Scott McFarnell
@scottmcf.bsky.social
Assistant Headteacher. Interested in how neuroscience can support education.
#EduSky
#EduSky
“What is left over if I subtract the fact that my arm goes up from the fact that I raise my arm?”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein
November 9, 2025 at 3:51 PM
“What is left over if I subtract the fact that my arm goes up from the fact that I raise my arm?”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
Ludwig Wittgenstein
“No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main… Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.”
John Donne
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main… Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.”
John Donne
November 9, 2025 at 1:17 PM
“No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main… Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.”
John Donne
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main… Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.”
John Donne
“We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles.
Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
October 19, 2025 at 1:35 PM
“We live in succession, in division, in parts, in particles.
Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Meantime within man is the soul of the whole; the wise silence; the universal beauty, to which every part and particle is equally related, the eternal ONE.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“This Life’s dim Windows of the Soul
Distorts the Heavens from Pole to Pole,
And leads you to Believe a Lie
When you see with, not thro, the Eye.”
William Blake
Distorts the Heavens from Pole to Pole,
And leads you to Believe a Lie
When you see with, not thro, the Eye.”
William Blake
October 19, 2025 at 12:55 PM
“This Life’s dim Windows of the Soul
Distorts the Heavens from Pole to Pole,
And leads you to Believe a Lie
When you see with, not thro, the Eye.”
William Blake
Distorts the Heavens from Pole to Pole,
And leads you to Believe a Lie
When you see with, not thro, the Eye.”
William Blake
How close are we to building a quantum gravity computer to study consciousness?
October 18, 2025 at 12:44 PM
How close are we to building a quantum gravity computer to study consciousness?
October 18, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Where would you put yourself on this chart (from @suzannegildert.bsky.social)?
October 18, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Where would you put yourself on this chart (from @suzannegildert.bsky.social)?
Fascinating conversation between @suzannegildert.bsky.social & Tevin Naidu.
Suzanne pictures minds as bubbles connected but separated. They pop or join a larger bubble but lose individuality as they are absorbed. Reminds me of Thales’ ‘everything is water’ or that minds are icebergs/waves.
Suzanne pictures minds as bubbles connected but separated. They pop or join a larger bubble but lose individuality as they are absorbed. Reminds me of Thales’ ‘everything is water’ or that minds are icebergs/waves.
July 27, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Fascinating conversation between @suzannegildert.bsky.social & Tevin Naidu.
Suzanne pictures minds as bubbles connected but separated. They pop or join a larger bubble but lose individuality as they are absorbed. Reminds me of Thales’ ‘everything is water’ or that minds are icebergs/waves.
Suzanne pictures minds as bubbles connected but separated. They pop or join a larger bubble but lose individuality as they are absorbed. Reminds me of Thales’ ‘everything is water’ or that minds are icebergs/waves.
“You won’t lose your job to a tractor, but to a horse who learns how to drive a tractor.”
This is such a funny (and insightful) take on the, “You won’t lose your job to AI, but to someone who uses AI.”
I wish I knew who to credit.
This is such a funny (and insightful) take on the, “You won’t lose your job to AI, but to someone who uses AI.”
I wish I knew who to credit.
July 5, 2025 at 9:04 PM
“You won’t lose your job to a tractor, but to a horse who learns how to drive a tractor.”
This is such a funny (and insightful) take on the, “You won’t lose your job to AI, but to someone who uses AI.”
I wish I knew who to credit.
This is such a funny (and insightful) take on the, “You won’t lose your job to AI, but to someone who uses AI.”
I wish I knew who to credit.
Are we waves on the sea?
June 21, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Are we waves on the sea?
Is metaphysics a prism, not a mirror?
June 15, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Is metaphysics a prism, not a mirror?
Everyone talks about the hard problem of consciousness.
But what’s the hard solution?
Serious question.
Philosophers, AI devs, mystics - what’s your best shot?
But what’s the hard solution?
Serious question.
Philosophers, AI devs, mystics - what’s your best shot?
June 14, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Everyone talks about the hard problem of consciousness.
But what’s the hard solution?
Serious question.
Philosophers, AI devs, mystics - what’s your best shot?
But what’s the hard solution?
Serious question.
Philosophers, AI devs, mystics - what’s your best shot?
Has anyone actually used ChatGPT to code a game or app that runs on iPhone - no servers, no subscriptions, just opens and plays on the device? How did you do it? What tools, steps, or tricks? I’m looking for real examples. Please share 👇
June 14, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Has anyone actually used ChatGPT to code a game or app that runs on iPhone - no servers, no subscriptions, just opens and plays on the device? How did you do it? What tools, steps, or tricks? I’m looking for real examples. Please share 👇
‘Understanding the Impacts of Generative AI Use on Children’ - new paper from The Alan Turing Institute.
“52% of children attending private schools report using generative Al, as opposed to 18% of children in state schools.” (of 780 children).
“52% of children attending private schools report using generative Al, as opposed to 18% of children in state schools.” (of 780 children).
June 7, 2025 at 2:34 PM
‘Understanding the Impacts of Generative AI Use on Children’ - new paper from The Alan Turing Institute.
“52% of children attending private schools report using generative Al, as opposed to 18% of children in state schools.” (of 780 children).
