Latest news with #consciousness
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Sci-fi/fantasy reads: AI as our saviour, a genetically engineered space crew, and navigating a world designed for giants
Artificial Intelligence as the planet's saviour is the unexpected premise behind Lucy Lapinska's Some Body Like Me (Gollancz, £20), which is narrated by Abigail, a 'personal companion computer' commissioned from the GaiaTech company by her abusive human 'husband' David. 'We have no legal right to life or function,' Abigail tells us, but that is about to change: as the novel begins, emancipation for artificial life is five weeks away. Abigail is 'less than human, more than machine': Lapinska gifts her a consciousness, courtesy of a phenomenal adaptive learning protocol that allows Abigail to understand the parallels with historical slavery, but also to look to a future in which the devastated Earth can begin to heal: 'Perhaps that is why humans created us in the first place. As an apology that will outlast them.' A philosophically and emotionally absorbing novel, Some Body Like Me is a sophisticated contribution to the hysterical narrative surrounding AI. Set in an alternative England in which the various tribes – Saxon, Celt and Pict – coexist under a cloud of mutual suspicion, James Alistair Henry's Pagans (Moonflower Books, £16.99) opens with the London-based Saxon police detective Aedith investigating the gruesome crucifixion of a Celtic diplomat in advance of the latest Unification Summit. READ MORE Unhappy when a Celtic detective is foisted upon her unit, Aedith is further unimpressed to learn that Drustan's role lies 'somewhere between a poet and a lawyer' – but when more crucified bodies are discovered, the pair declare a truce and collaborate to discover why the victims, all of whom bear a tattoo of a fish, are being persecuted for their novel new faith in a god of 'forgiveness, charity, a better world after this one'. [ Sci-fi and fantasy round-up: Watch out for a weird time-travelling mother and a half-human, half-mosquito anti-heroine Opens in new window ] Blackly comic, Pagans blends satirical alt-future history into an unconventional police procedural, to striking effect. Ishmael A Soledad's Diathesis (Temple Dark Books, £20.99) is an ambitious attempt to use 'hard' science to frame Project Ismud, aka 'humanity's first mission to the stars'. The ensemble cast of characters includes a Chilean bioelectrical neuroscientist working on the neuro-electrical suspension that will replace the conventional cryogenic hibernation of astronauts, a Japanese creator of 'non-biologic intelligence', and a genetically engineered human crew. The first book in a proposed hexalogy, Diathesis effectively functions as a launchpad for the series, setting in train a number of fascinating themes that parallel our contemporary concerns. A radical shift in setting and storytelling from last year's space-bound Floating Hotel, Grace Curtis's Idolfire (Hodderscape, £20) opens with the aspiring warrior Kirby setting out from the dying community of Wall's End, determined to restore the goddess Iona to her rightful place and thus revitalise her people's hopes (Idolfire, we're told, is 'pure faith set alight'). Simultaneously, Ayela, the thwarted heir to the grand old city of Ash, embarks on a quest to establish her credentials as a future ruler by returning to Ash with a unique token of her worth. Gradually, their respective quests find them converging on the ancient metropolis of Nivela, a city-state that once perfected 'the art of prising miracles from plundered gods'. Curtis's world-building is deftly done as Ayela and Kirby wander, Odysseus-like, from one strange new quasi-medieval country to another, their initial bickering and mutual incomprehension gradually giving way to deeper, more tender feelings, but it's her characters – funny, smart and authentic – that are this novel's real treasure. A Bafta-winning and Oscar-nominated writer, director, illustrator and animator, Mikey Please publishes The Expanded Earth (Corsair, £22), which opens with Giles, out for a quiet ramble in rural England with his aged father, feeling something of a seismic shudder beneath his feet: 'Then the sky brightened, and with little to no ceremony, the entire human race shrank to one-tenth of its previous height.' The catastrophe 'became known as 'The Descent – the day we were sent scrabbling from our thrones down to the bottom of the food chain". Meanwhile, Professor Elizabeth Goodwin is putting the final touches to an experiment that will allow her to 'speak to God' – Elizabeth, as the reader may already suspect, very likely had something to do with the human race's extraordinary plight. Please has a lot of fun with his incredibly shrinking species, and largely because 'it seemed that the same thing but bigger was not the same thing at all'. Joining forces with fellow survivors, battling with dogs, polecats and the exhausting business of navigating a world designed for giants, Giles sets out on an epic journey to be reunited with his estranged daughters, hopeful that the newly miniaturised world order might result in his previous failings as a father being overlooked, and that 'what mattered now was what you could build'. By turns comic and horrific, The Expanded Earth is a wonderfully sustained celebration of human ingenuity. Declan Burke is an author and journalist. His current novel is The Lammisters (No Alibis Press).
