Great Minds Don’t Think Alike
Debates on Consciousness, Reality, Intelligence, Faith, Time, AI, Immortality, and the Human
Edited and with commentary by Marcelo Gleiser, 2022
About the Book
Some of today's most pressing questions cannot be answered from within a single discipline. Great Minds Don't Think Alike brings together leading scientists, philosophers, historians, and public intellectuals to explore topics ranging from consciousness and artificial intelligence to climate change, faith, mortality, and the future of civilization.
As editor and moderator, Marcelo Gleiser curates a series of conversations that demonstrate the creative power of intellectual diversity. Rather than seeking consensus, the collection celebrates disagreement as a catalyst for discovery, showing that the future of knowledge depends not on uniformity of thought but on meaningful dialogue across different ways of understanding reality.
What People Are Saying About Great Minds Don’t Think Alike
“Some of the most interesting thinkers of our time are here brought together in dialogues and conversations that show them all thinking aloud, in the present and at the cutting edge (or beyond), about some of the most important issues of our time. The results are always entertaining and insightful, and often will spark new ideas in readers. A great contribution to the discourse.”
— Kim Stanley Robinson, Hugo and Nebula Award winner, author of The Ministry for the Future
“These talks and Marcelo Gleiser’s commentary offer readers a thrilling vista of the most important scientific, cultural, and ethical issues facing human civilization. This book is not to be missed by anyone wanting a broad overview of the questions we must answer to move forward as a species.”
— Adam Frank, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, Carl Sagan medalist, author of Light of the Stars: Alien Worlds and the Fate of the Earth
“Lively and enlightening dialogues that engage complementary perspectives on deep issues—an enjoyable way to learn timeless and topical ideas.”
— Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, author of Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters
“In Great Minds Don’t Think Alike, leading intellectual Marcelo Gleiser brings together prominent scientists and humanists to discuss some of the key questions of our age. Not only do these conversations provide important new insights into pressing issues, they also demonstrate the power of cross disciplinary perspectives, and offer a model of civil and fruitful dialogue.
— Peter Harrison, author of The Territories of Science and Religion
