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MeaningofLife.tv videos
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Oct 18, 2019 — Robert Wright & John Horgan
What is scientism, and who is doing it?
Postmodernism and whether science just tells “stories”
John criticizes the “ideological fervor” of evolutionary psychology
The hubris of scientists in the ’80s and ’90s
Has science reached its fundamental limits in trying to explain consciousness?
John wins his Nobel Prize “long bet” on string theory
The various corrupting influences on scientists
A brief debate on higher purpose
TAGS
atheism
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cognitive science
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Daniel Dennett
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evolution
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mind-body problem
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physics
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religion
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science
Jul 16, 2019 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Jamie Lauren Keiles
Jamie’s
NYT Magazine
piece, “How ASMR Became a Sensation”
Searching for the science behind ASMR
Why are ASMR creators disproprotionately female?
The strange life of Gibi, one of the top “ASMRtists”
A temporary salve for Internet-era loneliness
Will ASMR go corporate?
Jamie researches the history of the Jewish American Princess
Daddy’s money, girl power, and Juicy Couture
Are there Jewish American Princes?
TAGS
cognitive science
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evolution
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gender
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happiness
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human nature
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Judaism
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media
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psychology
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religion
May 21, 2019 — Robert Wright & David Sloan Wilson
David’s new book,
This View of Life
In what sense, if any, could evolution be conscious?
The need to complete the Darwinian revolution
An evolutionary psychology discussion makes Bob tape his mouth shut
How successful groups avert the tragedy of the commons
Convergent cultural evolution
David: Evolution shows that neither laissez faire nor centralized planning works
A preview of the coming Bob vs. David showdown over group selection
TAGS
biology
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economics
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evolution
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human nature
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psychology
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science
May 3, 2019 — Robert Wright & William von Hippel
Bill’s new book,
The Social Leap
Why happiness is fleeting
Junk food and happy marriages
How to escape the anxiety of status competition
Psychological downsides of being a hunter-gatherer
Why America is more politically tribalized than Australia
The benefits of self-deception
TAGS
biology
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evolution
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happiness
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human nature
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psychology
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science
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tribalism
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violence
Apr 23, 2019 — Robert Wright & Richard Wrangham
Richard’s new book,
The Goodness Paradox
Why Jane Goodall’s view of chimpanzees took a turn for the darker
Proactive violence (a human specialty) vs. reactive violence
Richard’s “execution hypothesis” for how early humans dealt with violent males
Bob offers an alternative explanation for the domestication of our species
How our cousins the bonobos became nicer than our cousins the chimps
Richard’s explanation for the evolution of moral sense
Is war a part of human nature?
TAGS
biology
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evolution
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psychology
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science
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violence
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war
Apr 2, 2019 — Robert Wright & Randolph Nesse
Randy’s new book,
Good Reasons for Bad Feelings
What’s the function of grief?
Good for your genes but bad for you
Evolutionary explanations for low mood/depression
What Freud got right
Orgasms and natural selection
Social media, the digital crack cocaine
TAGS
cognitive science
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evolution
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human nature
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mental health
|
psychology
Nov 28, 2018 — John Horgan & Robert Trivers
A social theory based on natural selection
“This whole gender thing that’s blown up in the last 10 years…”
Women, men, and intelligence
Could evolutionary psychology explain honor killings?
“The older I get, the more I turn to prayer and meditation”
Robert’s recurring problem with spite
TAGS
evolution
Nov 14, 2018 — Aryeh Cohen-Wade & Rebecca Lohnes
Rebecca’s path from the Ivy League to an animal shelter
The science of animal training
The many reasons why you shouldn’t try to be your dog’s “alpha”
What we know about animal personality
What goes on inside an animal shelter?
Is there such a thing as a “bad dog”?
What’s actually happening when your pet looks ashamed
Aryeh and Rebecca debate whether their dog loves them
TAGS
biology
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cognitive science
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evolution
|
science
Nov 3, 2018 — John Horgan & Owen Flanagan
Owen’s transition from Catholicism to “quiet skepticism”
The problem of evil
The hubris of modern philosophers
Can we live with the scientific image of man?
The origin of the universe, life, and consciousness
Owen: Doubt yourself
Does philosophy lead to practical wisdom?
Mind-altering chemicals and free will
TAGS
atheism
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Buddhism
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Christianity
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consciousness
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ethics
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evolution
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free will
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human nature
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mind-body problem
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philosophy
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psychology
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religion
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science
Sep 20, 2018 — Nikita Petrov & John Horgan
John’s new book,
Mind-Body Problems
, is free online
“What are we really, what can we be, and what should we be?”
