Download or read book Reality Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy written by David J. Chalmers and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2022-01-25 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A leading philosopher takes a mind-bending journey through virtual worlds, illuminating the nature of reality and our place within it. Virtual reality is genuine reality; that’s the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of “technophilosophy,” David J. Chalmers gives a compelling analysis of our technological future. He argues that virtual worlds are not second-class worlds, and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be in a virtual world already. Along the way, Chalmers conducts a grand tour of big ideas in philosophy and science. He uses virtual reality technology to offer a new perspective on long-established philosophical questions. How do we know that there’s an external world? Is there a god? What is the nature of reality? What’s the relation between mind and body? How can we lead a good life? All of these questions are illuminated or transformed by Chalmers’ mind-bending analysis. Studded with illustrations that bring philosophical issues to life, Reality+ is a major statement that will shape discussion of philosophy, science, and technology for years to come.

Download or read book The Virtual Mind written by Niklas Hageback and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-08-07 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Provides the historical background to the various theories of the mind, from the ancient Greeks to Freudian and Jungian theories up till the most recent findings in modern psychology, including neuropsychoanalysis • Presents and details the distinct components of the mind; the conscious and the unconscious parts with its distinct logic systems, its separate absorptions of perceptions, and the mechanism that incorporates and governs these thought systems into a holistic mind • Reviews how a big data approach of public media can be used to test and formulate the rules and dynamic constants that defines the interaction between the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind • Summarizes in a digested manner the meta model for a virtual mind which gives the reader a computer architecture blueprint to develop machine generated human thinking

Download or read book The Virtual Mind written by Niklas Hageback and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2017-08-07 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Virtual Mind: Designing the Logic to Approximate Human Thinking, through an in-depth and multidisciplinary review, outlines and defines the underpinnings for modelling human thinking through approximating the mind. Whilst there are plenty of efforts underway trying to mimic the brain, its complexities have so far proven insurmountable. But replicating the abstract notion of the mind provides a viable and quicker route. Broadly, the mind consists of a conscious and an unconscious part with separate logic schemes and these absorbs reality in diverging chunks, with the former truncated through narratives and norms and the latter able to amass broader perceptions of reality. These are held together and controlled through a governing mechanism. With the replication and establishment of the mind’s mechanistic rules and dynamic constants, tested through a big data approach from public media, it allows for standardization and machine generated human thinking, a Virtual Mind. A virtual mind is able to cover a wide array of applications, in particular forecasting of human behavior and decision-making. In essence, the whole socioeconomic spectra can be captured, including politics, financial markets and consumer patterns. Another area of potential application would be to augment various game software and of course, it would be applicable for the man-machine connect. The book guides the reader on how to develop and produce a machine generated virtual mind in a step-by-step manner. It is a must for anyone with an interest in artificial intelligence, the design and construction of the next generation of computer logic and it provides an enhanced understanding of mankind’s greatest mystery, the workings of the mind. Niklas Hageback has extensive experience of risk modelling and financial analytics working at tier-one financial institutions and consulting firms, such as Deutsche Bank, KPMG, and Goldman Sachs, where he held regional executive risk management and oversight roles in both Europe and Asia.

Download or read book Fantasy and the Virtual Mind digital original edition written by Andre Nusselder and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2014-01-10 with total page 42 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this BIT, André Nusselder uses the core psychoanalytic notion of fantasy to examine our relationship to computers and digital technology. Lacanian psychoanalysis considers fantasy to be an indispensable “screen” for our interaction with the outside world; Nusselder argues that, at the mental level, computer screens and other human-computer interfaces incorporate this function of fantasy: they mediate the real and the virtual.

Download or read book MindReal written by Robert Ornstein and published by . This book was released on 2010-08-27 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a book that shows, in simple detail, one of the most startling findings of modern science: We don't experience the world as it is, but as virtual reality. And while much of the latest scientific work demonstrates this, as do many of the classical psychological illusions, it is an important meeting point for students of the mind, brain, philosophy and religion because, as we can now see in light of this book, all these disciplines begin at the same place. This is not an abstruse treatise, but part graphic novel and part direct address. It allows the reader a breakthrough understanding of the mind which is not available anywhere else. It is, in part, a summa of Dr. Ornstein's research and writing of the past 35 years (with pieces and references to many of his works) as well as a seminal introduction to new readers.

Download or read book Consensual Illusion The Mind in Virtual Reality written by Vanja Kljajevic and published by Springer. This book was released on 2021-08-26 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is inspired by the contemporary fascination with virtual reality and growing presence of this type of technology in everyday life. It explores the ways in which virtual reality evokes illusory transformation responses. The power of virtual reality is in making the mediation by technology in these experiences appear irrelevant to cognitive processes, so much so that it is often assumed that skills acquired in virtual environments are generally transferable to the physical world. However, cognition is affected by virtual reality technology, which is reflected in issues related to virtual embodiment, choice of spatial strategies, differences in neural and electrophysiological patterns associated with movement processing when navigating virtual vs. physical environments, and, at least to some extent, in virtual proxemics. In addition to spatial cognition, the book explores the sense of self in virtual reality, social interaction and virtual togetherness, action and motor cognition, calling to mind debates from philosophy, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.

