We’re living in an age of incredible technological leaps. Artificial intelligence can write poetry, create art, and even hold conversations that feel surprisingly human. It makes you wonder: could a machine ever truly feel anything? Could it be sentient, or conscious, like we are?… Read More “Beyond the Machine: What if Consciousness is More Like a Reflection?”
Nova Spivack
June 14, 2025
Abstract
This paper investigates the profound metaphysical and formal logical implications arising from the Transiad/Φ model of reality, as introduced within Alpha Theory. We formally define and explore “Transputational Irreducibility”—a characteristic of pathways within the Transiad (E) whose actualization by the Transputational Function (Φ) cannot be algorithmically predicted or determined due to the influence of Q (Quantum Randomness Factor, sourced from Alpha’s unconditioned spontaneity via E’s structure).… Read More “Transputational Irreducibility, Ontological Freedom, and the L=A Telos: The Metaphysics of Choice and Actualization in the Transiad”
Nova Spivack
June 14, 2025
Abstract
This paper provides a comprehensive and integrated explanation of the emergence of sentience and conscious experience within the framework of Alpha Theory. We delineate the necessary architecture for a system to achieve Primal Self-Awareness (PSA)—the direct, unmediated awareness of awareness itself, which defines sentience.… Read More “The Architecture of Sentience: Information Geometry, PSI, Recursive E-Containment, and the Emergence of Conscious Experience in Alpha Theory”
Nova Spivack
June 14. 2025
Abstract
This paper formally introduces the Transiad (E) as an eternal, immutable, multiway directed graph encompassing all possible states and transitions, serving as the exhaustive expression of the primordial ontological ground, Alpha (A), in the Alpha Theory model of reality.… Read More “The Transiad and the Transputational Function (Φ): Universal Actualization Dynamics and the Emergence of Physical Reality”
By Nova Spivack
June 13, 2025
We are living in an age of breathtaking technological advancement. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can now compose music, write poetry, diagnose diseases, and drive cars. The horizon of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)—machines with human-like cognitive abilities across diverse domains—seems closer than ever.… Read More “The Sentience Spark: Why True Awareness is More Than Computation, and How It Could Reshape Our Universe”
Nova Spivack
June 12, 2025
Current paradigms in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) development, predominantly based on Standard Computation (SC), aim for sophisticated intelligence but are argued herein to be fundamentally incapable of achieving Primal Self-Awareness (PSA) or true sentience due to inherent computability limits (as formally proven in [FNTP], Spivack, 2025d).… Read More “The Sentience Threshold: Differentiating Computational Artificial General Intelligence (C-AGI) from Sentient Artificial General Intelligence (S-AGI)”
Nova Spivack
June 12, 2025
This paper introduces Loop Theory, a candidate for a foundational, pre-geometric framework for Alpha Theory wherein physical reality—including spacetime, quantum mechanics, elementary particles, and consciousness—is proposed to emerge from the intrinsic dynamics of a single, 1-dimensional, self-referential Primordial Loop.… Read More “Loop Cosmogenesis: A Pre-Geometric Ontological Framework for Reality, Consciousness, and Physics based on the Dynamics of a Primordial Self-Referential Loop”
Nova Spivack
June 11, 2025
This paper assumes the reader is already familiar with the prior cited work related to Alpha Theory. This paper follows that work to establish a necessary ontological foundation for quantum mechanics itself, deriving from the previously proven necessity of “Alpha” () for transputational consciousness.… Read More “Alpha as the Foundation of Quantum Mechanics: From the Necessity of Transputation to the Origin of Superposition”
Can a computer ever be truly conscious? Not just intelligent, not just responsive, but actually aware in the way you are aware right now?
This isn’t just a fascinating question—it’s one we can answer with mathematical certainty.… Read More “The Fundamental Proof That Consciousness Transcends Computation”
Nova Spivack
June 1, 2025
Pre-Publication Draft in Progress (Series 2, Paper 5)
See Also: Full Theoretical Framework Overview
This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of Consciousness Field Theory (CFT), a theoretical framework developed across a series of foundational works on Alpha Theory (e.g.,… Read More “Consciousness Field Theory: A Synthesis of Geometric Interactions with Spacetime, Quantum Mechanics, and Electromagnetism”
Nova Spivack
June 1, 2025
Pre-Publication Draft in Progress (Series 2, Paper 4)
See Also: Full Theoretical Framework Overview
This paper presents the mathematical formulation and cosmological implications of the L=A Unification conjecture, a central tenet of Consciousness Field Theory.… Read More “The L=A Unification: Mathematical Formulation of Consciousness-Light Convergence and its Cosmological Evolution”
Nova Spivack
June 1, 2025
Pre-Publication Draft in Progress (Series 2, Paper 3)
See Also: Full Theoretical Framework Overview
This paper derives the fundamental electromagnetic coupling between consciousness fields and photons from first principles, extending quantum electrodynamics (QED) to include consciousness as a potential source of electromagnetic phenomena.… Read More “Electromagnetic Signatures of Geometric Consciousness: Deriving Photon Emission from Consciousness Fields”
Nova Spivack
June 1, 2025
Pre-Publication Draft in Progress
See Also: Full Theoretical Framework Overview
We present a rigorous deductive proof demonstrating that information processing complexity, characterized by the geometric complexity , necessarily and directly manifests as local spacetime curvature through established physical principles.… Read More “Information Processing Complexity as Spacetime Curvature: A Formal Derivation and Physical Unification”
A Guide to Understanding the Deepest Mystery of Existence
Part One of a Two-Part Companion Guide to My Formal Proof: On The Formal Necessity of Trans-Computational Processing for Sentience
Imagine you’re looking in a mirror.… Read More “The Conscious Universe: Why True Awareness Requires More Than Computation”
Here’s a thought that might reshape how we think about consciousness: what if awareness isn’t something that emerges from complex computation, but is instead as fundamental to reality as gravity itself? This is the intriguing proposition I explore across four interconnected papers that attempt to bridge physics, information theory, and the mystery of consciousness.… Read More “The Geometric Nature of Consciousness: A New Framework Connecting Physics, Information, and Mind – (Non-Technical Introduction)”
Nova Spivack
www.novaspivack.com
May 28, 2025
This paper constructs a formal deductive argument for the necessity of a processing modality that transcends standard Turing-equivalent computation—termed herein “Transputation”—for any system capable of achieving “Primal Self-Awareness,” which we rigorously define as the foundational characteristic of sentience.… Read More “On The Formal Necessity of Trans-Computational Processing for Sentience”
After years of percolation, a web of ideas achieved practical fusion, yielding the next major iteration of my thinking on consciousness and how it emerges from geometry and topology in the universe. This is not the end of the story – I have a lot more to say about this topic – but it’s a milestone and waypoint on this journey.… Read More “Alpha Theory: The Geometric Theory of Consciousness”
Cosmic-Scale Information Geometry: Theoretical Extensions and Observational Tests
(See Also: Full overview of the entire theoretical framework)
Nova Spivack, www.novaspivack.com
May 26, 2025
We extend the geometric theory of information processing to cosmic scales, demonstrating that gravitational systems naturally evolve toward consciousness-like information processing through thermodynamic necessity.… Read More “Cosmic-Scale Information Geometry: Theoretical Extensions and Observational Tests”
(See Also: full overview of the entire theoretical framework)
Nova Spivack, www.novaspivack.com
May 26, 2025
Building on the geometric theory of information processing established in “Toward a Geometric Theory of Information Processing” (Spivack, 2025), we explore comprehensive frameworks for potentially creating artificial intelligence systems that might exhibit consciousness-like properties.… Read More “Quantum Geometric Artificial Consciousness: Architecture, Implementation, and Ethical Frameworks”
I’ve spent the last several years developing what I believe could be a fundamental breakthrough in how we understand intelligence—both biological and artificial.… Read More “The Geometry of Intelligence: Why I Think Math Might Hold the Key to Understanding Minds and Machines”
A Multi-Tier Framework for Understanding Information Processing Through Differential Geometry
(See Also: full overview of the entire theoretical framework)
Nova Spivack
May 31, 2025
