About This Project
Did materialism ever completely explain reality? Was it ever a majority view? Even among scientists? Philosophers? Of course today, materialism is somewhat of a misnomer. Particles have largely been supplanted—or at least demoted—by fields or more abstract concepts. The more modern term is reductionism, but the idea is the same: that the whole is nothing more than the sum of its parts. Whatever the label, it seems that view no longer commands the confidence it once did. There’s a quiet reassessment underway in multiple domains.
Gödel showed that formal systems do not exhaust truth.
Quantum mechanics upended our concepts of locality and determinism.
Relativity dispensed with our notion of “now.”
Despite the dreams (or nightmares) surrounding AI, consciousness defies reduction to computation.
Mathematics continues to suggest it is discovered, not invented.
Agency and value refuse dismissal as mere evolutionary illusions.
If you sense that reality is deeper, stranger, but more beautiful and meaningful than reductionism allows, you’ll be at home here.
Welcome to Mechanized Hum.
A note on process: We use AI to stress-test arguments, surface sources, refine wording, and occasionally generate visuals. The reasoning, synthesis, and judgments remain our own.
Why subscribe?
Subscribe (free) to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
Stay up-to-date
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. For a spam-free, ad-free reading experience, plus audio and community features, get the Substack app.
Join the crew
Be part of a community of people who share your interests. Participate in the comments section, or subscribe to stay connected.
To learn more about the tech platform that powers this publication, visit Substack.com.
