In 1969 I was in Grenoble, France. The plan was to create an interactive programming version of a new programming language ( Algol 68 ). Of course, my future held nothing of the kind, but a clever idea connects the 23-year-old hot-shot to the 75-year-old armchair philosopher and a young guy with a 2022 vision that is strangely related. At this time, interactive access to a computer was a new thing. In 1975, Bill Gates wrote an interactive BASIC version that launched his career in 1978.  Oops*. I was excited by the possibilities. At one time, "soon" (it turned out to be half a century), everyone would have access to the "Spirit System." Soon, all human knowledge would be "online." The main thing that excited me was the ability for people to share projects online, even creating music. My "field" at the time was "Artificial Intelligence," so it was easy to imagine an "app" that would impersonate a real person. Specifically, we w...

Back in 1969, I appeared in Grenoble, France, eager to start on my Ph. D. in Computer Science at what was then the leading IBM research center in Europe. It did not go well. At the time, the idea of "Time Sharing" on a computer was in its infancy. Very few people had access to the big mainframes using slow text-only terminals. Yet, I imagined a time when everyone would have access to the same computer system. All of human knowledge would be accessible. People could share their projects and extend that knowledge together, online. The group mind of humanity would be implemented in a vast computer network. In short, I imagined the Internet. World Wide Web 3.0, a bit beyond what we have now. Artificial Intelligence (my field) played a big role in this vision. I called it the "Spirit System". The idea quite literally blew my mind. Weakened by days without sleep and culture shock I had the first of my numerous "nervous breakdowns". My hopes of an academic career...

Full disclosure: My experience with "emotional instability" is long-standing and personal. I fully recognize that this does not make me an expert on the problem that has, from time to time, affected my own judgement. By the same token, Hedges can make no special claim to know the secret aims of President Obama or originate grand theories of history. Hedges can claim to formal qualifications and practical experience in only one area: religion. Contrary to popular belief, crazy people are particularly unwelcome in that domain. Even within his own domain of expertise, his religious theories of Christianity are too misguided to be seriously discussed.   This is why you see Hedges preaching on You-Tube, which sets the bar low enough for dancing dogs and apes that play with baby tigers. In fact, anyone with personal experience with "crazy people" (which includes 10% of the population and all their families) will gain a special appreciation for sanity and will instantly re...