Elucidations

Matt Teichman

Elucidations is an unexpected philosophy podcast produced in association with Emergent Ventures. Every episode, Matt Teichman temporarily transforms himself back into a student and tries to learn the basics of some topic from a person of philosophical interest.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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21 episodes
Avg 41 min
English

Episodes 21

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#158
Sunday · 32 min
Episode 158: Marshall Abrams discusses the nature of the evolutionary process
What does 'survival of the fittest' really mean?
#157
July 21 · 50 min
Episode 157: Robin Hanson discusses prediction markets
Can betting markets be the best source of information about the future?
#156
June 7 · 43 min
Episode 156: Oliver Traldi discusses political expertise
What does it mean to be an expert in politics?
#155
May 1 · 40 min
Episode 155: Rebecca Lowe discusses speaking freely
In what situations are you unable to speak your mind?
#154
February 28 · 52 min
Episode 154: Greg Salmieri discusses free speech, "cancel culture," and "academic freedom"
What counts as a basic political right and what doesn't?
#153
January 2 · 43 min
Episode 153: Sam Enright discusses lifelong learning
How can you continue to learn about challenging topics after you're out of school?
#152
Nov 22, 2025 · 43 min
Epsiode 152: Luca Gattoni-Celli discusses the housing crisis
Why is it so expensive to buy a house?
#151
May 3, 2025 · 46 min
Episode 151: Witold Więcek discusses statistics and academic research
When is statistical significance discovered and when is it fabricated?
#150
Aug 20, 2024 · 46 min
Episode 150: Shruti Rajagopalan discusses talent in India
What will it take for India to become a major economic power in 40 years?
#149
Apr 14, 2024 · 42 min
Episode 149: Lainie Ross and Christos Lazaridis talk about defining death
Do you have the right to choose the criterion doctors will use to determine whether you have died?
#148
Oct 20, 2023 · 37 min
Episode 148: Christos Lazaridis discusses brain death
When a person permanently loses consciousness, should that count as death?
#147
Jul 15, 2023 · 40 min
Episode 147: Gabriella Gonzalez discusses the intersection of algebra and programming
Can abstract algebra help make it easier to write complex software?
#146
Mar 30, 2023 · 39 min
Episode 146: Gaurav Venkataraman discusses memory in DNA and RNA
Can memories be stored outside the brain?
#145
Jan 21, 2023 · 39 min
Episode 145: Andrew Sepielli discusses quietism and metaethics
Can you settle ethical questions by turning to other fields, like metaphysics or the philosophy of language?
#144
Nov 20, 2022 · 37 min
Episode 144: Christopher Beem discusses democratic virtues
How can we make ourselves into the kind of people who can get along well enough to have a democracy?
#143
Oct 5, 2022 · 44 min
Episode 143: Mark Linsenmayer discusses alternative models of education
Formal education can be great, but why does it have to end? With podcasts, it kinda doesn't.
#142
Aug 2, 2022 · 36 min
Episode 142: Emily Dupree discusses the rationality of revenge
Can seeking vengeance be a rational thing to do?
#141
Jun 13, 2022 · 35 min
Episode 141: Rob Goodman discusses eloquence
What is it that makes a great public speaker?
#140
Apr 10, 2022 · 43 min
Episode 140: Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko discuss the good life
Is there a simple formula for figuring out how to life your best life, or is it all a bit messier?
#139
Feb 13, 2022 · 31 min
Episode 139: Jessica Tizzard discusses the philosophy of pregnancy
Could it make sense to think of a gestating fetus as a part of the person who is pregnant with it?

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