Episode 10: Rampancy of the Artificial Mind Pt 2

Pod Culture Oz Episode 10: Rampancy of the Artificial Mind Part 2

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“Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?”

In the second part of this long-promised Westworld-inspired episode of Pod Culture [Oz], we are once again joined by our friend Fred (previously seen in Episode 2: Omega Point, sensates and space cannibals) as we discuss how artificial intelligence tropes are used in fiction.

We explore the fascinating theory of the Bicameral Mind, explore Golems and Murderbots, what is Rampancy and the repercussions of it, and the differences between Humans and Artificial Intelligence – if you can’t tell the difference, does it even matter?

You can listen to this episode on our website, or you can subscribe on on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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“The Bicameral Mind is completely untestable, and therefore it belongs completely in the same bucket as Teilhard’s Omega Point theories, and it’s AMAZING”

— Dave, Co-host

Timestamps:

• 0:00 – Introduction

• 1:27 – The Bicameral Mind

• 7:11 – What is Rampancy?

• 11:01 – Golems and Murderbots

• 21:47 – Repercussions of Rampancy

• 37:17 – Humans vs AIs: If you can’t tell, does it even matter?

• 45:28 – Wrap up and outro

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Books we discuss:

• Adams, Douglas. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

• Agamben, Georgio. Opus Dei: An Archeology of Duty

• Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica

• Arendt, Hannah. The Human Condition

• Asimov, Isaac. ‘Runabout’

• Card, Orson Scott. Ender’s Game

• Capek, Karel. R.U.R

• Chabon, Michael. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay

• Clarke, Arthur C. 2001: A Space Odyssey

• Cole, Alyssa. The AI who loved me

• Flanagan, Frances. Work that we need but don’t value

• Herbert, Frank. Dune

• Hochschild, Ali. The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling

• Gerald, David. When HARLIE was One

• Gibson, William. Neuromancer

• Pratchett, Terry. Feet of Clay

• Pullman, Philip. Clockwork

• Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein

• Simmons, Dan. Hyperion

• Wells, Martha. All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries 1

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Movies & TV shows we discuss:

• 2001: A Space Odyssey

• Alien

• Aliens

• Alien 3

• Alien Resurrection

• The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron

• Battlestar Galactica (new series)

• Better Than Us

• Bladerunner

• Chernobyl (mini series)

• Ex Machina

• Her

• Humans

• The Last Starfighter

• Logan’s Run

• Love, Death + Robots

• The Matrix

• Metropolis

• Prometheus

• Rick and Morty

• RoboCop

• Star Trek (Original Series)

• Star Trek: Picard

• The Terminator

• Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles

• WarGames

• Westworld (movie)

• Westworld (tv show)

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Games we discuss:

• Cyberpunk RPG

• Cyperpunk 2077

• Fallout 3

• Fallout 4

• Fallout 76

• Halo

• Horizon Zero Dawn

• Knights of the Old Republic

• Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords

• Marathon

• Mass Effect

• Mass Effect 2

• Mass Effect 3

• Observation

• Planescape RPG

• Planescape: Torment

• Portal

• The Red Strings Club

• Rolemaster

• Spacemaster: Imperium

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Other resources:

• Episode 2: Omega Point, sensates and space cannibals

• Episode 7: The Politics of Superheroes Pt 1

• Episode 8: The Politics of Superheroes Pt 2

• The Golem of Prague

• Irving, Nick. The MCU is terrible and you deserve better (in Medium)

• Kizuna AI