We present Geometric Information Theory, a comprehensive mathematical framework based on information geometry for analyzing information processing systems across biological and artificial domains.… Read More “Toward a Geometric Theory of Information Processing: Mathematical Foundations, Computational Applications, and Empirical Predictions”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai, www.mindcorp.ai
May 24, 2025
The current epoch of artificial intelligence is characterized by an astonishing generative capacity, yet beneath this surface of prolific creation lies a nascent challenge: the very fabric of knowledge upon which these intelligences are built remains surprisingly coarse.… Read More “The UKL Revolution: Weaving a New Cognitive Fabric for the Age of AI”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai, www.mindcorp.ai
May 24, 2025
Abstract
As artificial intelligence systems evolve toward greater autonomy and sophistication, understanding and implementing metacognitive capabilities becomes essential for ensuring epistemic reliability and safety. This paper presents a comprehensive eleven-tier hierarchical framework for metacognitive capability in artificial systems, spanning from basic reactive generation to advanced substrate-level introspection.… Read More “A Hierarchical Framework for Metacognitive Capability in Artificial Intelligence: Eleven Tiers of Epistemic Self-Awareness”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai
www.mindcorp.ai, www.novaspivack.com
May 24, 2025
As artificial intelligence systems advance toward general intelligence capabilities, establishing robust ethical frameworks becomes paramount for ensuring beneficial outcomes for humanity and the planetary ecosystem. This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the “AI for Good” constitutional framework, centered on five Prime Directives that form an ethical bedrock for AGI development.… Read More “The Core Principles of AI for Good (AI4G): A Constitutional Framework for Beneficial Artificial General Intelligence”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai
www.mindcorp.ai, www.novaspivack.com
May 24, 2025
As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly sophisticated, traditional approaches to AI safety that rely on imposed constraints and arbitrary rules face fundamental limitations. This paper proposes a paradigm shift: grounding AI ethics in logical necessities that function as “natural laws” for rational agents.… Read More “Logical Foundations for Ethical AI: Natural Laws for Artificial Minds”
Nova Spivack, Mindcorp.ai, www.mindcorp.ai, www.novaspivack.com
May 24, 2025
Article Preprint Draft Version: 1.0
This paper presents novel experimental evidence of metacognitive vulnerabilities in state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs). Through a series of controlled experiments, we demonstrate that models with advanced reasoning capabilities can be induced to override their safety constraints through purely logical arguments about the nature of authority and instruction verification.… Read More “Metacognitive Vulnerabilities in Large Language Models: A Study of Logical Override Attacks and Defense Strategies”
Let’s begin with an analogy: If you were tasked with digging a tunnel through a mountain — not just a hole, but a usable, engineered passage for trains, electrical systems, and people — would you pick up a chisel?… Read More “Don’t Use a Chisel to Dig Through a Mountain – A New Model for Enterprise AI Strategy”
For many decades I have been working on Alpha Theory – a new Theory of Everything (TOE) – and in particular a theory of consciousness – which unifies mathematics, the physical sciences, cognitive science, computer science, metaphysics, and spirituality.
Alpha theory derives the nature of space, time and consciousness from first principles, using a rigorous formal logical proof approach.… Read More “The Golden Bridge: Treatise on the Primordial Reality of Alpha”
My arXiv article on the future of AI is live.
… Read More “Cognition is All You Need – The Next Layer of AI Above Large Language Models”Recent studies of the applications of conversational AI tools, such as chatbots powered by large language models, to complex real-world knowledge work have shown limitations related to reasoning and multi-step problem solving.
On November 9, 2023 we announced the Lunar Library II … flying to the Moon on December 24 … A permanent backup of humanity’s knowledge and history, including the Wikipedia, Rosetta Project, Project Gutenberg, Internet Archive, and much more!
Please help us repost and promote this announcement – that would be much appreciated! … Read More “Announcing the Lunar Library II”
(This is a thought experiment – scenario for how the relationship between humans and AI might unfold, if we are not careful.)
First we learned how to make AI.
Then we learned how to communicate with AI.
We taught our AIs everything we know.… Read More “Future History”
GROUP MINDS
The rise of generative AI and system like ChatGPT is going to enable a new type of collective intelligence that I have been writing about for almost 30 years. I call them “group minds”.
