Engaging with Wonderment
Dear Metapsychonauts,
In a world racked by anxiety and change, there can be a strong temptation to close ourselves off rather than engage with it. But in two essays this week, both very different in style and subject matter, Metapsychosis wants to urge you to do the opposite, entering fully into the mess and wonderment of the universe.
To start with, if you’re feeling perplexed and anxious about all the many conflicting messages we’re receiving about Artificial Intelligence, the essay “What Kind of Smart Is It? — Speculative Hurdles Towards Evaluating Artificial General Intelligence,” by James Curcio (author of MASKS: Bowie & Artists of Artifice) is an excellent place to start. Not only will it guide you through some of the major thinkers in the field, it takes us down strange paths of Nature to consider what consciousness might mean for trees and starfish, zebrafish. Sometimes challenging, but always thought-provoking, this analysis is one that’s worth bookmarking to ponder over several sittings.
On the other hand, if your brain is exhausted from contemplating the twisting turns of machine “intelligence,” J. Lois Diamond’s essay “Journey to Sarnath, Bodh Gaya” is pure vivid experience, and purely human. With masterful language, Diamond describes how, despite the fatigues and frustrations of travel, her visits to two important sites of Buddhist pilgrimage lead to a moment of transcendence against the odds.
If these essays make you think, strike a nerve, or incite you to question, then don’t be shy… join the conversation by leaving a comment on our Infinite Conversations forum. And as always, we welcome members who believe in the importance of this kind of thoughtful, reflective writing and want to lend their gifts to making our community grow.
Thanks for reading!
Mary Thaler
Associate Editor, Metapsychosis journal
Leave a Comment