Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature

I started writing this one while Mr. Kundera was still alive. He has since passed on, but his legacy will exist forever in history as a moment as fixed as the Big Bang itself. I hope my tribute to him and his novel does justice to his work.Music by OB-LIX, Zakhar Valaha, Aleksey Chistilin, and Yevhen Onoychenko from PixabayTony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

Progress is speeding up even as the world barrels toward one of innumerable disasters. What lies ahead, and what should we do when we get there? In the best-case scenario, we may still have control over our direction.Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠Music credits:"Half Mystery" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0"Hypnothis" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Deliberate Thought" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Rising Tide" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

It's a great day for an existential crisis! What are the odds that you ever existed at all? Find that out and more on our latest foray into the insanity of existence!Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠References:Nick Bostrom AI TED Talkhttps://youtu.be/MnT1xgZgkpkAll Tomorrows episode inspiration (not directly related)-https://youtu.be/YbuulUQzHRUDeepmind destroying Atari -https://www.infoq.com/news/2020/05/deepmind-ai-atari/Warming cities - https://www.theguardian.com/cities/ng-interactive/2017/nov/03/three-degree-world-cities-drowned-global-warmingThe following music was used for this media project:Music: Relaxing Piano Improvisation by Alexander NakaradaFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5978-relaxing-piano-improvisationLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/Music: Evacuation by Sascha EndeFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/8118-evacuationLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://www.sascha-ende.deMusic: Journey Of Hope by Alexander NakaradaFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4718-journey-of-hopeLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://www.serpentsoundstudios.com/

There's no real answer for the question of why we are here. At least not one that we know. Sure, the big bang, evolution, emperors and economies. But that doesn't answer the question of why. Why are we here? Well, we emerged. From what - that is the question. As always, thanks for listening. It means a lot to me that someone, somewhere can hear my thoughts.Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠Resources:Aristotle:https://se-scholar.com/se-blog/2017/6/23/who-said-the-whole-is-greater-than-the-sum-of-the-partsSpace and the distances between:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_travelEmptiness of atoms:https://education.jlab.org/qa/how-much-of-an-atom-is-empty-space.htmlExurb1a and hard logicality:https://youtu.be/EH-z9gE2uGYMachine learning:https://www.sas.com/en_us/insights/analytics/machine-learning.htmlCrashcourse neural networks:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oV3ZY6tJiA0Honeybee honeycombs:https://www.nature.com/articles/srep28341Music:The Descent by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4490-the-descentLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseAnguish by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3373-anguishLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseMagic Tavern by Alexander NakaradaLink: https://filmmusic.io/song/9139-magic-tavernLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseLeaving Home by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4708-leaving-homeLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

When the robot overlords come for me, tell them I'm out grabbing a byte. I joke, but artificial intelligence may legitimately mean the end of life as we know it if we're not careful. In this series I'll be investigating the many facets of AI and what the future may hold for humanity.Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠Resources:Uyghur genocide, perpetuated by the government of China: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59595952 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/world/asia/china-surveillance-xinjiang.htmlCRISPR gene editing:https://www.newscientist.com/definition/what-is-crispr/AlphaFold AI protein folding project:https://deepmind.com/blog/article/alphafold-a-solution-to-a-50-year-old-grand-challenge-in-biologyDeep Blue chess AI project:https://www.ibm.com/ibm/history/ibm100/us/en/icons/deepblue/Prions and mad cow disease:https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/all-about-bse-mad-cow-diseaseTesla’s AI:https://www.tesla.com/AISam Harris TED Talk:https://youtu.be/8nt3edWLgIgFlowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36576608-flowers-for-algernonBrief history of the universe:https://www.space.com/52-the-expanding-universe-from-the-big-bang-to-today.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_No_Mouth,_and_I_Must_ScreamKardashev scale:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scaleA significant portion of the video was inspired by CGP Grey’s video on AI, it is definitely worth a watch:https://youtu.be/7Pq-S557XQUMusic:Deep Relaxation Preview by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5726-deep-relaxation-previewLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseHealing by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3860-healingLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

