People who know me well know I am usually scathing in my criticism of “big thinkers” like Jared Diamond and Yuval Harari. Broad once said that “the nonsense written by philosophers on scientific matters is exceeded only by the nonsense written by scientists on philosophy.” Well, the exception proves the rule, and David Deutsch, a quantum physicist, is an extraordinary thinker whose philosophical ruminations about everything from quantum mechanics to AI to the paradox of congressional apportionment are sure to set you back on your heels. The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World, by David Deutsch John Etchemendy, HAI Denning Co-Director and Provost Emeritus I have recommended this book to scores of people of all backgrounds, and without exception they find it accessible and deeply rewarding. With the octopus we have a real-life, terrestrial specimen of a truly alien intelligence, from which Peter draws lessons not only about the mysteries of these incredible creatures but about the nature of our own minds and consciousness. But this book is an extraordinary excursion into the philosophy of mind – a thorough exploration of a species in which intelligence arose completely independent of the evolutionary line that produced human intelligence.
Peter is a former Stanford colleague and a brilliant philosopher of science. Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness, by Peter Godfrey-Smith Here HAI faculty offer up what they’ve enjoyed recently – from disaster adventures to philosophical approaches to AI to large-scale questions about our relationship with technology. COVID may scuttle the bustle of a busy holiday season, but perhaps one silver lining is more time to work through our reading lists.
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