A Philosophy of Planetary Computation: From Antikythera to Synthetic Intelligence

JANUARY 29, 2025

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Long Now Foundation

As computation becomes planetary infrastructure, its myriad hybrid intelligences pose new challenges to fundamental philosophical questions. How does computation become more than a mere technology, but also the medium through which we ask existential questions about who, what and how we are?

Antikythera’s research orbits around five main research themes. As Stanislaw Lem described, some technologies are instrumental, providing new tools through which to change the world. Other technologies are existential, revealing aspects of the world previously unknowable and changing our fundamental capacity to know the world. Computation is both.

Planetary Computation

Considering how computation takes the form of planetary infrastructure that remakes philosophy, science, and society in its image.

Planetary Computation

Considering how computation takes the form of planetary infrastructure that remakes philosophy, science, and society in its image.

Synthetic Intelligence

Investigating the long-term implications of machine intelligence for philosophy, science, and design.

Synthetic Intelligence

Investigating the long-term implications of machine intelligence for philosophy, science, and design.

Recursive Simulations

Exploring the emergence of simulation as an epistemological technology, from scientific simulations to virtual environments.

Recursive Simulations

Exploring the emergence of simulation as an epistemological technology, from scientific simulations to virtual environments.

Hemispherical Stacks

Developing scenarios for e multipolar geopolitics of planetary computation.

Hemispherical Stacks

Developing scenarios for e multipolar geopolitics of planetary computation.

Planetary Sapience

Studying the evolutionary emergence of natural and artificial intelligence towards, and the intentional conception and artificial composition of viable planetary systems.

Planetary Sapience

Studying the evolutionary emergence of natural and artificial intelligence towards, and the intentional conception and artificial composition of viable planetary systems.