Mini-Heap

Latest links…

Discussion welcome.

1. Fuck — a timely history of the word
2. “The ability to write a genome from scratch would unlock greater creativity in designing a desired genome… and producing new kinds of organisms that do things that nature cannot” — an interview about artificial life with synthetic biologist Yizhi “Patrick” Cai (Manchester)
3. “People end up thinking, ‘Well, I’m afraid… I want to throw myself into the arms of some all powerful source of support… or I can be the autocrat myself’” — Martha Nussbaum (Chicago) interviewed about “The Monarchy of Fear”
4. When he was 12, Stuart Rachels was crowned Alabama Chess Champion for the third time; after a couple of more wins, he quit competing — until this year
5. The protagonist “must debate her way through great political thinkers from Confucius to Nozick who have shaped society through centuries of galaxy brain ideas. Along the way she has to find an answer to the ideal form of government” — a review of the game “Pro Philosopher 2”
6. “Only a philosopher would distinguish ‘hoping I’m right to believe there is no God’, and ‘hoping there is no God’. But a real distinction does exist here” — Brad Skow (MIT) on Nagel and fear of religion
7. “A 68-year-old… after being knocked out in a hit-and-run accident in 2019, re-emerged from unconsciousness an hour later in the mind of his 23-year-old self” — raising questions about personal identity

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

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. Thank you.

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