Michael Garfield's blog

The Psychedelic Transhumanists

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Visionaries like Tim Leary and Terence McKenna remind us of the stubborn persistence of the unconscious, the body, and the other.  In their own words, presented as a “virtual conversation,” here are the core messages of a transhumanist vision informed by the psychedelic experience.

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Let A Hundred Futures Bloom: A "Both/And" Survey Of Transhumanist Speculation

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When I am in the mood for some armchair futurism, I like to remember the old Chinese adage: “Let a hundred flowers bloom.” Why do we think it will be one way or the other? The future arrives by many roads.  Courtesy of some of science fiction’s finest speculative minds, here are a few of my favorites.  (more)

Burner Biology

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At this year's Burning Man, four evolutionary biologists came together to discuss the deeper issues of evolution. (more)

2012 "Misinformation"

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NASA has publicly decried Roland Emmerich's 2012 disaster movie as misinformation, claiming it "exploits people's fears." (more)

The Spooky World Of Quantum Biology

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It wasn’t until the nineties that anyone suggested biology could be better understood by looking at it through the lens of quantum theory. Now, a new kind of science, called “quantum biology,” is beginning to emerge -- and it could change everything we know, again. (more)

Next-Gen 4D Audio

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Ever listened to Beethoven's Fifth from the center of a slowly tumbling dodecahedron?  AstoundSound's holophonic software can take you there. (more)

The Danger Of Creativity

http-_www.fredzavadil.com_content_view_57_70_.jpgPlaying around on the edges is inherently dangerous. In any form, creativity challenges preconceptions, digests conventions, and throws us to burn and drown in the intensely unfamiliar. It changes who we are. "Being creative" is agreeing to an adventure from which nobody has ever, ever returned. (more)

Giving in to Astonishment: Scenes from Burning Man's American Dream

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Wandering the streets of Burning Man this summer, my contemplation of sacred geography and comparative mythology lead me to explore the relationship between the outer and inner worlds, death and rebirth, synchronicity, symbolism, and ritual. (more)

Indecent Proposal

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Could a federally-funded endangered species derivatives market be the next step in conservation? (more)

The Healing Power of Rock

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In this phone conversation with author Laura Faeth, we discuss the hidden dimensions of pop music and try to "light a fire under some rockstars' asses," pushing them to embrace their love-beaming, shamanistic super-creativity. (more)

A Window into the Future of Sound

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The way we listen to music today is not going to last. A bevy of new technologies is set to radically change our relationship to auditory media. (more)

Transcending Possessiveness in Love and Music

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Consider polyamory side by side with copyright law. They are both symptoms of a deep struggle that we as individuals and as a society are having with the concept of ownership. (more)

Psychoactive Vibes

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Explore humanity’s unfolding understanding of the relationship between physical waves and states of consciousness. (more)

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