Science Fiction author Peter Watts, who is the author of the Rifters novels (Starfish, Maelstrom) and the Firefall series (Blindsight, Echopraxia), joins us. He surveys the frontiers of the accidence of consciousness, free will, organoid intelligence, evolution, and artificial intelligence in this discussion.

Peter Watts is a former marine biologist, flesh-eating-disease survivor and convicted felon whose novels—despite an unhealthy focus on space vampires—have become required texts for university courses ranging from Philosophy to Neuropsychology.

His work is available in 21 languages, has appeared in over 350 best-of-year anthologies, and been nominated for over 50 awards in a dozen countries. His (somewhat shorter) list of 20 actual wins includes the Hugo, the Shirley Jackson, and the Seiun.

Survival Engines w/ Peter Watts

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