Complete (6 lectures) - The Life of the Mind in the Age of Intelligent Machines

We now live in a world where computational machines built by humans are learning to speak natural human languages in ways that allow them to generate original and convincing forms of communication. This means they now pass the test articulated by one of the fathers of modern computing, Alan Turing, for ascribing the capacity to think to machines. Computers also now exceed human intelligence in a wide variety of domains, for instance, reading medical diagrams, managing electronic communication and commerce, playing chess and go, guiding weapons… And there is no reason to expect that machine intelligence won’t continue to grow at an exponential rate, especially if computers (which currently already train themselves to learn new tasks) become better than humans at programming themselves to learn (designing more sophisticated neural nets or new architectures of cognition) and designing their own hardware. Does all of this mean that we are entering the era of thinking machines? To answer this question, we need to be clear about what we humans mean by thinking and how much the truly impressive capacities of machines to learn and solve problems reflects something akin to human thought. In other words, current developments in AI solicit an investigation that integrates philosophy and psychology, alongside cognitive, brain and computer science. Further, to the extent that the potential take-off of machine intelligence makes it prudent to anticipate the arrival of artificial general super-intelligence (i.e., intelligence across a wide range of domains that exceeds human intelligence) in the current century, practical questions concerning the regulation of the use and control of this technology also require urgent attention. In this course, we will discuss these wide-ranging issues from various perspectives, in part by addressing classical and contemporary scholarship in philosophy of mind and ethics, cognitive, brain and computer science, and various policy proposals for the regulation of AI. Given the broad ranging nature of the relevant material, I will also bring in conversation partners with specialized expertise in various topics to discuss these themes. Finally, rather than attempting to tackle all of this in six consecutive weeks, this course will be structured with two consecutive classes per month, followed by a break to digest and recover, and then two more classes over each of the following two months. The classes will occur on Sundays in July, August and September, and recordings will be available for anyone who is not able to participate live in any session (or who want to ponder the material covered for a second time). The broad outline for topics to be covered includes two classes on our best efforts to understand the nature of the life of the human mind (July), two classes on the nature of and prospects for the growth of machine intelligence (August), and two classes on different scenarios for interaction between human and machine intelligence and proposals for norms and policies with the best prospects to make this interaction as ethical, safe and mutually beneficial as possible. A detailed outline, including invited guest experts, will be made available as soon as possible. Part I: How Humans Think: Philosophical & Psychological Perspectives the Nature and Value of Cognitive Life: Session 1: Probing the Mysteries of the Mind: Philosophical Explorations of Consciousness (July 23) Session 2: Journey into the Depths of Human Cognition: Psychology Seeks Secrets of Mind and Thought (July 30)  Part II: What Machines are Doing When They Think, How It Differs, & Why that Matters—Technological and Philosophical Perspectives: Session 3: From Silicon to Singularity: Exploring the Growth and Potential of Machine Intelligence (August 20)  Session 4: The Rise of Super-intelligent Machines: How Sharing the World with AI Will Reshape the Human Condition (August 27)  Part III: The Life of the Mind in the Age of Intelligent Machines: Anticipating Benefits and Challenges of the Loss of Our Dominance Session 5: Bridging the Gap: Ethical and Safe Interactions Between Humans and Machines (Sept. 17) Session 6: Crafting a Future of Harmony: Forging Ethical Guidelines for Human-Machine Cooperation (Sept. 24) 

$150.00 USD

Two lectures - The Life of the Mind in the Age of Intelligent Machines

We now live in a world where computational machines built by humans are learning to speak natural human languages in ways that allow them to generate original and convincing forms of communication. This means they now pass the test articulated by one of the fathers of modern computing, Alan Turing, for ascribing the capacity to think to machines. Computers also now exceed human intelligence in a wide variety of domains, for instance, reading medical diagrams, managing electronic communication and commerce, playing chess and go, guiding weapons… And there is no reason to expect that machine intelligence won’t continue to grow at an exponential rate, especially if computers (which currently already train themselves to learn new tasks) become better than humans at programming themselves to learn (designing more sophisticated neural nets or new architectures of cognition) and designing their own hardware. Does all of this mean that we are entering the era of thinking machines? To answer this question, we need to be clear about what we humans mean by thinking and how much the truly impressive capacities of machines to learn and solve problems reflects something akin to human thought. In other words, current developments in AI solicit an investigation that integrates philosophy and psychology, alongside cognitive, brain and computer science. Further, to the extent that the potential take-off of machine intelligence makes it prudent to anticipate the arrival of artificial general super-intelligence (i.e., intelligence across a wide range of domains that exceeds human intelligence) in the current century, practical questions concerning the regulation of the use and control of this technology also require urgent attention. In this course, we will discuss these wide-ranging issues from various perspectives, in part by addressing classical and contemporary scholarship in philosophy of mind and ethics, cognitive, brain and computer science, and various policy proposals for the regulation of AI. Given the broad ranging nature of the relevant material, I will also bring in conversation partners with specialized expertise in various topics to discuss these themes. Finally, rather than attempting to tackle all of this in six consecutive weeks, this course will be structured with two consecutive classes per month, followed by a break to digest and recover, and then two more classes over each of the following two months. The classes will occur on Sundays in July, August and September, and recordings will be available for anyone who is not able to participate live in any session (or who want to ponder the material covered for a second time). The broad outline for topics to be covered includes two classes on our best efforts to understand the nature of the life of the human mind (July), two classes on the nature of and prospects for the growth of machine intelligence (August), and two classes on different scenarios for interaction between human and machine intelligence and proposals for norms and policies with the best prospects to make this interaction as ethical, safe and mutually beneficial as possible. A detailed outline, including invited guest experts, will be made available as soon as possible. Part I: How Humans Think: Philosophical & Psychological Perspectives the Nature and Value of Cognitive Life: Session 1: Probing the Mysteries of the Mind: Philosophical Explorations of Consciousness (July 23) Session 2: Journey into the Depths of Human Cognition: Psychology Seeks Secrets of Mind and Thought (July 30)  Part II: What Machines are Doing When They Think, How It Differs, & Why that Matters—Technological and Philosophical Perspectives: Session 3: From Silicon to Singularity: Exploring the Growth and Potential of Machine Intelligence (August 20)  Session 4: The Rise of Super-intelligent Machines: How Sharing the World with AI Will Reshape the Human Condition (August 27)  Part III: The Life of the Mind in the Age of Intelligent Machines: Anticipating Benefits and Challenges of the Loss of Our Dominance Session 5: Bridging the Gap: Ethical and Safe Interactions Between Humans and Machines (Sept. 17) Session 6: Crafting a Future of Harmony: Forging Ethical Guidelines for Human-Machine Cooperation (Sept. 24) 

$55.00 USD

Single lecture - The Life of the Mind in the Age of Intelligent Machines

We now live in a world where computational machines built by humans are learning to speak natural human languages in ways that allow them to generate original and convincing forms of communication. This means they now pass the test articulated by one of the fathers of modern computing, Alan Turing, for ascribing the capacity to think to machines. Computers also now exceed human intelligence in a wide variety of domains, for instance, reading medical diagrams, managing electronic communication and commerce, playing chess and go, guiding weapons… And there is no reason to expect that machine intelligence won’t continue to grow at an exponential rate, especially if computers (which currently already train themselves to learn new tasks) become better than humans at programming themselves to learn (designing more sophisticated neural nets or new architectures of cognition) and designing their own hardware. Does all of this mean that we are entering the era of thinking machines? To answer this question, we need to be clear about what we humans mean by thinking and how much the truly impressive capacities of machines to learn and solve problems reflects something akin to human thought. In other words, current developments in AI solicit an investigation that integrates philosophy and psychology, alongside cognitive, brain and computer science. Further, to the extent that the potential take-off of machine intelligence makes it prudent to anticipate the arrival of artificial general super-intelligence (i.e., intelligence across a wide range of domains that exceeds human intelligence) in the current century, practical questions concerning the regulation of the use and control of this technology also require urgent attention. In this course, we will discuss these wide-ranging issues from various perspectives, in part by addressing classical and contemporary scholarship in philosophy of mind and ethics, cognitive, brain and computer science, and various policy proposals for the regulation of AI. Given the broad ranging nature of the relevant material, I will also bring in conversation partners with specialized expertise in various topics to discuss these themes. Finally, rather than attempting to tackle all of this in six consecutive weeks, this course will be structured with two consecutive classes per month, followed by a break to digest and recover, and then two more classes over each of the following two months. The classes will occur on Sundays in July, August and September, and recordings will be available for anyone who is not able to participate live in any session (or who want to ponder the material covered for a second time). The broad outline for topics to be covered includes two classes on our best efforts to understand the nature of the life of the human mind (July), two classes on the nature of and prospects for the growth of machine intelligence (August), and two classes on different scenarios for interaction between human and machine intelligence and proposals for norms and policies with the best prospects to make this interaction as ethical, safe and mutually beneficial as possible. A detailed outline, including invited guest experts, will be made available as soon as possible. Part I: How Humans Think: Philosophical & Psychological Perspectives the Nature and Value of Cognitive Life: Session 1: Probing the Mysteries of the Mind: Philosophical Explorations of Consciousness (July 23) Session 2: Journey into the Depths of Human Cognition: Psychology Seeks Secrets of Mind and Thought (July 30)  Part II: What Machines are Doing When They Think, How It Differs, & Why that Matters—Technological and Philosophical Perspectives: Session 3: From Silicon to Singularity: Exploring the Growth and Potential of Machine Intelligence (August 20)  Session 4: The Rise of Super-intelligent Machines: How Sharing the World with AI Will Reshape the Human Condition (August 27)  Part III: The Life of the Mind in the Age of Intelligent Machines: Anticipating Benefits and Challenges of the Loss of Our Dominance Session 5: Bridging the Gap: Ethical and Safe Interactions Between Humans and Machines (Sept. 17) Session 6: Crafting a Future of Harmony: Forging Ethical Guidelines for Human-Machine Cooperation (Sept. 24) 

