By: Jonita Fair-Payton on January 18, 2024
“It is frustratingly clear to those who seek to eliminate mystery from life that the spirit and soul bring us right up to the edge of some of the most profound mysteries of our existence.”(1) Whew! This discussion about souls is a heavy one. I confess that I have a healthy fear of AI. I…
By: Adam Harris on January 18, 2024
In the original Jurassic Park film, where prehistoric titans are brought back to life and wreak havoc on an island, Dr. Ian Malcom famously says, “Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn’t stop to think if they should.” This question seems to be on a…
By: Jenny Dooley on January 18, 2024
I am a bit chagrined to admit that I haven’t given AI much thought. I am not the most technologically minded person. I find the concepts of AI hard to grasp. My understanding is limited to what I have been exposed to through our reading last semester, the very helpful Zoom session last week with…
By: Cathy Glei on January 17, 2024
“By the time you read this, there will be several more lists of new laws, and the regulation debate will have moved on yet again. but the argument of this book is less about these details and more about how we need to rethink our first principles. Well first generation AI may require Draconian control,…
By: Russell Chun on January 17, 2024
Hágase la luz! Let there be light (Spanish) Introduction Part 1: What my peers and others are saying. Part 2: What I took away from Poole. Part 3: How this impacts my NPO Epilogue Introduction: 11 January 2024, During a bible study, an elderly gentlemen shared his testimony. He spoke of his assignment in 1950…
By: Esther Edwards on January 16, 2024
I remember growing up watching a show called “The Jetsons.” The Jetsons lived in the Sky Pad apartments in Orbit City, Outer Space, and possessed futuristic amenities including a robot maid named Rosie. Even as a little girl, watching it had me dream of the day I wouldn’t have to clean my room and a…
By: Tim Clark on January 15, 2024
The Ultimate Computer was an episode of Star Trek[1] that featured the character Dr. Richard Daystrom, a scientist tasked to upload his powerful “M5 computer” into the Starship Enterprise so it could control the ship for upcoming wargames. This efficient supercomputer quickly turned deadly, first killing a crew member (because it was in the way…
By: Pam Lau on January 15, 2024
“ . . .The crew never believed they had failed. Instead they believed that each idea led them a bit closer to finding the better option. And that allowed them to come to work each day engaged and excited even in the midst of confusion. This is key.”[1] In 2014, Ed Catmull wrote a…
By: Kally Elliott on January 15, 2024
In her own blog post, Eve Poole writes, “My friend is writing a book on robot sex. He’s a professor of ethics, so that’s his day job. And jobs seem to be what it’s all about; widespread panic that the robots are going to put us all out of business.”[1] Interesting. I listened to a…
By: John Fehlen on January 15, 2024
Spoiler Alert: The following post contains spoilers for Eve Poole’s 2024 book entitled Robot Souls: Programming in Humanity, as well as for the 2024 Netflix movie Leave the World Behind starring America’s Sweetheart Julia Roberts. I consumed both at approximately the same period of time (the week after our final Spring semester class), and the…
By: Kim Sanford on January 15, 2024
The title says it all. Robot Souls. In her latest book, Eve Poole explores questions like: What would it take for robots to have souls? In order to answer that question, we have to define what a soul really is, which she discusses at length. [1] Then the next question is, would it even be…
By: Dinka Utomo on January 11, 2024
This gives all of us a moral obligation to listen to each other with full attention and an open mind. But the point of this hard work is communication, not deference -Yascha Mounk- I will commence this article by emphasizing two significant aspects that, from my point of view, should not be casually disregarded.…
By: Jana Dluehosh on January 11, 2024
Identity. What a hard concept to nail down and at the same time a key part of every human experience. One of my past teachers stated, “we are the medicine, how well do you know that medicine?”. [1] This is a key part of my “why” I do what I do and who I am. …
By: Mathieu Yuill on January 11, 2024
Yascha Mounk’s, Identity Trap[1], is not just a treatise on the dynamics of identity politics; it’s a mirror reflecting the challenges and opportunities in harmonizing a company’s mission and vision with the richness of its employees’ identities. Complexity of Identity Politics and Company Vision Integration Mounk’s narrative around the complexity of identity politics parallels the…
By: Adam Harris on January 11, 2024
Before there was the “bi-racial” box on examines, as a kid I felt the need to find a creative way to show my race when filling out the pre-information before answering questions in English, science, or math. Most of my friends would simply color in the “white” box. Most expected me to fill in the…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on January 11, 2024
I want to share a story with you. It came to mind as I read the introduction of The Identity Trap. As I have shared in other blogs, I am a Consultant and I work with non- profit organizations, churches, and charitable foundations. During the pandemic, in July of 2020, I worked with a CEO…
By: Todd E Henley on January 11, 2024
I have always enjoyed preaching, teaching, training, podcasting, and hosting workshops. About 90% of the time, I am asked to speak on topics such as: Trauma’s impact on the body, brain, immune system, or nervous system. How to help the body heal from childhood trauma? How pornography and/or sex addiction wires the brain. Generational trauma…
By: Jenny Dooley on January 11, 2024
The Identity Trap: A story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, by Yascha Mounk, offered a clear perspective on the discord and polarization I encountered when I returned to the USA in 2014. Something had drastically changed over the years that I could not put my finger on and left me fearful of speaking…
By: Esther Edwards on January 10, 2024
I entered high school in the late 70s with much apprehension and excitement as most teenagers do. A new high school had been built and my class would be the first class to attend all four years. You see, Cumberland Regional High School was beautifully designed with the hopes of bringing greater relief to the…
By: Cathy Glei on January 10, 2024
“. . . identity synthesis may likely lead to a society that fundamentally violates his most fundamental values and his most ardent aspirations for the future. The lure that attracts so many people to the identity synthesis is a desire to overcome persistent injustices and create a society of genuine equals but the likely outcome…