“52% of children attending private schools report using generative Al, as opposed to 18% of children in state schools.” (of 780 children).
Mortal Computation
Only what can die can dream
To what extent do you agree?
Only what can die can dream
To what extent do you agree?
June 7, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Mortal Computation
Only what can die can dream
To what extent do you agree?
Only what can die can dream
To what extent do you agree?
Conscious AI?
“It may be that today’s large neural networks are slightly conscious.” Ilya Sutskever
“…in the same sense that it may be that a large field of wheat is slightly pasta.” @mpshanahan.bsky.social
This was from @ronyhirsch.bsky.social’s excellent talk on consciousness.
“It may be that today’s large neural networks are slightly conscious.” Ilya Sutskever
“…in the same sense that it may be that a large field of wheat is slightly pasta.” @mpshanahan.bsky.social
This was from @ronyhirsch.bsky.social’s excellent talk on consciousness.
June 7, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Conscious AI?
“It may be that today’s large neural networks are slightly conscious.” Ilya Sutskever
“…in the same sense that it may be that a large field of wheat is slightly pasta.” @mpshanahan.bsky.social
This was from @ronyhirsch.bsky.social’s excellent talk on consciousness.
“It may be that today’s large neural networks are slightly conscious.” Ilya Sutskever
“…in the same sense that it may be that a large field of wheat is slightly pasta.” @mpshanahan.bsky.social
This was from @ronyhirsch.bsky.social’s excellent talk on consciousness.
Is it more accurate to see ourselves as a ‘process’ rather than a fixed ‘thing’?
Are we ongoing stories made of steps that mattered?
Are we ongoing stories made of steps that mattered?
May 31, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Is it more accurate to see ourselves as a ‘process’ rather than a fixed ‘thing’?
Are we ongoing stories made of steps that mattered?
Are we ongoing stories made of steps that mattered?
“I Watch The Rain (And The Rain Watches Back)”
A panpsychist song/poem/novel/movie?
A panpsychist song/poem/novel/movie?
May 30, 2025 at 7:55 PM
“I Watch The Rain (And The Rain Watches Back)”
A panpsychist song/poem/novel/movie?
A panpsychist song/poem/novel/movie?
“You are perfect as you are…
and you could use a little improvement.”
Shunryu Suzuki
and you could use a little improvement.”
Shunryu Suzuki
May 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
“You are perfect as you are…
and you could use a little improvement.”
Shunryu Suzuki
and you could use a little improvement.”
Shunryu Suzuki
“If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?”
Dōgen
Dōgen
May 29, 2025 at 5:35 PM
“If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?”
Dōgen
Dōgen
“The many become one, and are increased by one.”
Alfred North Whitehead
‘Process and Reality’
Alfred North Whitehead
‘Process and Reality’
May 28, 2025 at 8:31 PM
“The many become one, and are increased by one.”
Alfred North Whitehead
‘Process and Reality’
Alfred North Whitehead
‘Process and Reality’
Reality is relations all the way down.
To what extent do you agree?
To what extent do you agree?
May 28, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Reality is relations all the way down.
To what extent do you agree?
To what extent do you agree?
Feelings are data you haven’t understood yet.
May 27, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Feelings are data you haven’t understood yet.
The Holographic Universe Theory
Think of a blanket made of threads: the threads are strings, the blanket is a brane—& the shape of the blanket creates space itself.
Branes aren’t sitting in space. They’re the pattern from which space emerges, like a symphony emerges from notes.
Think of a blanket made of threads: the threads are strings, the blanket is a brane—& the shape of the blanket creates space itself.
Branes aren’t sitting in space. They’re the pattern from which space emerges, like a symphony emerges from notes.
May 27, 2025 at 10:34 AM
The Holographic Universe Theory
Think of a blanket made of threads: the threads are strings, the blanket is a brane—& the shape of the blanket creates space itself.
Branes aren’t sitting in space. They’re the pattern from which space emerges, like a symphony emerges from notes.
Think of a blanket made of threads: the threads are strings, the blanket is a brane—& the shape of the blanket creates space itself.
Branes aren’t sitting in space. They’re the pattern from which space emerges, like a symphony emerges from notes.
Is the universe holographic?
In de Sitter space (like our real, expanding universe), “swing surfaces” may encode 3D reality between moments in time.
These surfaces could emerge from string paths—or be branes minimizing energy.
Agree with Maldacena, Pasterski & Takayanagi?
In de Sitter space (like our real, expanding universe), “swing surfaces” may encode 3D reality between moments in time.
These surfaces could emerge from string paths—or be branes minimizing energy.
Agree with Maldacena, Pasterski & Takayanagi?
May 27, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Is the universe holographic?
In de Sitter space (like our real, expanding universe), “swing surfaces” may encode 3D reality between moments in time.
These surfaces could emerge from string paths—or be branes minimizing energy.
Agree with Maldacena, Pasterski & Takayanagi?
In de Sitter space (like our real, expanding universe), “swing surfaces” may encode 3D reality between moments in time.
These surfaces could emerge from string paths—or be branes minimizing energy.
Agree with Maldacena, Pasterski & Takayanagi?