QUICK THOUGHTS

Church-Turing-Deutsch: New Animated Short

1/15/2025

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(Yogi)

We have yet another short animated video for you: it introduces chapter 7 of "Beyond the Age of Machines."

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The Blind Spot - ADAM FRANK

1/9/2025

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(Yogi)

As part of our outreach program, we organize a series of public online discussion sessions with philosophers, biologists, and other researchers who do work that is relevant to our own project. The format is that of a short introductory presentation by our guests, followed by a panel discussion and a Q&A session involving the whole audience.

“There can be no experience of the world without the experiencer and that, my dear friends, is us.”

This discussion revolves around “The Blind Spot” (2024), a book co-authored by physicists Adam Frank and Marcelo Gleiser with philosopher Evan Thompson. It discusses the importance of science for the survival of humanity in our current moment of metacrisis, but also takes a critical stance towards interpretations of scientific knowledge that neglect the uniquely situated standpoint of the limited human observer. Using numerous examples from physics, biology, and cognitive neuroscience, it proposes various ways to overcome this “blind spot” towards a more grounded, humane, and sustainable science for the 21st -century.

Adam Frank is professor of computational astrophysics at Rochester University, with a research focus on magnetic flows involved in star formation and the dynamics of planetary nebula. He is also an active researcher in the field of astrobiology, studying the planetary impacts of our own civilization, in order to better understand the evolution of potential exo-civilizations. Adam is a very active science communicator, co-founder of the 13.7 and 13.8 science blogs, frequent contributor to NPR and the New York Times (among other major media outlets), and the author of books such as “About Time,” “Light of the Stars,” and the “Little Book of Aliens.”

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TWO short animated videos out today!

1/9/2025

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(Yogi)

We have a double-whammy for you today: the release of TWO short videos. The first is about chapter 5 of "Beyond the Age of Machines" ...

... and the second covers chapter 6:

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Appendix 3: Some Words About Set Theory

1/5/2025

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(Yogi)

For those interested in matters such as the foundations of math, paradoxes, and weird hypersets, we now have an appendix on set theory in "Beyond the Age of Machines" that discusses all these topics. You can access the full text here.

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Full Lecture: The Age of Machines

12/24/2024

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(Yogi)

Here's a little present for the holidays: we've completed our second full lecture for "Beyond the Age of Machines." It provides an introduction to the book:

You can find the full text of the chapter here.

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The Art of Modeling

12/21/2024

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(Yogi)

Just in time for the holidays! Chapter 11 of "Beyond the Age of Machines" is here! A centerpiece of the book called "The Art of Modelling:"

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KunstHaus Wien - Museum Hundertwasser: Dialogführung Erdzeitalter & Universum

12/11/2024

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IYogi)

Yogi was asked by KunstHaus Wien - Museum Hundertwasser in Vienna to provide a guided tour through the exhibition by artist Anne Duk Hee Jordan, entitled "The End is Where We Start From."

We discussed the difference between natural ecologies and artificial technologies, process thinking for overcoming restraining categories, and natural intelligence vs. algorithic mimicry.

Here is the blurb (in German):

Zusammen mit dem Evolutionsbiologen und Naturphilosophen Johannes Jäger und Veronika Hackl (KunstHausWien) wird die Ausstellung The End is Where We Start From von Anne Duk Hee Jordan beleuchtet. Duk Hee‘s künstlerischen Positionen legen den Grundstein für Fragen rund um die Entstehung der Welt, die Kreislaufbewegung des Seins bis hin zur künstlichen Intelligenz (oder ihrer Dummheit).

In der dialogischen Tour durch diesen Ausstellungsparcours wird eine Brücke zwischen Kunst und Wissenschaft geschlagen, die das tiefe Nachdenken über die Prozesse der Welt und des Universums anregen.

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Philosophers in Studio

12/3/2024

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Johannes Jaeger, Andrea Loettgers, Paul Poledna, and Kevin Purkhauser join Marcus Neustetter and Bronwyn Lace in studio for a creative discussion. Afterwards Neustetter plays with some of the marks made during the dialogue about process and research.

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Perspectival Realism - MICHELA MASSIMI

11/28/2024

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(Yogi/Andrea/Kevin)

”Perspectival realism is not a brand of convergent realism because there is nothing to converge to. All we are left with are chains of indicative conditionals through which our inferential reasoning with perspectival models routinely takes place.”

The idea that scientific knowledge is shaped by various perspectives is one of the most recognizable concepts in the philosophy of science. At the same time, the concept is complex and often used in diverse or inconsistent ways, which has led some philosophers to argue for a more unified approach. We talked to Michela about why perspectival realism is essential for contemporary philosophy of science and what is meant exactly by “the dynamic and context-dependent nature of scientific knowledge.”

At the request of Michela, this conversation was not recorded.

Michela Massimi is a Professor of Philosophy of Science at the University of Edinburgh. Her research interests span scientific perspectivism, the history and philosophy of science, and epistemology. She has been advocating a new take on perspectival realism, which appeared in a monograph entitled “Perspectival Realism: Knowledge from a Human Vantage Point."

