Podcast #24: Michael Zimmerman Gets Philosophical on Tech
In a wide-ranging conversation, philosopher Michael Zimmerman contextualizes our technological journey within the history of Western thought.
The Informed Preference for Permanence (Principles of Technoskepticism, Part Three)
Our technological mindset leads to an “enforced impermanence” as the new is always prioritized over the old. The resultant rootlessness and churn contributes to a sense of disequilibrium while keeping us apart from the steadying forces of tradition and wisdom.
Podcast #17: Cal Newport on Deep Work
For a computer scientist, Georgetown professor and author Cal Newport is hard to reach via email. But it’s part of his philosophy that focused concentration–so elusive in our overstimulated world–is the key to a better and more rewarding work and personal life.
Podcast #16: Tomaso Poggio on the State of AI
After a long so-called winter, artificial intelligence has recently made amazing gains. Tomaso Poggio, Director of MIT’s Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines, explains why this success is still a long way from the dystopian fears of robot overlords, but that the threat to jobs is real.
Art Appreciation Under Pressure: The Evolution of Evaluation
With endless feeds and ubiquitous ratings, connecting with a work of art online in an autonomous, meaningful way has become difficult.