A blog post about an unusually large giant cuttlefish, "Mr Big," who has been hanging out at Cabbage Tree Bay (Australia). metazoan.net/134-mr-big/
Writing a series of long blog posts about brain rhythms, fields, and related topics. To work through some ideas & difficult papers, correct some things I said earlier, note disagreements, and so on. Two posts so far. 1. metazoan.net/132-rhythms-1/ 2. metazoan.net/133-rhythms-2/
A new episode of the 'Nature in Crisis' podcast, via @lrb.co.uk, with @meehancrist.bsky.social & myself. About Robin Wall Kimmerer's book 'Braiding Sweetgrass.' www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and... 1/
Podcast: Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith · Nature in Crisis:
lrb.co.uk
"Norms surrounding conflict disclosure (financial and non-financial) are basically non-existent" in philosophy, which is something that should change as the tech industry becomes increasingly interested in working with philosophers...
Time for Philosophy’s COI Policies to Grow Up (guest post) - Daily Nous
"Philosophy’s broadening impact has generated increasing interest from industries looking to partner with academic philosophers. Ties are now especially common between philosophers and technology comp...
dailynous.com
On our Close Readings subscription podcast, @meehancrist.bsky.social and @petergs.bsky.social explore Robin Wall Kimmerer’s 𝘉𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴, looking at the most compelling features of her technique and where she risks scientific overreach. Listen to an extract: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...
Nature in Crisis: ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Podcast Episode · Close Readings · 28 June · 1hr 14min
podcasts.apple.com
Preparing some video for a talk next week. These are screenshots from GoPro video at the 'Octopolis' site a while back. A big stingray cruising in. No divers present (fine with me in this case). The talk is a "How might complex behavior evolve on other planets?" talk. In Sydney on Thursday.
Link here to a preprint of my short article about consciousness, "biological naturalism," and electrical brain rhythms published by IAI TV earlier this year. Preprint: petergodfreysmith.com/wp-content/u... Published (no longer open access): iai.tv/articles/stu...
Episode 3 of the London Review of Books "Nature in Crisis" podcast, with @meehancrist.bsky.social and myself, is about Helen Czerski's book "The Blue Machine." I enjoyed this one a lot, both book & conversation. (@helenczerski.bsky.social, @lrb.co.uk, link below). 1/
Tomorrow at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social, I give the 2026 Nagel Lecture (named after Ernest N, a wise mid-20th century NYC philosopher, rather than Thomas N, equally NYC and equally wise). A mind-body talk. IRL only. philosophy.columbia.edu/events/2026-...
2026 Nagel Lecture - “Biology, Functionalism, and the Mind-Body Problem" - Peter Godfrey-Smith, University of Sydney | Department of Philosophy
Please register via the linked RSVP form by March 30th
philosophy.columbia.edu
A discussion of "biological naturalism" about the mind, and a candidate for biological properties that might matter to consciousness: Oscillations & other large-scale dynamic properties of nervous systems. (Free link for now.) iai.tv/articles/stu...
Studies on animal minds suggest consciousness is not computation
<p><em>We’re often seduced by the idea that the mind is a computer, and that consciousness is just a matter of running the right code. But philosopher <strong>Peter Godfrey-Smith</strong>, renowned fo...
iai.tv
This is great. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/c... (free link) "Notably, half of the whales attending were not related to the mother." "The calf was rarely left untouched, and it was usually being touched by at least two whales simultaneously."
Scientists Filmed a Whale Birth. The Surprise: Mom Had Many Helpers.
nytimes.com
Next month at @columbiauniversity.bsky.social in NYC, a mind-body talk for the 2026 Nagel Lecture. Philosophy Department. Link below. I'll look at the debate taking shape between "biological naturalism" and "computational functionalism" (labels that are imperfect but not bad).. 1/
On our Close Readings subscription podcast: @meehancrist.bsky.social and @petergs.bsky.social reflect on how Helen Czerski’s 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 has altered their thinking about the ocean, and whether new perspectives can change public policy. Listen to an extract: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...
