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Intelligence Squared
Adventures in Philosophy with Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins
Jan 22, 2024
Daniel Dennett, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University, joins Richard Dawkins, a renowned biologist and author, for a thrilling conversation. They dive into the evolution of memes and its relevance in today's digital landscape. The pair humorously unpack misunderstandings in biology while tackling the complexities of language evolution. They also address the perilous implications of AI technologies and deepfakes, encouraging a critical examination of our intuition and the intersection of science and philosophy.
01:00:33
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Quick takeaways
- Cultural evolution driven by memes has led to rapid changes in human society, but it also poses the risk of rogue cultural variants manipulating human behavior.
- Language likely evolved through gradual cultural processes, challenging the idea of an innate language acquisition device.
Deep dives
The Power of Cultural Evolution and Rogue Cultural Variants
Cultural evolution, driven by memes, has had a profound impact on human society, leading to a population explosion of humans and their domesticated animals. Unlike genetic evolution, cultural evolution can happen rapidly and has given rise to language, science, agriculture, technology, and various aspects of human culture. However, the spread of memes can also lead to the proliferation of rogue cultural variants that may not necessarily be beneficial to human fitness. The rapid replication of digital content, driven by artificial intelligence, has the potential to unleash a pandemic of rogue cultural variants, which can manipulate human behavior and trust, posing a significant challenge to human society.
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