iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 31/08/2026

On our Close Readings subscription podcast, @meehancrist.bsky.social and @petergs.bsky.social consider Emily Rabouteau’s 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭, which uses Upper Manhattan’s bird murals as a way into exploring climate breakdown. Listen to an extract: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

podcasts.apple.com

Nature in Crisis: ‘Lessons for Survival’ by Emily Raboteau

Podcast Episode · Close Readings · 24 August · 1hr 18min

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Heading back from Ecuador and the ICCS consciousness workshop. Ecuador is great. The Galapagos, of course, but everywhere I went. Already thinking of coming back.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Advice I now give to my students: don't write using AI at all, at any stage (outlines, drafts, edits, anything). It's nearly unavoidable in searches. But in writing: draw a line. Be explicit: 'this is AI-free writing.' In some fields it will be good, soon, to have a reputation of this kind.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

A blog post about an unusually large giant cuttlefish, "Mr Big," who has been hanging out at Cabbage Tree Bay (Australia). metazoan.net/134-mr-big/

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Writing a series of long blog posts about brain rhythms, fields, and related topics. To work through some ideas & difficult papers, correct some things I said earlier, note disagreements, and so on. Two posts so far. 1. metazoan.net/132-rhythms-1/ 2. metazoan.net/133-rhythms-2/

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

A new episode of the 'Nature in Crisis' podcast, via @lrb.co.uk, with @meehancrist.bsky.social & myself. About Robin Wall Kimmerer's book 'Braiding Sweetgrass.' www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and... 1/

lrb.co.uk

Podcast: Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith · Nature in Crisis:

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Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Justin Weinberg @dailynous.com · 06/07/2026

"Norms surrounding conflict disclosure (financial and non-financial) are basically non-existent" in philosophy, which is something that should change as the tech industry becomes increasingly interested in working with philosophers...

dailynous.com

Time for Philosophy’s COI Policies to Grow Up (guest post) - Daily Nous

"Philosophy’s broadening impact has generated increasing interest from industries looking to partner with academic philosophers. Ties are now especially common between philosophers and technology comp...

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Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 02/07/2026

On our Close Readings subscription podcast, @meehancrist.bsky.social and @petergs.bsky.social explore Robin Wall Kimmerer’s 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴, looking at the most compelling features of her technique and where she risks scientific overreach. Listen to an extract: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

podcasts.apple.com

Nature in Crisis: ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Podcast Episode · Close Readings · 28 June · 1hr 14min

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Preparing some video for a talk next week. These are screenshots from GoPro video at the 'Octopolis' site a while back. A big stingray cruising in. No divers present (fine with me in this case). The talk is a "How might complex behavior evolve on other planets?" talk. In Sydney on Thursday.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Plans for next year. Bochum, Germany.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Link here to a preprint of my short article about consciousness, "biological naturalism," and electrical brain rhythms published by IAI TV earlier this year. Preprint: petergodfreysmith.com/wp-content/u... Published (no longer open access): iai.tv/articles/stu...

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Episode 3 of the London Review of Books "Nature in Crisis" podcast, with @meehancrist.bsky.social and myself, is about Helen Czerski's book "The Blue Machine." I enjoyed this one a lot, both book & conversation. (@helenczerski.bsky.social, @lrb.co.uk, link below). 1/

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

Tomorrow at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social, I give the 2026 Nagel Lecture (named after Ernest N, a wise mid-20th century NYC philosopher, rather than Thomas N, equally NYC and equally wise). A mind-body talk. IRL only. philosophy.columbia.edu/events/2026-...

philosophy.columbia.edu

2026 Nagel Lecture - “Biology, Functionalism, and the Mind-Body Problem" - Peter Godfrey-Smith, University of Sydney | Department of Philosophy

Please register via the linked RSVP form by March 30th

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

A discussion of "biological naturalism" about the mind, and a candidate for biological properties that might matter to consciousness: Oscillations & other large-scale dynamic properties of nervous systems. (Free link for now.) iai.tv/articles/stu...

iai.tv

Studies on animal minds suggest consciousness is not computation

<p><em>We’re often seduced by the idea that the mind is a computer, and that consciousness is just a matter of running the right code. But philosopher <strong>Peter Godfrey-Smith</strong>, renowned fo...

