Overthink

From 23andMe to prenatal testing, genetic testing is everywhere these days! The use of these tests raises important concerns about "velvet eugenics" and the value of human life. In episode 31, Ellie and David address the ethics and politics of genomics. They talk with ethicist Dr. Joel Michael Reynolds, an expert on disability studies and genomics, about why your zip code is a much better indicator of  health outcomes than your genome. Plus, Joel unpacks why genetic sequencing can cause anxiety for new parents and further social inequities.Works discussed:Joel Michael Reynolds, "Health for Whom? Bioethics and the Challenge of Justice for Genomic Medicine"Joel Michael Reynolds, "Genopower: On Genomics, Disability, and Impairment"Sivan Tamir, "Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: Ethical-Legal Perspectives and Practical Considerations"Jenny Reardon, The Postgenomic ConditionRosemarie Garland Thomson, "Welcoming The Unexpected," in Human Flourishing in an Age of Gene Editing, ed. Erik Parens and Josephine JohnsonNational Human Genome Research Institute, "Human Genome Project FAQ"Guy Standing, The Precariat: The New Dangerous ClassSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Have you considered that you might be a brain in a vat of liquid floating in a laboratory somewhere? How can you know that the world around you is real, not just a simulation being piped directly to your brain? In episode 30, Ellie and David unpack one of philosophy's favorite thought experiments: the brain in a vat.  They also analyze our cultural obsession with the brain, common criticisms of this thought experiment from consciousness studies, and precursors in Descartes and science fiction. Also--what's with the Italian neuroscientist who keeps trying to do head transplants?Works discussed:Daniel Dennett, "Where Am I?"Gilbert Harman, ThoughtAlva Noë, Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your BrainEvan Thompson and Diego Cosmelli, "Brain in a Vat or Body in a World? Brainbound Versus Enactive Views of Experience"Shaun Gallagher and Dan Zahavi, The Phenomenological MindBronwyn Parry, "Technologies of Immortality: The Brain on Ice"John Desmond Bernal, The World, the Flesh and the DevilRaymond Roussel, Locus SolusJohn Tresch, "In a solitary place: Raymond Roussel’s brain and the French cult of unreason"Harry Smit and Peter M. S. Hacker, "Seven Misconceptions About the Mereological Fallacy: A Compilation for the Perplexed"Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the ScoreSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Do you fear the Sunday Scaries and Thank God It's Friday? You might be suffering from a case of what Karl Marx called "alienation." In episode 29 of Overthink, David and Ellie break down this key but often misunderstood concept for the modern workplace. After explaining Marx's four forms of alienation using the example of making Teva sandals, they discuss the gig economy and "bullshit jobs." Plus: in today's society, are even poets and Netflix viewers alienated? Or does Marx's concept only apply to an outdated model of industrial work under capitalism?Works discussed:Karl Marx, Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844Rahel Jaeggi, AlienationDavid Graeber, Bullshit JobsByung-Chul Han, In the swarm: Digital prospectsHerbert Marcuse, One Dimensional ManGuy Debord, Society of the SpectacleEmmanuel Renault, From Fordism to Post-Fordism: Beyond or Back to AlienationLouis Althusser, Reading CapitalSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Examining cancel culture origins and merits. Discussing the responsibility of celebrities and the distinction between public and private life. Exploring the influence of neoliberalism and the complexity of the self. Delving into forgiveness and the role of cancel culture.

In episode 27 of Overthink, Ellie and David speak with feminist philosopher and author Dr. Amelia Hruby about fat feminism, intersectionality, alternatives to the male gaze, and her project #selfiesforselflove. Before the interview, Ellie and David discuss their issues with the "body positivity" movement using phenomenology, and suggest why Sonya Renee Taylor's account of radical self-love is a better alternative. The episode closes with a deep dive into the racist history of the thin ideal using the work of Sabrina Strings.Works discussed:Sabrina Strings, Fearing the Black BodyVirgie Tovar, You Have the Right to Remain FatSonya Renee Taylor, The Body is Not an ApologyAlexandra Sastre, "Towards a radical body positive: Reading the online 'body positive movement'"Amelia Hruby, Fifty Feminist MantrasMaurice Merleau-Ponty, The Phenomenology of PerceptionKimberlé Crenshaw, "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color"Patricia Hill Collins, "Controlling Images"John Berger, Ways of SeeingSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