Nature in Crisis: ‘Blue Machine’ by Helen Czerski
Podcast Episode · Close Readings · 9 March · 1h 4m
podcasts.apple.com
Third in a series of short photographic blog posts about octopuses encountered a few weeks ago diving at Fly Point (Australia): metazoan.net/130-another-...
Much gratitude to @debolinunferth.bsky.social for including 'Other Minds' in her nine 'reset' books. www.theatlantic.com/books/2026/0...
Nine Books to Reset Your View of the World
Each of these titles will widen your perspective, offering you original insight and vision.
theatlantic.com
Baz Luhrmann has the right idea. I'm not much of an Elvis person, but looking forward to seeing this. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/m... (gift link)
Episode 2 of "Nature in Crisis," the podcast I'm doing with @meehancrist.bsky.social for the @lrb.co.uk is now up. We discuss "The Light Eaters" by @zoeschlanger.bsky.social. Plant intelligence, plant agency, the pace and place of plants. www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...
Podcast: Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith · Nature in Crisis: ‘The Light Eaters’ by Zoë Schlanger
lrb.co.uk
Photo from my car window on the way to record episode 1 of the podcast series I'm doing with @meehancrist.bsky.social for the @lrb.co.uk (links below). Mill Valley, California. Highway 1 flooded (November). The series is called "Nature in Crisis." 1/
A very fine octopus encountered at Fly Point (Australia) today. Like an old battleship.
Near the end of my time teaching at US universities I began to wonder if small liberal arts colleges were better set up for the future than the large ones I was accustomed to – this before LLMs, Trump2, & other current crises. Now this looks much more likely. 🧵 1/ www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
The Accidental Winners of the War on Higher Ed
Go to a small liberal-arts college if you can.
theatlantic.com
After reading his previous books (especially Other Minds) I was really looking forward to @petergs.bsky.social new one, and it does not disappoint. A great journey through the evolution of life & cognition and how they have shaped our biosphere. Must-read @brigan.bsky.social @jordiplam.bsky.social
49 degrees Celsius (= 120 F) down in Victoria? Tomorrow evening @meehancrist.bsky.social and I record episode 3 of "Nature in Crisis," a new podcast series with the @lrb.co.uk. Episode 1 looked at Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," and is available now (link in reply).
A passage below in a (good) book I am reading. I recommend against make the bet - your dollar may well be lost. One can photograph reds and oranges underwater without added light; just have to tell the camera to scour its input for the tiny amounts of red coming in, and ramp them up in the mix. 1/
A new podcast series through the London Review of Books (@lrb.co.uk): "Nature in Crisis." Close readings of books about nature, conservation, climate, & energy. Once a month, with myself & Meehan Crist. Episode 1, out now, is about Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring." www.lrb.co.uk/podcasts-and...
Podcast: Meehan Crist and Peter Godfrey-Smith · Nature in Crisis: ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson
lrb.co.uk
Searching through old octopus files for something, I came across a video from 12 years ago. One of our first videos of possible projectile use by an octopus. The other octo is definitely hit, but the aim was not great. I put onto YT a better version of the video. 1/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=r87a...
"Three Octopuses" – a 2026 edit
YouTube video by pgsmith6
youtube.com
A review of the second edition of 'Theory and Reality,' in Spanish, by Macario Ofilada Mina. I don't read Spanish, and used a translate site. Mina suggests that both Polanyi and Whitehead might have been included.. www.religiondigital.org/libros/segur... 1/
Del saber seguro al procedimiento científico: Construyendo puentes entre la teoría y la realidad
A propósito del libro Theory and Reality. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science (2a. ed., Chicago-Londres: The University of Chicago Press, 2021, 395 pp.) del profesor P. Godfrey-Smith
religiondigital.org
Each year round this time, Rainbow Lorikeets come in and make a huge fuss round some high tree hollows (where some Galahs raised a family in 'Living On Earth'). They make a stack of noise, rip things up, check it all out... and then leave again.