$35.00 USD

Field Notes from a World on Fire-- 6 lectures on climate change with Prof. David Peritz

For the first time in history, it is not only conceivable but in fact likely that human action will result in the extinction of our species. We face in climate change an impending global catastrophe beyond the imagination of all but the most recent generations. The first years of the 2020s made this inescapably clear, as they presented extreme challenges to human communities throughout the world. Uncontrolled climate change continues to accelerate the predictably unpredictable growth of extreme weather events like devastating mega-fires, hurricanes, droughts, floods, landslide, and monsoons, to shrink the habitable portions of the earth, and to spread novel diseases to new areas. This course will provide a foundation in the state of the current scientific knowledge of climate change and the multiple planetary processes at work as mutually interacting dynamics transform weather, oceans, rain and other forests, icecaps, glaciers, and permafrost, fires, top-soil, and various ecosystems. Having surveyed the complex but certain science of global climate change, we will then relate it to what is called the vulnerable world hypothesis: in light of advances in technology, population growth and interconnectivity, human activity increasingly threatens consequences that can literally alter the entire planetary ecosystem. The final focus of this conversation, then, will be on ethics, politics, culture, and technology, specifically on how we might develop the normative and imaginative resources to grasp the enormity of the advancing climate crisis and our increasingly vulnerable world, to face up to the ethical, political, and technological challenges these unprecedented circumstances pose, and begin to develop new capacities for collective action to address the new threats we face. This is a 6-lecture series with three lectures per month in July and August. Lectures will be live and interactive, and archived for those who are not able to make the live session or want to view the lecture again later. The lectures will be held every Monday at 1 p.m. EST (10 a.m. PST): July 11, 2022: The Complex but Certain Science of Global Climate Change. July 18, 2022: Climate Change, Pandemic, A Vulnerable World, and the Existential Threat of Inaction. July 25, 2022: From Economy to Energy and Technology: The Nature and Limits of the Response to the Climate Crisis Until Now. August 1, 2022: The Great Derangement: Why Are We Not Changing in the Face of Climate Change? August 8, 2022: Global Interconnectivity, History and Ethics in the Anthropocene. August 15, 2022: The Politics of an Effective Response versus the Consequence of Failure: From Just Climate Action to Desperate Gambits. This fee is non- refundable and non-transferable. The course fee is for individuals only. For institutional subscriptions, please contact us at: [email protected]

$119.95 USD

Minerva Monthly Subscription

Minerva Monthly subscription is our best deal! Subscribe to Minerva's Monthly Subscription and gain access to the current lecture series by Prof. Peritz, as well as the Social Philosophy  library. What comes with the monthly subscription: Live access to Prof. Peritz's weekly class. Live access to monthly events where we will be conducting interviews and hosting talks by experts on the most  pressing issues of our time. Live interactive access to engaging conservations with guest speakers. Monthly access to the Social Philosophy archive. When you become a monthly subscriber you will not only be informed about all the monthly events and guest speakers in advanced but also have access to all the recordings in our library.  If you are a new subscriber please enjoy the the first month free trial to sample our courses and get the best access to all that Minerva has to offer each month.  (Subscription is non-transferable and non-refundable. If you are not completely satisfied with the subscription please feel free to terminate at the end of the free trial.)

