Episodes

  • A Case for the Soul: An Interview with Joshua Farris

    A Case for the Soul: An Interview with Joshua Farris
    Nov 28 2024
    Is the mind the same thing as the brain? Recently, we’ve been tackling this question known as the mind-brain problem with several of the contributing authors to our recent book Minding the Brain. In a similar fashion, we can also ask if there’s more to the human person than just our bodies. This week we have neurosurgeon Michael Egnor talking about Read More › Source
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  • The Significance of Mirror Neurons: More With Dr. Mihretu Guta

    The Significance of Mirror Neurons: More With Dr. Mihretu Guta
    Nov 21 2024
    On this episode, host Dr. Robert J. Marks continues his chat with Dr. Mihretu Guta about exploring the philosophical challenges surrounding the neuroscientific research on mirror neurons. What the heck is a mirror neuron you ask? As described in Part 1, it’s a type of brain cell that fires when a person observes an action being performed, as well as Read More › Source
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  • Mirror Neurons, Consciousness, and the Bearer Question

    Mirror Neurons, Consciousness, and the Bearer Question
    Nov 14 2024
    For the last several months, we’ve been interviewing authors featured in the recent Bradley Center volume Minding the Brain: Models of the Mind, Information, and Empirical Science. The book delves into the age-old question: is the mind more than the brain? What was once solely a philosophical and metaphysical discussion has attracted the attention of science and is a much more Read More › Source
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  • Consciousness, Materialism, and the Limits of Reductionism

    Consciousness, Materialism, and the Limits of Reductionism
    Nov 7 2024
    On this episode, host Pat Flynn concludes a three-part conversation with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord about all things related to AI, consciousness, and rationality. In Part 3, Flynn and Bringsjord summarize their points about integrated information theory and an alternative view, cognitive consciousness. The discussion explores the challenges of explaining consciousness from a materialist or physicalist perspective, noting the apparent qualitative Read More › Source
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  • How Human Trafficking Flourishes in the Age of Social Media and How We Can Push Back

    How Human Trafficking Flourishes in the Age of Social Media and How We Can Push Back
    Oct 31 2024
    It’s tempting to think that human trafficking is a problem in a far-away land. Unfortunately, it’s much closer. Like in our back yard closer. On this episode, host Robert J. Marks speaks with Charlie Crockett, head educational trainer with Unbound Now, an organization that works to combat human trafficking through education, training, victim services, and partnerships with law enforcement. The Read More › Source
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  • Consciousness Conundrum: Integrated Information Theory vs. Cognitive Consciousness

    Consciousness Conundrum: Integrated Information Theory vs. Cognitive Consciousness
    Oct 24 2024
    On this episode, host Pat Flynn continues a three-part conversation with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord about all things related to AI, consciousness, and rationality. In Part 2, the discussion turns to Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and its claims about consciousness. IIT proposes that consciousness arises from the degree of informational integration in a system, so more integrated systems would have higher Read More › Source
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Exploring the Capabilities and Limitations of AI with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord

    Exploring the Capabilities and Limitations of AI with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord
    Oct 17 2024
    On this episode, host Pat Flynn begins a three-part conversation with Dr. Selmer Bringsjord about all things related to AI, consciousness, and rationality. Dr. Bringsjord has been studying and debating issues related to AI and the nature of consciousness for decades, and he shares his predictions about the capabilities and limitations of AI systems. He believes that while AI systems Read More › Source
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  • The Unique Relationship Between Consciousness and Its Bearer

    The Unique Relationship Between Consciousness and Its Bearer
    Oct 10 2024
    What kind of being must exist for consciousness to exist? On this episode, hosts Robert J. Marks and Angus Menuge conclude their discussion with Dr. Mihretu Guta about his contribution to the recent volume Minding the Brain. The first half of this conversation centered on the amazing nature of consciousness and how it really doesn’t reduce to anything physical. In Part Read More › Source
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    Less than 1 minute