iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Peter Godfrey-Smith @petergs.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I wrote an article about the possibility of dreaming in cephalopods. It has been published by @pioneerwork.bsky.social in an extremely beautiful way. Watch the videos through a layer of water. Become the tiny scuba-diving trackpad-pointer. Open access. pioneerworks.org/broadcast/ce...

pioneerworks.org

The Dreams of Octopus and Cuttlefish | Broadcast

How the skin reveals a world within.

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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

Nearly so. Google pushes it to the top, etc. I realize there are specialist browsers that work differently. A lot to *ask* students to use these. And I don't think it's malign in these contexts anyway.

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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 · 24/07/2026

I follow Miller's work fairly closely (insofar as I can..). Fascinating work.

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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

I've skipped posting some episodes – will catch up at some stage and comment on them all. This is my favorite episode so far (along with Carson). The book has lots to criticize, lots to praise. Glorious in places. We had to be resolute about not giving away something remarkable near the end. 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

Nice choice of Turner for the art (thanks @lrb.co.uk – I am a Turner fanatic). The book is ocean-sized and oceanic in its atmosphere. www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and... This link has an excerpt. 2/

lrb.co.uk

Podcast: Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith · Nature in Crisis: ‘Blue Machine’ by Helen Czerski

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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

Yes, that's the problem. Thanks. I'll repost in a day or so. (Wonder why it didn't happen to the link itself?)

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

Are details of our biological make-up, as opposed to what might be seen as our "software," necessary to consciousness? (Cf recent papers by @neddo.bsky.social & @anilseth.bsky.social). And if biological properties do matter, which ones and why? philosophy.columbia.edu/events/2026-... 2/

philosophy.columbia.edu

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

Thank you. Wonderful animals indeed.

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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

As @meehancrist.bsky.social says, the book is full of mind-bending material and we much enjoyed discussing it. Do you know if there is any news on the mimic vine? Are you still in touch with those researchers? Do you know the latest?

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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 · 11/02/2026

This was at Nelson Bay, up the coast from Sydney. It doesn't have unusual concentrations in the way Octopolis (etc) does, but it tends to have a good number of octopuses. I did a blog post about this one - metazoan.net/128-battlesh...

metazoan.net

128. Battleship » Metazoan

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

I'd raised the possibility of having a question-mark in the title – "Nature in Crisis?" – as the aim is to discuss that theme without prior assumptions. But driving through a flood on the way to ep 1 certainly made the title seem apt. Ep 2 is released this week. 2/ 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 · 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

Scope for administrative overreach is scale-dependent? The problem of AI seems somewhat less acute at these places, too. Many well-known small US colleges are very expensive, but the model might be applied more broadly? Australia does not have these institutions. I wish it did. 4/4

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

.. These features are helpful in many contexts right now. Because these are small communities, interference and power-grabs by administrators also seem less of a problem – or they were when I began reflecting on all this. I hope it's still true. 3/

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

As @ibogost.com says, the small colleges might be "accidental winners," not just of the overt conflicts but in relation to other crises, including AI. Small-group interaction, norms of civility and community, the step back from ultra-competitive practices.. 2/

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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

It's not AI or additive; just a matter telling the camera what to look for and what to dial back. I am a 'natural light ideologue' - see this blog post. metazoan.net/126-spun-of-... (Below is also an image from another blog post – how an adjustment for 12 meters or so looks at the surface.)

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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

But now I don't think that the shell movement was incidental. The 'pause' before the release makes it unlikely. We saw that pause often with very clear gatherings-and-throws in our later data. Here's an excerpt of the video, just with the 'throw.' 3/

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