philosophy
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What are the limits of neuroscience?
[My answer to a recent Quora question.] There are two major problems with neuroscience: Weak philosophical foundations when dealing with mental concepts Questionable statistical analyses of experimental results 1. Neuroscience needs a bit of philosophy Many neuroscientific results are presented without sufficiently nuanced philosophical knowledge. This can lead to cartoonish and potentially harmful conceptions of…
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Does dopamine produce a feeling of bliss? On the chemical self, the social self, and reductionism.
Here’s the intro to my latest blog post at 3 Quarks Daily. “The osmosis of neuroscience into popular culture is neatly symbolized by a phenomenon I recently chanced upon: neurochemical-inspired jewellery. It appears there is a market for silvery pendants shaped like molecules of dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, norepinephrine and other celebrity neurotransmitters. Under pictures of…
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From Cell Membranes to Computational Aesthetics: On the Importance of Boundaries in Life and Art
My next 3QD column is out. I speculate about the role of boundaries in life and aesthetic experience. (Dopamine cells make a cameo appearance too.) This image is a taster: If you want to know what this diagram might mean, check out the article: From Cell Membranes to Computational Aesthetics: On the Importance of Boundaries…
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From Cell Membranes to Computational Aesthetics: On the Importance of Boundaries in Life and Art
My next 3QD column is out. I speculate about the role of boundaries in life, curiosity, and identity. This image is a taster: If you want to know what this diagram might mean, check out the article: From Cell Membranes to Computational Aesthetics: On the Importance of Boundaries in Life and Art
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The Mysterious Power of Naming in Human Cognition
I’ve written a long-form essay for the blog/aggregator site 3 Quarks Daily: Boundaries and Subtleties: the Mysterious Power of Naming in Human Cognition Here’s a taster: I’ve divided up the essay into four parts. Here’s the plan: We’ll introduce two key motifs — the named and the nameless — with a little help from the Tao Te…