Richmond IONS January Meeting 2020 (January 18) and Central Virginia IONS Community Group Meeting. It will feature a talk by Tom Hansen
Where: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, New Parish Hall, 12291 River Road, Richmond, VA 23238
When: Saturday, January 18, 2020, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, followed by a potluck lunch at the conclusion of the program.
Richmond IONS January Meeting 2020 Program
“Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Life – a Metaphysical Conundrum.”
In celebration of our 24th Anniversary, our January 18, 2020 program will feature a talk by Tom Hansen, Ph.D., Charlottesville-based educator, author, singer/songwriter/musician and metaphysical philosopher.
Are we living in a simulation? A matrix? Is there really an AI “God” in control? How do we, the biological species, survive AI? Who are the Archons? What relevance do the Gnostic Gospels of 2,000 years ago have to AI today?
Tom Hansen will explore these and other questions with the IONS
gathering in his presentation. Some experts are warning us that AI is an existential threat to humanity.
Other experts are not so sure. We will discuss some of these possible AI future developments, and we’ll take a short look at the history of AI, some of which Tom began to work on in the 1960s.
What can we do spiritually in response to AI?
As it turns out, AI is, in a sense, prompting us to use our innate spiritual abilities to overcome (or go beyond) AI influence. Consequently, we will explore together what we can do spiritually in response to AI, since our spiritual power is beyond anything AI can produce.
Not long ago a funded post-doctoral AI research fellow at a major American university asked Tom to comment on his research project. Specifically, he wanted him to put his own consciousness into a computer so that he will have everlasting life. And here we thought that happened only in the movies.
So his project is an example of how AI and the human body are being combined. As a result, we need to seriously consider the possible outcomes of this trans-humanist era that is upon us now.
In addition, Tom also will explore the hypothesis that we are living in a simulation. At this very time, several indicators from varied disciplines are pointing toward the possibility that we are influenced by some sort of matrix or grid that is limiting our full experience of life and of our Selves.
Tom will present some of the evidence as it exists now. Then we will discuss how this Matrix idea may relate to AI. And how it might even relate to the Archons described in the Gnostic Gospels discovered in Egypt in 1945.
Tom comes from a mathematics/computer education background and also from a background as a writer of spiritual books and songs. Moreover, he is a lifetime seeker of metaphysical truths – still searching, of course. That makes him is uniquely qualified to present this challenging topic in a coherent and engaging way.
This is yet another not-to-be-missed program for all who can attend! See you there!
About Tom Hansen, Our Richmond IONS January 2020 Meeting Presenter:
Tom Hansen, Ph.D., is a retired mathematics education researcher, author of math books and teacher. He began his career in the Peace Corps in Liberia in 1964. Then, Tom was the founder of a non-profit that coordinated citizen exchanges between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S. in the 1980s.
Furthermore, he was a Non-Governmental participant at the Earth Summit in 1992. In the meantime, Tom has sung and played guitar for decades. As a result, he as several CDs of his songs and has performed at numerous festivals, workshops and conferences.
As well, he is a member of the Positive Music Association. Specifically, his 2014 CD, “Book Concert,” consists of songs whose lyrics are all quotes from his Remembering Our Oneness book.
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