Robert J. Marks II

Robert J. Marks Ph.D. is Senior Fellow and Director of the Bradley Center and is Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor University. Marks is a Fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and Optica (formerly the Optical Society of America). He was the former Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and is the current Editor-in-Chief of BIO-Complexity. Marks is author of the books Non-Computable You: What You Do That Artificial Intelligence Never Will Never Do and The Case For Killer Robots. He is co-author of the books For a Greater Purpose: The Life and Legacy of Walter Bradley, Neural Smithing: Supervised Learning in Feedforward Artificial Neural Networks and Introduction to Evolutionary Informatics. For more information, see Dr. Marks’s expanded bio.

Archives

Monday Microsofty 104: Feigned vs. Real Interest

_{Mortgage interest rates can do mysterious — but entirely mathematical — things}_{Robert J. Marks
November 9, 2026}

For last week’s puzzle, you may wish to take into account the fact that false positives can run in both directions.

What Physics and Math Reveal About Unseen Dimensions of Reality

_{Robert J. Marks
November 4, 2026}

Today’s episode of ID The Future comes from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. Mind Matters regularly explores the nature of intelligence, the origin of information, and the things that make us uniquely human, all concepts that are central to the theory of intelligent design. Enjoy today’s offering of Mind Matters News! When we are asked to point to heaven, we point up. But that’s not where heaven is. That’s outer space. Today on the Mind Matters News podcast, host Robert J. Marks shares a lecture he recently gave in his Baylor University course Multidimensional Signal Analysis entitled “Where is Heaven?” The speculative talk approaches the concept of multiple dimensions from mathematical and theological angles to ask whether heaven might exist in dimensions beyond the ones we can perceive.

Where Is Heaven? What Physics and Math Tell Us About Multiple Dimensions

_{Robert J. Marks
November 4, 2026}

When we are asked to point to heaven, we point up. But that's not where heaven is. That's outer space. Today on Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks shares a lecture he recently gave in his Baylor University course Multidimensional Signal Analysis entitled “Where is Heaven?” The speculative talk approaches the concept of multiple dimensions from mathematical and theological angles to ask whether heaven might exist in dimensions beyond the ones we can perceive.

Monday Microsofty 103: The Achepocalypse-Now Virus

_{What effect do false positives have on the significance of test results?}_{Robert J. Marks
November 2, 2026}

The level of accuracy claimed by the newspaper in last week's puzzle is an eye-opener in a way that was not, perhaps, intended.

When the AI Headlines Cry Wolf…

_{Alarming recent news warns us of possible AI catastrophes. How seriously should we take them?}_{Robert J. Marks
October 28, 2026}

Dealing with AI-related problems does not require assuming that AI will go off the rails on its own, become conscious, or develop a desire to take over the world.

Monday Microsofty 102: News Is 80% Accurate 90% of the Time

_{But what does that really mean?}_{Robert J. Marks
October 26, 2026}

For last week’s puzzle, what if Bob and Connie each had some assistance while walking?

Monday Microsofty 101: Speed Is Relative

_{When two people holding hands show different distances on their fitness trackers, what is going on?}_{Robert J. Marks
October 19, 2026}

The simplest solution to last week's question involves preventing a royal flush.

Servers & Souls: Cloud Computing and Personal Identity

_{Walter Myers III
October 16, 2026}

Like many, you may be storing important files and photos in the cloud. But just where is this magical cloud? How is it powered? Is it safe? To answer these questions and more, Mind Matters News host Robert J. Marks is joined by Walter Myers III, a principal engineering manager for Microsoft’s Azure Cloud and a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute. Their conversation provides an overview of cloud computing infrastructure, including an explanation of where the cloud is physically located, the different service models (infrastructure, platform, and software as a service), and the technical details of how data is stored and protected in the cloud. Then, the conversation pivots to the philosophy of identity, exploring the philosophical concept known as the Ship of Theseus. This episode comes from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of Discovery Institute's Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence.