Robert Trivers, an evolutionary biologist with an affinity for violence
Douglas Hofstadter, a playful writer, but a melancholic person
Why ex-materialist Christof Koch embraced panpsychism
How losing a daughter made Stuart Kaufman study the paranormal
Story time! Nikita and John exchange psychedelic tales
TAGS
biology
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cognitive science
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consciousness
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enlightenment
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evolution
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human nature
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meditation
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mind-body problem
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philosophy
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psychology
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religion
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science
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spirituality
Jun 13, 2018 — Stephen Asma & Rami Gabriel
Where do culture, emotion, and cognition intersect?
Is altruism a fluke of humans’ inherently selfish nature?
How Western individualism clouds our view of human nature
Stephen: The strongest cultural adaptations are shared unconsciously
An evolutionary explanation of Trump’s cult of personality
Complicating the narrative on immigrant cultural values and success
Reactions to Stephen’s new book,
Why We Need Religion
TAGS
culture
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evolution
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religion
May 15, 2018 — Stephen Asma & Rami Gabriel
Are emotions cultural or physiological?
Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett’s argument for emotion-via-culture
Why social construct theory is all the rage today
Rami’s thoughts on self-help psychology
Rami: Pets teach us that emotional connection predates language
What makes emotions adaptive to environment?
Stephen and Rami review the Jaak Panksepp Memorial Symposium
What neuroscientists say about the brain’s unpredictability
TAGS
biology
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emotions
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evolution
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social science
May 4, 2018 — Robert Wright & Steven Pinker
Steve’s new book,
Enlightenment Now
, and Bob’s critique
Cognitive biases that undergird tribalism
Bob wants to crowdfund a meditation retreat for Steve, who is uncooperative
How Al Gore’s climate change activism may have hurt his own cause
Is it crazy to suspect that there’s a larger purpose unfolding through the workings of nature?
Has our growing grasp of computation and cognition made consciousness less mysterious or more so?
TAGS
enlightenment
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evolution
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history
|
psychology
|
religion
Mar 2, 2018 — Robert Wright & Richard Prum
Darwin’s approach to explaining the peacock’s cumbersome plumage
Could beauty have evolved, in part, for beauty’s sake?
The sense in which traits favored via mate selection may not be ‘adaptive’
Mate preference and aesthetics
What can we learn from ducks’ miserable sex lives?
How paternal investment in offspring became part of human life
When sex isn’t for reproduction
Richard’s misgivings about evolutionary psychology
TAGS
biology
|
evolution
|
family
Feb 9, 2018 — Stephen Asma & Rami Gabriel
This week’s puppet show: How do emotions help us survive?
Darwin’s attempts to understand the inner lives of animals
Can we really hide our feelings? Rami doubts it
The “seeking” drive that keeps us going
Angst: Fear without an object
How culture complicates finding a mate
Is there an adaptive function to recognizing beauty?
TAGS
cognitive science
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dreaming
|
evolution
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social science
Dec 16, 2017 — Robert Wright & John Horgan
The pervasiveness of sexual harassment
Human nature according to Socrates, the Google memo guy, and Bob
Are gendered behavioral differences innate or learned?
John: Scientists keep trying, and failing, to discern the roots of human behavior
Can you be both enlightened—in the Buddhist sense—and immoral
Sexual harassment in science and philosophy
TAGS
evolution
|
psychology
|
science
Oct 7, 2017 — Robert Wright & Tyler Volk
Tyler’s “ambitious” new book,
Quarks to Culture
“Combogenesis”: The reason for everything?
When subatomic particles make friends
From protons to evolution
What came before culture?
The link between inner peace and world peace
The possibility of purpose in the universe
TAGS
biology
|
cosmology
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evolution
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game theory
|
history
Sep 8, 2017 — Josh Summers & Stephen Asma
Stephen’s new book,
The Evolution of Imagination
Are dreams like “proto-consciousness”?
The mind as an extension of the body
Where Stephen thinks “effective altruism” falls short
How to improve your imagination
Trump as a bad improviser
Bringing imagination to a meditation practice
TAGS
altruism
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cognitive science
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consciousness
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Donald Trump
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dreaming
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empathy
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ethics
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evolution
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meditation
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philosophy
Aug 24, 2017 — Robert Wright & Lisa Feldman Barrett
Lisa’s new book
How Emotions are Made
Can we truly feel an emotion before we can name it?
Is it true that the !Kung people feel no fear?
Fear in the body, the brain, and in concept
Do animals have emotions as we know them?
Lisa’s advice for young scientists: Keep it empirical
TAGS
cognitive science
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evolution
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genetics
|
human nature
|
perception
|
psychology
|
science
Jun 6, 2017 — Daniel Kaufman & Massimo Pigliucci
“Purpose” in science and morality
What Aristotle thought about purpose in nature
Why asking “what is it for?” makes sense in biology but not other sciences
Does form dictate function?
