Info: this online course is only available in English, open to the general public.

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COURSE NR. 10 - "THE MIND-BRAIN-MACHINE"
 
Description: Imagine a world where our minds seamlessly connect with machines, blurring the line between humans and technology. In simple terms, the MIND-BRAIN-MACHINE (MBM) revolves around the idea of establishing a direct link between our brains and machines. It's like plugging your brain into a computer or some other device, allowing for bidirectional communication. Sounds pretty sci-fi, right? Well, it's not all fiction. Scientists and researchers have been making some mind-blowing progress in this field. They're exploring various technologies, from brain implants and neural prosthetics to non-invasive methods like EEG (electroencephalography) and magnetic stimulation. The goal? Enhancing our cognitive abilities, treating neurological disorders, and even augmenting our capabilities beyond natural limits. But it's not all rainbows and unicorns. The MBM debate is far from settled. Some scientists are super excited about the potential benefits, envisioning a world where we can control machines with our thoughts, boost our memory and intelligence, or even upload our minds into virtual realities. Others, however, have concerns about privacy, ethics, and the very essence of what it means to be human. So, whether you're a tech enthusiast or a skeptic, the mind-brain-machine interface debate is sure to ignite your imagination.
 
The goal of this Online Course 10 is to discuss with the general public (and academics interested in the subject) two relevant topics associated with the philosophical, scientific and ethical understanding of the MIND-BRAIN-MACHINE Interfaces and technologies. The course in English will be given in two sessions.

The First Session will discuss the philosophical and scientific assumptions presupposed by this kind of technology (this session will have the participation of Emeritus Professor Miguel Nicolelis, Duke University).

The Second Session will focus on the ethical and political consequences that can arise from the development and use of this technology (this session will have the participation of Professor Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Harvard University).
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Main Professor: Steven S. Gouveia holds a PhD in Neurophilosophy from the University of Minho (Portugal) and was a visiting researcher at the Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Unit of the Royal Institute of Mental Health, University of Ottawa (Canada), where he was a PostDoc Research Fellow (2021-2022). He is the author and editor of 13 academic books, with the collaboration of several philosophers of mind such as Daniel Dennett, Thomas Metzinger, Anil Seth, Karl Friston, Georg Northoff, Jesse Prinz, among others. He co-edited the book "Philosophy of Mind: Contemporary Perspectives" (2017), "Perception, Cognition and Aesthetics" (2019) & "The Philosophy an Science of Predictive Processing" (2020). As an author, he published is third authored book titled "Philosophy and Neuroscience: a Methodological Anaylsis" (2022) with Palgrave Macmilliam (Springer Nature). He has lectured around the world on topics related to Neurophilosophy, Brain and Mind (e.g. Italy, Malta, Switzerland, Cyprus, South Korea, Brazil, etc). He was recently appointed, alongside Nobel Laureate Sir Roger Penrose, an Honorary Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Unviersity Andrés Bello (Chile). More information: here.


Invited Professors:

  • Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., Ph.D., is the Duke School of Medicine Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Neuroscience, Duke University Professor of Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering and Psychology and Neuroscience, and founder of Duke's Center for Neuroengineering. He is the founder and Scientific Director of the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute for Neuroscience of Natal.  Dr. Nicolelis is also founder of the Walk Again Project, an international consortium of scientists and engineers, dedicated to the development of an exoskeleton device to assist severely paralyzed patients in regaining full body mobility. Dr. Nicolelis has dedicated his career to investigate how the brains of freely behaving animals encode sensory and motor information, being the first to propose and demonstrate that animals and human subjects can utilize their electrical brain activity to directly control neuroprosthetic devices via brain-machine interfaces (BMI). His research has influenced basic and applied research in computer science, robotics, and biomedical engineering. He published several books, such as The Relativistic Brain (2015) and The True Creator of Everything (2020). He received more than 50 awards including the Claude Shannon Luminary Award, Nokia Bell Labs (2019) or the Barucha Award, World Federation of Neurology (2019). More info: here. 
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  • Rebecca Newberger Goldstein is an American novelist and Professor of Philosophy. She has written five novels, a number of short stories and essays, and biographical studies of mathematician Kurt Gödel and philosopher Baruch Spinoza. Dr. Goldstein graduated summa cum laude from Barnard College, receiving the Montague Prize for Excellence in Philosophy, and earned her PhD from Princeton University, where she was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship. In addition to Barnard, Dr. Goldstein has taught at Columbia and Rutgers. She has been a visiting scholar at Brandeis University, and taught for five years as a visiting professor in the Department of Philosophy at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. She is currently Visiting Professor of Philosophy and English at NYU, as well as Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the New College of the Humanities, London, England. She published several books such as The Mind-Body Problem (1993) and Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away (2014). Dr. Goldstein has been the recipient of many awards, including the 2014 National Humanities Medal given by President Barack Obama or the 2011 Humanist of the Year from the American Humanist Association, being named a Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. More info: here.


Structure:
  • Session 1: The philosophical and scientific assumptions of the Mind-Brain-Machine (with Miguel Nicolelis) 
  • Session 2: The political and ethical consequences of the Mind-Brain-Machine (with Rebecca Newberger Goldstein)

When (Lisbon Time Zone):
  • Session 1: 15 August 2023 | 5pm-7pm (first part w/ Steven S. Gouveia; second part w/ Q&A Miguel Nicolelis)
  • Session 2: 18 August 2023 | 5pm-7pm (first part w/ Steven S. Gouveia; second part w/ Q&A Rebecca Newberger Goldstein)


To Register (free):

Send First and Last Name to stevensequeira92 at hotmail.com, indicating your address and phone contact.
​The Course is free and open to anyone. 

Online course via Zoom. 
© Steven S. Gouveia