Hot Thought

Artificial Intelligence

Why AI Doesn’t Care About You

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on January 9, 2026

People are looking to AI for friendship, therapy, and even love. But AI models are incapable of having emotions because they lack the bodies that contribute to human feelings.

People are looking to AI for friendship, therapy, and even love. But AI models are incapable of having emotions because they lack the bodies that contribute to human feelings.

Artificial Intelligence

Why AI Won't (Plausibly) Kill Everyone

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on September 18, 2025

AI doomers claim that superintelligence will lead to human extinction—but their scenario makes implausible assumptions about what AI wants.

AI doomers claim that superintelligence will lead to human extinction—but their scenario makes implausible assumptions about what AI wants.

Artificial Intelligence

Could AI Have Maternal Instincts?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on August 29, 2025

Hinton’s suggestion to control AI by giving it maternal instincts is implausible because computer systems lack the required chemical, physiological, and neural mechanisms.

Hinton’s suggestion to control AI by giving it maternal instincts is implausible because computer systems lack the required chemical, physiological, and neural mechanisms.

Neuroscience

What Makes Jokes Funny?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on July 25, 2025

Jokes are funny because they tap into the brain mechanisms of neural representation, binding, coherence, and competition. Coherence shifts are both cognitive and emotional.

Jokes are funny because they tap into the brain mechanisms of neural representation, binding, coherence, and competition. Coherence shifts are both cognitive and emotional.

Philosophy

The Seven Sins of Philosophy

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on June 27, 2025

Philosophy is indispensable for intellecutal progress but needs to avoid the seven sins of dogmatism, arrogance, obscurity, isolation, irrelevance, narrowness, and nihilism.

Philosophy is indispensable for intellecutal progress but needs to avoid the seven sins of dogmatism, arrogance, obscurity, isolation, irrelevance, narrowness, and nihilism.

Philosophy

What Is Desire?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on May 26, 2025

Desires are brain processes in line with the NBC theory that consciousness results from neural representations, binding, coherence, and competition.

Desires are brain processes in line with the NBC theory that consciousness results from neural representations, binding, coherence, and competition.

Neuroscience

Is the New Panpsychism As Bad As the Old?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on April 21, 2025

Panprotopsychism claims that the fundamental building blocks of reality have properties that are the precursors to consciousness. It has all the problems of panpsychism.

Panprotopsychism claims that the fundamental building blocks of reality have properties that are the precursors to consciousness. It has all the problems of panpsychism.

Emotions

Emotions in Anti-Breakup Songs

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on December 10, 2024

The emotions in popular songs that resist breakups include hope, nostalgia, love, regret, and fear of loss.

The emotions in popular songs that resist breakups include hope, nostalgia, love, regret, and fear of loss.

Artificial Intelligence

The Mind-Body Problem—A New Solution

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on November 5, 2024

Coherent materialism claims that thinking in the real world requires couplings of software and hardware that satisfy constraints of time, space, energy, and history.

Coherent materialism claims that thinking in the real world requires couplings of software and hardware that satisfy constraints of time, space, energy, and history.

Free Will

Why Ozempic Beats Free Will

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on October 4, 2024

Ozempic and similar drugs are often effective because they produce feelings of satisfaction, in line with the NBC theory of consciousness.

Ozempic and similar drugs are often effective because they produce feelings of satisfaction, in line with the NBC theory of consciousness.

Artificial Intelligence

What Is the Probability of AI Doom?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on June 28, 2024

The syntax of probability is clear, but its semantic interpretation is problematic for the probability that AI will lead to human doom.

The syntax of probability is clear, but its semantic interpretation is problematic for the probability that AI will lead to human doom.

Cognition

Explaining the NBC Theory of Consciousness

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on June 7, 2024

Consciousness emerges from interactions of neural representation, binding, coherence, and competition.

Consciousness emerges from interactions of neural representation, binding, coherence, and competition.

Artificial Intelligence

Can Generative AI Explain or Innovate?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on May 3, 2024

My recent tests suggest that ChatGPT and similar AI models can do explanation and creative causal reasoning.

My recent tests suggest that ChatGPT and similar AI models can do explanation and creative causal reasoning.

Philosophy

Does the Universe Have a Purpose? Do You?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on March 21, 2024

The universe has no purpose, but people can form meaningful lives from helping themselves and others pursue vital needs for love, work, and play.

The universe has no purpose, but people can form meaningful lives from helping themselves and others pursue vital needs for love, work, and play.

Emotional Intelligence

How to Give Your Heart a Shake

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on February 22, 2024

Explore the possibility of intentionally changing our emotions without the standard view of a heart-head divide. Here are actionable steps for emotional transformation.

Explore the possibility of intentionally changing our emotions without the standard view of a heart-head divide. Here are actionable steps for emotional transformation.

Cognition

How to Stop Misinformation

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on January 18, 2024

Misinformation can be fought by identifying it, locating sources and motives, and using critical thinking and motivational interviewing.

Misinformation can be fought by identifying it, locating sources and motives, and using critical thinking and motivational interviewing.

Neuroscience

Understanding Timing and Chemistry in Team Sports

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on December 4, 2023

Athletes need timing to have chemistry with their teammates for effective team performance. Time cells in the brain and neural groups called "memory units" make timing work.

Athletes need timing to have chemistry with their teammates for effective team performance. Time cells in the brain and neural groups called "memory units" make timing work.

Therapy

Understanding Chemistry in Psychotherapy

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on November 17, 2023

The alliance between therapist and client is analogous to romantic chemistry. Both are emergent properties of perceptions, emotions, behaviors, and consciousness.

The alliance between therapist and client is analogous to romantic chemistry. Both are emergent properties of perceptions, emotions, behaviors, and consciousness.

Neuroscience

What Is Romantic Chemistry?

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on October 16, 2023

Chemistry results from the interaction of perception, emotion, and behavior, with consciousness based on neural representations, binding, coherence, and attentional competition.

Chemistry results from the interaction of perception, emotion, and behavior, with consciousness based on neural representations, binding, coherence, and attentional competition.

Artificial Intelligence

Increase Your Creativity With ChatGPT

Paul Thagard Ph.D. on June 29, 2023

A method I call “ChatStorming” uses AI to generate useful questions as well as answers, for example about the nature of consciousness.

A method I call “ChatStorming” uses AI to generate useful questions as well as answers, for example about the nature of consciousness.