Download or read book Neuroengineering The Future Virtual Minds And The Creation Of Immortality written by Bruce F Katz and published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. This book was released on 2008-06-17 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We are on the cusp of a broad revolution, one with startling implications for perception, cognition, emotion, and indeed, personal identity. Still in its relative infancy, this rapidly progressing field is poised to move from perceptual aids such as cochlear implants to devices that will enhance and speed up thought to the ultimate goal of researchers, that of downloading the mind from its bound state in the body to a platform-independent existence. This controversial book describes the science that will make these transformations possible. It begins by describing how the brain works, including an overview of the architecture of the brain. It then examines the current state-of-art neural technologies, including devices that read from the brain, and devices that can write information into the brain. The book also describes how insights from the nascent field of consciousness studies show how the full transfer of the “soul” could be realized. Finally, it considers what it would be like to be a mind unbound, and the possibilities beyond those found in ordinary corporeal life.

Download or read book The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World written by Deanna A. Thompson and published by Abingdon Press. This book was released on 2016-11-01 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We live in a wired world where 24/7 digital connectivity is increasingly the norm. Christian megachurch communities often embrace this reality wholeheartedly while more traditional churches often seem hesitant and overwhelmed by the need for an interactive website, a Facebook page and a twitter feed. This book accepts digital connectivity as our reality, but presents a vision of how faith communities can utilize technology to better be the body of Christ to those who are hurting while also helping followers of Christ think critically about the limits of our digital attachments. This book begins with a conversion story of a non-cell phone owning, non-Facebook using religion professor judgmental of the ability of digital tools to enhance relationships. A stage IV cancer diagnosis later, in the midst of being held up by virtual communities of support, a conversion occurs: this religion professor benefits in embodied ways from virtual sources and wants to convert others to the reality that the body of Christ can and does exist virtually and makes embodied difference in the lives of those who are hurting. The book neither uncritically embraces nor rejects the constant digital connectivity present in our lives. Rather it calls on the church to a) recognize ways in which digital social networks already enact the virtual body of Christ; b) tap into and expand how Christ is being experienced virtually; c) embrace thoughtfully the material effects of our new augmented reality, and c) influence utilization of technology that minimizes distraction and maximizes attentiveness toward God and the world God loves.

Download or read book The Book of Minds written by Philip Ball and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2022-06-28 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Popular science writer Philip Ball explores a range of sciences to map our answers to a huge, philosophically rich question: How do we even begin to think about minds that are not human? Sciences from zoology to astrobiology, computer science to neuroscience, are seeking to understand minds in their own distinct disciplinary realms. Taking a uniquely broad view of minds and where to find them—including in plants, aliens, and God—Philip Ball pulls the pieces together to explore what sorts of minds we might expect to find in the universe. In so doing, he offers for the first time a unified way of thinking about what minds are and what they can do, by locating them in what he calls the “space of possible minds.” By identifying and mapping out properties of mind without prioritizing the human, Ball sheds new light on a host of fascinating questions: What moral rights should we afford animals, and can we understand their thoughts? Should we worry that AI is going to take over society? If there are intelligent aliens out there, how could we communicate with them? Should we? Understanding the space of possible minds also reveals ways of making advances in understanding some of the most challenging questions in contemporary science: What is thought? What is consciousness? And what (if anything) is free will? Informed by conversations with leading researchers, Ball’s brilliant survey of current views about the nature and existence of minds is more mind-expanding than we could imagine. In this fascinating panorama of other minds, we come to better know our own.

Download or read book Virtual Government written by Alex Constantine and published by Feral House. This book was released on 2014-11-03 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this follow-up to Psychic Dictatorship in the USA, researcher Alex Constantine explores the government's misinformation campaigns about its "black-ops."

Download or read book Smile for a Change written by Guy Bavli and published by Motm Publishing. This book was released on 2016-10-18 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What can create the most profound positive effect? A Smile. Guy Bavli grew up in Israel, a country that has been at war practically throughout its existence. However the Israeli people never stopped living, loving, singing, dancing, laughing and smiling! Guy soon realized the power of existence, success and love. A smile! It will change the way you choose to live your life. It is easy to be bitter, angry, and vengeful -- but a smile helps you recover, regenerate, overcome, and live! Guy was an obese child. He was often singled out and ridiculed for his size. He soon learned to win his peers over by making them laugh with him and not at him. He discovered how a simple smile and a positive demeanor can have a ripple effect of unprecedented proportions. Guy Bavli believes that a smile can create a profound positive change, in oneself and in our community. It can relieve one of sadness, open doors to opportunities, and sometimes even cure or prevent sickness. A smile a day can truly keep the doctor away, as it chemically changes our composition and lowers our stress levels. A smile has the power to single-handedly change perception--getting us the job of our dreams and finding the love of our life. It changes us for the better. We can carry it with us everywhere we go and it is FREE! Guy Bavli has dedicated his life showing the world the power of our mind. A world-renowned mentalist, Guy has a real dedication for demonstrating how we all hold the power. Guy Bavli shares his passion for the smile in a candid, genuine and love-for-life voice, while backing it up with sound research and scientific studies. SMILE FOR A CHANGE will leave you in awe of your smile and empowered like never before. No one can make a case for the smile better than Guy Bavli, a mentalist on a mission to create profound change in the world with a winning smile.

