CogNation

This episode is dedicated to the memory of colleague and friend Grace Baron.Joe and Rolf talk to Dr. Matthew Goodwin, a professor at Northeastern University whose research focus is on autism. His most recent paper used biosensing (heart rate, skin conductance, etc.) to predict aggressive behavior in profound autistic individuals up to three minutes before the event. 

Joe and Rolf discuss the ideas of perceptual psychologist Donald Hoffman, who has argued that our perceptual systems have no access to reality, since evolution is driven by fitness functions, not objective truth. He has also argued that our perception is a user interface (like a desktop on a computer, or a VR headset), and that objects such as the moon don't exist when we are not apprehending them.  Hoffman, Donald. The case against reality: Why evolution hid the truth from our eyes. WW Norton & Company, 2019.Bagwell, J. N. (2023). Debunking interface theory: why Hoffman’s skepticism (really) is self-defeating. Synthese, 201(1), 25.

Neil Markey, CEO of Beckley Retreats, discusses his military background, meditation, and the future of psychedelics. Topics covered include preparing for guided retreats, integrating experiences, and enhancing quality of life. They also explore the significance of nature and music in psychedelic journeys, as well as the flaws of the Western medical system.

In this discussion, Felipe De Brigard, a philosophy and psychology professor at Duke University, critiques Integrated Information Theory (IIT) as pseudoscience. He delves into the complexities of consciousness and the shortcomings of existing computational theories in neuroscience. The conversation also covers the roles of glial cells and the challenges of scientific validation in consciousness research. De Brigard reflects on the evolving understanding of consciousness and introduces thought-provoking insights on memory, forgiveness, and their implications in real-world contexts.

Psychedelic researcher Robin Carhart-Harris discusses the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics and their impact on the unconscious mind. They explore the debate between neurorealism and the cognitive fallacy, blinding integrity in psychedelic trials, and the relationship between potential information and complexity theory. The podcast also delves into the psychedelic experience, insights gained from psychedelic trips, the potential of video therapy, harm reduction education, and ongoing projects in psychedelic research.

Joe and Rolf discuss new work in neural interfaces that is helping paralyzed individuals communicate. Based on the recent Nature article: Metzger, S. L., Littlejohn, K. T., Silva, A. B., Moses, D. A., Seaton, M. P., Wang, R., ... & Chang, E. F. (2023). A high-performance neuroprosthesis for speech decoding and avatar control. Nature, 1-10.

Rolf and Joe discuss two philosophical theories of the self, Bundle Theory and Ego Theory, based on a paper by Derek Parfit. They return to the topic of the teletransporter, and although Joe is happy to go through the teletransporter, Rolf is convinced it means certain death. Parfit, D. (2016). Divided minds and the nature of persons. Science Fiction and Philosophy: From Time Travel to Superintelligence, 91-98.

In this episode, CogNation goes to the Psychedelic Science conference in Denver to get in on all the excitement. We present four interviews from the conference that represent a range of ideas about the resurgent interest in psychedelics as therapeutics. Bekely Waves The East Institute Balasz Szigeti Manoj Doss

Everyone has a set of beliefs. Increasingly, it seems like we wonder how so many people can hold opposite or contradictory beliefs -- puzzling if we think there's an objective reality. We have a great conversation with Mark Solomon, a clinical psychologist and the host of the Being Reasonable podcast, about Street Epistemology, a conversational method of probing why we believe what we believe. https://www.beingreasonableshow.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@BeingReasonableSpecial Guest: Mark Solomon.

Manesh Girn talks to us about the effects of psychedelics on the brain, based on his recent paper, "A complex systems perspective on psychedelic brain action". We discuss the current state of psychedelics as therapeutics, and how information theory can model changes in brain states that result from taking psychedelics.Special Guest: Manesh Girn.