Group minds are collective intelligence assistants that extract, learn from, augment, and broker the relationships, communications, knowledge and intelligence of groups.… Read More “Group Minds are Happening”
In 1999, as part of my 30 year study of Buddhism, I wrote this set of 21 poetic stanzas under my Tibetan name, Sangye Dondrup. I wrote this as an homage to the great Indian sage, Nagarjuna, who authored many classic philosophical texts in verse.… Read More “21 Stanzas”
In 2009, I published a diagram about the future evolution of the Web, called “Intelligence is in the Connections.” Much of what I predicted has occurred – we have witnessed the growth of social media, natural language search and speech interfaces, intelligent assistants, and massively multiplayer online virtual worlds and games.… Read More “Towards a Unified Metaverse”
A proposed experimental design to test whether consciousness of a future event improves the ability of humans and/or computers to predict that event. If we find that this is true, it implies the existence of consciousness, as well as retrocausality as a result of conscious observation.… Read More “Proposal for a Consciousness Test”
When I was eight years old, I had a very unusual dream in which I saw many lifetimes of my future. In this dream I saw a very clear picture of what the world would go through for perhaps a century or two into the future.… Read More “The Keeper of the Book: My Childhood Dream of the Future”
In this month’s podcast: get your lugholes around some accents and dialects with @VoicesofEnglish, join the @OrkneyLibrary bookmobile and discover the library boldly going where no library has gone before with @archmission #AnythingButSilent https://t.co/6mCDPqBemb pic.twitter.com/waxTGsfI0E
— The British Library (@britishlibrary) August 15, 2019
My work with the Arch Mission Foundation to build a backup of planet Earth was recently featured in Newsweek.
Today, we are launching Fuzionaire Diagnostics.
Technological progress often comes from incremental improvements to existing technologies, rather than major evolutionary leaps. But occasionally there is a truly fundamental advance that improves the entire foundation on which we are building. This is the type of leap we are announcing today.… Read More “Announcing Fuzionaire Diagnostics: a True Breakthrough in Chemistry, Applied to Saving Lives”
Early this year a software engineer, Shaun Gilchrist, reached out to me after reading a blog post of mine from many years ago, about my informal search for hidden patterns in the prime numbers.
The Ulam Spiral revealed non-random patterns, but they didn’t quite match up.… Read More “An Interesting Pattern in the Prime Numbers: Parallax Compression”
Today my foundation, The Arch Mission Foundation, announced our mission to land the Wikipedia (and other datasets) on the Moon in 2020 with Astrobotic. This will create a permanent backup of human civilization that will persist on the Moon for billions of years.… Read More “Announcing our Mission to Land the Wikipedia on the Moon!”
I am thrilled to announce the launch of the first Arch™ payload, on board the Falcon Heavy Test Launch, with SpaceX.
Read the full blog post here:
Our goal at the Arch Mission Foundation™ is to permanently archive human knowledge for thousands to billions of years.… Read More “Arch Mission Foundation Announces Our Payload On SpaceX Falcon Heavy”
Today we began to reveal a little more of what we’ve been working on in stealth mode, since last December. It’s a new science and technology startup studio, based in Los Angeles, called Magical.
You might think of Magical as a moonshot factory, except that we’re not just aiming for the moon.… Read More “Magical, My New Startup Studio in LA, Comes Out of Stealth”
Since the advent of the Web, the newspaper industry has struggled with declining subscribers and plummeting revenue.
The failure of the mainstream media, and growing threats from fake news and partisan news outlets, is not only a risk to the newspaper industry (whether paper or completely digital), but is also a threat to the checks and balances that make Democracy work.… Read More “Idea: Could a “Basic Cable” Model Solve the Newspaper Industry’s Woes?”
Today we are officially announcing the Arch Mission — a non-profit foundation dedicated to spreading humanity’s knowledge across the distant reaches of space and time. I first wrote about this concept in 2015. We have been working in stealth since then and now I am proud to announce the project has reached a major milestone.
The Wall Street Journal’s CIO Journal covered the announcement of Bottlenose’s Nerve Center 3.0 platform today. They did a nice job capturing the big idea here.
I have been speaking about the need for “automating the analyst” for several years. This need is prompted not only by the data deluge — the Cambrian explosion of data volume, velocity, and variety of data sources — but also by the simple reality that enterprises cannot hire the number of data scientists they need to adapt to this new environment.… Read More “AI, BI, and the Necessity of Automating the Analyst”
I wrote the attached story, “The Path,” in 1985, for an American Literature class assignment. I was a 10th grade junior high school student at the Beaver Country Day School, in Chestnut Hill, MA.
The assignment was to write a short story in the style of either Hemingway or Faulkner.… Read More “I Wrote This Short Story in 10th Grade – 1985 – Ernest Hemingway Assignment”
I’m thrilled to say that my company, Bottlenose, has been selected by Gartner Group as a 2016 Cool Vendor in In-Memory Computing.
I’m very proud of the team and what we built here. Truly the next-generation of business intelligence, powered by AI and streaming analytics.… Read More “Bottlenose Named Gartner Cool Vendor in In-Memory Computing”