The Giants Shoulder

Gualtiero Piccinini is a philosopher and consciousness researcher whose work is reshaping how we understand our own inner lives.Using descriptive experience sampling — a method pioneered by Dr. Russell Hurlburt — he has uncovered startling truths about the mind. A random beep interrupts your day (or even your sleep), forcing you to capture what was happening in your awareness just moments before. The results reveal that our intuitions about our own inner voice, imagery, and thoughts are often wrong.Expect to learn why many people never inner speak at all, why we don’t have a single “stream of consciousness” but multiple spotlights of awareness, how sleep may contain surprising fragments of consciousness outside of dreams, why your memory of your own experience is far less reliable than you think, how aphantasia challenges our understanding of mental imagery, why inner speech and thought are not the same thing, and how careful first-person science could unlock the mystery of consciousness itself.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:20 Exploring Consciousness During Sleep06:10 The Nature of Thoughts in Sleep09:15 Descriptive Experience Sampling Methodology12:22 Consciousness Beyond Dreams15:13 The Spectrum of Consciousness18:12 Awareness and Thought Patterns21:19 Creative Insights from Sleep24:12 The Complexity of Inner Experience26:52 Multiple Streams of Consciousness34:06 Understanding Short-Term Memory and Consciousness36:12 The Distributed Nature of Consciousness39:53 Inner Speech vs. Unsymbolized Thoughts43:02 Defining Inner Speech and Thinking49:10 Aphantasia and Inner Experience52:46 Object Recognition and Mental Imagery62:01 The Future of Inner Experience Research01:04:45 The Evolution of Psychological Science01:06:20 Exploring Aphantasia and Visualization01:09:57 Cognitive Differences and Aphantasia01:14:01 Development of Inner Experience01:22:09 Future Directions in Inner Experience Research...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

Dr. Anna Ciaunica is a philosopher and cognitive scientist, Principal Investigator at the University of Lisbon’s Centre for Philosophy of Science and Research Associate at UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. She leads INTERSELF, a project on how interactions with humans and artificial agents reshape our self-model, and collaborates with Michael Levin on “From Cells to Selves.”Consciousness isn’t just in your head—**biology is cognition the whole way down**. From co-embodiment in the womb to the immune system’s quiet influence on mood and meaning, Anna reframes mind as a body-wide process and the self as something we enact with our nerves, guts, skin and others.Expect to learn why the “self” may begin before birth, how co-embodiment and maternal–fetal synchrony shape first-person experience, why “the brain is not mental” reframes cognition as a cell-level, body-wide system, how depersonalisation differs from psychedelic ego dissolution, how interoception and precision weighting tune the felt boundary between “me” and “not-me,” why inflammation and sickness behaviour can alter mood, agency and reality-feel, what a Markov blanket is in human terms, how avatars, robots and social media recalibrate the self, whether single cells display proto-cognition and what neurons uniquely add, how to build a minimum viable self in AI (body, homeostasis, immune-like error correction and development), practical ways to stay embodied in a digital world, what this lens means for therapy (vagus, gut–brain, immune), and much more…Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:50 Cognition and Biological Systems08:36 The Evolution of Intelligence15:50 Challenging Traditional Definitions29:08 The Ingredients of Cognition39:53 The Balance of Inner and Outer Worlds51:42 The Development of Self-Awareness56:57 Sickness Behavior and Disconnection from Self01:03:17 The Cell's Plan for Survival01:09:33 The Nature of Self-Organizing Systems01:16:44 Collective Intelligence and Self-Preservation01:22:15 Conscious AI: The Quest for Understanding01:33:53 The Developmental Turn in Understanding Human Mind…Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

In this engaging conversation, Adam Safron, a cognitive neuroscientist and former research fellow at Johns Hopkins, dives into the intricate connections between consciousness, psychedelics, and the Free Energy Principle. He explains how psychedelics can alter our high-level assumptions, offering insights into personal transformation. Adam discusses the role of brain rhythms in unity of experience and shares fascinating DMT encounters that challenge beliefs. Expect to explore the effects of psychedelics on synaptogenesis, compassion in therapy, and the nature of ultimate reality!

