A.I. Lab 1997 Lecture Series: Francisco Varela - God & Computers: Minds, Machines, and Metaphysics

In the Fall of 1997 the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory hosted a ground-breaking and controversial lecture series titled “God and Computers: Minds, Machines, and Metaphysics.” Ten talks were given by a broad range of experts in computer science, cognitive science or A.I.; they accompanied an award-winning course in the EECS Department being taught by Dr. Anne Foerst, a Lutheran minister and post-doc at the A.I. Lab (6.915, “God and Computers”). Among other themes, speakers considered the ways in which their work intersected with spiritual and philosophical questions, and how the dialogue between computer science and technology might be expanded.
The sixth lecture in the series was presented on Nov. 11, 1997 by philosopher and neuroscientist Dr. Francisco Varela, Director of Research at the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience (National Center for Scientific Research, Paris). In his talk titled “Why a Science of Mind Implies the Transcendence of Nature,” Varela offers a Buddhist perspective on existential questions, asserting the central importance of every-day human experience, both for the scientific study of the mind and for the quest for significant meaning in our own existence (spirituality).
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[@TheSimoncio]

Hello everyone, thank you for uploading this video. Who could have thought we can still hear Francisco's lectures. I have one question, does anyone knows what "Cog" means at the very end of the presentation? Seems to be some kind of moden computer at that time, but i'm not sure. Thank you.

[@sensationsuperthrust]

Cog was a project at the Humanoid Robotics Group of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (from wiki)

[@marcorengifo898]

Hans jonas's book The phenomenon of life is present here...

[@pato17rio]

Thank you very much for this upload.

[@puneetjain5625]

Who is this bright lady introducing Varela. She seems very crisp in her talking.

[@GuillaumeDumas]

Anne Foerst

[@user-lz7po7hz6f]

💟

[@howardreed5399]

LMMFAO >the guy asking questions on behalf of Popular Mechanics @1:05