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

This is great. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/c... (free link) "Notably, half of the whales attending were not related to the mother." "The calf was rarely left untouched, and it was usually being touched by at least two whales simultaneously."

nytimes.com

Scientists Filmed a Whale Birth. The Surprise: Mom Had Many Helpers.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Next month at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social in NYC, a mind-body talk for the 2026 Nagel Lecture. Philosophy Department. Link below. I'll look at the debate taking shape between "biological naturalism" and "computational functionalism" (labels that are imperfect but not bad).. 1/

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Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

London Review of Books @lrb.co.uk · 09/03/2026

On our Close Readings subscription podcast: @meehancrist.bsky.social and @petergs.bsky.social reflect on how Helen Czerski’s 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 has altered their thinking about the ocean, and whether new perspectives can change public policy. Listen to an extract: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...

podcasts.apple.com

Nature in Crisis: ‘Blue Machine’ by Helen Czerski

Podcast Episode · Close Readings · 9 March · 1h 4m

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Third in a series of short photographic blog posts about octopuses encountered a few weeks ago diving at Fly Point (Australia): metazoan.net/130-another-...

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Baz Luhrmann has the right idea. I'm not much of an Elvis person, but looking forward to seeing this. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/m... (gift link)

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Episode 2 of "Nature in Crisis," the podcast I'm doing with @meehancrist.bsky.social for the @lrb.co.uk is now up. We discuss "The Light Eaters" by @zoeschlanger.bsky.social. Plant intelligence, plant agency, the pace and place of plants. www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...

lrb.co.uk

Podcast: Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith · Nature in Crisis: ‘The Light Eaters’ by Zoë Schlanger

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Photo from my car window on the way to record episode 1 of the podcast series I'm doing with @meehancrist.bsky.social for the @lrb.co.uk (links below). Mill Valley, California. Highway 1 flooded (November). The series is called "Nature in Crisis." 1/

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

A very fine octopus encountered at Fly Point (Australia) today. Like an old battleship.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Near the end of my time teaching at US universities I began to wonder if small liberal arts colleges were better set up for the future than the large ones I was accustomed to – this before LLMs, Trump2, & other current crises. Now this looks much more likely. 🧵 1/ www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...

theatlantic.com

The Accidental Winners of the War on Higher Ed

Go to a small liberal-arts college if you can.

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Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Ricard Solé @ricardsole.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

After reading his previous books (especially Other Minds) I was really looking forward to @petergs.bsky.social new one, and it does not disappoint. A great journey through the evolution of life & cognition and how they have shaped our biosphere. Must-read @brigan.bsky.social @jordiplam.bsky.social

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

49 degrees Celsius (= 120 F) down in Victoria? Tomorrow evening @meehancrist.bsky.social and I record episode 3 of "Nature in Crisis," a new podcast series with the @lrb.co.uk. Episode 1 looked at Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," and is available now (link in reply).

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

A passage below in a (good) book I am reading. I recommend against make the bet - your dollar may well be lost. One can photograph reds and oranges underwater without added light; just have to tell the camera to scour its input for the tiny amounts of red coming in, and ramp them up in the mix. 1/

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

A new podcast series through the London Review of Books (@lrb.co.uk): "Nature in Crisis." Close readings of books about nature, conservation, climate, & energy. Once a month, with myself & Meehan Crist. Episode 1, out now, is about Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring." www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...

lrb.co.uk

Podcast: Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith · Nature in Crisis: ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Searching through old octopus files for something, I came across a video from 12 years ago. One of our first videos of possible projectile use by an octopus. The other octo is definitely hit, but the aim was not great. I put onto YT a better version of the video. 1/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87a...

youtube.com

"Three Octopuses" – a 2026 edit

YouTube video by pgsmith6

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

A blog post. About cockatoos, grooming, and affection. metazoan.net/127-affection/

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

A review of the second edition of 'Theory and Reality,' in Spanish, by Macario Ofilada Mina. I don't read Spanish, and used a translate site. Mina suggests that both Polanyi and Whitehead might have been included.. www.religiondigital.org/libros/segur... 1/

religiondigital.org

Del saber seguro al procedimiento científico: Construyendo puentes entre la teoría y la realidad

A propósito del libro Theory and Reality. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (2a. ed., Chicago-Londres: The University of Chicago Press, 2021, 395 pp.) del profesor P. Godfrey-Smith

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Each year round this time, Rainbow Lorikeets come in and make a huge fuss round some high tree hollows (where some Galahs raised a family in 'Living On Earth'). They make a stack of noise, rip things up, check it all out... and then leave again.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

A favorite encounter of 2025 – bobcat, Point Reyes (California). Bobcat not lioness, but the image brings to mind the Iranian protestors right now.