Download or read book The Mind Technology Problem written by Robert W. Clowes and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited book deepens the engagement between 21st century philosophy of mind and the emerging technologies which are transforming our environment. Many new technologies appear to have important implications for the human mind, the nature of our cognition, our sense of identity and even perhaps what we think human beings are. They prompt questions such as: Would an uploaded mind be 'me'? Does our reliance on smart phones, or wearable gadgets enhance or diminish the human mind? and: How does our deep reliance upon ambient artificial intelligence change the shape of the human mind? Readers will discover the best philosophical analysis of what current and near future 21st technology means for the metaphysics of mind. Important questions are addressed on matters relating to the extended mind and the distributed self. Expert authors explore the role that the ubiquitous smart phone might have in creating new forms of self-knowledge. They consider machine consciousness, brain enhancement and smart ambient technology, and what they can tell us about phenomenal consciousness. While ideas of artificial general intelligence, cognitive enhancements and the smart environment are widely commented on, serious analysis of their philosophical implications is only getting started. These contributions from top scholars are therefore very timely, and are of particular relevance to students and scholars of the philosophy of mind, philosophy of technology, computer science and psychology.

Download or read book Becoming Virtual written by Pierre Levy and published by Da Capo Press, Incorporated. This book was released on 1998-03-21 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examining the cultural and social impact of new digital technologies, Levy tackles the concept of "the virtual," clearly defining it alongside "the real," "the actual," and "the possible." He shows how the body, the text, and the economy, are made virtual. He then reveals how the Internet and web sites are now transforming the virtual into a "collective intelligence" linked to digital communication. Though Levy agrees with many contemporary philosophers of science that these changes are producing a cultural revolution, he is uniquely optimistic. Allaying the fears of those who think technology will dehumanize society, he demonstrates how the virtual has always been an enduring component of the human mind.

Download or read book Virtual Humans written by David Burden and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2019-01-24 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Virtual Humans provides a much-needed definition of what constitutes a ‘virtual human’ and places virtual humans within the wider context of Artificial Intelligence development. It explores the technical approaches to creating a virtual human, as well as emergent issues such as embodiment, identity, agency and digital immortality, and the resulting ethical challenges. The book presents an overview of current research and practice in this area, and outlines the major challenges faced by today’s developers and researchers. The book examines the possibility for using virtual humans in a variety of roles, from personal assistants to teaching, coaching and knowledge management, and the book situates these discussions around familiar applications (e.g. Siri, Cortana, Alexa) and the portrayal of virtual humans within Science Fiction. Features Presents a comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing field Provides an array of relevant, real-life examples from expert practitioners and researchers from around the globe in how to create the avatar body, mind, senses and ability to communicate Intends to be broad in scope yet practical in approach, so that it can serve the needs of several different audiences, including researchers, teachers, developers and anyone with an interest in where these technologies might take us Covers a wide variety of issues which have been neglected in other research texts; for example, definitions and taxonomies, the ethical challenges of virtual humans and issues around digital immortality Includes numerous examples and extensive references

Download or read book Thinking Computers and Virtual Persons written by Eric Dietrich and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2014-05-10 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thinking Computers and Virtual Persons: Essays on the Intentionality of Machines explains how computations are meaningful and how computers can be cognitive agents like humans. This book focuses on the concept that cognition is computation. Organized into four parts encompassing 13 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the analogy between intentionality and phlogiston, the 17th-century principle of burning. This text then examines the objection to computationalism that it cannot prevent arbitrary attributions of content to the various data structures and representations involved in a computational process. Other chapters consider that the notion of original intentionality is incoherent. This book argues as well that the only way to build an intelligent machine is to build a neural network. The final chapter claims that an entire theoretical framework in cognitive psychology is incompatible with the view that human brains are computers of some sort. This book is a valuable resource for cognitive scientists.

Download or read book Neuroengineering The Future written by Bruce Katz and published by Jones & Bartlett Learning. This book was released on 2008 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Describing how the brain works, this book includes an overview of the architecture of the brain. It examines the neural technologies, including devices that read from the brain, and devices that can write information into the brain.

Download or read book Building a Second Brain written by Tiago Forte and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-06-14 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Building a second brain is getting things done for the digital age. It's a ... productivity method for consuming, synthesizing, and remembering the vast amount of information we take in, allowing us to become more effective and creative and harness the unprecedented amount of technology we have at our disposal"--