Barry C Smith
@barrycsmith.bsky.social
Prof of Philosophy. Director of the Institute of Philosophy and Centre for the Study of the Senses, School of Advanced Study, University of London. Interested in Neuroscience, Sensory Science, Taste, Smell, Flavour, Multisensory Perception, Wine, Scotch
Trip to Club Curling at Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross by @ip-sas.bsky.social Lab to see our Senses Unwrapped exhibition and to do some curling
January 20, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Trip to Club Curling at Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross by @ip-sas.bsky.social Lab to see our Senses Unwrapped exhibition and to do some curling
Why do people think the current US administration’s stance is inconsistent with its isolationism and its America First attitude? It’s aim is no longer to support its allies or promote democracy globally. Its military incursions are conducted in its own interests as it pursues a flawed protectionism
January 18, 2026 at 12:05 PM
Why do people think the current US administration’s stance is inconsistent with its isolationism and its America First attitude? It’s aim is no longer to support its allies or promote democracy globally. Its military incursions are conducted in its own interests as it pursues a flawed protectionism
Tories regrouping under Reform banner to revive the nasty party
January 16, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Tories regrouping under Reform banner to revive the nasty party
Demeaning. Makes her look like a grifter with a stunt that will do nothing for her presidential ambitions. He has no intention of helping her lead her country
President Trump is keeping the Nobel Peace Prize medal presented to him by its recipient, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. abcnews.go.com/US/trump-mee...
Trump accepts Nobel Peace Prize medal from Venezuelan opposition leader Machado
President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House Thursday, where she said she presented him with her Nobel medal.
abcnews.go.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Demeaning. Makes her look like a grifter with a stunt that will do nothing for her presidential ambitions. He has no intention of helping her lead her country
Reposted by Barry C Smith
The Brains Blog is hosting a symposium on my book Deflating Mental Representation this week. Comments by Mazviita Chirimuuta, Caitlin Mace & Adina Roskies, and Oron Shagrir.
philosophyofbrains.com/2026/01/12/f...
philosophyofbrains.com/2026/01/12/f...
Frankie Egan: Brains Blog precis of Deflating Mental Representation — The Brains Blog
Brains Blog precis of Deflating Mental Representation In the book I propose what I call a deflationary account of mental representation, characterized by three claims: (1…
philosophyofbrains.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:24 PM
The Brains Blog is hosting a symposium on my book Deflating Mental Representation this week. Comments by Mazviita Chirimuuta, Caitlin Mace & Adina Roskies, and Oron Shagrir.
philosophyofbrains.com/2026/01/12/f...
philosophyofbrains.com/2026/01/12/f...
Caught up with First Man, a film dramatising the emotional and family life of Neil Armstrong during his space missions career. Good to be reminded of what I admired about Americans. Decent, determined, ambitious and inspiring. Trump and Rubio thought it insufficiently patriotic. Well worth a watch
January 10, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Caught up with First Man, a film dramatising the emotional and family life of Neil Armstrong during his space missions career. Good to be reminded of what I admired about Americans. Decent, determined, ambitious and inspiring. Trump and Rubio thought it insufficiently patriotic. Well worth a watch
Reposted by Barry C Smith
Coming soon: my new book *The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: A Philosophical Introduction*. More info - including three very generous blurbs from @davidgunkel.bsky.social, @briandavidearp.bsky.social, & Crystal L'Hote, PhD - here: hackettpublishing.com/new-forthcom...
#aiethics #philosophy
#aiethics #philosophy
January 7, 2026 at 2:03 PM
Coming soon: my new book *The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: A Philosophical Introduction*. More info - including three very generous blurbs from @davidgunkel.bsky.social, @briandavidearp.bsky.social, & Crystal L'Hote, PhD - here: hackettpublishing.com/new-forthcom...
#aiethics #philosophy
#aiethics #philosophy
Caught up with First Man, film dramatising the emotional and family life of Neil Armstrong while he pursued his space missions. Good to be reminded of what I admired about Americans. Decent, determined, ambitious and inspiring. Trump and Rubio thought it wasn’t sufficiently patriotic. Worth a watch
January 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Caught up with First Man, film dramatising the emotional and family life of Neil Armstrong while he pursued his space missions. Good to be reminded of what I admired about Americans. Decent, determined, ambitious and inspiring. Trump and Rubio thought it wasn’t sufficiently patriotic. Worth a watch
In the end, as Hannah Arendt pointed out, the only thing that saves us from a particular atrocity is that some people can’t bring themselves to do it. That’s all we are relying on
January 9, 2026 at 10:59 AM
In the end, as Hannah Arendt pointed out, the only thing that saves us from a particular atrocity is that some people can’t bring themselves to do it. That’s all we are relying on
Reposted by Barry C Smith
The latest Social Science Bites, with psychologist @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social, It's on empathy and AI. Such a privilege to chat to all these leading social scientists.
“Empathy is sort of vulnerable to all the biases you would think about.”
University of Toronto psychology professor, @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social discusses empathy on a new episode of the Social Science Bites podcast.
Listen here or read the transcript: www.socialsciencespace.com/2026/01/paul...
University of Toronto psychology professor, @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social discusses empathy on a new episode of the Social Science Bites podcast.
Listen here or read the transcript: www.socialsciencespace.com/2026/01/paul...
January 8, 2026 at 9:28 AM
The latest Social Science Bites, with psychologist @paulbloomatyale.bsky.social, It's on empathy and AI. Such a privilege to chat to all these leading social scientists.
Bingo!
1651, of course
January 8, 2026 at 10:01 AM
Bingo!
