
Jack Roycroft-Sherry
I'm Jack, an Economics and Data Science student in the beautiful town of Nottingham, England. Stick around if you like hearing from cognitive scientists, psychologists, economists and philosophers.
Latest episodes

Mar 4, 2025 • 1h 4min
Technology, Fallen Angels & American Civilization - Cormac Jones
Cormac Jones is the lead editor of the Symbolic World.The Fallen Angels in ancient Christian tradition are angels who rebelled against God, turning creation against Him. Could humanity today be following in their footsteps?In this podcast, we explore the fall of the angels, the fall of man in the Garden, the modern worship of intellectual knowledge and power, humanism and transhumanism, nature worship, the proper role of technology in the world, and more…00:00 Rebellion of the Spirits in Christian Tradition01:56 America like the Greek Gods 07:10 Fall of Angels vs Fall of Man11:39 Humans Same Patterns as the Angels17:43 Passions, Sin & The Fall20:38 How Did The Angels Fall?25:40 The Fall, Technology & Progress 33:08 Why Desire Excess Knowledge?38:50 Science, Desire, and Humanism42:00 Humanism and the Antichrist44:21 Eschatological Restoration and Hierarchies46:56 The Role of Knowledge and Repentance01:00:21 Patterns in the Iliad and Modern SocietyFind Cormac: -on the Illiad: https://cormacjones.substack.com/p/homer-is-an-octavist-the-iliad-916-on Angels: https://cormacjones.substack.com/p/that-angels-cant-of-themselves-know-on American Power: https://cormacjones.substack.com/p/in-a-world-where-twin-peaks-exists-Substack: https://cormacjones.substack.com/

Feb 28, 2025 • 58min
Purpose in Biology and Beyond - Gunnar Babcock
Gunnar Babcock is a philosopher of science.Science has pushed out purpose, dismissing it as unscientific because it requires positing some strange vital force driving entities. But what if there were a way to think of purpose (teleology) scientifically, naturalizing it in biology and beyond?In this podcast, expect to learn about how purpose was pushed out of science, the role of purpose in biology, how even "inanimate" entities could be thought of as having purpose, reductionism in science, teleological fields at planetary and galactic scales, and more...Chapters00:00 – Purpose and Teleology in Science03:15 – Historical Perspectives on Purpose in Biology06:29 – Teleonomy vs. Teleology: Understanding Biological Programs09:42 – Defining Purpose: Insights from Aristotle to Modern Theories14:32 – A Spectrum of Purpose: Beyond Biological Systems19:55 – Field Theory: External Influences on Goal-Directed Behavior26:30 – Nested Hierarchies: Complexity in Organisms and Purpose27:51 – Mechanistic vs. Higher-Level Causation30:15 – Exploring Fields of Influence33:56 – The Role of External Fields in Human Behavior37:59 – Situationalism and Predictability in Human Actions40:41 – Causal Forces: Natural Selection and Economic Fields43:29 – Reductionism vs. Anti-Reductionism in Science47:29 – The Mind, Memory, and Non-Locality54:38 – Future Directions in Ethics and CosmologyFind Gunnar:-https://gunnarbabcock.wordpress.com/-https://philpeople.org/profiles/gunnar-babcock

Feb 25, 2025 • 1h 6min
Will AI Ever Be Human? - D.C. Shindler
D.C. Schindler is a philosopher.What is our ultimate goal in creating AI? The Bible tells us that humans are made in the image of God. What, then, is AI supposed to be?In this podcast, we explore whether "artificial" intelligence is truly possible, the true nature of consciousness, the role of spirit and Platonic forms in life and intelligence, the ethics of creating artificial life, the impact of technology in the modern world, and more...Timestamps:00:00 Recent AI Developments02:23 Human Intelligence vs. AI05:50 The Complexity of Consciousness09:08 The Interplay of Spirit and Body12:09 The Role of Technology in Human Existence15:03 The Ethics of Creating Life17:58 The Drive Behind Technological Advancement20:54 The Relationship Between Science and Technology24:02 The Nature of Truth and Knowledge26:55 The Connection Between Truth and the Good33:17 The Nature of Motivation and Learning34:47 Curiosity and Wonder in Learning36:49 The Limitations of Predictive Programming39:49 The Role of Presentation in Problem Solving42:02 The Value of Context in Economics45:32 The Implications of AI on Human Relationships49:19 Suffering and Learning in AI Development52:29 The Quest for Meaning in AI Creation56:12 The Nature of Knowledge and Truth01:01:46 The Dangers of Knowledge and AgencyFind DC Shindler:https://www.johnpaulii.edu/academics/faculty/d-c-schindler/

