No, I’m a Roman

I just finished reading "The Byzantine Republic", a wonderful book by historian Anthony Kaldellis. In the book the author argues that "Byzantium" should be viewed as the continuation of Rome, and indeed that the republican polity of Rome survived in the politics and life of Constantinople as well as the...

Robots and the future of work

[slideshare id=52986898&doc=robotsandhumans-150920160848-lva1-app6892] In this concept deck I examine some global macroeconomic data from the past sixty years to argue that automation is a major factor behind the increase in global productivity. Cognitive computing and highly adaptable robotics will solve the problem of productivity having flattened out in most industrial countries - the...

The big bang of the human mind, and our desire to build artificial beings

[slideshare id=46037137&doc=thebirthofart-150319085231-conversion-gate01] The "big bang of the human mind" took place around 40,000 years ago, when our prehistoric ancestors developed general purpose language. The reasons why this happened are yet unclear, and probably involve a number of genetic mutations. We know that something changed because of the emergence of art,...