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Nexus Zone

11/22/2024

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On November 22nd, we had the pleasure of hosting nexus_art + science with The ZoNE in the studio of Bronwyn Lace and Marcus Neustetter. The presentations and conversations dived deep into the world of our current research and experiences in the interfaces between art and science. nexus_art + science, Bronwyn Lace, BASAK SENOVA, Marcus Neustetter and Johannes Jaeger shared their experiences and work and the studio was finally activated by a live studio process by Lace and Neustetter .

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Workshops in Worldbuilding - Galemo Montessori School Klosterneuburg

11/19/2024

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(Yogi)

Marcus and Yogi designed and facilitated two workshops for high-school kids on how humans get to know their world. These workshops took place at Galemo Montessori School in Klosterneuburg, near Vienna.

The basic idea of our workshops is to ask the participating students to build a world around a small personal item that they bring to the course.

The resulting small portable world are used as the basis for a discussion about what is and what is not under our own control in our lives. As a second part of the workshop, we bring our individual world together with those that others around us have created.

In the end, we learn how we build our own world as we go through our lives, and how those worlds do (or do not) connect with other living beings around us.

These workshops are the beginning of a practice-oriented methodology for teaching high-schoolers the difference between the ways in which living and non-living beings get to know the world and each other.

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Epistemic Cuts

11/7/2024

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(Yogi)

New chapter out! Number10 of "Beyond the Age of Machines:" "Epistemic Cuts" talks about the most fundamental distinction we need to make in order to make sense of our world — the one between self and ambience — and how to bridge that cut with a physics of symbols.

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The Age of Machines (Animated Short)

11/4/2024

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(Yogi)

Our latest short video is out! This one is a teaser for chapter 3 of "Beyond the Age of Machines."

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What it is like to be a scientist...

10/18/2024

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(Yogi)

Good things take time: at long last, here is chapter 9 of "Beyond the Age of Machines," a fat and central chunk of argument called "What it is like to be a scientist."

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Our Manifesto & 12 Theses

10/11/2024

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(Yogi)

Our manifesto for "Beyond the Age of Machines" is now out on video!

Full text here.

And we've also made a short video of the 12 Theses behind the book.

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Death to the Demon!

10/6/2024

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(Marcus & Yogi)

This is the beginning of a big project: we plan to produce a short animated video, and a full lecture, for each of the emerging chapters of our book, "Beyond the Age of Machines."

To keep with the nonlinear structure of the book, we start with Chapter 4., "Death to the Demon," It introduces the idea of certain knowledge in a deterministic world, in the form of Laplace's Demon, and it argues why this Demon must be killed and buried, once and for all.

Above is the link to the short animated video, below the full lecture.

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Philosophicum in Lech - Kevin wins Essay Prize!

9/28/2024

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(Kevin)

At the 27th Philosophicum in Lech, themed “Sand in the Gears, Philosophy of Disruption,” ("Sand im Getriebe, Philosophie der Störung"), 650 attendees were immersed in a contemplative environment amid the serene alpine landscapes of the Lechtal. The event combined philosophical depth with the stunning backdrop of nature, engaging participants with a dense program of discussions, lectures, and intimate seminars.

The conference featured poignant narratives and sharp debates. The first disruption was climate activist Anja Windl’s passionate plea for environmental action. An intervention of a kind which, however, seemed to fade away soon without deeper stimulation. The sessions included outstanding presentations from Esther Kinsky and Lambert Wiesing, with Kinsky
exploring the “Poetics of Unrest” through a mesmerizing reading, while Wiesing took attendees on a philosophical adventure from skepticism through Dada to postmodernism and back.

This year’s event was also significant for the awarding of essay prizes to twenty participants, a distinction I was honored to receive, allowing me the opportunity to partake in this enriching experience.

The Philosophicum proved to be not just an academic gathering but a dynamic community event, where discussions stretched into the night, fostering deep connections and lively exchanges among attendees. The conference concluded with reflections on the fleeting yet profound impact of these philosophical engagements.

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Pushing the Boundaries — Discussion Sessions: Daniel S. Brooks

9/25/2024

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(Yogi)

:[L]evels of organization can be thought of as local maxima of regularity and predictability in the phase space of alternate modes of organization of matter."

This discussion, with philosopher Dan Brooks, revolves around the intriguing quote above (from Bill Wimsatt’s “Re-Engineering Philosophy for Limited Beings"). The idea that there are levels of organization in our experienced reality is one of the most recognizable concepts in the life, neuro, and social sciences. At the same time, the concept is overloaded, and often used in vague or inconsistent ways, which has led some philosophers to argue that we should do away with it altogether. We talk to Dan about why levels are essential for contemporary biology and philosophy of science, and what is meant exactly by “local maxima of regularity and predictability in the organization of matter.”