Walter Myers on Cloud Computing and Philosophy of Identity

_{Robert J. Marks
October 16, 2026}

Like many, you may be storing important files and photos in the cloud. But just where is this magical cloud? How is it powered? Is it safe? To answer these questions and more, host Robert J. Marks is joined by Walter Myers III, a principal engineering manager for Microsoft’s Azure Cloud and a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute. Their conversation provides an overview of cloud computing infrastructure, including an explanation of where the cloud is physically located, the different service models (infrastructure, platform, and software as a service), and the technical details of how data is stored and protected in the cloud. Then, the conversation turns to the philosophical with a discussion about the concept of the Ship of Theseus and how it relates to questions of personal identity, the mind-body problem, and the relationship between the soul and the physical body.

Monday Microsofty 100: How To Win at Poker All the Time

_{Choose any hand you want and I will still win. But why?}_{Robert J. Marks
October 12, 2026}

The solution to the puzzle about cutting the fan belt is to remember that there is only ever one side.

Leasing the Sky: The Technology and Economics of Spectrum Sharing

_{Robert J. Marks
October 7, 2026}

In this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks speaks with Baylor University spectrum experts Dr. Charles Baylis, Dr. Austin Egbert, and PhD candidate Jonathan Swindell about the nation's pressing electromagnetic spectrum crisis. Have you ever thought about all of the electromagnetic waves in the room you're in right now? You have invisible microwave cell phone signals in the air, plus all of the signals for broadcast television and AM and FM radio. Radiation from a GPS signal is there waiting for you to tap in. The range of frequencies in electromagnetic waves is known as the electromagnetic spectrum. And that spectrum is in great demand, with the rapid proliferation of personal wireless devices, radar network, and satellite weather sensors all competing for a spot. Managing the electromagnetic spectrum is our topic today.

How Intelligent Engineering Can Solve the Electromagnetic Spectrum Crisis

_{Austin Egbert, Charles Baylis, Jonathan Swindell
October 7, 2026}

Today’s episode of ID The Future comes from our sister podcast Mind Matters News, a production of Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence. Mind Matters regularly explores the nature of intelligence, the origin of information, and the things that make us uniquely human, all concepts that are central to the theory of intelligent design. Enjoy today’s offering of Mind Matters News! In this episode of Mind Matters News, host Robert J. Marks speaks with Baylor University spectrum experts Dr. Charles Baylis, Dr. Austin Egbert, and PhD candidate Jonathan Swindell about the nation’s pressing electromagnetic spectrum crisis. Have you ever thought about all of the electromagnetic waves in the room you’re in right now? You have invisible microwave cell phone signals in the air, plus all of the signals for broadcast television and AM and FM radio. Radiation from a GPS signal is there waiting for you to tap in. The range of frequencies in electromagnetic waves is known as the electromagnetic spectrum. And that spectrum is in great demand, with the rapid proliferation of personal wireless devices, radar network, and satellite weather sensors all competing for a spot. Managing the electromagnetic spectrum is our topic today.

Microsofty 99: Fan Belt Cutting Technology

_{The world of geometry features some strange elements, even in everyday things}_{Robert J. Marks
October 5, 2026}

The answer to last week’s puzzle lies in determining how many sides a belt must have.

Monday Microsofty 98: A Puzzle for Fan Belt Engineers

_{How would you create a belt that allows both surfaces to share the wear equally?}_{Robert J. Marks
September 28, 2026}

To solve last week’s puzzle, don’t be so sure that you need a degree in probability theory. Study the situation described.

Monday Microsofty 97: Mad Hatters Flip Their Lids

_{What are the chances that all of the naval academy graduates would find their own hats in a random toss?}_{Robert J. Marks
September 21, 2026}

There is more than one solution to last week’s Queens Problem because the board can be rotated — but we present one here.

Tech Entrepreneur David Copps on Building Real-World AI

_{Robert J. Marks
September 18, 2026}

How can entrepreneurs incorporate the benefits of AI while maintaining their dedication to serving fellow human beings? On this bingecast episode of Mind Matters News, enjoy the full uninterrupted conversation between host Robert J. Marks and David Copps, a renowned entrepreneur, technologist, and thought leader with over two decades of experience pioneering advancements in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.