“Physics Is Pointing Inexorably to Mind”

Last updated on: March 26, 2019 at 7:44 pm by Dan Peterson

“Physics Is Pointing Inexorably to Mind” 2019-03-26T19:44:30-06:00 Dan Peterson

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A 2013 view of the Rancho La Brea tar pits in Hancock Park, near 5900 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

I find some of the new thinking that’s going along these lines absolutely intriguing:

“Physics Is Pointing Inexorably to Mind: So-called “information realism” has some surprising implications”

Is mind an accidental by-product of random physical processes, a chance epiphenomenon, or is it a fundamental reality?

It won’t come as a surprise to many that I’m inclined to believe that intelligence is irreducible, absolutely basic. Not derivative, but primary.

***

I can’t remember the first time that I visited the La Brea tar pits. For some reason, they’re among my earliest memories. I grew up in greater Los Angeles, and my parents took me to the tar pits many times when I was small. Thereafter, I visited them on several occasions as part of school field trips. And then, while living in California and, later, when returning home to visit my parents, my wife and I took our young children several times to visit them.

And, of course, the most fascinating creature represented there at the tar pits, from the standpoint of a young boy, was — without question — the saber-toothed tiger. And what a wonderful scientific name he had! Smilodon. Or, even better, Smilodon fatalis.

And now there’s new information about the toothsome ancient feline:

“Saber-toothed cats were fierce and family-oriented: A freshly detailed picture shows Smilodon helping the injured and the young”

***

Some of these will strike you as much more important than others, but they’re all interesting:

“Top 10 science anniversaries to celebrate in 2019: This year’s noteworthy nostalgia includes births, deaths, expeditions and tabulations”

***

I can’t recall whether I’ve already shared this interesting item here. It’s helpfully clear and well illustrated:

“A deeper understanding of the Grand Canyon: After 100 years as a national park and eons as a geological wonder, the American icon continues to reveal layers of its past and of the landscape ahead”

One of my great regrets is that, although it’s not very far away from where I live, I’ve visited the Grand Canyon on only a handful of occasions. (I’ve also flown over it multiple times.) Oddly, I’ve been to the pyramids of Egypt, and to the North Shore of Oahu, much more often than I’ve visited either the South Rim or the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. I hope to remedy that a bit in future years.

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