Science Café
December 1 @ 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CST
Unwind after the workday at Science Café, a happy hour series hosted by Overton Park Conservancy at the Golf Clubhouse. Enjoy snacks and discussion with guest speakers who share fresh perspectives from the world of science. No background knowledge needed—just curiosity!
What Is Intelligence? From Biological to Artificial Minds and the Possibility of Machine Consciousness
Artificial intelligence is reshaping our world—accelerating drug discovery, driving taxis, writing software, transforming customer service, and proving mathematical theorems. Yet robots still struggle with everyday tasks like tying shoes, folding laundry, opening plastic bags, or even picking up a clear drinking glass. AI’s limitations aren’t just physical: chatbots can confidently generate plausible but false answers and fail to recognize the limits of their own knowledge.
What does it really mean to be intelligent? Why do biological and artificial minds excel at such different things? Could machines ever become conscious? And as AI grows more capable, what will make human intelligence distinctive and valuable?
In this discussion, Dr. Sean Kugele will explore how biological and artificial minds learn, reason, and solve problems. We’ll examine AI’s extraordinary achievements and surprising limitations and challenge assumptions about what makes human intelligence unique. Along the way, we’ll consider what science can tell us about the possibility of conscious machines and what the rise of artificial intelligence might mean for our future.
Dr. Sean Kugele is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Rhodes College, where his research focuses on artificial intelligence, cognitive modeling, and biologically inspired computing. His work explores how natural minds learn, reason, and interact with the world, and how these principles might be used to develop more sophisticated artificial intelligence systems. He is particularly interested in understanding the relationship between biological and artificial cognition, including the possibility of machine consciousness.
Registration opens two weeks in advance
Questions? Send us an email
Please review our cancellation policy here.
Overton Park Conservancy is the nonprofit organization that has been caring for Memphis’s central green space since 2012. With the generous support of our community, we work each day to make the park a beautiful and welcoming place for all Memphians, as well as a valuable source of urban habitat for wildlife.
The Conservancy must raise roughly 85% of our budget each year from people like you who care about the many things Overton Park has to offer. A gift of any amount helps us maintain and improve the park.
