Phil Torres (author)

Academic work

Torres is an Affiliate Scholar at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, where he writes about ethical issues surrounding cognitive enhancement, atheism, and existential risks. Torres has written one book on emerging technologies and atheism called A Crisis of Faith: Atheism, Emerging Technologies, and the Future of Humanity, in which he coins the term "secular eschatology." In this book, he suggested that intelligence enhancement technology would lead to a world full of atheists. He has also published numerous academic articles in Metaphilosophy, Erkenntnis, the Journal of Future Studies, Foresight, and the Journal of Evolution and Technology, some under the pseudonym "Philippe Verdoux," and blogged for John Loftus' Debunking Christianity. In early 2015, Pitchstone Publishing announced that it would be publishing a forthcoming book by Torres called The End: What Religion and Science Tell Us About the Apocalypse.

Torres has also published in online magazines like Salon, The Progressive, Humanity+, and American Atheist. In 2015, he founded the X-Risks Institute (for the Study of Extremism), which focuses on understanding the evolving relationship between advanced technologies and apocalyptic terrorism.

Torres earned a masters in Neuroscience from Brandeis University, and studied philosophy at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Harvard University.

Music

Torres has written and performed music as the critically acclaimed solo act Baobab. Its debut album was re-released by MTV's Hype Music, and a Baobab song was featured in a 2014 GoPro commercial. Baobab's second album was released by Hand-Eye Records, a spin-off of Lefse Records, and its third album was mastered by Nick Zammuto of The Books.

In 2014, Torres' second solo project, crowdsource, released its debut EP through Hush Hush Records; the single was featured on XLR8R. Torres has also produced music for bands such as T0W3RS and Bombadil.