Is there a “law” of morality?
The paths to human flourishing
Why a “scientific” approach to ethics à la Sam Harris doesn’t work
TAGS
ancient philosophy
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biology
|
ethics
|
evolution
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human nature
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philosophy
|
science
Feb 15, 2017 — Robert Wright & Robert Stickgold
What is sleep for?
Why do we dream?
How dreaming helps us remember
Chaotic dreams and creativity
The limited value of dream interpretation
Lack of sleep and psychological disorders
How to sleep better
TAGS
biology
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cognitive science
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consciousness
|
creativity
|
dreaming
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evolution
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psychology
|
science
Feb 6, 2017 — Daniel Kaufman & Massimo Pigliucci
Join the hordes clamoring for Massimo’s forthcoming book!
The science of ethics
Is morality baked into our biology?
Can primates tell us where morality comes from?
How Kant and moral psychology complement each other
Nietzsche’s moral philosophy
Warning: Chimps and bonobos are not hairy proto-humans!
The trouble with studying morality in infants
TAGS
cognitive science
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
human nature
|
justice
|
philosophy
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psychology
|
science
|
tribalism
Dec 29, 2016 — Josh Summers & David Barash
David’s book
Buddhist Biology
Where Buddhism and biology converge
The interconnected world
Karma in Buddhism and biology
David’s “existential-bio-Buddhism”
TAGS
biology
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Buddhism
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consciousness
|
evolution
|
free will
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perception
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philosophy
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psychology
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science
|
self
|
spirituality
Dec 21, 2016 — Robert Wright & Michael Shermer
Bob’s NY Times article on evolution and purpose
Was evolution likely to produce the Internet?
The counter-entropic role of life
Is moral progress built into history?
Social and political dimensions of moral progress
The psychology of terrorism
What can we do to fight tribalist impulses?
TAGS
economics
|
evolution
|
politics
|
tribalism
Dec 18, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & George Young
Does Russian thought have anything to contribute to the world?
Nikolay Fedorov, an eccentric thinker who influenced Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky
Fedorov’s plan: Immortality for everyone
“Kinship” as a fundamental property of all matter
A mass movement for the spiritual unity of humankind
Vladimir Solovyov’s
The Meaning of Love
: Sexuality as a path to a Christian utopia
Christ as the ultimate role model
TAGS
Christianity
|
consciousness
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death
|
evolution
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history
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human nature
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literature
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mysticism
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occult
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philosophy
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politics
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religion
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science
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spirituality
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technology
|
the future
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transhumanism
Dec 4, 2016 — Brendan Foht & George Church
George’s project to synthesize the human genome
Fighting climate change by resurrecting the mammoth
Applying gene editing to human reproduction
Can gene tech make up for stagnation in pharmaceutical research?
The role of chance in genetic engineering breakthroughs
TAGS
ethics
|
evolution
|
human nature
|
science
|
technology
|
the future
Nov 21, 2016 — Robert Wright & Gad Saad
How hormones drive consumer and mating behavior
How your fingers give your testosterone level away
Why some people seem taller than they are
Why grandfathers get fewer gifts than grandmothers
Is religion at the root of bad behavior?
Is Islam more conducive to violence than other religions?
Evolutionary perspectives on religion
TAGS
evolution
|
Islam
|
perception
|
psychology
|
religion
|
terrorism
Nov 13, 2016 — Robert Wright & Keith Frankish
Consciousness as an illusion
How would a belief look in the brain?
Two kinds of dualism
What if you and I see blue differently?
Is it like something to be Keith Frankish?
Why thinking about consciousness is so hard
TAGS
Buddhism
|
cognitive science
|
consciousness
|
ethics
|
evolution
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human nature
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memory
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mind-body problem
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panpsychism
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perception
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philosophy
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psychology
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self
|
technology
Nov 4, 2016 — Robert Wright & Christof Koch
The search for non-human consciousness
Consciousness in the organic and inorganic worlds
Measuring consciousness
Lucky us: The universe breeds consciousness
How scientific and spiritual worldviews can enrich each other
Artificial intelligence is not (necessarily) artificial consciousness
The Allen Institute for Brain Science and its mission
TAGS
Buddhism
|
cognitive science
|
consciousness
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
panpsychism
|
physics
|
science
|
spirituality
|
technology
|
the future
Oct 30, 2016 — Daniel Kaufman & Robert Wright
Hume: Reason is a slave of feelings
Feelings and reason in evolutionary psychology
Why Kant wanted ethics to be rational
The evolution of moral intuitions
Morality is subjective, but it’s in our nature
Why seeing purpose in evolution freaks scientists out
Hume’s Buddhist view of the self
TAGS
Buddhism
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
philosophy
|
psychology
|
self
Oct 26, 2016 — Robert Wright & David Chalmers
Why consciousness is so weird
Is consciousness like your brain’s shadow?