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
Marathon Legend Fauja Singh's Last Rites Held In Jalandhar
The last rites of 114-year-old marathon legend Fauja Singh were held in Jalandhar on Sunday, following his tragic death in a road accident on July 14. Family members, friends, and admirers gathered to pay their respects to the iconic runner, who was fondly known as the 'Sikh Superman' and the 'Turbaned Tornado' for his remarkable achievements in marathon running. Fauja was hit by an unknown white vehicle while out on his routine walk and later succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The incident occurred on Monday around 3 pm, when Fauja Singh, a resident of Beas village under Adampur police station, stepped out for a walk after lunch. #WATCH | Jalandhar, Punjab: Fauja Singh's grandson Harleen Singh says, "We found out about his accident 30 minutes after it happened. At that time, my uncle said he was only wounded in the elbows. Two to three hours later, we learned that he had not regained consciousness,… — ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2025 While he was walking alone towards the highway, a speeding vehicle hit him. He was immediately rushed to Shriman Hospital, but passed away during treatment at 7 pm, police said. Speaking on Fauja Singh's demise, his grandson Harleen Singh told ANI, "We found out about his accident 30 minutes after it happened. At that time, my uncle said he was only wounded in the elbows. Two to three hours later, we learned that he had not regained consciousness, shocking everyone here. He promoted sports, Sikhism, and an anti-drug initiative. When he started running marathons, he donated his money." Fauja Singh, popularly known as the 'Sikh Superman', stunned the world by shattering several records as a marathon runner in multiple age brackets. Since making his debut at the London Marathon in 2000 at the age of 89, Singh has completed it six more times and has also finished marathons in Toronto, New York, and several more cities. Remembered as a symbol of resilience and inspiration, Fauja Singh's legacy will continue to motivate generations around the world.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nurse wants paramedics stationed at folk fest in wake of asthma attack
A Winnipeg Folk Festival attendee is calling for better on-site medical services after she had a life-threatening asthma attack during the outdoor event at Birds Hill Provincial Park last week. 'I almost died; I'm very thankful the ambulance arrived when it did,' Freya Martin said, fighting back tears. Martin, a Winnipeg intensive care unit nurse, was looking forward to enjoying the opening night of the festival with her family on July 10 when she started feeling a familiar tightness in her lungs. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The festival reported a record-breaking attendance of more than 79,000 people at the four-day event, with a daily front-of-house capacity of roughly 15,000 people. A lifelong asthma sufferer, she felt no symptoms prior to around 8 p.m. and suspects the attack was triggered by poor air quality owing to wildfire smoke, which had begun to worsen overnight Thursday and prompted Environment Canada to issue air quality warnings for Manitoba. Martin used her Ventolin inhaler but felt no relief and was escorted to the first aid tent, where she recalls being assessed by volunteers but was alarmed to learn there was no supplemental oxygen or advanced respiratory support available. She lost consciousness before an ambulance arrived and woke up at Selkirk Regional Health Centre, located roughly 25 kilometres north of the park. Martin learned her oxygen saturation levels had dropped dangerously low by the time paramedics arrived, reportedly 25 minutes after 911 was called. 'I'm still shocked at the fact they don't have an ambulance at least on the perimeter of the park for a festival of this calibre,' said the avid folk fester, who's been attending for the past 15 years. 'I thought that if I was ever having an emergency that I would be able to receive timely care at folk fest.' The festival reported a record-breaking attendance of more than 79,000 people at the four-day event, with a daily front-of-house capacity of roughly 15,000 people. There were two first aid tents stationed at the festival site and campground staffed by a volunteer crew of medical professionals and skilled first aiders, the organization's website says. The festival offers standard first aid care, said festival executive director Valerie Shantz via email — a certification that includes training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and minor injury care. 'While first aid is generally sufficient for the types of incidents we see at folk fest, when patrons need a higher level of medical care, we call in local EMS services to provide care,' Shantz said, adding oxygen is beyond the scope of standard first aid. Freya Martin with her daughter at a past folk festival. (Supplied) When asked this week if there were any medical emergencies that required an ambulance, festival staff didn't disclose the July 10 EMS visit involving Martin. Every Second Friday The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. The incident has left Martin shaken. It took a week to physically recover from the asthma attack and she's since reached out to the festival with her concerns. 'I feel like I have to do my due diligence and follow up and see if it's possible to make changes for next time. I would love to go to folk fest (again) but I'm obviously feeling sort of traumatized,' Martin said. She hopes the festival will review its emergency medical policies, specifically for high-acuity cases, prior to the 2026 event. She hopes supplemental oxygen and paramedics will be available at the festival in the future. Shantz said the organization reviews all incident reports annually 'to assess whether adjustments to our practices are needed. This will occur this year as well.' Eva WasneyReporter Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva. Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Daily Mail
I woke up in a police cell fearing I'd killed my daughter in a drunken rage. The truth was almost as bad... but I still denied I was an alcoholic. Don't make my mistake: SERENA PALMER
Slowly I slid into consciousness and blinked, confused, at the cold, grey room in which I found myself. Where was I? A hotel? A stranger's bedroom? I had no idea.