Feb 18, 2025 • 46min
AI, Philosophy, Climate Change & Bitcoin - Tyler Cowen
Tyler Cowen is an economist.The future is rapidly changing with the rise of artificial intelligence, emerging technologies like Bitcoin, and global challenges such as climate change. How should we think about the future of civilization in this light?In this podcast, we discuss AI’s role in human work, its impact on economic growth, how to gauge climate change and existential threats, the significance of Bitcoin, whether markets are truly efficient, marijuana legalization, and more...Chapters00:00 AI's Impact on Economics02:58 The Future of AI and Human Collaboration05:56 Limits of AI in Various Fields08:53 Economic Growth and AI's Role11:54 Climate Change and Economic Models15:02 The State of Economic Theory17:55 Education and the Value of Economics21:00 The Evolution of Economic Thought25:20 Exploring Austrian Economics26:50 The Future of Bitcoin and Private Monies29:10 Monetary Policy in a Crypto World30:37 Efficient Market Hypothesis: A Critical Look32:27 Changing Opinions on Economic Bubbles34:13 Understanding the Great Financial Crisis35:55 Climate Change: Evolving Perspectives37:20 Existential Risks and Global Collaboration38:19 Degrowth: A Controversial Economic Approach39:15 Underrated Economists and Their Contributions41:06 The Role of History in Economics44:42 Marijuana Legalization: A Pragmatic ViewFind Tyler:-Ask ChatGPT-His Renowned Blog: https://marginalrevolution.com/

Feb 8, 2025 • 1h 32min
Bitcoin, Financial Crises, & The Future of Money - Joshua Hendrickson (EP 78)
Joshua Hendrickson is an economist specializing in monetary economics, price theory, and Bitcoin.Bitcoin is a novel invention that seemingly emerged out of nowhere. What does economic theory say about Bitcoin—what it does, what problems it solves, and what its future might look like?In this podcast, we discuss how Bitcoin acts as digital cash, the theoretical challenge of private money and how Bitcoin addresses it, the gold standard, the Great Depression, the Great Financial Crisis, and more...Find Josh on Substack:🔗 Economic Forces: https://www.economicforces.xyz/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=substack_profileTimestamps: 00:00 Bitcoin in Academia05:55 Digital Cash11:54 Bitcoin's Role as Money18:12 Central Banks and the Last-Period Problem24:04 The Role of Central Banks in Monetary Policy29:46 The Future of Money and Bitcoin's Place47:17 Understanding Deflation: Types and Impacts55:42 The Great Depression: Policy-Induced Deflation and Its Consequences01:01:00 The Role of the Gold Standard in Economic Recovery01:06:18 The Evolution of Monetary Systems: From Gold to Treasuries01:17:17 Bitcoin: A New Paradigm in Monetary Policy01:25:06 Business Cycles: Natural Fluctuations vs. Policy-Induced Recessions

Feb 4, 2025 • 42min
A New Philosophy of Ultimate Reality - James Filler
James Filler is a philosopher.
Modernity often assumes that the fundamental basis of reality is a
substance—such as atoms or quantum foam—some "thing" at the bottom. But
what if we didn't need to assume this? What if, instead, the essential
foundation was the relations between things themselves?
This podcast explores a relational metaphysical worldview, shifting away
from Descartes' substance-based perspective. Learn why this approach
works, how we became stuck in a substance-based view of the world, the
significance of relationality and the Trinity in Christianity, and how
this perspective can enrich meaning and relationships in the modern
world.
00:00 Can We Know What's Really True?
03:02 Substance Metaphysics and Its Implications
05:50 The Role of Neoplatonism
09:04 Understanding Pure Relation
12:12 The Trinity as Relational Metaphysics
15:00 Modern Philosophical Perspectives
17:58 Cultural Implications of Metaphysical Views
21:09 The Importance of Dialogue
23:49 The Intersection of God and Relational Metaphysics
26:57 Future Directions in Philosophical Inquiry
Find James:
📖 His Book – Heidegger, Neoplatonism, and the History of Being: Relation as Ontological Ground
Timestamps:

