The Dissenter

Cody Moser, a PhD candidate and Fletcher Jones Fellow at UC Merced, dives into fascinating topics about collective intelligence and cultural innovation. He unpacks how social networks influence the emergence of new ideas and the roles of diversity and inequality in innovation. Moser discusses the intricate dance between individual cognition and group dynamics, with insights from animal behavior and neural processes. He also highlights the process of cumulative cultural evolution and the unique aspects of infant communication, demonstrating how these concepts shape our social structures.

Agustín Fuentes, a Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University, explores the fascinating complexities of sex and gender. He discusses the evolution of sexual reproduction, challenging the binary view of male and female with concepts like isogamy and anisogamy. Fuentes emphasizes sex as a spectrum, highlighting the biological diversity among humans and other species. He also delves into the interplay of culture and biology in shaping gender identity, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of human diversity.

Join Mads Larsen, a postdoc researcher at the University of Oslo and author of 'Stories of Love from Vikings to Tinder,' as he dives into the complexities of modern dating. He discusses how evolving mating ideologies affect our societal structures and declining birth rates. With insights from history and literary analysis, Mads explores everything from courtly love to contemporary dating challenges. The conversation highlights the impacts of technology and cultural shifts on relationships, revealing how deeply intertwined love and society truly are.

Dr. Vlasta Sikimić, an Assistant Professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology, discusses the significance of cognitive diversity in scientific research. She explains how varied perspectives enhance creativity and promote robust inquiry. The conversation delves into the ethical implications of AI, emphasizing the need for transparency and fairness to mitigate biases. Sikimić advocates for inclusion in academia and calls for regulatory frameworks that prioritize human dignity. Her insights reveal the complex interplay between philosophy, ethics, and technological advancement.

Daniel Conroy-Beam, an Associate Professor of Psychology at UCSB, dives into the manosphere and its misuse of evolutionary psychology. He reveals how this online community distorts scientific research, promoting harmful claims about mating strategies. Conroy-Beam critiques their misinterpretation of key psychological concepts and highlights the irresponsible communications that fuel misogynistic beliefs. The conversation also emphasizes the ethical responsibilities of researchers to clarify their work's implications and protect against misleading narratives.

In this discussion, Alexander Thomas, a Senior Lecturer in Media Production at the University of East London and author of The Politics and Ethics of Transhumanism, explores the complexities of transhumanism. He tackles its historical roots, from Enlightenment thinkers to modern tech leaders, and the ethical dilemmas of enhancement. The conversation dives into the marriage of transhumanism and capitalism, highlighting potential elitism, and critiques issues like data totalitarianism and the implications of artificial intelligence on human agency. Thomas advocates for a more inclusive approach to technology.

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Karoline Wiesner, a Professor of Complexity Sciences at the University of Potsdam, dives into the world of complex systems. She explores the history of complexity science and its intersection with diverse fields like biology and economics. Listeners will be intrigued by the self-organizing behaviors in ant colonies and the emergent properties of economies. The conversation further delves into how complexity science relates to consciousness and offers insights on tackling global challenges, making it a thought-provoking listen!

Susie Gronski, a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and sexuality counselor, sheds light on crucial aspects of men's sexual health. The conversation tackles erectile dysfunction, linking it to overall health and societal stigma. Gronski discusses premature ejaculation and the importance of communication for a fulfilling sexual experience. She also addresses common anxieties about penis size and emphasizes self-acceptance. The discussion highlights how pelvic pain affects intimacy, promoting a holistic approach to treatment and education.

John Odling-Smee, Emeritus Research Fellow at Oxford and author of 'Niche Construction', dives into how life shapes its own evolution. He discusses the pivotal role of niche construction in ecology, highlighting how organisms like birds and their behaviors mold their environments. The conversation challenges traditional evolutionary views, incorporating concepts like adaptive know-how and even cultural evolution's impact on genetics. From thermodynamics to ecosystem dynamics, Odling-Smee offers a fresh perspective on the interconnectedness of life and its surroundings.

******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9mPayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Joshua Glasgow is Professor in (and Chair of) the Philosophy Department at Sonoma State University. Dr. Glasgow works on a variety of topics in moral, political, and legal philosophy.  His publications have covered a variety of issues concerning ethics, the good life, race and racism, language, law, mind, and more. His latest book is The Significance Impulse: On the Unimportance of Our Cosmic Unimportance. In this episode, we focus on The Significance Impulse. We discuss what the “significance impulse” is, and what it means for something to be important or ordinary. We talk about nihilism, pessimism, and absurdism. We discuss how most achievements are collective and not individual, fame and wealth, and whether it is possible to be remembered forever. We talk about whether the lives of important people are better than ordinary lives. Finally, we discuss things that are “worthwhile in themselves”, what makes life meaningful, how our unimportance relieves us of anxiety, and how to avoid mediocrity.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, FILIP FORS CONNOLLY, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, EDWARD HALL, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, GEORGE CHORIATIS, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航 豊川, TONY BARRETT, BENJAMIN GELBART, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, AND ROBINROSWELL!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, AND PER KRAULIS!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!