Emanuel Derman argues that machines can’t think because they are material objects designed to function in ways deemed useful by humans or animals. He references philosopher Stuart Hampshire’s interpretation of Spinoza, stating that one should not mix mental explanations for material phenomena, or vice versa. Derman maintains that as long as a machine’s behavior can be explained materially, it doesn’t think. He leaves room for changing his view if someone convincingly merges the mental and material realms, but until then, he believes machines can’t think.