New additions to the Heap…

1. The constraints of locality, the utility of attention, and other lessons in modeling what brains do when we learn — recent work on learning algorithms elucidates differences between brains and artificial neural networks
2. “Once we accept that extensions of concern to other animals are not forced on us by the nature of reasonableness itself, as Korsgaard hoped, there is a temptation to say that everything here is a matter of feelings and emotional responses” — “There is more to it than that.” Peter Godfrey-Smith (Sydney) on the problem with Korsgaard’s animal ethics, and a more plausible alternative
3. Can the verificationism of the logical positivists be the tool that’s needed to fight conspiracy theories? Is it too powerful? — Liam Kofi Bright (LSE) talks with Tom Whyman
4. MC Hammer and philosopher Zena Hitz (St. John’s) will be holding a public conversation about philosophy this Friday night on Clubhouse — Hammer thought Hitz’s book, Lost in Thought, was “amazing”
5. “Imagine a delicious cake that is being eaten by a man in the next room. It’s not for you. It’s just there, and its smell wafts into your room. Does the man have a right to eat the cake?” — 10 thought experiments written by GPT-3
6. “Good in Theory” is a political philosophy podcast that recently has been producing an audio adaptation of Plato’s Republic, with commentary — aimed at a general audience, it is hosted by writer (and former academic) Clif Mark
7. “I think it succeeded in creating a blueprint for a new kind of democracy” — Helene Landemore (Yale) talks about moving towards “a more participatory, more inclusive, more authentically democratic system” on Ezra Klein’s NYT podcast

Mini-Heap posts usually appear when 7 or so new items accumulate in the Heap of Links, the ever-growing collection of items from around the web that may be of interest to philosophers. Discussion welcome.

The Heap of Links consists partly of suggestions from readers; if you find something online that you think would be of interest to the philosophical community, please send it in for consideration for the Heap. Thanks!