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Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Jonathan Birch @birchlse.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Martin Peterson's creative response to being banned from teaching Plato (shared with his permission).

An email from Martin Peterson to university administrators.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Free speech thread: In the aftermath of the Bondi murders, the state govt here is moving, unfortunately, in the direction of suppressing protest and proscribing specific phrases. I gave talks in 2025 about tolerance & free speech. Wrote up the main one: petergodfreysmith.com/wp-content/u...

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

In relation to the blog post about lights and camera gear: this is from a recent dive trip. Mine is the diminutive rig at the end (red arrow). (Blog post: Metazoan.net)

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

A blog post obsessing about Phyllodesmium poindimiei, the nudibranch in the previous post. Obsessing also about some photographic ethics – suddenly adding light to the world of these tiny creatures. Is it aversive? How could we tell? A scrap of data is included.. metazoan.net/126-spun-of-...

metazoan.net

126. Spun of Light » Metazoan

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Back in the water with Phyllodesmium poindimiei. A gastropodic marvel. (Fly Point, Australia)

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

A Great Horned Owl, seen in Point Reyes during my recent California trip. Spotted (while quite a bit better hidden than he is here) by Daniel Dietrich. A young one, apparently. Flew off and then sat watching as I scrambled up the hill to get a photo.

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Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

Stefano Palminteri @stepalminteri.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

Just read this old-school sci-fi gem I found in a vintage bookstore in Bologna, where a Practical Philosopher Corps is deployed across the galaxy to assess sentience and cognition in alien species. I guess the dream job for @birchlse.bsky.social @petergs.bsky.social

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 19/10/2025

Driving down the east side of the Sierra Nevadas a few weeks ago. I keep coming back here.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

In the @nybooks.com, a review by Verlyn Klinkenborg of all three books of the 'Other Minds' trilogy, plus David Scheel's octopus book and one by Craig Foster (of 'My Octopus Teacher'). Quite an armful. (Image by Jason Logan.) 1/ www.nybooks.com/articles/202...

nybooks.com

‘Such Flexible Intensity of Life’ | Verlyn Klinkenborg

Their striking intelligence makes octopuses tempting subjects for wishful anthropomorphism and uncanny reminders of nature’s mysteries.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Australian whale populations – what a pleasure to read this.

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Weather coming in over Eagle Lake, (California, near Tahoe), last week.

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Reposted by Peter Godfrey-Smith

The Royal Institute of Philosophy @triphilosophy.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

"Living on Earth: Life, Consciousness and the Making of the Natural World" by @petergs.bsky.social (published by William Collins) has been shortlisted for the 2025 Nayef Al-Rodhan International Prize in Transdisciplinary Philosophy. Learn more: royalinstitutephilosophy.org/news/shortli...

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

A century in the making - this week's University of Virginia conference on John Dewey's "Experience and Nature" (1925). A majestic, frustrating, (endless) book. Event organized by @cbarzun.bsky.social www.law.virginia.edu/event/sympos... 1/

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Jakob Hohwy @hohwy.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Come to Melbourne for the 2025 Conference of the Australasian Society for Philosophy and Psychology Check out the great keynotes - submit your abstract Come join this exciting community of researchers Nov 24-25 - Register now! #philosophy #neuroskyence #philsky sites.google.com/monash.edu/a...

sites.google.com

ASPP 2025 Melbourne

Australasian Society for Philosophy and Psychology 2025 Conference Melbourne, November 24th - 25th, 2025

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Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Later this month I am giving the 2025 Howison Lecture at UC Berkeley. "Evolution and Animal Minds." It will have quite a lot on recent work looking at play and dreams in nonhumans. 1/

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