ConnectIONS Live!
What happens when we apply constructivist theories to the nature of mind and reality?
In this compelling session, cognitive scientist Joscha Bach explores how conventional neuroscience and philosophy may rest on assumptions that obscure more than they reveal. Drawing on constructivist approaches, Bach reexamines widely held beliefs shaped by classical mathematics and non-constructive reasoning—offering a bold alternative to prevailing models of consciousness.
Bach’s work bridges artificial intelligence and consciousness research, advancing computational models that illuminate how conscious experience might emerge from complex synthetic systems.
He will be joined in conversation by IONS Scientist Arnaud Delorme, for a thought-rich dialogue at the intersection of science, philosophy, and inner inquiry.
Join us for a journey that invites deep questioning and fresh insight into the fabric of thought, awareness, and existence.
Delusions of Classical Thought: Rethinking Mind and Math
Friday, September 5
11:00am – 12:00pm PDT
All registrants will receive a link to the recording. Please register even if you can’t attend live.
PRESENTERS
Arnaud Delorme, PhD, is a neuroscientist at IONS and has been studying human consciousness for the last 20 years. He is a CNRS Research Director in Toulouse, France, and a senior Research Scientist at the University of California, San Diego. He is a long-time Zen meditator, and recipient of several research prizes. He is the author of some 160+ peer-reviewed publications, and is best known for his work on the neural correlate of mind wandering and for developing the EEG software that is now the most-used in EEG research worldwide. He is the author of Why Our Minds Wander: Understand the Science and Learn to Focus Your Thoughts.
Joscha Bach is a cognitive scientist, AI researcher, and philosopher whose work bridges artificial intelligence and consciousness research. Bach has advanced computational models of emotion, mental representation, and agency. His research explores how conscious experience may emerge from synthetic systems capable of internal modeling and meta-cognition. With affiliations at institutions such as the MIT Media Lab and Harvard’s Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, he has contributed to both theoretical and applied AI. He currently serves as an advisor the the AI company LiquidAI, and is the founding director of the California Institute for Machine Consciousness.
