The Paradox of Progresss - Dr. M.S Delay and Dr. A.V. Bendebury, DSPod #242

It’s week 5 on the road, and we’re deep in the weeds about the question of what we, as scientists, owe the world. Technological progress alone seems like a weak orienting principle, as does abandoning the pursuit of knowledge completely. So how do we hew a path that makes sense, when it seems like the institutions and organizations around us have gone astray? To help us make sense of the interface between science and ethics, we turn to an essay called “To Young Scientists,” read by Ayn Rand at MIT in the 1960s. Rand was writing at the peak of the nuclear age, where the destruction of the species, if not the planet, seemed imminent. Today, the threat of nuclear conflict looms once again, but the cutting edge risk lies in the ceaseless development of machine learning and AI technologies that threaten to engulf all of human practice. There are no easy answers at hand, but we eke out a few basic principles that can serve as the starting point for building a life where progress & meaning can align. Check out the essay and support the podcast by purchasing Ayn Rand's Essays in Objectivist Thought: https://amzn.to/3UaKnH4 Tell us your thoughts in the comments!!! Sign up for our Patreon and get episodes early + join our weekly Patron Chat https://bit.ly/3lcAasB (00:00) Go! (00:04:11) The separation of science and spirit (00:14:00) To Young Scientists (00:23:28) The anthill of social collectivism (00:33:19) Ethics as a moral feeling (00:43:16) Can you divest from the machine? (00:53:51) Living through an ebb in institutional faith (01:02:28) Self-directed motion into the future (01:12:40) The dynamic arc of a single life #sciencepodcast, #ScienceEthics, #SpiritualityInScience, #EthicalScience, #FutureTech, #AIethics, #ScienceAndSociety, #ScientificResponsibility, #TechEthics, #ScienceCommunity, #EthicalInnovation, #EthicalAI, #TechProgress, #ScienceAndEthics, #AIResponsibility, #EthicalLeadership, #ScientificIntegrity, #ScienceAndEthicsDebate, #TechAndEthics, #EthicalTechnology, #ScienceFuture Check our short-films channel, @DemystifySci: https://www.youtube.com/c/DemystifyingScience AND our material science investigations of atomics, @MaterialAtomics https://www.youtube.com/@MaterialAtomics Join our mailing list https://bit.ly/3v3kz2S PODCAST INFO: Anastasia completed her PhD studying bioelectricity at Columbia University. When not talking to brilliant people or making movies, she spends her time painting, reading, and guiding backcountry excursions. Shilo also did his PhD at Columbia studying the elastic properties of molecular water. When he's not in the film studio, he's exploring sound in music. They are both freelance professors at various universities. - Blog: http://DemystifySci.com/blog - RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/2be66934/podcast/rss - Donate: https://bit.ly/3wkPqaD - Swag: https://bit.ly/2PXdC2y SOCIAL: - Discord: https://discord.gg/MJzKT8CQub - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DemystifySci - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DemystifySci/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemystifySci MUSIC: -Shilo Delay: https://g.co/kgs/oty671