Welcome to the Center for Science and Thought
The Center for Science and Thought (CST) is a radically interdisciplinary platform designed to address urgent questions that arise at the intersection of philosophy and various natural sciences.
The CST is located at Konrad-Zuse-Platz 1-3, 53227 Bonn.
Current News of the CST
We are looking to appoint student assistants (9-15h/week; SHK/WHF) with effect from September 1, 2024 as support for the Center for Science and Thought or the research project Desirable Digitalisation.
Job advertisement in German
We are pleased to announce that Maurizio Ferraris' new book "Webfare: Digital Equity" will be published by transcript next month. The book is based on his work as a Mercator Visiting Professor at CST in 2023 and will be available in print, PDF and ePub, with the PDF version available for free in open access.
Here you can find additional news.
Events of the CST
Which new values could replace current versions of work ethics? What does ethical economic behavior look like under today’s capitalist conditions? Will idleness be the end of democracy? Or will technological advances allow us to create a utopia of leisure?
This event explores the profound impact of AI and robotics on the labor economy. Supported by DWIH Tokyo and Stiftung Mercator, it aims to foster a nuanced debate on the future of labor and technology.
Join us for the "Surrogate Humanity" lecture with authors Neda Atanasoski and Kalindi Vora on July 5th, 4pm @CST. They will discuss how technologies like AI and robots serve as substitutes for human labor within systems of racial capitalism and patriarchy. Respondents Markus Gabriel and Aimee van Wynsberghe will explore alternative approaches to technological development.
Join us for our get together on Monday, 08th July at the IZPH(Poppelsdorfer Allee 28, 3rd floor)!
We will discuss Gender and Digital Media in a casual enviroment with our current Mercator Visiting Professors, Neda Atanasoski and Kalindi Vora.
Here you can find more events.
Research of the CST
The aim of the project is to develop procedures to examine generally accepted standards for AI systems and their verification, as well as to explore business models for an AI certification. Our research investigates the ethical-philosophical significance of these dimensions.
Rethinking AI for Just and Sustainable Futures.
We investigate how to design AI (artificial intelligence) and other digital technologies in a responsible way, placing the questions of social justice and environmental sustainability at the very heart of our work.
Our research program is a collaboration between the Universities of Cambridge and Bonn and numerous international partners, and is funded by the Mercator Foundation in Germany.
The 'Towards New Demarcation Criteria for Borderline Consciousness' Project is an interdisciplinary project involving a collaboration between philosophers of Bonn and Cambridge and neuroscientists from the epilepsy clinic in Bonn. Its main purpose is to create an international research forum to develop new criteria for determining whether and when non-human entities, such as non-linguistic animals, new brain organisms, or advanced AI systems can be considered conscious.
You can find more information about our research projects here.
This summer semester, most of the sessions of the CST AI research group will be convened by Audrey Borowski, as part of her "AI and the Digital" Seminar Series.
You can find a selection of publications here.
Register here here for our AI-Mailinglist.