AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Philosophy For Our Times
Ancient traits in a modern world | Sunetra Gupta, Anders Sandberg, Subrena Smith
Nov 14, 2023
Evolutionary biologist Sunetra Gupta, neuroscientist Anders Sandberg, and psychologist Subrena Smith discuss the compatibility of our neurobiology with the modern world. They explore topics like the impact of storytelling and virtue signaling, the inadequacy of neurobiology in dealing with 21st-century challenges, the relevance of evolution in humans, and the tension between biology and human values. The panel debates whether our ancient traits are now risking our species and if we can change our behavior before it's too late.
54:26
Episode guests
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Our neurobiology may have evolved to solve challenges in a different world, posing mismatches in the modern society that need to be addressed through advancements.
- Compassion should guide our decisions and actions, and societal and cultural factors play a crucial role in shaping human tendencies towards violence and greed.
Deep dives
Evolution and Neurobiology in the Modern World
The podcast episode explores the question of whether our neurobiology is at odds with the modern world. The panel discusses the idea of being post-evolutionary and whether our neurobiology is ill-equipped to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. They highlight that while evolutionary forces and natural selection continue to shape organisms, our ability to adapt and change as a species gives us a unique advantage. The speakers emphasize the complexity of neurobiology and caution against oversimplifying human traits such as violence and compassion as innate or hardwired. They argue that compassion should guide our decisions and actions, and that evolution is a continuous process influenced by individual preferences, societal changes, and cultural narratives.
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode