Muse in the machine
by David Gelernter · first published 1994
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4HN commenters
2014–2026first – last mentioned
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…high-performance technology, but as a learning tool for exploring theoretical models I think it could be very beneficial. The topic reminds me of a book I read (and was fascinated by at the time), The Muse in the Machine by David Gelernter. It seems he has moved away from AI research and into political punditry, however, and recently made headlines denying that the moon landing ever happened. Nevertheless, that book…
on “The hippocampus as a 'predictive map'” ↗I still have not read anything on this topic (models of human thought, creativity and emotional affect) so clear and interesting as David Gelernter’s “The Muse in the Machine” (1994).
on “The science of why you have great ideas in the shower” ↗"Influential" can be tricky to pin down, but a couple of books that made a big impact on me at a certain age were "Prometheus Rising" by Robert Anton Wilson and "The Muse in the Machine: computers and creative thought" by David Gelernter. (The latter arguably counts as a technology book, since it's supposed to be about AI, but it's more to do with psychology and literature.) More recent…
on “Ask HN: What is the most influential not-technology book(s) you have ever read?” ↗If you're reading the Jaynes book, you should absolutely follow it up with "The Muse in the Machine" by David Gelernter. (Gelernter also happens to be one of the surviving unabomber victims)
on “Ask HN: 2018 Summer Reading List?” ↗I’m once again begging people to read David Gelernter’s 1994 book “The Muse in the Machine”. I’m surprised to see no mention of it in Gwern’s post, it’s the exact book he should be reaching for on this topic. In examining the possibility of genuinely creative computing, Gelernter discovers…
on “LLM Daydreaming” ↗David Gelernter describes a theory of consciousness and creativity that explains why this works in his book “The Muse in the Machine”. I recommend it to everyone.
on “Taking a walk may lead to more creativity than sitting, study finds” ↗I'm only familiar with one of his works, "The Muse in the Machine", which is a bit dated now but provides an excellent informal discussion of the relationship between human and computerized intelligence. It seems he has published on some [even] more controversial topics…
on “Polymath David Gelernter’s wide-ranging ideas about American life” ↗https://archive.ph/tuaJg Opens slowly sometimes. The key concept is what happens when your mind is "idle", which can happen many different places (including while driving). David Gelernter, in his book The Muse in the Machine [1] writes that the fog which exists between full sleep, and fully awake, is an opportunity for your mind to sort things out while the "foreground censors" are still not operational, allowing you to make…
on “The science of why you have great ideas in the shower” ↗David Gelernter penned the book "The Muse in the Machine" in which he offers a slightly more technical explanation. It somewhat goes like this: There are situations in which your subconscious mind is busy but the conscious mind's censors are active, blocking…
on “Why your best ideas come while showering” ↗