CURRENT MISSION
Figure out what minds are. Not just human minds - minds of any sort!

ABOUT ME
I live in the beautiful city of Brighton with my significant other. Amongst other things, I conduct theoretical scientific research into cognition, and design card and board games.

PHILOSOPHY
Conflict between people is inevitable, and shouldn't be wished away. But let's make sure we keep our conflicts for the times when they matter. At other times, let's try to work together on any goals we share.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I like to meet people and hear different viewpoints. I would rather engage with other people, and support an extended sense of modern community, than stay in an anonymous hotel room.

Interests

Some pretty cool academic ones - cognitive science, artificial intelligence, artificial life, origins of life, and related areas.

How to preserve the valuable social functions which religious institutions have traditionally provided, while our society naturally becomes more secular.

Also, dogs. Dogs are awesome.

• dogs
• poetry
• performing arts
• design
• board games
• socializing
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

I don't generally like to pick favourites - one reason being that I get bored of things too easily, and prefer to seek out new experiences.

I unashamedly enjoy catchy pop & rock anthems, either maddeningly upbeat ones like Everything Is Awesome (yes, the song from the Lego Movie) and Shake It Off (Taylor Swift), or pretentiously gloomy like Bad Romance (Lady Gaga) and Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics). Remembering lyrics is not my strong point.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Designed a commercially published board game, which is now printing in its second edition, and has been translated into German.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Some performance poetry from my slam days?
Ruminations on what minds are, and how they work. Including computer simulations!
Experiences of helping to set up a non-religious Sunday service which celebrates life.

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Austria, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

South Africa, United Kingdom