Daniel S. Brooks is currently a visiting Professor for Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Wuppertal. His research interests span the history and philosophy of the life sciences (particularly developmental biology, ecology and neuroscience), concept usage in science, naturalized epistemology, methodology in philosophy, and existentialism. He has been advocating a new take on levels organization which will appear in a monograph which is (tentatively) entitled “The Leveled World: The Role of Levels of Organization in Biological Thought.”

Book: "Levels of Organization in the Biological Sciences" (with James DiFrisco & William C. Wimsatt)

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WISSENSKUNST - Open Studio and Lecture Performance

9/21/2024

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(Marcus & Yogi)

Yogi, together with artist Bronwyn Lace of the ZoNE, gave a performance lecture during our open studio event on Sep 21, 2024, at the Creative Cluster in Vienna (5. District). We talk about our outreach activities, Wissenskunst, the ontology of the undefinable, magical realism, and our notion of what is real, and how to make our own worlds a reality.

(image credits: Başak Şenova and Hilde Janssens)

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Magnet Theatre Workshop, Cape Town

9/20/2024

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Some snapshots from an inspiring collaborative process in Cape Town - Marcus Neustetter has been on a journey of world-making at Magnet Theatre towards the upcoming show: mAnJE ! MaNJe (an epic). These moments reference the mythical Daedalus and his creations in a local and contemporary take, that articulates some ideas of the The ZoNE and Pushing the Boundaries research. More on the outcome can be seen at: https://magnettheatre.co.za/production/manje-manje-an-epic/

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Pushing the Boundaries — Discussion Sessions: Hasok Chang

9/18/2024

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(Yogi)

In this first installment of our online discussions, we talk with Hasok Chang about his latest book "Realism for Realistic People." It aims to outline a philosophy of science focused on understanding and promoting the actual practices of inquiry in science and other knowledge-focused areas of life, while rejecting the traditional notion of metaphysical realism, which claims that our theories correspond to some ultimate reality. Instead, Chang proposes an “activist realism,” offering a novel pragmatist conception of truth and reality as operational ideals, achievable through actual scientific practice.

Hasok Chang is the Hans Rausing Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge University. His research interests lie in the history and philosophy of chemistry and physics from the 18th century onward, as well as the philosophy of scientific practice. He also engages with a variety of topics in the philosophy of science, including realism, pluralism, pragmatism, measurement, and evidence.

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THE ZoNE - agitating the space between art and science (conference presentation)

9/13/2024

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The ZonE - agitating the space between art and science
by Marcus Neustetter
presented at the
37th Annual South African Visual Arts Historians Conference,
12-14 September 2024
hosted at the: Department of Visual Arts in the School of Visual and Performing Arts, Faculty of Humanities, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa Theme: UNSETTLED: re-Collective Memories and Histories of South Africa

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Ars Electronica

9/7/2024

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(Kevin/Paul)

During our visit to the Ars Electronica Festival 2024 in Linz, Paul and Kevin explored a variety of innovative technologies. We interacted with an AI-powered vacuum cleaner and experienced music driven by double oscillators. The exhibition showcased diverse AI art and offered insights into artistic interpretations through technology. Highlights included an extensive display on scientific evolution and a simple yet captivating exhibit of mechanically flying silver fish. Additionally, we attended a talk by Anil Seth on creativity, which provided profound insights into the creative processes influenced by technological advancements.

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LANDMASCHINE - Schloss Lind

8/24/2024

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(Marcus & Yogi)

As part of our outreach activities, we were commissioned (through the arts & science collective The ZoNE), to contribute to the event called "Landmaschine" ("land machine") at Schloss Lind, a museum for art and local history in Styria, Austria, where we will also have an exhibition next year.

Our activities at the Schloss can be subdivided into three parts: (1) a projection display (of project-related videos, among other animated elements) on the front facade of the castle, plus (2/3) two installations in the former sheep stable on the domain (one on each side of the building), which we used to address the problem of looking at the world as a machine (the theme of our book, "Beyond the Age of Machines"). These installations juxtapose and integrate technology and mechanisms with the natural processes of the castle garden, and the local insect life attracted by our projections. Parts of the installation remain over winter, exposed to the weather, to be revisited and reactivated next year during our exhibition. Actions such as these are powerful interventions demonstrating our philosophical and scientific approach in applied settings, to audiences not usually exposed to academic presentations or scientific research of the abstract kind we are engaged in.

Artwork by Marcus Neustetter and Bronwyn Lace.

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Toward a Metamodern Science

8/16/2024

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(Yogi)

Yogi just published an essay on metamodern science. Metamodern is what comes after postmodernism: a science that acknowledges our embeddedness in a reality that is bigger than our minds, but also acknowledges that our knowledge is always perspectival, situated in our particular personal, social, and historical circumstances. Metamodern science is process-oriented and pluralist, without falling into intellectual traps like panpsychism or pancomputationalism. Metamodern science is fully aware of its roots in individual human experience. It is pragmatic and useful, adapative, and ever-changing, yet rigorous and robust. Metamodern science is the future of science.

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