Love & Philosophy #42: Academic dissonance, unexpected paths & process with neuroscientist and Brain Inspired Paul Middlebrooks
Neuroscience, AI, and Philosophy with Paul from Brain Inspired
Can we think about education (and age) differently? Was it worth it to give up academia, move into an RV and create a podcast?
Can we think differently about computation and representation?
Paul Middlebrooks is no gadfly but as you'll hear, the one thing he knows is that he does not know (as Plato quotes Socrates: "All I know is that I know nothing.") He quit academia and started a podcast and has since become an important voice to many of us through his questioning. #loveandphilosophy #neuroai #podcasting #neuroscience #brain #inspired Shownotes: www.loveandphilosophy.com
Brain inspired just had its 200th episode ! And this is a celebration of it.
Paul spent over 10 years as a neuroscientist studying visual decision-making in nonhuman primates. A few years as a technician, 4 years obtaining a PhD, and 6 years as a postdoctoral researcher. Then he left academia and he and his wife sold all their stuff, moved into an RV, and roamed around the country, ending up in Durango for a time. During that time, he also started Brain Inspired. Now Paul is a Special Faculty Research Associate in the Yttri Lab at Carnegie Mellon University, studying the wonders of neuroethology.
00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:06 Starting the Brain Inspired Podcast
00:43 AI and Neuroscience: A Changing Landscape
00:59 Philosophical Perspectives on AI
03:28 Challenges in Neuroscience Terminology
04:11 Struggles with Scientific Paradigms
12:30 Exploring Metacognition in Monkeys
20:27 Transitioning from Academia to Podcasting
23:45 Recording Single Neurons: A Phenomenological Insight
32:56 The Motivation Behind the Podcast
42:37 Selling Everything and Hitting the Road
42:56 Starting an Online Business
43:11 The Birth of Brain Inspired
44:10 Struggles and Financial Realities
45:03 Returning to Academia
45:43 The Role of Podcasts in Science Communication
49:01 Philosophy and Neuroscience
56:35 The Importance of Models in Science
01:12:20 The Human Side of Academia
01:14:31 Love and Legacy
01:20:38 Final Reflections
Patricia Churchland Neurophilosophy
Mark H. Bickhard: Mind as Process, Process Metaphysics
Join #AndreaHiott and #PaulMiddlebrooks from the 'Brain Inspired' podcast. They discuss the evolution of neuroscience and AI from 2018 to 2024, personal journeys in academia, the influence of philosophical perspectives, and the nuances of love and consciousness. Paul shares insights on the challenges of balancing career ambitions with personal values and family life, and how his podcast has become a bridge for deeper learning and connection in the scientific community. This episode is a blend of professional insights and
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