Feb 4, 2025 • 59min
Spiritual Overwhelment in the Age of Rational Science - Jason Josephson Storm
Jason Ānanda Josephson Storm is a philosopher.
We often assume that in our modern world, we have transcended
superstition, irrationalism, and magical belief. However, as religion
has declined in contemporary society, it has not been replaced by pure
rationality but rather by new spiritual and magical beliefs.
In this podcast, expect to learn whether belief in magic ever truly
disappeared, how the decline of religion has coincided with the
proliferation of alternative spiritual beliefs, the origins of science
and its engagement with the unexplained, the division between the
natural and the supernatural, whether "modernity" is a meaningful
concept, and more...
Timestamps:
00:00 The Rise of Belief in Magic
13:03 Secularization and the Fragmentation of Belief
26:00 Nature, Culture, and the Supernatural Dichotomy
29:52 Exploring the Preternatural and Its Impact on Science
34:49 The Evolution of Scientific Thought and Its Limitations
39:45 The Nature of Science: Processes and Presuppositions
46:17 Modernity: A Complex and Multifaceted Concept
51:46 Navigating the Future: Challenges and Opportunities

Jan 30, 2025 • 54min
How Does the Brain Produce Consciousness? - James Mac Shine
James MacShine is a computational neuroscientist.
Consciousness is one of the most challenging problems in neuroscience.
What new research is being conducted using the latest computational
techniques to understand the role of consciousness in the brain?
We explore: the scientific challenges of determining what causes
consciousness, the distinction between consciousness and unconscious
cognition, the neuroscience of consciousness from the neural to the
brain-wide level, the possibility of consciousness in AI, and more...
Timestamps:
00:00 Exploring Consciousness: A Computational Neuroscience Perspective
12:56 The Role of Anesthetics in Understanding Consciousness
25:59 Modeling Consciousness: Insights from Computational Neuroscience
29:18 Bridging Animal and Human Neuroscience
34:15 Understanding Brain Function at Different Scales
39:10 The Complexity of Consciousness and Agency
44:30 AI, LLMs, and the Question of Consciousness
Find Mac Shine:
-Personal Website: https://macshine.github.io/
-Mac's Lab: https://shine-lab.org/people/

Jan 27, 2025 • 1h 33min
Mythology, Technology & The Cult of AI - Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall is a writer and thinker focusing on civilizations and
technology.
Why are we creating AI, and to what end? How does this connect to our
intellectualism that dismisses deep myths, failing education systems,
and our increasing disconnection from one another?
In this podcast, we explore: the relationship between science and
mythology, our culture's obsession with AI, the sacrifice of our
children to AI and technology, the values that should guide
civilization, and more...
Timestamps:
00:00 Jordan Post-Hurricane
06:25 Reflecting on Conversations with Pageau and Vervaeke
11:27 The Dawkins-Peterson Conversation
19:52 Religion & Culture
26:32 Science & Values
31:32 The AI Moloch Cult
35:32 How Sacrifice Works
39:11 Proper vs. Improper Sacrifices
43:45 Real vs. Simulated Thinking
56:46 Reorienting Values in the Age of AI
1:04:00 The Future of Human Consciousness and AI
1:07:29 Debating Religion: Utility vs. Experience
1:10:50 Dialogos: Beyond Debate and Dialogue
1:15:30 The Nature of Religion and Christ
1:20:12 Worship and the Golden Calf
1:25:06 Abundance vs. Scarcity
Previous Conversations with Jordan:
https://youtu.be/AUqfSR9wCCI
https://youtu.be/4LB3jN61kDc

Jan 11, 2025 • 43min
Can Science Exist Without Religion? - Peter Harrison
Peter Harrison is a philosopher.
Science is often seen as a way to understand the natural world, separate
from the "supernatural." But does this divide make any sense?
In this podcast, expect to learn about the recent origins of
supernatural-natural divide, whether science can exist without religion,
the historical roots of science in religious thought, how early
pioneers of science like Newton were not trying to explain away God, and
whether science has the capacity to fully explain everything.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 The Supernatural vs The Natural
04:58 What Makes Science Work?
08:15 Where Do Nature's Laws Come From?
14:05 Science Severed From Philosophy
20:23 Could Science Ever Explain Everything?
27:13 Why Did Science Start in the West?
33:06 Faith in Science
Find Peter Harrison:
-Webpage: https://philpeople.org/profiles/peter-duncan-harrison
- 2024 Book: "Some New World: Myths of Supernatural Belief in a Secular Age"