Surely time for an @originstorypodcast.bsky.social podcast on the rules-based world order so regularly invoked and lately lamented. Would be good to understand the concept and the context @iandunt.bsky.social @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
January 7, 2026 at 9:56 PM
Surely time for an @originstorypodcast.bsky.social podcast on the rules-based world order so regularly invoked and lately lamented. Would be good to understand the concept and the context @iandunt.bsky.social @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
Miller’s vision closest to a world described by Hobbes where a rule free State of Nature was a State of War. It was against this vision that Hobbes sought to provide a justification of sovereignty. Miller’s vision is nasty, brutish and short on humanity
Here is the Trump Doctrine, as articulated by Stephen Miller in his truly frightening interview with Jake Tapper this afternoon. It is very much like the doctrine of the dictators we fought and defeated in World War II and of Putin today. It is un-American at its very core.
January 7, 2026 at 7:23 AM
Miller’s vision closest to a world described by Hobbes where a rule free State of Nature was a State of War. It was against this vision that Hobbes sought to provide a justification of sovereignty. Miller’s vision is nasty, brutish and short on humanity
Concerning
The Americans are coming bit.ly/4judykN major military assets spotted at US bases in UK.
Fleet of heavily armed US military planes land in England
At least 14 Globemasters and two Ghostriders have landed at RAF bases since Saturday as the US builds its military might in Britain after Maduro’s capture
bit.ly
January 7, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Concerning
Champagne and… Happy New Year!!
January 1, 2026 at 11:21 PM
Champagne and… Happy New Year!!
Remarkable white Bordeaux served at le pot après la soutenance de Margot Larose at Institut de la Vigne et du VIN à Bordeaux. This Sauvignon Blanc from St Estephe turns out to have the most Burgundian character ever for a wine from this region. A surprise and a delight!
December 16, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Remarkable white Bordeaux served at le pot après la soutenance de Margot Larose at Institut de la Vigne et du VIN à Bordeaux. This Sauvignon Blanc from St Estephe turns out to have the most Burgundian character ever for a wine from this region. A surprise and a delight!
Examiners’ dinners in Bordeaux are always a pleasure. A perk of having a wine maker from Ch Montrose on the jurie de these for tomorrow’s PhD soutenance that he brought along a 2014 Ch Montrose which had such complexity and finesse, with its silken texture and refreshing palate weight. A fine thing
December 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Examiners’ dinners in Bordeaux are always a pleasure. A perk of having a wine maker from Ch Montrose on the jurie de these for tomorrow’s PhD soutenance that he brought along a 2014 Ch Montrose which had such complexity and finesse, with its silken texture and refreshing palate weight. A fine thing
Good to be back in Bordeaux, on examining duties for Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin
December 15, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Good to be back in Bordeaux, on examining duties for Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin
Final talk of the day @ip-sas.bsky.social Early Career Network in Philosophy Conference, Physics and the Self, by Maria Iennaco, PhD candidate from São Paulo, on Attention to the Self and Predictive Processing. Congratulations to conference organisers, ECRs Charlie Green and Jon Emery
December 14, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Final talk of the day @ip-sas.bsky.social Early Career Network in Philosophy Conference, Physics and the Self, by Maria Iennaco, PhD candidate from São Paulo, on Attention to the Self and Predictive Processing. Congratulations to conference organisers, ECRs Charlie Green and Jon Emery
Final talk of the day @ip-sas.bsky.social Early Career Network in Philosophy Conference, Physics and the Self, by Maria Iennaco, PhD candidate from São Paulo, on Attention to the Self and Predictive Processing. Congratulations to conference organisers, ECRs Charlie Green and Jon Emery
December 14, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Final talk of the day @ip-sas.bsky.social Early Career Network in Philosophy Conference, Physics and the Self, by Maria Iennaco, PhD candidate from São Paulo, on Attention to the Self and Predictive Processing. Congratulations to conference organisers, ECRs Charlie Green and Jon Emery
Reposted by Barry C Smith
Extraordinary courage from Ahmed al Ahmed, a Muslim, 43-year-old father of two, who bravely risked his life to save his neighbors celebrating Hanukkah.
Praying for his full & speedy recovery.
And so deeply inspired by his example.
Praying for his full & speedy recovery.
And so deeply inspired by his example.
December 14, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Extraordinary courage from Ahmed al Ahmed, a Muslim, 43-year-old father of two, who bravely risked his life to save his neighbors celebrating Hanukkah.
Praying for his full & speedy recovery.
And so deeply inspired by his example.
Praying for his full & speedy recovery.
And so deeply inspired by his example.
Keynote speaker, Prof Karl Friston, at Early Career Network in Philosophy conference on Physics and the Self at the Institute of Philosophy. His talk on Self-organization and Sentience squarely on the topic. Markov blankets feature! Conference organised by ECRs Charlie Green and Jonathan Emery
December 14, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Keynote speaker, Prof Karl Friston, at Early Career Network in Philosophy conference on Physics and the Self at the Institute of Philosophy. His talk on Self-organization and Sentience squarely on the topic. Markov blankets feature! Conference organised by ECRs Charlie Green and Jonathan Emery
@mcolvinmckenzie.bsky.social Hope you and yours are all okay? Terrible events at Bondi
December 14, 2025 at 1:32 PM
@mcolvinmckenzie.bsky.social Hope you and yours are all okay? Terrible events at Bondi
Day 2, Early Career Network in Philosophy conference on Physics and the Self putting us through our paces @ip-sas.bsky.social . Conference funded by a Network Innovation Award and organised by Charlie Green and Jonathan Emery. Talks by Dr Nadia Blackshaw & Dr Viktoria Kabel
December 14, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Day 2, Early Career Network in Philosophy conference on Physics and the Self putting us through our paces @ip-sas.bsky.social . Conference funded by a Network Innovation Award and organised by Charlie Green and Jonathan Emery. Talks by Dr Nadia Blackshaw & Dr Viktoria Kabel