The idea that the world is an illusion that betrays its real origin has a long tradition and can be found in the writings of Hindu rishis, early Greek philosophers, and Christian Gnostics. What is perhaps surprising is to find such a rich literature on the subject in neuroscience and quantum physics. The latest, and perhaps most provocative, idea to gain some currency in varying scientific disciplines is the hypothesis that the universe is the result of a computational simulation....

Consciousness is a virtual simulator par excellence and as such allows humans to have a rolodex of potential strategies when navigating in a world with ever-changing competitive concerns and environmental niches...The advent of virtual and augmented reality may serve as a useful pathway to better understand why consciousness evolved the way it did, primarily because the brain itself operates as a VR system, albeit a much more sophisticated one than Oculus Rift or HTC Vive.

This book is a collection of distinct essays that explore the future of philosophy by critically examining 10 key texts on consciousness and artificial intelligence. These reviews, several of which were published as stand-alone pieces on Integral World in Europe, explore the ins and outs of what self-reflective awareness is and what it means to be human in an increasingly digitized world.

In this book, we have included excerpts from the Socratic dialogues (as penned by his most famous student, Plato) and Professor Andrea Diem-Lane's brilliant treatise on the "Cerebral Mirage" which brings Plato and Socrates up to date by showing how the latest findings in quantum theory and neuroscience substantiate much of early Greek skepticism, particularly concerning how easily we can be deceived by our various forms of certainty.

According to Littlewood's Law of Miracles (based on the theory of large numbers and probability), you should expect something truly unusual to happen every 35 days - so strange, in fact, that it will look like a miracle. This book explains how the improbable is probable by focusing on desultory decussation (where two random events from an interesting intersection - a synchronicity) and Littlewood's work in number theory at Cambridge University in the last century. Also explains such concepts as apohenia and patternicity.

The first part of this work includes four original essays by Professor David Christopher Lane on the Darwin-Wallace debate, focusing on the contentious issue of whether or not natural selection can explain the human mind or soul. In part two we have included the two original essays by Darwin and Wallace in 1858 concerning their discovery of evolution by natural selection as presented to the Linnean Society in London, England.

This audiobook explores why we should keep open and humble and realize the limits of our cranial capacities and the models of reality we generate.

Faqir Chand was a remarkable Indian sage who spent over 75 years practicing an ancient meditation technique, popularly known today as surat shabd yoga, which attempts to induce a consciously controlled near-death experience. This book contains Faqir Chand's unique autobiography which was dictated shortly before his death in Urdu and translated during his lifetime into English. It also includes a seasoned selection of Faqir Chand's radical teachings.

In the Fall of 1991 students enrolled in Introduction to Philosophy classes at Mount San Antonio College conducted interviews with some of the most prominent philosophers in California. Ten questions were asked of each philosopher, including queries about the existence of God, life after death, and the interface between human and artificial intelligence. The interviews ranged from personal one on one conversations, to telephone interviews, to mailed written responses.

L. Williams, in translating Giordano Bruno's Gli Eroici Furori (Heroic Enthusiasts) from the original Italian into English back in 1887 and 1889, has done a great service to humanity. His introduction is especially illuminating as it contextualizes Bruno's life until his tragic death at the age of 52 and provides us with a tantalizing glimpse into his cosmological philosophy. It is my hope that this small book, which is drawn exclusively from Williams' work, will serve as an intellectual appetizer and lead to a deeper plunge into Bruno's fascinating thought.

Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands to rethink their beliefs about life.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.

How the Earth Works takes you on an astonishing journey through time and space. In 48 lectures, you will look at what went into making our planet - from the big bang, to the formation of the solar system, to the subsequent evolution of Earth.

Hilarious, fascinating, and a roller coaster of dizzying, historical what-ifs, Napoleon's Hemorrhoids is a potpourri for serious historians and casual history buffs. In one of Phil Mason's many revelations, you'll learn that Communist jets were two minutes away from opening fire on American planes during the Cuban missile crisis, when they had to turn back as they were running out of fuel. You'll discover that before the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon's painful hemorrhoids prevented him from mounting his horse to survey the battlefield.

Chemistry and Our Universe: How It All Works is your in-depth introduction to this vital field, taught through 60 engaging half-hour lectures that are suitable for any background or none at all. Covering a year’s worth of introductory general chemistry at the college level, plus intriguing topics that are rarely discussed in the classroom, this amazingly comprehensive course requires nothing more advanced than high-school math. Your guide is Professor Ron B. Davis, Jr., a research chemist and award-winning teacher at Georgetown University.

Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all - from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel.

From launchpad explosions to a pernicious cricket infestation to the demanding management style of Musk himself, the rise of SpaceX was beset with challenges and far from inevitable. Find out how the startup beat the odds and flew high enough to outpace their rivals... and where they're going next.

How do today's most successful tech companies - Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, Tesla - design, develop, and deploy the products that have earned the love of literally billions of people around the world? Perhaps surprisingly, they do it very differently from the vast majority of tech companies. In Inspired, technology product management thought leader Marty Cagan provides listeners with a master class in how to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product organization and how to discover and deliver technology products that your customers will love.

In The Butchering Art, the historian Lindsey Fitzharris reveals the shocking world of 19th-century surgery on the eve of profound transformation. She conjures up early operating theaters - no place for the squeamish - and surgeons, working before anesthesia, who were lauded for their speed and brute strength. They were baffled by the persistent infections that kept mortality rates stubbornly high. A young, melancholy Quaker surgeon named Joseph Lister would solve the deadly riddle and change the course of history.

In this illuminating audiobook, Tyson and coauthor James Trefil, a renowned physicist and science popularizer, take on the big questions that humanity has been posing for millennia - How did life begin? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? - and provide answers based on the most current data, observations, and theories.