$9.99 USD every month

Urgent Issues, Dangerous Politics, 2022 with Prof. David Peritz

If a normal national election features a contest between parties and candidates that treat one another as respectful rivals with competing conceptions of the common good for our country and a shared sense that free, fair, and regular elections are the most reasonable way to settle such contests, then we have not held one for at least a dozen years. Instead, every couple of years we face existential battles between competing accounts of the very nature of our country. Do we continue a centuries-old experiment in aspiring to realize a democratic ideal in which equal liberty is extended to all and used to build together a mutual and humane society? Or instead chart a different, more populous, and less democratic path, based on the conclusion that democratic principles and liberal Constitutional niceties have outworn their utility in light of their failure to arrest spiraling economic inequality, disorienting social, cultural, and technological change, and other widespread sources of discontent and vulnerability? These fractious politics reveal an emerging pattern in which the electorate oscillates: trying the party that aims to redeem the democratic experiment by passing and implementing policies aimed to address the sources of discontent and vulnerability, but, as these policies inevitably fall short of their target, and as the Democratic Party appears to reflect the priorities of the relatively privileged over the more precarious, the pendulum swings back in the direction of the Republicans, the party of more radical discontent, populist fervor, and authoritarian leadership.   2022 is another highly consequential election: a large majority of Republican candidates deny the validity of the previous election—a good indication that, if elected, they may also reject the legitimacy of future elections they lose and seek instead to hold on to power by subverting the democratic process—while many running to administer future elections vow to use this power in avowedly partisan ways. Gerrymandering, abortion, immigration, climate change, accountability for the effort of former President Trump to subvert the results of an election he lost (and other misdeeds), and more generally control of Congress and so the direction of the country are all at stake. Yet there are also signs that our politics are shifting in subtle ways, a shift that might ultimately change the underlying dynamics of radical partisanship. The focus on abortion, guns, voting rights, and the consistent underrepresentation of the views of the majority of voters in the Senate, Electoral College, and the Supreme Court suggest that American politics may be entering a “Constitutional” phase, an epochal shift in which we focus less exclusively and narrowly on current policy issues and expand the political agenda to include the very nature of the social impact and how well current institutions realize our political aspirations.   This course starts from this framing perspective and employs it to mount a sustained discussion of some of the most pressing policy issues, domestic and global, we face as a society, aiming to debate these issues, not in accord with the low standards of recent elections but as they would be in a well-functioning democracy in which urgent issues received the serious attention they deserve.

$119.95 USD

Are you ready to learn the business of anti-aging (a.k.a. health and wellness of the future)?

Meet with our anti-aging expert to figure out how to avoid costly pitfalls as you start this journey. During this call our expert will go over the following points: 1. How to start learning the skills required to use anti-aging medications and machines?2. This will be a 20 minute meeting where our expert will go over your particular credentials before guiding you to our available online programs and in person training courses.3. The meeting will also cover your malpractice requirements if you are coming in for in person training.4. The meeting will also cover any questions regarding the cost of different programs that may be suitable for you. 5. This meeting can also be utilized if you are opening an anti-aging business and wish to figure out what are the best skills or machines to invest in first.  (20-25 min 1:1  consultation)

$450.00 USD

Cosmetic indications for Botox By Dr. Din (Zoom lecture + video training)

During this training you will learn cosmetic indications for Botox to reverse the signs and symptoms of aging. This training will be held virtually with an online didactic presentation and a demonstration of Botox injections to go over the preparation and proper injecting techniques to manifest the best possible results for your clients. For this training you will meet our favorite Anti-Aging and Botox guru Dr. Sofia Din who has been training health care professionals in the art and science of anti-aging at Juvanni for over a decade. She has published a handbook about anti-aging in 2019 called " Do we really need Botox". In this lecture you will not only learn the best kept secrets about how to prepare Botox for cosmetic use but also how to inject it in aesthetically pleasing ways. You will also learn how to avoid common side-effects as well as obtain appropriate consents to protect your practice in the short and long term. Dr. Din will also train you in how to price your treatments so you can set up a successful practice for yourself. [This offer is non-refundable and non-transferable. You must be an MD, NP, or PA to attend training.]

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 2: Learn the secrets of face shaping (upper face)

On day 2 of Juvanni anti-aging courses you will learn to use FDA approved anti-aging medications such as Botox and HA fillers to aesthetically shape the upper face without botching your client's features. We will go over: 1. Eyebrow shaping 2. Cheek sculpting 3. Mid-face shaping You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes in the upper face.

