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Today I suddenly remembered seeing Roger Penrose speak at McGill University in 1999 or 2000. I saw so many major figures speak in Montreal, and today I suddenly missed having access to events like that. It's not the same as watching a talk online...Permalink On twitter.com
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Penrose's talk was about Platonic forms, quantum computation, and consciousness—Emperor's New Mind stuff. It was *very* unconvincing (to me, and to many students; the Q&A after was kinda brutal, and Penrose seemed a bit). But it was also stimulating...On twitter.com
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... in a way that I haven't felt intellectually stimulated in years. Even a bad theory, presented with intelligence and verve, can be exciting in a setting where people actually care what's true and are willing to debate it. Today, I'm missing that.Permalink On twitter.com
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You'd have intelligent conversations with complete strangers in cafes, just because of what you or they were reading, or because someone overheard a bit of a conversation. It was cool and exciting. And today I miss it far more than I miss any food or place back home.Permalink On twitter.com