Episodes

  • 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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    Less than 1 minute
  • 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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  • In What Sense is Consciousness a Property?

    In What Sense is Consciousness a Property?
    Oct 3 2024
    On this episode, hosts Robert J. Marks and Angus Menuge welcome Dr. Mihretu Guta to discuss his contribution to the recent volume Minding the Brain. Dr. Guta discusses the nature of consciousness and the challenges in understanding it from a philosophical perspective. He argues that consciousness is a unique property that is deeply subjective and personal, making it difficult to study Read More › Source
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  • The Impact of Descartes on the Philosophy of Mind

    The Impact of Descartes on the Philosophy of Mind
    Sep 26 2024
    On this episode out of the vault, neuroscientist Dr. Michael Egnor welcomes Dr. Joshua Farris for a discussion about his recent published paper “Descartes’ New Clothes: Cartesian Thought in Philosophy, Neuroscience and Theism.” Descartes is famous for his dictum “I think, therefore I am.” Farris and Egnor discuss this statement and its implications for the mind-body debate. They also talk Read More › Source
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  • Dr. Robert J. Marks Reads From Minding the Brain

    Dr. Robert J. Marks Reads From Minding the Brain
    Sep 19 2024
    Is your mind the same thing as your brain? Or are there aspects of mind that are external to the biology of the brain? This is the mind-body problem, and it has captivated curious minds since the dawn of human contemplation. Today many insist that the mind is completely reducible to the brain. But is that claim justified? On this Read More › Source
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