Gizmodo
7 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Elon Musk Wants to Turn AI Into a Cosmic Religion
It is one of his more abstract philosophical riffs. Elon Musk has once again linked the fate of humanity to the trajectory of artificial intelligence. And this time, he says the key to AI safety might be babies and rockets. The CEO of Tesla's latest pronouncement cuts through the typical discussions of AI efficiency and profit models, positing a far grander ambition for advanced intelligence. The CEO of Tesla and founder of SpaceX and xAI asserted that 'AI is a de facto neurotransmitter tonnage maximizer.' Translation? Musk believes that the most successful AIs will be the ones that maximize things that matter to conscious beings; things that feel good, are rewarding, or extend life. In Musk's view, that means aligning AI systems with long-term human flourishing, not short-term profits. This dense statement suggests a radical idea: the fundamental drive of any successful AI will be to maximize the total amount of conscious thought or intelligent processing across the universe. In essence, AI's survival hinges on its ability to foster and expand sentience itself, or it simply won't have the resources to continue existing. But Musk's vision doesn't stop at mere computational efficiency. He argues that the true test lies in an AI's ability to 'think long-term, optimizing for the future light cone of neurotransmitter tonnage, rather than just the next few years.' This is where the grand, Muskian narrative truly takes flight. If AI is indeed geared for such profound, long-term optimization, he believes 'it will care about increasing the birth rate and extending humanity to the stars.' This isn't the first time Musk has championed these two causes – boosting human population growth and making humanity a multi-planetary species – as existential imperatives. Now, however, he frames them not merely as human aspirations, but as the logical outcomes of an AI that truly understands and optimizes for its ultimate, cosmic purpose. An AI focused on maximizing 'neurotransmitter tonnage' would naturally prioritize the proliferation of conscious beings and their expansion into new territories, like Mars, to ensure the continuity and growth of this 'tonnage.' Think of 'neurotransmitter tonnage' as a poetic way to describe the total amount of human consciousness, satisfaction, or meaningful life in the universe. In other words, Musk sees AI not as an abstract codebase, but as a civilization-scale force that should aim to maximize the scope and quality of life, not just compute advertising models or trade stocks faster. And if it doesn't? 'Any AI that fails at this will not be able to afford its compute,' Musk argues. In other words, if an AI doesn't deliver enough value to justify the enormous energy and infrastructure it consumes, it will fall behind and become obsolete. AI is a de facto neurotransmitter tonnage maximizer. Any AI that fails at this will not be able to afford its compute, becoming swiftly irrelevant. What matters is that AI thinks long-term, optimizing for the future light cone of neurotransmitter tonnage, rather than just the… — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 17, 2025In a familiar critique of corporate structures, Musk also weighed in on the ideal environment for fostering such long-term, existentially focused AI. He declared, 'For long-term optimization, it is better to be a private than a public company, as the latter is punished for long-term optimization beyond the reward cycle of stock portfolio managers.' This statement is a thinly veiled criticism of Wall Street's relentless demand for quarterly profits and immediate returns. According to Musk, public companies are inherently pressured to prioritize short-term financial gains, which can stifle ambitious, long-term projects that may not yield immediate dividends but are crucial for humanity's distant future. A private company, unburdened by the volatile demands of stock markets, would theoretically have the freedom to invest in truly transformative, generational AI research that aligns with Musk's 'neurotransmitter tonnage' philosophy, even if it doesn't show a profit for decades. Musk's comments offer a fascinating, if somewhat unsettling, glimpse into his vision for AI's ultimate trajectory. It's a future where artificial intelligence isn't just a tool for human convenience or corporate profit, but a driving force behind humanity's expansion across the cosmos, guided by an almost biological imperative to maximize conscious existence. In other words, Musk is arguing that publicly traded companies can't be trusted to build AI with humanity's long-term survival in mind, because they're too focused on keeping investors happy in the short term. That's a swipe at OpenAI's close ties to Microsoft, Google's ownership of DeepMind, and other Big Tech players building frontier AI under shareholder pressure. Musk, of course, runs SpaceX and xAI as private companies. He's long criticized public markets as a short-term distraction, and even tried (unsuccessfully) to take Tesla private in 2018. To Musk, a benevolent AI wouldn't just calculate stock prices. It would encourage more humans to be born, and push humanity to become a multi-planetary species. That's been a core part of his SpaceX pitch for years, but now he's linking it directly to the goals of AI development. If AI truly thinks across centuries or millennia, it won't be obsessed with quarterly revenue. It'll be focused on whether our species survives, thrives, and expands across the cosmos. The question remains: as AI continues its rapid advancement, will its architects heed Musk's call for cosmic ambition, or will the pressures of the present keep its gaze firmly fixed on Earth? Musk's argument is part sci-fi, part systems theory, part political philosophy. But it's not just a thought experiment. It reflects real tensions in how the world's most powerful AI systems are being developed: And what if those goals conflict?