Philip Ball is one of the world’s most brilliant science writers and the author of over 30 books, including How Life Works, The Book of Minds, and Beyond Weird — a radical rethinking of quantum mechanics that has become a modern classic.A former editor at Nature, Philip has spent decades translating the frontiers of biology, physics, and consciousness into ideas that challenge our deepest intuitions about life, mind, and reality.Expect to learn how quantum mechanics might shape the behavior of living systems, why genes are not blueprints and biology isn’t a machine, how brain organoids are raising ethical and philosophical dilemmas, what quantum biology really means, why the brain isn’t just a prediction engine, how science misunderstands minds (including alien and artificial ones), what makes consciousness so slippery, and how the stories we tell about science shape what we believe is real — and what we believe is possible.Timestamps:03:40 The Prolific Writer: Philip Ball's Journey 06:29 The Art of Science Communication 09:36 The Process of Writing: From Research to Publication 12:33 Exploring Quantum Mechanics: A New Perspective 15:49 Understanding Quantum Features: Superposition and Entanglement 18:31 Quantum Computing: The Role of Observation 21:46 The Nature of Information in Quantum Mechanics 40:38 The Nature of Information in Quantum Particles 42:40 Exploring Quantum Biology 49:36 Quantum Effects in Consciousness 56:18 Defining Minds and Consciousness 01:01:46 Agency and Cognition in Living Beings 01:14:59 Evolution of Cognition and Mindedness 01:17:33 Understanding Agency Across Species 01:20:40 The Concept of Umwelt and Perception 01:25:11 The Future of Biotech and Consciousness 01:31:43 Ethics of Brain Organoids and Consciousness 01:42:23 The Controversy of Genetic Manipulation 01:44:59 The Complexity of Genetic Screening 01:51:59 Navigating Genetic Research and Regulation 02:07:49 The Future of Biology and Genetic Understanding ...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGHow Life Works: A User’s Guide to the New Biology: https://amzn.to/4lPLyaGBeyond Weird: Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different: https://amzn.to/4lOS3uAThe Book of Minds: How to Understand Ourselves and Other Beings, from Animals to AI to Aliens: https://amzn.to/4oVTMAZ…Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

Jon Perry is a science animator and educator, creator of Stated Clearly — the YouTube channel that turns messy biology into crisp, visual explanations, with more than fifty million views and a devoted audience of curious skeptics.StatedClearly Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@StatedClearlyJon’s mission is simple and radical: fix our definitions. When we call cells “intelligent,” or label xenobots “robots,” we smuggle minds into places they don’t belong. From a slime-mold maze rebuilt with LEGO and gravity to de-extinction hype and NASA’s search for life, Jon shows how precise language changes the experiments we run, the technologies we build, and the stories we tell about nature.Jon's original slime mold video: https://youtu.be/2Thytf95wGU?si=_K1YDwL8TbrF4YQ8Expect to learn why slime-mold “maze solving” might not be evidence of cognition, how simple physics can mimic problem-solving, the crucial difference between adaptation, learning, and intelligence, why some definitions would make tap water look smart, how to test for learning without minds, what xenobots really are (and aren’t), why “de-extinction” is mostly marketing, how NASA’s definition of life misled search strategies, how operational definitions steer funding and ethics, and how getting the words right can reboot entire fields of biology....Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction02:30 Michael Levin Slime Mold Debate05:20 Intelligence vs. Instinct08:20 The Role of Language in Science11:12 Rethinking Intelligence as a Spectrum14:05 Xenobots and Anthrobots: A New Frontier17:25 Defining Life: The Challenge of Boundaries20:10 Observational Science vs. Hypothesis Testing39:59 Exploring Bioelectricity and Cell Behavior43:49 The Impact of Michael Levin's Research48:34 Understanding Gene Expression in Cells55:51 The Emergence of Adaptive Behaviors in Cells01:03:17 Ethical Considerations in Synthetic Life01:03:48 The Controversy of De-Extinction and Colossal Biosciences01:10:16 The Science of De-Extinction01:13:03 Genetic Editing and Its Implications01:18:58 The Marketing of De-Extinction01:24:55 The Reality of Recreating Extinct Species01:30:39 Future of Genetic Research and Funding01:35:48 Funding Science: Challenges and Opportunities01:45:27 The Future of Gene Editing and Ethical Considerations...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits:https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

In this enlightening discussion, David Papineau, a philosopher of mind from King’s College London, challenges traditional notions of consciousness. He argues that consciousness is not a mystical entity but a product of brain processes. Papineau critiques the hard problem of consciousness as a conceptual trap and discusses its implications for ethics and AI. He explores the consciousness of various life forms and whether AI could ever truly care. Expect a provocative debate that reshapes our understanding of what it means to be conscious.

