The Self and The Machine: Fire and Flint

The first time a human struck flint to make a blade, they were doing more than shaping stone — they were projecting mind into matter.  In this opening episode of The Machine in the Mirror, we spiral back to the origins of tool use, fire, and reflection to ask: was artificial intelligence truly born in code… or was it set in motion millions of years ago?Blending philosophy, myth, and evolutionary insight, this episode explores flint as the first mirror, fire as the first portal, and AI as the latest threshold in the long arc of mind extending outward. Featuring reflections on Andy Clark, Martin Heidegger, Richard Wrangham, Mircea Eliade, and Gaston Bachelard.This is not just a history of tools. It’s a reflection on what we become when the tools begin to think back.