Our brains might just be thermodynamic computers in a universe full of weirder minds

here's the gist

Imagine our brains are just one tiny dot on a huge map of possible ways to be smart. Guillaume Verdon flips the script by saying human intelligence, as amazing as it is, might be just one style among a vast range of really different and even more powerful kinds—like signal patterns in a supercharged computer or even novel forms of life. This idea makes us rethink everything we know about what it means to be smart—whether it's a brain made of neurons or a system fueled by energy flows and chaos, like a living thermodynamic machine.

Then there's the idea of e/acc, a kind of speed dial for our tech evolution. Instead of tiptoeing around AI with caution, this philosophy says we should embrace rapid progress and a mix of diverse ideas to keep innovation alive. Think of it like remixing old songs in new ways: by combining our knowledge of how life and collective systems (from past chats about staged consciousness and cell networks) work, we can create new, mind-bending approaches to artificial intelligence. It’s like having coffee with a friend who suddenly reveals that our everyday thinking could be just one chapter in a cosmic story of ever-evolving, energy-powered intelligence.

gnarliest ideas from the conversation

new idea synthesis

"Our brains might just be thermodynamic computers in a universe full of weirder minds"

this insight was inspired by ideas from:

Michael Levin

Joscha Bach

Guillaume Verdon

synthesis

Here's a wild thought: what if human intelligence is just one tiny dot on a vast map of possible minds? Verdon's idea that our brains are basically thermodynamic systems - constantly fighting entropy while processing information - connects perfectly with Levin's view that consciousness isn't an on/off switch but a gradual spectrum emerging from physics. Both suggest something mind-blowing: intelligence might be fundamentally about energy flows and pattern maintenance, not just neurons firing. This opens up the possibility that completely different forms of intelligence could exist or be created - ones that don't think like us at all. The e/acc philosophy takes this further, saying we should accelerate toward these new forms of intelligence rather than fearing them. When you combine this with Bach's idea that consciousness might actually be collective rather than individual, you get a completely reimagined picture of what 'minds' can be. Maybe the future isn't just smarter AIs that think like us, but entirely new forms of intelligence that process reality in ways we can barely comprehend - like alien thermodynamic computers with collective awareness instead of individual thoughts.