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 3: Learn the secrets of face shaping (lower face)

Learn to use FDA approved medications like Botox and HA fillers to lift and shape the lower part of your clients face without botching their facial architecture.  During this session you will learn appropriate injecting skills while shaping  : 1. Jaw line sculpting 2. Chin sculpting  3. Lip and smile rejuvenation

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 4: Avoid common mistakes while injecting

In this session we will go in depth over how to successfully avoid causing complications of anti-aging injections. What you'll get: 1. Learn to use the correct dosages 2. Avoid botching with over injecting  3. Treat the face not the wrinkle 4.  Learn to avoid treating body dysmorphia with fillers

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 5: Decoding the complications of Botox & Fillers

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 6: Obesity management (Learn to release fat forever)

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 7: Bald or beautiful (Learn to restore hair w/ cutting-edge anti-aging tech)

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 8: Learn to mix the best vitamin cocktails for anti-aging

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 9: A stich in time (PDO threads for face & jaw)

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 10: A stitch in time (PDO threads for underchin and neck)

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 11: Decoding laser facials (For acne/rosacea/pigments)

$289.00 USD

[Recorded session] Day 12: Social Media Key Skills for the Soul of your Business

$289.00 USD

Are you ready to learn the business of anti-aging (a.k.a. health and wellness of the future)?

Meet with our anti-aging expert to figure out how to avoid costly pitfalls as you start this journey. During this call our expert will go over the following points: 1. How to start learning the skills required to use anti-aging medications and machines?2. This will be a 20 minute meeting where our expert will go over your particular credentials before guiding you to our available online programs and in person training courses.3. The meeting will also cover your malpractice requirements if you are coming in for in person training.4. The meeting will also cover any questions regarding the cost of different programs that may be suitable for you. 5. This meeting can also be utilized if you are opening an anti-aging business and wish to figure out what are the best skills or machines to invest in first.  (20-25 min 1:1  consultation)

$450.00 USD

In the beginning of anti-aging there was Botox (in-person training + zoom lecture)

During this training you will learn cosmetic indications for Botox to reverse the signs and symptoms of aging. This training will be held in two parts: an online didactic presentation and an in-person training to go over the preparation and proper injecting techniques to manifest the best possible results for your clients. For this training you will meet our favorite Anti-Aging and Botox guru Dr. Sofia Din who has been training health care professionals in the art and science of anti-aging in New York at Juvanni for over a decade. She has also published a best-selling handbook about anti-aging in 2019 called "Do we really need Botox". During the in-person training you will not only learn the best kept secrets about how to prepare Botox for cosmetic use but also how to inject it in aesthetically pleasing ways. You will also learn how to avoid common side-effects as well as obtain appropriate consents to protect your practice in the short and long term. Dr. Din will also train you in how to price your treatments so you can set up a successful practice for yourself. [This offer is non-refundable and non-transferable. You must be an MD, NP, or PA to attend in-person training. You also must have an active malpractice policy for in-person training.]

$4,150.00 USD

[In person training]Day 2: Learn the secrets of face shaping (upper face)

On day 2 of Juvanni anti-aging courses you will learn to use FDA approved anti-aging medications such as Botox and HA fillers to aesthetically shape the upper face without botching your client's features. We will go over: 1. Eyebrow shaping 2. Cheek sculpting 3. Mid-face shaping You will also learn how to avoid common mistakes in the upper face.

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Learn the secrets of face shaping (lower face)

Learn to use FDA approved medications like Botox and HA fillers to lift and shape the lower part of your clients face without botching their facial architecture.  During this session you will learn appropriate injecting skills while shaping  : 1. Jaw line sculpting 2. Chin sculpting  3. Lip and smile rejuvenation

$5,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 4: Avoid common mistakes while injecting

In this session we will go in depth over how to successfully avoid causing complications of anti-aging injections. What you'll get: 1. Learn to use the correct dosages 2. Avoid botching with over injecting  3. Treat the face not the wrinkle 4.  Learn to avoid treating body dysmorphia with fillers

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 5: Decoding the complications of Botox & Fillers

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 6: Obesity management (Learn to release fat forever)

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 7: Bald or beautiful (Learn to restore hair w/ cutting-edge anti-aging tec)

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Learn to mix the best vitamin cocktails for anti-aging

Learn the basics of building a vitamin infusion that can benefit different conditions, such as: Arthritis, fatigue, dementia, Parkinson's, anti-aging skin care, hair restoration, hang over remedies and pigmentation lightening.

$5,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 9: A stich in time (PDO threads for face & jaw)

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 10: A stitch in time (PDO threads for underchin and neck)

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 11: Decoding laser facials (For acne/rosacea/pigments)

$2,150.00 USD

[In person training] Day 12: Social Media Key Skills for the Soul of your Business

$2,150.00 USD