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Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone
BS 213 Kevin Mitchell explores Free Will
Oct 27, 2023
Neuroscientist Kevin Mitchell explores the concept of free will, arguing that it is part of our evolutionary heritage. He challenges determinism and discusses the two-stage model of free will. Mitchell also explores the behavior of bacteria and the concept of emergence. Overall, he argues that free will is not an illusion and is a result of evolution.
01:26:15
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- Evolutionary biologist Kevin Mitchell challenges the deterministic notion of the universe, arguing that even simple organisms possess agency and make choices based on stimuli and past events.
- The role of noise and variability in neural circuits supports choice and free will, highlighting the importance of top-down organization and causal influence over low-level details.
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Evolution of Agency, Purpose, and Meaning
The podcast episode explores the idea that the evolution of life is the evolution of agency, purpose, and meaning. It discusses how even the simplest organisms make choices in an effort to survive and how this supports the concept of free will.
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