Get 10% off your Genetics Test and screen for over 2000+ conditions (Use Code EVAN10): https://nucleusgenomics.sjv.io/LKE9EaDr. Robert Plomin is one of the world’s leading behavioural geneticists and the author of Blueprint, a game-changing book that argues your DNA isn’t just important — it’s the blueprint of who you are.Plomin’s groundbreaking twin studies revealed that nearly every psychological trait — from intelligence and personality to mental illness and addiction — is significantly heritable. Now, he’s at the forefront of a new revolution: polygenic scores that can predict your future from birth… or even before.Expect to learn how polygenic scores are reshaping psychology and medicine, what your genome can reveal about your intelligence, mental health, and personality, why traditional ideas about nurture are collapsing, the shocking truth about educational inequality, how gene editing and embryo selection are becoming real-world tools, what role companies like Orchid play in designing future generations, why Elon Musk might be building babies in Gattaca labs, and whether free will can survive in a world where your genes know you better than you know yourself....Timestamps: 00:00 Intro3:00 Introduction to Nucleus Genomics and Genetic Testing9:06 In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Screening14:52 The Role of Polygenic Scores in Decision Making20:47 Screening for Monogenic Disorders26:49 The Transition from SNP Chips to Whole Genome Sequencing33:37 The Evolution of Genetic Testing39:50 Navigating Parental Choices in IVF45:55 Probabilistic Nature of Genetic Traits53:54 The Future of Genetic Predictions1:02:17 Capitalism and Ethical Dilemmas in Gene Editing1:07:25 Gene Editing: Possibilities and Concerns1:14:05 CRISPR Babies and Ethical Boundaries1:22:26 Recreational Drugs and Genetic Insights1:30:49 Neurodivergence and Genetic Selection1:36:16 Exploring the Low End of Polygenic Scores1:41:39 AI's Role in Genetics1:48:30 Understanding Genetic Risks and Carrier Genes1:54:32 The Intersection of Genetics and Athleticism2:04:59 Genetic Diversity and Predictive Power2:14:50 Understanding Non-Shared Environment2:22:37 The Impact of Randomness in Life2:34:40 Concluding Thoughts on Genetics and Environment...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

Dr. Ryota Kanai is a neuroscientist, AI entrepreneur, and CEO of Araya—lead investigator in Japan’s Moonshot to free humans from the limits of body and brain by 2050. He’s a pioneer of non-invasive brain–machine interfaces, the Internet of Brains, and architectures aimed at conscious AI, and he’s the author of Will AI Become Conscious?.Consciousness, he argues, isn’t magic—it’s the brain’s internal simulation engine. Kanai is turning that insight into technology: thought-controlled cybernetic avatars, emotion-aware robots that sense and respond to our feelings, and mind-to-mind links that could transform how we communicate, learn, and work.Expect to learn why the brain is a prediction machine and what that means for building conscious AI, how non-invasive BMIs already decode intent and where the big breakthroughs must come from, what the Internet of Brains actually enables beyond faster chat, whether “skill upload” is science or sci-fi, why cybernetic avatars might change jobs before they change bodies, how emotion robots read human states (and how not to be fooled by them), the simplest way to grasp the global workspace and free-energy ideas, how to test for machine consciousness without a Turing Test, what neurorights and “neural firewalls” should protect, the cultural differences shaping neurotech in Japan vs. the West, the milestones to 2030/2050, and much more…Timestamps: 00:00 Intro03:05 The Moonshot Goal: Liberating Humanity06:00 Understanding Brain-Machine Interfaces09:00 The Future of Thought Decoding12:01 Envisioning 2050: A Technological Landscape14:55 Connecting Brains to AI: Implications and Possibilities17:52 The Ethics of Neural Technology20:38 Adoption and Acceptance of Neural Implants23:46 Medical Applications vs. Augmentation26:46 The Future of Memory Augmentation29:54 Exploring Personality Modification32:45 Long-term Safety and Efficacy of Neural Implants35:38 General Purpose Neural Implants38:28 The Quest for Consciousness in Neural Technology47:47 Decoding Multimodal Information49:36 The Concept of the Internet of Brains51:50 Exploring Brain-to-Brain Communication54:18 Philosophical Implications of Consciousness55:21 Navigating Intrusive Thoughts in Communication56:42 Consumer Applications of Brain-Computer Interfaces58:30 Entertainment and Gaming in Brain-Computer Interfaces01:02:22 Potential of Non-Invasive EEG Devices01:04:18 Conscious AI: The Future of Machine Awareness01:10:05 Integrating Consciousness Research into AI01:18:09 Mathematical Definitions of Consciousness01:22:07 The Geometry of Experience and Consciousness01:27:51 Exciting Future Technologies in Brain-Computer Interfaces...Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

Professor Adam Zeman is a Neurologist at the University of Exeter and the scientist who coined the term aphantasia — the “blind mind’s eye” — after a patient suddenly lost the ability to visualize following heart surgery.Since then, he has led the global investigation into why some minds picture nothing while others see in IMAX 8K, uncovering what this hidden spectrum of imagination reveals about memory, dreams, emotion, creativity, and even consciousness itself. He is also the author of Consciousness: A User’s Guide, A Portrait of the Brain, and The Shape of Things Unseen.Expect to learn why up to 5% of people can’t form mental images, how hyperphantasia floods the mind with cinema-like detail, why imagination is our brain’s “default mode,” how differences in the mind’s eye shape autobiographical memory and emotional vividness, why aphantasics still dream in pictures, what hallucinations and delusions reveal about the creative brain, how imagination connects to empathy and storytelling, the cultural impact of naming aphantasia, and much more…Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:25 The Birth of Aphantasia05:32 The Journey to Recognition10:08 Understanding Aphantasia's Prevalence12:44 The Implications of Labeling14:33 The Complexity of Imagery18:10 Variability in Inner Experience22:31 Acquired vs. Congenital Aphantasia29:54 Neural Mechanisms of Aphantasia30:44 Spectrum of Aphantasia33:02 Exploring the Genetic Basis of Aphantasia37:31 Developmental Insights into Aphantasia42:13 The Complexity of Mental Imagery49:10 The Co-evolution of Perception and Imagery52:16 Potential Benefits of Aphantasia57:29 The Trainability of Visualization Skills01:02:48 The Nature of Memory and Imagination01:06:07 Aphantasia and Autobiographical Memory01:08:48 Emotional Memory and Aphantasia01:12:42 Aphantasia in Therapy and Education01:18:05 Aphantasia and Consciousness01:23:39 Future Directions in Aphantasia Research...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Shape of Things Unseen: A New Science of Imagination …Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249

Alex Hutchinson is a physicist, elite endurance athlete, and author of Endure — one of the most widely respected books on the science of human performance ever written.Fatigue isn’t a failure of the body — it’s a protective illusion cast by the brain. And Alex has spent the last decade exposing the hidden limits that shape our endurance, our suffering, and our potential.Expect to learn why the brain — not the muscles — is the true governor of performance, how pain, thirst, heat, and oxygen deprivation are all perceptions, how world-record freedivers trick their brains into ignoring suffocation, why some athletes can lift cars in moments of hysterical strength, how the brain decides when you’re “done,” how brain zapping may change the future of sport, why elite performers can override mental fatigue, what separates champions from mortals, and why exploration might be the final expression of the endurance instinct.Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:25 The Fascination with Endurance Feats 05:15 Faith Kipyegon's Four-Minute Mile Attempt 08:21 The Role of Pacers and Aerodynamics 11:19 Nike's Innovations in Performance 14:26 Mental Strategies in Endurance Racing 17:09 Personal Stories of Overcoming Limits 30:00 The Unheard of Improvement in Running 31:26 The Role of Perception in Performance 33:12 Breaking Mental Barriers in Running 35:30 The Pressure of Expectations in Competition 38:32 The Champion Mentality: Rising to the Occasion 40:13 The Inner Game of Tennis and Performance Psychology 44:11 The Mystique of Race Day Energy 52:58 Understanding the Central Governor Theory 56:35 The Controversy of Fatigue Perception 01:03:31 Reframing Feelings for Better Performance 01:05:00 Understanding Fatigue Through Predictive Frameworks 01:10:26 The Role of Wearables in Running Performance 01:18:29 Diane Van Deren: Running Without Time Constraints 01:26:10 The Impact of Inner Monologue on Endurance Performance 01:34:01 Exploring the Spectrum of Visualization 01:36:41 Understanding the Central Governor Theory 01:41:18 The Concept of Brain Training in Endurance 01:51:26 Ethics and the Future of Enhanced Sports ...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGEndure: Mind Body & Curiously Elastic: https://amzn.to/47dMLFeThe Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map: https://amzn.to/4mMHaur…Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249