If David was a zombie, would anyone know?
Bob’s wacky theory about consciousness
Is consciousness what collapses the quantum wave function?
Can there be a true science of consciousness?
TAGS
cognitive science
|
consciousness
|
evolution
|
human nature
|
mind-body problem
|
physics
|
psychology
|
science
Oct 19, 2016 — Robert Wright & Sam Harris
Sam Harris, mystic and atheist
The mystery of consciousness
Is mysticism more like science than like religion?
How religion makes progress
Sam’s case for intolerance
The root causes of extremism
Religious and secular reasons to do good
Ways religion may be closer to the truth than atheism
A secular approach to death
TAGS
agnosticism
|
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
cognitive science
|
consciousness
|
death
|
empathy
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
history
|
Islam
|
meditation
|
mind-body problem
|
mindfulness
|
mysticism
|
nationalism
|
New Atheists
|
perception
|
poverty
|
psychology
|
religion
|
science
|
self
|
spirituality
|
tribalism
Oct 17, 2016 — Robert Wright & Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly’s new book
The Inevitable
Technology as an extension of evolution
Will Google monopolize AI?
How to foster an ethical AI
People of the screen
The importance of seeing the glass as half-full
TAGS
consciousness
|
evolution
|
technology
|
the future
Oct 10, 2016 — Robert Wright & Jonathan Gold
The seminal Buddhist philosopher Vasubandhu, hero of
Paving the Great Way
Buddhist and Darwinian arguments for reality not being as it seems
The ‘hyper-reductionism’ of Buddhism
Meditation and the doctrine of emptiness
Does the Buddhist view of causality leave room for agency?
Are the past and the future real?
Hindu and Buddhist versions of non-duality
TAGS
Buddhism
|
evolution
|
free will
|
Hinduism
|
human nature
|
meditation
|
mindfulness
|
perception
|
philosophy
|
psychology
|
religion
|
self
|
spirituality
|
time
Oct 2, 2016 — Robert Wright & Hugo Mercier
Hugo’s theory about why people reason and argue
When can arguments change minds?
How trust and argumentation work together
The virtues of speaking directly to an adversary
Debating whether the mind is designed to delude
How publicly expressing beliefs affects them
TAGS
altruism
|
cognitive science
|
evolution
|
language
|
psychology
|
science
Sep 17, 2016 — Nikita Petrov & George Young
What is Russian cosmism?
The religious side of cosmism
Cosmism as a response to the challenges of the 20th century
Nature as a temporary enemy and eternal friend
Pavel Florensky, the Russian da Vinci
Plant life as a spiritual ideal
The father of the Soviet space program, and his weird spirituality
Cosmism and transhumanism: Compare and contrast
Cosmism as a Russian propaganda project
TAGS
Christianity
|
consciousness
|
death
|
evolution
|
history
|
human nature
|
mysticism
|
occult
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
|
science
|
spirituality
|
technology
|
the future
|
transhumanism
Jul 5, 2016 — Robert Wright & Steven Nadler
What made Spinoza a heretic?
Why Spinoza matters today
Perspectives on the purpose, if any, of nature
Religion: a source of morality, meaning, and fear
Spinoza’s mysticism—or lack thereof
Parallels between Spinozan and Buddhist thought
TAGS
ancient philosophy
|
atheism
|
Buddhism
|
Christianity
|
Donald Trump
|
enlightenment
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
Judaism
|
meditation
|
mysticism
|
philosophy
|
politics
|
religion
Jun 29, 2016 — Robert Wright & Daniel Kaufman
Bob’s love for the supercosmic
“Design” and “purpose”: Bob explains…
…and Dan objects
Is there a direction to natural selection?
Nobody understands consciousness
Is humanity making moral progress?
TAGS
consciousness
|
ethics
|
evolution
|
philosophy
Jun 13, 2016 — Robert Wright
Are we animals in an alien zoo?
Does evolution have a direction? A purpose?
The emergence of the “giant global brain”
How to get Dan Dennett mad
Does consciousness do anything?
Bob’s semi-crazy theory of consciousness
Questions from the audience
TAGS
consciousness
|
Daniel Dennett
|
evolution
Jun 11, 2016 — Robert Wright & Daniel Kaufman
What makes Bob’s worldview “spiritual”
Scientific arguments for a spiritual discipline
The expanding grounds for intellectual humility
Does evolution have a purpose?
The mystery and value of subjective experience
Is consciousness a scientific problem?
TAGS
consciousness
|
evolution
|
science
|
spirituality
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