If you wanted to hear or read more from David, the place to start is his blog Contrary Brin. Here also is a collection of articles, nicely categorized, which in turn links to this collection of interviews. A couple of the topics he touched on with us include the “disputation arenas” and self-righteousness as an addiction.
Episode 91: Transhumanism (Plus More on Brin)
More on David Brin’s novel Existence, plus Nick Bostrom’s essay “Why I Want to Be a Posthuman When I Grow Up” (2006). With guest Brian Casey.
Episode 91: Transhumanism (Plus More on Brin)
Continuing discussion of David Brin’s novel Existence (without him) and adding Nick Bostrom’s essay “Why I Want to Be a Posthuman When I Grow Up” (2006). Are our present human capabilities sufficient for meeting the challenges our civilization will face? Should we devote our technology to artificially enhancing our abilities, or would that be a crime against nature, a God-play that would probably lead to disaster? With guest Brian Casey.
End song: “Waygo” from The MayTricks (1992).
Conversation vs. Crossfire (Philosophy, Arrogance, and the David Brin Episode)
Some of the initial listener reaction to our David Brin episode harkens back to similar comments we got about our Pat Churchland episode, our first attempt at including a celebrity author in the discussion. As Seth commented right after the recording with David, there was little purchase on his edifice in which to plant a foothold in real time. I Continue Reading …
Episode 90: Sci-Fi and Philosophy with Guest David Brin
Discussing David Brin’s novel Existence (2012) with the author. Also with guest Brian Casey.
Episode 90: Sci-Fi and Philosophy with Guest David Brin
Discussing David Brin’s novel Existence (2012) with the author. What’s the point of thinking? Brin sees the future as a pressing threat, and Existence speculates that the reason we don’t see evidence of life on other planets is that no species survives its technological adolescence. The solution? We need to be smarter than our parents and work to give our kids the tools to be smarter than we are. Also with guest Brian Casey. Learn more.
End song: “Persevere” by Mark Lint & the Simulacra
Precognition of Ep. 90: Sci-Fi and Philosophy with David Brin
Introductory salvo by Mark Linsenmayer before our interview with author David Brin.
Precognition of Ep. 90: Sci-Fi and Philosophy with David Brin
Introductory salvo by Mark Linsenmayer before our interview with author David Brin.
Exclusive David Brin Text for Citizens and Topic for #91: Transhumanism Plus More on Brin’s “Existence” (Without Brin)
We had a very pleasant recording with David Brin this last Tuesday, and he gave us permission in the course of that to post for our Citizenry an exclusive draft of a philosophical work he’s hashing out at present: “Sixteen Modern Questions About Humanity’s Relationship With its Creator in the Context of an Age of Science,” a whopping 60+ page Continue Reading …
Topic for #90: Science Fiction and Philosophy with Guest David Brin
Listen to Mark’s Precognition framing our discussion now. We talked on the evening of Tuesday 2/25 with David Brin, one of our most philosophical science fiction authors, whose most recent novel Existence (2012) certainly has a philosophical sounding name. But no, it’s not about ontology, about Being, or about existentialism, but about our continued existence as a species on the Continue Reading …
GeeksOn David Brin, Modern Intellectual (Philosopher?)
I just listened to a great conversation with author David Brin on one of the podcasts that inspired me to create ours: GeeksOn. The episode is here. Brin is a sci-fi author and technical consultant with a Ph.D. in astrophysics. For a fun bit of moral analysis of pop culture, see his 1999 Salon.com article re. why demi-god myths like Continue Reading …