Stetson of Holodoxa (#1)

It’s been long enough since the last post that some readers have reached out. I’ve been enjoying the holiday season and have a backlog of content for the blog. That includes a long piece (EToC v3.0), as well as some podcast episodes. These range from EToC to Cambridge Analytica (part of my character arc) to AI. The first is with

Stetson

a cancer biologist, fellow Substacker, and a voracious reader. He was kind enough to help me launch the podcast by discussing the Eve Theory of Consciousness. As an outline:

1. Human Uniqueness: The dialogue opens with a discussion on what distinguishes humans from other species, focusing on the evolution of language and morality. The unique aspects of human language, such as grammar and declarative nature, are highlighted.

2. The Role of Recursion: Recursion, a fundamental aspect of language enabling complex structures and abstract thinking, is explored. Its role in counting, episodic memory, and self-awareness is emphasized.

3. Evolution of Recursion and Intelligence: Debates on the timeline of recursion's emergence in human evolution are presented, ranging from gradual development to a more recent emergence around 50,000 years ago.

4. Psychedelics and Rituals in Human Evolution: The potential role of psychedelics, particularly snake venom, in the development of human consciousness is discussed. The conversation suggests ancient rituals involving snake venom could have contributed to self-awareness and ego formation.

5. Mythology and Human Evolution: The conversation explores the potential of myths to preserve evolutionary history, with specific reference to the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades myth as evidence of cultural diffusion.

6. Development of Self-awareness: Speculations on the development of intrinsic perspective or sense of self in humans are discussed, including the possible timeline of its emergence in human history.

7. Cultural and Political Context: The episode examines the interplay between evolutionary theories and broader cultural narratives and political perspectives, exploring the ideological interpretations of these theories.