Variance

Apr 19, 2026 — What is human consciousness? Is it local and generated from our biology, or non-local and part of a different field? What are other ways of studying and probing it? Where does meaning and purpose come from? Can we more deeply connect with other human...

Feb 01, 2026 — Can we make moral AI agents? Can these agents get good enough to provide therapy and other personal services to humans, and even if they can, is that a good idea? Are language models sentient and deserving of moral concern - and how would we know? How...

Sep 30, 2025 — How valuable are inanimate material objects, and can we have relationships with them - from computers to art? Why do we have dogs in our lives, which our laws treat as objects, when dogs have no say in the "relationship"? Will our new synthetic beings,...

Aug 20, 2025 — How fast is AI really improving, and how do we know? What guarantees can we expect from AI systems to be robust and reliable? What is AGI and have we gotten there? Can AI systems show creativity or even sentience? Join Anastasios Angelopoulos as he...

Jun 09, 2025 — Why does it cost so much to build housing? How can we build to live in a world of climate change and wildfires? How will electric cars and charging stations change gas station architecture? Join Dan Spiegel of SAW Architects as he lays out his...