

Mind Matters
Discovery Institute Center on Natural and Artificial Intelligence
On the Mind Matters podcast, Discovery Institute’s Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence considers the implications and misconceptions, the opportunities and limitations, and the applications and challenges presented by intelligent agents and their algorithms. Episode notes and archives available at mindmatters.ai/podcast.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 31, 2022 • 59min
EMPS, Swarms and Other Types of Terrifying Technology
Can you survive without your devices? Dr. Robert Marks and Sarah Seguin talk about the dangers to our electrical infrastructure stemming from modern technology. They also discuss various ways people can protect themselves during an EMP attack or another similar event. Show Notes 00:55 | Introduction 01:57 | Electromagnetic Capability 04:28 | Defining EMPs 05:35 | The Physics behind EMPs 08:00 Read More ›
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Mar 24, 2022 • 14min
Hinduism and the Beginning of the Universe
Does the universe have a beginning, or is it eternal? Are the creation stories found in Hinduism meant to be taken literally, or are their texts meant to be understood another way? Dr. Michael Egnor and Arjuna Gallagher discuss these issues and much more as they explore Hinduism’s understanding of the creation of the universe. Show Notes 00:05 | Introducing Read More ›
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Mar 17, 2022 • 19min
Hinduism, Metaphysics, and Free Will
Dr. Michael Egnor and Arjuna Gallagher discuss Hinduism’s unique perspective regarding subjects such as metaphysics, evil, and free will. Their conversation also addresses the question of whether or not reincarnation requires the existence of a personal creator to serve as the source for morality. Show Notes 00:07 | Introducing Arjuna Gallagher 01:32 | Evolutionary Explanations for the Human Mind 04:24 Read More ›
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Mar 10, 2022 • 26min
Hinduism, Reincarnation, and the Mind-Body Problem
Arjuna Gallagher is the host of the YouTube Channel called Theology Unleashed and a Hindu. He discusses Hinduism, reincarnation, karma, and other religious subjects as they pertain to the relationship between the mind and the body with Michael Egnor. Show Notes 00:05 | Introducing Arjuna Gallagher 01:33 | What is Hinduism? 03:03 | Central Themes of Hinduism 04:09 | Is Read More ›
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Mar 3, 2022 • 46min
What Does It Mean to Be Human in an Age of Artificial Intelligence?
What makes mankind special? And what does it mean to flourish on the frontier of a technological future? Robert J. Marks discusses new technology, what artificial intelligence can and can’t do, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence with Gretchen Huizinga. This interview was originally published by the Beatrice Institute and is repeated here with their permission. Show Notes 01:32 Read More ›
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Feb 24, 2022 • 1h 21min
Discussing Consciousness and the Mind-Body Problem
What does it even mean to be aware of something, to be conscious? Why do the vast majority of people only have one consciousness? Will computers ever experience consciousness? On this Bingecast, Dr. Robert J. Marks and Dr. Angus Menuge discuss these questions and more. Show Notes 00:01:36 | Introducing Dr. Angus Menuge 00:07:02 | Near-death experiences 00:10:32 | The Read More ›
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Feb 17, 2022 • 32min
Don’t Blame Me; I’m a Meat Robot.
Methodological naturalism invariably draws certain conclusions. One of these notions is that we have no free will, and therefore, no culpability. We are essentially puppets hanging from genetic strings. Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Joshua Farris discuss this erroneous idea, as well as other failing conclusions created by ideological science. Show Notes 00:06 | Introducing Dr. Joshua Farris 00:24 | Read More ›
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Feb 10, 2022 • 31min
The Body and the Soul
Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Joshua Farris continue their conversation about the nature of the body and the soul, starting with whether or not Thomism and Cartesianism can be blended and ending with an exploration of the Aristotelian view of the mind/body relationship.
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Feb 3, 2022 • 30min
Why Cartesian Dualism?
Materialism is dead. There are simply too many questions left unanswered after years of studying the brain. Now, people are scrambling for a new way to understand the mind-body relationship. Cartesian dualism has become a whipping boy in philosophy, but it has advantages over the alternatives. Dr. Joshua Farris discusses Cartesianism and philosophy with Dr. Michael Egnor. Show Notes 01:27 Read More ›
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Jan 27, 2022 • 1h 11min
Neuroscience, Quantum Physics, and the Nature of Reality
Dr. Michael Egnor and Dr. Bruce Gordon discuss quantum mechanics, the nature of reality, idealism and how to interpret the finding of modern neuroscience. Prepare to cover a lot of ground on this Mind Matter News Bingecast. Show Notes 00:00:43 | Introducing Dr. Bruce Gordon 00:02:00 | Idealism 00:03:37 | Plato’s theory of forms 00:05:08 | Kantian idealism 00:09:17 | Read More ›
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