The Hard Problem by Jesse Winters

thehardproblem

This podcast is a deep exploration of the problem of consciousness. Presented by Jesse Winters, The Hard Problem reviews critical evidence in the neuroscience literature, insights from the philosophy of mind, and the author’s novel ideas in pursuit of a robust theory of consciousness.

Play

Open in

20 episodes
Avg 20 min
English

Episodes 20

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

#154
Oct 21, 2023 · 16 min
The Pseudoscience Letter
Key References: Fleming et al. 'The Integrated Information Theory of Consciousness as Pseudoscience' 2023
#153
Sep 21, 2023 · 24 min
The Paradox of Interdependence
Key References: Alan Watts 'This is It' 1958
#152
Aug 9, 2023 · 18 min
Self or Not-Self
Key References: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rimpoche 'Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness' 1986 Arthur Schopenhauer from 'The Essential Schopenhauer' 2010
#151
Jul 11, 2023 · 21 min
Adversarial Theories
Key References: Elizabeth Finkel ‘Adversarial Search for Neural Basis of Consciousness Yields First Results’, 2023 Lucia Melloni et al. (preprint) ‘An Adversarial Collaboration to Critically Evaluate Theories of Consciousness’, 2023
#150
Jun 17, 2023 · 18 min
On Pursuing What One Wants
Key References: Sebastian Junger 'Tribe' 2016
#149
Jun 4, 2023 · 19 min
Prefrontal Consciousness
Key References: Omri Raccah, Ned Block, and Kieran Fox 'Does the Prefrontal Cortex Play an Essential Role in Consciousness? Insights from Intracranial Electrical Stimulation of the Human Brain?' 2021
#148
May 21, 2023 · 20 min
Emergence and Non-Duality
Key References: Zoran Josipovic 'Implicit–explicit gradient of nondual awareness or consciousness as such' 2021
#147
Apr 23, 2023 · 20 min
Reality as Territory
Key References: Christoph Durt, Tom Froese, and Thomas Fuchs 'Against AI Understanding and Sentience: Large Language Models, Meaning, and the Patterns of Human Language Use' 2023
#146
Apr 3, 2023 · 18 min
On Dreaming and Daydreaming
Key References: Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold 'When Brains Dream' 2021 Obada Al Zoubi et al. 'Taking the body off the mind: Decreased functional connectivity between somatomotor and default‐mode networks following Floatation‐REST' 2021
#145
Mar 27, 2023 · 16 min
The Lucidity of Conscious States
Key References: Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold 'When Brains Dream' 2021 Hanna Hayat et al. 'Locus coeruleus norepinephrine activity mediates sensory-evoked awakenings from sleep' 2020
#144
Mar 8, 2023 · 16 min
Reincarnation and Time
Key References: Albert Einstein 'Relativity' 1916 Dean Buonomano 'Your Brain is a Time Machine' 2017 Carlo Rovelli 'The Order of Time' 2018
#143
Feb 17, 2023 · 20 min
Of Myth and Madness
Key References: Julian Jaynes 'The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind' 1976 Oliver Sacks 'Hallucinations' 2012
#142
Jan 31, 2023 · 22 min
Mistaken for Consciousness
Key References: Bjorn Merker, Kenneth Williford, and David Rudrauf 'The Integrated Information Theory: A Case of Mistaken Identity' 2022
#141
Jan 20, 2023 · 20 min
Entropy and Pain
Key References: Brett Kagan, Andy Kitchen, Nhi Tran, Forough Habibollahi, Moein Khajehnejad, Bradyn Parker, Anjali Bhat, Ben Rollo, Adeel Razi, and Karl Friston, 'In Vitro Neurons Learn and Exhibit Sentience When Embodied in a Simulated Game World', 2022 Karl Friston 'The Free-Energy Principle: A Unified Brain Theory?' 2010
#140
Jan 6, 2023 · 16 min
The Reward Function
Key References: Matthew Hutson 'AI learns the art of diplomacy' 2022 'Lex Fridman Podcast' #344 with Noam Brown, 2022
#139
Dec 15, 2022 · 23 min
Intelligence In Vitro
Key References: Brett Kagan, Andy Kitchen, Nhi Tran, Forough Habibollahi, Moein Khajehnejad, Bradyn Parker, Anjali Bhat, Ben Rollo, Adeel Razi, and Karl Friston, 'In Vitro Neurons Learn and Exhibit Sentience When Embodied in a Simulated Game World', 2022 Fabrizia Claudia Guarnieri, Antoine de Chevigny, Antonio Falace, and Carlos Cardoso 'Disorders of Neurogenesis and Cortical Development', 2018
#138
Nov 28, 2022 · 27 min
Science and Ideology
Key References: 'Great Dialogues of Plato' Translated by W. H. D. Rouse, 1956 The Intercept 'Leaked Documents Outline DHS's Plans to Police Disinformation', 2022 Jordan Moss and Peter J. O'Connor 'The Dark Triad Traits Predict Authoritarian Political Correctness and Alt-Right Attitudes' 2020
#137
Nov 19, 2022 · 19 min
Intuitions and Elephants
Key References: Jonathan Haidt 'The Righteous Mind' 2012 Oliver Sacks 'The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat' 1970 Kaushal Shah, Shailesh B. Jain, and Roopma Wadhwa 'Capgras Syndrome' 2022
#136
Nov 10, 2022 · 19 min
Awareness and Arousal
Key References: Minji Lee et al. 'Quantifying Arousal and Awareness in Altered States of Consciousness Using Interpretable Deep Learning' 2022 Christof Koch 'The Quest for Consciousness' 2004 David Chalmers 'The Conscious Mind' 1996
#135
Oct 28, 2022 · 20 min
Death and Consciousness
Key References: Michael Shermer 'The Believing Brain' 2011 Oliver Sacks 'Hallucinations' 2012 Chris Timmermann et al. 'DMT Models the Near-Death Experience' 2018 Raul Vicente et al. 'Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain' 2022 Jimo Borjigin et al. 'Surge of Neurophysiological Coherence and Connectivity in the Dying Brain' 2013

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes