I recently read Anil Seth’s Being You. It was an insightful and entertaining read, which I’d recommend for anyone interested in where the current zeitgeist sits on the topic of consciousness science. While some say we have “made no progress” in understanding consciousness, Seth disagrees. The subtitle of the book…

Phonemes, graphemes, segmenting… dear lord. This is English homework for a seven-year-old in one of the laxest educational systems in the world? It boggles my mind how people can think mathematics is difficult relative to this. I can solve the Einstein field equations but for the life of me can’t…

You’re wrong. I’m wrong. Everyone’s wrong. But, more than that, we should strive to be wrong. Let me explain. — Our popular understanding of the world, including consciousness, life’s meaning, and even the universe as a whole, is dictated by a vocal minority — by people coerced into saying something or those with an intense desire to assert their opinions. (Don’t worry, the subtle irony has not escaped me.) …

Computers are everywhere. Case in point: you are reading this on a computer now. But what is it that computers do? Let’s step back and ask instead what it is we want them to do. Algorithms and programs Consider the fact that there is nothing your digital computer can compute that a room…

A new meta-experiment in cryptocurrency begins today — It was only on the weekend, and I’ve already forgotten where, but I came across mirror.xyz. Think of it like Medium, but with crypto overtones. People blog there, but they also crowdfund articles, where the patrons hold tokens proving and possibly capitalizing on their patronage. I was intrigued. I had…

At the very tip of the Statue of Liberty, defining the highest point on Lady Liberty’s torch, sits a single atom of gold. Why is it there? A bit more information Every question expresses uncertainty. To resolve uncertainty is to acquire information. Information, in this sense, is quantifiable. The amount of information needed to…

“Mathematics is the language of the universe.” — every science popularizer ever — I am a mathematician. In fact, I have a Ph.D. in mathematics. But, I am terrible at arithmetic. Confused? I certainly would have been if a self-proclaimed mathematician told me that 15 years ago. The answer to this riddle is simple: math is not numbers. Whenever a glimpse of my…

Information complexity and the meaning of life — The fate of the universe rests in your hands, hero. We see it all the time — cosmic battles of good and evil being played out on screen or in video games. But this is science fiction — surely, without superpowers, that hero could never be you… or could it? …

What makes quantum, quantum is just a matter of taste — German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel calls it a “miracle of technology.” The device, an IBM Q System One, was recently unveiled as the most powerful quantum computer in Europe. But what does it mean for it to be “the most powerful” — heck, what does it mean for it to…