her work draws on hippocampal research, 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, extended, enactive), and the ecological tradition. Her book Holding Paradox: A Navigational Approach to Mind and Consciousness is forthcoming. Her recurring interests — holding apparent contradictions open, “way-making,” the importance of care and 'mattering', constellation/kaleidoscopic thinking, and moving beyond either/or — frame her questions throughout.

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What can a computer be?

A discussion about computing with Flora Moon and Esteban Montero of Holon Labs. What is a computer and what do we want it to be? If a computer is made of living matter (something being explored now in various labs) how do we understand the traditional distinctions of technology and biology?

“The air itself is one vast library on whose pages are for ever written all that man has ever said or woman whispered.”__Charles Babbage (1837)

A Categorical Defense of the Future by Esteban Montero and Brandon Baylor

Holon Labs

Flora Moon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/floramoon/
Esteban Montero LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemonterov/

Alan Turing

Claude Shannon

Category theory—a way to represent meaning

Hilma af Klint: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilma_af_Klint

Pema Chodron When Things Fall Apart

#computing #computer #cognition #love #philosophy

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This is a way-making research conversation with Prof. Richard A. Watson of the University of Southhampton (Institute for Life Sciences/ Department of Computer Science, Agents, Interaction and Complexity group). You can watch the video here. We discuss the traditional ideas of adaptation and a Richard Dawkins style approach to Darwinism and then how this might be reimagined, as Richard Watson is doing in his work. We also discuss what it means to be an individual . Are love and logic opposites? How might we dance with a music that is both scientific and personal?

For Songs of Life: https://youtu.be/zdmY6q2ZWm8?feature=shared

Richard Watson’s personal website.

Compositional Evolution

Publications.

Conversations with Chris Fields and Michael Levin.

Master thesis that Richard kindly mentions.

Valencia Event

Video of the Conversation, in case you want to see the moment at the end where he shows us love on the wall.

Biography of Richard Watson:
"Dr Richard Watson studies evolution, learning, cognition and society and their unifying algorithmic principles. He studied Artificial Intelligence and Adaptive Systems at Sussex University, then PhD Computer Science at Brandeis in Boston. His current work deepens the unification of evolution and learning - specifically, with connectionist models of learning and cognition, familiar in neural network research – to address topics such as evolvability, ecological memory, evolutionary transitions in individuality (ETIs), phenotypic plasticity, the extended evolutionary synthesis, collective intelligence and 'design'. He has also developed new computational methods for combinatorial optimisation (deep optimisation), exploiting a unification of deep learning and ‘deep evolution’ (i.e. ETIs). He is author of "Compositional evolution" (MIT Press), was featured as "one to watch in AI” in Intelligent Systems magazine, and his paper “How Can Evolution Learn” in TREE, attracted the ISAL award 2016. He is now Associate Professor at the University of Southampton."

Google Scholar

Support on Patreon and You Tube. Listen anywhere you find podcasts.

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Scales and Science Fiction with Michael Levin. The first of a multi-part way-making research conversation with Tufts biologist Michael Levin. We discuss his own path and how science fiction helped him see beyond dichotomies. We also discuss the scales of cognition and what it might mean to reorient our understandings of life and mind.

Links to the papers mentioned:
TAME and Light Cones: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02688/full
Navigation: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35741540/

Links to more of Michael Levin's work:
Bluesky: @drmichaellevin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drmichaellevin
Website: https://drmichaellevin.org

SEMF: https://semf.org.es/school2023/

SciFi Story Made of Meat by Terry Bisson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/They%27re_Made_Out_of_Meat

More Papers:
Biological Robots: https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.00880
Limb Regeneration: https://science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abj2164

SubscribeToYouTubeVideos: https://www.youtube.com/@waymaking23
Website for Love and Philosophy Beyond Dichotomy: https://loveandphilosophy.com/

Hosted by Andrea Hiott. More at https://www.andreahiott.com

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