There is little doubt in my mind that artificial intelligence is the most fascinating, utterly confusing, and potentially dangerous development mankind will go through. In the near future, we will need to face ethical questions of such kind as, do we grant personhood to AI? How do we determine who qualifies as a person and therefore is afforded ‘human rights’? What restrictions, if any, are necessary on personhood and artificial intelligence to ensure the flourishing and continuation of life?What I believe lies at the very heart of this discussion, is consciousness. Consciousness as subjective experience of the world seems to be more or less how we determine right from wrong. We find it immoral to cause harm to a subjectively experiencing entity, from babies to puppies, so long as we agree that they are in fact capable of subjective experience. Will AI develop this felt experience? And how will we tell?These questions, and more, I hope to address in this new series. Take care guys.Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠Music credits:Impact Prelude by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7565-impact-preludeLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Quite a messy episode. Freedom of speech is messy. Even so, I hope to convince you of the truth of what Voltaire stood for.Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠Links-Voltaire's Treatise on Tolerance: https://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/voltaire1763.pdfLife and times of Voltaire:https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/voltaire/Voltaire's Candide:https://www.gutenberg.org/files/19942/19942-h/19942-h.htmHong Kong autonomy:https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/China-retreats-from-50-year-pledge-of-Hong-Kong-autonomy2Mao ZeDong's sparrow drive:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0306422018800259Whorf hypothesis:https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/sapir-whorf-hypothesisGeorge Orwell's 1984:http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txtMusic credits:Waltz (Tschikovsky Op. 40) by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4605-waltz-tschikovsky-op-40-License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licensePride by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4239-prideLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseLeaving Home by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4708-leaving-homeLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

As with many of Plato's works, it is legitimately impossible to overstate the impact and significance of Plato's Republic on our society, development, and life in general. As I explore the smallest fraction of the wisdom within, I relay and relate my thoughts on the January 6th attack on the Capitol Building of the United States of America. Perhaps there is something we can learn from Plato that may help us through this time. Or perhaps not. But if there is even the slightest chance that something can save our republic, I believe it is absolutely worth a try.Read Plato's Republic at Project Gutenberg:https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1497/1497-h/1497-h.htmTony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠Music credits:Relent by Kevin MacLeod - volume adjustmentsLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4274-relentLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseCanon In D For Two Renaissance Harps by Kevin MacLeod - volume adjustmentsLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/6958-canon-in-d-for-two-renaissance-harpsLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseEnergizing by Kevin MacLeod - volume adjustmentsLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5709-energizingLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseAdding The Sun by Kevin MacLeod - volume adjustmentsLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5708-adding-the-sunLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseTruth in the Stones by Kevin MacLeod - volume adjustmentsLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4550-truth-in-the-stonesLicense: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Hermann Hesse wrote in German, but the concepts within are indescribable in any language. Watch and listen to my struggle to understand. And please, if you can...enlighten us.Video link: https://youtu.be/PeBec7wzgGMRead Siddhartha from Project Gutenberg:https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2500/2500-h/2500-h.htmListen to the audiobook from LibriVox:https://librivox.org/siddhartha-by-hermann-hesse/Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠

In Defense of Sam Harris. Politics are not the most important thing in my life; that spot is reserved for philosophy. Sam Harris found himself in a defensive political game for much of the past few years, which is really a shame as his academic work seems to me much more important a place for Sam to put his PhD brain to use. In this episode I argue that taking breaks from political life is important if you wish to not be entirely consumed by it.Tony Talks Back: Philosophy and Literature ⁠https://linktr.ee/tonytalksback ⁠PODCAST Youtube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@tonytalksback⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHN4X7VvDAUa0cTbXzsme⁠SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tonytalksback⁠TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tony.talks.back⁠Threads: ⁠https://www.threads.com/@tonytalksback⁠Twitter/X: ⁠https://x.com/tonytalksback⁠Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tonytalksback.bsky.social⁠Facebook: ⁠https://facebook.com/TonyTalksBack⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/tonytalksback/⁠Mastodon: ⁠https://mastodon.social/@tonytalksback⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/u/TonyTalksBackPodcast⁠Also check out A Dose of Sanity Newsletter and Radio:YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/@adoseofsanityradio⁠Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3isuX30MShRM7KwLHL71qy⁠Substack: ⁠https://open.substack.com/pub/adoseofsanity⁠Sam Harris and Dave Rubin on the Rubin Report:https://youtu.be/zQqxlzHJrU0Sam Harris on Bill Maher with special guest Batman (Ben Affleck):https://youtu.be/vln9D81eO60Music credits:Cold Funk by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3522-cold-funkLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - fade in/outSax, Rock, and Roll by Kevin MacLeodLink: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4324-sax-rock-and-rollLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - fade in/out