In episode 26 of Overthink, Ellie and David explore cohabitation during Covid. They use philosopher Henri Bergson's theory of rhythm and the Africana philosophy concept of Ubuntu to better understand how we have had to re-negotiate and re-engage with space this year. Also discussed: Ellie's early Covid board games, David's living room, moving during covid, and lots more!Works Discussed:Taylor Trudon, Teenage Angst, Revisited in IsolationJulius Gathogo, African Philosophy as Expressed in the Concepts of Hospitality and UbuntuBhekizizwe Peterson, The Art of Personhood: Kinship and Its Social ChallengesKai Kresse, Philosophizing in MombasaHannah Arendt, Origins of TotalitarianismHenri Bergson, Matter and MemoryImmanuel Kant, The Critique of Pure ReasonFriedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke ZarathustraSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

Dive into the intriguing world of dating during Covid! Personal anecdotes reveal the unexpected joys and challenges of romance in isolation. Discover how social distancing has reshaped relationships and influenced class dynamics. The hosts explore attachment theory and its impact on dating behaviors, while reflecting on the evolving cultural landscape of love. They also unpack the philosophic implications of modern dating rituals and the often-overlooked emotional complexities that arise from pandemic-driven connections.

On episode 24 of Overthink, Ellie and David tackle friendship during Covid. They begin by discussing their dream day with friends, which includes: brunch, thrift store shopping, and team sports, all of which have been impossible to do during the pandemic. What has social distancing meant for friendship? They bring on special guest, undergraduate Anna Koppelman (Overthink's  production assistant and social media coordinator!), to discuss how Covid has impacted college students' social lives. The three talk Heidegger, Aristotle, and how sad it is to have no fun gossip anymore! Finally, David and Ellie analyze how gender has affected Covid friendships, Epicurus supporting "pods" before it was cool, and more!Works Discussed:Lydia Denworth, Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fundamental BondBeverley Fehr, Friendship ProcessesAristotle, Nicomachean EthicsImmanuel Kant, Metaphysical Principles of VirtueOctavio Paz, The Labyrinth of SolitudeSamantha Schmidt, The Washington Post, Men find new ways to Bond During the PandemicJeffrey A. Hall, How many hours does it take to make a friend?Martin Heidegger, What Is Metaphysics?Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

In episode 23 of Overthink, Ellie, and David sit down with philosopher Dr. C. Thi Nguyen to discuss his work on games and gamification. They begin by their love for The Sims and the out-of-body experiences video games can trigger. From there, they get into the works of thinkers including  Ortega y Gasset, Nietzsche, Mill, Gadamer, discussing their theories on games and motivation. The trio also jumps into the function of games in community, how British and American drinking games differ, motivational states, Thi’s epic game nights, and more.Works Discussed:C. Thi Nguyen, Games: Agency as ArtRoger Callois, Man, Play and GamesHans-Georg Gadamer, Truth and MethodFriedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of TragedyJosé Ortega y Gasset, Meditations on HuntingGordon Burghardt, The Genesis of Animal PlayMatthew Broersma, “US Military Recruits Gamers To Fly Killer Drones”Support the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast

In episode 22 of Overthink, Ellie and David discuss the new Britney Spears documentary exposing her legal conservatorship. After bonding over their tween obsession with Britney, they dive into the laws around conservatorship and cultural narratives around mental health. The two argue that disability has been largely ignored in the conversation around Britney Spears, even though people with disabilities and the elderly are most affected by conservatorships. They show how  disability studies and feminist theories of care illuminate the conversation. Also mentioned: translating toxic to Spanish, early 2000's choreographed dances, Grace and Frankie, and more.Works Discussed: Aristotle, PoliticsErica F. Wood, State Level Adult Guardianship Data: An Exploratory SurveyGiorgio Agamben, State of ExceptionGrace and Frankie (TV series)Jan Baars, Aging and the Art of LivingJoe Coscarelli, What is a Conservatorship?John Locke, Two Treatises of Government Jonathan Blakeson, I Care a Lot (Film)Sara Luterman, The Darker Story Just Outside the Lens of “Framing Britney Spears”Seneca, On Old AgeSimone de Beauvoir, The Coming of AgeThe New York Times, Framing Britney Spears (Documentary)Thomas Hobbes, LeviathanSupport the showPatreon | patreon.com/overthinkpodcast Website | overthinkpodcast.comInstagram & Twitter | @overthink_podEmail | dearoverthink@gmail.comYouTube | Overthink podcast